I think if you can find a WC CB and a leader, the back line improves greatly. There really isn't anyone that takes charge on the back line, and if they had that central figure and that leader, you'd see a huge improvement. Of course, finding a CB like that isn't easy to find otherwise everyone would have one. 

You're welcome for this wealth of knowledge I just released into this forum. I don't know what you all would do without me./s

6 hours ago, Ballack & Blu said:

It could be simply that Frank doesn't grasp the minutae of the skillset needed to perform like JT, his lack of experience is glaring, Cech should know seeing as he played behind  the best for 10yrs
Also Jodie doing well with kids might not transfer to the A squad, something is fundamentally wrong, maybe an experienced addition to the backroom team, Give uncle Harry a Call....

God no...send Uncle H to Bournemouth 

7 minutes ago, CFCCAN said:

God no...send Uncle H to Bournemouth 

He has unbounded knowledge, and was a cracking manager, and we owe him hugely, without Uncle H, no Frank or joe, or Rio or Carrick or Defoe..........

11 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

I can't think of a team in the history of the game that has bought a whole new defence and succeeded. The closest thing to a success was when Chelsea bought Ferreira and Carvalho in the same window, but even that was argued given the Terry/Gallas partnership. Arsenal seem to try it every 2-3 years and fail miserably. It just doesn't happen, and adding that sort of chaos to a team already struggling with communication is a recipe for disaster.

However, many teams - Liverpool included - have invested in a single quality defender who has marshalled a defence.

Zouma and Rudiger need direction, and I think you're right, they're never going to find it themselves. However they do have redeeming qualities that would see them work well alongside a much more experienced defender.

This has been my point. They are too like minded, being a bit irrational and reckless. However with a strong calming influence those instances of diving in, with confidence that cover is around may well result in these guys nicking the ball and breaking down attacks.

9 hours ago, CFCCAN said:

As poor as the players themselves appear to be they didn't become donkey's overnight; at the end of the day it comes down to coaching and gelling the back 3/4 together, and unfortunately Frank and Jodie have done a miserable job all season.  The first thing we need is a defensive coach like a Steve Clarke and then go from there.  The game has also changed where teams are trying to play out from the back, wonderful if you have the players with the talent to do so. Any of our back 4 appear to be scared sh*tless if they receive the ball from the keeper. They don't have the confidence to carry the ball and make a forward pass, they are almost immediately put under pressure resulting in poor decision making, playing backwards or sideways thereby applying pressure on the defensive line or the midfield. 

While buying a couple of decent defenders maybe a priority, Frank and his coaching staff need to take a deeper look at their own capabilities in terms of defensive strategies and game management.  

Didn't we all blow raspberries at Conte when he went, him with his football killing defensive ways, with basically the same defenders plus the bomb-scare that is David Luiz. I get it that form comes and goes and players age but surely an organized defensive coach, with one or two critical changes (keeper, CB leader) could turn this again into a tight defensive unit.

8 hours ago, chiefBlueCFC said:

I think if you can find a WC CB and a leader, the back line improves greatly. There really isn't anyone that takes charge on the back line, and if they had that central figure and that leader, you'd see a huge improvement. Of course, finding a CB like that isn't easy to find otherwise everyone would have one. 

You're welcome for this wealth of knowledge I just released into this forum. I don't know what you all would do without me./s

But all great teams have had one. A real leader in defense is something that we don't have but are in need desperately.

I even think that a great LB would improve us hugely as well, we are the only top side that most of the time played a natural RB at the LB position and even though Azpilicueta did a decent job imagine how much better we would automatically be, if we had a world class LB once again.

8 hours ago, Ballack & Blu said:

It could be simply that Frank doesn't grasp the minutae of the skillset needed to perform like JT, his lack of experience is glaring, Cech should know seeing as he played behind  the best for 10yrs
Also Jodie doing well with kids might not transfer to the A squad, something is fundamentally wrong, maybe an experienced addition to the backroom team, Give uncle Harry a Call....

I doubt this. Lampard is a good coach and understands the game on a very different level. He has never been as naturally talented as his peers and has had to listen, train and consciously work to understand and improve his game. 

The one thing that comes naturally to him is communication, and I think that is what he struggles to impart to the players. His most successful years included a plethora of international captains, and I suspect that he is used to that high-level of communicaton and organisation. I think the tactics and the man-management is the easy part for Lampard, but teaching players to talk and organise and coordinate as a team is his biggest challenge.

12 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

I wanted to look at the second goal in a bit more depth. Emerson has been rightly criticised, but it's worse than it looks.

Check out his stance as Kovacic is dispossessed.

Then check out his stance as Perisic - not a hugely pacey player - hits full tilt.

If you can stand it, watch the whole sequence in reverse angle from 0:54. It takes him four seconds to break into a jog. It takes him another six seconds to break into a sprint and return on screen.

It's amateur hour.  He can see his teammate is in trouble and knows he is the last line of defense as Zouma is outnumbered. At the very least, he should make himself available for a quick clearance by the keeper.

Instead he stays still.

 

 

 

I only hope Chelsea read your posts

21 hours ago, PhilH930 said:

I only hope Chelsea read your posts

Ha! Chelsea have a whole team of video analysts who do exactly this, with a range of footage.

The hard part is not identifying the problem, but communicating the issues in way that players can actually react to it. That's why the hard work falls on Lampard.

 

 

We just need to get the right defenders/keeper, players who will listen and act proactively, the rest of the outfield squad we have is very exciting, we just need a huge increase in quality in defence with then next £200m we spend.

Personally I’d rather we signed one quality centre back than try and get 2 in to replace two of Rudiger/Christensen/Zouma. Hypothetically, whichever of those 3 then stays should be boosted by their new centre back partner and a new goalkeeper behind them. As we’ve seen with both VVD and Laporte such is their quality that they make the person at the side of them look good also. I just hope our scouts can pick out whoever that gem may be. 

https://experimental361.com/2020/07/27/scatter-graphics-premier-league-2019-20/

This is all very telling, it shows we are the second based to Man City for shots against per match and also shots for, better even than Liverpool, But we are the worst for goals conceded per shots faced, so it seems our defence isnt quite as bad as we though, but we are letting in far too many goals for shots at us. I suppose that can be taken one of 2 ways, either our keeper is sh*t (hmmm) or the few shots we are allowing at goal are from really god positions. 

9 hours ago, dkw said:

https://experimental361.com/2020/07/27/scatter-graphics-premier-league-2019-20/

This is all very telling, it shows we are the second based to Man City for shots against per match and also shots for, better even than Liverpool, But we are the worst for goals conceded per shots faced, so it seems our defence isnt quite as bad as we though, but we are letting in far too many goals for shots at us. I suppose that can be taken one of 2 ways, either our keeper is sh*t (hmmm) or the few shots we are allowing at goal are from really god positions. 

I get aroused when you get properly statistical @dkw, especially with some of the garbage that passes as 'stats analysis' on here and other social media.

Both conclusions are true, and both are influenced by Kepa's poor performance to an extent, as it's not just his poor shot-stopping but his failure/unwillingness to intercept ground balls and crosses that allows too many shots from good positions. When you couple with that the defensive "organisation" demonstrated earlier in the thread, we end up with a perfect sh*tstorm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

I get aroused when you get properly statistical @dkw, especially with some of the garbage that passes as 'stats analysis' on here and other social media.

Both conclusions are true, and both are influenced by Kepa's poor performance to an extent, as it's not just his poor shot-stopping but his failure/unwillingness to intercept ground balls and crosses that allows too many shots from good positions. When you couple with that the defensive "organisation" demonstrated earlier in the thread, we end up with a perfect sh*tstorm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ha ha, I worry about you sometimes....

I think the defences lack of trust in Kepa and his lack of communication adds to all that too. I've played in defences where we knew the keeper was sh*t and you overcompensate on everything, your always nervy and have no idea of whats going on behind you, its disconcerting and you spend more time trying to anticipate things rather than playing whats in front of you.