Everton , another potential danger.

Having no idea who Sarri will pick for Everton, and especially why, I will try and do his job for him.
Sarri has yet again, despite the excellent showing of Giroud, CHO, RLC, Willian, Kante and Kovacic, been sprouting off about how he has "improved our defence, but is urging our attack to "step up" and run more". !!!
Hello, they did you muppet, big time, because they ignored your dopey tactics and ran and attacked like crazy.
That suggests that Sarri will yet again destroy any impetus and play his usual suspects for God knows what reason.
Here's my team

Kepa
Dave
Luiz
Rudi
Alonso
RLC
Kante
Kovacic
CHO
Pedro
Giroud,

Here's my take on Sarris' team
Kepa
Dave
Luiz
Alonso
Jorghino
Kante
Barkley
Hazard
Pedro
Higuain.

 

I watched the game on SKY. Graham Souness hit the nail on the head when he said we had most of the possession but mainly in our own half. I’d be surprised if Sarri is still at the club next season. My opinion is that we’ve got capable players but not a capable manager to get the best from them.......we’ve been in this situation quite a few times before!!!!!

 

For the first time I actually got Sarris selection spot on( though I forgot to type in Rudi)
This is exactly the team he shouldn't have played. Any time Jorghino and Barkley start together you can expect the same result, loads of possession that is meaningless, and no goals. Sarri is a total bloody idiot. After watching Giroud, RLC and CHO et al, absolutely tear Kiev a new one, Sarri said our defence was "solid" but our attack needed to step up !! What ?????
Now he's saying our teams' "mental approach " is exhausted.
What a load of garbage. They are just frustrated to the point of madness with the show pony Sarri crowned to run our show. Jorghino can only play for 45 minutes, he's so pathetic physically, Barkley can't play at all, other than flatter to deceive and Higuain is all but wasted with that rubbish midfield. Jorghino has everyone running around in circles to the point of exasperation, and all for no end result.
The bulk of the team against Kiev is the one that should have started, bang in form and rearing to go. Instead we get another dose of pointless possession and 2nd half surrender from Sarris "favourites", and 4th place dissapeares into the sunset.

 

Don't agree with that. In the first half, we all but annihilated them, We hit a post (again) and wasted several other good chances. What can Sarri do if the players has forgotten where the goal is?

 

We played well in first half bottled second

Kiev is a different fixture to Goodison

 

He could start by selecting players in form and creating a genuine competition for places. He could follow up by selecting those that have actually shown they can score, like Giroud, CHO and RLC, not Higuain, Barkley and Jorghino who rarely score or even assist.
Then he might look at his history with this squad and do what good managers do, adapt their tactics and/or formations. Or he could carry on doing the same thing, playing the same duds, and getting the same end result.
No points for outplaying the opposition for 45 mins then folding.

 

And Kovacic, RLC and Kante is a better midfield than Jorghino, Barkley and Kante. As always, that's where we fold.

 

Jorg Barkley and Kante were good in first half.

We lack bollocks that's the problem. And JOrghino goes missing. And Barkley is thick

Do you think Kovacic has enough balls to run midfield when things are going against us (Jorghino obviously doesn't). IS RLC ready to play two games in 3 days? We need to manage his back carefully

And also, you mocked his Kova's abilities as a register until Kiev. Kiev and Prem are a different story. Don't make the mistake of reading too much into one game.

We need a stronger more combative regista who can pass: Xabi Alonso type in my opinion

 

Agree CP, we folded. But we don't have the leaders in that situation.

And Giroud CHO, RLC and Kova aren't leaders either. We would have lost with them playing too

 

Really? I thought you wanted more rotation.

HIguain was dangerous and played well I thought. There is no way Giroud would have done as well with the scraps Higuain was fed.

RLC is not for enough to start two games in three days.

 

Thought we looked good in the first half when i watched. Then i had to drive and pick my mum up so missed watching second half.

One thing that got to me was just how poor alonso is defensively still. What happened to emerson?

I agree we need a more combative regista and that guy is kovacic. Saying that jorginho had a mixed first half. Thought he played well but lot it in dangerous positions but he played some good through balls, the best being higuains ball.

As for higuain, i though apart from his miss from a gorgeous first touch and good run, he played very well. Good touches, good passing and hold up just zero service because everyones busy shooting, the biggest culprit being barkley who had some nice moves but wasted it all by shooting rather than passing it.

That was really selfish play all to try and silence the crowd because he was getting stick. Overall though i think the tactics hinder us, as usual the midfield 3 dont really get forward and the wingers drop deep rather than stay wide and high when we counter. All this is to keep possession and i really dislike this about us (although its more preferable to contes final season and mass defence or jose)

Heres hoping sarri adapts but i doubt it.

 

Watched the first half,that was enough for me to realise we were not going to score.Wonder what my fav ex player makes of
the current situation?.....Reckon Sarri could learn a bit from the bloke sitting next to him.

 

Not more rotation, just better rotation. It has taken all of this season for Sarri to be the last person, it appears, to realise that CHO and RLC are better players than his chosen ones, and that Giroud is a better goalscorer right now than Higuain, though if Higuain had played with the Kiev midfield, maybe he's have scored a hat trick too. Trouble is we'll never know due to Sarris PL bias in selections. Will be interesting to see when top 4 is over, if he will then swap his Euro starters with his PL dopes.
All year we saw Jorghino, Kante and Barkley. Barkley off, Kovacic on or vice versa. No tactical swaps just like for like, until the last couple of games, when even Sarri has noticed Jorghino is a weak link ,not the missing link.
Sarri team looks great in short bursts but doesn't score, his "second " team is quicker more attacking and scores more.
Jorghino is a disappearing merchant and Barkley is a brick with ears, but they still start PL games. RLC may not be able to play as you say, in fact he's pulled out of England squad, no blame on Sarri there.

 

Agreed, Lets all just wait till we have all have had a preseason ffs. It's like being on the spud board

 

Yes we got Sarri too late in summer

 

I think there is a reason we look better in Europe and it has very little to do with personnel, it's the level of opposition frankly.

What exactly was Giroud doing in the P.L for the months before Higuain signed?

I'd like to see more of RLC and CHO as well but one is a raw 18 year old and one has had injuries. They can't be expected to play 2/3 times a week.

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/...big-conundrum-for-chelsea-says-graeme-souness

pretty much spot on re the midfield issues

 

On a more positive note, CHO has been called up to full England squad. Well done to him.

We're so gonna lose him in a years time

 

Exactly

 

Yes, good we are protecting him.

Giroud has scored one Prem goal all season, why is he better in Prem than Higuain?