venom2011

It's difficult to have a considerable midfield presence when the number 1 tactic against your team is to mark you out of the game. He is not a forward where you are free to move around to counter being marked. Considering everything he's had an ok start. Not great, not terrible. I think he would be a boss in that City team.

Of course. And I'm sure that was why Pep was remonstrating on the touchline to get them to push harder and control the game when we had the ball.

Easy to make those arguments in the hindsight of a drubbing (Sunday stroll - never got out of 2nd gear). They went full tilt from minute 1.

The problem we have is that there are two clubs ahead of us right now who are combining style WITH substance. Both Liverpool and Man City have a built identity. So if we go back to the old Chelsea all we'll do is a) lose hazard and b) play defensive football with good players and hopefully sneak a title or two with a lot of luck. Conte's Chelsea would have only lost that game 2-0 and have not even 1 min of controlling the game. As strange as it sounds, there were actually periods in the 6-0 drubbing where City were being outplayed. I notice that more than anything. And I want more of it. And I want the club to make that happen. Just out of curiosity - What changes would you like him to make?

He would 100% be starting over Fernandinho and they wanted him for that purpose.

Sure, but he was forced to and he most likely had a different mandate to Sarri. People seem to think that Sarri hasn't tried anything - He's tried switching strikers, playing with a false 9, playing Kante closer to Jorginho, changing fullbacks and bringing on Emerson as a left-wing to see a match out. And benching Aguero? Sarri benched Morata, but it doesn't help if the next in line is Giroud. It is easier to change when you've got the players who are able to do it. So let's see what Pep had to work with in his first season vs Sarri - 1. A team with recent history of playing good, attacking football. 4-3-3. 2. Aguero - scored the same amount of goals as Costa in that season at a better rate than Costa. 3. Brought in backup striker who could score in Jan. 4. Silva, KDB, Toure, Fernandinho - 4 midfielders suited to Pep's style, already have PL experience and have a combination of creativity and goals. 5. Not the greatest but an experienced backline of Zabaleta, Kolorov, Kompany, Sagna, Otamendi and he added Stones. Sarri: 1. Hazard. Best player in the league and suited to his football but also has consistency issues. 2. Had to bring in Jorginho to make his system viable. Jorginho is new to the league and needs time to settle, unlike the key elements of Pep's system in his first season. 3. No goals from the midfield. Also a lack of creativity. Kovacic (who I really like) was a Madrid sub for a reason despite having great technique. Of Kovacic, Kante, Jorginho, Drinkwater, Barkley, Cesc and Ruben; the only one who would challenge for a starting berth at City is Jorginho. 4. Strikers who can't score. Went into the season HOPING Morata would change. 5. A left-back who is ill-suited to the formation, can't defend and has no recovery pace. 6. The most important difference? No structure around Sarri to allow him to fully implement his ideas. We are all kind of just hoping he and the board are on the same page. A few weeks into the new season I realised this was going to be a patchy season. Now we are seeing the worst and I am fine with it because ,considering all of the above points, I expected it. I just hope the board expected it as well and will allow him to work. Depending on what they decide to do, we will see if all they wanted was some pretty football for a bit or if they're truly wanting to change the identity of the club (and just maybe hold on to Hazard in doing so).

100%. This season, despite all the issues, we have literally been 1 good goal scorer away (a Costa away) from putting in a credible challenge. I agree with everything but this. Kante has been a 6/10 player where he is now. And would be the same in Jorginho's role. But his consistency is a great asset while he's adapting and we're trying finding out how good he can be in his new role.

Meanwhile, it's still possible to win 3 trophies and get into the top 4.

I find it extremely strange that you think Sarri has 'no idea' because the players aren't pressing properly, when he comes out and literally says the players aren't doing it the way he wants. For whatever reason you think this is the football he wants to play?!!!! You call him a fraud but he's just a man with a philosophy (which the club hired him to implement) not suited to the players he has at his disposal and yet is still in the running to meet his season targets. There are frauds on the board - a structual fraud, fraud fans to go with that who similarly don't care about the long term success of the club, and I for one am tired of the yoyo-ing. I've enjoyed parts of our football this season more than I've ever enjoyed it under Conte. Sure a surprise title helped paper over the cracks but it seems that this is what some clueless fans want - 1. We've got the players suited to mediocre, counter-attacking football 2. Sack Sarri and employ someone who will boost/stabilise results all while playing uninspiring football. 3. The fans/board/press will tolerate this for a while because we'll sneak some decent results. 4. Hazard will absolutely leave because he doesn't want to play that football anymore. 5. Eventually the new manager will be under real pressure because now he's going through a bad patch AND playing sh*t football. Unacceptable. Sacked. 6. Rinse and repeat. And having no faith in managers and no long term plan will keep the youth at bay so we'll probably lose Mount along with CHO anyway.

Yip. People disregard the fact that the team has to sacrifice some defensive solidity if he's playing. If he doesn't contribute in attack it's akin to Mesut Ozil on most days.

Agreed. What I enjoyed most yesterday though was seeing him hold off a defender with his back to goal and play a 1-2 with Hazard. The days of seeing Morata flop to the floor are truly behind us.

Not surprising. The amount of times I saw him ambling around next to Higuain.... And I barely saw him make a sprint. Anyhoo, I'm sure no reasonable fan expected smooth sailing, especially when looking at the personnel he has available. No goals (club gambled on Morata). Lack of creativity throughout the team. Best fullbacks are a defensive right-back and one who can't defend on the left. No backup for Jorginho. Fans clamouring for youth when the seniors don't even know the system yet. Conte tried a more aggressive 4-2-4 initially and we were in trouble. He fell back after it failed to work and he could do this because he had - Terry at the club ; A world class striker in Costa ; a team full of experienced heads who could 'dig in' better than they could play expansive football. People want Sarri to have a plan B but how radical could that change be with the current bench options? I really hope he gets the backing he deserves.

Why? We are 5th in the league and he is saying it as it is. In 2015 Mourinho said similar things and many (myself included) wanted him to stay despite us teetering around relegation in December. And if you somehow get your wish and the next one comes in and the same happens? "Sack immediately!!!!"

Not sure what match you watching but there were 34 registered crosses. Which seems about right from my perspective. How many of those hit a chelsea target? 3!!!!!!!!!

They were saying Rashford should move even without him pushing for it. I particularly remember quite a few discussions on that very topic. Given our history (youth), club ambition and short-termism (board), it's not surprising for pundits to say this, but at the same time the club have been making the right noises recently so I can't understand why an 18 year old would be this eager to leave.

Spot on. We are absolutely moving in the right direction. Flick the right switch and we'll genuinely be dominating teams.

Hazard and Pedro absolutely do. But they're not cross merchants. Solution: Bench Willian.

Perfect way to put it. There is no position for him in the current system and it should not be changed right now if the club has long term ambitions to play expansive football. As Sarri has said, once he sees the players fully understanding the system then maybe we will see a change - perhaps a 2 man midfield where Kante thrives. 6 months and no preseason is not enough.

He certainly is no Pirlo but is not as bad as he's looked recently. He is under big pressure and adapting to a new league. I've noted some very good through balls he's played since day 1, only to find Morata, Giroud or Willian who did buggerall with it.

Can't agree. He never plays poorly but simply has almost zero impact in the final third. For someone who plays as our most advanced midfielder, and who has played that position for most of his career, to be outshone by Kante in the final third.... If that's all he's going to produce then he deserves a seat on the bench, behind Kovacic.

I don't know why you're at a loss... Sarri's clearly trying to achieve a specific style of play. Do we have a squad fully understanding it? No. Do we have a squad fully suited to the style? No. So the board and Sarri need time. Harping-on after every negative result is pointless. I'm enjoying the ride and it's nice to see a progressive style even if it is wholly inconsistent right now. Pep had a mediocre first season and that is WITH the likes of Aguero, Silva, KDB and Toure available. And yet people expect to see something similar with Morata, Kante, Barkley and Willian.

Not of one of our midfliers have done anything of note this season. And as teams have played narrower and deeper it has become harder for them. Kovacic still oozes class on the ball. I don't find him frustrating, we have bigger issues at the moment. And he is being played slightly out of position. They change him at Madrid and he played an almost Jorginho-esque role. So I wasn't expecting massive goals etc. I'm still a big fan and let's not forget he is new to the hustle and bustle of this league. He is perfect for Kante's current role. So to accommodate Jorginho, Kante is out of position, then to accommodate Kante, Kova is out of position.

Strange thing to say. If teams sit back the one midfielder you really don't need is Kante. Kovacic has played some really good through balls this season and he is great in tight spaces. Also better with the 1-2s.

It runs deeper than that. We are witnessing phase 1 of Sarri's plan and many of the players are still not fully comfortable with the system. We don't have the players for the next phase, which is to increase the amount chances created. As you say, we don't have goals from midfield, but that's OK in isolation. The best of his system relies on distribution through the regista. So teams are now sitting deep and narrow and taking Jorginho out of the game. Morata isn't great against narrow defences, and Giroud, although better technically, isn't a goal scorer anymore. So we're having to resort to sending our best creator up top. Willian and Pedro are nowhere near world class. Then the biggest issue as far as I'm concerned is that we don't have the fullbacks to exploit the wide areas. And there are obvious spaces to attack out wide in most of our matches. So we have issues piling up in each area that needs addressing, as well as squad balancing. But I'm still enjoying the football now more than at any time under Conte and looking forward to seeing how progress under Sarri after the June transfer window.

Very similar situation to the one Barkley was in. Both very talented players who ran around like headless chickens and their off-the-ball work left much to be desired. With Barkley I've seen a big difference compared to the start of the season and now. Hopefully Ruben follows suit.