Yeah, he’ll be gone by Tuesday. Probably replaced by Mbappe.
2 Likes
I was busy and couldn’t watch the match live, just finished it. Whilst we are an industrious side in defense and transition, our presence in the final third feels very pedestrian and sterile. The formula to hold is at bay is very simple… play deep and compact.
This is the Achilles of our play since the end of the league title season.
The jostling on corners is a joke. Break up the scrum as it doesn’t produce any decent attempts. So spread out in the box and create some chances. A 10-man dogpile at the spot achieves nothing in attack.
I cannot believe how predictable we are, but when you don’t make any personnel changes or formation changes or player rotation then you will remain stagnant
2 Likes
Missed some gilt-edged chances today. Hendo’s early volley (not that it was an easy chance, but he’s in alone), Elliott’s bouncer in front of goal (also not easy, but he might have done better). We created pretty well in the first half. Feels like two points dropped with the sending off, but Chelsea have the quality to keep it level in such a situation.
Enjoyed the way the triumvirate of Fab, VVD and Matip squelched Lukaku.
1 Like
It’s all I ask
Note to self: do not wear new training jacket ever again.
4 Likes
Depends on what you believe (and I’m in your camp).
Some will say we won the title with this group of players, so can do it again.
Some will say we can’t really improve on the playing group we have.
Some say that if we can buy players to improve, then those players are too expensive.
Some say that we could have won it last year had it not been for all of the injuries.
Some say we should trust in Klopp’s tactics/formation and player evaluation because it’s worked before.
IMO, we definitely need someone else to rotate with the first choice front 3. A Doku or a Sarr type with explosive pace and more suited to the wing, who would definitely push Mane. (not sure if Sarr could play on the left).
I also think we need to change our formation and attack at times, because we are sometimes way to predictable.
The game keeps evolving, opposition teams/managers work out our systems and know what to expect, whether it be from the player they always come up against or the tactics in front of them.
More often than not, what we do works, but to go that extra step we need something that will take us to that slightly higher level.
2 Likes
Ran out of ideas in the end, 2 points dropped. Was really surprised not to see Ox or Naby for Harvey for the last 15 mins when he looked tired and was really deferring everything to his teammates.
Great show of confidence in Harvey to start him but I would have changed it up with 15-20 to go when it was obvious we needed some fresh legs. Thiago was a good sub but he doesnt bring energy and tempo which we badly needed.
Have to say the league needs to do something about the way Chelsea and in particular Azpilucueta and Jorginho surround the Ref whenever a decision doesn’t go their way.
They where a disgrace today and something needs to be done about it to stamp it out of the game. Chelsea’s behavior in general diving and going down with no contact at all and the muppet ref fell for it every time. Wasting time constantly and then only adding 3 mins in the first and second halves for injury time.
Having watched alot of games in the first two weeks the Refs have been great no soft fouls or pens and telling the divers to get up. I genuinely thought it was going to be stamped out all together but for whatever reason the ref let Chelsea get away with play acting all game. No wonder players get frustrated we essentially played Rugby with Burnley last week and this week we breathe on a Chelsea player and its a foul.
3 Likes
I thought Harvey had a very good 1st half and the 2nd he was like all our other attacking efforts … ineffective
1 Like
Hard to tell how I feel about this one…
This early in the season I guess I’m ok. Disappointed but s**t happens.
Wanted 3 points but in retrospect 1 is ok.
It’s early.
We take the point, dust ourselves off and move on.
Well done lads.
YNWA
1 Like
This game is not the only game that is must win, every game, even against the Burnleys and Palaces are must wins. Of course against such a strong rival and where everyone is lauding them as front runners for the league, it would have been great to crush their morale but lets not lose sight of what is important for us overall, we drop 2 points here, but there are still 105 more points for us to win.
1 Like
Mane has been poor for ages now… Shades of Balotelli in him these days… Crying for the ball, showboat, lose the ball and foul the opponent. He is just doing this game afer game. I am sure with Ox in for the second half and Tsimikas atleast 30 minutes earlier we would have won this. Atleast Hendo should have stayed and Klopp should have atleast got in Ox for Mane then.
1 Like
The goal we conceded was actually real bad defending. Very bad marking and could have been avoided. Something to improve upon, else we’ll end up conceding more in similar fashion.
On top of it, it was a header that made the ball dip just perfect to avoid Alisson and into the top corner. 9/10 times that doesn’t go in.
3 Likes
Agree about crowding the ref. Terrible example for young players, there was 5-6 players in his face at times. They can have few complaints about the pen and send off really.
2 Likes
Tsimikas should continue to start in the next few matches.
4 Likes
Anthony Taylor was terrible. He misses the pen and needs VAR to correct him, and got so many of the foul calls wrong. Not a good day at the office for him.
Elliott is a thrilling player to watch. Incisive passing and he knows how to exploit space. Very confident on the ball. And he’s only 18. He could become a special player for this club.
Hopefully Bobby’s scans are unremarkable. But if he is hurt, you have to wonder if that’ll persuade Edwards to dip into the market before the deadline.
1 Like
I agree that we need an extra option upfront after Jota we don’t have much
3 Likes
Mane in the second half today is the reason why we need another front option. Frankly it may be time to give Jota a start in that position. Bobby getting injured is worrying for sure, 2 days left in the window and we now might need to really think here about a central attack option.
Why is Elliott even starting this game. Regardless of his performance last week, this is Chelsea, we should have started Keita, Thiago or Ox instead. Have Elliott come on as a sub he might have been able to change the game that way. Especially on the wing rather than in midfield.
On a positive front at least Van dijk looked ok. Good to see fab back. Tsimikas got another game albeit off the bench, still it was good to see him play too.
Yeah this is probably the most concerning thing in the squad right now.
3 Likes
We need a different option up front…someone who can dominate in the air.
For the last ten minutes yesterday I would have replaced Mane with Konate or Gomez and put VVD up centre forward. Crosses were eaten up by Mendy and their defenders were having it too easy.
1 Like
Agreed. A different option. Someone who can dominate in the air or someone speedy who can take the ball past players to break up the defence. I am thinking Sarr or Adana Traore.
One of the oldest cliches in football is that it’s often harder to break down 10 men than 11. Pretty much perfectly demonstrated yesterday. Those bastard pigs just sat in their house of bricks and no amount of huffing and puffing could blow them away. We’re not the first team to struggle and we won’t be the last.
The media wankfest over Chelsea’s defensive masterclass is sickening though. It was backs to the wall desperation, not some glorious Italianesque protection racket.
General consensus
We played pretty well
Mane ho and hum
Lucky goal for them (misplaced flick on)
Elliot hello baby
Ox not trusted
Trent and AR still rusty
A fit Mattip next to VVD is world class
We need to sign some TNT
And my one contentious positive, that was by no means a stone wall penalty and red card. I think the pink pixie in the sky that runs VAR smiled on us today.