1 hour ago, Dean said:

Good on you Brit. I always like it when someone has the flexibility to admit a player they don’t rate has a good game or vice versa. As for the going into hiding before, as you put it - do you not consider the possibility that Kova’s poor form before may have been Lampard’s fault? There are many possibilities as to why it might have been the case, but I tend to think as a rule  it’s up to the manager to bring the best out of his players. We shouldn’t assume Frank wasn’t at fault just because he’s Frank.

Ah I don’t absolve frank of blame for the team’s downturn Dean and in weeks leading up to his dismissal, I did start to say as much. 
I can understand tactics etc not getting the best out of people. What I don’t understand is seeing players jogging when they should be sprinting. I saw none of the intensity in kovacic’s play that we are seeing now. He wasn’t the only one mind you.

Last game against Wolves I wasn't too fussed even though I did see big improvements. This game, I'm very happy with him, constantly releasing Mount and CHO every single time. That's exactly what we need more of. 

Burnley came to play, credit to them, some teams don't though, and it's at those moments Kovacic needs to take more risks. Even though every shot he took was sh*t, he needs to take them. It makes defenders think twice, if they know you aren't going to shoot then they'll mark their man instead, making it harder to place the pass. 

Credit where it's due, that looked like Kovacic of last season that. 

3 hours ago, The Brit said:

As one of his fiercest critics on here, even I have to admit he played well today (didn’t get the Wolves love-in - was part of the problem IMO). But one has to wonder where these effort levels were the month before. Didn’t get the impression he was playing for Lampard as things were going tits up, or at very least, went hiding when the going got tough. Shouldn’t be forgotten IMO

Brit this could be said for every player except Giroud, Mount and Thiago Silva. Actually even Mount was average for many games in December in my opinion. 

Every player since Leeds was playing to about 1/4 of their ability, they just stopped playing, disgusting to see and it can't be forgotten, who the f**k knows how or why it happened but it did. 

10 hours ago, jack_super_class said:

My man of the match, back to his best today.

He was very good again. However I felt Jorginho was the better this game, whereas Kova was better than him against wolves. In both games their partnership has been really good.

15 hours ago, Argo said:

Messi would have absolutely ripped the PL to shreds as much as he did La Liga if not more so.

Who knows, he never made the jump. 

Beast.

He's starting to turn it on again now 

Kovacic and Jorginho seem to have found that form that they had least season together. Kovacic except for the one play where the sea  parted and once again hesitated on what to do in the final third had a really good game. Chelsea game really fell after Kovacic went off. 

Kovacic of last season at last. I was worrying it that he just had one good season and that was it. Good game from him today, the shooting is a lost cause though sadly. 

 

3 hours ago, Slojo said:

Kovacic of last season at last. I was worrying it that he just had one good season and that was it. Good game from him today, the shooting is a lost cause though sadly. 

 

Happy for him to prove me wrong though WTF do we have to do to teach him how to shoot?

I honestly do not know who I have least confidence in their ability to get a decent shot on target, Werner or Kovacic. 

I have no idea why a man who has so much footballing talent cannot kick a football from 30 yards out. 

Almost every game he'll get the opportunity to shoot where the defence just parted and he still hesitates... The feck?? 

He looks much better now. I was really down on him lately. If he had any sort of end product, he would have had a complete blinder today.

6 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Happy for him to prove me wrong though WTF do we have to do to teach him how to shoot?

I honestly do not know who I have least confidence in their ability to get a decent shot on target, Werner or Kovacic. 

Its so weird isnt it. He can ping a ball 45 yards onto a wingers foot, can control a ball while being tackled by 3 people but put him in front of goal and his head explodes.

I cant be too harsh on him though as I was exactly the same 😂

 

 

12 hours ago, Kova17 said:

Kovacic and Jorginho seem to have found that form that they had least season together. Kovacic except for the one play where the sea  parted and once again hesitated on what to do in the final third had a really good game. Chelsea game really fell after Kovacic went off. 

It was his chance to miss, though a simple pass would have finished off the spuds and he would have an assist...

He's still doing his role really well, without the ball he can go missing but he has been a key player in the last few games because the way we get into our rhythm has been basically through Kovacic making that extra touch with the ball, when he went off nobody was there to take that role - Jorginho and Mount can't do what Kovacic does naturally - only Pulisic could do it but he has been a bit poor recently.

Tuchel is playing now several players to their strengths and strongest abilities.

In my eyes there is no way that Kante should start over him in this current formation but we'll see how this develops since T.Silva and Havertz are injured.

Kova and Jorginho are working well because they both highly technical they read the game well and both are the only players we have who can beat the press that I have seen at Chelsea.

Edited February 5, 20215 yr by Brutos

it was a joy to watch last night, mount was picking the ball wide left, turning his man, and Kova was in acres in the middle, Kova is a gem when he's on it, as not many in world football who break like that from midfield, find a better end product, and we have a Lotthar Matthäus wannabe

A player of his technical ability really should be contributing more goals and assists. 

Checking his highlight reel at Inter, he certainly knew where the back of the net is, i think under Tommy Tuch, he is going to shine
 

 

Ability wise I don't think their is a more complete midfielder in the PL; Movement, physicality, press resilience, technical ability & Pace. 

Just doesn't seem to have the composure in the last third.

5 minutes ago, Imran_CFC said:

Ability wise I don't think their is a more complete midfielder in the PL; Movement, physicality, press resilience, technical ability & Pace. 

Just doesn't seem to have the composure in the last third.

Oh yes he does, you don't lose that ability if you have it, you can forget how to use it, he needs a Re-boot, check that video link to prove

Edited February 5, 20215 yr by Ballack & Blu

He's never been very prolific, though. If you look at his goal numbers, he achieved 8 in his last season for Inter, none in his first two. Then at Real Madrid only 3 goals scored in 3 seasons, though you could argue that he was never a nailed starter. And we have seen enough of him at Chelsea not to hope that he will contribute towards goals. I'm happy to have him in the midfield as he is great to beat the press when he is on, but he is not going to become a prime scorer under Tuchel. I hope that I am wrong, though.

He scored twice last season with shots from the edge of the box from his right foot into the bottom right corner, so he can score though unfortunately only from certain positions.

I agree with better finishing skills he would be a top midfield talent.

He is no more of a natural finisher than Jorginho or Kante are.  All of them would struggle to finish their dinner.

But when Kova plays like last night, who cares? For the first time in forever, when space opened up in front of him, he didn't stop and pass back or sideways. He carried the ball forward at pace and forced opponents to make a decision.

His best game in a Chelsea shirt by miles.

42 minutes ago, Ballack & Blu said:

Oh yes he does, you don't lose that ability if you have it, you can forget how to use it, he needs a Re-boot, check that video link to prove

Senors Torres and Morata would beg to differ!

13 minutes ago, just said:

Senors Torres and Morata would beg to differ!

Morata is scoring again for Juve, and once Torres lost his pace, he kinda lost belief, Cheers liverfools