Nihilist:


Klopp made not one but two finals in a season he did not start, and with players he did not buy. Is that enough proof of a man who was able to hit the ground running?

Pellegrini flopped with the same players that Pep is using to shine. Even in a vacuum, that suggests that Pep is a better tactician than Pellegrini.

I'm not sure if you read Sinizia's post earlier. Right now Jose does not appear to know what he is doing and it is showing on the pitch. He has already said that he is trying to implement a different system at Manyoo to what he did with us when we played very defensively.

He came out early to say that he identified the 4 players he needed for his system, and he bought all of them. Yet the team looks disjointed and dull. Only this Thursday, he was saying how 'confused' Pogba was because they prepared for one tactics and Zorhya came and played another type of ball.

This does not sound like someone who even knows what he's doing yet, so ofcourse I'm not surprised that his team are struggling a bit.

The best from our boys is a title win or top 4 place. These boys have done both within the last 3 years. I hope you haven't forgotten.

Nihilist, we don't have a balanced squad. If you can't see this, that's very unfortunate.

Ibime:


Thanks. It's not that serious though cos I was never trying for a baby as my wife was still going through some professional exams. Those mocking were just doing the usual Nairaland jokery-pokery, not knowing what's going on.

The 2nd month after we started trying, I scored. Simple as that.

Ehn, I still rejoice with you.

Guys!! It turns out we don't actually have a buy back clause for thorgan..
The owner said it was only a verbal agreement which can be reneged anytime.
We don enter one chance be dat.

http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2016/9/29/13103920/chelsea-gladbach-buy-back-clause-thorgan-hazard


http://metro.co.uk/2016/10/01/chelsea-told-they-do-not-have-a-buy-back-clause-for-thorgan-hazard-6164375/

donjazet:

[/b]
Nihilist, we don't have a balanced squad. If you can't see this, that's very unfortunate.

This is an interesting angle...

What is a balanced squad?

And who has it in the EPL

Nihilist:

Guy theres a special supermarket where these athletes dey go shop for wives.
As I dey follow you talk, I dey players lounge for one rugby club somewhere. The wives and girlfriends of these guys are just next level...like super next level. And rugby guys don't even get close to football money.

You know the female specie love money and fame. I was actually expecting Coman would be single since he is barely 20 but one sharp daughter of Eve don make am put a ring on it

Ishilove:

Congrats. God has done it and put all those who laughed at you to shame.

Your joy will continue to be full while shame will follow like a shadow, all those whoever mocked you.

Congrats once again. I rejoice with you!!!

what do you mean by those who mocked him?

So normal friendly disses is now mockery?

Plenty women sabi cause real beef between friends o.

*modified*
Ibime have put that to bed already.

Nihilist:

This is an interesting angle...

What is a balanced squad?

And who has it in the EPL

Cmon, are you seriously asking me what a balanced squad is

I have answered and explained this since[s][/s] I made these posts below

donjazet:


If you think chelsea can finish top4 with this team, you are dreaming!! The only source of goals in this team is hazard and Costa!!! What happens if one get injured!!

The team is highly unbalanced we have a no10 who is known more for his defensive contributions than offensive contributions!!!

We have a right winger who has ONLY a high work rate without end product.

We have 3 midfielders who are highly unbalanced. One is highly creative but defensively shambolic and slow(fabregas) one is averagely defensive, has good tackling but doesn't know what to do with the ball and is extremely slow!! (matic)
The other is defensively astute but creatively limited and when they all play together, you have a very slow midfield which becomes a recipe for disaster.

I really don't need to go into details on the defence, do I?? A slow rightback who can't cross and who constantly gets raped when he meets any decent left back.. Then you have an ageing erroneous defence.
You know you have a problem when your best defender is 36-37 years old.

Compare this team to arsenal, tottenham, liverpool , Manchester city and united and tell me we have a chance of making top4!!!

How do you spend a billion but yet end up worse off than when you started?
I certainly hope the board is held accountable when heads start rolling.. Certainly not the manager.. He asked for naigollan, kaudobaily, bonucci and non of these were given to him..
How we managed to pay 30 million pounds for a winger who can't score 10 goals in a season is shocking!!!

A supposed top club still playing a right back at leftback thereby limiting him offensively and isolating the left winger who is presumably the best player in the club thereby also limiting his overall potential output.

Having an experienced rightback who cannot cross, has no pace and is often shambolic??
Crossing is an important role of every fullback, so how come we field both who can do none.

You know you have a problem when your no10 is know better for his defensive contributions rather than offensive contribution.

So I ask again!!! How do you spend a billion pounds and end up worse than when you started??

donjazet:


A midfield of Fab, kante and Oscar can hardly compare to our rivals midfield. At mancity, they have a well oiled midfield in gundogan,Fernando, fernandinho and toure. At arsenal, carzola, ozil, zhaka, and coquelin. At Liverpool, coutinho, Henderson, emre can etc.. Can you compare ours with theirs??


Do you know the worst part

Chelsea has no bench!!!! which is shocking.. We have been extremely privileged to have minor injuries in recent years, but have you thought of it?? If hazard and Costa both go on say 2 months injuries at the same time?? where will the goals come from It is ironic to think we have the largest squad in England but do not have an average bench!! Do we seriously believe that we can use the same average first team squad for a full year

Man city tire to play ball for ground, them come follow dey play long balls.
Pep go put bravo for trouble with this him passing madness. This is the premier league, he should pull out when necessary.

donjazet:


Cmon, are you seriously asking me what a balanced squad is

I have answered and explained this since[s][/s] I made these posts below


How do you spend a billion but yet end up worse off than when you started?
I certainly hope the board is held accountable when heads start rolling.. Certainly not the manager.. He asked for naigollan, kaudobaily, bonucci and non of these were given to him..
How we managed to pay 30 million pounds for a winger who can't score 10 goals in a season is shocking!!!

A supposed top club still playing a right back at leftback thereby limiting him offensively and isolating the left winger who is presumably the best player in the club thereby also limiting his overall potential output.

Having an experienced rightback who cannot cross, has no pace and is often shambolic??
Crossing is an important role of every fullback, so how come we field both who can do none.

You know you have a problem when your no10 is know better for his defensive contributions rather than offensive contribution.

So I ask again!!! How do you spend a billion pounds and end up worse than when you started??

Most of the players you mentioned were already at their respective when we came third and later won the league with the last 3 years.

We're we unbalanced then? Or did the other guys just gain balance now cos I'm a bit confused.

What is this balance and where can we find it?

I definitely agree that our recruiting has been quite dodgy,and it is my firm belief that external forces who have Roman's ear are responsible for this by providing cheaper alternatives to those being suggested by Emenalo/Conte..BUT can I really trust a manager who waits till the 83rd minute to make a sub in a game in which we had been trailing for almost an hour?

Nihilist:


Most of the players you mentioned were already at their respective when we came third and later won the league with the last 3 years.

We're we unbalanced then? Or did the other guys just gain balance now cos I'm a bit confused.

What is this balance and where can we find it?

I definitely agree that our recruiting has been quite dodgy,and it is my firm belief that external forces who have Roman's ear are responsible for this by providing cheaper alternatives to those being suggested by Emenalo/Conte..BUT can I really trust a manager who waits till the 83rd minute to make a sub in a game in which we had been trailing for almost an hour?

I will still refer you to a previous post I made which partly answers that

donjazet:
When mourinho said he had made made average players look world class and win the EPL.. We thought he was boisterously arrogant. But when you look at this squad you begin to think? How exactly did Ivanovic, matic, cahill, obi, willan and Oscar win the league?? These are all average players.

Of course he cannot be absolved of the failure but on Saturday there was something I missed.. Mourinhos appearance alone on the dugout had this mental psychological block on the arsenal players.

Nihilist, you have to note that our previous success was with another manager who had a different ideology quite different from the new one.
As a previous poster said and I agree, the previous manager was building a mechanical team, a team that concentrates on stopping the opponent from playing rather than a free flowing attacking football. This led to the team shipping less goals but also scoring less goals. Now while this was successful for a certain time, you could see that the players we had didn't really fit his ideas which led to chaos and his eventual dismissal. Good credit should indeed be given to him for the title win for indeed whatever motivational and hard training methods he constantly used worked.

Now we have another manager who is trying something different and we can see that all he has to work with are average players. Are you to blame him or the board for not providing the tools required to work with??


I must also note this.
Nihilist, you seem to me like an experienced/seasoned fan, so it is somewhat absurd and disappointing to hear you call for the managers head at this point because by your own admission, you see him as a GOOD coach, we all do. So why not give him the required patience he deserves?? Only novices (no pun intended) will start calling for a managers head after 6 games no matter the supposed or perceived mistake by the manger.

You must remember that Fraudiohiola/ baldinhola lost his first two league games as a manager of barca to very little clubs and some fans started calling for the then inexperienced managers head. If the board listened to those pple, will they be who they are today??

Also note that we have only lost to teams that are better than us!! That counts for something.

I say please stop this #conteout bulshit and give him time. As of now there simply is no justification for such and it is highly ludicrous.

Today's upsets no be here?

I no know wetin barca do celta Every season, their goals no dey low pass 4 against barca.

Madrid 4 draws on the bounce.
I give zidene maximum 2weeks after international break, dey go sack am. Madrid no dey look face.

Finally!!! Barca don fall! Many teams don sabi open their nyansh! Age don't finally dey catch up with iniesta..

This season, I get this feeling say athletico go win that league.

Finally fraudinhola nyansh don't open I tell pple say I'm Neva jam average team yet bar man u. Na Everton go finish work after international break.

@donjazet
For the past 3 seasons, Chelsea has had the best squad in the EPL. This time it is City.

Infact, most pundits thought Chelsea would win the league back to back after their triumph 2 years ago.

The problem (I think) with the Chelsea squad now is a matter of adequate rather than quality replacements.

Obviously you are a Jose fanboy, but actually Jose spoiled Chelsea fans with his 'buy-buy win now' mentality thus failing to integrate young players. A club should have their system of play which runs accross all levels.

So, yes there is an imbalance, but that is as a result of changing managers cum changing systems and not the team per se. Conte tried to continue the Jose way, but has discovered it is not working for him.

That is, in the Jose way there is balance but in the Conte way there is no balance caused by lack of wingbacks.

Against Hull Conte went for his own system 3-5-2. This system requires the use of wingbacks which Chelsea lack.

Therefore, Conte's failure to acquire wingbacks (off course Alonso) is what is creating your 'percieved' imbalance.

Ishilove:

Congrats. God has done it and put all those who laughed at you to shame.

Your joy will continue to be full while shame will follow like a shadow, all those whoever mocked you.

Congrats once again. I rejoice with you!!!

Smh
This is how women, in their usual manner cause grief and strife between friends.

@donjazet
For the past 3 seasons, Chelsea has had the best squad in the EPL. This time it is City.

Infact, most pundits thought Chelsea would win the league back to back after their triumph 2 years ago.

Chelsea never had the best squad!!! Man city has always had the best and balanced squad in england for the last 5 years.. What they lacked was the mental strength.
That was the basic difference between chelsea and man city in chelseas title winning season and that is credit to mourinho. Jose in his first season said we were little horses who he was grooming. He then built the mental strength in the team hence the consistency in the team and eventual cup wins.

The problem (I think) with the Chelsea squad now is a matter of adequate rather than quality replacements.

It is both. Willan shouldn't be in chelsea! His stats suggest that. Ivanovich. If you look at it the current chelsea team is average at best and there is no adequate replacement.

Obviously you are a Jose fanboy, but actually Jose spoiled Chelsea fans with his 'buy-buy win now' mentality thus failing to integrate young players. A club should have their system of play which runs accross all levels.

So, yes there is an imbalance, but that is as a result of changing managers cum changing systems and not the team per se. Conte tried to continue the Jose way, but has discovered it is not working for him.

That is, in the Jose way there is balance but in the Conte way there is no balance caused by lack of wingbacks.

That statement there contradicts your entire post. You are correct. As you said a club should have a system of play which runs across all level. Are you suggesting mou is responsible for that?? That happens ONLY in barca. There is no other club that can say the same. Chelsea's under 21 have been successful for a lot of years under a guy named adi vivesh ( not sure of correct spelling) who has used the 352 formation at the youth level for many years. This was very different from mou.

Against Hull Conte went for his own system 3-5-2. This system requires the use of wingbacks which Chelsea lack.

Therefore, Conte's failure to acquire wingbacks (off course Alonso) is what is creating your 'percieved' imbalance.

Conte can adapt to any formation. He is still looking for the best for this team and that requires patience. He is not a magician that would change things over night. And it is a disadvantage, that he has the likes of willan, Oscar, Ivanovich, matic Mikel, etc to work with.

EPL has taught 'Mr attacking football' to play 2 DMs

Na so

He will lose the Arsenal game for sure and maybe Liverpool.......Everton and Chelsea sef dey come

When we are done with him,Barca will have to loan him Messi

We are not having a Bad season though.

Barca has the same number of points in a Less competitive league with the same number of matches..

So, we are still on the right path.

Calm down, my fellow comarades. Conte is here to steady the Ship.


In other News, How did we Win the Double when Roberto Di Matteo was here?

My guess.. it was Drogba, Lampard and Terry that were the real managers. Di Matteo was just a figure head.

We need those 3 Ninjas back as soon as possible.






But on a serious Note, How did we cope with Roberto Di Matteo.? . Aston Villa has sacked the guy after 124 days or so?

donjazet:


Chelsea never had the best squad!!! Man city has always had the best and balanced squad in england for the last 5 years.. What they lacked was the mental strength.
That was the basic difference between chelsea and man city in chelseas title winning season and that is credit to mourinho. Jose in his first season said we were little horses who he was grooming. He then built the mental strength in the team hence the consistency in the team and eventual cup wins.



It is both. Willan shouldn't be in chelsea! His stats suggest that. Ivanovich. If you look at it the current chelsea team is average at best and there is no adequate replacement.



That statement there contradicts your entire post. You are correct. As you said a club should have a system of play which runs across all level. Are you suggesting mou is responsible for that?? That happens ONLY in barca. There is no other club that can say the same. Chelsea's under 21 have been successful for a lot of years under a guy named adi vivesh ( not sure of correct spelling) who has used the 352 formation at the youth level for many years. This was very different from mou.



Conte can adapt to any formation. He is still looking for the best for this team and that requires patience. He is not a magician that would change things over night. And it is a disadvantage, that he has the likes of willan, Oscar, Ivanovich, matic Mikel, etc to work with.

As a Chelsea fan you surely do have more insight about the club than myself. But from my own perspective, the frequent changing of tacticians must have affected the way systems operate from the youth team to the senior team. Changing managers leads to technical deficiencies in areas where adequate beefing is not made, and lack of transition from lower grades. All these are results of the 'win now' mentality.

Take Arsenal for example, the cohesion, blend, and timely upgrades enables the club to consistently finish above board despite the lack of quality.

The likes of Iwobi, are simple rewards for maintaining tactical consistency at all levels.

I still do believe that Chelsea has the best all round squad after Man City. The quality the club has at youth level is enough to sustain a title challenge,- when things are done right.

@donjazet

Here are predictions about who could have won the league last season by all BBC pundits...

http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/33764700

Here is their predictions for this season...

http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/37040156

Summary:
about 80% thought Chelsea would win the league in 2016, due to their strong squad.

That pecentage droped to less than 10% for 2017 after the mishap of the previous season.

Conclusion:
based on squad depth, Chelsea had a better squad last season. This season, many still believe they can pose a challenge despite little changes.

Bimffo:
We are not having a Bad season though.

Barca has the same number of points in a Less competitive league with the same number of matches..

So, we are still on the right path.

Calm down, my fellow comarades. Conte is here to steady the Ship.


In other News, How did we Win the Double when Roberto Di Matteo was here?

My guess.. it was Drogba, Lampard and Terry that were the real managers. Di Matteo was just a figure head.

We need those 3 Ninjas back as soon as possible.






But on a serious Note, How did we cope with Roberto Di Matteo.? . Aston Villa has sacked the guy after 124 days or so?

seriously, we need those Lampard outside box volleys. Niangollan would given us that somehow, but we couldn't push too hard for him.

gwng:
http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/hull-city-0-2-chelsea-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/celta-vigo-4-3-barcelona-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/burnley_0_-_1_arsenal-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/real-madrid-1-1-eibar-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/tottenham-2-0-manchester-city-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/roma-2-1-inter-milan-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/manchester-united-1-1-stoke-city-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/valencia-0-2-atletico-madrid-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/bayer-leverkusen-2-0-dortmund-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/udinese-0-3-lazio-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/psg-2-0-bordeaux-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/metz-0-7-monaco-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/nice-2-1-lorient-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/empoli-0-3-juventus-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/bayern-munich-1-1-fc-koln-highlights/

http://www.kwallon.com/2016/10/swansea-city-1-2-liverpool-highlights/

Oya come and be going..

Di Matteo should just give up coaching and join punditry. At least its safer...

Spy360:
Di Matteo should just give up coaching and join punditry. At least its safer...

Like his brother in "crime"~~~G. Neville

donjazet:


Oya come and be going..

I kinda like what the guy is doing. .

Big ups to him

Pat Nevin: Stick Or Twist?


When do managers meet change with change and how many different hands do they need to be able to play to be successful? Pat Nevin discusses in this week’s column…



Among the most intriguing things about the Premier League this season has been the different systems and styles adopted by the different teams.

While everyone got excited about Man City under Pep Guardiola at the start, I have been waiting for their first big test. Well they had two big examinations in a week at Celtic Park and at Spurs which didn’t exactly pass with flying colours. The system and style was tested until it broke down in both matches. So what has this got to do with Chelsea? Well it is about the need to be adaptable when you play at this level, particularly in the Premier League.

Something that might work at home against West Ham might not be quite as successful away at Watford or Stoke City. If you are a Barcelona then you expect everyone to have to change for your style, but for everywhere else you need to adapt to the circumstances and that is what Antonio Conte is doing, most notably this season at the weekend against Hull City.
After a few minor scares at the start and a major one when Thibaut Courtois made an astonishing save from Robert Snodgrass’s deflected effort, matters really calmed down and it became awfully close to a cruise by the end. The system was a 3-4-3, morphing into a 3-4-2-1 which allowed us to keep both Eden Hazard and Willian in the starting line-up. In the past when British teams have played three at the back, it is more likely to be 3-5-2 with no room for wingers.

After Arsenal, Antonio certainly wanted a clean sheet more than anything else, which is the base idea behind three centre-backs and he achieved that zero after Chelsea’s name with some ease in the end. So after a week’s worth of hard graft and concentration the plan worked, but will it work as successfully against Leicester and Man United in the upcoming home games? This is the era we are now in. We might have to use adaptable systems that are quite radically different, with changeable personnel for each occasion.

I recall joining up with the Scotland international squad when it was decided we would play 3-5-2 against the top sides such as Germany and Holland, but would revert to a more attacking style against the smaller nations. Yes, I was disappointed because I was seen as a winger by the manager, but I immediately made it clear to him that I also played as one of two strikers when needed. I knew I had to be adaptable or else I would be starting only against the likes of The Faroes, Luxembourg and San Marino. Our players must have the same attitude now and it became clear that two in particular were very happy to change and adapt.

First of all, Cesar Azpilicueta became a right centre-back and played the position expertly. That position almost seems made for Branislav Ivanovic, but clearly Dave made an impression when the setting up was going on last week. Also the wide-right midfielder of the four was Victor Moses and he definitely seemed comfortable in that role, with a winger in Willian in front of him much of the time. That role for Victor is a serious shift as you are a covering full-back as well as a winger yourself at times. Marcos Alonso was doing the same thing on the other side and he still had the energy to get to the opposition byline a couple of times in the last 10 minutes.


So this was us with a wide attacker asked to play right wing-back and a full-back asked to do the same on the left. You have to be adaptable and you have to be fit to do those jobs, and you also have to be ready, willing and able to change again next week.

Chelsea are willing to make those changes but how many other top teams are going to do the same? Pep seems absolutely resolute on his system and style at the moment, specifically with his defenders and goalkeeper passing out from the back. In simple terms they didn’t look good enough as a group to get away with it when they were pressed in their own defensive areas. I was at Celtic Park when City conceded three goals to the Scottish champions amidst the most stunning, ear-bashing atmosphere. Spurs had the same level of success with the same solution, but Pep doesn’t seem willing to change, yet. I suspect in the end he will have to for some games, particularly away from home, because with some fairly small pitches and very fit teams who love to tackle, he and his team could be found out again.

Brendan Rodgers who is from the same school of thought, still relented and adapted his team to play it long over the top of the high press and it worked. I was at Swansea v Liverpool at the weekend and Liverpool also looked incapable of changing their system even though it wasn’t working. At half-time and 1-0 down, would or could Jurgen Klopp adapt? He didn’t but because the Welsh side ran out of steam and his side upped the pace his tactics came out on top.

This is the problem the top managers will have to face this season in the Premier League. When do you change tactics in a competition that has more variables in terms of style than ever before, and when do you stay with your core beliefs, hoping it will simply come good in the end? To be honest I do not know the answer but I suspect it is a case of playing to your own strengths and preferred style while being willing and able to change when you have to.

While all that is going through your mind, remember that someone in a newspaper, on the TV, radio or online will always be ready to use the catch-all phrase: ‘He doesn’t know what his best team is.’ The truth is, there isn’t always a best team, there is a different best team for many of the different challenges.

Official club site.

Di Matteo eh? Make I just leave story.

nateevs:
Di Matteo eh? Make I just leave story.

Firing blanks in the first 45mins innit?

bigkesh:
EPL has taught 'Mr attacking football' to play 2 DMs

Na so

He will lose the Arsenal game for sure and maybe Liverpool.......Everton and Chelsea sef dey come

When we are done with him,Barca will have to loan him Messi

Why are pple toooo obsessed with Pep, his footie & success/failure
It is as if his failure is a RELIEF for other club fans' woes week in week out.......their greatest regret would be "should he lifts or goes on to dominate the epl" but for me, the UCL is greater than all the leagues put together so that is where I would rate him not even the league

nateevs:
Di Matteo eh? Make I just leave story.