Oh I agree. But we can't drop 2 or 3 players at the cost of losing the match. Again it comes down to the squad depth issue.

Current preferred XI doesn't look like winning a match.

Freshen things up a little, especially a defence that's conceded five goals in two games.

Give Rhaman an early chance to show why we paid big money for him, might inject some pace into a lethargic looking back line.

Just looking at fixtures we really need 6 points from the next 2 games, as the following 4 fixtures are games we will drop points in unless we play close to our best.

West brom a

Palace h

Everton a

Arsenal h

Newcastle a

Soton h

 

Not sure if it was Pardew or Newcastle that was causing the effect, but we should win all those bar possibly everton away. 

Wouldn't be surprised at a draw. Things will get worse before they get better.

It is a hard run of fixtures big blue. If we do not get going soon we could find ourselves too far behind after those games.

Give Rhaman an early chance to show why we paid big money for him, might inject some pace into a lethargic looking back line.

 

Probably not the best match to drop Ivanovic considering West Brom scored about half their goals last season from set pieces.

 

Mikel in to compensate for Ivan's physical presence at set pieces? (if we don't win the least we can do is keep a clean sheet imo)

Edited August 17, 201510 yr by the special one

I'm hoping for dis line up Azpi (RB) Ivanovic(CB) Terry (CB) Rahman(LB) Matic Fabregas Moses Willian Hazard Costa.

I guess we'll be playing in black.

Edited August 17, 201510 yr by Floyd25

Wouldn't be surprised at a draw. Things will get worse before they get better.

I think the only way is onwards and upwards now I don't think we can get any worse.

Not sure if it was Pardew or Newcastle that was causing the effect, but we should win all those bar possibly everton away.

We haven't a great record away at Newcastle, and everton, and we have drew 2 out of the last 3 at home to Southampton. Obviously Mourinho has domenated against Arsenal, but if we play poorly we will drop points.

It's been a pretty tricky start to the season on paper.

If Jose goes with the same XI as the 12 months, I will believe he is trying to prove a point rather than trying to win.  It is clear as day that we need to freshen things up and give others match minutes.  What point is he trying to make then?  Could be... he wants more funds for squad players.  Could be... he likes his way and he doesn't want to change just because everyone else is saying to.  He wants to show he is smarter than everyone and is giving Roman, the media and fans the middle finger.  

 

Don't read this as me saying we need to fire him.  I love Jose, and he's given us plenty of incredible moments and memories.  I just wish he would face the music, humble himself (not to the media or even publicly at all) and make changes.  

I guess we'll be playing in black.

 

Might as well, it'll suit the funeral atmoshere going around the club/supporters/shedend at the moment

Might as well, it'll suit the funeral atmoshere going around the club/supporters/shedend at the moment

That is true, a fitting kit.

Edited August 18, 201510 yr by Floyd25

Would like to see baba rahman have some minutes.

 

Vital to get three points here.

Ivan and Fab need some bench time. Ivan's been roasted 2 games running, and Fab needs to remember how to play well

Start wth Z at centre half alongside JT.

Dave in his correct position at right back, and new left back starts.

Edited August 18, 201510 yr by Shug

Jose needs to adopt Di matteo's approach in our current situation. He needs to bring Mikel back into this team to strengthen us at the back. Mikel unlike Fabregas or Matic will sacrifice moving up in search for a goal to stay behind and assist our weak defenders which makes it look like we are playing with 5 defenders. As a result our front 3 attackers: Hazard, Costa and Oscar or Willian dont have to always waist there energy dropping back to defend. The advantage is that once our defence gets the ball and move it to the front, all our attackers have abundant energy to terrorize and attack our opponents. I think this approach made us hard to beat under Di matteo, and it will also earn us more clean sheets. We have conceded 5 goals in our last 2 competitive matches which shows pairing Matic with a player that cant defend and likes to move forward is CRIMINAL, and i wont want Jose to repeat it in the Champions League

We seem to have made some bad decisions in the transfer market. Salah, Cuadrado, Schurrle, de Bruyne. I sense not all of these have been down to Jose, and perhaps this is the real reason he threw his toys out of the pram on the opening day. Certainly nothing to do with "the bench".

Hate to say it but a 0-0 might be the best indicator that things are stabilising

From the last par on this Guardian article:

 

"But here’s a strange fact. Mourinho’s last six league defeats have come against managers whose surnames begin with P: Pulis, Poyet, Pardew, Pochettino, Pulis again and Pellegrini. His next two games are against Pulis and Pardew."

 

For the superstitious among us....

We need to find a balance between showing under-performing players that their spot is not guaranteed, and not messing with the dynamic of the team by making too many changes. 

 

The players that I think need to learn this the most are Ivanovic, Cahill and Costa, and with that in mind:

 

 

----------Courtois----------

 

Dave---Zouma---Terry---Baba

 

---------Fabregas---Matic--------

 

Moses-----Willian-----Hazard

 

---------Falcao / Remy---------------

 

 

I don't really care who starts up front from these two; Remy was bright last season and is obviously hungry to play, as is Falcao who I would be interested to watch from the start this time. Costa's passion is undeniable, but with all of his fight-picking, going down too easily, losing the ball and lack of goals you can't justify an automatic starting position with the other two waiting in the wings.  

 

If players like Fabregas don't up their game in the coming weeks, then I'd like to see a start for RLC or Mikel in his place. 

 

And if Ramires starts on the wing again when we have Moses, Traore and Cuadrado available.... well, then there is pretty much nothing I can do about it. But I will not be amused. 

 

Time for the squad to be force-fed some competition. 

Edited August 18, 201510 yr by CodyBound

From the last par on this Guardian article:

 

"But here’s a strange fact. Mourinho’s last six league defeats have come against managers whose surnames begin with P: Pulis, Poyet, Pardew, Pochettino, Pulis again and Pellegrini. His next two games are against Pulis and Pardew."

 

For the superstitious among us....

 

How and why do people find these stats...?! 

This week is a great chance for us to gain some lost ground. City play Everton, arsenal play Liverpool and United play Newcastle.

 

We need to find a balance between showing under-performing players that their spot is not guaranteed, and not messing with the dynamic of the team by making too many changes. 

 

The players that I think need to learn this the most are Ivanovic, Cahill and Costa, and with that in mind:

 

 

----------Courtois----------

 

Dave---Zouma---Terry---Baba

 

---------Fabregas---Matic--------

 

Moses-----Willian-----Hazard

 

---------Falcao / Remy---------------

 

 

I don't really care who starts up front from these two; Remy was bright last season and is obviously hungry to play, as is Falcao who I would be interested to watch from the start this time. Costa's passion is undeniable, but with all of his fight-picking, going down too easily, losing the ball and lack of goals you can't justify an automatic starting position with the other two waiting in the wings.  

 

If players like Fabregas don't up their game in the coming weeks, then I'd like to see a start for RLC or Mikel in his place. 

 

And if Ramires starts on the wing again when we have Moses, Traore and Cuadrado available.... well, then there is pretty much nothing I can do about it. But I will not be amused. 

 

Time for the squad to be force-fed some competition. 

 

 

I think this approach would mean Fabregas gets found out again - he can't partner up with Matic it doesn't work. 

How and why do people find these stats...?! 

 

Haha I don't know mate, it's ridiculous

Big performance needed to bounce back and set us back on track.

 

0-2 for the Mighty Blues

I think this approach would mean Fabregas gets found out again - he can't partner up with Matic it doesn't work. 

 

He played there for most of last season and was immense. It's only against the very strong attacking sides that i'd worry about him there, in these games I think he's more than capable of filling the role. 

----------Courtois----------

Dave---Zouma---Terry---Baba

---------RLC---Matic--------

Traore-----Hazard-----Remy

---------Falcao---------------