Jeremy Clarkson is a Chelsea fan…
An odious cunt becomes even more unlikeable right before my eyes…
Thing was in that 25 mins after our game ended I didn’t see Chelsea enter the Man United half they were being bossed by a team not in the best of shape themselves.
And the stats are half time looked about as one sided as they could be bar the score.
City and fullbacks?
1 Like
Dropping two points against these just keeps on looking worse
1 Like
They’re better against the good teams. They also drew with both Arsenal and Man City.
4 Likes
I may have to revise my expectation. I thought Poch was a good manager. He still might kick on at Chelsea, but so far there isn’t nearly enough of a sign that he is getting to grips with it and getting a tune out of them.
OK, the whole recruitment side of it is ridiculous, but you would have to think that if someone ran through a supermarket and stuffed three trolleys full of random groceries, a decent chef would be able to size it up and make a decent meal.
1 Like
Or maybe we would have to think analogies have limits. 
It a clown’s club, probably hard to salvage anything, and we have no idea how free to operate is Poch.
1 Like
Shame he didn’t get the Man Utd job when he was talked.
1 Like
It is really odd. Overall, I would say his Spurs teams outperformed or at least reached their talent level. I don’t think there was a year where you would have called them a favourite in the league. They appeared to be progressing year over year in Europe. But his PSG teams were never the sum of their parts, and did not appear to be making any progress at all. This Chelsea side is just a mess.
2 Likes
I think certain managers match certain teams. They looked the worse I’ve seen last night. So whatever is happening it’s getting worse.
1 Like
I thought I could see signs of life with that win over Spurs followed by holding City to a draw. But they were poor against Newcastle and just plain awful versus ManU.
Whoever made the Caicedo recommendation must be avoiding eye contact at Melwood these days. Caicedo doesn’t even look like a PL-level player now. I was surprised to see he was only called for 3 fouls, because it seemed like his only way to tackle was by fouling. But he is credited with 6 tackles, so he must have been saving the fouls for the stupid areas.
2 Likes
That was pretty much Poch when he was at Tottenham.
Caicedo is still an excellent player, but Chelsea are a complete mess. They haven’t done any better when he’s missed out - battered by Newcastle and a 10 man West Ham, whilst drawing to us and Bournemouth.
I’m not convinced he’s playing in the correct position either. Kante wasn’t a 6, neither is Caicedo. He needs to be hunting the ball down to be at his best, not just sitting in front of the defence.
He’d have been great here.
4 Likes
I think Fernandez and Caicedo in a double-pivot makes sense. Two different players, but both can do a bit of everything. Put them two in a functional team that has cohesion and experience playing together, it could work to a high level I believe. We’ll see if they try the 4-3-3 structure in some bigger games, maybe when Lavia is back. But Palmer is showing very good stuff, can’t leave him out right now (regardless if he plays inside right or as the #10). Chelsea are too wild anyway, they start from zero (which is a bit perverse to say, given the money spent recently) so often.
Caicedo at Chelsea is reminding me of his predecessor at Brighton, Bissouma, when he moved to Tottenham.
Bissouma was pretty much written off by Spurs fans as multiple managers didn’t understand him and just expected him to sit in next to Hojberg and be really solid.
Now that they have a manager who avtually allows him to play higher up, hunt the ball and do what he’s best at then he suddenly looks brilliant again.
Klopp wouldn’t tie Caicedo down to a DM role. Much like Mac Allister, even Endo, in the 6 the expectation is to win the ball and set the tempo not simply hold the middle of the pitch.
8 Likes
The likes of Caicedo would be performing very well for us.
Whether a Caicedo is worth the money that Chelsea paid ? Nope.
Glad he’s failing. Chelsea are shit.
I think the intent by Poch is to replicate the no specific DM style that Liverpool are playing as but without relying on one of the WBs transitioning into the midfield role.
The likes of Arsenal , City have similar tactics as well with one or both the wingbacks often going inside and positioning themselves as a DM.
Liverpool’s strongest midfield trio would be *injuries permitting
Mac / Gravenberch / Soboszlai
And none of the three are DMs even thought they do take on the some of the duties with one of (Mac/Graven) staying and forming a double pivot of sorts to TAA when he transitions to midfield.
Chelsea however aren’t following this tactic of the wingbacks joining the center of the field and creating a midfield overload. That’s causing the likes of Caicedo , Enzo and the third midfielder to get crowded out and losing the midfield battle and is explaining the desperation tackles leading to fouls.
It isn’t for lack of effort. He’s putting in the effort but the tactics of Poch are letting Chelsea down.
There’s enough defensive bite in them two. Caicedo perhaps isn’t a single pivot #6 for all kinds of teams, but we were in for him for a record price. I don’t think Mac would’ve played deeper than him.
Chelsea’s best XI would probably have them playing Nkunku central between midfield and the striker, Palmer as a more combining player between the lines inside right and a more direct player on the left (Sterling).
This is roughly us when attacking with the #5 being the RB Trent. We create a 4vs3 situation in the midfield and other teams are doing the same vs Chelsea. (As in overloading the midfield albeit in various ways)
Chelsea are losing the battle of numbers there a bit similar to some of Liverpool’s midfield issues last year.
And needless to say the dots in blues represents the blueshits
