Chelsea 0 Brentford 2

[JaneB]

Please use this thread for all posts relating to our Premier League match against Brentford at Stamford Bridge before, during and after the game.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 12.30 hours on Saturday, 28th October 2023 (Local UK time/date) (Live on TNT Sports)

[kev61]

Ok I'll start it.Stick with the team that should have beat Arsenal.

Give Maatsen a chance if we make subs - no idea why he has been excommunicated by Poch - it annoys me.

Chabolah  should be in the reckoning also(or is he injured I can't keep up.

Edited October 24, 2023 by kev61

[My Blood Is Blue]

Going into this game with some genuine confidence, which I haven't done for a while... I hope it isn't our bump back down to earth!

I would imagine he'll make changes to the back 4 with either (or both) James and Disasi coming in, depending on fitness, although I suspect James may be eased back in ahead of the harder matches coming up. I also suspect Jackson will play so that have a recognised striker... which means someone is dropped to the bench and that will be a tough call. Nice to have tough calls to make.

I think we will see:

Sanchez

Gusto - Disasi - Silva - Colwill

Gallagher - Caicedo - Enzo

Sterling - Jackson - Mudryk

 

[Ham]

3 hours ago, kev61 said:

Ok I'll start it.Stick with the team that should have beat Arsenal.

Give Maatsen a chance if we make subs - no idea why he has been excommunicated by Poch - it annoys me.

Chabolah  should be in the reckoning also(or is he injured I can't keep up.

Presumably Maatsen has made it clear he's not signing, regardless and is therefore not being considered. 

[kev61]

22 minutes ago, Ham said:

Presumably Maatsen has made it clear he's not signing, regardless and is therefore not being considered. 

Why is he not signing?

Edited October 24, 2023 by kev61

[paulw66]

3 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Going into this game with some genuine confidence, which I haven't done for a while... I hope it isn't our bump back down to earth!

I would imagine he'll make changes to the back 4 with either (or both) James and Disasi coming in, depending on fitness, although I suspect James may be eased back in ahead of the harder matches coming up. I also suspect Jackson will play so that have a recognised striker... which means someone is dropped to the bench and that will be a tough call. Nice to have tough calls to make.

I think we will see:

Sanchez

Gusto - Disasi - Silva - Colwill

Gallagher - Caicedo - Enzo

Sterling - Jackson - Mudryk

 

On the assumption Brentford will play with a low block. I would swap Gallagher for Palmer, and play him in the 10.

Revert to the regular midfield 3 against Spuds and City. 

[chara]

For me one of Pep's less lauded skills is somehow having a stock pot happily bubbling with effective players ready and willing to step up when necessary..Ake is as good an example as any always liked him but whilst a very good epl player is never going to be a top shining star but does an excellent job at Citeh...he is one of many it seems.

If The Poch can build that sort of situation most "overstocked" arguments can be avoided..... we will see.

[east lower]

No Rico Henry at full-back for them I think? Got to start with Stirling and Mudryk. I see no reason for not starting the same 11 as started at the weekend gone.

You could start Jackson, but that's possibly at the cost of one of the two aforementioned players. 

[Dwmh]

3 hours ago, chara said:

For me one of Pep's less lauded skills is somehow having a stock pot happily bubbling with effective players ready and willing to step up when necessary..Ake is as good an example as any always liked him but whilst a very good epl player is never going to be a top shining star but does an excellent job at Citeh...he is one of many it seems.

If The Poch can build that sort of situation most "overstocked" arguments can be avoided..... we will see.

Less lauded skills or highly expensive habits?

Ake - £45m I read 25, and played the minutes equiv of 9, 10 and 20 PL games in his first 3 seasons. No significant injuries.
That made him a very expensive back up player for two years.  And we know for Ake we can count 2 or 3 expensive defenders City have bought that didn't work out at all.
Right now we have a lot of expensive back up players.

I think over-stocked is a eupemism for expensive squad without enough success.

[chara]

21 minutes ago, Dwmh said:

Less lauded skills or highly expensive habits?

Ake - £45m I read 25, and played the minutes equiv of 9, 10 and 20 PL games in his first 3 seasons. No significant injuries.
That made him a very expensive back up player for two years.  And we know for Ake we can count 2 or 3 expensive defenders City have bought that didn't work out at all.
Right now we have a lot of expensive back up players.

I think over-stocked is a eupemism for expensive squad without enough success.

Fair points Droy but like SAF in his prime Pep doesn't hesitate to move on a disgruntled or failure signing...helps of course to have a bottomless petty cash box and expert lawyers!

Question...how (no pun!) do you see Newcastle going forward as the need to upgrade the squad becomes an issue ?  I tend to see your jockey analogy there at this time and wonder how long before the "investment" patience begins to grow thin.

[Dwmh]

2 hours ago, chara said:

Fair points Droy but like SAF in his prime Pep doesn't hesitate to move on a disgruntled or failure signing...helps of course to have a bottomless petty cash box and expert lawyers!

 

Exactly.  An expensive team is expensive, an expensive bench is triply expensive.
And this leads to the question of how the current owners are going to deal with not quite making it 7 year contracts

2 hours ago, chara said:

Question...how (no pun!) do you see Newcastle going forward as the need to upgrade the squad becomes an issue ?  I tend to see your jockey analogy there at this time and wonder how long before the "investment" patience begins to grow thin.

They don't seem in a hurry do they.  They are only 7 months ahead of our revolution but had a much weaker squad* to begin with.  But tomorrow they are playing CL football, which we won't for 2 years yet.

They seem a very good 3rd or 4th PL team but a fair bit short of an 80+ point challenger (City, Arsenal last seson and maybe this, Liverpool most years).

And maybe I've missed it but they don't (edited for accuracy) seem to be buying the Enzos and Caicedos for the medium/long term.  So I don't think they are going to try to do a City 2012 or 2018+ or a Chelsea 2003-20.

So my feeling is that they are happy to be there or there abouts and don't need either Mbappe to reach a higher level or Lester Piggott to ride them flat out.  In which case Howe remains perfect.

(A weaker squad is not always a bad thing.  It makes building a lot easier.  Likewise the very small squad with some key talent we had in 15/16) )

 

[Rob B]

14 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I think we will see:

Sanchez

Gusto - Disasi - Silva - Colwill

Gallagher - Caicedo - Enzo

Sterling - Jackson - Mudryk

 

Would be pretty harsh on Palmer if he’s dropped. You could even argue the same for Cucurella to be fair, but I think Disasi’s height and physicality makes that one a bit easier - especially against Brentford. 

But definitely Palmer in for somebody. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

8 hours ago, Rob B said:

Would be pretty harsh on Palmer if he’s dropped. You could even argue the same for Cucurella to be fair, but I think Disasi’s height and physicality makes that one a bit easier - especially against Brentford. 

But definitely Palmer in for somebody. 

I agree it would be hard on Palmer, but I do think we need to have an actual striker out there. It was fine against Arsenal for the tactics we were playing, as it was as much about stopping Arsenal play as it was imposing our game on them, whereas vs Brentford we'll need to be more on the front foot and want someone in the box to put away the chances created.

I wouldn't be shocked or surprised to see Palmer start again in place of Jackson, but I think soon enough one of Sterling, Mudryk, Palmer or Gallagher is going to be finding themselves on the bench more often than not.

[Chelsea_Matt]

For me Palmer must play. He’s a superb talent imo, a real player and is playing with confidence at the moment. Imo, he fully deserves to start. It’s a meritocracy.

I think you play suitable formations based on who’s playing well and the talent you have rather than forcing a system that doesn’t work.

Mudryk and even Cucurella, who I thought were lost causes, seem at last to be slowly improving, as does the team. 

At the end of the day, formations and tactics aside we need to play well and win matches. Simple, eh? 🤪 

[thevelourfog]

I know this is mental, but I actually think we might win. Narrowly. Maybe. 

[Dwmh]

4 hours ago, thevelourfog said:

I know this is mental, but I actually think we might win. Narrowly. Maybe. 

One team in Fulham.

I think that considering the idea is a huge admission.

[east lower]

On 25/10/2023 at 10:40, thevelourfog said:

I know this is mental, but I actually think we might win. Narrowly. Maybe. 

We’ve a better chance than had this game been scheduled a month or so ago.

Bit concerned that we are not fashioning enough good goal-scoring opportunities, but are scoring a few goals, albeit penalties, Stirling self-created ones or worldies/lucky ones. 
 

If we go for the win aggressively then I think we win this one, if we are too ‘passive’, content with cheap possession for possession’s sake, believing that goal-scoring opportunities will appear then I see at best a draw or Brentford snatching a breakaway/set-piece goal or two. 
 

And, I detest these 12:30pm kick-offs. 

[paulw66]

On 25/10/2023 at 10:00, Chelsea_Matt said:

For me Palmer must play. He’s a superb talent imo, a real player and is playing with confidence at the moment. Imo, he fully deserves to start. It’s a meritocracy.

 

He has to play. Particularly against the low block, he has the key to unlock the door. 

I would leave out one of the midfield 3, play Palmer in the 10, Jacko up top, Sterling and Mudryk out wide.

On 25/10/2023 at 10:40, thevelourfog said:

I know this is mental, but I actually think we might win. Narrowly. Maybe. 

Have a lie down. 

[paulw66]

James on the bench, Broja out, and Nkunku could be available after the next international break.

Sanchez, Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill, Caicedo, Enzo, Palmer, Sterling, Mudryk, Jackson would be my time, assuming Disasi is fit 

[Chelsea_Matt]

3 hours ago, paulw66 said:

He has to play. Particularly against the low block, he has the key to unlock the door. 

I would leave out one of the midfield 3, play Palmer in the 10, Jacko up top, Sterling and Mudryk out wide.

Have a lie down. 

Why have a lie down? I could equally say to you don’t be so complacent (and ill-mannered).

[paulw66]

29 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

Why have a lie down? I could equally say to you don’t be so complacent (and ill-mannered).

It was a joke. Suggesting we might win... 

[Willian Dollar Baby]

This is exciting. We may now see him before the new year. 

 

[chara]

8 hours ago, east lower said:

We’ve a better chance than had this game been scheduled a month or so ago.

And, I detest these 12:30pm kick-offs. 

Agree,,and me too...5-30am here not so much the early rising but all the morning chores have to be done makes it almost impossible to watch all game so a recording/replay it has to be.

Back in the Dark Ages the 3pm KO allowed for the almost obligatory Saturday half working day...made sense then and to me still does for different reasons,

[Chelsea_Matt]

1 hour ago, paulw66 said:

It was a joke. Suggesting we might win... 

My bad bro. Apologies 🤝💙

[paulw66]

28 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

My bad bro. Apologies 🤝💙

No worries.

 

4-0