Juventus v Chelsea (CL) Wed 29th Sep KO 20:00 BST

[BenCFC19]

This is an awful Juve side, a far cry from the side who had Di Matteo sacked. I love Tuchel but he needs to show some balls here and go with a 4 at the back, get as many attacking options on as possible; we are the better team and should be winning this.

We don't want to be going two games without scoring or god forbid losing to them on the counter, not at all good for morale

 

[RMCM]

Half time desperately needed. How can players like this show up and put in 20% effort in a European game against a big team? I’d get RLC  and Chilly on, Alonso looks lethargic and we need RLC’s ability to run with the ball instead of passing sideways. 

[charierre]

65% of pointless possession.  Zero creation and far too happy playing sideways and backwards. Alonso off CHO  and RLC on for Kovacic.

[Argo]

Just now, forbzy said:

Chilwell adapted to the position and eventually excelled there last season. He was a first choice by the end of the season. So it is a bit of a mystery why Alonso continues to keep him out.

Also Azpi is better in a middle 3 in my opinion. I don't think he should be playing wing back. I know Reece is injured but CHO has done OK there before and would provide more pace down the flank.

He was good for the do or die games but mostly rubbish (attacking wise) in almost every game we needed to take the initive which around this time of the season is nearly every game.

Missing out on Hakimi was an absolute killer, it was wingback not striker that was the crucial position that needed addressing and it's really starting to show.

[carrickblue]

I'd like to say it can only get better, but there's a good chance it'll get worse. 

We look a bit deflated - no wonder after Saturday, we were poor. Need something to pick everyone up, even a bit of luck or a fluky goal. 

[thebluekid]

Just now, LongtimerLurker said:

He's 21 he's got time on his side

I just don’t understand what he does mate. He just waltzes round the pitch with the grace of a dear with no legs. Yes undoubtedly he has great talent; however it suits a league where he’s playing against teams that give him more space to build on than I’d find on the moon. In my opinion he will never hit it off here, ever. The goal in the final and a few ‘decent’ performances against teams which switched off just doesn’t ignore the fact when you compare him to the last ‘generational’ talent we had at the same age (surname beginning with H) Havertz looks like he belongs at Sunday league level.

 

I know it’s harsh but that’s just my opinion. Don’t even get me started on hookah man Ziyech; f**k me, completely out of his depth in this team.

[LongtimerLurker]

Shoot the pariah by all means but I kid you not if Madrid don't want Eden come next summer because he isn't scoring 40 goals a season (which is the standard for a madrid forward apparently regardless of playstyle). I say we resign him he will create for us forget him not being able to take players on as well as before I've watched him slowly get back to match fitness we would score a lot more goals with the guy in our team.

Yes I'm living in the past but jheeeze it's what we need and we haven't replaced his or Cesc's creativity since they left neither Havertz or Ziyech have lived up to the playmaker tag. It's why I keep wanting Werner to play ignore goals the guy creates chances, elite ones by the way.

[Gol15]

Just now, The Don Antonio said:

Like we saw with Lampard he sucks on the wings and is best in the false 9 but we bought Lukakau so its back to square 1

This is why you put Havertz behind Lukaku in a 4-4-1-1 or as a false 9. But even like this, Havertz is the only player that tries to run with the ball in the final third, it didn't work he lost he ball but he's the only one that pushes that ball forward. Ziyech isn't doing anything really and Lukaku isn't getting any ball at all.

[dansubrosa]

Just now, carrickblue said:

I'd like to say it can only get better, but there's a good chance it'll get worse. 

We look a bit deflated - no wonder after Saturday, we were poor. Need something to pick everyone up, even a bit of luck or a fluky goal. 

Or a scorcher in the top corner, I don’t think we are asking for too much really.

[Deino]

Poor first half. 

It's like our players want to play hot potato instead of football. 

[IliyaKrostin]

One good thing about Juventus is their defending and at the end they will catch us on counter... 

We're struggling to create anything, Havertz has wrong decisions, Ziyech only had a positive start, he just disappeared from the game, our wingbacks showing nothing in the attack. If our game is going to continue in this way, we will never score. We don't shoot outside the box, there was no cutting inside and trying to hit the target, all we did is losing the ball and then foul. 

Too many fouls, few sloppy passes in the midfield. We're in control, but this is not enough, players need to put more here. 

COME ON CHELS!!!

[Frawdulant]

Our problem this half is that our tactics have clearly been to. Through the middle, something that makes no sense when you’re giving up a midfield player to play wingbacks. I trust Tuchel though, if anyone has a plan it’s that guy.

[forbzy]

1 minute ago, The Don Antonio said:

Like we saw with Lampard he sucks on the wings and is best in the false 9 but we bought Lukakau so its back to square 1

So just an idea. But perhaps TT changes the formation to accommodate both players centrally. The problem is we are approaching a lot of these games with 5 defenders, and 3 defensive midfielders. That leaves just 2 spots for attacking options so it is not surprising we don't create much

[PloKoon13]

Pretty sure I saw Tommy T chewing on a cigarette butt during that

[Argo]

Record signing or not Rom should be dropped for the big games until he proves himself in them.

Can't believe we have a proven front 3 for big games that we may not see again, maddening.

[carrickblue]

Just now, dansubrosa said:

Or a scorcher in the top corner, I don’t think we are asking for too much really.

that'd do me nicely   

[Deino]

1 minute ago, Gol15 said:

This is why you put Havertz behind Lukaku in a 4-4-1-1 or as a false 9. But even like this, Havertz is the only player that tries to run with the ball in the final third, it didn't work he lost he ball but he's the only one that pushes that ball forward. Ziyech isn't doing anything really and Lukaku isn't getting any ball at all.

Personally I don't think formation matters much when no one tries to make space or run into space. 

[coco]

Kovacic has started more juventus moves than their whole team.

[Scott Harris]

1 minute ago, The Brit said:

Very odd to single him out when again, the lack of service and quality is a big problem. Not saying Lukaku is playing well, but not really being given an opportunity to be.

Not really singling him out, just pointing out that yet again, he is struggling against a big team in a big game. I'm not having this no service excuse every time he fails to make an impact against these teams, I have seen enough of Lukaku over the past decade to know that excuse just doesn't hold any weight. 

If the service is poor to Lukaku, it's because they don't have the full trust in him and from what I have seen from that half, I can see why. When he does get the ball around the area, he looks clumsy, he doesn't get the ball out of his feet quick enough. 

[just]

10 minutes ago, ducavis said:

He is working with nothing though, can’t actually blame him.

Drogba sometimes also worked with very little but still usually made something happen. Lukaku is not in his league though.

[LongtimerLurker]

1 minute ago, thebluekid said:

I just don’t understand what he does mate. He just waltzes round the pitch with the grace of a dear with no legs. Yes undoubtedly he has great talent; however it suits a league where he’s playing against teams that give him more space to build on than I’d find on the moon. In my opinion he will never hit it off here, ever. The goal in the final and a few ‘decent’ performances against teams which switched off just doesn’t ignore the fact when you compare him to the last ‘generational’ talent we had at the same age (surname beginning with H) Havertz looks like he belongs at Sunday league level.

 

I know it’s harsh but that’s just my opinion. Don’t even get me started on hookah man Ziyech; f**k me, completely out of his depth in this team.

Not sure what to say Tuchel said the two of then are lacking form and confidence. When these players are on song and I know this hasn't been nearly as consistent as we want they look proper players.

The more I watch us in games like this that follow a similar pattern I'm convinced that no manager in the world wins UCL with this lot other than Tuchel. Even if we switch to a back 4 we play a more open game we still will struggle to score like under Lamps I think defense is the best we can get at the moment and I say this begrudgingly.

[Gol15]

1 minute ago, forbzy said:

So just an idea. But perhaps TT changes the formation to accommodate both players centrally. The problem is we are approaching a lot of these games with 5 defenders, and 3 defensive midfielders. That leaves just 2 spots for attacking options so it is not surprising we don't create much

Juventus is waiting for a counter-attack and they won't get it because we play in this 3-4-2-1 thing, but we don't look like we can score either.

[comtrend]

Get Werner on for Ziyech and Chilwell on for Alonso, need some pace and movement. I don't want to see another half with Alonso backbpasses from positions where he can put the ball into the box.

[The Brit]

In the first few weeks with lukaku, Mount and Havertz were a lot closer to him and there was interplay between the three.

look at the goals he scored and the kind of balls he got to score them.
Last game and a half Lukaku has been really isolated, making it easy to defend against him. Ziyech and Havertz are not doing enough, while the wing backs aren’t getting any crosses into the box.

juve have put players in between kova /Jorginho and Lukaku to prevent passes being played into his feet.

[PloKoon13]

I am really quite surprised to read that we have apparently had more shots than them!