8 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

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

The problem is not gusto, it is Enzo. He is clearly being instructed to press so there is gaping hole in the middle. 

15 hours ago, axman2526 said:

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. 

There is no certainty that either of those would have made any difference.

Fulham's gameplan opened us up and Colwill/Adarabi looked totally lost. Fulham was fine with a draw but had no intention of stopping us from making our own misjudgments.

Palmer scored a great goal but didn't really take over the match and while we could have scored more goals it was never really going to be a routine win, the players probably had all been thinking about the holidays, make no mistake this is the best we've got.

Clearly it was a hard match for us and I can't see anyone from the bench making a real difference.

8 hours ago, Bob stark said:

The problem is not gusto, it is Enzo. He is clearly being instructed to press so there is gaping hole in the middle. 

Maresca is probably giving Gusto finer instructions to negate that hole but Gusto is incable of taking on board those instructions. The problem we have is a limited player that is not working hard and applying himself enough and a manager than cannot force a change when the players are not executing his plan A.

Marco Silva interview after the game was interesting. Talked about their plan to exploit weaknesses on our flanks that relate to our tactical usage of the full backs. He definitely got the better of Maresca in this one, especially as Maresca didn't react to it at any stage. Will need a different approach if other teams now try and do this.

https://metro.co.uk/2024/12/26/marco-silva-reveals-fulham-targeted-two-chelsea-players-stamford-bridge-win-22254501/ 

 

Maresca will cost us a top 4 finish because he is a 1 track pony,2 changes in Everton game,just 1 yesterday, I suppose that's what you gwmet with a championship level manager.

23 minutes ago, Bluesince66 said:

Maresca will cost us a top 4 finish because he is a 1 track pony,2 changes in Everton game,just 1 yesterday, I suppose that's what you gwmet with a championship level manager.

Get a grip. Chatting Chicken Little memes is a tad defeatist in the face of our current reality. 😉

48 minutes ago, Bluesince66 said:

Maresca will cost us a top 4 finish because he is a 1 track pony,2 changes in Everton game,just 1 yesterday, I suppose that's what you gwmet with a championship level manager.

They all coming out the woodwork now he’s lost another game.

I really think the pressure got to him the last couple of weeks.

He may be dismissive and us as well cause we are nowhere near ready but the table placement doesn't lie. 

Looks like he rather not to loss than to win and he doesn't rate our depth to see a game out, which is ironic with what happened yesterday but you win some, you lose some..

2 hours ago, Bluesince66 said:

Maresca will cost us a top 4 finish because he is a 1 track pony,2 changes in Everton game,just 1 yesterday, I suppose that's what you gwmet with a championship level manager.

stop talking nonsense.

17 minutes ago, dkw said:

stop talking nonsense.

You could make the same comment to Maresca. He spoke after the game for not making changes for changes sake. Was it not clear Neto was gassed? Sancho was slowing down? Are George and Felix better players than them? No, imo, but should they be fit to run for 20 minutes and give us some legs. 

Same with Marc Guiu. The one thing yoy know he gives is running and pressing, Nkunku coming on was a terrible call, he does not have the work ethic to lead there.

We needed legs, instead we got a knackered neto diving because he though he was about to get a second yellow and was not therefore doing his job to help shut down the cross on goal 1.

This is the festive period, what 9 games in December? Of course the players who have to work the most in Marescas system are tiring out, unless they are genetic freak like Caicedo.

The trouble is IMO, is that he is his own worst enemy.   At the start of the season, the expectations were bouncing around top 4 to 6 place.  While he has done an exceptional job, to this point at least, the expectations of many fans (not all) has risen to a point where anything less that challenging for the title and falling out of the top 4 is not good enough....and while he himself has said, understandably, that we are not ready to challenge he has put himself and the team in a position where fans, media and others think we should be. The expectation now has risen to new heights.   

Looking at our Xmas fixture list you have would thought that a draw at Everton was OK, we should beat Fulham, Ipswich, and Palace and walk away with 10 points from 12...now its looking more like 4-6 and I think as usual the fans(me included at times) look at these fixtures knowing that with the 'squad' we have, we should be beating teams like Fulham at home, Ipswich and Palace away and when we don't we get pissed off, especially when as a fan sat on the sidelines, we can see the game change in front of us and the Manager does nothing (or appears to) to change the momentum back in our favour.   

We have some exceptional talented players in our squad that sit on the bench that would walk into any of the top 10 teams first XI, yet when the first XI are struggling he refuses to make the changes in a timely manner, and only then after the opposition has wrestled back the momentum leaving little time for the subs to influence the game and wrestle it back. While many do not like Felix, this kid is a world class player, by playing a bit part every now and then how do you expect him to produce miracles, same with Nkunku, although I must say I am disappointed in his overall performances when he does get a chance in the first team, but an out and out CF he is not.   Maresca got out smarted yesterday, hopefully he will learn from it or he's going to have some of the fans turn on him. 

5 minutes ago, CFCCAN said:

The trouble is IMO, is that he is his own worst enemy.   At the start of the season, the expectations were bouncing around top 4 to 6 place.  While he has done an exceptional job, to this point at least, the expectations of many fans (not all) has risen to a point where anything less that challenging for the title and falling out of the top 4 is not good enough....and while he himself has said, understandably, that we are not ready to challenge he has put himself and the team in a position where fans, media and others think we should be. The expectation now has risen to new heights.   

Looking at our Xmas fixture list you have would thought that a draw at Everton was OK, we should beat Fulham, Ipswich, and Palace and walk away with 10 points from 12...now its looking more like 4-6 and I think as usual the fans(me included at times) look at these fixtures knowing that with the 'squad' we have, we should be beating teams like Fulham at home, Ipswich and Palace away and when we don't we get pissed off, especially when as a fan sat on the sidelines, we can see the game change in front of us and the Manager does nothing (or appears to) to change the momentum back in our favour.   

We have some exceptional talented players in our squad that sit on the bench that would walk into any of the top 10 teams first XI, yet when the first XI are struggling he refuses to make the changes in a timely manner, and only then after the opposition has wrestled back the momentum leaving little time for the subs to influence the game and wrestle it back. While many do not like Felix, this kid is a world class player, by playing a bit part every now and then how do you expect him to produce miracles, same with Nkunku, although I must say I am disappointed in his overall performances when he does get a chance in the first team, but an out and out CF he is not.   Maresca got out smarted yesterday, hopefully he will learn from it or he's going to have some of the fans turn on him. 

Another mistake by Maresca is sticking 2 keepers on the bench, WHY? Even if he has fallen out with Noni he should still have had him on the bench 

16 hours ago, Bob stark said:

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).

If you think Nkunku as a CF option off the bench is fine, then I don’t know what else to tell you.  It’s literally worked once in 18 games. 
 

13 hours ago, Bob stark said:

The problem is not gusto, it is Enzo. He is clearly being instructed to press so there is gaping hole in the middle. 

I saw Neto defending as the last man more times than Gusto even after 70 minutes. He was a huge problem and responsible for the first goal. 

The football we are playing now with very few exceptions is infinitely better then we've had to put up with for years.

This is the first season for Maresca in the PL and with a young team.he will make mistakes, but f**king hell, look at how we have progressed under him.  He needs our support as do the team.

Come on you BLUES !

7 hours ago, Bluesince66 said:

Maresca will cost us a top 4 finish because he is a 1 track pony,2 changes in Everton game,just 1 yesterday, I suppose that's what you gwmet with a championship level manager.

We're in a top 4 position BECAUSE of Maresca 

8 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

If you think Nkunku as a CF option off the bench is fine, then I don’t know what else to tell you.  It’s literally worked once in 18 games. 
 

I saw Neto defending as the last man more times than Gusto even after 70 minutes. He was a huge problem and responsible for the first goal. 

Enzo is under instructions to press up which mean there is only Caicedo in the middle, so somebody need to mark iwobi. This is Gusto going crazy, this is the game plan 

14 hours ago, KonaKai Blue said:

Maresca is probably giving Gusto finer instructions to negate that hole but Gusto is incable of taking on board those instructions. The problem we have is a limited player that is not working hard and applying himself enough and a manager than cannot force a change when the players are not executing his plan A.

He is being instructed to follow iwobi because Enzo is being tasked to press forward. So somebody need to defend rb area, which is what neto was doing. 

 

9 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

If you think Nkunku as a CF option off the bench is fine, then I don’t know what else to tell you.  It’s literally worked once in 18 games. 
 

I saw Neto defending as the last man more times than Gusto even after 70 minutes. He was a huge problem and responsible for the first goal. 

Nkunku as backup is not ideal but it is fine. We are already too loaded up front. 

Needs to start coaching us to stop conceding those short back post crosses. Happens far too often, no matter the opposition

13 hours ago, Bluesince66 said:

Maresca will cost us a top 4 finish because he is a 1 track pony,2 changes in Everton game,just 1 yesterday, I suppose that's what you gwmet with a championship level manager.

Weird take. The football's improved and the team managed a top 4 spot by end of the year. 

We're on course for a top 4 spot because of this manager

Imo tactic wasn't really the problem. We have 2 consecutive game where player were just on zombie mode in the 2nd half and we don't get enough sub in. 

 

 

It is funny, we started this season talking about jumbo squad but Maresca pretty much only played 14 players. 

Jackson 

Neto/Sancho Palmer - Madueke 

Enzo/Lavia - Caicedo 

Cucu - Colwill - Tosin/Fofana - Gusto 

That is it. 

You can pretty much ignore 

Felix, Nkunku, Badi, Disasi, Mudyrk, KDH, Veiga, Guiu. 

The league is really unpredictable and so inconsistent. We're in prime top 4 position and if we don't secure it from here it will be nothing less than a bottle job. I'll be screaming Maresca out because there are no excuses not to get top 4 this season.

2 hours ago, Bob stark said:

It is funny, we started this season talking about jumbo squad but Maresca pretty much only played 14 players. 

Jackson 

Neto/Sancho Palmer - Madueke 

Enzo/Lavia - Caicedo 

Cucu - Colwill - Tosin/Fofana - Gusto 

That is it. 

You can pretty much ignore 

Felix, Nkunku, Badi, Disasi, Mudyrk, KDH, Veiga, Guiu. 

This is a weak attempt to make it sound as if Maresca is not using the squad properly or something...

You would think that Maresca isn't giving minutes to some players but if you look at the total minutes played in all competitions Nkunku has over 1000 minutes played so he and Mudryk are either the same or better than Sancho and while Felix does have less minutes played in comparison to the others in his position he actually has more minutes played in total than Lavia for example and Disasi has been playing just basically just one half of play less than Tosin so this argument fails.

It's funny how nobody complained about these things while Conte was winning the league the last time we've won it as he used the same players to do so, same thing with Tuchel using a smaller amount of players for our last CL run, looks like those narratives about how the manager uses the squad only come in play when the results are less than impressive.

Can you find me a Liverpool fan or an Arse' fan that is complaining about how their manager has had several players this season that have been playing for more than 2000 minutes already? Because both of those squads have several players with those minutes while we have none!

Last season at this point in time we had a +1 goal difference and we were 11th, now with Maresca we are 3rd and have a +17 goal difference.

I think you should lighten up a bit...

Edited December 28, 20241 yr by Gol15

1 hour ago, Gol15 said:

This is a weak attempt to make it sound as if Maresca is not using the squad properly or something...

You would think that Maresca isn't giving minutes to some players but if you look at the total minutes played in all competitions Nkunku has over 1000 minutes played so he and Mudryk are either the same or better than Sancho and while Felix does have less minutes played in comparison to the others in his position he actually has more minutes played in total than Lavia for example and Disasi has been playing just basically just one half of play less than Tosin so this argument fails.

It's funny how nobody complained about these things while Conte was winning the league the last time we've won it as he used the same players to do so, same thing with Tuchel using a smaller amount of players for our last CL run, looks like those narratives about how the manager uses the squad only come in play when the results are less than impressive.

Can you find me a Liverpool fan or an Arse' fan that is complaining about how their manager has had several players this season that have been playing for more than 2000 minutes already? Because both of those squads have several players with those minutes while we have none!

Last season at this point in time we had a +1 goal difference and we were 11th, now with Maresca we are 3rd and have a +17 goal difference.

I think you should lighten up a bit...

I mean, yeah?  

It's never optimal to use 1 or 2 subs from 5 but if you are winning games then no one is going to complain.