There was also 3 runs he didn't make that cost him some easy goals. Willian in each half and hazard aswell got to the by line, but costa just doesn't react.

I don't think he has had good service this season, but I don't think he could have any complaints last night.

 

That's a different case. That is his movement inside the box, which has never been a great strength of his - comparing to his vertical movement behind the defensive line. But even then he does react, generally dropping back. He's simply making some bad decisions right now.

And falling to the ground with little if any contact in the penalty box does not help him at all. 

That's a different case. That is his movement inside the box, which has never been a great strength of his - comparing to his vertical movement behind the defensive line. But even then he does react, generally dropping back. He's simply making some bad decisions right now.

Completely disagree. About half his goals last season came from clever movement in the box. 

Definitely, I think Cavanni is the one we should pursuer however he won't move until the Summer. We could really use a stop gap signing in Jan, maybe someone who could do a job and wouldn't mind been second choice the following season. Question is who is there?

 

I think we should end Falcao's loan and then sign a new striker. I can't think of anyone who's actually good though.

That is the trouble, a lot of people cannot see the wood for the trees.

He isn't the same player now.

As someone who watched him quite a lot at AM and argued strongly for his signing, I would cash in on him now. He has lost the yard and sharpness he showed so often at Atletico. I think the repetitive hamstring injuries have done for him.

He still has the willingness and work rate which I love but that's about it. Technically he was never brilliant but the loss of that yard of pace and the ability to twist and turn, highlights his limitations even further. In the air he is very poor, and is a downright liability when defending set pieces in our own box.

We need to find a top class striker urgently. No matter it costs.

 

just, I normally agree with you on most things, but not here, although I agree we need a better striker up front and we should cash in on Costa if we can.

 

I disagree about the hamstring. He came into last season on the back of a bad hamstring injury. I don't think his hamstring is any worse today than it was then. I don't think he relied on pace anyway. No slouch, sure, but lightning fast? No, pace was never a big part of his game. Last season he scored a lot of poacher's goals, in and around the six yard box. Those goals have dried up. Nothing to do with hamstrings.

 

Last season I thought his movement was great, his intelligence and his attitude. This season it's all gone. He's been our worst player, together with Ivanovic. Sadly, his attitude stinks as well. We often run the risk of going a man down, because he gets caught up in niggles. I can't really stomach him anymore. He's playing badly, which I put down to confidence, but unlike the great players who suffer loss of form, he doesn't show up and contribute to the team, a team that needs him to show a bit of leadership and a bit of balls. What he has done to stop the rot? I know what a lot of our previous great players would have done, but this guy? This tough guy? This big bad monster? Turns out he's a fraud.

 

It's not quite reached Torres proportions, it will never reach that, but it's got to the stage where I don't expect anything from him, bar a red card. Top strikers won't score for 4 or 5 games, maybe even 6 or 7, but then they'll score and they won't encounter a barren run for a while. Costa plays every game (except when he's banned, obvs) and he can't score. We're hitting 20 games and he's got 2.

 

I hate to cast judgement on a player who was so good in the first-half of last season and contributed so much to our success, but with him I get the feeling his problems are self-inflicted, both on the pitch and off it, and I'd get rid.

 

I just don't have a good feeling about him anymore.

 

Edit: Sad, because if I rewind 12 months, there's no possible way I could have conceived of myself saying that.

Edited November 5, 201510 yr by Davey Baby

There really isn't alot of great strikers about these days. I like cavani, but maybe his age and price wouldn't be ideal.

Maybe someone like icardi would be a good shout. He comes with a fair bit of baggage himself, but he knows where the net is.

I think it is unlikely remy or falcao will be here next season, bamford will probably have to prove himself all over again on loan, and I doubt the club will think solanke is ready.

Or we could even take a punt on milik from Ajax who is a strong finisher, and a little bit different to what we have now.

Edited November 5, 201510 yr by big blue

One draw back of Jose is also one of his strengths, his blind loyalty to players. Sometimes it pays him back, like with Willian. Sadly it will not with Costa, he may pop up with the odd goal now and again but for me he is now worse than Torres. At least Nando was not looking to get sent off most games.

Sad to see his fall from grace, he was getting a lot on a plate from Cesc last season that he's not getting now, but to think watching him recently he looks nothing like the

striker banging them in for fun a year ago, this club apart from the Drog seems cursed at finding a proper # 9 in the last decade

,

Even if the teams current defensive woes lessen with Tibo coming back in and Baba getting LB slot, without a consistent goalscorer the owner, manager, team and fans cant expect miracles

 

January transfer market is going to be massive for Chelsea me thinks

Honestly I would drop him this weekend and put on Remy, not going to happen through. Opposition teams like to press high on us these days, and they are doing it comfortably because our striker is slow and not running channel. You put someone who's good and running channels and has speed, suddenly the opposition will ease off and give us more room to play.

One draw back of Jose is also one of his strengths, his blind loyalty to players. Sometimes it pays him back, like with Willian. Sadly it will not with Costa, he may pop up with the odd goal now and again but for me he is now worse than Torres. At least Nando was not looking to get sent off most games.

You say 'it will not' like the man is finished. Deary me. Torres looked poor whether we played well or not. Costa is simply underperforming along with most of teammates.

Just an opinion mate, very happy if he proves me wrong.

He came back fat (by pro footballer standards), no other way to say it. I have read his recent book and it is an ongoing battle for him, he has been known to come back a stone or two overweight most seasons from his times at various clubs. He seems to go daft on the kebabs and burgers come summer time. This is no problem if he actually gets in shape again come the start of the season.

Coming up on gameweek 12 and I still dont think he's fit, or at least sharp which is a disgrace. Jose has been too kind with them giving them extra time off. I suspect next season, if Jose is still with us, they start back a week or two early.

I still expect Costa to come good around Christmas time or post Christmas, providing its mild and not too cold....he's too good a player not to hit a bit of form, as is the team.

Edited November 6, 201510 yr by Zola

When you're overweight and trying to get in shape it's best to take weight off slowly e.g. 1-2lbs a week, so if he was a stone or more heavier then it will take a good while to get back in shape. I would have thought by now he would be in top shape though.

Like Ricky Hatton after a fight, just goes tonto.

Really he should be prepared to change his diet, I mean he probably has someone to prepare his meals or could have for the money he is on.

No excuses for his lacklustre attitude.

I'm keeping the faith. 

 

He needs a goal for his confidence, he looked really sharp against Stoke in the league cup before going off with the rib injury. 

 

No doubt the performance midweek was his worst in Chelsea shirt. 

 

It's been such a bad start to the season, Hazard, Fabregas, Oscar and even Pedro haven't been creating enough chances in open play it makes me reluctant to signal out a striker who thrives on good service. 

He's had plenty of decent chances, he just takes an extra touch and the chance is gone all to often. Then when he get's a guilt edge one he falls over with minimum contact.

He deserves as much criticism as anyone else because his goal return and performances have been woeful thus far.

I think it's fair to say that Costa is now past it. Sad, but true.

 

It almost makes me want Torres back leading the line.

I think it's fair to say that Costa is now past it. Sad, but true.

 

It almost makes me want Torres back leading the line.

 

Have to disagree on that. Every player'll have a dip in form somewhere in his career and Costa isn't an exception.

 

I still expect him to come good by mid-season or so, but that's also dependent on how much the team has improved by then.

 

The players behind him aren't helping with him enough, the service given to him have been pretty atrocious at times. Of course, we can't entirely fault them, Costa also has a big part in this barren spell.

 

Perhaps a goal tomorrow can boost his confidence. One can only hope.

The resemblances to Torres during his time at Chelsea are strikingly similar.

 

He isn't darting into the box, his movement is off. He complains a lot about nothing. He's making stupid little stamps which will get him in trouble.

You're definitely right in that there currently isn't enough service coming from the wings or the midfield. I thought that with Ivanovic out of the team then a few more decent crosses would start coming in, which they have. Costa just needs to get on the end of them. I do think the odd goal will boost his confidence, but we'll see.

One problem I see with Costa is that he's not a target man, so all these long balls hoofed forward by Begovic or our defenders just come straight back, because he wins about 1 header out of 10 if he's lucky. But at the same time, he's not really that good with the ball played to his feet, he loses it a lot of the time. The only system that really suits him is lots of through balls being threaded behind their back line, for him to run onto, but on the occasions it has happened this season, he hardly ever gets a shot away, always taking too long or going too wide, or just falling over and wanting a penalty.

One problem I see with Costa is that he's not a target man, so all these long balls hoofed forward by Begovic or our defenders just come straight back, because he wins about 1 header out of 10 if he's lucky. But at the same time, he's not really that good with the ball played to his feet, he loses it a lot of the time. The only system that really suits him is lots of through balls being threaded behind their back line, for him to run onto, but on the occasions it has happened this season, he hardly ever gets a shot away, always taking too long or going too wide, or just falling over and wanting a penalty.

 

He's like Vialli, like you say, his best attribute is to get between defenders and run on to balls threaded in behind the defence. But for him to have plenty of those kind of chances, we need to have much more possession and territory, instead of the defend and counter that we're currently adopting. In fact you don't even need a target man up front when you play a defend and counter game. Remember Torres at Barca ? waiting inside our own half for the hoof ball counter ?

Edited November 6, 201510 yr by coco

Have been really disappointed with Costa this season. The loss of form of JT, Ivan, Fabregas, Matic and Hazard has grabbed the headlines more but Costa's form has been equally poor. All this talk of the service to him has been bad but whatever happened to strikers making chances for themselves and not relying on the ball being put on the plate for them? Suarez and Aguerro certainly create and convert enough chances for themselves.

 

Would like to see Remy ot even Traore get a few games and let Costa work for a place in the starting 11.

He's like Vialli, like you say, his best attribute is to get between defenders and run on to balls threaded in behind the defence. But for him to have plenty of those kind of chances, we need to have much more possession and territory, instead of the defend and counter that we're currently adopting. In fact you don't even need a target man up front when you play a defend and counter game. Remember Torres at Barca ? waiting inside our own half for the hoof ball counter ?

I disagree, I think a decent target man is a must when you defend and counter. That's why drogba was so critical in the big games.

You can't just defend with 11 men and hoof the ball over the top to a quick player in the hope they get a torres style break.

That isn't defend and counter. That's defend and pray!

I think it's fair to say that Costa is now past it. Sad, but true.

 

It almost makes me want Torres back leading the line.

 

You could say that about all Chelsea players this season. It's not just Costa that has been bad, there has been worse performers than him this season. Hazard, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Matic, i think they have all been worse than Costa.

 

I disagree, I think a decent target man is a must when you defend and counter. That's why drogba was so critical in the big games.

You can't just defend with 11 men and hoof the ball over the top to a quick player in the hope they get a torres style break.

That isn't defend and counter. That's defend and pray!

 

 

 

 

You don't need a target man to counter, I was using the Torres goal sarcastically, if you want to see how to counter attack without a target man, see the Costa goal against WBA in August. Defending is five times harder when sprinting backwards towards your own goal.

 

 

Edited November 7, 201510 yr by coco