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If Lampard is going to stick with such attacking tactics next season, we should have gone after Ake to play LB and Azpi should start ahead of James at RB every game when he is fit.
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The signings of Ziyech & Havertz would make it productive to have the CM be the ones who shield/recycle opposed to the FB's. Less City, more Liverpool.

James/Ziyech is a natural overlap combination, and if Havertz plays F9 in a 433 Werner will be Auba-ing it from LW leaving spaces for an aggressive LB on that side.

Our defenders are mostly crap. Whether they were as crap in the previous two seasons can be for up for debate.

When I watched a full replay of the 2012 CL final the other day it served as a poignant reminder of what title winning defenders do in games. From our current batch only Azpi and possibly Zouma could have coped in that final.

The BBC showed yesterday how static Chelsea players are when defending corners. I can't see how the manager/coaching staff can't fix that to be honest.

In open play we have been counter attacked with ease all season. That might be a risk that Frank felt he had to take this season in order to max out the efficiency up front. Hopefully, next season with the new signings in place, he won't need to be so risky.

But, whatever happens. there is no league title coming to SB without a huge defensive overhaul of personel

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If we play 433 it's his role from what I've read up on him, not watched him though so I'll happily be corrected on that

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comment by Blue in the face ⚽️ (U22288)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Devil D.A. (U6522)
posted 14 minutes ago
I can only put it down to the sharp decline of Rudiger, who this season has been abysmal.
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I've never gotten the fuss over Rudiger, he's OK (this season been poor) but if he's being classified as your best CB problems will be on the horizon.

He's a reactionary defender. Too often you see him having to make last ditch tackles/interceptions because he failed to read the danger to begin with. His technique is almost as clunky & awkward as Zouma. I'm yet to see these "leadership" qualities people say he has, intense looking faces doesn't constitute leadership. Pretty average IMO, gunna be honest.

Like all our CB I think he could do bits if partnered with someone who was a leader, give him Terry & he'd be fine, but without that partner to conduct him/harness his physical advantages for good & conceal his lack of football smarts, he's always liable to be exposed.

I could write up similar critiques for the other three, all of them lack fundamental tools but nothing that couldn't be harassed productively with a world class CB next to them. In short, if Liverpool could loan us Van Dijk that would be swell
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I think it would cost less to build a time machine and transport a 27 year old Terry than to sign Van Dijk
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Afternoon.

Am not a big tactics talker, but Chelsea miss guys such as JT or Lamps or Ballack to lead and organise...I we awful at positioning in five a side or 11 v 11 and needed a Captain.

When we win stuff we also have the best keepers on the planet so we miss that too, imo.

And from the last few decades,, we are always light on a strikers....an out and out goal machine or two.

We get one decent striker or two average ones, but seem reluxtant to buy strikers.

During this time, we have 40 odd players on loan.


The Torres and Eto periods were so frustrating for me.

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comment by Gazza (U1266)
posted 3 minutes ago
The pretty unique thing about Havertz is that he's played a reasonable number of minutes as a RW, number 10, number 8 and CF. And apparently he's pretty seamlessly adapted his game to all of those positions.
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Any minutes as center back

I doubt Havertz plays as a false 9. It seems far more likely he would play as a number 8 (or maybe as a number 10) with either Werner/Abraham as the CF.
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No.8 will probably still be Mount's. I can see it becoming a thing next season among some fans where Mount's compared to the equivalent of Sarri's Jorginho - bromance/son jokes a plenty

No.10 I can definitely see on a game by game basis but we've had problems with the pivot this season & CM's unlikely to be improved on. The signing of Havertz initially confused me cos I thought he was a CAM through & through, would pigeon hole us into 4231.

Yesterday, lack of football cost Chelsea as hamstrings went due to no full on games.

Ref did us no favours and gunners held their own with Arteka organising them well.

Still happy with Top 4 and CL under lamps and we seem greedy to buy in new blood for a push next term.

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Rice

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The BBC showed yesterday how static Chelsea players are when defending corners. I can't see how the manager/coaching staff can't fix that to be honest.
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I think there is no getting round the fact that this is really a management issue. All of the players under other managers have coped with set pieces a lot better.

The issue throughout the season with corners is that we leave co much space at the far post. It's the managers instructions which leads to this space.
Frankly (pun intended) the issue falls on the managers shoulders.Derby had the same issues with set pieces too, so it's an area of management he hasn't learned yet.

comment by Blue in the face ⚽️ (U22288)
posted about a minute ago
comment by Icarium (U1097)
posted 18 seconds ago
Rice
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Pilau
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The switch has been made to food. I am on board.

My guess is that Lampard wants us to play 4-3-3 with 2 number 8s and a DM. That's how we set up with a fully fit squad after the restart. We only went to 3-4-3 after both Kante and Gilmour got injured.
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I'm not sure whether to trust that as evidence of a future setup long term cos Lampard's been so tactically experimental this season. The fact he waited until after the restart to try it suggests to me it's not his ideal solution.

Plus having two no.8's in a setup with wingers dedicates that stay wide (a la City) which Willian has always been about, Ziyech not so much. That would suggest to me one no.8 at LCM and a runner or recycler at RCM, assuming Lampard utilizes Ziyech how Ajax have the last couple of years.

But if he does play like that, with two no.8's, then I agree via the Ake/Azpl comment.

comment by Blue in the face ⚽️ (U22288)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Icarium (U1097)
posted 18 seconds ago
Rice
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Pilau
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Isn't it pilaf?