33 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Suspect it was instructions from the manager yesterday because why would Jorginho stay on for almost the entire game otherwise? We had good options on the bench in Kovacic and Gallagher who can both break forward with it. Or even Carney who's also capable of it.

On Mount i've noticed he's been subbed off quite a lot lately when we are chasing the game. Don't think the lad is particularly happy about that.

Although the latter played deeper I'm hoping Mount coming off at the time Gallagher came on is a sign Potter realises they don't work together on the pitch at the same time.

Sometimes you need a good squad to bring the best out of yourself, which Mount did under Tuchel when we won the champions league.

Now he is suffering from playing with useless players such as Pulisic and Aubameyang.

1 hour ago, timetowaste said:

It could be put down to losing faith in the coach if this was recent, but he's looked like he's downed tools way before Potter joined, I think we do need to just accept the possibility that he was never that good to begin with

lol

8 hours ago, axman2526 said:

When Mason Mount has lost faith in the team/coach and is half a$$ing it, we know we have a real problem. 

I think that has already happened and it is not exclusive to Mason and much more widespread throughout the team.

1 hour ago, OriginalS said:

Suspect it was instructions from the manager yesterday because why would Jorginho stay on for almost the entire game otherwise?

Suspect you might be right on this. Potter is copying Tuchel and instructing Jorginho to pass 5 or 10 ten yards sideways or backwards. It's so frustrating. If only they would let him play his natural game. We would see him spraying those long, early balls into space and slaloming past opponents like Franz Klammer on a downhill run. 

1 minute ago, just said:

Suspect you might be right on this. Potter is copying Tuchel and instructing Jorginho to pass 5 or 10 ten yards sideways or backwards. It's so frustrating. If only they would let him play his natural game. We would see him spraying those long, early balls into space and slaloming past opponents like Franz Klammer on a downhill run. 

Why play him if he doesn't follow your instructions? Or perhaps he is.

Kovacic and Gallagher on the bench. Excellent midfield options.

Edited January 2, 20233 yr by OriginalS

1 minute ago, OriginalS said:

Why play him if he doesn't follow your instructions? Or perhaps he is.

Kovacic and Gallagher on the bench. Excellent midfield options.

So Tuchel was instructing him the same way?

9 hours ago, timetowaste said:

He's nothing more than a utility player for the standards we should be setting for our players, he needs to be replaced asap, along with pretty much everyone else if we're honest.

Agreed.

We seem to have ended up with a squad of great "potential" none of whom appear to be able to deliver... apart from James, Silva, Kepa, Kovacic on a good day and the still missing Kante.

Is there something wrong with the medical team... strange James is back then out again after an hour...

Maybe Souness made a good point- what are we doing getting rid of two strikers and then buying 3 defenders for $$$ ???

I liked Werner - even though he didn't score many goals he always looked threatening...

3 minutes ago, just said:

So Tuchel was instructing him the same way?

Probably. His system was built on maintaining control, and most of the time we did and always played him in a pivot with someone beside him.

Yesterday he was used as a lone defensive midfielder in the Premier League and that's just plain stupidity. Pretty sure you will agree with that.

 

4 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Probably. His system was built on maintaining control, and most of the time we did and always played him in a pivot with someone beside him.

Yesterday he was used as a lone defensive midfielder in the Premier League and that's just plain stupidity. Pretty sure you will agree with that.

 

Lone defensive midfielder! He had Zakaria playing alongside him.

What a sorry state of affairs when you need another defensive midfielder to protect your number 1 defensive midfielder.

Just now, just said:

Lone defensive midfielder! He had Zakaria playing alongside him.

What a sorry state of affairs when you need another defensive midfielder to protect your number 1 defensive midfielder.

It was 4-3-3 with Zakaria and Mount as 8s. So no.

And let's pretend you are right. Why would Potter be so stupid and play him? With some brilliant midfielders on the bench non the less.

40 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Probably. His system was built on maintaining control, and most of the time we did and always played him in a pivot with someone beside him.

Yesterday he was used as a lone defensive midfielder in the Premier League and that's just plain stupidity. Pretty sure you will agree with that.

 

Didn't we sign him on the back of his Napoli form when he played lone with two 8's next to him? Same under Sarri, and same under Lampard for a bit. 

It amazes me that such a world class player needs so much of the team built in his favour to be able to offer anything other than 5 yard passes. Reminds me of the 5 years Utd had Pogba and every season they'd have to sign a DM to 'unlock' him. At least Pogba had the occasional worldie in him.

3 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

It amazes me that such a world class player needs so much of the team built in his favour to be able to offer anything other than 5 yard passes. Reminds me of the 5 years Utd had Pogba and every season they'd have to sign a DM to 'unlock' him. At least Pogba had the occasional worldie in him.

Yeah, don't play him is what i'm bloody saying.

He will work in a really organized side where everyone knows their role. That is not what we have going on right now under Potter so don't play him. especially not alone in defensive midfield.

58 minutes ago, OriginalS said:

Probably. His system was built on maintaining control, and most of the time we did and always played him in a pivot with someone beside him.

Yesterday he was used as a lone defensive midfielder in the Premier League and that's just plain stupidity. Pretty sure you will agree with that.

 

I don't know about you, but I am convinced these long balls aren't part of Jorginho's game. I've seen him attempt multiple lobbed passes or long balls, all sh*t and embarrassing to say the least. 

Issue with the midfield last night is that both Zakaria and Mount are #8s who push forward, when we were caught in the defensive transition, Jorginho was isolated. We had no inverted fullbacks to deal with the space lost by Zakaria and Mount. 

Just terrible all around. 

1 minute ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Issue with the midfield last night is that both Zakaria and Mount are #8s who push forward, when we were caught in the defensive transition, Jorginho was isolated. We had no inverted fullbacks to deal with the space lost by Zakaria and Mount. 

Bingo,

1 hour ago, OriginalS said:

Probably. His system was built on maintaining control, and most of the time we did and always played him in a pivot with someone beside him.

Yesterday he was used as a lone defensive midfielder in the Premier League and that's just plain stupidity. Pretty sure you will agree with that.

 

Always? Au contraire Rodney.

Chelsea gets boost with Thomas Tuchel's new midfield tactics (theprideoflondon.com)

Stupid Tuchel using him as a lone defensive midfielder. Also indicates how badly we, (and especially Jorginho), are missing a fit Kante.

TBH it's all a moot point anyway. You are right when you say Potter shouldn't be playing Jorginho. We are in agreement. He shouldn't. Playing Jorginho puts us in a positionally strait-jacketed formation with little room for any adaptability.

4 hours ago, Mod said:

I think that has already happened and it is not exclusive to Mason and much more widespread throughout the team.

Certainly looks like all bar Silva and Kepa have given up.

5 hours ago, dkw said:

Watching Mount, Sterling and Havertz give up halfway through the first half was worrying. They kept making runs, but other than the first few mi uses when he had a chance he pulled none of them received a pass, just kept running into space only to turn round and see the ball "recycled" back from midfield to centre backs, again and again and again. 

Attack is not the problem, a non existence midfield is.

Midfield is a problem and so is the attack. Mount and Havertz play the same way for Chelsea as they did for their countries during the world cup. Stop making excuses for there ass performances.

Havertz took Lukaku's first touch. 

I have no confidence in Havertz when he has the ball in the box. Can't take anyone on and more than often just falls on his arse. 

32 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Havertz took Lukaku's first touch. 

I have no confidence in Havertz when he has the ball in the box. Can't take anyone on and more than often just falls on his arse. 

Yeah, well, don't start on me mate. Since 2018 I've had two full knee replacements, revision surgery to plate the back of my left knee-cap and a new right hip put in. What's Havertz excuse?

2 minutes ago, just said:

Yeah, well, don't start on me mate. Since 2018 I've had two full knee replacements, revision surgery to plate the back of my left knee-cap and a new right hip put in. What's Havertz excuse?

Is it going alright?

59 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Certainly looks like all bar Silva and Kepa have given up.

Kepa will be a manager one day!

5 hours ago, OriginalS said:

Is it going alright?

Absolutely fine. Thanks for asking. Bit of a nightmare going through the security metal detectors at airports though.

9 hours ago, just said:

Absolutely fine. Thanks for asking. Bit of a nightmare going through the security metal detectors at airports though.

Glad to hear it!

Very concerned with Mount. Looks a shadow of the player we saw in his 1st 3 seasons. 7 completed passes in 70 odd minutes today. 

Is he good enough to build around? I always believed he was, but this season has been atrocious from him so far.