What changes would you like to see to our formation and positional set up?

[TheChelseaBlues]

Dave to RB, Ivanovic to the bench.

I'm also not happy with Matic at the moment. Whether it's because playing with a 2-man DM means they end up shifting respsonsibility to each other, or just he's not playing well, but so many times against City they had a free shot from the edge of the box, with Matic nowhere to be seen.

Willian, although he's a tidy player and is good at keeping possession, needs to be replaced by someone who can actually score or setup a goal.

Costa needs to be dropped as well. All he does is argue and pick fights. Sure if the ball drops to him in the box he'll probably score, but his build-up play and hold-up play is very poor. Watching him and Augero on the same pitch yesterday it was so plain to see how far and above him Augero is in every department.

Fabregas also needs to either step it up or sit it out.

I also thought benching Terry was very harsh, as it appeared to me to be Cahill who was mostly the one being caught out.

So for the next game I would go something like:

Courtois

Azpilicueta Zouma Terry Raahman

Matic

Fabregas Oscar

Moses Costa Hazard

THat is with Matic being the sole holding midfielder, and Fabregas and Oscar playing just ahead of him. Back to the 4-3-3 that we were so successful with in Jose's first spell, not this midfield pivot nonsense.

Yes, my idea as well. When we need some bite in midfield replace Cesc with Mikel and push Matic up.

............Mikel

......Matic.......Oscar

Id like to see Falcao on the RW as well. He needs space to operate and like Cista hes best when hes facing goal

[Peckham Blue]

I wouldn't make any changes until the mid-season slump is over.

[Scott Harris]

I want Chelsea to be pitbulls that just overrun teams based on pressure and energy.

 

I want Stones in.

 

Drop Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic and Fabregas.

 

               

                      Costa

Hazard                            Traore

          Willian           Oscar

                      Matic

Baba   Stones        Zouma    Azpi

 

 

Abundance of pace, energy and workrate with ample skill.

 

High press, high line, don´t allow teams out of their own third.

 

Just wish we´d have bought Sterling....

 

That team wouldn't win the league. The back 4 would be too inexperienced and there is little creativity in midfield.

[David Apolskis]

mourinho wants to play high defensive line but with this defenders its impossible 

[Nichollz]

433 makes more sense for our current squad. A lot of our hops are pinned on the Cesc-Oscar relationship on the pitch. At our best last season was when they worked together, Oscar filling in for Cesc deep when he went forward and the other way round. A narrow 433 would allow Matic-Cesc-Oscar to work together to form something more solid and balanced. Oscar is key here because he has the best movement and tactical awareness.

[wallosh]

Mikel needs to get back into the team. I dont care where the goals will come from, i just want us to start keeping clean sheets

[icecoolguy22]

Go back to 433 or 4321. We need more energy and protection in midfield, either Ramires in or Oscar drop back from his Number 10 role. I believe Fab will be more effective when there are energetic runners in the team, right now we just playing stand still, no movement at all. We will need to close the gap between the striker and the midfield, Costa can't even get a shot these days with 2-3 defenders around him all day. I don't see us getting a marquee signing to help us win games this year, even with the 'bad' squad we got, we should still be able to put on a good run with a few changes, and hard work.

[Juan Matas Beard]

I think your current 4-2-3-1 system is fine for the lesser teams but I feel the problem lies with Matic having way too much responsibility in the tougher (top 6) fixtures. He's a talented player but his job is to control an entire midfield defensively by himself. Ramires and Fabregas in a positional sense roam far too much and that leads to a lack of defensive structure. I'd switch to a 4-3-3 that way there is a stable defensive core:

 

Courtois

Ivanovic Cahill Terry Dave

Matic Zouma

Fabregas

Willian                  Hazard

Costa

 

I honestly don't think Mikel or Zouma is the best long-term answer but they're the best option now and I think this is an area worth investing. Someone along the ilk of Javi Martinez or Granit Xhaka would be a perfect fit for the bigger games, they can retain possession as well as providing a perfect anchor.

 

Courtois

Ivanovic Zouma Terry Dave

Matic Martinez

Fabregas

Willian                 Hazard

Costa

 

[TheChelseaBlues]

No more room for Oscar?

[Scott Harris]

Mikel needs to get back into the team. I dont care where the goals will come from, i just want us to start keeping clean sheets

 

Mikel doesn't guarantee clean sheet's, it's more the opposite. Also, you say you don't care where the goals come from........well then how do you expect us to win games ?

[Zola]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/aug/17/five-reasons-chelsea-slow-start-premier-league

[Delnino]

If all goes well

 

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

Azp--Stones--JT--Baba

------Zouma--Matic-------

Willian---Cesc---Hazard

------------Costa------------

 

Natural width with both FB's bombing on, 2 destroyers in the pivot and plenty of flair and creative ability behind Costa.

 

Rotate Ivan/Cahill/Ramires/Moses/Traore/Oscar/Falcao where necessary.

[coco]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/aug/17/five-reasons-chelsea-slow-start-premier-league

 

Reason #6

 

Complacency through lack of rotation.

[TheChelseaBlues]

Ok Rafa

[big blue]

If all goes well

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

Azp--Stones--JT--Baba

------Zouma--Matic-------

Willian---Cesc---Hazard

------------Costa------------

Natural width with both FB's bombing on, 2 destroyers in the pivot and plenty of flair and creative ability behind Costa.

Rotate Ivan/Cahill/Ramires/Moses/Traore/Oscar/Falcao where necessary.

Really don't think zouma is defensive midfielder on a weekly basis. Not good enough technically to play midfield in games where we dominate possession.

Everyone wants to see azpiliucueta in his natural position, and I think the sane has to be said of zouma.

Rather than shoehorning a player into a position, if we don't think fabregas and matic is right going forward, we should either play rlc, or sign a player that is better suited to play there.

[Scott Harris]

I'm suprised nobody has gone for Oscar playing deeper, i think it could work. It's becoming clearer and clearer to see that Fabregas playing next Matic isn't quite working anymore, i'm starting to think he has been found out when playing there. I know in the past Fabregas playing behind the striker hasn't quite worked for us, but usually that is because we are playing with defensive tactics, i think we should play Fabregas there more and get him used to the position for us because he is a passanger of late in his current position.

 

Mourinho tried playing Oscar next Matic in pre season and it worked, Oscar has better attributes than Fabregas for that position. He can track back better than Fabregas, opposition midfielders won't run around him easily, he can tackle, he is quicker than Fabregas, he can shoot and he can pass well enough.

 

Fabregas can't seem to control our passing game or create chances anymore, changing him and Oscar around could make him dangerous again.

[TheChelseaBlues]

I think that would hurt us even more going forward. Swapping the two only works if Cesc is playing well. I dont think playing a low block defensively suits him either. Leaves too much space for him.

[blessomeie]

Could we ever play Hazard as a pure striker?

And in the same breath, could we ever use Matic as a CB?

[Barry Bridges]

We can't afford the luxury of playing Fabergas if he can't defend. Surely he is not your typical hard working and strong Mourinho player, so when he offers next to nothing in attack, he is basically defunct.

Just thought I'd point out that so far this season Fabregas leads the teams in tackles per game (3.5) and is second in interceptions per game(2.5).

I just remember him vs City specifically getting into a ton of good tackles despite the score he's gotten from some. He has really boosted this side of his game since joining the club. Was also just behind Matic and Luis in tackles per game last season too.

[evissy]

I'm suprised nobody has gone for Oscar playing deeper, i think it could work.

I have only mentioned it for about 20 times here. I wish Jose would try it. Oscar is better at harrassing players than giving the decisive pass IMO. He has a slight build so he can run around for 90min with ease.

[jamie#8]

I have only mentioned it for about 20 times here. I wish Jose would try it. Oscar is better at harrassing players than giving the decisive pass IMO. He has a slight build so he can run around for 90min with ease.

 

Would require a LOT of work on the training ground though. Has the capabilities, but playing deeper would mean he is defensively liable. Will have to track runners, positionally be sound in terms of shielding the ball into the front.

 

Big difference in CM to no10. Definately think it could work though, especially at home to some of the smaller teams when 2 DMs arent necessary.

[Ballack & Blu]

Now we have pedro that is going to play on the right, and we don't rate Willian as an attacking force, could he play next to Matic?, he has the drive, pace, can tackle, and just pass the ball to our attackers, without trying to bamboozle himself, thus pushing Cesc forward, then he may not have to be as reliant on his defending, we need to utilise his goal scoring threat which we haven't really seen since his arriva, but we know its in his locker!!l

[mad_mac]

....................Tibo

Dave.....Zouma...Terry....Baba

............................Matic

...............Oscar

Willian (Pedro)..Cesc (Wilian)....Hazard

.................Costa

[icecoolguy22]

A 433 with Costa/Hazard/Pedro or Costa/Hazard/Remy should be the go for us. We just became too slow and static after our early season form last year, I believe Jose will go back to his trusted 433 now he has Pedro at his disposal.

[mad_mac]

for a 4-3-3 could we maybe do this?

 

 

........................Tibo

Dave........Zouma...Terry.....Baba  

.....................Matic

......Cesc(Rami).....Oscar

Pedro (Willian)................Hazard

..................Costa

 

 

 

I fully admit that Baba's inclusionis probably more at my frustration over this season and last caused by Ivan.  Love the big guy, a great, but he's getting smoked out there.