Chelsea 0 Aston Villa 1

[Sciatika]

I'd like them to move around a bit as well. 

[chara]

8 hours ago, Mark Kelly said:

Feels like an eight claret M&M kind of game 

I'll let you know after my m&m seance!

The open game comment v Liverpool...Wham did exactly the same to Citeh as they did to us and in both games the WH keeper was excellent...one error from the new Citeh lad ..a clumsy control moment ,the first I remember him making and the breakaway goal were classic moments for a side just defending and waiting..given a missed penalty by Chelsea and the inability to score against the goal threat of last season;s triple winners...no contest is there?...and 3-1 ultimately flattered the Wham in both games ...but still 3 points lost for us,

With all the players unavailable to The Poch it's no surprise that no constant pattern of play is being shown and even if every injured option was available on Friday for selection it would still be the start of a bedding in season. Rough times ahead,,,,,,,

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by chara

[chara]

13 hours ago, kev61 said:

I will spend the rest of the week analysing statistics and metrics before I could possibly comment.

I need to keep up to speed with the intelligentsia of the football world.

Ahh..that'll me kev with my M&M predictions😁

[bertles86]

 Betfred offering 3/1 for a Villa win. Worth a punt that. Villa 2 nil is 25/1!!

[Thiago97]

12 minutes ago, bertles86 said:

 Betfred offering 3/1 for a Villa win. Worth a punt that. Villa 2 nil is 25/1!!

3/1 is quite generous. It implies they have a 25% chance of winning the game, but on form they surely have more than 25% chance.

At the same time , I keep banging the drum about fine margins between 10-15 PL teams now the PL us so much money. Whilst a Chelsea win does not look obvious, these fine margins make it very difficult to predict on a game by game basis.

Emery’s Villa were certainly playing with a very high line in pre season and start of the season. Defensively they represent Liverpool from last season, so I don’t think it’s any forgone conclusion that we don’t win. 

[Gurj SS]

I think we'll lose 1-2, Villa are scoring but they're not great at the back and play a very high line so I think we could take advantage by using our pace; however I think in order for us to score we'll need to let Villa have the ball which will cost us. We're in a bit of a pickle, if we sit off Villa they've got the players to score with just a few chances, if we try to take control we'll end up being hit on the break; especially because regardless of what Poch says about players staying back etc he also needs to understand that our best chances were made when the fullbacks joined in to add numbers in attack, so it has to happen.

So yeah, 1-2, honestly if this is the scoreline with a good performance then it'll feel like a step forward, a 0-0 won't be progress, we need to score even if it means letting more goals in because it's about finding the right balance and that can only happen if we play with more freedom and less fear; my concern is Poch will need to be brave and it feels like the fear stems from him.

I think there's no point in guessing or suggesting a lineup until we get to the weekend and hear the weekly injury bulletin,.

[Rob B]

6 hours ago, Ham said:

We look better, I think, against teams who come out to play. 

I do agree, and have thought this for some time. 

Ultimately though, we need to stick the ball in the net which we have huge difficulty in! 

[kev61]

On 18/09/2023 at 13:47, Dwmh said:

 

 for those that understand it.

He really is back.l like it!.

[kev61]

12 hours ago, chara said:

 

With all the players unavailable

 

What players are unavailable?.James and Nkunku?.

This is is an excuse for Poch's shortfalls.

We've heard it all before.'When we get Chilwell and James fit we will be a different team'.

It's all cobblers.A decent manager will sort out our best combination in a team that cost a billion.

Just to add Felix scored 2 tonight and assisted with 1 in Barcelona's win - perfect replacement for Nkunku. I wonder what the Stat geeks think about that?

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by kev61

[chara]

2 minutes ago, kev61 said:

What players are unavailable?.James and Nkunku?.

This is is an excuse for Poch's shortfalls.

We've heard it all before.'When we get Chilwell and James fit we will be a different team'.

It's all cobblers.A decent manager will sort out our best combination in a team that cost a billion.

Just to add Felix scored 2 tonight and assisted with 1 in Barcelona's win - perfect replacement for Nkunku.

 

Your point is valid kev but you have taken my line out of context...perhaps I phrased it badly...my point was about patterns of play since the start,not a specific game and no matter what injuries can be blamed for,or not, there is a lot of bedding in to be done before things go smoothly or as close to smoothly!

[kev61]

34 minutes ago, chara said:

Your point is valid kev but you have taken my line out of context...perhaps I phrased it badly...my point was about patterns of play since the start,not a specific game and no matter what injuries can be blamed for,or not, there is a lot of bedding in to be done before things go smoothly or as close to smoothly!

This was in no way pointed at you my friend.It was a generalised response that I disagree with.

[CarefreeMuratcan]

18 hours ago, Ham said:

We look better, I think, against teams who come out to play. 

Look at the Liverpool game.  

Play players in their right positions here and I think we get the result. 

 

This is the paradox of qualifying for the CL vs playing in the CL.

We find low blocks difficult to break down this season, which caused us to not qualify for the CL last season.

We would likely find the going easier in the Champions League where most teams play open football. 

But to get there in the first place, we need to finish 4th (or 5th) in a league where the majority of teams play a low block.

[martin1905]

1 hour ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

But to get there in the first place, we need to finish 4th (or 5th) in a league where the majority of teams play a low block.

Indeed they do.

For all the plaudits Pep gets for his football and changing the modern game I think he has ruined the modern game.

His Barca team and City at times are phenomenal to watch, the times they actually try to score and it can be breathtaking but for 99% of the game they just want to keep possession. That in turn has caused teams to just sit back and let the better sides have the ball, which has in my opinion ruined the game and made it boring.

It's why I like De Zebri so much, he's the first to really work out how to combat this and of course he relies on possession himself but its much quicker, much more direct, it's about fast transistions and getting as many people into the attacking third as quickly as possible.

Watch any tactical analysis of his Brighton team and they all say the same thing, he provokes the press by getting the two deep lying midfielders to drop even further back to create, what some are calling his 'magic box'. They instantly have more numbers in that area of the pitch, the two forward players, generally a number 9 & 10 also drop deep to create a complete overload in midfield and they quite simply have more players there than what the opposition can afford to.

It's very simple, obviously there's a lot more to the build up play, chance creation and most importantly taking their chances but it's why they get so many and quite often clear cut chances.

For me, he's the first person to really come up with an answer to combat Peps football and let's not kid ourselves he's doing it with much inferior players and a club that keep selling their best assets yet it doesn't matter who comes in, the outcome is the same. That's the sign of a proper manager with a proper system and philosophy.

He will end up at a much bigger club, I'd imagine the next big job that comes up will be his, if he wants it.

Pochettino's entire 'success' at Tottenham was based on being big, strong,  fit, energetic athletes who relied massively on two or three top, top quality forwards to do the damage. We are seeing here, already that he hasn't, so far and it's early days, really implemented anything different from last season. That's because there are coaches that play a certain way and rely on certain players to make the difference and there are coaches who's whole philosophy and system can change the game of football.

Postecoglou is another one, although I get the impression he relies heavily on just being a really good bloke. People talk about all our new players and how it will take time, his starting 11 probably has more new players in it than ours,  although admit I'm guessing here, or at least players that were at the club but didn't get a look in under Conte so a completely different starting 11 than what was predominantly used last year yet his results have been instant.

Football always runs in cycle's, I think and hope that Pep's cycle, at least his style of play is coming to an end and the newer managers coming through have a way to beat it. No point trying to copy it as no one is near him at what he does, not will anybody else have the quality of players to do it or the money, when needed to bring in replacements.

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, martin1905 said:

Postecoglou is another one, although I get the impression he relies heavily on just being a really good bloke. People talk about all our new players and how it will take time, his starting 11 probably has more new players in it than ours,  although admit I'm guessing here, or at least players that were at the club but didn't get a look in under Conte so a completely different starting 11 than what was predominantly used last year yet his results have been instant.

There's FAR more to Big Ange than being a really good bloke I assure you. He's got a clear idea of how he wants his sides to play football and goes out and puts that in place, he's done it everywhere he's been with great success. 

Pains me dearly having to see him at Tottenham having been so vocal about getting him in here.

[Holymoly]

Matt Law was saying that during the last international break Chelsea provided no starters for any European team. Sobering.

[Willian Dollar Baby]

Finally had a chance to catch up on the Bournemouth highlights so haven't seen the full game. It didn't seem too bad of a performance, as always we lack that clinical edge. Mudryk looked a lot better in the highlights I saw. Jackson also a nuisance but without the composure to put the ball in the net. He reminds me of Danny Welbeck so far. Rapid and strong with great link up play but no cutting edge. Sterling is the only one who can be relied upon consistently in the attack.

Whilst many of the players purchased look good individually, the squad building has been terrible. We started off with a lack of goals from our attacking players and have added multiple midfielders who have zero goal threat. 

I would personally love to see Chilwell at LB and Colwill CB but do sympathise that there are other issues we have to take into account. The poor squad building has left us with a real lack of height and physicality in our team meaning Poch is having to fit in an extra centre back, although it's clear he does not want to move to 3ATB. James being out also doesn't help here as he would be far more useful from set-pieces than Gusto.

By my quick fag packet maths, Poch has always picked at least 4 players who are strong in the air.  Chilwell has been playing LW who I would say is very decent in the air to make up for a lack of height elsewhere, with Colwill behind him at LB and then the two centre backs. I don't really count Jackson who is tall and strong but from what I've seen not great with his head. 

In this game the injury to Caicedo allowed the physical monster Ugochukwu to come in, then allowing us to play Mudryk over Chilwell. With this in mind, I would be shocked if we ever see Gusto and Maatsen as tandem full backs at the same time given their lack of height. 

I actually like what I've seen so far from Poch. We've deserved far more points than we have with the main reasons being a few key areas we failed to address in the summer. He's doing the best he can given the lack of quality we have in the penalty box. Spending the fortune we have and still have such an unbalanced team is so depressing. After all the money spent Bournemouth had an arguably better bench than us and that can't just be excused by injuries. 

Given the youth of our squad, again through poor squad building, this season will continue to be transitional and we are still a number of players short if we have any aspirations for CL again. It feels ridiculous to say that we still need more signings. What a mess. 

Villa is going to be real tough game. I've also just found out that Jackson is already one yellow away from a suspension! How on earth???

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by Willian Dollar Baby

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, Willian Dollar Baby said:

Also just been told that Jackson is one yellow away from a suspension already! How on earth?? 

Every one of them for questioning the referee's decisions apparently which in the reign of the Stasi-like PGMOL is a big no no. 

He'll soon learn that in the UK a blue Chelsea shirt is a sign of wrongness. 

A blue rag to a bull if you like?

[paulw66]

40 minutes ago, Holymoly said:

Matt Law was saying that during the last international break Chelsea provided no starters for any European team. Sobering.

Chilwell and Mudryk played against each other, so it's wrong before digging any deeper. 

Also some non-European starters, like Caicedo and Enzo. 

[xceleryx]

4 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

Chilwell and Mudryk played against each other, so it's wrong before digging any deeper. 

Also some non-European starters, like Caicedo and Enzo. 

Matt Law talking out of his ass, shocker. 

[Ham]

1 hour ago, xceleryx said:

There's FAR more to Big Ange than being a really good bloke I assure you. He's got a clear idea of how he wants his sides to play football and goes out and puts that in place, he's done it everywhere he's been with great success. 

Pains me dearly having to see him at Tottenham having been so vocal about getting him in here.

Managing an already dominant Celtic to the footballing equivalent of the boat race isn't something he should be knighted for.

He's had a good start at spurs, results-wise, but they have played badly in almost all of their games.  

They've won a few games they didn't deserve to. Fair play to them, they didn't give up until the final whistle.

Let's see where they are in May. 

[xceleryx]

11 minutes ago, Ham said:

Managing an already dominant Celtic to the footballing equivalent of the boat race isn't something he should be knighted for.

He's had a good start at spurs, results-wise, but they have played badly in almost all of their games.  

They've won a few games they didn't deserve to. Fair play to them, they didn't give up until the final whistle.

Let's see where they are in May. 

The thing is his time at Celtic isn't really what I look at, I've been fortunate enough to have seen Ange do all of this at several other clubs for years now. Nothing he's doing at Spurs shocks or comes as a surprise, this is just what he does.

Edited September 20, 2023 by xceleryx
spelling

[Max Fowler]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

Managing an already dominant Celtic to the footballing equivalent of the boat race isn't something he should be knighted for.

He's had a good start at spurs, results-wise, but they have played badly in almost all of their games.  

They've won a few games they didn't deserve to. Fair play to them, they didn't give up until the final whistle.

Let's see where they are in May. 

I agree that is far too early to be judging Ange as a success, even if Celery deserves credit for lauding him.
When Maddison gets injured etc. I think he may have a bit of reality check.

Point for me is with Ange - he is the perfect cultural fit for Spurs at this moment in time.
They are sick of elite, disconnected managers and want someone down to earth with good football.

Remains to be seen whether Poch is that for us.
I was pleased with his early pronouncements of turning us to winners and no excuses.

However, I seriously worry about how quickly he has turned to excuse mode and what that signals.

Increasingly I wonder if he has lost confidence behind the scenes and that is starting to show.

He knows we have a rough run coming up and there isn't much daylight in sight.

[Max Fowler]

What we are about to see at the weekend is so predictable that it can be spelled out in writing. No manager - Poch, Jose, Pep himself could contain the voice of the dissenting fanbase. Often called entitled, the Chelsea fans recognise without blue tinted spectacles the hostile takeover that has gone on at our club. It can go on no longer. This goes beyond well Poch, who will be hung out to dry like Potter. This goes to the depths of Clearlake - the private equity company ripping the heart out of our club.

No more to 4-4-3's on the whiteboard. No more to beloved managers being ruthlessly sacked. No more American models applied to our beautiful game. No more to penny pinching fans. No more to youth players being treated as lambs to the slaughter. NO MORE!

The fans have spoken and they will speak at the weekend. Clearlake - this is NOT your club. THIS IS OUR CLUB.

You are about to find this out very soon indeed. Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa. 

[Mark Kelly]

1 hour ago, Max Fowler said:

What we are about to see at the weekend is so predictable that it can be spelled out in writing. No manager - Poch, Jose, Pep himself could contain the voice of the dissenting fanbase. Often called entitled, the Chelsea fans recognise without blue tinted spectacles the hostile takeover that has gone on at our club. It can go on no longer. This goes beyond well Poch, who will be hung out to dry like Potter. This goes to the depths of Clearlake - the private equity company ripping the heart out of our club.

No more to 4-4-3's on the whiteboard. No more to beloved managers being ruthlessly sacked. No more American models applied to our beautiful game. No more to penny pinching fans. No more to youth players being treated as lambs to the slaughter. NO MORE!

The fans have spoken and they will speak at the weekend. Clearlake - this is NOT your club. THIS IS OUR CLUB.

You are about to find this out very soon indeed. Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa. 

Sorry Max 

Other than one or two dissenting voices I can't see much happening, it's much too early to be that upset I think. 

[east lower]

1 hour ago, Max Fowler said:

What we are about to see at the weekend is so predictable that it can be spelled out in writing. No manager - Poch, Jose, Pep himself could contain the voice of the dissenting fanbase. Often called entitled, the Chelsea fans recognise without blue tinted spectacles the hostile takeover that has gone on at our club. It can go on no longer. This goes beyond well Poch, who will be hung out to dry like Potter. This goes to the depths of Clearlake - the private equity company ripping the heart out of our club.

No more to 4-4-3's on the whiteboard. No more to beloved managers being ruthlessly sacked. No more American models applied to our beautiful game. No more to penny pinching fans. No more to youth players being treated as lambs to the slaughter. NO MORE!

The fans have spoken and they will speak at the weekend. Clearlake - this is NOT your club. THIS IS OUR CLUB.

You are about to find this out very soon indeed. Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa. 

That was almost Churchillian in its manner, but kinda in the opposite manner.

😉