1 minute ago, Strider6003 said:

I reckon we will sign two and three will go out on loan this week.

I don't. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't sign anymore players.

Pedro should start for me, I'm all aboard the Hudson-Odoi hype train but as yet he doesn't have end product on today's evidence.

 

2 minutes ago, enigma said:

Welcome to the age of impatience. 

Its not about being impatience, of course it will take time. But why dont the Club give a helping hand? We all know how many average players we have, we all knew this team was in need of some quality transfers.....yet in 4 days the door Closes and Jorginho is all we got plus green. Its already a huge uphill battle, no need to make even worse. For now we must back Sarri.

I can't remember a season where I felt so pessimistic. A severe lack of quality in the squad, a manager I am not as convinced about as most on here, and most importantly, an owner I feel has lost interest.

it's not just the team, I think we are struggling for direction as a club.

1 minute ago, Valerie said:

I thought it was silly money 

Yeah, we should brag to City about our annual financial report. That'll show'em. 

May I just ask where is Kante, Hazard, Thibaut, etc?
I've been under a rock 

Much better performance than that shower of sh*te at Etihad. No team with genuine intentions to be called a big team should never play (or not try to play depending on your perspective) ike that. 

We were over run because city kept stretching the play and we were narrow and the whole team generally moves to the side of the pitch play is around so when play switched it's a problem.

Also of course, let's be realistic they are a much better team than we are and even if we had our full squad I would have still thought they would win.

With time we can judge but we've got to give them at least 4 to 6 weeks of competition before we crucify them.

We are a work in progress and with the lack of ambition in the transfer market, it's clear we aren't aiming to challenge city for the title this season. 

However there is so much for us work on.

Need to find a settled back 4, but I have doubts about all our defenders bar Azpilicueta. We played out okay after the first 20 mins, but we look vulnerable, and likely to make individual errors.

Midfield lacked energy and guile, kante will address the former, I'm not sure we have anyone that will fix the latter, Barkley isn't good enough for me.

Attack is awful, hopefully with sarri we will start to attack more as a team, because individually, this group is not even close to competing with best teams. 

Hopefully this performance just gives the board a nudge at how far behind city we have fallen, and we make a couple of good signings next week.

I have not been following Chelsea for a while since last season got over. This is my first vieweing of "Sarri-ball" in Chelsea and to be honest I like it. It is nice to see attacking football. The problem is - do we have the players for it ?

Our back 4 was horrible today. Alonso and Luiz are making the left side very week. Rudiger and Azpi had poor games as well.

Hudson-Odio looks very promising, more so than RLC.

Moratta still seems lost and remember this system is not one where the striker needs to have the back to the goal.  

Pedro seems like all hard work and no end product. 

Jorginho seems like a good but careless.

Barkley will make a good rotation player and i am glad we brought him for that price. He is not worth anything more (And he represents more value than John Stones - we need to thank City for helping us avoid that)

To me it seems like that is where most of our squad is - a bunch of squad/rotation players - no one seems like an automatic starter and the ones we have are being linked away from the club. 

1 hour ago, TheChelsRVA said:

I can’t believe this isn’t on tv in the US. What a bunch of money grabbing greedy bastards ESPN are. 

7 Day Free Trial for ESPN+. I plan on canceling by the end of the day.

2 minutes ago, just said:

I can't remember a season where I felt so pessimistic. A severe lack of quality in the squad, a manager I am not as convinced about as most on here, and most importantly, an owner I feel has lost interest.

it's not just the team, I think we are struggling for direction as a club.

And thats the ticket there.......no ambition to righ the wrongs, no planning or direction......

one positive at least no one will be expecting top 4 this year

Our squad is far from optimal for this type of football. We just don't have the personnel for it. Sarri will have probably 7-8 players capable of the football. I mean players who have natural talent for it. In the absolute top level you need it to come from the spine. 

However there are positive signs and what will happen this season is we are going to give some brilliant performances against lower sides. I really don't think we can win like you need to win trophies this season. 

2 minutes ago, brownindian said:

I have not been following Chelsea for a while since last season got over. This is my first vieweing of "Sarri-ball" in Chelsea and to be honest I like it. It is nice to see attacking football. The problem is - do we have the players for it ?

Our back 4 was horrible today. Alonso and Luiz are making the left side very week. Rudiger and Azpi had poor games as well.

Hudson-Odio looks very promising, more so than RLC.

Moratta still seems lost and remember this system is not one where the striker needs to have the back to the goal.  

Pedro seems like all hard work and no end product. 

Jorginho seems like a good but careless.

Barkley will make a good rotation player and i am glad we brought him for that price. He is not worth anything more (And he represents more value than John Stones - we need to thank City for helping us avoid that)

To me it seems like that is where most of our squad is - a bunch of squad/rotation players - no one seems like an automatic starter and the ones we have are being linked away from the club. 

Sarri- ball , there wasnt any today ,absolutely no difference from last season 

It's not a surprise that City are way ahead of us. 

But what's really worrying is that we look like we've made no progress since last season.

And that we're going to struggle just to improve on fifth place.

We don't look like we've got enough goalscorers in the team. We need a CF and a winger and an attacking midfielder.

It's unlikely now, but without some additions it's going to be a really difficult season.

17 minutes ago, gazza said:

Sarri- ball , there wasnt any today ,absolutely no difference from last season 

Did you see the first 20 minutes ? Or join in later once we started wilting ? The passing was crisp and we had pretty decent possession -i think around 48% (in the first 20 so minutes). 

Edited August 5, 20187 yr by brownindian

Chris Sutton on BT Sport has just described Luiz as "a bomb scare" in the back four.

5 minutes ago, just said:

I can't remember a season where I felt so pessimistic. A severe lack of quality in the squad, a manager I am not as convinced about as most on here, and most importantly, an owner I feel has lost interest.

it's not just the team, I think we are struggling for direction as a club.

I agree mate, some people on here don’t like to hear it and throw out the ‘spoilt’ or ‘over reacting’ card but we are piss poor on the park and a total mess off it re; Conte situation etc. 

 

I also told similar concerns to regarding Roman, the freezing of progress on the stadium for one, the lack of investment (I assume, obviously I don’t see the balance books). 

 

And for people saying give Sarri until January to implement his style, while I totally agree it will take time. Conte changed us to a back 3 and had us flying before January and won us the league. I’m not saying it happens overnight but there’s certain aspects that IMO won’t change. Our squad players are simply not good enough and in the next 4 days that isn’t going to change.

 

I’d love nothing more than to eat my words by May but I genie like think we’re in for a hell of a tough season, even to break back in to the top 4. 

 

As as I said, I’d love nothing more than to look like a twat in May when we make it comfortably.

1 minute ago, just said:

Chris Sutton on BT Sport has just described Luiz as "a bomb scare" in the back four.

For once in his life he's not talking sh*t there! 

1 minute ago, Socrates said:

It's not a surprise that City are way ahead of us. 

But what's really worrying is that we look like we've made no progress since last season.

And that we're going to struggle just to improve on fifth place.

We don't look like we've got enough goalscorers in the team. We need a CF and a winger and an attacking midfielder.

It's unlikely now, but without some additions it's going to be a really difficult season.

This is really going to hurt us. For now we might as well call our team 'Hazard and the other guys FC'.

1 minute ago, Socrates said:

It's not a surprise that City are way ahead of us. 

But what's really worrying is that we look like we've made no progress since last season.

And that we're going to struggle just to improve on fifth place.

We don't look like we've got enough goalscorers in the team. We need a CF and a winger and an attacking midfielder.

It's unlikely now, but without some additions it's going to be a really difficult season.

Too much for the board to handle. Passed up on Golovin and rest all our hopes on Barkley for the season in the AM role. 

I get the sarri-ball and  i am looking forward to it when it arrives. In fact wasn't that what Man City were playing around our manequins. My concern is that our only competitive signing is Jorginho becuase he fits this system so well. However, a slower player, without the ball, i cannot remember seeing. I think Gianfranco is probably faster than him. Ebery time the play broke down, there was 70 yards of space for City to move through virtually unopposed. If the reports are true and Sarri thinks he only needs one more signing this could be a long hard season.

The concern that i have is that Sarri ball works in Italy becuase how slow the pace of the game is. You could see how careless Jorginho was today when he got pressed. Hopefully he will get up to speed quickly becuase the back four without a defensive midfielder screening look completely out of their depth.

Sarri needs his big players back and these players need to up their game big time.

10 minutes ago, abister1 said:

Much better performance than that shower of sh*te at Etihad. No team with genuine intentions to be called a big team should never play (or not try to play depending on your perspective) ike that.

Was it really though? Yes we looked further up the park and a bit more intent going forward but city could have easily taken 6 or 7 off us today. That’s a worry, new system or not.

Just now, EdinburghBlue said:

Was it really though? Yes we looked further up the park and a bit more intent going forward but city could have easily taken 6 or 7 off us today. That’s a worry, new system or not.

Mate we gave up on before kicking a ball at the Etihad. Yes this match was better. 

4 minutes ago, brownindian said:

Did you see the first 20 minutes ? Or join in later once we started wilting ? The passing was crisp and we had pretty decent possession (i think around 48%). 

But we never had an attempt on goal let alone a shot on target, during that time. and 48% possession  is nothing for us to get excited about either. For me 48% possession and not a single attempt = probably heading towards a defeat