Finally the end of all the talking as it's put up or shut up time. I guess we could lose and somehow still get 5th place, but logically we need to win to do so. Last weeks form won't do it, so it's all in from everyone and fingers crossed. Maresca has it in his hands to decide how we play, let's hope he gets it right and lets the brakes off. We certainly can win this game, but not playing Mogodon Crab Ball.
Blimey, just what we don't need. Can't believe how such a good player became so bad at Chelsea. Maresca really didn't help him ,always played out of position for me. Plus with no decent striker he was not suited to being used as one. Bet the bugger goes gangbusters at his next Club. And as one failed transfer ends ,our geniuses are offering stupid money for Joao Pedro, who is Jackson Mark 2. young, completely unproven with a bog ordinary goal scoring record. They never learn, we need a PROVEN, PROLIFIC GOALSCORING STRIKER, not another youngster with potential. Bugger me it's hardly a difficult idea to grasp.
Bloody tense game with ****ty football for most of it. Shudder to think how we'll go in the CL with this lousy football on offer. Maybe IF we ever get a proper striker then we have to be better. But Maresca will pull us down to his Championship, one dimensional style whoever plays. This game was one of the worst. Palmer ran all night straight at goal, except it was ours, and he was running away from his destination. Neto was bog ordinary, Madueke gave the ball away all night but never got one single pass to run onto. Sancho was invisible and Fernandez hopeless. Even Cucurella was off his game. Tension, fear ?? Whatever Maresca never got us playing for the win. Won't work in the CL Enzo, so start looking at better tactics and set ups cause this football is crap. We did what was needed to win and showed some character keeping a more attacking Forest at bay with a couple of close calls thrown in. Good work by all , just wish we could see them play to their strengths.
Just watched a full replay of Forest game, not at 1am but at 3 pm. Looks a lot different than the live view. Firstly , so many of our players were dross, namely Palmer, Neto, Madueke and Fernandez. Especially poor was Sancho. Thats 5 of the 11 who did bugger all. Palmer was all over the place except where he should have been. Reason? Spent the entire game looking for the ball cause nothing came to him from midfield. Absolute shambles from midfield who had no control over the play and created absolutely nothing for the forwards for the entire game.We simply cannot continue with Casiedo and Fernandez as a pairing, there is zero connection, interplay, building play, or passing that allows the forwards to do anything except get the pass facing backwards with 2 defenders on them.Casiedo does the job of 2 players as Kante did, while Fernandez disappears too often. Would be very happy to see the arse end of that bloke. Can't defend, can't score, can't create, not in the PL . Off to a slower, less competitive League he might be good. We are numbingly predictable. Pass backwards and sideways for a while among defence, then a pass to a midfielder facing backwards, back pass to defender long ball to forward who's surrounded by defenders and hoofs it towards goal where no one is waiting for it. That's it, that's our tactics. My opinion , which is worthless in the real world ,is that the Manager is utterly inept and will never ever improve this squad of potentially good players. His tactics, style and vision are miles below what is needed. You can put Osimhen up front, Van Dyke as CD, Ronaldo in midfield, and this bloke Maresca will reduce them all to mediocrity in 10 games. Rant over. Now expect us to struggle in the Micky Mouse Cup final and couldn't care anyway, be poor in the Club World Championships, and embarrassed in the CL. Hope I'm wrong but sure with a proper Manager we would be competitive in any game we play.
I think I am with you to be honest. To have spent the money we have spent, and to still have so many gaps in our squad, whilst not necessarily Maresca's fault, is shocking. So on one hand, the board need to accept some of the blame here. We went into the season with one senior recognised striker in Jackson, who whilst senior is still only 23 and in his second year of PL football. Then there is the imbalance in midfield, and this is where we are 100% in alignment, Caicedo and Fernandez are NOT a viable pairing, and its no coincidence that when Lavia was out of the squad injured and Fernandez came in, thats when our form slumped, and when Lavia came back for the last couple of months, results picked up again (if not the performances, but we'll get to that in a minute). Fernandez, you are quite right, is not suited to the PL and would be much better off in Germany or Italy, where the game is played at a lower pace. technically Fernandez is a decent player, but he doesnt have the fitness or pace to be partnered with someone like Caicedo, who has had to be a god damned workhorse in the middle part of the season due to necessity. Then there is Palmer. We all know what this kid is capable of, we saw it last season, and in the Euros for England, and in the first half of this season before Maresca's "unique" brand of football began to take hold of the squad. Unlike Fernandez, he has technical ability AND pace, fitness, good positional awareness, a great pass and can shoot. Yet Maresca's pedestrian style has seen him subdued and lethargic, and with no real focal point other than Jackson, his stats have nose dived. To have any hope of winning anything other than a two-bit, Mickey mouse European trophy, where the first opponent you play that you have even heard of, is in the final, then we need a proper striker. Not a child with potential, but someone who can hit the ground running like Osimhen. We also need a CB, and it looks like that will be Guehi, which is about right for our MO, sell him to a smaller club for £20 odd million, then buy him back 3 seasons later for £50m more than we sold him. He is a very good player now though granted. And we need a midfielder who can step in when Lavia is injured, hopefully Andrey Santos can play that part, he has been tearing **** up in Ligue 1 for Strasbourg on loan so he may be the answer to that if we dont want to spend. Then there is the keeper......Sanchez, whilst he has been okay recently, and his blunders have been minimal in recent weeks, he aint it.....he just aint. Petrovic has also done okay with Strasbourg on loan, but I am lessed convinced he is ready to step up and be No.1 for us, but we will see. Lastly, the manager...... He has said **** you to all his doubters for not believing they could make it into the CL, and okay we made it, albeit, we limped over the line and had to rely on Forest and Villa ****ting their beds in the run in and having mares. But I am still not convinced by this man. His style is way too pedestrian and lacking in penetrative play, all possession, no incision or cunning and he doesnt seem all that adaptable either. I can only hope that with better players, if the positions we require are filled with people of suitable talent, that his style will take off and we will ascend......but he has shown me nothing to be overly enthusiastic or excited about and I think there is every chance we could regress next season if we dont have a good window and make sensible recruitments, because I highly doubt Maresca is going to be the difference. In short, with a good window, I think we can get top 4 and another pot next year, but a league title is doubtful. If we get Liam Delap and a bunch of kids, then its back to fighting for a European spot by the skin of our teeth again. Please dont sign Delap, Mr Boehly. ffs please dont.......
Firstly, congratulations to the Team for turning around a Maresca First Half and winning in style playing a Chelsea Players Style second half. Maresca at least hooked Gusto who must have been still not fully fit. If it wasn't Maresco, but the players who decided to run directly and use their pace, than at least lets hope he's got the brains to see the difference !!! If Maresca told them to let rip, then Maybe, just maybe he's starting to learn how to drop his preferred style for one that works much better. The difference in the performance of players who last week were useless was a joy to behold. So one way or another, the season turned out OK in the end.
It astounds me that we can play with intensity, style and drive yet for most of the season have been slow, turgid and predictable. I think that goes to show that Maresca is the problem and when the players are allowed to play can blow anyone away. Anyway, good end to a mediocre season. Let's hope we see an improvement on this next time around.
indeed, a prime example of contrasting halves. First half was slow, turgid, laboured, lacking any dynamism, or pace. Just get the ball in front of two rows of players and pass it up and down the width of the pitch up and down, up and down. Second half, our intensity went up two notches, players were running, passes were quicker and our players were looking to get at them. First half was Maresca-ball, second half seemed like the players thought "**** this....we aint losing this".
That's exactly what it looked like to me too. Who changed it ?? We don't know, but we'll soon find out when we see how we play in the Club Comp next week. I have to watch most games in the very early hours , so re- watching 10 hours after the anger / joy have subsided, is interesting. Here's my take on things. No matter how we play, slow or properly, Badashielle is not good enough, nor is Neto , Madueke or Jackson. All are poor, slow or fast. Madueke improves with better service but has a real attitude problem , he thinks he's miles better than he is .I excuse Gusto for a horror show, he was definitely not fit enough to start. Sancho is miles better when he gets service to run onto, and invisible when he doesn't. Palmer explodes when he gets good service, frustrated when he doesn't. Casiedo is our best player every game, Fernandez is too slow, can't tackle, can't set people up, but gets into good positions. He also misses far too many easy goals, so for me, he's no match winner, just a good ,jobbing midfielder a la Mount. Defenders like Colwill and Trevoh are good solid players. I think Trevoh is the better of the two, but under Maresca, his passing, attacking and creative input is stifled. Him and Fofana would be our best pair under a better manager. Tosin is good only in certain games. So there's plenty of room for improvement in the squad. We all know a serious striker is top of the list, but for me, even more important is a midfielder who controls, attacks and can score. We have lacked such a vital player for 5 years. Fernandez isn't that player, and so for me is a bit of a luxury to carry. So on we go, Santos hopefully will get time, the South American kids look amazing, but the PL soon sorts out the show ponies from the real thoroughbreds. Have to be happy with seasons end, buggered if I know what's in store.
Andrey Santos has been out on loan to Strasbourg in Ligue 1, and he has been maginificent. If we keep him in our squad next season and give him a chance, then there is every chance he could fulfil that role. Also Estevao is coming next season, and looks great in the Brazilian league as a wide forward. I think we need 3 signings, a keeper, a striker and a centre back. I think between Lavia, Santos, Caicedo and Fernandez we will have the two centre midfield spots covered for next season. I think Guehi will be the centre back, we will buy him back from Palace. The striker will be one of Osimhen, Delap or Ekitike. Not sure about the keeper situation, but there is a ceiling for your squad if you have Sanchez or Jorgensen in goal.
Goalkeepers are always a lottery. Sanchez can make brilliant saves, but often loses the plot ,and his distribution is simply dreadful. We haven't had a world class keeper since Cech, but those are rarer than strikers !! Guehi and Colwill (or Fofana) will be excellent and Trevoh will be sold, mores the pity. Looks like Delap is becoming favourite. Not my choice, only 12 goals in all starts, under 50% average while Oshimen is over 85%. No Contest. Delap should do better with a better squad, but still unproven ands potentially not yet ready. All just talk at the moment, so we wait and see. Whoever comes and goes, it's the Manager who needs to improve big time to see us challenge again.
