No doubting the results we are getting, but wholesale changes for the Europa is making things harder than they need to be for all the players. Time to start changing things one at a time in the PL, or at least using our subs better when the opportunity is there. Here's my team for the Southampton game. Willy or the new keeper, bugger all between them that I can see. Azpi, Luiz, Rudiger, Alonso ( 1st CD sub to be Ampadu , then Cahill or Christensen ) Kante, Gorginho, Kovacic ( 1st sub to be RLC, then Barkley who still just can't make the decisive last move ) Giroud, Hazard, Hudson Odoi ( Willian and Pedro subs and Morata as a last resort) 1 change to the starting line up, big change of attitude to subs.
Barkley - who I am comparing to Lampard for quite sometime has the quality & talent. He needs to apply himself in a settled Chelsea side to go the distance. Well played kid.
Stan, quit while you're ahead. We all knew Barkley had talent. Obviously Sarri is getting the best out of him. You have been posting reasonably for the last few weeks. Don't go spoiling it with your Cescy.. Alonso... Barkley is better than Lampard, bollocks !!!
As well as Barkley played, and he did go well, especially his steal and pass to Hazard, I still don't think he's the right man to complete the triangle with Jorginho and Kante. Sarri says he has improved, which he certainly has, but still needs to learn to position himself, and if he manages that, I will concede . However in his present guise, like Willian and Hazard, for me he too often plays like a winger, not a midfielder. Giroud is similar in that as well as he plays, he doesn't actually do what he's there for, which is to score goals. For large periods of the game we again looked like we just couldn't score. This is not to denegrate our players, just to point out we are still not as lethal as we need to become. That we are level on top suggests that when we do find our best line up, (which may not be until next season ) we will be very very hard to beat. We are absolutely desperate for a striker who joins in and scores. Hope Sarri finds more improvement from this squad, if so we are well in the fight. On the positive side, I thought as well as Barkley, Kante had a very much better game and the goalkeeper was outstanding , making some great saves and better still, being always in the perfect spot to stop shots. Willian was subdued, Hazard had to do too much attacking, everyone else was solid and involved.
Enjoyed the game,8 games in we're level with city(can't be bad).I know i'm alone here but hope we persevere with Morata. Remember his coach is the greatest!!
Solid result and decent performance. An away game after Europa always has the chance to be a banana skin but fortunately we had the right application. Still gave Southampton a couple of really good chances on the back post so certainly some room for improvement in the defence. But some positives with Morata getting his 2nd in a few days and Barkley looked good as well. Hazard's form is fantastic as well. He is playing as consistently good as I can remember. United next. Should be a cracker.
Like your reverse jinxing CP! Keep it up (doubt Barkley will, tbf) RLC was very disappointing v Vidi btw. He needs to seize his chances, he won't get many
He was, but so was most of the team because they have not played together. All the fringe players need to start in the 1st team, NOT all at once but one at a time and regularly. That's the only way to judge them. Barkley had his best game for sure, but Kovacic is a better fit. When Barkley plays well ,and in the position he is chosen, he will be better able to put his case. I wonder how well RLC would be going with the same game time as Barkley has enjoyed ? Point is, we'll never know. Meantime, I'll start working on how to reverse jinx Giroud and Morata !!
Agree with all of this but think fringe players should be added around 65 mins when we are controlling a game. And then started once they have made a few 30 min cameos Kovacic has been brilliant so far, and is obviously a better technically than Ross
Barkleys name should never even be mentioned in the same sentence as Lampard. There has never been a midfielder that fitted our style of play than Lampard.Not so with England, but with Chelsea, the best ever. Kovacic has a million miles to go before he even sights Lampards tail lights.
That's precisely what I've been saying all year. When we are able, use them as subs EARLIER, give them some decent game time to learn how the team ticks, then they can properly be assessed as starting players. What is happening now is wasteful and unfair.
Which games do you think we were in control of .... I can only think of maybe Cardiff at home. I think we gave Ross and Pedro some game time early in the second half. Good idea giving Ross 40 mins as RLC was injured then
