We still haven't signed a back up. Mental. Fabregas left for nothing.

19 minutes ago, enigma said:

We still haven't signed a back up. Mental. Fabregas left for nothing.

Because we was already overstocked in midfield going into this season.

We don't need to sign anyone, there's plenty of options available. 

2 hours ago, RIP Mourinho said:

I think the term you're looking for is a box-to-box mid. 

You struggle reading irony don't you.

28 minutes ago, just said:

You struggle reading irony don't you.

Doesn't portray well in written form over the internet, much like sarcasm.

7 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Doesn't portray well in written form over the internet, much like sarcasm.

Fair enough. In future I will add graphics.

I’m not saying get rid of him

but

this guy has to be dropped,imho he gives us nothing in defence or attack. Not saying it’s his fault but clearly the game has found him out. Stop him and you stop us at the moment. Bournemouth targeted him as our weak link for gods sake. Sarri has been far to loyal to under performing players and he is one of them,drop kante back ? Willian through the middle?CHO on the wing ?

I want to see him dropped just so i can then see everyone flocking to this page saying how much we missed him and how the balls being moved too slow and there's no transition from defense to attack.

Has he really become our scapegoat for a crap season already? Seems very harsh.

I hazard a guess if he didn’t break up some of the counter attack’s last night it could have been worst

I thought he played decent in the first half yesterday. He seems to be getting a bit more physical and isn't pushed off the ball as easily. He also made good passes and it was more of teammates not being able to do much with it than his pass not being good. I think he's improving

1 hour ago, Luca Vialli said:

Has he really become our scapegoat for a crap season already? Seems very harsh.

No that honour has already gone to Willian and Barkley.

But he still has a lot of improving to do. 

2 minutes ago, just said:

No that honour has already gone to Willian and Barkley.

But he still has a lot of improving to do. 

Barkley doesn't get it that bad tbf, he gets it just as much as Kovacic I'd say. 

I think most people would agree Barkley offers more in attack but he's also very inconsistent, but he put in some very good games at the start of the season. 

3 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Barkley doesn't get it that bad tbf, he gets it just as much as Kovacic I'd say. 

I think most people would agree Barkley offers more in attack but he's also very inconsistent, but he put in some very good games at the start of the season. 

Personally I don't think that has been the case Slojo, have you read through the Barkley thread.? I do think more people are starting to look at Kovacic in a similar way though. Both of them really haven't done enough to date to mark them out as anything but squad players. 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, just said:

Personally I don't think that has been the case Slojo, have you read through the Barkley thread.? I do think more people are starting to look at Kovacic in a similar way though. Both of them really haven't done enough to date to mark them out as anything but squad players. 

 

 

 

I've been through a few times but obviously it's not really a hot topic since he doesn't play as much as Kovacic. 

I think people were very sceptical of Barkley when we first signed him and many written him off but were blown away with is early performances this season, I think he won over a lot of fans. I like Barkley, he offers something different but I think he's got some ways to go to be one of our starters. I'll have to have a browse, but I've seen Kova get a lot of criticism lately (which is understandable btw). 

His passing was better yesterday, but couldn't defend to save his life. Yes, we didn't sign him to defend, but when you play a system like that with everyone going forward, you need someone to shield the central defenders in the middle. Since he couldn't do it, there must be an alternative. We aren't scoring, and concede quick and easy on the counter, no wonder we are awful.

Be very interesting to see how he gets on vs City when has Silva and KDB going at him. Will definietly need help from N'golo and Ruben/Ross.

interesting how much more he put balls in the box with Higuain there

4 hours ago, Wearyourblue said:

interesting how much more he put balls in the box with Higuain there

It’s easier when the strikers runs are about being able to score goals and not about being able to hide from the ball. 

Interesting watching Carlo's Napoli last night. Hamsik and Allan taking turns dropping in to be the deepest player. Seemed to make it easier to progress the ball without one being man marked like Jorginho often is.

On 04/02/2019 at 08:14, Munkworth said:

It’s easier when the strikers runs are about being able to score goals and not about being able to hide from the ball. 

Ive been thinking that for ages, Morata seemed to love standing next to the centre back, so he wouldn't have to receive a pass. 

20 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Ive been thinking that for ages, Morata seemed to love standing next to the centre back, so he wouldn't have to receive a pass. 

I normally sit in the Shed or Matthew Harding so it was easy to watch his runs for a half. 

If a winger or full back was getting in behind instead of busting a gut to get in front of the centre back at the near post he’d always get between the other centre back and full back at the far post where he couldn’t be found. 

That fact CHO managed to find him twice in one game should be celebrated like the second coming of Christ. 

Looking to be yet another big signing, who came with a big reputation, but is turning out to be a dud. 

We seem to specialise in them.

From what I can tell his main positive contribution to the team is that we retain more possession (although this could just be Sarri's tactics vs the more pragmatic Conte/Mourinho). Even if we assume this is true, i'm struggling to really see the benefit, as we always had plenty of possession against lesser teams, and despite having more of the ball in the big games now we're getting torn apart defensively.

 

11 hours ago, just said:

Looking to be yet another big signing, who came with a big reputation, but is turning out to be a dud. 

We seem to specialise in them.

What do our board (or whoever is in charge of sales and signings) and Arsene Wenger have in common?

Ask Jose.

"Specialist in failure, you know who you are"

I don't think the problem entirely lies with Jorginho here. It's Sarri's tactics. More than half of Chelsea's gameplan is Jorginho getting the ball and dictating play. When teams effectively shut down Jorginho by sheer strength in numbers, there is no plan B to fall back on. Almost all teams have figured this out by now and that's where we're getting caught. Jorginho is doing exactly what he has been asked to do but when he's taken out from the equation, there has to be a plan B and that's something Sarri has not figured out yet. It's high time though.