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Opinion: Your strongest starting 11.

naterose89
in General Chelsea FC

Featured Replies

Assuming the team is fully fit with no injuries:

 

 

 

                        Cech

 

Azpilicueta----Terry----Cahill----Cole

 

                 Luiz------Mikel

 

              Oscar-------Hazard

 

                       Mata

 

                      Torres

 

 

 

Now before some of you flame me for the formation, this is purely opinion based.

 

Defence:

 

Some of you may prefer Ivanavich to Azpilicueta but I do not rate the big bulldozer that high.  I find he our most mistake prone defender and has the creativity of a blind painter.  Azpilicueta on the other hand has been solid in every showing bar the Monterrey game, and let's be honest, even then it wasn't a complete blinder.  

 

A fit uninjured Terry is an obvious 100% as is Cole on the left.  Cahill is a solid defender and plays his best alongside Terry.  He is also our most likely to score from corners.

 

Def. Midfield:

 

Some may prefer Ramires but he's shown me nothing this season that tells me he is anywhere near good enough to become a top of the line defensive mid.  

 

Granted Luiz has only had 1 full game in the position against fairly weak opposition, I believe he showed more in that time than Ramires has all of 2012/2013.  

 

With Mikel alongside Luiz rather than Ramires this would give Luiz more freedom to push forward and create opportunities due to the defensive nature of Mikel.  Mikel may not be the best player but unfortunately we do not have much stock to choose from in the position mentioned.

 

Att. Midfield:

 

The problem that I see with our midfield is that our three musketeers get so creative with each other when they're playing that 4-2-3-1 that once they break through and get deep we have no one left in the square apart from Torres and perhaps 1 defensive mid.  If you re-watch most our games we constantly cross straight into an opponents head because of the lack of option.

 

The closer Mata plays to Torres, the better Torres seems to play.  Mata is our best finisher by a country mile at the moment so the deeper he plays the better.

 

Forward:

 

Unfortunately our biggest problem still seems to be that we play 1 striker who is not the player he once was.  Now I have never been one to jump on Torres and kick him while he's down.  It's not like he wants to play like this, unfortunately though, this is Chelsea.  Not a bottom 4 club in a third world country.  He's simply not up to the standards we need from a Striker right now.  Until this gets fixed there's not much to say really.

 

Subs:

 

The like for like sub has become a problem at Chelsea.  Swapping a RB for a RB when you're down 1-0 is not good coaching.  You don't have to be an expert to see that.  When the team is down with 20 minutes to go and nothing seems to be working, you grow a set of man-sized-balls and you change the formation, or you change the game-style.

 

For e.g.  The clock is at 83 minutes.  Chelsea are down 1-0 to Corinthian's.  The game is going the way of the Brazilians and Chelsea can't seem to penetrate passed the midfield.  Which of these would give you more chance of POSSIBLY scoring the equaliser.

 

A: Swap Cesar for Ivanavich ensuring that a fresh player is brought on in the defence?

 

B: Bring on Marin for Ramires, send Marin to play alongside Oscar, Hazard and Mata.  Push Luiz up to play alongside Lampard as an attacking role while Lampard holds back for the 7 minutes to help out the 3 defenders?

 

Now some of you may think B is a risky, stupid move.  But when it comes down to crunch time risks are what is needed.  With option A (The option that Benetiz used,) the only benefit received is that you have a fresh defender and reduce your chance of getting a 2nd goal scored against you.

 

With option B, you essentially lose 1 defender for 2 attackers.  You free up Luiz to move forward and use his vision and awareness to set up attacks to now 4 creative mids of which all can create something out of nothing.  

 

There were no balls in the sub options that Rafa took against Corinthians, and it was a wasted opportunity.

 

 

 

Happy to hear some of your opinions on our strongest 11!

 

 

  • Author
Sturridge ahead of Torres

Ramires ahead of Mikel

 

Rest is pretty indisputable.

 

Sturridge is probably ahead, but there's no way he gets a game of Torre$ so I didn't bother.  Ramires is a better player, but in a perfect 11 could he play well enough defensively to cover a forward pressing Luiz?  Or are you thinking Ramires>Mikel with Luiz playing in the back 4?

Edited by naterose89

It really is a tricky one as unlike a fews seasons ago when we had some really consistent performers and going back to the days of Mourinho's "untouchables", now I don't think we actually have a "strongest starting 11". The squad we have now, does make it very much "horses for courses".

 

I think some folk have got carried away re the Mata, Oscar, Hazard set up. That was great when it worked briefly but Mata does seem to be the only one of the three who performs consistently enough to warrant starting every time. Really not sure if I could leave Ivan out of our strongest line up as I still think he is our most reliable defender but he needs to play centre back now we have Azplilicueta, so that means alongside either JT or Cahill with Luiz playing in the midfield next to Ramires. NO Way is Mikel in our strongest 11.

NO Way is Mikel in our strongest 11.

 

 

Whether he should be in the midfield before Ramires/Luiz/Lampard is a debate to be had, but surely he would get in up front before our current no:9 ? They have a very similar shooting record.

---------------Cech--------------

Ivan-----Luiz----Terry----Cole

---------------Mikel----------------

-----Ramires------Oscar--------

Hazard----------------------Mata

--------------Sturridge----------

Edited by Las7

--------------Cech--------------

Dave----Cahill----Terry----Cole

-------Ramires-----Luiz-------

-----Hazard--Oscar---Mata

------------Sturridge----------

--------------Cech--------------

Dave----Cahill----Terry----Cole

-------Ramires-----Luiz-------

-----Hazard--Oscar---Mata

------------Sturridge----------

 

That should be our starting XI over christmas / new year.

--------------------------------------------------Cech--------------------------------------------

 

Ivanovic---------------------------Luiz---------------------Terry----------------------Cole

 

---------------------------------------Mikel--------------Ramires----------------------------

 

Mata------------------------------------------Oscar--------------------------------Hazard

 

--------------------------------------------------Torres----------------------------------------

................................Cech.........................

Azpi.........Ivanovic................Terry.......Cole

.....................Luiz................Oscar.............

Moses......................Mata...............Hazard

.............................Sturridge.......................

 

I think Oscar instead of Ramires, i like Ramires but apart from an engine i just don't see what he offers the team. I think Oscar attacking from deep can do a good job. Luiz works as hard as Ramires and has so much more than him and Mikel so i don't think Ramires or Mikel is needed, Luiz can do the job for both of them. Ivanovic in at CB, i was one of the people who was saying i don't like him there but i think when he has played there this season he has better than Luiz and Cahill, i think Cahill is good but Ivanovic positioning at CB is world class. Sturridge easily ahead of Torres, i don't understand how anyone can still put Torres in their team ahead of Sturridge.

Don't think ever before in the Roman era has there been so much dispute over our strongest 11.

 

Dunno if thats a good or a bad thing, probably a bit of both.

................................Cech.........................

Azpi.........Ivanovic................Terry.......Cole

.....................Luiz................Oscar.............

Moses......................Mata...............Hazard

.............................Sturridge.......................

 

I think Oscar instead of Ramires, i like Ramires but apart from an engine i just don't see what he offers the team. I think Oscar attacking from deep can do a good job. Luiz works as hard as Ramires and has so much more than him and Mikel so i don't think Ramires or Mikel is needed, Luiz can do the job for both of them. Ivanovic in at CB, i was one of the people who was saying i don't like him there but i think when he has played there this season he has better than Luiz and Cahill, i think Cahill is good but Ivanovic positioning at CB is world class. Sturridge easily ahead of Torres, i don't understand how anyone can still put Torres in their team ahead of Sturridge.

 

 

Either blind optimism or a complete disconnection from reality?

Cech

Dave

Terry

Luiz

Cole

Oscar

Rambo

Moses

Mata

Hazard

Sturridge

I would love to see that team, it wouldnt be the best defensive team but it would be a scoring machine.

-----------------------------Cech-------------------------------

 

Azpilicueta----------Luiz--------Terry-----------Cole

 

----------------------------Mikel--------------------------

 

--------------Oscar--------------------Ramires

 

Moses-------------------------------------------------Hazard

 

---------------------------Mata-------------------

At the moment?

 

Cech

 

Azpilicueta

Cahill

Terry

Cole

Romeu

Ramires

 

Moses

Mata

Hazard

 

Sturridge

Thank you.

 

Surprised so many people left out Romeu. Though I would have Luiz or Ivan ahead of Cahill myself but the rest is spot on for me, Moses there for the width and Oscar to replace him towards the end.

Edited by Remodez

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