If someone had said you'd be in the top 4 and 4 points off 1st at this stage of the season, I would have accepted that tbh because Jose is still figuring things out including his best team. We've played some good football. Against Everton we created a ton of chances but didn't put them away, Spurs got away with a point at the Lane, yes we got lucky in the end against WBA but they only really had 2 chances and away at United... that was quite poor and I expected better. But we're playing some good stuff and is this is the start, I look forward to the middle and end. But people need to realise that our problem isn't with our attack. Yes we need a new striker and hopefully we go for Lewandowski in January we'd be foolish not to), but defense is the area that needs strengthening and also in the defensive midfield section. Ramires and Lampard aren't cut out for the roles that Jose wants them to play. Mikel needs to start every game. Simple really. He provides brilliant cover for the back 4 and he has really come along. With the back 4... Cech is fine for a season more before Courtois should come in... Ivanovic has been very shaky this season and a real weak link which i'm surprised at. Terry is getting old and losing his pace and I hate to say it, we need a replacement however much of a legend he has been at this club. And then there is Luiz and Cahill. Both of whom would partner a new centre back well. Cole has been fine on the left. But defense is the problem. Sloppy goals have been our downfall this season and they need to stop if we are to make a title challenge! Tbh... I'd just give Dortmund a cheque of about £90mil and say we'll have Hummels, Gundogan and Lewandowski in January!
Can we keep buying our way though? Jose if he's as good as we hope he is, should be able to get a title challenging side out of these players (plus the various quality youngsters on loan). If players like Luiz, Mata and Ramieres dont fit his system and Hazard (for instance) has gone backwards this year playing it, I'd question the system!
Need a new CB cahill and terry both great stoppers but not mobile enough, though i like Luiz dont think he is the answer just wish Jose would give him a run at DM
And the Prize goes to 100 Years !!!! Jose at the moment is THE problem. He is so obsessed with his personal image/ standing/ ego that he can't see the wood for the trees. I am not suggesting anything other than it is he who needs to adapt, not 6 or 7 outstanding players.
I would go with CP and others here, Jose is your problem. You have the players but Jose is unable/unwilling to adapt his style to fit the squad he has.
Changing the team to his style is perfectly OK, it's just that he doesn't have to do so in 10 minutes. He has a well publicised deal for 3 years with the stated intention of building on strong foundations and getting stronger each year by only having to make adjustments, not wholesale changes. Staying in the top 4 and gradually changing shape is what we want, not kick, bullock, scramble to win everything. We are in danger of missing top 4 if we keep underusing our squad.
Yet bar one season we've been crap since Jose left. What a load of nonsense we have the best manager in the world, it's clear we just need a new midfielder, we have no connection and link up from midfield to attack thus our strikers rarely get any chances made for them because our attackers are constantly having to pick the ball up in midfield. We just need a Modric/Pogba to spray the balls from midfield to attack
You're right and that's all well and good BUT we do need a couple more players. Lamps is near his end... Terry is too... Who knows how long Cole will go on for... Eto'o is on a one year deal... Even Torres is starting to get on a bit and he hasn't exactly showed us anything that he did at Liverpool. I agree that Jose needs to sort himself out and get his act together but like it or not we do need to think of replacing a few players. All we have been doing of late is buying attacking midfielders and people suddenly think that because we have been buying loads of players, we don't need anymore which is just misguided imo
I agree a few players are nearing the end but I would assume the likes of Ake, Chalobah, Bertrand, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Piazon, Feruz, Josh even were bought/developed with a view to replacing the older players at some point. We have to start intergrating these players in the next year or so or they'll never make it. I agree that we didn't spend that wisely in the summer though. Buying a load of attacking mids and not addressing other areas was a mistake. If we buy, I'd like to see Luke Shaw as Cole's long term replacement to fight it out with Bertrand at L.B and go all out for Lewandowski to replace Eto'o / Ba. There has to be a place for Luiz. If that's in defence then we probably need to find a long term replacement for Lampard to play with Ramieres but players like Chalobah need a chance.
That is why (dare I say it) United had doubts about him if he was really in contention. In his first stint he took everyone by surprise and he had very good players, now many teams have caught up and have v.good players too. His selections and rotations seem to baffle even his own players.
I think Josh has had it... I'm not sure on Piazon... Chalobah and Ake will either be hit or misses... The others should all break into the first team. Feruz still needs a fair bit of time though...
When you look at Mata and Hazard last year, how good Luiz looks for Brazil and compare to how they play for Jose's Chelsea it's a significant difference. Obviously when you look at the rest of the squad you can see that others wouldn't suit a high pressing, attacking game so it's not like Jose is making some ridiculous decision by changing the style to one that a lot of the players are more comfortable with. If I was a Chelsea fan though I would be a bit disappointed that having bought all these exciting and talented footballers, the team appears to be going back down to the safer option. When you look back at the signings made since Mourinho left I think it's fair to say the expectation wasn't that you'd still be relying on Terry, Lampard and Cole, there are really still only the beginning signs of them being phased out. I'm sure Jose will do well for you but it does to me seem like you're going backwards and that the Abramovich's plan for getting you playing the best football in the World has been given up on without really ever giving it much of a try.
For the defence, for me, Luiz cannot play centre back alongside any of the current squad players. Ivanovic, Terry and Cahill lack the pace that makes Luiz such a good asset to the defence. It is because of the lack of pace by the three mentioned that we cannot play a high line, something that a defence of Azpi-Luiz-?????-Cole or Bertrand would be excellent at, they could get caught out and easily recover. We have already seen Aguero, Salah and last season Benteke just simply outpace the trio mentioned to score goals. The problem with not playing a high line, is without Mikel in the team, which for me gives us a negative backwards passing approach, then we have two attack minded central midfielders in Ramires and Lampard, who would both prefer to play in the upper half of the pitch than continually track back, or as the great Makelele would do, just sit in front of the back four. A high line defence would not make this as much of a problem as there would not be as much of a gap between the pivot midfield and the back four
Before this turns into "ditch Jose" mode, I have no doubt he is one of ,if not the best Manager there is. JCC87 is on the money with his assessment , as is 100 Years of history. We haven't bought wisely, we have ignored the midfield problem and surely amongst all our expensive and talented youngsters ,there are ready made replacements who can and should be given a chance. We are overstocked in some areas, under in others. We do need 1 striker plus Lukaku back, we need 1 great midfielder with different skills than the mighty midgets, and we need one young ,quick CD. That should see a significant upgrade in our performances. Then we need Jose to reassess his approach slightly, to better use who we know are great players, and we're well on the way. Finally, we all need to take the pressure off, aim for achievable goals, i.e. Top 4, and get some patience.
I think we missed a trick a year ago not signing Javi Martinez, would have been the perfect fit to our team. Can tackle, pass and drive forward. Plus with full backs bombing on he easily slips into a back three. A player in his mould is what we need. Can't really put a name to who we need but unlike the usual Gundogan, Modric rumours, we need someone tailored to defensive duties with the ability to go forward. Pogba could be a great choice.
But would you be happy 11 games gone if you were told United would be 1 point behind you?? lol....... Come to hang out here its a Meth free zone lol
To be honest, if I could see we were building and improving, I wouldn't mind if we were 1 point behind you !! I think both Jose and Moyes would be better to use this season to get their systems/ selections in place, and work out which team and tactics keeps them in the top 4, and make that the priority. In the off season, buy and sell as necessary, come out firing next season. Man City should be a shoe in this year anyway if they get sorted. Pellegrini is also learning the ropes of the PL, but he has the advantage of a great squad.
