On 03/03/2017 at 17:41, RIP Mourinho said:

Disagree it being a poor decision. We've strengthened our team in the final run of the season. Should Alonso or a CB get injured we'd be struggling for someone to play there that is as defensively sound. 

If alonso was to get injured, I doubt Ake would be Conte's first choice.

Wont be surprised if go Moses-Zouma-DL-GC-Azpi. 

I dont see Ake being a starter unless we lose both Azpi and Alonso.

36 minutes ago, didierforever said:

If alonso was to get injured, I doubt Ake would be Conte's first choice.

Wont be surprised if go Moses-Zouma-DL-GC-Azpi. 

I dont see Ake being a starter unless we lose both Azpi and Alonso.

Fair enough. Has Dave actually been played at LWB this season at any point? I honestly can't remember. 

14 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Fair enough. Has Dave actually been played at LWB this season at any point? I honestly can't remember. 

Dont think so. Its been alonso/pedro/ake (for some minutes). 

On 3/4/2017 at 13:20, didierforever said:

If alonso was to get injured, I doubt Ake would be Conte's first choice.

Wont be surprised if go Moses-Zouma-DL-GC-Azpi. 

I dont see Ake being a starter unless we lose both Azpi and Alonso.

We would actually more likely play Pedro than Azpi at LWB. 

Unless it was for a longer period of time then we would probably play Ake. Azpi isnt a LWB. 

Nice work bringing him back from regular PL-football to cover for Alonso, only to leave him in London that one time Alonso actually gets injured and we need him.

 

Probably the one big problem I have with Contes management of the team bringing this lad back from Bournemouth. 

 

He was getting plenty of game time there, was arguably a key player for them and the fact we brought him filled a lot of us with the confidence he'd be integrated in to the side. 

 

As things stand he hasn't really had a look in and today would have been the ideal scenario for him to be brought it. 

Yep, should have played today. Zouma looked rusty as f**k and seemed to just get in his own team mates way all the time.

Dont play Azpi as a wingback its hard to watch. Should play Ake or Pedro as wingback.

14 hours ago, Sindre said:

Nice work bringing him back from regular PL-football to cover for Alonso, only to leave him in London that one time Alonso actually gets injured and we need him.

 

I know, fancy not being able to see into the future, what a jerk.

28 minutes ago, dkw said:

I know, fancy not being able to see into the future, what a jerk.

To be fair DKW, if the reports were true - Conte knew about this from the morning of the game as Alonso apparently reported feeling unwell.

11 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said:

To be fair DKW, if the reports were true - Conte knew about this from the morning of the game as Alonso apparently reported feeling unwell.

But Ake didn't travel yesterday, is that right? Ake has been on the bench for ages, the one time he isn't and Alonso gets sick, that's just incredibly unlucky and it's very disingenuous to have a go at Conte for it.

3 minutes ago, dkw said:

But Ake didn't travel yesterday, is that right? Ake has been on the bench for ages, the one time he isn't and Alonso gets sick, that's just incredibly unlucky and it's very disingenuous to have a go at Conte for it.

Yes, I agree it's bad luck.

 

No, Ake didn't travel you're right but that's kind of my point, surely if Alonso reported feeling unwell Sunday morning, Conte should have made sure Ake travelled with the team just in case?

 

I don't know the ins and outs of these things so far be it for me to criticise Conte, maybe the decisions are made Saturday night on who travels, maybe they were already in manchester or on the bus when Alonso reported being unwell.

 

None of us really know, but if Alonso reported being unwell prior to leaving London it is strange that Antonio wouldn't select Ake to travel.

 

It's really irrelevant anyway because no offence to Ake but there's not a chance him starting would have changed the outcome of that game IMO.

I'm not sure we could even have called him up, the match day squads are sent to the FA day(s) in advance. And i agree, Ake would not have saved that sh*tshow yesterday.

15 hours ago, jack_super_class said:

Dont play Azpi as a wingback its hard to watch. Should play Ake or Pedro as wingback.

Hopefully yesterday was the last time somebody mentions playing Zouma and Azpi at wingback in the gameday thread. Uts a terrible look for us and completely changes how we want to play

Edited April 17, 20179 yr by Xfaxtor

1 minute ago, Xfaxtor said:

Hopefully yesterday was the last time somebody mentions playing Zouma and Azpi at wingback in the gameday thread. Uts a terrible look for us and completely changes how we want to play

And the fact that Azpi started on his weaker left side too its painful. I dont even want Ake to play as a wingback dont think he suits it at all but at least he has good ball playing ability and is left footed. Should have put Pedro out there and played Willian from the start.

If Alonso gets injured Pedro should play there and if he is injured then play Kennedy there.

1 hour ago, dkw said:

But Ake didn't travel yesterday, is that right? Ake has been on the bench for ages, the one time he isn't and Alonso gets sick, that's just incredibly unlucky and it's very disingenuous to have a go at Conte for it.

Ake was an unused sub after Alonso was withdrawn. He couldn't take Alonso's place in the initial starting team as he wasn't named on the subs bench but could have been called upon within the game.

 

http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2017/04/report-man-united-v-chelsea.html

Conte has to play him, he brought him to nothing until now. With all my respect and support to Zouma, but Ake is the currently better defender. 

He deserves to get a proper chance.

3 hours ago, charierre said:

Ake was an unused sub after Alonso was withdrawn. He couldn't take Alonso's place in the initial starting team as he wasn't named on the subs bench but could have been called upon within the game.

 

http://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2017/04/report-man-united-v-chelsea.html

Cheers, i could vaguely remember something stopping non named players being brought into the team.

Isnt Kennedy also left footed ? Not saying we should start him but we did have enough lefty options.

5 hours ago, brownindian said:

Isnt Kennedy also left footed ? Not saying we should start him but we did have enough lefty options.

Neither were on the bench and therefore couldn't replace alonso. Only a bench player can go on in place of an injured first team pre game. 

Pretty disappointed we took him back then benched him for as far as I could remember. Just play him this weekend , semi final or not.

If we want to shut down Spurs we may want to put him, Kante and nat together in a five man midfield. I reckon they would be more use than matic. 

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

If we want to shut down Spurs we may want to put him, Kante and nat together in a five man midfield. I reckon they would be more use than matic. 

That would be a disaster. As much as Matic has declined he is still better than Chalobah. 

3 hours ago, Argo said:

That would be a disaster. As much as Matic has declined he is still better than Chalobah. 

Is he though? Hes not tackling, not following his man, almost always lut of position, incaoable of keeping a hold of the ball against the press. Not a huge fan of Chalobah either but at this rate Im not sure he wouldnt be better. At least Nate has some tenacity and the ability to get in a tackle

15 hours ago, Xfaxtor said:

Is he though? Hes not tackling, not following his man, almost always lut of position, incaoable of keeping a hold of the ball against the press. Not a huge fan of Chalobah either but at this rate Im not sure he wouldnt be better. At least Nate has some tenacity and the ability to get in a tackle

There was a similar argument in 10/11 when Lampard was off form and Josh was waiting in the wings, in theory it sounds good and plausible but in practice very rarely works out like that.