2 hours ago, mclovin83 said:

I am sorry, but that's a really dim statement.

For a start, that is not how Tottenham play. They expansively outplayed us last time the two teams met. They could have scored 7 or 8 goals- let's keep that in mind. Do you really think they decided to gamble on the fact that we wouldn't convert a chance, and therefore decided to change their entire philosophy  and camp in their own half, at home,  against their bitter rivals?! All to protect a slender 1 goal lead, with a further 90 minutes to come away from home?

More crucially, they never looked in control, or even remotely comfortable. Do you really think it was their game plan to consistently lose possession in the middle of the park under our press, and hoof it out of play repeatedly, and fail to be able to provide an outlet for a counter attack? All part of the plan?

Let's be honest, Spurs nicked a 1-0 win, with a very dubious penalty decision. If it had been the other way round I would have loved it. No shame in nicking a 1-0 win, but let's not try and pretend it was some master stroke by Poch to be outplayed, out-muscled, and hanging on for dear life at the end. It wasn't. And it won't be in the next leg either.

Its unbelievable isnt it, basically saying the only time we played well was because spurs let us. 

Dim I may be, but the one thing if I were the manager of an opposing team I would allow & that would be for Jorginho to have plenty of the ball & to do my level best to mark Hazard, do those things & you've pretty much nullified Chelsea.

15 hours ago, shedpensioner said:

Dim I may be, but the one thing if I were the manager of an opposing team I would allow & that would be for Jorginho to have plenty of the ball & to do my level best to mark Hazard, do those things & you've pretty much nullified Chelsea.

Funny, because I pretty much thought the blue print for successfully beating Chelsea was the complete opposite; i.e. pressing high up the field and allowing Jorginho absolutely no time on the ball what so ever to dictate play. When Spurs comfortably beat us in November, this was key.

Ps- I didn't mean to be personal by saying your statement was dim; it's a view I have seen expressed by others as well. No offence intended.

The area's of the pitch that you brake down opposition moves is the all important factor when starting an attacking move. We did really well at winning the ball back in the spuds half last game, but with no striker its all to no avail.

BUMP.

Well the progress is non-existent. We are as consistent as the England Cricket Team. I know folk will blame the players, and of course they need to take their share, but sorry the buck stops with Sarri. To have a full squad to choose from with no injuries and play a Bournemouth side that weren't at full strength and at the end of the day are f**kING BOURNEMOUTH and to lose 4-0, that is inexcusable. It's a complete shambles and right now he does appear to be out of his depth with little in the way of answers.

I was happy to give him a go and expected a few blips along the way, but 4-0 to Bournemouth after other spineless displays is NOT a blip. Can't see him lasting and although I would have liked Lamps & Jody to do a decent apprenticeship at Derby, right now I would get those two in to sort this mess out. At least they know what Chelsea is all about and given time I think could get us back where we should be.

 

9 minutes ago, Nibs said:

BUMP.

Well the progress is non-existent. We are as consistent as the England Cricket Team. I know folk will blame the players, and of course they need to take their share, but sorry the buck stops with Sarri. To have a full squad to choose from with no injuries and play a Bournemouth side that weren't at full strength and at the end of the day are f**kING BOURNEMOUTH and to lose 4-0, that is inexcusable. It's a complete shambles and right now he does appear to be out of his depth with little in the way of answers.

I was happy to give him a go and expected a few blips along the way, but 4-0 to Bournemouth after other spineless displays is NOT a blip. Can't see him lasting and although I would have liked Lamps & Jody to do a decent apprenticeship at Derby, right now I would get those two in to sort this mess out. At least they know what Chelsea is all about and given time I think could get us back where we should be.

 

I agree with what you're saying but we need to take in mind the transition process, this team are so used to playing on the counter and defensively. 

This was never going to be all done in one season, I think we need to be more patient. 4-0 is definitely inexcusable, I felt like complete sh*t last night, and his comments about playing motivation didn't help, however, I think the best we can do is back him and give him another season and see how it plays out. I never expected huge progress in just his first season, I expected better but sometimes you don't always get what you want. I don't see how sacking him fixes anything... I think it'll only make our problems worse. 

6 minutes ago, Slojo said:

I agree with what you're saying but we need to take in mind the transition process, this team are so used to playing on the counter and defensively. 

This was never going to be all done in one season, I think we need to be more patient. 4-0 is definitely inexcusable, I felt like complete sh*t last night, and his comments about playing motivation didn't help, however, I think the best we can do is back him and give him another season and see how it plays out. I never expected huge progress in just his first season, I expected better but sometimes you don't always get what you want. I don't see how sacking him fixes anything... I think it'll only make our problems worse. 

I agree with you too and I am one who hates a revolving door of Managers and would like to see some stability. But before Sarri was even appointed I did fear a repeat of Scolari and that seems to be exactly what is happening. A few defeats and poor performances you would expect and accept if you can see progress and improvement. But I'm not seeing that. I'm just seeing same old, same old - everything too predictable with no sign that he has the ability to change anything. The depressing thing is that when we get to a stage in a match where we have failed to score and then the opponents do score I am almost certain that that is it - Game Over. Once we have gone behind in a game we never look like getting back in it and that is down to the coach to sort out but I fear he is unable to do so.  

I like the fast paced passing and moving, its aesthetically pleasing, especially if you are getting goals from it.  The trouble is it looks a bit predictable and seems even easier to defend against. 

For that style of passing to work it seems we have to be pretty close to each other and as a result we aren't stretching the opposition, they can effectively stand off us a bit and build their walls.

What our style is crying out for are two or three guys who can produce defence splitting, penetrating passes, not just the back and forth 1-2s and triangles.

We could have played for a full day yesterday and we'd never have scored.

7 minutes ago, Zola said:

I like the fast paced passing and moving,

I think the "fast-paced" part of that has gone missing. 

It was great when we did it. 

Maybe the players lost faith in it. I don't know. But it's slow passing and not much moving right now. 

He needs to drop him now if he is being targeted by the opposition as a weak link. Europa league/cup games are more open so in the short term limit Jorginho to these games. Either drop Kovacic deepest, or preferably switch Kante to the base. 

 

 

45 minutes ago, Nibs said:

I agree with you too and I am one who hates a revolving door of Managers and would like to see some stability. But before Sarri was even appointed I did fear a repeat of Scolari and that seems to be exactly what is happening. A few defeats and poor performances you would expect and accept if you can see progress and improvement. But I'm not seeing that. I'm just seeing same old, same old - everything too predictable with no sign that he has the ability to change anything. The depressing thing is that when we get to a stage in a match where we have failed to score and then the opponents do score I am almost certain that that is it - Game Over. Once we have gone behind in a game we never look like getting back in it and that is down to the coach to sort out but I fear he is unable to do so.  

I think what I and most others find annoying is the lack of rotation. 

It's annoying... I understand that he wants the team to gel, so he'll keep playing them but a lot of these players are already 31/32, they're not going to be here for that long, Willian, Pedro, Luiz etc. 

I keep repeating myself but it's blatant, there's no reason why CHO shouldn't have been playing most of these games, especially since November. It's not just media blowing smoke and trying to start problems when there aren't any, we've got a really talented Youth academy and we aren't using them, what's the risk factor here? 

1 hour ago, Zola said:

I like the fast paced passing and moving,

Presumably you are not talking about last night's play?

I've seen funeral corteges move faster than the interminable efforts last night.  Super slow and lacking any fizz whatsoever.

I've even gotten to the point where I get very excited when, following an opposition attack, Kepa grabs the ball and charges to the edge of the penalty area full of purpose and then, in one anti-climatic moment, he stops, clings to the ball like a long-lost lover, and then waits for the opposition to get back into position, likewise for us and then, when everyone is nice and ready he throws/kicks it to a defender (using the term loosely) and off we go with our set play piece of shuffling the ball around the box whilst hapless sod from the opposition tries to lamely get the ball etc etc.  And then my despondency sets in yet again.

6 minutes ago, Bloo said:

Presumably you are not talking about last night's play?

I've seen funeral corteges move faster than the interminable efforts last night.  Super slow and lacking any fizz whatsoever.

I've even gotten to the point where I get very excited when, following an opposition attack, Kepa grabs the ball and charges to the edge of the penalty area full of purpose and then, in one anti-climatic moment, he stops, clings to the ball like a long-lost lover, and then waits for the opposition to get back into position, likewise for us and then, when everyone is nice and ready he throws/kicks it to a defender (using the term loosely) and off we go with our set play piece of shuffling the ball around the box whilst hapless sod from the opposition tries to lamely get the ball etc etc.  And then my despondency sets in yet again.

First half we looked a bit faster and sharper, second half was grim. 

6 hours ago, Slojo said:

what's the risk factor here? 

Another manager's livelihood, many millions in compensation, many more millions lost because of no European football, no cups, no bragging rights, the total meltdown in here and elsewhere, away trips to Grimsby or Ipswich, tickets available right up till kick-off, fewer internet experts telling us where we are going wrong  and no  more half-and-half scarves for a start.

19 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

Another manager's livelihood, many millions in compensation, many more millions lost because of no European football, no cups, no bragging rights, the total meltdown in here and elsewhere, away trips to Grimsby or Ipswich, tickets available right up till kick-off, fewer internet experts telling us where we are going wrong  and no  more half-and-half scarves for a start.

Well, when you put it like that... 

No, but seriously, with the way Hazard, Willian and Pedro have been playing, there's hardly even a risk of playing CHO there like there usually would be. That's mostly the point I'm trying to get across. I know people will always blame the manager regardless, I doubt Sarri is bothered about that, but I don't think we'll play any worse with CHO in the side, soooo we just may aswell.