had some really poor showings at the back and I continue to wonder how long the two holding mids is going to work when they allow runners to get past them Ram has a great engine but does appear to struggle in picking up runners on the defensive end and Mikel does not appear mobile enough to function in the current set up rarely do I agree with the commentry but the point of "the more you attack and open yourself up then the more susceptible you will be at the back" is very apt
To confirm what's been said, the only set of results that will put us into the next round is this: Chelsea win, Shakhtar win. Anything else and we're headed to the Europa League.
Oh, so say 'The hell it is', in response to an opinion or something I believe to be true, (REGARDLESS of whether it is or not), is meant as a term of affection, is it? You couldn't just say 'I'm not sure you're right there'? If you respond to people rudely and aggressively, that's how they'll will respond to you.
Ahm, I think that ticking sound is time on RDM at Chelsea. The results lately have been bad, bad, bad. Today was a disaster and now we need Shakhtar to be interested in beating Juventus to go through with a victory over the Danes, which at this point is not guaranteed. I like Robbie, but these results have been bad and Abramovich isn't the patient type. He needs to turn it around quickly.
in fairness this is the first time I can really say that RDM got it very wrong he caught some heat last season with his selections in some of the League matches but was resting/applying different tactics with the focus being on the Cups I would have to say that the only other option atm is Pep and I am not sure he would be doing much different with this side
If Chelsea dump Di Matteo, I think I'll have to take a short break from football. I can't ever support another club, but I sure as hell don't want to feel about Chelsea the way that would make me feel. Call it a 'trial separation'.
Think it comes down to having using 2 midfielders misplaced in a 2 man midfield, who are perfect for a 3 man midfield.
But if were on 7 and theyre on 10, and we win and they loose that means well booth be on 10. Now if we have higher goal diff, then shouldnt we be ahead?
******** ******** ********!!!!!! we need to massacre Nord, guys... i dont know about you, but if we end up in europa then i will cry for the first time in my adult like.
He needs to turn it around. Two points out of 12 in the league and now this UCL business...I want him to stay and have always been a fan of the man, but something is not right. Before we could score but not defend; now we can't do either. This run of results is pathetic.
I try to get more into this later but I expressed a great deal of concern in the preseason of how easy runners were getting past our holding mids and into the space in front of the CDs a great deal of this is related to us retaining the ball (or trying to retain the ball) much, much higher up the pitch than we have seen in a long while at the club. As good as we were in possession under Jose the ball was retained at the back block with the two CDs working the ball across the backline inside their own half while waiting for space and gaps to open while occassionally knocking in the DM in Maka- although keep in mind the ball was mostly returned to them It was not until both Guus and Carlo that we saw the defensive line further up the pitch and the DM distributing the ball more AVB brought in the "high line" and the two CDs splitting to allow a mid to drop back to pick up the ball and we obviously tried to maintain the ball higher up the pitch which we failed miserably at doing under RDM we seem to be doing better keeping the ball (not exactly seen tonight) but struggle in recovering our shape when both DMs are running back to recover their space. Mikel does not look, and has not looked comfortable, in this system this season and I have expressed my concerns about the lack of mobility of Romeu and the lack of understanding of this role by both Lampard and Ramires and it really seems to be biting us now It seems if we are going to stick with his fancy Barca-esque football then we are going to have get a more mobile DM- someone like Khedira or even Fernandinho- for this system to really tick not trying to be Chicken Little and not advocating that we sell all our DMs but just what I have seen so far