Chelsea Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2013/14

GavRedKing

Given weve had a good preseason and 2 of the stars, KdB and lukaku arent featuring at all now our performances have hit a ceiling which is a disgrace were playing like a team thats not good enough for top 6 in the last 180 mins. maybe we're expecting more bit we really should be getting more too.

Too Tough To Die

Can't help feeling Chelsea would've been better off holding onto Benitez.

mike65

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

Can't help feeling Chelsea would've been better off holding onto Benitez.

Now now, the Chosen One will always trump ex Interim One. We all know that.

Tubbs4

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!

only in janurary a I think. Hope he bangs in goals for Everton and we give them pick of the striker's in exchange

GavRedKing

Courtois and Atletico had a good win tonight. 3-1 against Zenit.

GavRedKing

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

Can't help feeling Chelsea would've been better off holding onto Benitez.

Nah Jose > Rafa. Even Rafa wouldnt have stayed I reckon.

Essien

Now I was 100% behind Rafa when he was at Chelsea but there's now way I'd take him over Jose, not a chance.

It's still September FFS

GavRedKing

Nothing short of beating Fulham will somewhat mean a return to the norm.

City are hosting Utd so ideally a draw there would cost both teams, Liverpool home to Southampton and Arsenal are home to Stoke.

Although if we drop points to Fulham and those above us win we'll be in a poor position even if it is very early doors.

Wonder what the media are saying after last night, off to check the online papers.

GavRedKing

This about sums up our early start to the season.

the failure to get a striker – or retain Lukaku – looks very, very expensive.

Eto'o could take a few weeks to get back to full sharoness and fitness, weeks we cant afford, Torres and Ba are of a level and wont improve greatly on last seasons exploits.

We missed JTs influence last night and MVG was bypassed too easily, his only contributions were to get booked and get taken off, Willian didnt play well and Hazard was like watching a talented Kalou, frustrating as f**k as he made wrong decision after wrong decision.

peteeeed

i think last night was a match where you really realise what ramieres does for the team, van ginkel and lampard just didn't cover the grass
mata looks well off the pace, hazard had an off night as did cole which meant basle had a field day on our left hand side,KDB i thought might have brought something different down the left to hazard who was struggling
thought willian looked good and showed a willingness to get to the by line and cross , also showed he's a bit of a flyer too.
its pretty obvious that jose hasn't got a team who he knows and trusts yet but i hope he gets it soon,

3 points Saturday and an away win the champions league next time out please

GavRedKing

Look at our upcoming games :

Fulham - H
Swindon - A
Spurs - A
Norwich - A
Cardiff - H
Schalke - A
City - H


Those games bring us right up to the start of November, Spurs and City are very difficult games and could go a long way to show where we are as a group.

peteeeed

GavRedKing wrote: »

Look at our upcoming games :

Fulham - H
Swindon - A
Spurs - A
Norwich - A
Cardiff - H
Schalke - A
City - H


Those games bring us right up to the start of November, Spurs and City are very difficult games and could go a long way to show where we are as a group.

the only thing is i think spurs are in the same boat as us with new players coming in, was talking to a guy who was at their match against norwich last weekend and he said they were not good at all and ground out the win
i would hope over the next 2 weeks we will get our act together , maybe terry and cahill as the 2 CB's . solid and have a good relationship, also dave at RB should be given a go, i know ivan is 100% a jose type player but he's quality of crossing was not good last night but you just have to love the guy for his commitment

GavRedKing

peteeeed wrote: »

the only thing is i think spurs are in the same boat as us with new players coming in, was talking to a guy who was at their match against norwich last weekend and he said they were not good at all and ground out the win
i would hope over the next 2 weeks we will get our act together , maybe terry and cahill as the 2 CB's . solid and have a good relationship, also dave at RB should be given a go, i know ivan is 100% a jose type player but he's quality of crossing was not good last night but you just have to love the guy for his commitment

I'd expect a change for the Swindon game, Bertie and Dave will probably start, actually FB's seem to be the only constant in Jose's team so far, as long as Cole and Ivan are fit theyll play which is a shame as Ivan doesnt offer an attacking threat from open play that a more natural FB would.

Beat Fulham, rest 11 against Swindon and beat Spurs and we'll be laughing, ourselves, City and Spurs have been poor to very poor in the EPL at times this season, its only a matter of time before either kick on, I just hope we do 1st as I'd hate to be playing catch up so early on.

Sugarlumps

peteeeed wrote: »

the only thing is i think spurs are in the same boat as us with new players coming in, was talking to a guy who was at their match against norwich last weekend and he said they were not good at all and ground out the win
i would hope over the next 2 weeks we will get our act together , maybe terry and cahill as the 2 CB's . solid and have a good relationship, also dave at RB should be given a go, i know ivan is 100% a jose type player but he's quality of crossing was not good last night but you just have to love the guy for his commitment

Was the guy on acid and dribbling from the mouth, did you not see any highlights or read a match report? We were majestical.

peteeeed

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Was the guy on acid and dribbling from the mouth, did you not see any highlights or read a match report? We were majestical.

i'm only going on what he told me , he was at the game

GavRedKing

peteeeed wrote: »

i'm only going on what he told me , he was at the game

Dont scare him off, its very rare for a Spurs fan to pop into the SF, there natural hunting ground is over in their own forum where they feel safe, I assume.

On Spurs, they've a raft of new signings also so they havent hit top gear yet so it'll make for an interesting game when it rolls around.

peteeeed

GavRedKing wrote: »

Dont scare him off, its very rare for a Spurs fan to pop into the SF, there natural hunting ground is over in their own forum where they feel safe, I assume.

On Spurs, they've a raft of new signings also so they havent hit top gear yet so it'll make for an interesting game when it rolls around.

3 point lane as we call it

KingdomYid

peteeeed wrote: »

i'm only going on what he told me , he was at the game

Was at the game myself last Saturday and in fairness I have never felt so comfortable for 90 minutes watching a game. It was far from grinding out a result, granted we could have scored a couple more.

GavRedKing

peteeeed wrote: »

3 point lane as we call it

Only returned last year after about a 3 year absence. :pac:

It'll be very hard to get 3 points their this season anyway.

bullpost

From where I'm sitting it will be hard to get 3 points anywhere anytime soon

GavRedKing wrote: »

Only returned last year after about a 3 year absence. :pac:

It'll be very hard to get 3 points their this season anyway.

GavRedKing

bullpost wrote: »

From where I'm sitting it will be hard to get 3 points anywhere anytime soon

Fulham at the Bridge is omething you'd expect us to win anyway.

Ideally we'd play with width and creativity.

Torres
Hazard Oscar Mata
Mikel Ramires
Cole JT Luiz Azp
Cech


Plenty of width and support from the flanks in that team.

duploelabs

I'd swap hazard for willian as eden wasn't great last night

GavRedKing wrote: »

Fulham at the Bridge is omething you'd expect us to win anyway.

Ideally we'd play with width and creativity.

Torres
Hazard Oscar Mata
Mikel Ramires
Cole JT Luiz Azp
Cech


Plenty of width and support from the flanks in that team.

GavRedKing

duploelabs wrote: »

I'd swap hazard for willian as eden wasn't great last night

True, even KDB will be staking a claim for a starting spot I reckon.

greendom

GavRedKing wrote: »

True, even KDB will be staking a claim for a starting spot I reckon.

Actually just wondering about Hazard from a fantasy football perspective. Just doesn't seem to be performing so far this season and thinking of getting rid.

Any views on what's going on with him at the moment ?

GavRedKing

greendom wrote: »

Actually just wondering about Hazard from a fantasy football perspective. Just doesn't seem to be performing so far this season and thinking of getting rid.

Any views on what's going on with him at the moment ?

He was MOTM against Hull and he hasnt really been seen since, its a weird one really.

I'd probably advise to get rid, only on the basis that if Jose doesnt know the best XI, we've no chance of second guessing it at this stage, especially in the 3 support roles considering we've about 8 options for that part of the pitch.

the_monkey

Positive article ..

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/19/chelsea-jose-mourinho

Chelsea are not in crisis: they are learning to adapt under José Mourinho

No big league manager will ever get five years to build a team again – especially at Chelsea – but these are resourceful and intelligent players and the picture can change very quickly



Chelsea aren't actually that bad

It might sound like heresy given the unrelenting solipsism of the José-centred universe, but the most striking moment at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night had little to do with Chelsea or Mourinho. It was instead the spectacle of Basel's players in the moment of victory, a well-grooved team taking genuine pleasure in a performance of craft and unstinting energy. There were shrieks and hugs and even a low key on-spec bundle near the touchline. Basel are in effect a kind of anti-Chelsea, a team that sets its sights on achieving beyond the sum of its parts, and for whom continuity and internal coherence are vital. They played very well, as they have previously against Manchester United and Tottenham, and Chelsea came up against a team that was ready for them, as they had at Everton (where in fairness they might also have been 4-0 up by half-time). Basel and Everton deserve some credit but it would surely be more worrying for football generally if Mourinho were able to stride back into Stamford Bridge, take a squad that he clearly feels is lacking and simply start winning every week from a standing start. Football remains relentlessly competitive, and still resistant to being pushed around. This may or may not end up as a crisis for Chelsea. But it is also a sign of wider footballing health.

They will also get better

The eggs business: yes Chelsea's average age against Basel was 28, with a combined 693 international caps between them plus every single major it is possible to win in football. But what Mourinho meant by his post-match comments was that his squad lacks certain qualities assertiveness and drive, which explains in part the eagerness to sign Wayne Rooney, who might have provided this kind of bolt-on big-ego physicality. Against this football is not a computer game and even Chelsea are allowed a little margin for uncertainty. The match against Basel was Marco van Ginkel's third for the club. It was Samuel Eto'o's second and Willian's debut. There were plenty – not least in these pages – who were quick to ridicule the amount of money paid for Didier Drogba in the opening weeks of Mourinho's first spell in charge. No big league manager will ever get five years to build a team again – at Chelsea you'd better be getting somewhere by mid-November – but these are resourceful and intelligent players and the picture can change very quickly.

Chelsea will sign a striker

There are those who say the problems run deeper, that Mourinho has a systemic flaw as a manager, a failure to embrace a more creative way of playing, basing his team's attacking patterns around rigid and outmoded tactical notions. But for Mourinho this has always been a business not of footballing principle but of wrangling results, a succession of big moments that make up a season (at the end of which he generally gets to lift up at least one large piece of metal). He likes proper strikers and Chelsea will not give up on the idea of buying one. Romelu Lukaku remains on the staff, but that ship, a little bafflingly, would appear to have sailed for now. They will instead try to buy a go-to big-money, scruff-of-the-neck centre-forward, probably in January.

The squad is already very strong

In the aftermath of consecutive defeats it is easy to cast Chelsea's squad as unbalanced. But the fact is squads are always unbalanced. Manchester City lack central defenders. Manchester United – whose midfield looks pretty decent suddenly – lack midfielders. Arsenal's inability to stop winning right now is clearly an affront against nature, given their basic lack of pretty much everything. Barcelona have been short of a great hairy beast of a centre-half and an old-fashioned target man for at least a decade now, absences which have no doubt taken the shine off their many glorious successes over the same period. And so Chelsea have too many soft-shoed attacking midfielders for their own good. They're downing in guile, the presence of Juan Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Schürrle, Kevin De Bruyne, Willian and – oh, go on then – Josh McEachran not just excessive, but a most unMourinho-like descent into prettiness at the expense of something more muscular. And yet despite this many of these terribly unbalanced squads are going to end up winning trophies this season. Chelsea's squad is still very strong. The challenge is simply to locate and manage its limits and its strengths.

Mourinho is quite good at all this

It is worth remembering the one man who seemed to see the defeat by Basel coming was Mourinho himself. There is perhaps an indicator here, having diagnosed a pre-existing weakness, of how quickly Mourinho might be able adapt and learn. The standard division of opinion on Chelsea's manager would have it that he's either a bold brush, personality-driven footballing genius, or a kind of bullying chancer, a footballing Simon Cowell with no real fine-point methodology beyond a scrabble for self-aggrandising victory. As ever the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Mourinho has always adapted. His first Chelsea team had plenty of variation, from the attacking élan of Robben-Duff to the occasional defensive smothering. Mourinho's Internazionale beat Barcelona and then Bayern playing two very different ways. And beyond the bluster and the celebrified babble a talented manager is now faced with a period of trial and adaptation. This is not a crisis: it is simply football. It will be fascinating to watch.

Sorry if already posted

grumpymunster

I mentioned it last night, this team has been on the slide for sometime it will not be corrected overnight. TSHO has not become a bad manager overnight but he is still trying to get the blend of youth and experience right and he will get there.

Good article monkey keep the faith chaps.

GavRedKing

I feel sorry for Fulham, I cant see us dropping more points at home, not starting on Saturday anyway and Fulham could well be cannon fodder if we get it right, if we can create the chances like we did against Everton and finish 50% we'll win by 3 or 4 goals.

McDave

grumpymunster wrote: »

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

We've made the most of a declining squad since Ancelotti. Mourinho knows this. That's why the word went straight out in July that the new untouchables were not untouchable (notably Mata, who didn't get an immediate Jose endorsement like, say, Ramires did).

Mourinho knows full well that a CFC committee constructed a tiki taka-style midfield to attract Guardiola. It was a failed stratagem, and some of those acquisitions just don't fit in to Jose's vision.

Abramovich knows what Mou has in mind, and will back him pretty much up to the hilt. If he went to the dressingroom last night, it was to put players on notice. UCL last-16 is an imperative. As is top 3 in the premiership. Jose can probably mould the existing squad into delivering those objectives, but much bigger changes are afoot once those revenue hurdles have been safely negotiated.

Instead of an interim manager, we have an interim squad. And an uncomfortable season for players and supporters alike.

Bleating Lamb

Am a Man Utd fan but it doesn't make any sense to me how the majority of Chelsea fans don't rate Demba Ba,he had a superb record living off scraps a lot of the time at Newcastle,surely if he was given a decent run of games at Chelsea he would start to score goals??

dfx-

the_monkey wrote: »

Positive article ..

Problem there is the author of the article..who'd argue against the most clear cut of things. Just for the sake of arguing or going against a consensus.

GavRedKing

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Am a Man Utd fan but it doesn't make any sense to me how the majority of Chelsea fans don't rate Demba Ba,he had a superb record living off scraps a lot of the time at Newcastle,surely if he was given a decent run of games at Chelsea he would start to score goals??

No striker at Chelsea is going to get 5 or 6 games, if you dont score consistently you'll be changed for Eto'o or Torres, Ba has shown nothing in his time here to justify being the starting striker IMO, apart from the odd spectular goal here and there hes not done it.

peteeeed

good move

Chalobah gone to Forest until January

http://www.teamtalk.com/chelsea/8930755/Transfer-news-Nottingham-Forest-take-Nathaniel-Chalobah-on-loan-from-Chelsea

GavRedKing

Anywhere where he can get good game time is always welcomed I suppose.

cadaliac

McDave wrote: »

..

Instead of an interim manager, we have an interim squad. And an uncomfortable season for players and supporters alike.

+1

I think this statement is very true.

Whether or not the author of the article above is just being controversial or not, he makes some good points.
If we steam rolled our way to the EPL from the off, well, as good as that would be for us, it would make the EPL very boring.
Also, it will be sweeter for me if we can develop our team and make them a winning side - which I think we will.
Basle were beatable and saying that they are bigger than the sum of their parts is ok for that game. But, we need to get the hunger back. We need to be the team that are bigger than the sum of all our parts.
Improvements, adjustments, signings and shipments all need to be made. TSO will be busy this season and in turn it will make for some uneasy viewing for us. Let alone the players on the verges.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

GavRedKing

No need to panic but a failure to beat Fulham and then with a trip to WHL after it if we were not to win our next 2 EPL games there would be drama.

peteeeed

don't think todays press conference will have as many chuckles as the basle one

http://www.chelseafc.com/live-press-conferences

GavRedKing

Well as nearly everyone said the eggs have been cracked. :pac:

As long as we get back to winning ways against Fulham I'll be happy.

I'd love a victory by at least 2 goals as at the moment when we're 1-0 up I never fancy our chances, even under Jose so far the defensive base he is known for isnt there at the moment.

I'd expect about 4 or 5 changes anyway, Torres back in, Mata, De Bruyne, Ramires and Mikel also to start I reckon, Hazard maybe dropped to keep him for Spurs.

Whoever starts upfront has to get off the mark even if its a 2 yard tap in.

GavRedKing

One thing Jose should be pushing for is goals, goals and more goals, all the chances we create arent being converted by anyone really.

That needs to improve starting tomorrow.

Panthro

GavRedKing wrote: »

One thing Jose should be pushing for is goals, goals and more goals, all the chances we create arent being converted by anyone really.

That needs to improve starting tomorrow.

And his name is .... Torres!

MaroonAndGreen

Didnt see the game in midweek

Can anyone give me a review of how Etoo played?

kev1.3s

MaroonAndGreen wrote: »

Didnt see the game in midweek

Can anyone give me a review of how Etoo played?

I've been a quiet spectator on this forum for the last while and was never in favour of etoo but taught give him a crack. But in answer to you're question he done nothing absolutely rubbish! Maybe given time he'll come good but for the time being he is not making any worthwhile contribution at all.

GavRedKing

MaroonAndGreen wrote: »

Didnt see the game in midweek

Can anyone give me a review of how Etoo played?

He was unlucky against Everton not to score his movement and runs were very good his finishing was rusty.

Against Basle for some reason he spent some time on the flanks, dont know why.

I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt, its only his 2nd game so far one was a tough away trip to Everton and the other a UCL game, Fulham should be an easier opponent but I'd still expect Torres to start.

He was dropped against Villa completely and he started and scored against Bayern ta week later.

kev1.3s

He did make some good runs against Everton but was also very wasteful ! I'd have Nando over him anyday.

GavRedKing

kev1.3s wrote: »

He did make some good runs against Everton but was also very wasteful ! I'd have Nando over him anyday.

5 years ago if you told me we could have Torres and Eto'o we would have won every competition around. :pac:

I still reckon Eto'o will come good but he needs time, same goes for Willian, we cant write them off after 2 and 1 game respectively.

Saying that, I've to take Eto'o out of my FF team for this week. :pac:

grumpymunster

Think Eto'o has shown enough to suggest he is not here just for an easy wage packet he does work hard. As you say Gav he spent way too much time on the flanks on Wednesday as does Nando and Ba. Why do our strikers not play around the edge of the box God knows we have enough players trying to make chances little point if there is no-one in the centre. Late on against Basel there was the sad sight of Ba putting in a lovely cross (and it was a goodie) why the hell did that happen Ba is supposed to be a striker (I think quite a good one I know that is a minority view here but meah ).

I agree with the sentiment posted above I really dont think TSHO is under pressure from RA at the moment but I would say the players are. Even RA knows we cannot really change managers again without becoming a complete laughing stock. The players selected on Wednesday should have been good enough to beat an ordinary (game I admit but still ordinary) Basel team. For me I would pop Ram back and tell the other 10 to GTFO and earn their wages.

GavRedKing

Mikel and Ramires to start CM, let Ramires bomb on.

Start KDB Oscar and Mata behind Torres.

I'd also start JT at Cahills expense.

grumpymunster

Oh I am fairly certain there will be changes, would expect Ram - Torres - Mata at least to come in. Would like to see KdB working with Eto'o I think that could be interesting but a small bit of me wonders what would be the reaction if he did do that.

As for Van Genkel I think he was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof but he should for certain get a start against Swindon. Despite the fact he lost control of simple passes quite a lot actually he looks like a very good player.

grumpymunster

Now that is what has been missing since Carlo got the bullet in a word leadership, no panic just focus on the goal.

http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2013/09/jose-mourinho-chelsea-style-of-play/?

We are going to be fine, better than fine we will be awesome. But we need to walk before we run.