A decent assessment from the New York Times of all places:  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/sports/soccer/chelsea-manchester-city.html

4 hours ago, TheChelsRVA said:

Well Kante was an upgrade last season.  Christensen and Rudiger are upgrades this year to Cahill/Luiz.  We have just missed out more than other squads.  Morata, Bakayoko, Drinkwater, Barkley, all misses.  And costly misses at that.  Thats over 100m tied up in three squad players right now. 

What I would like us to do is stop playing this negative catenaccio we have been playing for the past 5 years.  It's just an aging tactic that keeps games as close as possible praying for that one counter attack to win you a game.  I truly believe it is the source of our problems, why we cannot continue our rise to prominence.  It's not fun to watch, players don't enjoy themselves, and the team ends up losing to teams they shouldn't.  And against the big boys it makes us look scared so there's lots to pick apart for the media.  

We need an offensive strategy that doesn't start with defending.  And under Conte that simply does not exist.  

Christensen is not an upgrade to David Luiz, compare Christensen this season to David Luiz last season, something is wrong. 

And I think we've badly missed that confidence & distribution from the back

20 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Christensen is not an upgrade to David Luiz, compare Christensen this season to David Luiz last season, something is wrong. 

And I think we've badly missed that confidence & distribution from the back

Compare David Luiz last season to David Luiz any other season...

Just now, TomCFC85 said:

Compare David Luiz last season to David Luiz any other season...

He was actually good at PSG despite playing in a sh*t league. 

I'm personally of the assumption that players like Bakayoko and Morata are suffering from what I call "Pedro Syndrome"
Basically, they're a signing that appears to be a flop in their first season when in reality, the entire team is underperforming e.g Pedro in 2015/16
Mark my words, they will improve next season under a different manager.

1 minute ago, TomCFC85 said:

I'm personally of the assumption that players like Bakayoko and Morata are suffering from what I call "Pedro Syndrome"
Basically, they're a signing that appears to be a flop in their first season when in reality, the entire team is underperforming e.g Pedro in 2015/16
Mark my words, they will improve next season under a different manager.

Pedro wasn't anywhere near as bad as Bakayoko was, although Pedro did seem physically unable to compete in this league. 

2 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Pedro wasn't anywhere near as bad as Bakayoko was, although Pedro did seem physically unable to compete in this league. 

Bakayoko pocketed Matic when we first played United, he's just been really inconsistent. 
But yes, when he hasn't played well, he's been horrendous. 

He's basically said all season his players aren't good enough, if you are in a working environment where your boss keeps saying he doesn't have the right tool's to do the job, meaning he needs better staff there comes a point where you will just say screw this do it yourself then. He's basically moaned from the FA cup final last year until now non stop about more quality. We are definitely better than 5th, he's sapped the energy from the team and players with his negative attitude.

 

 

Is the failure still our manager?

Just now, ZAYN-CFC said:

Is the failure still our manager?

I don't ever think we can fully blame anyone in scenarios like this.
The board clearly didn't give Conte the players he wanted, they overspent on mediocre talent.
The players at times don't look up for it.
Conte himself has set up his teams so bizarrely, some would argue so stubbornly. 
In an ideal world, Conte would've got Lukaku, I would've got Alex Sandro and we'd be 10 points clear at the top of table and coasting the Champions' League.
But this isn't an ideal world, we don't have a Shiek, we have a new stadium on the horizon that needs to be paid for.  

12 minutes ago, TomCFC85 said:

Bakayoko pocketed Matic when we first played United, he's just been really inconsistent. 
But yes, when he hasn't played well, he's been horrendous. 

Nonsense, Kante was running the show. Bakayoko had a few good dribbles past players then gave the ball away every time in the final 3rd. I've said it before, if we didn't win that game Bakayoko would have been scapegoated for his sloppiness. 

9 minutes ago, TomCFC85 said:

I don't ever think we can fully blame anyone in scenarios like this.
The board clearly didn't give Conte the players he wanted, they overspent on mediocre talent.
The players at times don't look up for it.
Conte himself has set up his teams so bizarrely, some would argue so stubbornly. 
In an ideal world, Conte would've got Lukaku, I would've got Alex Sandro and we'd be 10 points clear at the top of table and coasting the Champions' League.
But this isn't an ideal world, we don't have a Shiek, we have a new stadium on the horizon that needs to be paid for.  

Does Conte need world class players to beat Burnley, Watford or Brighton?

Does the current squad make him inferior to Arsenal‘s? Does he need to be Wenger‘s bitch? What an overrated moaner

2 hours ago, forbzy said:

A decent assessment from the New York Times of all places:  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/sports/soccer/chelsea-manchester-city.html

This Mad me chuckle when reading the article.

Bernardo Silva of Manchester City scoring against Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso on Sunday.

Edited March 5, 20188 yr by Famous CFC

I’m trying to work out why the club haven’t sacked Conte yet as managers are always sacked when top 4 is in danger. The reasons I can think of is:

1) It’s too expensive. I’m assuming there is a break clause in Conte’s contract at the end of the season which will be a cheaper option

2) They want to stand by him 

3) They don’t feel its worth it at this late stage of the season

In my mind,it has to be option 1 that it’s too expensive and on assessment, the club would rather spend £20m odd on players,not sacking managers. 

Any ideas?

Edited March 5, 20188 yr by JM7

4 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Nonsense, Kante was running the show. Bakayoko had a few good dribbles past players then gave the ball away every time in the final 3rd. I've said it before, if we didn't win that game Bakayoko would have been scapegoated for his sloppiness. 

Exactly what I thought. Bakayoko was in that game as he has been all season, extremely average. 

Just now, JM7 said:

I’m trying to work out why the club haven’t sacked Conte yet as managers are always sacked when top 4 is in danger. The reasons I can think of is:

1) It’s too expensive. I’m assuming there is a break clause in Conte’s contract at the end of the season which will be a cheaper option

2) They want to stand by him 

3) They don’t feel its worth it at this late stage of the season

In my mind,it has to be option 1 that it’s too expensive and ok assessment, the club would rather spend £20m odd on players,not sacking managers. 

Any ideas?

I think it is 1), too. 

Roman is surely fuming because of Conte‘s comments and performance. However, Top 4 is gone anyway, the severance package is too expensive and I don‘t know any current alternatives.

Kick the fraud out in summer and bring in a manager who deserves this title.

28 minutes ago, Slojo said:

He was actually good at PSG despite playing in a sh*t league. 

No, Marquinhos was better than him, it's for that he is come back to Chelsea.

6 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Nonsense, Kante was running the show. Bakayoko had a few good dribbles past players then gave the ball away every time in the final 3rd. I've said it before, if we didn't win that game Bakayoko would have been scapegoated for his sloppiness. 

 

1 minute ago, Famous CFC said:

Exactly what I thought. Bakayoko was in that game as he has been all season, extremely average. 

We must remember it differently then because if memory serves me right, he had a pretty decent game. 

1 minute ago, ZAYN-CFC said:

I think it is 1), too. 

Roman is surely fuming because of Conte‘s comments and performance. However, Top 4 is gone anyway, the severance package is too expensive and I don‘t know any current alternatives.

Yeah had to be that it’s too expensive. Roman has never hesitated before. 

One things is for sure, it’s going to a LONG and painful end till the end of season. 

2 minutes ago, JM7 said:

Yeah had to be that it’s too expensive. Roman has never hesitated before. 

One things is for sure, it’s going to a LONG and painful end till the end of season. 

Roman teasing Conte about the massive pay out money...

8 minutes ago, TomCFC85 said:

 

We must remember it differently then because if memory serves me right, he had a pretty decent game. 

Did you tweet this after the game against United? 

Bakayoko has major Yaya Toure feels to him. Was brilliant today. #CHEMUN

If only. More like major Frank Sinclair feels to him. 

Edited March 5, 20188 yr by Famous CFC

1 minute ago, Famous CFC said:

Did you tweet this after the game against United? 

Bakayoko has major Yaya Toure feels to him. Was brilliant today. #CHEMUN

No?

1 hour ago, Slojo said:

Christensen is not an upgrade to David Luiz, compare Christensen this season to David Luiz last season, something is wrong. 

And I think we've badly missed that confidence & distribution from the back

I agree re: Luiz distribution.  In another world, David Luiz could have been a very good midfielder.  Alas, he is a defender and has never been truly good at it.  Even last year.  Christensen is a good defender first...and I value that over distribution for the position.  

Sometimes we can all be a bit dumb, but it's nice to remember (and hard to) that we don't need to blame solely 1 party. It's everyone; just by chance, everyone has coincidentally brought their B-game this season: the board, Conte, the players. It's on all of them for the most part, bar a select few players, and obviously background staff.

Edited March 5, 20188 yr by fiel

2 minutes ago, TomCFC85 said:

No?

Just pulling your leg. I bet the the guy who tweeted that feels a little silly right now.