1 hour ago, WhiteWall said:

Mudryk, Chukwuemeka or Madueke. Has played in each position during pre season and did well there. Chilwell will most likely be injured within the next month. Definitely room for Maatsen within this group. 

Chuku has shown that he deserved to play. After the first 30 min vs pool, his performance has been excellent. 

Madueke had only a very short cameo. This is irrelevant. 

Now over Murdyk, this is imo a far more interesting debate. 😬😬😬

I guess be careful what you ask for ... Poch said he wanted a small squad, and with 6 now in the treatment room he's got 22 left LOL

At least Badiashile and Broja are back training with the squad, but if they aren't ready to play yet then it's effectively a squad of 20 to select from !

From having no midfield, that's probably the only area now that is well covered. 

What a sh*tty run of bad luck we are having ... 

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

Chuku has shown that he deserved to play. After the first 30 min vs pool, his performance has been excellent. 

Madueke had only a very short cameo. This is irrelevant. 

Now over Murdyk, this is imo a far more interesting debate. 😬😬😬

Chuku is out for an indeterminate length of time. We have eight injuries, 3 or 4 of which will be long term. It is likely that we will encounter further injuries along the way. Maatsen has proven himself in a number of roles, to a degree that not many, higher profile players have yet done. There is absolutley a place for Maatsen in this squad for this season and selling him, especially in light of his versatility, would be folly. Furthermore he spent the entire season last year playingin his natural position as LB/LWB. Previous experience has shown that Chilwell will likely spend soem tiem out injured thsi season. Maatsen is a better left back than Cucurella and shoudl play ahead of him.

Maatsen's weakness at LB for Burnley was his defence. Going forward was his strength. With Burnley's dominance last season all over the pitch, his suspect defence wasn't really an issue. His liveliness further forward this season is the interesting thing.

Edited August 22, 20232 yr by dermott

The thing is, you're always going to have issues when you have key injuries. Last season we struggled without a back up for RJ. Fortunately this season we have Gusto as back up for Reece. At least we have back ups for key players, but ideally we want our key players to remain fit. 

50 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Chuku is out for an indeterminate length of time. We have eight injuries, 3 or 4 of which will be long term. It is likely that we will encounter further injuries along the way. Maatsen has proven himself in a number of roles, to a degree that not many, higher profile players have yet done. There is absolutley a place for Maatsen in this squad for this season and selling him, especially in light of his versatility, would be folly. Furthermore he spent the entire season last year playingin his natural position as LB/LWB. Previous experience has shown that Chilwell will likely spend soem tiem out injured thsi season. Maatsen is a better left back than Cucurella and shoudl play ahead of him.

I don't understand why you are talking about Cucurella. Cucurella didn't play the last two games. 

Why Maatsen should play over murdyk is the question? 

I'm already struggling this season. I don't feel any excitement for games any more. I used to look forward to them and plan my day around watching it. Now it's like... oh yeah, we've got a game. Guess I'll watch it. I feel like I have little connection to this team any more, and I don't understand a lot of the stuff the board are doing and it worries me for the future. Plus the bad luck with injuries feels like it's never going to end. It's an almost certainty every game that someone is going off injured, and it feels like this season is going to be much like the last.

Maybe I just need a break for a while.

Hopefully we’re on the right track, the 2 performances have been pretty good and most of the pundits agree that we’ve done well so far, just the results haven’t been quite there. 
 

I think the next few games are crucial to build some momentum going to a tough run in November. 

I've lost all hope. I'm as positive as can be typically, but it just feels exactly the same as last year.

27 minutes ago, Zeta said:

I'm already struggling this season. I don't feel any excitement for games any more. I used to look forward to them and plan my day around watching it. Now it's like... oh yeah, we've got a game. Guess I'll watch it. I feel like I have little connection to this team any more, and I don't understand a lot of the stuff the board are doing and it worries me for the future. Plus the bad luck with injuries feels like it's never going to end. It's an almost certainty every game that someone is going off injured, and it feels like this season is going to be much like the last.

Maybe I just need a break for a while.

Exacy the same.

Just an endless stream of negative results, injuries, press and so on.

Feel drained with football tbh

48 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

I don't understand why you are talking about Cucurella. Cucurella didn't play the last two games. 

Why Maatsen should play over murdyk is the question? 

Read the posts from people. The conversation was whether Maatsen will be in the squad going forwards or if he will be sold. Generally most of us hope he is retained because he deserves to be in the squad as he has perfromed better than any of these other players durign pre season. Why is this hard?

Geez, it's been one game. Pre season we were great against PL opposition. West Ham rode their luck & suckerpunched us, let's not get too carried away.

Edited August 22, 20232 yr by Malcolm9

5 hours ago, dermott said:

Maatsen's weakness at LB for Burnley was his defence. Going forward was his strength. With Burnley's dominance last season all over the pitch, his suspect defence wasn't really an issue. His liveliness further forward this season is the interesting thing.

I am hoping Maatsen gets more chances in the games ahead. He was one of our better players in pre-season and looked good in the more forward role. He also seemed to link up well with Jackson.

1 minute ago, forbzy said:

I am hoping Maatsen gets more chances in the games ahead. He was one of our better players in pre-season and looked good in the more forward role. He also seemed to link up well with Jackson.

Should've been the one to replace Chuku when he came off injured. 

Just now, Sconnie Blue said:

Should've been the one to replace Chuku when he came off injured. 

Yes. I agree. He would have been a good choice.  Mudryk has more pace but is struggling for form and offers very little defensively.

The overreaction is tiring, this is the reality of the PL now it’s super competitive and we will have to take the chances we get or you end up getting punished. We should have gotten 6 points but end up with one such is the premier league, we could now win our next 10 and the first two games are forgetten.

To help with your mental state stop listening to pundits, block everything football and just turn up to the matches it will be help your mental state so much!!

I have blocked everything football I don’t need to hear anyone’s mostly bias opinions on Chelsea because that’s what it will be bias.

Block all football related news it will help your mental health!!

 

 

12 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Should've been the one to replace Chuku when he came off injured. 

This is the real discussion. 

It is not I want Maatsen to play. Over who? Murdyk? No I like murdyk.

Chilwell? No Chilwell has been good. Over Gallagher/Enzo? No. 

So over who? Maatsen need to play. 

 

6 hours ago, Bob stark said:

This is the real discussion. 

It is not I want Maatsen to play. Over who? Murdyk? No I like murdyk.

Chilwell? No Chilwell has been good. Over Gallagher/Enzo? No. 

So over who? Maatsen need to play. 

 

We might have learned more if Maatsen had come on for Carney. Mudryk wasn't the answer in terms of fulfilling a Carney role.

It does not surprise me that every Pundit in the country is taking potshots at chelsea and enjoying it. A lot of them hate us from their playing days or just jealous that their favorite teams are getting passed over by every player.

I also see random you tubers already going after CFC players. they have to create controversial over the top content for their channels to exist.

We have lost one match .. not the first time it has happened in our opening two. I thin Poch has made us better already.. West Ham couldnt live with us for 70% of the match.. I am sure this lot will click sooner rather than later and once they get confidence anything is possible.

Anyone who cant see the talent in an Enzo, caicedo or for that matter a Colwill or Mudryk needs to look at videos of a young ronaldo or ferdinand. 

1 hour ago, Jangz said:

Anyone who cant see the talent in an Enzo, caicedo or for that matter a Colwill or Mudryk needs to look at videos of a young ronaldo or ferdinand. 

Maybe but they (and others) both arrived at a club that was extremely stable, that was always winning and that had vast amounts of experience which helped them develop into the players they became.

We've bought talents and they have experienced a club in turmoil, relegation form and there's very little experience to lean on. Take Colwill for example, it's quite easily noticeable that he's been nowhere near as good as he was at Brighton so far and if it continues he's bound to take a hit to his confidence which often have a significant impact on anyones career.

There is still time to turn things around obviously but most of this squad have been involved in winning very few games for a whole year. They've mostly experienced losing, poor performances and the club being laughed at by everyone. It's bound to have a pretty major impact and thats exactly whats happened.

Pound for pound, only Klopp rivals Pochettino for his achievements in English football over the last decade. 
 

Turning Rickie Lambert and Lallana into England players at Southampton, then competing at the top of the Premier League every year and reaching a CL final with Tottenham while under stadium-induced financial limitations epitomise what a talented coach he is.

Look at the careers of Danny Rose, Alli and Dier before/after him - he absolutely maximises the resources at his disposal; to me, that’s great coach. I see him creating a dynasty at Chelsea.
 

I have a feeling there’s a mutually beneficial arrangement in place for Harry Kane to reunite with Poch next summer; a direct move across London wasn’t really viable for obvious reasons, whereas a 12 month period to neutralise a lot of the vitriol of such a move makes sense for Kane on a personal level. Bayern get an elite striker for the season to go all out for the Champions League, as well as their default annual Bundesliga title and then most of their investment back, Chelsea get a proven striker - of which there’s currently a scarcity of, without having to deal with Levy, while Kane gets his hands on some easy silverware before coming home to live in his new gaff with his family, play for a perennially competitive club and go all out to eclipse Shearer’s goal record. 
 

For the time being, I still feel the squad is a few attacking players short - something which if addressed could redefine the goals for the rest of the season. If it was up to me, Cole Palmer would be a priority target - he’s a mercurially talented boy with plenty of goals in him in the right environment, who would benefit from Pochettino’s proven record of youth development and direct football. The same also applies to Johnson.

I’d take Hazard as a wildcard, providing the financial terms are sensible. But for me, an absolutely ideal signing for this system would be Griezmann; he’d excel in the #10 role, while also capable of playing as a false #9 too. 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, APW said:

Pound for pound, only Klopp rivals Pochettino for his achievements in English football over the last decade. 
 

Turning Rickie Lambert and Lallana into England players at Southampton, then competing at the top of the Premier League every year and reaching a CL final with Tottenham while under stadium-induced financial limitations epitomise what a talented coach he is.

Look at the careers of Danny Rose, Alli and Dier before/after him - he absolutely maximises the resources at his disposal; to me, that’s great coach. I see him creating a dynasty at Chelsea.
 

I have a feeling there’s a mutually beneficial arrangement in place for Harry Kane to reunite with Poch next summer; a direct move across London wasn’t really viable for obvious reasons, whereas a 12 month period to neutralise a lot of the vitriol of such a move makes sense for Kane on a personal level. Bayern get an elite striker for the season to go all out for the Champions League, as well as their default annual Bundesliga title and then most of their investment back, Chelsea get a proven striker - of which there’s currently a scarcity of, without having to deal with Levy, while Kane gets his hands on some easy silverware before coming home to live in his new gaff with his family, play for a perennially competitive club and go all out to eclipse Shearer’s goal record. 
 

For the time being, I still feel the squad is a few attacking players short - something which if addressed could redefine the goals for the rest of the season. If it was up to me, Cole Palmer would be a priority target - he’s a mercurially talented boy with plenty of goals in him in the right environment, who would benefit from Pochettino’s proven record of youth development and direct football. The same also applies to Johnson.

I’d take Hazard as a wildcard, providing the financial terms are sensible. But for me, an absolutely ideal signing for this system would be Griezmann; he’d excel in the #10 role, while also capable of playing as a false #9 too. 

 

 

 

 

There is Zero chance of this ever happening. Bayern are not a small club that would sign a world class No 9 and sell him 6 months later. Like you said there is a shortage of No 9s.

Why do fans keep mentioning Hazard as an option? That man has not played as a No 10 since his Lille days for a good reason, why Poch would want to experiment with that at this point is baffling. As for Griezman; fat chance Atletico give up their golden boy for anything less than a record fee.

On 22/08/2023 at 16:39, azpi28 said:

 

 

Something I found baffling while looking at the stats is the reluctance to go long in the last 2 games. City, Liverpool and Arsenal play lots of long balls into the channels, City average 60 long balls out of 700 passes, Liverpool average 50 long balls out of 600 passes and 40 long balls out of 700 passes. For some reason we only attempted 17 long balls out of 716 passes against a 10 man West Ham team who were comfortable sitting with 2 banks of 4 as long as we kept passing it in front of them. 

29 minutes ago, ducavis said:

Something I found baffling while looking at the stats is the reluctance to go long in the last 2 games. City, Liverpool and Arsenal play lots of long balls into the channels, City average 60 long balls out of 700 passes, Liverpool average 50 long balls out of 600 passes and 40 long balls out of 700 passes. For some reason we only attempted 17 long balls out of 716 passes against a 10 man West Ham team who were comfortable sitting with 2 banks of 4 as long as we kept passing it in front of them. 

I thought we did try a couple times.When your opp sit deep with 2 banks of 4,long ball is useless.