46 minutes ago, enigma said:

 

that is Don Maurizio trying to get a replacement, but IMHO Side Show Bob can play that regista role - I don't think Don Maurizio trusts Rudi & Christensen as a CB pair

1 hour ago, ForeverCarefree said:

He didn’t say what if, he said it had happened.

Rio was saying if Ashley is looking to sell Newcastle why would he invest tens of millions into the squad when it won’t affect the value of the club.

Thought he made a reasonable argument personally.  

If they're looking at the Championship next season, i'm pretty sure it will affect the value of the sale.

2 hours ago, the special one said:

Don't want to slate him but Kante was below-par against Wolves too. Wolves played exactly the same as Newcastle today (5-4-1). I think Kovacic/Barkley are better suited for this type of game personally.

I thought Kante played really well actually. I don't think i was the only one either. MOTM i think

Apart from the ongoing zonal marking issues at the back that led to barcodes equalizer I thought it was overall a good performance. Fatty surprised me by having them be more adventurous and press up high a lot. FFs they had nearly 40 % possession !

- 3 points 

- 2 lovely taken goals by the wide players and another assist from Eden(10 for the season)

- CHO got a few minutes, it’s tough to make a good impression/ take your chances in the last 10, fingers crossed he stays this window 

- nobody stuck out for a mediocre performance today although it did lack a bit of Tuesday’s intensity 

4th place with a 6 point cushion after the busy Xmas program is pretty good if truth be told. Yes new faces are needed and it would be great to get the right fits in now, but why panic buy and end up with more expensive flops. Hope the board has a few deals lined up to exit 2 or 3  more and get a couple in over the next 19 days.

Carefree then ! 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Slojo said:

If he scored like he did today almost every match

That's right, ask him to do what no player in the league does.

14 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

I thought Kante played really well actually. I don't think i was the only one either. MOTM i think

Second half he played well I'd agree, first half though I don't know, I can't help but feel he struggled in tight spaces as he did at Wolves. I'm nit picking though, overall I think he's having a good season considering his new role in the team.

Edited January 12, 20197 yr by the special one

1 hour ago, enigma said:

 

Jordan Henderson?

2 hours ago, enigma said:

This is the club's problem with the hiring and firing issue, they end up bringing in managers with different ideas, so need players with entirely different qualities. Now the squad is mixed with players suited and not suited to this system. This club is infuriating at times. 

You would think with being paid 100+ grand a week the players should be adaptable to play any system, especially 6 months in.....most everyday people can adapt to different jobs and operations within days or weeks. I've said this before, if the myth that is 'Sarriball' is about possession, short passes, regardless of direction and movement, far too often the players revert back to conventional football of the long ball, which works now and then, when it doesn't possession and momentum is lost; it also continually breaks down when the ball players such as Hazard, Pedro and Willian take on too many of the opposition rather than off load the ball....anyway the players tools are at his feet and tactically in his head it can't be that difficult adapt can it? 

25 minutes ago, coco said:

That's right, ask him to do what no player in the league does.

Yep, because that's totally what I'm doing, I said I would be delighted if he did that, instead he doesn't get many assists or goals and it doesn't warrant the game time he gets. 

Bringing up Willians poor goal/assist rate this season = BAD

Saying Willian is great because he scored a goal = GOOD

 

1 hour ago, Dean said:

Fair points. Would counter:

- on Willian - he can certainly be frustrating in the ways you mention, but  i wouldn't go as far as to say overall poor. He has a good engine (still), pace (still), is good on the ball and generally keeps it well except with that final ball (that's always the hardest though), and occasionally scores great goals like today's match winner. 

- on Kovacic - "tidy player but nothing more" is harsh. he has phenomenal ability, is still young, adapting to both a new league and getting more match experience. He hasn't shown anywhere close to what he can do yet, based on what i've seen elsewhere. i feel that scoring a goal, even just a tap in, could unlock him.

- On Sarri - ok nobody was calling for him to be sacked but i saw some questioning whether he'd last or not. Too early for that too. 

- on Wliian - One of his main attributes, especially under Mourinho originally was his ability to track back at pace and cover "the defensive phase". None of that any more. Just this stop start jinks which generally peter out into nothingness. Yes a great goal today but surely his time is up. Its ironic that we let one of the best passers of a ball leave mainly due to his age and yet this fella continues to get a pass.

-on Kovacic - This is the guy that in five years time when we're sporcling the Chelsea teams of the decade just gone, nobody will remember him. He flitters around and has tidy feet and mops up now again. But his productivity is virtually non existent. I have nothing against him, he is just beige to me. Surely we can get an upgrade on him, either externally or from within.

-on Sarri - Questioning whether he will last or not is just the way it is at our club. We sacked RDM after winning the CL. Didn't even give him a full season. I hope he stays and sorts it out. I'm sure he does as well, but this board haven't exactly got a reputation for patience.

16 minutes ago, just said:

Jordan Henderson?

 

6 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

- on Wliian - One of his main attributes, especially under Mourinho originally was his ability to track back at pace and cover "the defensive phase". None of that any more. Just this stop start jinks which generally peter out into nothingness. Yes a great goal today but surely his time is up. Its ironic that we let one of the best passers of a ball leave mainly due to his age and yet this fella continues to get a pass.

-on Kovacic - This is the guy that in five years time when we're sporcling the Chelsea teams of the decade just gone, nobody will remember him. He flitters around and has tidy feet and mops up now again. But his productivity is virtually non existent. I have nothing against him, he is just beige to me. Surely we can get an upgrade on him, either externally or from within.

-on Sarri - Questioning whether he will last or not is just the way it is at our club. We sacked RDM after winning the CL. Didn't even give him a full season. I hope he stays and sorts it out. I'm sure he does as well, but this board haven't exactly got a reputation for patience.

 

We’ll see. My bigger concern about Kovacic is he leaves at the end of the season and becomes a world-class midfielder for another side. I think you’re judging him on an excessively small sample (performances for Chelsea so far), but even within that sample unfair to say productivity is non-existent. I could point to, off the top of my head:   vs Watford, a perfectly weighted through ball to set up Willian for what could easily have been a goal; another great ball for Hazard in the same game that did result in a goal; and a defense-splitting throughball to set up hazard to score vs Liverpool. Those are on top of generally solid performances with good link up play and sublime bits of skill, e.g. vs Man City. He’s not the finished article yet. But give him time or someone else will, and we may regret it. 

Even Ian Wright doesn't know what Sarriball is ....join the club..

5 minutes ago, CFCCAN said:

Even Ian Wright doesn't know what Sarriball is ....join the club..

I don't think he is the best pundit but on MOTD tonight he was spot on.

1 hour ago, robdog said:

that is Don Maurizio trying to get a replacement, but IMHO Side Show Bob can play that regista role - I don't think Don Maurizio trusts Rudi & Christensen as a CB pair

What did Sarri mean by Jorginho was in trouble? Was he injured? And why can’t Kante play there if needed? 

Two lovely goals and three points,happy days.Kante was superb today.....UP THE CHELS !

We were ok, done enough to win but never looked in control. Hazard was clearly tired, fortunately Pedro/Willian stepped up for once. Luiz is getting better with those long killer balls, could be a handy weapon for the rest of the season. Not being too critical, why can't Jorginho do that? Nice little buffer we have over Arsenal, if we manage to beat them in their backyard, just about knock them out in the top 4 race.

What did Sarri mean by Jorginho was in trouble? Was he injured? And why can’t Kante play there if needed? 

I believe he is trying get a replacement for Cesc

48 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

I don't think he is the best pundit but on MOTD tonight he was spot on.

Just seen it, definitely nailed it - I don't know, I'm not convinced by Sarri. I'm happy to give him time to see if we improve but my thoughts are that the intensity of the EPL is just too high for Sarri's precise passing game. As someone said earlier we need to be more direct when faced by opposition that play like Newcastle did today (particularly the first half).

Edited January 12, 20197 yr by the special one

You know maybe we have much more pressure than it has to be. My opinion, Sarri's philosofy is very good for PL but you should have a "killer" as a center forward so that our wingers can be more expressive. This one, right now, is just not good enough without this "killer"

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

What did Sarri mean by Jorginho was in trouble? Was he injured? And why can’t Kante play there if needed? 

Reading the earlier posts he was getting booed by the Chelsea fans for a few misplaced passes.

8 hours ago, Andy2461 said:

Are you mad

 

8 hours ago, EdinburghBlue said:

Are you watching the same game? We’ve looked utter dross other than two balls over the top.

Jokes

Lord we are boring, least this time we won.

7 hours ago, Strider6003 said:

Reading the earlier posts he was getting booed by the Chelsea fans for a few misplaced passes.

He got the usual moans and groans any player would get but I didn’t hear any boos directed at him. 

I think Sarri basically meant he was having a sh*t game but he didn’t have anyone to replace him with. We were crying out for someone of Cesc’s abilities yesterday.