Match Day Thread Chelsea v City

Bad day at the office but we've had a pretty rough set of opening fixtures. Won't look too much into the gap to United until they start actually playing some decent teams. City look great but then they did this time last year as well pre-winter. I think we have a side that can grind out results against the lesser sides but our approach will always result in mixed results against top teams around us. Our performance against Atletico shows what we can do on a good day in stark contrast to the Arsenal and City games.

We've played 3 out of 5 against the other top 6 and have a win, draw and loss to show for it.

3 very winnable games coming up so essential we get 9 points and bridge the gap before we play United.

Far too early to write us off.

 

I'm still quietly optimisic but City have played 2 top teams as well (us, Liverpool) and opened up a 6 point lead so we are well behind par at the moment.

 

oh absolutely. I fancied City at the beginning of the season and didn't expect us to win it again and nothing has changed. But in reality, we won the title last year despite losing games v Liverpool, United, Arsenal and Spurs. No need to panic just yet

 

I fancied us last season for some reason. This season i thought we were dark horses and that we'd have a good go at it.

I expected United and City to be as strong as they have with City faltering when the weather turns/up against the more physical teams. United to hopefully falter when mourinho starts shutting up shop.

I guess i'm just hugely disappointed at Conte's conservatism (which i think we got away with last year) and his defend mentality (not necessarily against this) but this clearly doesn't work if you have passengers. To lose in that manner against City (was screaming out playing for the draw) and the draw against the gooners are who terrible away from home is something i've been particularly annoyed at.

The loss at home to Burnley was just one of those days so i could accept that.

Hopefully Conte bucks up his ideas a bit.

 

I don't disagree. But Arsenal and City both played really really well. Maybe we let that happen or maybe you just have to credit your opponent - like Atletico did with us.

There are 5-6 really good teams in this league so we're all going to end up beating each other.

 

i don't think arsenal played that well particularly. They lost the ball a lot but worked hard. Everyone and even last year we beat Arsenal by pressuring them. 3 at the back already means you are 1 man down in pressing. Starting Fab and not having Baka meant there was nothing in midfield. Likewise the one thing Arsenal do not do well is defend transitions. We haven't really done that well at all but i guess there is less to blame Conte for as you can't expect the team to be 100% perfect everytime and you do expect the players having to perform (pedro missed a sitter near the beginning).

Against City we might a well have given up. You are never going to out play Man City with their technical ability (they will always hold onto the ball) especially when we have Cahill, Kante, Bakayoko, Dave and Alonso (not seen enough of christensen or rudiger) in that back 5 as they are not THAT comfortable with the ball when they are pressure (passing wise, baka can still dribble it) and will more often that not play the long ball in moratas general direction (not the wrong thing to do as they aren't that comfortable on the ball).

The only other way we were going to nick a win was on the counter then (which we did brilliantly last year). Hazard who can dribble but needs the ball first and runners beyond him dragging players away and running in behind (pedro/Morata/moses/alonso depending how many they have back), you need multiple runners really.

To put Alonso one side who every fast/athletic defender has him on toast (Walker, Bellerin etc, Alonso still has his uses and we don't have that outstanding LB and tbh he's still good enough but just don't expect him to be his outstanding self against the middling clubs) and then to put Dave on the other side who lets face it, is a brilliant RB but is not good enough in attack at WB against even the poorer teams in the league (he just doesn't dribble past or even run beyond the fullback enough/have that first touch that takes him away).

Thats both wings nullified then which is half of our counter attacking game where we flood forward. Allied to Morata going off and sticking Willian and our only other forward as Hazard we could kiss our counter attacks goodbye since neither of them like to make runs beyond the last defender/drag players away.

I just felt it was very flawed and cowardly. If theres 1 weakness in Citys game its their defence and we didn't have a proper go at it

 

City game was poor of course. I just think they are almost always better than us in games like this. It's easy to forget we were very fortunate to come away with that season changing win at the ETIHAD last year. Luiz could have been sent off and De Bruyne missed an open goal at 1-0. We of course took our chances when they came in that game though.

Hopefully it's a blip and we can go on a run. I'm sure United and City will have bad patches and of course have to play each other yet as well.

 

I remember August 2015, when I called for Jose to quit.
Most of you guys here, cried like babies and told me I am clueless. I was right then as always.

This entire Cescy & Cahill Saga reeks of 2015. Again, you guys are not seeing the obvious flaws and calling me clueless.

Lets not forget - last season's success were because Ivan, Mikel & JT started less than 10 games between them. It is not my personal objective to voice against those three.

Same way like last season, I predict - we cannot start with Cahill + Cescy + Alonso for more than 10 games. We can kiss top 6 good bye if this happens. It is black & white and fcuking obvious.

I hope Conte doesn't follow Jose & fixes his own flaws ASAP.

 

B bu but didn't you say Jose would walk the league ??

 

I did. He should have. Jose wanted another half a billion over walking it.
But he wont get another half a billion. So he started walking it.
Hope I am wrong this season too with Judas.
Tony had no business doing what he did last season. It was just like Claudio.

 

He also said we had no chance of top 4 last season with Cesc in our midfield.

And we ended up winning the league.
So I wouldn't pay Moaning myrtle any attention.

 

Ffs Cescy wasn't playing for us any major role. That is why we made Title.

 

Calling for Jose (who had just won a league and cup double and was our most successful manager ever) to quit in August 2015 was not having amazing foresight, it's being an entitled moaning glory hunter who demands we win every game or has a hissy fit.

I could make a fortune betting against your predictions they are so comically wrong.

 

Are u real??

August 2015, Jose said pay up or fire me.

I just interpreted that for morons like you.

I am glory hunter because I can interpret implied messages??

 

Yeah, only 29 league appearances.....

But if he'd have played 30 times we'd have not made top 6 right????

 

He made 29 league appearances last season and started in half of them

 

Most of them sub apps or meaningless games.

Cescy never started 2 games in 10 days after Goons mauling.

Ffs read my comments properly before throwing a hissy

 

No, Jose didn't say that. You just pretend he did in the little world you live in where Jose deliberately orchestrates players to perform badly so we end up near the bottom of the league, so he can get sacked, so he can go to United.

Put your tin foil hat away. Its embarrassing.

 

You just need to reel it in a tad.
Fundamentally, we are in agreement that a midfield of Kante and Fab is not balanced, nor is it good enough.
However, it's when you come out with Cockish, overblown statements, like, "We wont make top 6 if Cesc starts".Or "We have no chance of 3 points if Cahill plays".
You become a little hysterical mate, that's all.
reel in the hysteria slightly.

 

Yes and also, Claims that Jose and Conte purposefully sabotage certain games on purpose because of some ****ed up ulterior motive that exists only in your mind.
Its madness.