Even the most hardend Jose supporter (that's actually me) can see we have a problem. You can't win anything at this time of the year but you can sure as hell lose a lot.

I never expected Jose to come back and for us to start winning 4-5 nill every game.

I expected he would come in, we would be winning games 1-0 2-0 to begin with, perhaps a draw or two untill thins got settled and then things would become metranomic.

Jose is nothing if not organised and well drilled and in the first few matches that's what we looked like and I was happy to see it, I love great defending, solid team work ethic and every one pulling there weight deffensivly. The last two games have been and oddity.

For me the issues are:

To many attacking mids - Can not believe i would ever say that, we have 6 players would start week in week out for nearly any other club. Football players like to play football funnily enough. It has been 4 weeks since KDB has seen any action in a chelsea shirt, how is he supposed to play his way in to any form. At this rate we are going to end up with 6 Marins. Rest players when they are exahusted not for the sake of it. Strangely the one player who Jose has let start every game is woefully out of form (munich game asside) Eden has showed little in the prem and last night. He needs to pick a 3 and stick to them. I actually believe KDB's future lies in center mid so would like to see him come in for lamps, prehaps this week.

NO STRIKER!! - I think when we look back on this season if we haven't won anything we will see letting lukau go out on loan as the worst mistake in a very long time. Yes arguments can be made for his loan, development etc but that would have been if we had secured rooney. As it stands lukaku should have been handed the shirt and told to fill his boots.

Jose doesn't know his best team, somthing we often pointed the finger at Claudio for. A manager has to know and play his best outfit, when some one comes in they have there chance to put there hand up and claim the shirt but changes for the sake of changes doesn't work. Players need to know where they stand and what they have to do

I think we really need to go back to Mata Hazard and Oscar to start with behind the striker, pull KDB in the middle with Mikel or rami and go from there, Andre and Willian to come in when those 3 really arnt working, but at the end of the day that 3 did a job last season and it can again this

For me one of the problems last night was the pivot, 2 attack minded players in this position does not work and Jose corrected this too late on with intro of John Obi who I thought did well.

Eto'o needs time and proper match practice, I would stick with him tho because overall he did ok - it will come.

Jose tends to be defensive orientated and many of our players are attack-minded and he may have to resign to this and let the front 4 weave their magic which should probably include Mata.

Main issue though, too many similar type players to accommodate which is what he seems to be trying to do at this current time.

You're really doing pretty well at answering your own question mate,

 

The overload of good attacking mids especially with how late the arrival of Wilian was is causing problems, they are good problems to have but only if there is a good preseason and some easy games (carling cup, Basel CL etc) to try to evaluate the best mix and I think its been a bit of a surprise just how good some of them are...instead of looking at players like De Bruyne as good young back up he as is Shuurle are really nip and tuck with the more established options and I think Jose feels maybe even harder working defensively (hence Matas limited gametime).

 

I would say we need more width and I'm sure Jose has thought about this but are the players yet playing to his instructions? is he telling Hazard/Willian to take players on and then drift inside? is Ivan the player he's instructing to give us the width?.

 

I wonder if Hazard for instance trying to integrate more defensive duties is making his attacking runs suffer and his lack of defensive nous also making Ash's attacking runs almost non existent.

 

I think there is a lot to learn and as you say a main striker is part of the problem, some of the games we've had and lost or drawn, a Drogba a Van Persie or even a Rooney would have made a massive difference.

 

I don't think with all the rotation anything has improved but what you can be sure of is that Jose has learned a few things about his players, it might be gradual but he will find the ones he can trust to stick to his methods to the letter and those are the ones we'll see utilised more often.

I think Eto'o will prove himself at striker once he is settled.

 

The issue is there is no solid lineup/chemistry in the midfield. Mourinho has to stick with a solid 5 man lineup in the midfield and stick to it, then have certain players who fill in when that core is tired. A rotation for rotation's sake will not work. I think mata/oscar with hazard/schurrle on the wings and Ramires or Mikel behind them would be the strongest lineup. 

What we have is a fantastic group of technically gifted footballers but we defend and attack as individuals. I believe we have better players than Man Utd and Arsenal for instance, but they are better teams and have more team chemistry. This means in the games against them we will probably come off the better more often than not, but over a long season against a variety of opponents they are better equipped.

 

I believe players are starting on price tag/reputation rather than ability/performance. Jose is our manager and I trust him 100% but my personal belief is that:

 

- Luiz, Mikel and Mata should both be the first names on the team sheet.

- Courtois and Lukaku should both be with us and starting games.

- Cahill isn't good enough for Chelsea.

- Ivanovic shouldn't be playing at RB.

- None of JT, Lampard or Cole should be first choice.

- 4-2-3-1 isn't the formation we should be playing.

 

I'll get slated for my opinions, but that's just my personal belief. We are a side that plays with very little width hence why full backs are crucial. Azpiliecueta's overlapping runs are essential to us going forward, the only thing Ivanovic has over Azpi is superior aerial ability so what we've essentially done is sacrifice attacking flair to be more defensive. Cole on the other flank is consistently a huge problem because he isn't as good defensively (or going forward) and needs support. 

 

In spite of the above I'm not at all worried. It's only one loss. I remember in the 2010 World Cup when Spain lost their opening game to Switzerland and Del Bosque came under huge criticism with everyone saying he'd undone all of Aragones' hard work. Spain went on to win the World Cup and haven't looked back since. We aren't Spain, but the point is a lot can happen in football in a short period of time. 4 weeks ago I saw protests outside the Emirates and Ramsey apparently being the worst footballer to wear the shirt. 

 

I think we will steadily get better as the season goes along, rather than regress then hit form. Teams like us and Arsenal are written off every season whilst Spurs and Liverpool are consistently talked up and we all know what happens.

Edited September 19, 201312 yr by Myles_91

This isn't Jose's team, unlike last time around.

 

I would guess only Eto'o was his signing this summer, and he was hardly Jose's first choice.

 

Yes you can say some of the players played for him last time around but they are past their best, with the exception of Cech perhaps.

 

Jose will have his ideas and you can bet there'll be changes in the next 2 transfer windows, he should be allowed to mould the squad in his image.

 

Striker is a farcical issue and can be traced back to when Roman signed Torres. That has nothing to do with Jose. Those who have left might not have done and we might have been able to bring others in. It's done now. Jose doesn't fancy Torres much it seems to me and Lukaku will be back next term. We have to do the best with what we've got. We mustn't write Eto'o off yet, it's early days.

 

Terry? A major issue for me. He is our best central defender by a street. Anyone that argues isn't worth talking to IMO. It seems Terry can't play every game, due to fitness. This is a problem because he organises things, he leads the team, and you need a settled pairing at the back ideally. We really need to find his replacement and they're big boots to fill, believe me.

 

Cole? Not the player he was, especially if you're asking him to do it week-in week-out. Etc etc ..

 

There are so many issues. Essien for example. Hasn't had a look in, which tells us all we need to know about the state of his fitness. It makes us look a little lightweight in midfield.

 

I love Jose and I'm glad he's back and I have ultimate faith in him. We must remember what a great manager he is, and a few teething issues shouldn't unduly concern any of us, because he will get it right I suspect, even if it takes more time than we thought.

 

However if you're reading Jose I'd like to give you one bit of advice ..

 

Eden is not a defender. Please don't make him one. Thank you.

I've already given my opinions on the specifics in other threads, but we've been through these moments in almost every season since we've sat at the big table.  What matters now is how we respond to it.  Jose needs to pull us out of a nosedive or we'll risk a "bad moment" arriving early this year.  The good news is that our poor results haven't really cost us.  We should still top our CL group, but we've made it harder than it needs to be, and we're level on points with City and United in the league.  Not to mention that they're not having great times themselves.

 

We've seen this team play very well, both in preseason and against Hull and Bayern.  We've seen what Jose is trying to achieve, but repeated blows to our confidence in very close games seems to have derailed us.  We need a really strong, hungry performance against Fulham to get things back on track and Jose is really going to have to demonstrate why he's the best in the world.  I'm still confident that he can turn it around rapidly but the players need a real kick in the arse.

What we have is a fantastic group of technically gifted footballers but we defend and attack as individuals. I believe we have better players than Man Utd and Arsenal for instance, but they are better teams and have more team chemistry. This means in the games against them we will probably come off the better more often than not, but over a long season against a variety of opponents they are better equipped.

 

I believe players are starting on price tag/reputation rather than ability/performance. Jose is our manager and I trust him 100% but my personal belief is that:

 

- Luiz, Mikel and Mata should both be the first names on the team sheet.

- Courtois and Lukaku should both be with us and starting games.

- Cahill isn't good enough for Chelsea.

- Ivanovic shouldn't be playing at RB.

- None of JT, Lampard or Cole should be first choice.

- 4-2-3-1 isn't the formation we should be playing.

 

I'll get slated for my opinions, but that's just my personal belief. We are a side that plays with very little width hence why full backs are crucial. Azpiliecueta's overlapping runs are essential to us going forward, the only thing Ivanovic has over Azpi is superior aerial ability so what we've essentially done is sacrifice attacking flair to be more defensive. Cole on the other flank is consistently a huge problem because he isn't as good defensively (or going forward) and needs support. 

 

In spite of the above I'm not at all worried. It's only one loss. I remember in the 2010 World Cup when Spain lost their opening game to Switzerland and Del Bosque came under huge criticism with everyone saying he'd undone all of Aragones' hard work. Spain went on to win the World Cup and haven't looked back since. We aren't Spain, but the point is a lot can happen in football in a short period of time. 4 weeks ago I saw protests outside the Emirates and Ramsey apparently being the worst footballer to wear the shirt. 

 

I think we will steadily get better as the season goes along, rather than regress then hit form. Teams like us and Arsenal are written off every season whilst Spurs and Liverpool are consistently talked up and we all know what happens.

 

Agree w/ everything but Cahill. Cahill is one of the best CB's in the Prem.

I feel the biggest issue at the moment is our squad balance. We have far too many players who are attacking midfielders/wingers and while it's great we have depth in these positions, these players are feeling uncertain of there starting spots in the side. I'm thinking of the likes of KDB, Mata, Willian, Hazard and Oscar. Our strike force still looks very ordinary at the moment. Torres and Ba are nowhere near what they could be and Eto'o doesn't look like setting the world on fire either despite starting twice already.

Another reason for our dismal performance is the team's confidence. We're lacking the confidence and belief and we don't have the killer instinct to attack teams like we used to. I don't know what Jose's doing at the moment, but the subs haven't been right so far and our game plan doesn't look hurting or intimidating opponents unfortunately.

Thirdly, our transfer business over the summer was average to say the least. We needed an established and proven striker such as Cavani or Falcao and we missed out on both of them, and instead of focusing on Rooney we should have focused on signing a defensive midfielder as well such as De Rossi from Roma. Loaning Lukaku and Moses out will benefit them individually and help us in the long-term, but in the short-term it'll probably hurt us more than we anticipate.

I think Eto'o will prove himself at striker once he is settled.

 

The issue is there is no solid lineup/chemistry in the midfield. Mourinho has to stick with a solid 5 man lineup in the midfield and stick to it, then have certain players who fill in when that core is tired. A rotation for rotation's sake will not work. I think mata/oscar with hazard/schurrle on the wings and Ramires or Mikel behind them would be the strongest lineup. 

 

This isn't Jose's team, unlike last time around.

 

I would guess only Eto'o was his signing this summer, and he was hardly Jose's first choice.

 

Yes you can say some of the players played for him last time around but they are past their best, with the exception of Cech perhaps.

 

Jose will have his ideas and you can bet there'll be changes in the next 2 transfer windows, he should be allowed to mould the squad in his image.

 

Striker is a farcical issue and can be traced back to when Roman signed Torres. That has nothing to do with Jose. Those who have left might not have done and we might have been able to bring others in. It's done now. Jose doesn't fancy Torres much it seems to me and Lukaku will be back next term. We have to do the best with what we've got. We mustn't write Eto'o off yet, it's early days.

 

Terry? A major issue for me. He is our best central defender by a street. Anyone that argues isn't worth talking to IMO. It seems Terry can't play every game, due to fitness. This is a problem because he organises things, he leads the team, and you need a settled pairing at the back ideally. We really need to find his replacement and they're big boots to fill, believe me.

 

Cole? Not the player he was, especially if you're asking him to do it week-in week-out. Etc etc ..

 

There are so many issues. Essien for example. Hasn't had a look in, which tells us all we need to know about the state of his fitness. It makes us look a little lightweight in midfield.

 

I love Jose and I'm glad he's back and I have ultimate faith in him. We must remember what a great manager he is, and a few teething issues shouldn't unduly concern any of us, because he will get it right I suspect, even if it takes more time than we thought.

 

However if you're reading Jose I'd like to give you one bit of advice ..

 

Eden is not a defender. Please don't make him one. Thank you.

 

I'm beginning to think no one will ever have time to mould anything at this club. We want success and we want it now. Yeah, well good luck with that, as they say

Agree w/ everything but Cahill. Cahill is one of the best CB's in the Prem.

No, he isnt.

No, he isnt.

 

Is that just your opinion or a fact?

 

Interested because I thought he was as well.

Is that just your opinion or a fact?

 

Interested because I thought he was as well.

My opinion, I personally wouldnt put him in the top 10 in the league tbh.

Go back to 4-3-3. Get an extra man in midfield and that gets the best out of Lamps and Ramie. Hazard on the left and who ever on the right. With the ball 4-3-3 without it 4-5-1. Stop leaking goals!

My opinion, I personally wouldnt put him in the top 10 in the league tbh.

 

Looking at the opposition CBs I'd only put Vidic and Kompany ahead of him, I'd have him in our back four every week at least until the team settles as you know what you get from him, as has been said maybe a bit unfairly "a poor mans JT" I think the more he plays the better he'll get.

In my opinion hes top 3 as Chippy said. He's our best CB and the 2nd or 3rd best in the Prem.

Go back to 4-3-3. Get an extra man in midfield and that gets the best out of Lamps and Ramie. Hazard on the left and who ever on the right. With the ball 4-3-3 without it 4-5-1. Stop leaking goals!

Leaking goals? I'd say our main issue has been scoring them. Clean sheet against hull, 1 conceded against villa which was a superb individual goal, clean sheet away at united, 1 away at everton and granted last night we were poor at the back. We need to find a way to get the best out of our forwards not the defence!

I think Cahill is perfectly competent but every defender is prone to error. Also with the large number of attacking midfielders in the lineup it will put a bit more pressure on the defence. 

Leaking goals? I'd say our main issue has been scoring them. Clean sheet against hull, 1 conceded against villa which was a superb individual goal, clean sheet away at united, 1 away at everton and granted last night we were poor at the back. We need to find a way to get the best out of our forwards not the defence!

 

I'd agree and to be fair last night the first goal you have to say was a good goal, the second was what comes of having an out of sorts striker looking after the near post.

We have a number of issues.

We still have no squad balance. Granted, the level of ability we require from our players in order to compete at the very highest level both domestically and continentally means we are searching through a very shallow talent pool. As a result putting together a squad capable of going toe-to-toe with the very best in the world is easier said than done - we are not expecting perfection.

That said, the total lack of cohesion in our transfer policy is baffling, and suggests to me that there are too many people involved in making the transfers, or at least in making the decisions. I can't imagine anyone with even one eye on the footballing side of things would have approved the Willian transfer - I can only imagine he was signed as a financial asset.

Of course Willian is a very talented player, just not one who plays in a position in which we even close to needed a new signing. Obviously the transfer market is very complex and as I said there are a lot of parties involved, and it's not as if it's as simple as the idea that 'if we hadn't signed Willian we'd have been able to afford De Rossi', but really this policy needs to be decided, or at least overlooked by the person who is going to be in charge of turning this group of players into a competitive football team.

It is this situation which forces the manager into positions like trying to play a defensive strategy against Man Utd away with no recognised DM and four attacking midfielders on the pitch, trying to play Schurrle as a lone striker against two very physically imposing or having to shoehorn in Luiz at LB, because he clearly doesn't trust his alternative, not having had any role in choosing them.

Look at the Ba signing - he went from an emergency requirement to a bench player to being considered surplus to requirements in the space of about six months, and without him ever really getting a serious run of games or ever playing that badly. This is because it was different people making the decisions every time - our transfer policy has no continuity or cohesion. Even the youngsters we sign seem like random shots in the dark rather than future team members who are being groomed for a particular role within the collective. Then there are the last-minute panic buys like Meireles, Ba and Eto'o (and the Lukaku loan) which rarely if ever turn out well, and which again suggest a lack of forward planning and cohesion in our transfers.

Compare our transfers this summer with Man City's - it's hard to argue that we have signed bad players (although Eto'o could well prove to be past it I suppose), but City filled the holes in their squad which needed filling to fit the gameplan the manager had in mind. If we are going to plan to build the team around Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Willian (etc.) then our attack will need to be very fluid. This is something that is much harder for a manager to plan intricately than a hardcore defensive strategy; it requires a lot of ad hoc decision making from the players and most of all a good mutual understanding, one that can only be built through experience of playing together. None of our attacking midfield partnerships have existed for more than one season - we are incredibly lucky that Hazard, Oscar and Mata were gifted enough to build an understanding (although I suppose having to play such a large quantity of games helped) in such a short time - throwing completely new players into the mix willy-nilly is only going to disrupt the emerging on-field partnerships that have developed and thus disrupt the progress of the team.

All of that said - we still have a squad of very talented players and one of the best managers in the game. It's not like there isn't the makings of a great team among our ranks, and it's not like I would really want anyone else to be in charge of it - I would just like him to actually be in charge of it.
I get the impression (although I could well be very wrong about this) that Mourinho only considers a handful of players from this squad to be worthy of and reliable enough for a regular first team slot, and he can't really be expected to win any silverware under those conditions. That said, to quote Cedric Daniels… ‘I for one am a patient motherf**ker’.

 

In a nutshell, more than enough to worry the fans.

 

The seeds for this underwhelming start were sown in the transfer window. We needed to sign at most 3 players but ended up signing the wrong ones in Willian and Eto'o and then sending Lukaku on loan.

The Willian cash would've been well spent on someone like Higuain. Willian's signing stinks of the club trying to foist players on Jose. Jose's main target was Rooney and if he really wanted Willian it wouldn't have been an eleventh hour deal just to piss Spurs.

 

Jose is tentative, he's no closer to his first choice starting 11 than he was after the first game.

 

Eto'o was slotted straight into the starting 11 in important games like Everton and CL(Basel) which indicates that Jose doesn't rate either Torres or Ba which begs the question why Lukaku was let go in the first place ? 
It would've been better to sell either of those 2 and keep Lukaku.
Everyone knows that Eto'o needs to shake of the rust and get back into form so why was he chosen to start for those important games instead of easing him into the side in more comfortable fixtures ?

Handing CL debut starts to MVG and Willian was baffling especially when neither of them has had even 45 minutes of football in the Blue shirt. Was expecting Jose to give debut starts once top spot in the group was guaranteed with a game in hand. Then he could've comfortably started the likes of MVG, Willian and even Chalobah and Ake.

 

And why has Jose refused to select Bertrand and Azpi against teams we know will park the bus at the Bridge ?
Cole offers nothing going forward and Ivanovic is not a better technical player than Azpi in the opposition half and his crosses are no good either.

 

The way we attack is also unbalanced. It either the AM's trying to walk the ball into the net or a hopeful long punt up the pitch with no one to hold up the ball.

 

Only Lampard is willing to take shots from outside/around the box, the rest try to string those 2 yard Barcelona passes in a usually crowded penalty box.

There's a lot of work to be done and Jose along with the fans underestimated the issues that needed to be sorted out. But it's only early on in the season with everything to play for.

Edited September 19, 201312 yr by Nick05

A lot of good sense talked so far. For me, having 6 attacking midfielders is not why we are not performing. Having a surplus of top class fullbacks and CBs is not really a problem. Having no idea of what shape(s) and system(s) will get the best out of the talent at your disposal is clearly a massive problem. JM is trying out plenty of permutations, and he knows he has to keep his squad players playing regularly, and it's as frustrating as hell seeing so little working at the moment.

I really think it boils down to the lack of a quality striker. Not just a finisher who's in form (1 goal in 6 games from our strikers is a joke), but an intelligent all-round forward who can create as well as score goals, and can do the business when we are defending as well. (Last night's 2nd goal was a poor effort from Eto'o). We just do not have the player we need at the club (and I'm not saying Lukaku is that man, either). If we had stuck away a small proportion of our chances at Everton we'd have won comfortably, the confidence would have soared, and I do not believe last night's defeat would have happened.

Given that we don't have the player we need to play up front, we have to make do, and if that means completely altering the shape from 4231 then that's what we've got to do. I want to see Oscar, Mata and Hazard playing together again, but if it means Oscar playing in a midfield three (with, say, Ramires and Mikel, or Lamps and MvG, or KdB and Luiz), with Hazard and Mata up front, then let's try it. Both are intelligent and skilful enough to play there without diminishing their impact. They can go wide, drop deeper and go through the middle, as they see fit. Playing in a front three is hardly putting players in a straight-jacket.

I don't believe the back 4 will be a problem, but we just have to start scoring goals. It may be that Schürrle and Willian can kick-start things, but I want  us to get Oscar, Mata and Hazard all firing again first. Oscar is looking good, but the other two are way below their best

 

I have to agree with Davey about Hazard.

 

Eden is not a defender. Please don't make him one. Thank you.

This isn't Jose's team, unlike last time around.

 

I would guess only Eto'o was his signing this summer, and he was hardly Jose's first choice.

 

Yes you can say some of the players played for him last time around but they are past their best, with the exception of Cech perhaps.

 

Jose will have his ideas and you can bet there'll be changes in the next 2 transfer windows, he should be allowed to mould the squad in his image.

 

Striker is a farcical issue and can be traced back to when Roman signed Torres. That has nothing to do with Jose. Those who have left might not have done and we might have been able to bring others in. It's done now. Jose doesn't fancy Torres much it seems to me and Lukaku will be back next term. We have to do the best with what we've got. We mustn't write Eto'o off yet, it's early days.

 

Terry? A major issue for me. He is our best central defender by a street. Anyone that argues isn't worth talking to IMO. It seems Terry can't play every game, due to fitness. This is a problem because he organises things, he leads the team, and you need a settled pairing at the back ideally. We really need to find his replacement and they're big boots to fill, believe me.

 

Cole? Not the player he was, especially if you're asking him to do it week-in week-out. Etc etc ..

 

There are so many issues. Essien for example. Hasn't had a look in, which tells us all we need to know about the state of his fitness. It makes us look a little lightweight in midfield.

 

I love Jose and I'm glad he's back and I have ultimate faith in him. We must remember what a great manager he is, and a few teething issues shouldn't unduly concern any of us, because he will get it right I suspect, even if it takes more time than we thought.

 

However if you're reading Jose I'd like to give you one bit of advice ..

 

Eden is not a defender. Please don't make him one. Thank you.

i am a huge fan of luiz but sometimes he takes it upon himself to try and initiate attacking play and join in at every opportunity and forgets his primary job is to defend. i believe this impedes our attacking players and because he is more established than most of them they allow him to do this. the less established players need to impose their will more and luiz needs to remember that his job is to defend more. i know people have an opinion that our strikers are not all there and i agree but if you cannot keep a clean sheet then you run the chance of losing.

tbh eden is actually defending less than he was last season. he barely tracked back at all last night, whereas last season he really impressed me with how hard he worked off the ball. 

 

tbh i think something is wrong with him...either the injury he's playing through is worse than is being let on...or that hamstring injury he got toward the end of last season is still effecting him either physically or mentally. that is just speculation on my part though. 

 

whether the reasonst...he has been a major disappointment so far this season. 

                                   We appear to lack the spirit to play as a team and are overly reliant on certain individuals. Jose needs to get them performing as a team.

 

                                   The midfielders don't create enough chances for the strikers. The new players need to gel in time to recover from a poor start.

 

                                   They have only played a few games and it will take time for them to settle down. Cohesion is an important step in the right direction.

.

                                   Our defensive weakness has to be worked on to get the best out of the back four.The Cahill-Luiz partnership does not work.

 

                                    Jose must make sure Mata and Hazard return to what they do best and eliminate this habit of ignoring our Spanish players.

 

                                    Because of his vast experience in managing the best teams in Europe and his familiarity with Chelsea he is the right man for the job.

 

                                    It's time for him to start producing results and I'm looking forward to the game against Fulham to get us back on track.

.