1 hour ago, Valpo said:

 

He deserves to build as long as he can keep us in the Champion's league.   I'm not expecting him to rush off and win the EPL this year.  But if he doesn't get us in the top 4 than he should go.  

He doesn't have to wait until he can put everyone in he wants in place before he's accountable for results.  He's still accountable for results now.  

Wow thats a very arrogant statement, What if that was every clubs purpose.

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

I don't believe we will make top 4 this season. To much upheaval. United, Spurs and Arsenal all better.

We will see how well the new owners view TT if I am right and we miss out on CL football next season.

Why do people keep putting Spurs up there as being better? From what I've seen of them, they've only managed to cheat a point from us being the worse team and being dominated by Wolves and playing counter attack against a very naive Forest. I haven't seen anything in the way that Conte's got them playing to suggest that they are better than us.

37 minutes ago, Kev56 said:

Wow thats a very arrogant statement, What if that was every clubs purpose.

 

This team was a top 4 team before he came, and has been a top 4 team with him here.  This team is almost certainly top 4 in transfer spending and wage bills.  

 

There is zero reason why he shouldn't have a top 4 finish.  Legitimately competing for the EPL Trophy, he gets time for that.  Keeping us qualified for the Champion's league. . . that's the expectation.

2 minutes ago, Valpo said:

 

This team was a top 4 team before he came, and has been a top 4 team with him here.  This team is almost certainly top 4 in transfer spending and wage bills.  

 

There is zero reason why he shouldn't have a top 4 finish.  Legitimately competing for the EPL Trophy, he gets time for that.  Keeping us qualified for the Champion's league. . . that's the expectation.

And if he doesn't we sack him.  OK

Tuchel has come out and said this transfer window was a very big distraction for him. 
 

Understandable. Now that is over he has a settled squad so fingers crossed we start seeing improvement. 

1 hour ago, RMH said:

Why do people keep putting Spurs up there as being better? From what I've seen of them, they've only managed to cheat a point from us being the worse team and being dominated by Wolves and playing counter attack against a very naive Forest. I haven't seen anything in the way that Conte's got them playing to suggest that they are better than us.

I meant they, United and Arsenal are all better than they were last season.

I'd like to see Arsenal go on international duties first before I rate them. Sure, right now they look very good and Jesus obviously was a great signing for them but before Arteta proves he can juggle squad rotation etc pp with midweek international travels hither and tither I reserve judgement. Same for Conte btw.

If we get our act together I have zero fears about the other teams. It's a big if as it seems right now but our core is too good and I just can't believe Tuchel lost the locker room so we will see positive results soonish I hope. Squad looks decent now so once they all shook hands and settled down we should be up for this.

I would invest in the best medical staff if I was Boehly/Tuchel. Keeping the best players on the pitch is so important. So is knowing when they have to be rested. 

Last season we were leading Arsenal via more than dozen points after half of the season, and they got within touching distance of us in the final few games. Points could be easily made up with 33 games to go, so it's not go overly pessimistic about the season. Like Tuchel said, forget about the table, just start winning this weekend. Most teams ( bar City) will go through a bad period like us, it's a game at a time cliche, not get too far ahead.

2 hours ago, icecoolguy22 said:

Last season we were leading Arsenal via more than dozen points after half of the season, and they got within touching distance of us in the final few games. Points could be easily made up with 33 games to go, so it's not go overly pessimistic about the season. Like Tuchel said, forget about the table, just start winning this weekend. Most teams ( bar City) will go through a bad period like us, it's a game at a time cliche, not get too far ahead.

And, if we just survive the first two weeks of Nov, by function of the WC we can avoid our normal Nov and Dec blip!  Things are looking up!

I've been thinking about versatility. I read Zakaria is a very versatile player. He can play multiple positions. That is all good and well.... Is that a trend that is not too helpful for us? We are buying jack-of-all-trade types and not specialists.. is that a coaching philosophy that elevates the coach rather paves a way to success. 

I know the idea of versatility comes from that Cruyff idea of total football. Play at any position inside the game. Barcelona players switching positions seamlessly suffocating the opponent inside their half and after some clever moves finish the game with 4-0 goal. City has done it in the Prem. 

I am not sure that is what Chelsea is...the squad certainly isn't at the moment. 

 

5 hours ago, evissy said:

I've been thinking about versatility. I read Zakaria is a very versatile player. He can play multiple positions. That is all good and well.... Is that a trend that is not too helpful for us? We are buying jack-of-all-trade types and not specialists.. is that a coaching philosophy that elevates the coach rather paves a way to success. 

I know the idea of versatility comes from that Cruyff idea of total football. Play at any position inside the game. Barcelona players switching positions seamlessly suffocating the opponent inside their half and after some clever moves finish the game with 4-0 goal. City has done it in the Prem. 

I am not sure that is what Chelsea is...the squad certainly isn't at the moment. 

 

I'm a big fan of putting the right player at the right position, I don't believe in the versatility argument, it's one thing to organize the squad to have 1-2 players that will have much freedom wtih the ball, but it's totally different to put players in different positions and expect them to perform on a top level anywhere on the pitch. It's similar to how e.g. Osorio the former Mexican manager used to play almost a totally different lineup from one match to another, on the surface when it works for some matches it looks like you're a genius but actually as soon as a seriously drilled team comes up, even when you play your best players you're still a weaker team cause the players are simply not used to each other as much as the opposition is. This is no different, having a few jack-of-all-trades players can't beat a real system where the strongest players are very much used to dominating on their position.

6 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

I'm a big fan of putting the right player at the right position, I don't believe in the versatility argument, it's one thing to organize the squad to have 1-2 players that will have much freedom wtih the ball, but it's totally different to put players in different positions and expect them to perform on a top level anywhere on the pitch. It's similar to how e.g. Osorio the former Mexican manager used to play almost a totally different lineup from one match to another, on the surface when it works for some matches it looks like you're a genius but actually as soon as a seriously drilled team comes up, even when you play your best players you're still a weaker team cause the players are simply not used to each other as much as the opposition is. This is no different, having a few jack-of-all-trades players can't beat a real system where the strongest players are very much used to dominating on their position.

That's way too simplistic imo, how a team lines up on paper means little nowadays. 

You can't be a dynamic team by having all the same players in the same stringent positions for 90 mins every game, it must be dynamic to prevent becoming predictable.

The old analogy of putting square pegs in square holes doesn't always work in modern day football.

 

 

 

Massive win

1 minute ago, TheGermanOne said:

Massive win

One we and Tommy T desperately needed.

But some puzzling decisions with his team selection and another poor performance after spending so much.

I feel there's more question marks than there were yesterday despite a much needed win.

He needs more full-backs. Specially when Cucurella and Chilwell get too tired.

A much needed and most welcome three points today, which will no doubt give Tuchel a (hopefully) temporary get out of jail card. In the Southampton match thread I described him as some kind of vampire, sucking the attacking life force out of the side, and for the vast majority of today’s game, that was as true as ever. Oh and how on earth he can justify starting Pulisec after that farcically abysmal display at Southampton beggars belief.

Tuchel out.

Edited September 3, 20223 yr by Upsetter

an undeserved win today....Tuchel still looks no closer to playing how we should be playing. 

I am convinced the boring, unprogessive (is that word?) football is on him.... Big let off today

I have praised Tuchel many times for his tactical ability but what is this super conservative football? 

How do he expect us to score? We can replay that 1st half 100 times, I am not sure we will score 1 goal. 

90 minutes of utter sh*te, 90 seconds of excellence that won us the game. 

Just now, dkw said:

90 minutes of utter sh*te, 90 seconds of excellence that won us the game. 

Sounds like any Jose era. However we are so shaky and frail. I guess gelling and time could do something to it. And we need to find the backbone of the team. In the D it is how it is but we know the D battle is won in the midfield. That is still looking its shape and personnel 

Tuchel is struggling.  Continues to pick the wrong team and is not correcting mistakes.  He must improve.

4 minutes ago, evissy said:

Sounds like any Jose era. However we are so shaky and frail. I guess gelling and time could do something to it. And we need to find the backbone of the team. In the D it is how it is but we know the D battle is won in the midfield. That is still looking its shape and personnel 

Not really, Jose's first era was nothing like that at all. Worryingly it's exactly like Jose's last season with us though.

Felt like a back to basics team selection and tactics.

The kind a new manager has in his first match with his new club.

A “whatever we do, we do not lose today” kind of performance.

Needs to put a little bit more trust in certain attacking players and positions.

A big 3 points and an important win though.

20 minutes ago, dkw said:

90 minutes of utter sh*te, 90 seconds of excellence that won us the game. 

The solution? Make football matches 90 seconds long. 45 seconds each half.