Match Day Thread Premier League, Cups & Euro Watch

Zinedine Zidane and Frank Lampard considered to replace Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea
It is also understood Chelsea are considering appointing assistant manager Gianfranco Zola as caretaker boss until the end of the season if they decide to part company with Sarri.
https://www.skysports.com/football/...nsidered-to-replace-maurizio-sarri-at-chelsea

 

Basically rudderless club.

If their choices are:

a) inconvenienced lampard due to being ex player.
b) zidane who did **** in league and just got a nice run in CLs together after being handed best squad...

oh dear.

they appointed a really good manager but they had no strategy to deliver over 3 years with this guy. This is all knee jerk. Sarri himself has talked poorly. Clearly he feels isolated there and not supported.

conte again really good manager.. started the same talk.

the upper levels of that club need a good hard look at themselves

 

shouldn't imagine they give a ****, still earn their ££££ and always easy to blame manager and get rid.

i just find attitude of players not bothering disgusting, i don't like my boss, yes the answer would be to leave never as simple as that is it, but why i am still employed under him should still give 100%, but players can get away with not doing that and get paid a **** load more wedge than me.

 

They should cash in on a few 'big assets' and let a manager build the club properly. Not the Chelsea way though ous it...

 

no its not.

They need a 3 year plan. and manager should align to it. if sarri's style hasn't aligned then why appoint him day 1. thats just stupid.

Its the same as the thickos at utd appointing moyes then van gaal then mourinho and nobody enjoying the turgid defensive football. the consistent theme for 5 years was "this is not the utd way" though quickly followed by a stupid "2 wingers and two strikers line"

You'll note while people are licking OGS balls right now he's playing 433 with a two no 6s in effect and pogpoo free to go do what he does... but i digress


If you hire sarri and buy jorginho for him to play a controlled passing game then thats going to be your style and everyone must align.

they are grossly under performing now.

 

i don't watch chelsea so no idea, but isn't sarri playing a few players where its not their best position?

yeah i get you need to tweak teams and play players in other positions like we have with fab playing cb, but it wouldn't be our first choice to put him there would it.

besides wasn't he the Italian coach, and they are known for being defensive.

 

Thats only really Kante, but that does make a huge difference as Kante is probably the best DCM in the world (Leicester, Chelsea and France all won with him in front of the defence). He's put too much trust in Jorginho, who is too slow, has too many touches and isn't a great tackler.
For me its like when we had Xabi and Masca in our mid, but switching their roles around. Expecting Xabi to break up play and get himself about tackling, and expecting Masca to set up plays, finding through balls etc. Neither play to their strengths.

He's also persisting with flops. Kovacic was shoved out of Real for a reason, he's ****. Pedro is so inconsistent, Barkley is classic English player overrated, Luiz is a terrible CB and Giroud doesn't score (although Higuian has replaced him, but he doesn't score without the service either, he's just a slightly better version of Giroud.

All comes down to if Hazard feels like playing.

As an Italian coach he not actually all that defensive.

 

FFS

 

judas

 

Some players are in maybe not their optimal position. I think he's got the blend wrong and incorrect formation/pass pass pass mentality all wrong.

Nope he was never the Italian manager. He was known for being expansive but that's probably because he didn't have the standard Italian defend defend defend mentally and likes to press. However he isn't adapting to English football and doesnt have a plan for breaking teams down if they don't come out from the looks of things

 

Suzy in the PL. would love to see that. He was just lucky at Madrid, Chelsea would be a real challenge.

 

Love the current obsession with the press. As if it’s something that’s new to football invented by Barca, Rodgers and Klopp.

 

Wise words and perfectly phrased. I'm in complete agreement

 

love your obsession with mentioning Liverpool all the time

 

Disagree with jorginho taking to many touches. He's all one touch and two touch. His problem is that they are all crabby passes and isn't really a killer ball. He can't shoot, doesnt really play killer passes and he can't defend cause he's powderpuff. He really isn't adding anything when teams come to counter us. Plus he gets marked out of the game easily.

Quite like the look of kovacic. Solid, technically good and can drive. His problem is shooting and finishing and he can't play back to goal. I think he would really shine in jorginhos role but sarris a stubborn old fruit cake.

Pedro is old, 34 and he's in and out of the side. He shouldnt be starting.

Luiz is basically lovren but can pass. There's always a mistake and so inconsistent.

 

Knew you'd appreciate that one

 

for me, and just my opinion.

Conte was hired and backed.

He took what was there and set out his perferred 343 formation. This enabled him get the best out of costa and hazard. prior to his arrival costa was isolated up front on own and was too slow to go do the job.


Contes team:

Courtois
Azpi Luiz Cahill
Moses Kante Matic Alonso
Willian Costa Hazard

so.... They bought the guy luiz to make this 343 work. they bought him alonso and kante. He made moses work as RWB.

What cheslea have now done is had a massive falling out with conte and so wasted a year, bought who they felt like at the top like morata.. sold matic to a direct rival over contes head etc. thye bought rudiger to replace cahill and i'm not sure conte wanted him.. who knows.

They have appointed sarri who plays 433

Kepa bought for world record
Jorginho bought directly for sarri

BUT......

this is where the issues start: the buys to suite conte don't suit 4 at back.

Kepa
Azpi Luiz Rudgier Alonso (instantly theres defensive issues here.)
Kante Jorginho Kovacic (nothing wrong par se but are all the same positions, its a balance issue)
Willian Higuin Hazard

The switch is a 433. instantly alonso is weaker but he's not helped on iota but how ****e the two cbs really are. thats the core issue there (IMO)
Then the 3 CMS as bobby says are similar. The issue is they need to have 2 no 6 and get one midfielder advanced but they sold/ let fabregas go who was only one close to it and also bought barkely which was stupid.
Then the forwards.... Pedro is ancient yes but willian is not great. he's a dirk kuyt almost execpt better skilled but less effective.

This is the problem:

Sarri needs another 3 players to make this work. thats all. He's not been given time. they just laoned in a forward in janaury so now they are at the point of just ditching sarri for someone worse most likely and the SAME ISSUES will still be there.

IMO when they appointed sarri they shoudl have knows what he was going to do as they went out and gazumped city for jorginho.... theres TWO loan players there kovacic and higuin?

Whats going on....

They need 2 CBs, they need an a CM to joing the front 3 ala pogpoo. Then the issue is willian and even higuin.

Talented first 11 but... to compete with city they are miles off and changing manager won't change it.

Give sarri the time.

 

Kepa is out "injured" so he won't have to play in the LC final

#convenient

 

That was all a bit strange first half!

 

Great FK by Sane. 2 away goals for 10 man City puts them in great position