NinjaMetahuman:
I guess it's RIP at that point.

raumdeuter:
Just a reminder that hidden Hazard was a Madrid player for 4 seasons without playing a classico

swiz123:
Cancelo is a very useless defender

airmark:
@Griffon, Pocchetino couldn't be stupid not to have known that it was the attackers that failed us.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5_6AeQMjPO/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

"We created so many chances.... You need to score if you want to win". - Pochettino.

Griffon:


If you’ve been following my takes on this, I’ve never said we are magnificent in front of goal. We obviously lack that firepower and there’s a need for reinforcements. However, when compared to our defensive figures, you’ll understand clearly that the reinforcements should even start from the backline or should I say the defensive system.

We are abysmal in front of goal but somehow manages 1.5 goals per game. If this was a Simeone led side, those paltry numbers from our attackers (at least from our own standards) are enough for him to win the title.

You simply need to understand that our defensive system is a mess. Having a lone man to screen the backline isn’t going to work in a midfield that has a stroller like Enzo - Caicedo would always suffer, those defenders would always get exposed. On the other hand, having error prone defenders like Disasi and Badiashile in our backline will never work, we would keep shooting ourselves on the foot. Lastly, having your best defenders lodged in the sickbay for months would never help us, we must find a way out of it.

All these needs to be addressed. It’s even the primary issue with this team. You don’t build a squad by stockpiling attacking players all over the place and expecting goals which definitely should transcend to victory, rather you start with a good defensive structure, one that would give your attacking bands the license to attack at will, whilst keeping the defensive system in shape.

Maybe he had such plan with the acquisitions of Caicedo and Lavia, but injuries won’t let us see through his plan.

Without a good defensive system, we are going nowhere. Sign Messi and Ronaldo today, we’ll end up fetching watching fans tennis score lines. 4-5, 5-4, 6-7.

nihilistjnr:


Can you explain why Newcastle with the same 52 goals conceded as Chelsea are not in 9th place?

Then after that, maybe give us your theory on why Aston Villa with 50 goals conceded are in a UCL spot.

Griffon:


If you’ve been following my takes on this, I’ve never said we are magnificent in front of goal. We obviously lack that firepower and there’s a need for reinforcements. However, when compared to our defensive figures, you’ll understand clearly that the reinforcements should even start from the backline or should I say the defensive system.

We are abysmal in front of goal but somehow manages 1.5 goals per game. If this was a Simeone led side, those paltry numbers from our attackers (at least from our own standards) are enough for him to win the title.

You simply need to understand that our defensive system is a mess. Having a lone man to screen the backline isn’t going to work in a midfield that has a stroller like Enzo - Caicedo would always suffer, those defenders would always get exposed. On the other hand, having error prone defenders like Disasi and Badiashile in our backline will never work, we would keep shooting ourselves on the foot. Lastly, having your best defenders lodged in the sickbay for months would never help us, we must find a way out of it.

All these needs to be addressed. It’s even the primary issue with this team. You don’t build a squad by stockpiling attacking players all over the place and expecting goals which definitely should transcend to victory, rather you start with a good defensive structure, one that would give your attacking bands the license to attack at will, whilst keeping the defensive system in shape.

Maybe he had such plan with the acquisitions of Caicedo and Lavia, but injuries won’t let us see through his plan.

Without a good defensive system, we are going nowhere. Sign Messi and Ronaldo today, we’ll end up fetching watching fans tennis score lines. 4-5, 5-4, 6-7.

Griffon:


Because we have not been outscoring our opponents!

Such a genius tactical approach

Griffon:



All these needs to be addressed. It’s even the primary issue with this team. You don’t build a squad by stockpiling attacking players all over the place and expecting goals which definitely should transcend to victory, rather you start with a good defensive structure, one that would give your attacking bands the license to attack at will, whilst keeping the defensive system in shape.



Without a good defensive system, we are going nowhere. Sign Messi and Ronaldo today, we’ll end up fetching watching fans tennis score lines. 4-5, 5-4, 6-7.

BlueRayDick:
When Sheffield United finally gets relegated, dem no supposed allow them come EPL again for at least 5 years. That team is just so shambolic.

They have conceded 88 goals as game week 33 and there's a chance they might swallow up to 100 goals this season. Even Southampton that was placed 20th last season conceded 73 goals in 38 matches.

Haba! That Sheffield no just try at all. I doubt they will win up to 5 matches before this season end sef(They are currently on 3)

nihilistjnr:


I was really irritated watching our match against those guys that day, and na wetin make me flame Timbros up.

I was right on the touchline, and when Jackson came to overlap that wing with Madueke, i wanted to stone him with my phone.

How can we be talking attack vs defence against those guys?

airmark:


I have mentioned Barca under Fraudiola to prove the assertion that you address your defence first before attack. Valdes was never better than Cech but he has more titles than the Chelsea legend. John Terry was defensively better than Pique, in fact Gerard was chased away from Epl before he found place to hide his flaws at Barca. But we know who won more titles in their careers. So, who helped these average keeper and defender to reach their heights? Your guess is as good as mine. That should tell you why even Mascherano succeeded at Barca as a CB but Barca coughed out serious money on their attackers and they dominated Europe, with silverwares.

Be that as it may, even when Chelsea boasted of better defenders and defensive system, we didn't win UCL until the tail end of careers of our legends. With solid defence, we still conceded and It took Drogba's dying minute header to save us in Munich before going ahead to win the elusive Ucl. Tell me, if Jackson and Sterling would have done that at Munich?

That 1.5 goals per match stat will not tell you we scored 4 goals against 9 men Spurs. The stat that will not reveal the number of PKs that Palmer scored and if not for infringements, maybe the likes of Jackson would have lost the big chances, as seen several times. The stat won't reveal the goal scored by Silva, a defender, against a Sheffield team that swallowed 88 goals already and yet Jackson couldn't score 1 goal. It won't tell you that opponents now understand they can risk to go all out and attack us because if we counter and face their keeper we may miss with Sterling and Jackson as major culprits.
You could have posted the goals per match for Aston villa and Newcastle too.

Is it not a shame that Aston Villa, Newcastle and Spurs have all scored more goals than our team with our fully fit top striker still playing but missing big chances that Watkins and Isak bury on a reg?

If we fail to do serious change in our attacking personels next season, teams will just look for how to nullify Palmer and that's the end as we have useless attackers remaining.

Loan out Jackson, throw away Sterling, call back Maatsen, buy a CB, buy two quality top strikers and a goal scoring LW - Bulk of the funds should go to get quality attackers.

nihilistjnr:


I was really irritated watching our match against those guys that day, and na wetin make me flame Timbros up.

I was right on the touchline, and when Jackson came to overlap that wing with Madueke, i wanted to stone him with my phone.

How can we be talking attack vs defence against those guys?

BlueRayDick:


That's why I believe Chelsea needs to fix both attack and defence. Chelsea has no business playing 2-2 vs Sheffield; both attack and defense are culprits. Same thing with Chelsea Vs 10-man Burnley.

airmark:


It was even Silva that scored one of the 2 goals but Timbros would shamelessly say our attack scored 2 goals. Shameful.

nihilistjnr:


You're talking about a team that has conceded 88 goals and you're mentioning defence.

Even if we gave them 2 goals, We should be beating them 5-2.

Conceding against them is irrelevant. They scored against Liverpool at Anfield and were even drawing until the 85th minute, and Liverpool still piped them 3-1. Same with Manyoo. The stupid team was leading Fulham 3-1 and still drew.

Abeg abeg I'm not interested in any conversation that involves defending against Sheffield. Not interested at all.

BlueRayDick:


Lolz . The same Sheffield scored the least goals in the league .

I'm not asking u to go ultra defensive against them ; but it's an indictment that their blunt attack can score against ur "okay defense"

nihilistjnr:


Liverpool and Mancity have the joint 2nd best defence on the league, and Sheffield scored against them...

Is that an indictment on their defence too?

Infact, the only teams in the top 10 of the league this season that Sheffield United's 'blunt attack' has not scored against are Arsenal and Newcastle.

So what's your point? Are relegation teams are not allowed to score in EPL?

The difference is that every single team that has faced Sheffield has destroyed them...except for us.

BlueRayDick:


How many goals did they score against each of those top 10 teams?

Nobody is saying they don't score.

Let me understand u here; are u saying if season ends and Chelsea decides to sign a striker to replace Jackson and maybe another attacker as back up & then close shop without doing anything to Chelsea's defence U believe Chelsea will compete well next season with this same set of defenders?

I've never advocated for sorting defense alone but both defense and attack.

BlueRayDick:


That's why I believe Chelsea needs to fix both attack and defence. Chelsea has no business playing 2-2 vs Sheffield; both attack and defense are culprits. Same thing with Chelsea Vs 10-man Burnley.

nihilistjnr:


In a game our number 9 refused to kick ball towards their keeper's direction.

nihilistjnr:


You cannot in one breadth be talking about how bad Sheffield are defensively, concededing 88 goals in 32 matches ( the worst defensive record in EPL history btw) and then in the same breadth be telling me that Chelsea should be looking to lock up shop against them.

This is a team thar on average chops 3 goals a match. There was one particular period where they choped 21 goals in 4 games. Back to back to back 5 goals, then Arsenal topped them up with 6

Even if they score 3 against you (for example like they did against Fulham) you should be able to put at least 3 past them again e.g Fulham.

With a team like Sheffield, it does not matter of they score, because they have proven that they can score against any team in the league. What matters is that they cannot defend against anybody, hence, and it bears repeating again, them having the worst defence in EPL history.

Using goals conceded to claim 'both attack and defence' need work is a fallacious cop out. Yesterday I asked you why Newscastle with 52 goals conceded (exactly the same as Chelsea) are not struggling with mid-table obscurity like us, and you did not answer

Aston Villa with 50 goals and Spurs with 49 goals conceded are fighting for UCL places. Sheffield united scored against these guys too. Can you please provide your theory on why these guys with the same 'bad defence' are in 4th and 5th place, not 9th and praying for weapons to form against Brighton?

Let me understand u here; are u saying if season ends and Chelsea decides to sign a striker to replace Jackson and maybe another attacker as back up & then close shop without doing anything to Chelsea's defence do U believe Chelsea will compete well next season with this same set of defenders?

BlueRayDick:


In all of this, u still didn't answer my question:



I didn't answer the question yesterday because I wasn't ready for a long back and forth that will end up in us losing focus of the initial discussion which is Chelsea balancing attack with defense. I had a premonition that u will make the discussion seem like I'm advocating for fixing defense while neglecting attack.

kingBolton:
Whatever decisions boehly and co takes on Mudryk, Jackson and Madueke before next season will indicate the kind of plans they have for chelsea..
Sit-down look mode.

nihilistjnr:



It isn't a long back and forth at all. If Newcastle has conceded the same 52 goals that we have conceded but are above us, I just need your opinion on why that is the case.

Newcastle, Spurs and Aston Villa have removed any theoretical element from the discussion because, defensively at least, in terms of goals conceded, they are on our level.

So when you ask me if we keep the same defence that has conceded 52 goals, but sign at least one solid striker, I will point at Newcastle, I will point at Villa, and I will point at Spurs to ask how they have managed to be higher on the log.

The simple answer to me is that they have scored more goals (in Villas case a lot more) than Chelsea , but I might be missing something - so maybe you can advise better on why a better attack with this same defence wouldn't be doing much better on the log.

Over to you BlueRay.

BlueRayDick:


If season ends and Chelsea decides to sign a striker to replace Jackson and maybe another attacker as back up & then close shop without doing anything to Chelsea's defense as it is, do U believe Chelsea will compete well next season with this same set of defenders?

Ballzproblem2:
🚨 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Cole Palmer, not training today due to illness ahead of Arsenal-Chelsea and Malo Gusto currently undergoing medical assessment.

Christopher Nkunku, still in partial team training.

I will be down with illness if I keep playing with bums too.

take rest abeg.