Santos is going to shine under this manager. 

 

10 minutes ago, Ledgerson said:

https://streamable.com/d5ak6b

His little dance after full-time. 🥺🥺🥺

Lol, I'm happy for the guy. His learning curve, not only the players, but his managerial curve is massive too. He will get some wrong but I loved the setup against villa today. He's not afraid to try something new or take risks.

7 minutes ago, El regreso said:

He knew he needed to win us over with actions and results. He’s shutup the the media about chaos at Chelsea to many players etc etc and now he’s starting to get us playing like a team again.

100% 

The media can only push the rubbish about "players are unhappy due to lack of game time" bit atm, he and the team have shut them up on everything else so far.

I really like him, every week I'm hoping more and more he becomes our proper long term manager. He's tactical like pep but also gives the kids a freedom pep doesn't give. 

I love the fact that each opponent is approached differently too. Imagine in a few years this team seamlessly playing in and out of different formations in a single game. Ooooh.

Pep-light nickname doesn't fit. Maybe just looks. We need a proper nickname for him.

Weird how now that we're doing well there aren't any players talking to their agents trying to facilitate a move, the owners aren't at odds with each other, the fact we have no kit sponsor doesn't matter, we're not on the verge of going bankrupt.

Fair play to Enzo, a team without a win in 7 was usually the sort of game we'd lose but we made it look easy.

Looking like a team on the pitch again. Acting like the club we all know and loved off the pitch again. 

Amazing what some results will do. But bigger than that, the complete restructuring of the club is showing some output now. May the progress continue. 

It’s been a rough couple of seasons but looks like things are clicking into place now. 

I usually can see how a persona will leave his mark and I won't say much just yet about Maresca but let's see how well he can prepare for Spuds, win that match routinely and I won't be the only one making bold predictions once again.

https://x.com/chelstransfer/status/1863268991671620044?s=46
 

Any chance to repost this, smug gimp.

8 hours ago, Gol15 said:

Maresca with a win at home over Villa would make him look pretty strong right now.

Tick. 

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Santos is going to shine under this manager. 

This

1 hour ago, timetowaste said:

Weird how now that we're doing well there aren't any players talking to their agents trying to facilitate a move, the owners aren't at odds with each other, the fact we have no kit sponsor doesn't matter, we're not on the verge of going bankrupt.

Fair play to Enzo, a team without a win in 7 was usually the sort of game we'd lose but we made it look easy.

Still didn't stop the Sky fckers from insinuating that it's all because we can rest our players in the week whilst Villa had a tough game against Juventus. 

W*nkers on Sky want it both ways. Take the pi$$ about how many players we've got, knocking changing room walls down har-de-fcking-har. Now that we might actually be showing the way football might have to be approached in the future and now we've got an unfair advantage.  W*nkers.

This new set piece coach is working wonders with defending them.

We have recently played the two best set piece teams in the league (Arsenal and Villa) and a mere one scare from corners in either game.

3 minutes ago, Argo said:

This new set piece coach is working wonders with defending them.

We have recently played the two best set piece teams in the league (Arsenal and Villa) and a mere one scare from corners in either game.

Been saying all season it’s been night and day improvement compared to last year. 

33 minutes ago, Argo said:

This new set piece coach is working wonders with defending them.

We have recently played the two best set piece teams in the league (Arsenal and Villa) and a mere one scare from corners in either game.

Our set piece defending is night and day to last season, which was absolutely shambolic. I had no idea what plan they even played to under poch, it was amazingly bad.

25 minutes ago, dkw said:

Our set piece defending is night and day to last season, which was absolutely shambolic. I had no idea what plan they even played to under poch, it was amazingly bad.

Irked me how Poch was against bringing in a set piece coach at first. 

Doing really well so happy days. Bit of a shame that Slot & Liverpool are doing even better but Maresca is impressing me nevertheless.

Also credit to the owners and directors. They've put a great squad together and next year the goal should be a title challenge with one or two key additions.

So we have questioned our set piece coach but I read that we have yet to let In a goal from a set play so far this season? That right?

If so, and if we can start attacking them well, then this fella qe got from Brentford may be doing a good job after all.

Two main things fans must understand once and forever:

1 - Never trust pre season results. Pre season is all about fitness and pleasing sponsors and fans from other continents.

2 - Never trust opposing fans bashing their ex players/managers when they leave on a high. Leicester fans sold us this version of Maresca that looked like the worst, most stubborn manager in the league that should have been shot in the head by the Chelsea fans to save the club and undo the supposed mistake that the board has done by appointing him.

48 minutes ago, petre ispirescu said:

Two main things fans must understand once and forever:

1 - Never trust pre season results. Pre season is all about fitness and pleasing sponsors and fans from other continents.

2 - Never trust opposing fans bashing their ex players/managers when they leave on a high. Leicester fans sold us this version of Maresca that looked like the worst, most stubborn manager in the league that should have been shot in the head by the Chelsea fans to save the club and undo the supposed mistake that the board has done by appointing him.

Hard disagree, the Leicester fans on here for example were extremely level-headed. It was the media and Chelsea 'fans' on social media who took the worst alleged aspects of Maresca and used that to define him.

50 minutes ago, petre ispirescu said:

Two main things fans must understand once and forever:

1 - Never trust pre season results. Pre season is all about fitness and pleasing sponsors and fans from other continents.

2 - Never trust opposing fans bashing their ex players/managers when they leave on a high. Leicester fans sold us this version of Maresca that looked like the worst, most stubborn manager in the league that should have been shot in the head by the Chelsea fans to save the club and undo the supposed mistake that the board has done by appointing him.

 LOL .....Looks like it's all coming up roses for you guys so far eh??   We did say he'd probably come good with a bit more money and talent at his disposal than we could afford.  

He got us back up so no hard feelings on our part, we are accustomed to being used as a stepping stone so we knew he would be off at some point.

Not so rosy for us, not been in the bottom 3 yet but major improvement needed and gonna be a struggle to stay up. Defence is woeful.

We'll see what Van Man can do 🤞

 

4 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Irked me how Poch was against bringing in a set piece coach at first. 

That never made sense to me either..who says no to help from a specialist to relieve pressure. It came across as insecurity but I have no idea what the real reason for saying no was.

28 minutes ago, Visiting Fox said:

 LOL .....Looks like it's all coming up roses for you guys so far eh??   We did say he'd probably come good with a bit more money and talent at his disposal than we could afford.  

He got us back up so no hard feelings on our part, we are accustomed to being used as a stepping stone so we knew he would be off at some point.

Not so rosy for us, not been in the bottom 3 yet but major improvement needed and gonna be a struggle to stay up. Defence is woeful.

We'll see what Van Man can do 🤞

I agree bud, i think it's a bit of both.

Yes he may have been rigid with your lot but I sort of understand why, as you mention above its the quality of players he had at his disposal.

I actually like him even more now because of all that, let's be honest, if kdh was the best in your squad last season then I think Maresca did absolutely brilliantly last season. I don't mean any disrespect whatsoever mate. 

He knew he had to be pragmatic to get you guys over the line. He used all the tools he could in the best way he could and hit his target. 

He now has a whole bunch of really talented and versatile kids to use and we can see him open up with new ideas and tactics. I can also imagine if we lose half our squad he may park the bus in every game just to hit the target of top 4-5. (If that is his target).

I know I'm a minority in that regard, even during Jose's period of lots of 1-0s, it seemed I was one of the very few that was happy as long as we were climbing the table.

 

I'm not a fan of the Van Man, sry, you're on your own there mate. 😆 Good luck.

6 hours ago, timetowaste said:

https://x.com/chelstransfer/status/1863268991671620044?s=46
 

Any chance to repost this, smug gimp.

https://x.com/SkySportsPL/status/1825603335178617225?t=0s_o7_K0tMx8Vm5Uq-56ww&s=19... Same thing on YouTube but we can look at the comments. 🙂 

2 hours ago, Visiting Fox said:

 LOL .....Looks like it's all coming up roses for you guys so far eh??   We did say he'd probably come good with a bit more money and talent at his disposal than we could afford.  

He got us back up so no hard feelings on our part, we are accustomed to being used as a stepping stone so we knew he would be off at some point.

Not so rosy for us, not been in the bottom 3 yet but major improvement needed and gonna be a struggle to stay up. Defence is woeful.

We'll see what Van Man can do 🤞

Brentford away was a tough start for the new manager. But I think he will do OK. He did a decent job at PSV before moving to the Man United coaching team.

12 hours ago, Deino said:

So our 2005 title winning season wasn't because of Mourinho but because of Ranieri?

Both our CL winning runs are because of Andre Villas-Boas and Lamps?

I get your point but to say it was all because of Poch is not true at all.

The discussion was about player as individual not the team.

Because if you look at the team, I actually disagree with many people who say that maresca ride on Poch momentum. I give all the credit to Maresca. 

But if you saying that player a, b n c improve under Maresca, you actually praising the previous manager because you don't need long to improve the team, improving player on the other hand take a long time. 

 

Edited December 2, 20241 yr by Bob stark

An impressive performance against Villa. The team looks settled, and Maresca's showing tactic flexibility which is great.

I understand Maresca's sentiment around the squad not being ready for a title challenge, but playing devil's advocate I would love him to instill the power of positive thinking into the playing group. Don't put a ceiling on what we could achieve this season.

Outside of a home loss to Wolves early in the year, all our PL losses in 2024 have been against Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal. We're a consistent top 4 side this year and the aim now is to close the gap with the top teams.

PL losses in 2024

• 31/01/2024 = Liverpool (A) = 4-1
• 4/02/2024 = Wolves (H) = 2-4
• 23/04/2024 = Arsenal (A) = 5-0
• 18/08/2024 = Man City (H) = 0-2
• 20/10/2024 = Liverpool (A) = 2-1

 

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

But if you saying that player a, b n c improve under Maresca, you actually praising the previous manager because you don't need long to improve the team, improving player on the other hand take a long time. 

 

Not necessarily, players (or people in general really) have all the attributes needed most of the time, sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective on things to put it all together and improve.

That's what I see with Maresca, he's not at all revolutionary like Pep. He just puts the right players in a role rather than a specific position. What I see for players like Palmer or Enzo in Maresca's system is that they can move however they like within a set space so long as it helps the team rather than stick in midfield or the wings, Poch was more rigid. On top of basic training like getting stronger etc.