squad in the season just past?
Also going into the season, what was your assessment of our recruiting?
And did any players in our squad disappoint you or not meet your expectations?
My opinion of our squad when fully fit, was that 1-11 we looked fantastic. I know it's all speculation, but I genuinely do think we get closer than we were if Reece, Chilly and Kante didn't have long spells on the injury table.
The fact that losing these 3 players appeared to completely derail our season, proves (IMO) what I have felt for a while. We have a big squad, not a great squad. Certainly don't think we had strength in depth that numbers appear to say we had.
And it's definitely a squad game. Jose's first 2 title winning teams had some great cover for injuries.
Lukaku? I was against his return. Not for my previous reasons. I used to say he always looked like a rabbit caught in headlights when he played for Chelsea. Then as he got older I used to say he went missing in the big matches. Last Summer my reason was purely I did not think he was the right fit for our club.
Then he started quite brightly and I was daring to dream I was wrong. Alas, I don't think I have been
Players that have disappointed me? Timo. I genuinely did think he was going to come good. I could not concede he'd forgotten how to score. But he has, he really has. Although, that said, I am still hoping against hope he stays and can turn it around. Even though he was brought in for goals, I like his all round effort and he does get in some good positions. I just felt previously, that sooner or later he would convert that into (onside) goals.
But the player I really feel has not lived up to expectation. Although he still has time/youth on his side is Kai. He seems to me, to be either feast or famine. I will always be grateful for the last May. I do think he has a talent. But I'm not as convinced as some on Twitter that describe him as a generational talent.
I'd also ask how long do we use his age and "new to the league/joined during Covid?" How long does he dine out on the Champions League Final? For me he's had 2 seasons and I really think next season he needs to start kicking on.
As I say, any form he's shown (for me) has been in fits and bursts.
Chelsea Fans, how would you assess our.....
posted on 25/5/22
comment by Superb (U6486)
posted 6 minutes ago
Flash I think I've already made my feelings clear about our recruitment. Not good enough and needs a complete restructure. Which I'm sure it will get under the new ownership
As for Havertz I don't want to see him playing as a number 9 consistently. Play him behind or alongside a striker. He doesn't score enough goals to warrant playing as the main striker and hopefully Tuchel finds a better role for him next season.
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Anyone disappoint you at all Frankie?
As I say, losing 3 players seemed to totally derail us.
posted on 25/5/22
Pulisic has disappointed me a lot I think. Seeing what he's been able to do in flashes of form but then seeing him be quite average too often is frustrating. Next season must be a good season from him otherwise I don't think he has a future here
posted on 25/5/22
Frankie
I think he's a player who raised our hopes, based on that purple patch after lockdown.
We've got too many players who give glimpses of what they're capable of.
As I say myself in my OP. I am still romantically hoping for Timo to discover some of his scoring form and do it in a Chelsea shirt.
posted on 25/5/22
I like, or can find something I like, about most of the players in this squad. As a whole to make up a squad, I'm not sure. We've got too many players who have their strengths but aren't very well rounded for a top 4 club - guys like Jorginho & Ziyech (the obvious two) have their upsides but in situational circumstances. This squad's difficult to juggle tactically, so having mad scientist Tuchel in that respect is quite fortunate
Think our recruiting's fine. It's come a long way, think we've got the balance between how much power we give to the managers about right now, finally. But new ownership will have different ways of operating (even if the same people keep their positions) so we'll have to wait & see going forward.
Yep Werner's been disappointing. I thought he could go either way this season & unfortunately it's gone the wrong way. But the prize has to go to Lukaku, just has too. There are tactical issues to work out how to extract his best in this setup definitely, but he's shown very little to me that he's willing to work to a compromise on his end. Throw in the dumb af Inter PR backfire earlier this season and yeah, very disappointed.
posted on 26/5/22
comment by Superb (U6486)
posted 15 hours, 9 minutes ago
Flash I think I've already made my feelings clear about our recruitment. Not good enough and needs a complete restructure. Which I'm sure it will get under the new ownership
As for Havertz I don't want to see him playing as a number 9 consistently. Play him behind or alongside a striker. He doesn't score enough goals to warrant playing as the main striker and hopefully Tuchel finds a better role for him next season.
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Granted I have seen limited games, but I've always thought he would be better suited either as a second striker or in behind someone. If that will be the case, how do you fit both him and Mount in the team?
posted on 26/5/22
In a front three Mount and Havertz can play either side of a striker. Or Mount can easily play deeper in midfield. He is primarily a midfielder after all, we just happen to play him further forward because none of our forwards can hit a barn door much of time.
posted on 26/5/22
"Players that have disappointed me? Timo. I genuinely did think he was going to come good. I could not concede he'd forgotten how to score. But he has, he really has. Although, that said, I am still hoping against hope he stays and can turn it around. Even though he was brought in for goals, I like his all round effort and he does get in some good positions. I just felt previously, that sooner or later he would convert that into (onside) goals."
The patience afforded to Timo Werner, who has barely resembled a footballer for the past two seasons is quite staggering.
Two years of looking like a stylistic mismatch is not enough of a gauge/sample size clearly.
Werner' allround effort of constantly being caught offside or just simply cocking-up what should be a routine touch in advantageous positions, like this one -https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1508003098744164353/pu/vid/1280x576/bkbyXBaBcuLe7c8l.mp4
Typifies his Chelsea career to date, it's quite something. Unrivalled.
Unpalatable lack of technical quality (on-par with Bakayoko).
This isn't standard required, in the short or long-term.
Broja can easily replace him (and I'm not big on him)...if necessary.
posted on 26/5/22
out with Lukaku in with Debele and lets see if he remembers how to score- hes free in the summer so must be worth a punt.
posted on 28/5/22
I don’t rate kai at all, like you say I’m forever thankful for the cl, although that was just a fantastic team goal.
But I think even his decent spell this year was overplayed this season, and even that only lasted about a month.
His best attribute seems to be pressing? But he always looks off the pace to me.
He’s got away with a lot this year just as he’s been the best of a bad bunch.
posted on 28/5/22
Timo isn’t a footballer. We need to stop considering him as one.