The formation isn't right, and we're losing because of it.

[laxman209]

He's focused his formation on drogba. But not the team itself. Since we having set backs at left back, and malouda is covering it, Angelotti needs to use Ivanonic and malouda as wing backs. With Mikel holding infront of terry and Carvalho. This doesn't ruin chelsea at all, it's a tactical decision that needs to happen at this stage. And the rest you can pretty much figure out, even though ballack is now suspended. ( J.cole can move into the central midfield along side Lampard, Something that people don't consider putting j.cole. He can play in the center/midfield three and spray the ball about. And knowing angelotti, it'll be Drogba up front with Anelka on the right.

But, i'm just stating my opinion on who should be playing.

[Ducado]

No you lost to a better team who's manager out thought your manager in the tactics department, you then resorted to trying to kick City off the park but got found out, me thinks the wheels may be coming off

[Andreas]

Having a laugh?

[Mod]

A better team? Did you see the stats?

You were lucky. Lucky that Cech is injured, lucky there is no Essien or a left back playing, Lucky that we played an important Champions league game in the week and fatigued, Lucky to get a Belletti and a Ballack sending off, Lucky that we got complacent and thought it was an easy three points after we scored and took our foot off the gas, Lucky Carlo got it wrong on our subs.

What is wrong with you lot.

[laxman209]

Angelotti hasn't got a plan b, and once again we got caught out.

[Riccardo]

He does have a plan B, but not a very good one. In fact I would say Carlo even has a plan C. He panicked after the break because of the late first half equaliser (which was all down to mistakes made in front of a class player - a lesser player would have let us off the hook). In the 2nd half we were pushing way too far up the pitch. That second goal came about because Carvalho and Terry were in your box in open play, as well as our full backs. With only Mikel left to cover, who is way too slow to react in these situations, we were left so so very vulnerable to the counter attack. After that we kept on pushing, and pushing, but to no avail. The players were too impatient to score. When that wasn't working, he introduced plan C. And then the penalty happened and it was all over.

The difference between the two managers today, was one that stuck to his game plan (Mancini and counter attack), and one who panicked and was desperate to use all his options. I felt if we continued playing like we did in the first half, and not have our freaking centre halves press up so far up the pitch, we would have continued controlling the game.

[aliboy66]

[Gilvorak]

LOL. Anyone who thinks it was Ancelotti's fault we lost today is seriously deluded.

[icecoolguy22]

This match has nothing to do with formation, but individual mistakes. Tervez didnt get a kick until we gifted him the goal. The formation does have a lot of limitations, but right now, it's the players got serious issues.

[BigIzz]

Exactly, look at the goals we conceeded they had nothing to do with formation. The first goal was a comedy of errors from Mikel, Carvalho, Terry and Hilaro. The second came because Carvalho wasn't positioned well and gambled to cut out a pass that went sailing over his head, Mikel didn't have the pace and one on one defensive ability he needed and Hilaro wasn't positioned perfectly. The third came because Billetti found himself out of position and was clumsy in his recovery and the fourth because we had only 9 players and committed too many forward to deal with a counter attack.

I don't see how Ancelotti or his formation are accountable for this at all. At best you can have an issue with him bringing on Belletti whose penalty/red card ended any hope of us salvaging points. But Carlo either had his best players on the pitch or are injured, it is up to the players to focus and preform at a high level. Any formation without Drogba in it can't seriously be considered, can it?

[TheWestwayWonder]

Im sad ducado got banned. I wouldve like to see his reactions when City bottle fourth place to the Dipper scum. Idiot.

Fyi, anyone complaining about a plan B i will say what I said during the Scolari days. If we are to have a plan B it should be in the form of a player who we can bring off the bench and change the game with. And attacker. And between injuries and lack of transfer activity we dont have that anymore, which is a big change from the teams of 2003-6. And until that is sorted out, the manager will continue to take stick when he puts out experienced internationals, and they occasionally get played off the park

[Mod]

LOL. Anyone who thinks it was Ancelotti's fault we lost today is seriously deluded.

Yea I blame Carvalho for wanting to be subbed and also Joe Cole for wanting to come off after he was attacking so well. We done so much better after that happened didn't we?

[g3.7]

has it occurred to anyone that since moving away from the diamond* we've suffered? anelka particularly so.

it's true that we have struggled to find a player to play behind the front two, but I sincerely hope we return to it, persist with joe (aided by deco if fit) until the end of the season and then hopefully allow carlo to bring the players that would see the system he knows best to operate fluidly on a consistent basis. we've seen plenty of potential from that system this season without it looking like the finished article.

what I don't want to see is the board / roman / fan pressure cause us to push the massive reset button (i.e. sack ancelotti in the summer). that is how you end up with a squad comprised of signings by four or five different people (with different ideas about how to construct a side). what we have is a squad that when scrutinised or compared against the standard we aim for clearly looks thrown together. they are very good individuals, but we've ended up with a squad that doesn't suit any system perfectly. either too many players here, or too few there. a situation where players have to be crowbarred into positions where it is hard for them to be at their best.

whether ancelotti does the signing or not, we need to sign in the summer, and EVERY first team signing needs to be coherent with the managers ideas.

*yes, I know it is the cause of all evil, where's the width etc...

Edited February 28, 2010 by gullit4

[Chippy]

has it occurred to anyone that since moving away from the diamond* we've suffered? anelka particularly so.

it's true that we have struggled to find a player to play behind the front two, but I sincerely hope we return to it, persist with joe (aided by deco if fit) until the end of the season and then hopefully allow carlo to bring the players that would see the system he knows best to operate fluidly on a consistent basis. we've seen plenty of potential from that system this season without it looking like the finished article.

what I don't want to see is the board / roman / fan pressure cause us to push the massive reset button (i.e. sack ancelotti in the summer). that is how you end up with a squad comprised of signings by four or five different people (with different ideas about how to construct a side). what we have is a squad that when scrutinised or compared against the standard we aim for clearly looks thrown together. they are very good individuals, but we've ended up with a squad that doesn't suit any system perfectly. either too many players here, or too few there. a situation where players have to be crowbarred into positions where it is hard for them to be at their best.

whether ancelotti does the signing or not, we need to sign in the summer, and EVERY first team signing needs to be coherent with the managers ideas.

*yes, I know it is the cause of all evil, where's the width etc...

Totally agree with all of this..

I have been hoping for a return of the Diamond and think it really is the best bet for the home leg against Inter,

Anelka seems much more dangerous and Drogba also gets a bit more space, we have looked good with 4-3-3 but I think we are a lot harder to break down with the Diamond.

Ancellotti will have a much better chance to impress if he is allowed to bring in players he thinks will fit his system (as would any of the previous short term managers) this time we must give him time.

[coco]

A diamond with no Ashley and no Bossy would be very very narrow.

[Eggy McMuffin]

A diamond with no Ashley and no Bossy would be very very narrow.

With Malouda though, it may make up for it somewhat. Ivan on the other side because he's responsible enough defensively to add some extra cover when Malouda gets lost. Hopefully Zhirkov could be back soon and solve that, though and then we'll be... not quite laughing, but at least not in as desperate a situation.

[jcm28]

With Malouda or Zhirkov the Diamond would work. I was thinking the same thing that someone posted above that we have struggles ever since we left the Diamond. But the more I think it, I realize that we were doing just fine until drogba came back. So I am assuming that Drogba-Anelka does not work in the 4-3-3 we are using right now.I say go back to the diamond and have the 4-3-3 as plan B,

[jcm28]

P.S. We should try the diamond with these players:

Turnbull(please)

Ivan-Carvs(or Alex)-JT-Zhirkov

Mikel

J.Cole Malouda

Lampard

Drogba Anelka

I know that there are many problems with the players stated above, but considering our options its about the best we can do right now. Hope we see Essien back sooner rather than later.

[Cam]

There was a reason we left the diamond in the first place...and it wasn't just because Drogba left for ACN...it was because we were never getting any width, and there was too much congestion in the middle of the park with 4 central midfielders, and no one to play adequately at the tip of the diamond....

[rahul]

Go 4-3-3 and drop Anelka for a few games. See how it goes!

[coco]

At home to WH I would go with the diamond, then Malouda and Ivan can supply width as fullbacks, but at home to Inter we should be playing 4-3-3 and relying on the front wide players for width. I'd like to see Drogba with Joe on his right and Malouda on his left with Ferrira at LB- Inter were absolutley toothless down their right in the San Siro, so Ferrira should have a basic defensive duty to concentrate on without risking any flurrys upfield, we need to be getting in more crosses to Drogba, look at the way Valencia was pinging them in for Rooney, they made it look basic, Rooney finds a yard or 2 of space, Valencia pings one in, right on Rooneys nut, GOAL. We have Drogba up front and we really arent utilising him properly.

P.S. I'd really like to see Kakuta replace Joey more, give him 10-20 minutes here and there, give him the order to 'feed the Drog' and see how he gets on.

Edited March 1, 2010 by coco

[Ossie9Dixon]

Personally I prefer us to play 442 with wide players. I'd like to see (when everyone is fit) Lamps and Essien in the middle, Malouda and Joe wide and Drogs up front with Anelka.

If Anelka does'nt play up front then he may as well be on the bench, because if he has to play out of position he becomes disinterested. In Milan during the week he was shocking. He constantly gave the ball away and showed no desire to get it back. He strolled around the pitch sulking and should have been replaced in my opinion.

Unfortunately, injuries are costing us dear and there are players in the squad who we need to start looking at as to whether we need them any more. For me, Deco and Ballack have not done enough in our colours and Mikel is'nt one of my favourites either as he seems to constantly give away possesion and give away needless free kicks.

It's a shame Petr has picked up an injury at a time when he was getting back to top form. Hilario looked like a frightened kid in goal on saturday. It's easy to point the finger at the whole JT thing and I do think it had an effect on some of our side on saturday, but theres no getting away from the fact that we just made sloppy mistakes. Ballack doing what he did was just stupid.

Lets hope Cech and Essien are back soon or the season is gonna go tits up!

[steve25cfc]

P.S. I'd really like to see Kakuta replace Joey more, give him 10-20 minutes here and there, give him the order to 'feed the Drog' and see how he gets on.

i think kakuta should be started on sunday against stoke & see how he slots in

[Epic]

It's nothing to do with the formation, in fact the formation usually means f*** all in the grand scheme of things. We've got key injuries and therefore an even weaker bench than usual. Cech's injury was the last straw, this is what happens when some of your best players are missing.

Essien and Bosingwa return soon so at least we'll have some options and can finally rest Ivanovic who must be knackered.

[BLUENUT]

It's nothing to do with the formation, in fact the formation usually means f*** all in the grand scheme of things. We've got key injuries and therefore an even weaker bench than usual. Cech's injury was the last straw, this is what happens when some of your best players are missing.

Essien and Bosingwa return soon so at least we'll have some options and can finally rest Ivanovic who must be knackered.

Agree Epic, the diamond was suited to 2 attacking fullbacks - both injured now.

It doesn't matter what formation we put out, if you defend like an under 11 sunday team, you will not win football matches. We were not in the right frame of mind going into Saturdays game and a lack of dicipline ended with 2 red cards. We were out fought and lacked ideas. You can play whatever formation you like, if the 11 players are not giving 100% and are not focused, you will lose the game. This is down to the manager, but the media frenzy around this game didn't help and there's only 1 person you can blame for that.