My Leicester mate text me saying enzo never effected games with his dubs when he was at Leicester. Think he’s winding me up 

First time I've been pissed at him (even the borderline forefit in the cup I somewhat understood as if we went through we'd have had to play the next round and Europe in the same midweek).

What on this earth did he say at halftime? And worse, he didn't react once Fulham started controlling.

2 minutes ago, Argo said:

First time I've been pissed at him (even the borderline forefit in the cup I somewhat understood as if we went through we'd have had to play the next round and Europe in the same midweek).

What on this earth did he say at halftime? And worse, he didn't react once Fulham started controlling.

I thought at least he would've told Gusto to be more conservative, but no. 

My guess is that Maresca doesn't rate most of our depth when we're playing in the league.

Two matches in a row we've been chasing the game; Maresca had the option of bringing in Félix or Casadei (or any of the kids), or could have put Dewsbury-Hall or Chukwuemeka in the matchday squad but he didn't. It only took Madueke (and arguably Mudryk) to be unavailable for the manager to consider that we essentially had no viable replacements for our attacking players (bar Nkunku, who he seems to have misprofiled anyway). Another explanation would be that he simply isn't aware that the players are exhausted, which seems far less believable.

The aim next season is to play in the Champions' League. At that point we will no longer have the luxury of being able to gift minutes to substandard players in the Conference League. There will be no point having people like Félix around if the manager doesn't rate them to the extent that he refuses to bring them on even when there is no alternative and the players on the pitch are dead on their feet.

BlueCo need to get better at their sloppy recruitment and inept planning. Otherwise we just have to accept that, short of miraculous luck with injuries, we will never really be competitive.

4 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I thought at least he would've told Gusto to be more conservative, but no. 

If there was ever a half calling for a bit of "boring" Sarriball, the second half today was it.

He was getting praise for how well he was managing the squad and it's something even I was praising him for, but now he's become very predictable. Suddenly he seems to picking the same players. If it wasn't for Neto being suspended against Brentford, he probably would have started that game and it would have been the same midfield and attack 5 games running.

I think we've looked weaker in attack since we started doing this. It's not like Sancho and Neto have ever been known for their goalscoring in the Premier League either. They can't be trusted to started together game after game.

5 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

My guess is that Maresca doesn't rate most of our depth when we're playing in the league.

Two matches in a row we've been chasing the game; Maresca had the option of bringing in Félix or Casadei (or any of the kids), or could have put Dewsbury-Hall or Chukwuemeka in the matchday squad but he didn't. It only took Madueke (and arguably Mudryk) to be unavailable for the manager to consider that we essentially had no viable replacements for our attacking players (bar Nkunku, who he seems to have misprofiled anyway). Another explanation would be that he simply isn't aware that the players are exhausted, which seems far less believable.

The aim next season is to play in the Champions' League. At that point we will no longer have the luxury of being able to gift minutes to substandard players in the Conference League. There will be no point having people like Félix around if the manager doesn't rate them to the extent that he refuses to bring them on even when there is no alternative and the players on the pitch are dead on their feet.

BlueCo need to get better at their sloppy recruitment and inept planning. Otherwise we just have to accept that, short of miraculous luck with injuries, we will never really be competitive.

If this is true, then it's all on him. We have some of the best options in the league to choose from. The depth of our squad has been the best it's been in years. He was using them all until about a month ago. It's what got us into such a good position, now he's just picking the same players every week.

1 hour ago, Sexyfootball said:

Last 18 games last season - won 10 drawn 5 lost 3

First 18 games this season - won 10 drawn 5 lost 3

A very solid Top 4 for the whole of 2024 basically, but we really should be aspiring to kick on from that under Maresca, rather than perpetuate the status quo ...

He's not showing enough ambition for me. Sleepy tactics nullifying all our best attributes. Too much defeatist talk ... "not ready" etc etc. reminds me of Jose de-railing a title charge with all that "little horse" nonsense.

This season has been a massive opportunity given how much City and Arsenal have fallen off, and Maresca is currently letting it slip through his fingers ... 

Reality check for some perhaps.
With an equal amounts of points as now last season we'd be in sixth place behind Tottenham as we speak. We are second mainly because every of the traditional top teams bar Liverpool have regressed and Maresca have been able to bring in as many points as Pochettino managed to do for the last 50% of last season with a squad that was far worse.

Thats not to say one should go overboard with the criticism but he's not been the revolutionary many seem to suggest he's been for me. Ipswich and Palace next is going to be a test for him and the side now, a reaction is very much needed after today and Everton and it will be very interesting to see if we get one.

1 hour ago, PloKoon13 said:

The aim next season is to play in the Champions' League. At that point we will no longer have the luxury of being able to gift minutes to substandard players in the Conference League. There will be no point having people like Félix around if the manager doesn't rate them to the extent that he refuses to bring them on even when there is no alternative and the players on the pitch are dead on their feet.

It is quite funny how every time the sporting directors get their flowers we are then reminded of the blunders they've made. 

God help us if Jackson is still our only ST next summer. 

Leaves out Noni to discipline him, won't use Felix as he did not want him and Palmer in the same team. 

He's too stubborn, as the Leicester fans told us. 

Anyone still want Ruben Amorim for manager? 

11 minutes ago, bluetrooper said:

Anyone still want Ruben Amorim for manager? 

Sporting have already sacked his replacement LOL.

I bet United and Sporting are both regretting things right now 🙂 

2 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Sporting have already sacked his replacement LOL.

I bet United and Sporting are both regretting things right now 🙂 

Yesh,  how bad was he to get sacked so quick?

Anyone who those we weren’t going to have a hiccup got carried away. 
We are ahead of all our expectations and this one lost shouldn’t change the fact we have progressed in style, we actually have an identity now.

This is just the inconsistency you expect from a young team.

Been a long time since I posted on here.... it feels good to be back and it feels even better, refreshing in fact to lose a game and not care one bit.

Had the in laws round and the whole of the extended family whilst watching the game (all lcfc fans) and despite them trying to wind me up when we went behind and eventually lost I don't feel any negative feelings.

That being said you can take my analysis with a pinch of salt as I say I did have distractions going on during the game.

Whilst I do see a lot of the points people have posted on here regarding Maresca. I wonder regarding Felix for example and a few others if they're on their way out and he's simply avoiding injuries for them?

For me Maresca is a complicated character I currently live in Leicester and have a good few mates that regularly watch them play. Last season many did say to me he didn't have a plan b, was too tactically rigid, fails to make impactful subs etc. I knew he wasn't perfect from the get go.

I've heard the lot and despite the poor performances of our rivals there is no doubt that Maresca has brought a better balance to us than last season.

My only worry is this incongruence that I see from Maresca. He talks about not wanting to be over reliant on Cole Palmer but unfortunately that is his system (we can't score or struggle to score without Palmer involved in some way) if Cole doesn't perform at his best level usually we are unlikely to pick up points. This incongruence happens again with Felix who he speaks highly of but limits his minutes with very little explanation. 

My point of this post is I know we're frustrated by failing to get the 3 points, yet I think the past 2 match games proved a lot of us right. This is still not a title winning squad and that's ok. We're still in my opinion a top striker, centeral defender and keeper away.

I think it's quite telling,  I've not heard a single Chelsea fan, player or anyone connected to the club say we're in a title race, yet rivals are so quick to put us in there. To either watch us fail or get humbled if we don't succeed.

These past 2 games have showcased why we are not in the title race. These are the games that Liverpool this season will get a result at most likely 6/6 points.

Chelsea fc doesn't do nearly title races we're either in it to win it or we don't participate in the race (baring the odd exception like 13/14). We're not there to make up numbers in the title race, the target remains top 4 currently for us. None of us are under any illusions, we all lived through the last 3 seasons and have not forgotten how far we fell off.

At Christmas we were 2nd, we will go into the new year no lower than 3rd. Currently we are on target, to lose to Fulham is disheartening but in the grand scheme with all things considered across the past 3 years with clearlake we will take this start to 2025.

Feels like a big few games coming up for Marcesca. Some big players have dropped out of form. Needs to get the squad players going again. 

Glad that big screen is at Cobham now because they best be going over both goals. 

3 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

Last 18 games last season - won 10 drawn 5 lost 3

First 18 games this season - won 10 drawn 5 lost 3

A very solid Top 4 for the whole of 2024 basically, but we really should be aspiring to kick on from that under Maresca, rather than perpetuate the status quo ...

He's not showing enough ambition for me. Sleepy tactics nullifying all our best attributes. Too much defeatist talk ... "not ready" etc etc. reminds me of Jose de-railing a title charge with all that "little horse" nonsense.

This season has been a massive opportunity given how much City and Arsenal have fallen off, and Maresca is currently letting it slip through his fingers ... 

is this for Maresca with Leicester and us? Not too bad a record for us given our last seasons and our team. And managed to get Leicester over the line. I think that he’s doing a good job so far to get us top 4, which is what most of us thought would be the objective this season. We’ll see how we fare in this Xmas period and the more important second half of the season. I think that it is more important to have a strong finish than this period.

20 minutes ago, RMH said:

is this for Maresca with Leicester and us? Not too bad a record for us given our last seasons and our team. And managed to get Leicester over the line. I think that he’s doing a good job so far to get us top 4, which is what most of us thought would be the objective this season. We’ll see how we fare in this Xmas period and the more important second half of the season. I think that it is more important to have a strong finish than this period.

No this is comparing the last 18 PL games for Chelsea in 23/24, and the first 18 PL games in 24/25.

i.e. how are we doing in relation to where we had got to when we made the management change. 

As it stands, we have an identical points record, so Maresca has maintained the level of our results, but not improved it, albeit that level that was good enough to be 4th in 2nd half of 23/24 is now good enough for either 2nd in the table (if Arsenal lose or draw their game tomorrow) or more likely 3rd (if Arsenal win their game tomorrow).

On the plus side, the general consensus (eye test) is that our style of play is better, and we are conceding markedly fewer goals (21 vs 32), and have a better goal difference as a result (+17, vs +10), with goal scoring slightly less (38 vs 42). The "noise" around the club is also hugely improved, and I think Maresca has significantly aided this with strong media performances.

Worth saying as a caveat, that we've generally had a full squad to choose from vs significant injuries in 23/24. Having a full squad at his disposal has been a big help as Maresca settles into the role, and especially so vs what Potter and Pochettino had to deal with. 

 

Drop Jackson, make some subs earlier. Those would be the top line things I'd say to him, shambolic that Sancho can play like he has the last couple of games and not get subbed.

3 hours ago, bluetrooper said:

Anyone still want Ruben Amorim for manager? 

United problem under ten hag was never about tactic. 

 

2 hours ago, LongtimerLurker said:

Been a long time since I posted on here.... it feels good to be back and it feels even better, refreshing in fact to lose a game and not care one bit.

At Christmas we were 2nd, we will go into the new year no lower than 3rd. Currently we are on target, to lose to Fulham is disheartening but in the grand scheme with all things considered across the past 3 years with clearlake we will take this start to 2025.

If Forest win and we dont at Ipswich, we would be 4th as we enter the new year.

5 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

My guess is that Maresca doesn't rate most of our depth when we're playing in the league.

Two matches in a row we've been chasing the game; Maresca had the option of bringing in Félix or Casadei (or any of the kids), or could have put Dewsbury-Hall or Chukwuemeka in the matchday squad but he didn't. It only took Madueke (and arguably Mudryk) to be unavailable for the manager to consider that we essentially had no viable replacements for our attacking players (bar Nkunku, who he seems to have misprofiled anyway). Another explanation would be that he simply isn't aware that the players are exhausted, which seems far less believable.

The aim next season is to play in the Champions' League. At that point we will no longer have the luxury of being able to gift minutes to substandard players in the Conference League. There will be no point having people like Félix around if the manager doesn't rate them to the extent that he refuses to bring them on even when there is no alternative and the players on the pitch are dead on their feet.

BlueCo need to get better at their sloppy recruitment and inept planning. Otherwise we just have to accept that, short of miraculous luck with injuries, we will never really be competitive.

But it is Felix, kdh, Casadei not some kids straight from academy. This is very concerning from Maresca. I said early in the season, that so far he had't forced to play player that he doesn't trust. It turns out the moment he need to, he simply does not play  them. Just some bizzare stuff. 

 

 

Edited December 26, 20241 yr by Bob stark

4 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

It is quite funny how every time the sporting directors get their flowers we are then reminded of the blunders they've made. 

God help us if Jackson is still our only ST next summer. 

Jackson/Nkunku 

Mudryk/Sancho - Felix/Palmer - Madueke/Neto 

Nkunku/Felix as backup st is fine, not ideal but fine. 

Felix as backup 10 is more than good enough. Madueke/neto/Sancho rotation are also fine. 

We don't have depth problem, mudyrk as 1st attacker of the bench is insane, Mudyrk as last attacker of the bench is good (probably not for 60m).

Edited December 27, 20241 yr by Bob stark

Our home form really stinks... again. Today's display was pure Poch and Potter from Maresca, a rubbish reminder we are still in the mud.

Palace, Forest get draws that they could have won, Fulham do win. Don't Don't surprised if Bournemouth do us in January either.