Chelsea Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14

GavRedKing

Anyone wanna guess a team considering Jose said we'd start with 4 youngsters?

Basle are a decent team as we seen from the EL last season.

peteeeed

GavRedKing wrote: »

Anyone wanna guess a team considering Jose said we'd start with 4 youngsters?

Basle are a decent team as we seen from the EL last season.

cahill(our best defender this season so far), lampard and oscar back in , maybe willian might get a game and torres up front

Kess73

GavRedKing wrote: »

Anyone wanna guess a team considering Jose said we'd start with 4 youngsters?

Basle are a decent team as we seen from the EL last season.

They are not quite as strong a team as they were last year though. They sold Dragovic in the summer, and lost Xhaka in the summer of 2012.


They still have some good quality in the team, guys like Sommer, Stocker, Streller, and Diaz, and they are a very well drilled team in terms of organisation, but I don't think they are as good as they were in recent seasons.


Having said that I am looking forward to seeing how the Chelsea CBs deal with Streller and if Diaz is given time on the ball expect him to recycle play in a very quick and efficient manner as he is a lovely passer of the ball who seems to find the likes of Stocker and Frei or Degan with the kind of quick passes that gain the wide players an extra second or two.

Chelsea have the players to put away Basel in a comfortable fashion, but Jose should not chop and change too much against them imo, and should certainly put out a strong team capable of mixing it up if needed as Basel, despite not being the team they were imo, are still capable of getting a surprise result at the Bridge.

Should be a game that is easy on the eye though.

Techless

peteeeed wrote: »

cahill(our best defender this season so far), lampard and oscar back in , maybe willian might get a game and torres up front

Don't think Torres will start, thought Jose said yesterday that Ba would be starting

GavRedKing

Techless wrote: »

Don't think Torres will start, thought Jose said yesterday that Ba would be starting

Oh FFS not that donkey.

hots

Would like to see a Mata KDB and willian combo behind torres or etoo tonight, seems likea decent opportunity for rotation imo.

Kess73

hobbit of the shire wrote: »

Would like to see a Mata KDB and willian combo behind torres or etoo tonight, seems likea decent opportunity for rotation imo.

Quite a tasty trio to play behind the striker. Personally I think an interchanging trio of Mata, KDB, and Hazard looks an even more mouthwatering combination. Chelsea are certainly talent rich in the wide forward/winger/AM department, even many of your non starters for those positions would walk into very good teams in England and other top leagues.

GavRedKing

Kess73 wrote: »

Quite a tasty trio to play behind the striker. Personally I think an interchanging trio of Mata, KDB, and Hazard looks an even more mouthwatering combination. Chelsea are certainly talent rich in the wide forward/winger/AM department, even many of your non starters for those positions would walk into very good teams in England and other top leagues.

It really is an embarrasment of riches in that regard.

I honestly think if we had got Willian earlier in the window it would have forced Mata or KDB more likely, out of the club.

Hazard and Oscar look like playing the biggest games nailed on, once theyre fit so its one position between 4 players. (Mata, KDB, Willian, Schurrle)

peteeeed

good win for the youths against basel

http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3462697/title/uefa-youth-league-report-chelsea-4-basel-0

Kess73

GavRedKing wrote: »

It really is an embarrasment of riches in that regard.

I honestly think if we had got Willian earlier in the window it would have forced Mata or KDB more likely, out of the club.

Hazard and Oscar look like playing the biggest games nailed on, once theyre fit so its one position between 4 players. (Mata, KDB, Willian, Schurrle)

Really don't get how Mata is not nailed on along with Hazard. The buying of Willian baffled me tbh. Could not get the logic behind it given who Chelsea already have available (not to mention the likes of Marin etc out on loan). All I could think of was that Chelsea were doing a Bayern Munich in that they were stockpiling players to prevent the competition getting them.

It gets even more baffling when one considers that the money saved through not having one or two of them would have brought in a top class centre back and a top class midfielder (or a top class striker although I think Lukaku can become that), positions that I was sure Jose was going to fill this summer, and in doing so create a hellish team for others to play against.

GavRedKing

Kess73 wrote: »

Really don't get how Mata is not nailed on along with Hazard. The buying of Willian baffled me tbh. Could not get the logic behind it given who Chelsea already have available (not to mention the likes of Marin etc out on loan). All I could think of was that Chelsea were doing a Bayern Munich in that they were stockpiling players to prevent the competition getting them.

It gets even more baffling when one considers that the money saved through not having one or two of them would have brought in a top class centre back and a top class midfielder (or a top class striker although I think Lukaku can become that), positions that I was sure Jose was going to fill this summer, and in doing so create a hellish team for others to play against.

Im convinced Oscar could play in the double pivot but he'd need a guy in there thats well versed in sitting and not bombing on, he'd offer a deeper lying playmaker and can get forward also, something Lamps offers on a very limited basis given his age, although I dont imagine Oscar will even get to half Franks goals tally.

Taking Oscar out leaves at least 2 positions in the AM/support roles free, I'd be with you, I'd play Mata centrally and let him to his thing, Jose said he'd be playing RW cutting in but under AVB when he was out there he wasnt as effective.

I'd also agree, I'd love another proper CB and a proven striker but only if we get rid of Torres or Ba as Lukaku is the future, if not for us then somebody.

My ideal Chelsea team would probably go

Cech
Ivan Cahill JT Cole
Luiz Oscar
Willian Mata Hazard
Eto'o

Leaves guys like Schurrle, Ramires, MVG, KDB, Lamps, Torres, Azp, Bertie all fighting for places.

GavRedKing

peteeeed wrote: »

good win for the youths against basel

http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3462697/title/uefa-youth-league-report-chelsea-4-basel-0

Mitchell Beeney; Isak Ssewankambo, Andreas Christensen, Nathan Ake (c), Kevin Wright; Lewis Baker, Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Charly Musonda 63), John Swift; Alex Kiwomya, Islam Feruz, Isaiah Brown

That's a very good young squad. I'd expect those in bolded to make it in some capacity to a good team or our 1st team in the coming years.

I.Brown, got from WBA looks to be a very good young player, havent seen him myself but all the reports seem to be glowing and hes full of promise.

grumpymunster

GavRedKing wrote: »

Im convinced Oscar could play in the double pivot but he'd need a guy in there thats well versed in sitting and not bombing on, he'd offer a deeper lying playmaker and can get forward also, something Lamps offers on a very limited basis given his age, although I dont imagine Oscar will even get to half Franks goals tally.

Taking Oscar out leaves at least 2 positions in the AM/support roles free, I'd be with you, I'd play Mata centrally and let him to his thing, Jose said he'd be playing RW cutting in but under AVB when he was out there he wasnt as effective.

I'd also agree, I'd love another proper CB and a proven striker but only if we get rid of Torres or Ba as Lukaku is the future, if not for us then somebody.

My ideal Chelsea team would probably go

Cech
Ivan Cahill JT Cole
Luiz Oscar
Willian Mata Hazard
Eto'o

Leaves guys like Schurrle, Ramires, MVG, KDB, Lamps, Torres, Azp, Bertie all fighting for places.

Yea I think Oscar could be quite devastating in that position, don't see TSHO putting Luiz in beside him though

GavRedKing

grumpymunster wrote: »

Yea I think Oscar could be quite devastating in that position, don't see TSHO putting Luiz in beside him though

We've a few candidates, MVG, Lamps, Ramires, Mikel. Arguably Mikel and MVG would be the better options given there ability to sit in and let Oscar go do his thing.

Kess73

GavRedKing wrote: »

Im convinced Oscar could play in the double pivot but he'd need a guy in there thats well versed in sitting and not bombing on, he'd offer a deeper lying playmaker and can get forward also, something Lamps offers on a very limited basis given his age, although I dont imagine Oscar will even get to half Franks goals tally.

Taking Oscar out leaves at least 2 positions in the AM/support roles free, I'd be with you, I'd play Mata centrally and let him to his thing, Jose said he'd be playing RW cutting in but under AVB when he was out there he wasnt as effective.

I'd also agree, I'd love another proper CB and a proven striker but only if we get rid of Torres or Ba as Lukaku is the future, if not for us then somebody.

My ideal Chelsea team would probably go

Cech
Ivan Cahill JT Cole
Luiz Oscar
Willian Mata Hazard
Eto'o

Leaves guys like Schurrle, Ramires, MVG, KDB, Lamps, Torres, Azp, Bertie all fighting for places.

As a non Chelsea fan looking in, I think my ideal Chelsea starting XI from your current squad, and excluding those on loan, would be

---

Cech

---

Ivanovic----Luiz----Cahill

---

Cole

---

Ramires----Oscar

---

KDB

---

Mata

---

Hazard

---

Eto'o

---

Midfield might lack a little bite, but I think Ramires is a very good player whose engine might make up for that.

Scary to think though that Lukaku and Courtois cannot get near your first team. Maybe understandable with Courtois as Cech is still class imo, but Lukaku not being played due to your current options??? That makes nada sense.

GavRedKing

Agree Kess, although if he can get near his WBA displays for Everton then hopefully Ba and Eto and Torres maybe gone next year and he'll be given a chance.

He certainly deserves and if he continues to improve he'll surely be played.

McDave

GavRedKing wrote: »

Im convinced Oscar could play in the double pivot but he'd need a guy in there thats well versed in sitting and not bombing on, he'd offer a deeper lying playmaker and can get forward also, something Lamps offers on a very limited basis given his age, although I dont imagine Oscar will even get to half Franks goals tally.

Taking Oscar out leaves at least 2 positions in the AM/support roles free, I'd be with you, I'd play Mata centrally and let him to his thing, Jose said he'd be playing RW cutting in but under AVB when he was out there he wasnt as effective.

I'd also agree, I'd love another proper CB and a proven striker but only if we get rid of Torres or Ba as Lukaku is the future, if not for us then somebody.

My ideal Chelsea team would probably go

Cech
Ivan Cahill JT Cole
Luiz Oscar
Willian Mata Hazard
Eto'o

Leaves guys like Schurrle, Ramires, MVG, KDB, Lamps, Torres, Azp, Bertie all fighting for places.

It'll be interesting to see who Jose selects for the UCL matches. If he gives Torres, Mata and Luiz (all players who seem to thrive on the European stage) plenty of game time and they deliver, it might be a clue to their longer term prospects.

Luiz in particular has the big game temperament. Torres has a decent strike rate in Europe. The passing game in which Mata excels is also an effective option at this level.

peteeeed

team

cech
ivan luiz cahill cole
van ginkel lampard
oscar willian hazard
eto

Panthro

peteeeed wrote: »

team

cech
ivan luiz cahill cole
van ginkel lampard
oscar willian hazard
eto

I though Willian would be zipping up and down a wing?

peteeeed

Panthro wrote: »

I though Willian would be zipping up and down a wing?

could be so, i just typed as it was named

Panthro

peteeeed wrote: »

could be so, i just typed as it was named

I'm looking forward to seeing how he gets on.

peteeeed

subs:Mark Schwarzer, 28 Cesar Azpilicueta, 26 John Terry, 12 John Mikel Obi, 15 Kevin De Bruyne, 10 Juan Mata, 29 Demba Ba.

Mr Alan

Rafa in!

djPSB

Mourinho would want to stop talking pony and start winning games.

Squad is tremendously unbalanced.

Eggs are well and truly cracked.

homer simpson

Long time since I seen a Chelsea team play so disjointed.

getuponthis

How can we be so ****e now compared to when we played bayern in the super cup!? Were All over the shop!

Garzorico

getuponthis wrote: »

How can we be so ****e now compared to when we played bayern in the super cup!? Were All over the shop!

Jose is how.

Gonzovision

Overreaction much? Lots of new players, different system, need time to settle. Be grand.

McDave

W2, D1, L3 in all competitions. 7 for (1 og), 6 against. 1 goal from a recognised striker - Torres against Bayern.

That's an emerging pattern, and worse than last year so far. No one really stepping up. No goal from Etoo in two games. He'd better get a couple soon or he's headed down the Torres/Ba route.

Maybe everyone's having problems adjusting, but it can't go on like this indefinitely. Looks like a tough Autumn, with quite a few heading for the exit in January. Who does Jose need in the squad now, and can he get them?

Grim days, and an unwelcome return of anxiety.

shamrock55

This chelsea team is a pile of s**** that display tonight was nothing short of embarrasing too many over hyped overpaid pre madonnas, jose hasnt a clue

Garzorico

Gonzovision wrote: »

Overreaction much? Lots of new players, different system, need time to settle. Be grand.

Lots of new players....hmm. I'm not sure about that. There's a pattern emerging.

Killinator

shamrock55 wrote: »

This chelsea team is a pile of s**** that display tonight was nothing short of embarrasing too many over hyped overpaid pre madonnas, jose hasnt a clue

That's quite alot of overreaction in one post from someone who isn't the monkey!

the_monkey

shamrock55 wrote: »

This chelsea team is a pile of s**** that display tonight was nothing short of embarrasing too many over hyped overpaid pre madonnas, jose hasnt a clue

we should exchange numbers !!!

we would get along great!!

McDave

Gonzovision wrote: »

Overreaction much? Lots of new players, different system, need time to settle. Be grand.

Jose has a blueprint in mind. He knows certain players don't fit. He'll have his mind made up in a few more matches. They'll gradually slip out of the squad. There'll be additions in January. And a slew of changes next May.

In the meantime let's hope we don't fall too far off the premiership pace, and that we qualify for the UCL last 16. It could feel like last season very quickly.

the_monkey

All I'll say is I remember last year the same match when we were 2-0 up v Juventus and they drew 2-2 - somehow I knew we were out of Europe at that stage, and I was right.

I hope it won't happen this time, but lets all be honest here - and call me negative if you want, but if we can't beat Basel at home - the writing is on the wall.

At least with Juventus it was a top European side, this in effect is losing at home to Bohemians - sorry I don't want to insult the Bohs fans- they probably would have won 4-1

It wouldn't surprise me if Mr. Trigger happy Abromavich sacked Mourinho.

I hope not, but with this club, nothing would surprise me.


My god the last few weeks in all of sport have been absolutely horrible for me.

GavRedKing

Mourinho wont be sacked, weve a pppr ucl group so we should qualify and the league is wide open. dont push the panic button just yet lads.

If we dont beat Fulham there'll be hell to pay, the love in for jose is over the tough work and tough calls have to start 2mrw and certain players and systems have to go.

Killinator

GavRedKing wrote: »

Mourinho wont be sacked, weve a pppr ucl group so we should qualify and the league is wide open. dont push the panic button just yet lads.

If we dont beat Fulham there'll be hell to pay, the love in for jose is over the tough work and tough calls have to start 2mrw and certain players and systems have to go.

Everybody have a breather, take a few days off and regroup on Saturday with 3 new ideas each

grumpymunster

This team has been on the slide since Carlo done the double. TSHO (maybe not so happy at the moment) will not change it overnight, very few positives van genkel should have been hauled ashore at half time it was obvious he was out of his depth. Hazard and Cole were woeful why was lamps subbed and not Haz strange that.

Still onwards we go keep the faith

doc_17

Wonder how this thread would look if there was another manager in charge.

Killinator

doc_17 wrote: »

Wonder how this thread would look if there was another manager in charge.

It's not someone else though!

Panthro

doc_17 wrote: »

Wonder how this thread would look if there was another manager in charge.

Trap OUT!

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Panthro

Hope to see Torres lead the line against Fulham, Oscar in behind him, Hazard to the left, KdB assassin to the right.
Lampard and Ramires holding.
Oh yeah.
I'm not convinced by the Anzhi contingent either, bring back Lukaku and Moses!

Garzorico

the_monkey wrote: »

All I'll say is I remember last year the same match when we were 2-0 up v Juventus and they drew 2-2 - somehow I knew we were out of Europe at that stage, and I was right.

I hope it won't happen this time, but lets all be honest here - and call me negative if you want, but if we can't beat Basel at home - the writing is on the wall.

At least with Juventus it was a top European side, this in effect is losing at home to Bohemians - sorry I don't want to insult the Bohs fans- they probably would have won 4-1

It wouldn't surprise me if Mr. Trigger happy Abromavich sacked Mourinho.

I hope not, but with this club, nothing would surprise me.


My god the last few weeks in all of sport have been absolutely horrible for me.

I reckon we are close to being out. This was Basel. Basel!

Andersonisgod

Panthro wrote: »

Hope to see Torres lead the line against Fulham, Oscar in behind him, Hazard to the left, KdB assassin to the right.
Lampard and Ramires holding.
Oh yeah.
I'm not convinced by the Anzhi contingent either, bring back Lukaku and Moses!

Eto'o had 2 games, Willian's had 1, lets be logical here.

Drexel

Bad loss but not a disaster. I'd still fancy Chelsea to go through. Prob will still too the group.

Can Chelsea get lukalu back!!

Panthro

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Eto'o had 2 games, Willian's had 1, lets be logical here.

Lets.
We need a win.

DazMarz

The sterile-domination theory of Barcelona seemed to be at work in Stamford Bridge tonight; large passages of play where Chelsea held huge amounts of possession and it was all for nought. Oscar was inspired tonight, the rest of them, less so. Eto'o was a huge mistake, I said that from the get-go. Now it's being proven. Demba Ba with an illustrious past. No good at the moment.

That said, one bad performance does not a bad season make; not even two bad performances in a row can make a bad season. A couple of wins and the ship gets steadied and all will be rosy again. We are not even past September yet. There is absolutely no reason for panic at all.

If similar dodgy patches are happening come November/December, then hit the panic button and start wailing. Because I know I will be.

GavRedKing

Look jose wont be sacked he wont walk. im assuming he knows the problem areas, for me its cf and cb. were not solid enough at the back amd we dont have a goal scorer, firthermore, weve about 40 playmakers but none can pick a final ball and the only fella that can isnt deemed a team player if thats the case on tonights show theres about 3 team players and a load of indiviudals in our ranks. the sooner jose can identify who he wants and what system he wants the better. i dont care if players leave or get pissed off its all about the team and the sooner we start putting a sequence together the better. the one thing jose is good at, team spirit, seems to be lacking in abundance. maybe players wanna one up the other guy in the team as theres no cohessive spirit at all and its costing us.

Andersonisgod

DazMarz wrote: »

The sterile-domination theory of Barcelona seemed to be at work in Stamford Bridge tonight; large passages of play where Chelsea held huge amounts of possession and it was all for nought. Oscar was inspired tonight, the rest of them, less so. Eto'o was a huge mistake, I said that from the get-go. Now it's being proven. Demba Ba with an illustrious past. No good at the moment.

That said, one bad performance does not a bad season make; not even two bad performances in a row can make a bad season. A couple of wins and the ship gets steadied and all will be rosy again. We are not even past September yet. There is absolutely no reason for panic at all.

If similar dodgy patches are happening come November/December, then hit the panic button and start wailing. Because I know I will be.

I am going to intercede here. That was not a Barcelona like display, the only similarities I can draw between the two was that both were played with 11 players and both were taking part in a game of football. While Barcelona can occasionally adopt a more conservative passing game, they will all be on the same page and they will still work the ball around the pitch cohesively. Tonight was a fractured and subdued Chelsea performance, there just seemed to be a lack of energy, a lack of movement off the ball, an unwillingness to make runs off the ball and some shocking performances and mistakes thrown into the mix and you end up wih a 2-1 defeat to Basel at home.