Chelsea v. Southampton Sunday, October 6, 2019 9AM, St. Mary's Stadium TV: NBC Sports Gold, bitches. Fire up those streams. Last match before another dreadful international break. Chelsea's (7th place) form in the league is WLWDW so we're due for either a draw or loss. Soton (14th place) is LWLWD so they're due to win - seems about right. Up the youth! And Pedro!
Antonio Rudiger, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Emerson Palmieri remain sidelined. Callum Hudson-Odoi, Andreas Christensen and Mateo Kovacic are pushing for starts, while a number of players could be in line for a rest following three games in eight days. Maybe something like. . . Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Tomori, Alonso; Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic; Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi With you-know-who getting some time?
Saw an interesting stat on one of those pre game channels. Mount has scored 11 goals and has 3 assists in 40 games for Lampard. Not bad for a young player learning his trade and certainly why Lampard trusts him.If the manager trusts you, you play. Anyone remember the Dell? Flippin tiny ground, great atmosphere, and would pack us in like sardines.If it was windy and wet (always semeed that way to me) it was a miserable expierence though.Totally different to our gaff at the time, you could reach over the boarding and hug a player when they scored. Shit firm though Anyway... This would seem the typical game a manager picks Willian for.Noooooooooo, scream the masses. But, alas, Willian has an engine like Kante when he wants and will track back all day long and twice on Sunday.Exactly what is needed when playing away to a Southampton. Which, of course, leads to what every Pulisic apologist groans about.Willian is shit, why is he ahead of him..well, in a nut shell, thats why. International break coming up...picking Cho to start on the left of Tammy up front, he can rest over the call up. Pulisic to make the bench, he has to get game time somewhere to prove to Lampard that he is taking on board whatever reasons hes been given for not playing.
I can grudgingly accept Willian over Puli given his current form. I'd better not get a whiff of Pedro though...
Pedro will spell Willian if we are losing and looking for a result. Actually, he'll spell him anyway, just earlier if we;re losing. Just don't get the Pedro hate on here, class player.
The problem with Pedro is he drifts in and out matches too frequently. He can however score a worldly from time to time which is nice and all.
Maybe its because I feel like Tammy has been such a pleasant surprise, and is destined to return from the clouds at some point. In that case, we need players who can make things happen in the other two attacking spots. Willian is that when in form but when he's not he's a wasteful headless chicken. Pedro brings out the odd moment of brilliance from nowhere, but cannot be consistently relied on the shoulder the attack, especially at his age. Just don't see much upside in playing him other than hoping for lightning to strike
i don't think anyone really actually hates pedro around here, or underestimates what he's done during his career. he's just had some appearances this season that don't make a ton of sense in the context of other decisions Lampard has made with this squad, and hasn't really been on great form.
I always loved hearing these stories. The game's changed so much, even more so since the early 00s when I started watching.
Form..ahh, the litmus test of a footballer, if you will. If you're in form, you're in the team.Giroud is hating that word "form" right now. Also,there is the horses for courses footballer though.This game, is a classic in that sense for what young Pulisic can learn and what he needs to do to displace one of his rivals. In my opinion, ever so humble as it may be......is that Willian would get a nod over Pulisic regardless of form in this one. Southampton like a fast game too, like to keep it down and pass smartly with multiple and fast movement off the ball.Runners have to be tracked and Willian is like a damn blood hound in that regard. The advertisement for the game would read "ball watchers need not apply"...This is the young yanks major problem so far, as well as giving away the ball too cheaply and getting bullied off it frequently. (now, watch Lampard not start him)
Now, Arsenal just spent 73m pounds on Pepe (24yo), which is about 15-20 more than we spent on Pulisic. Arsenal have started him every game but the first (due to injury), I believe. He's not been lighting it up or doing much of note. Fans/media calling him a "dud" already. People need to chill.
I’m sure we’ll see a similar lineup to what we saw midweek. I am, as ever, desperate to see what Pulisic is made of.. though now Lampard has created a scenario where if he doesn’t step in and score a hattrick then it’s “see, he can’t hack it.” Let’s see how things play out. MOST importantly, we’re on a good run of form. Let’s keep it up. Even if we never get to see Captain America we keep winning, really can’t complain. As far as any Willian/Pedro “hate”.. the two have been Jekyll and Hide for me. Continually important yet consistently, somehow, disappointing. Willian more so than Pedro. It has felt like we could do better for 3 years now. With Hazard in the team the wish was always that we had someone as deadly on the opposite flank (OK maybe not asssss deadly). Been genuinely hoping to see at least one phased out completely by this point.
I think it’s interesting watching some of the English overly blast Pulisic in a similar manner to the way that some of the Americans are overreacting to his lack of playing time early.
Agree. Pedro is underappreciated throughout his career. First Barca, then us. Messi even said how much of an impact he had after he left.
I’d double down. I’d even say of the two I’d rather keep Pedro over Willian. Both are inconsistent at this point in their careers. I think Willian is the more talented but Pedro will accept his role and be a good presence better while still providing value on the pitch.
I remember 16000 and it was packed! Like a lot if the old stadiums there was something about the place I liked though.
I am a Willian fan and I rate him as having the edge over Pedro. Willian has been pretty decent for us over the years. Chelsea Player of the Year: 2015–16 Chelsea Players' Player of the Year: 2015–16, 2017–18 Chelsea Goal of the Season: 2017–18 Frank likes him too. It is no coincidence that he is wanted by Barcelona and Juventus. He is a bloody good player.
https://www.chelsea-news.co/2019/10...ust-get-picked/amp/?__twitter_impression=true Well, just affirms what most of us who aren't apologists have thought/said all along.
Certainly when it comes to being a total "team" player, Willian may (or not) have an edge over Pedro, but when it comes to sheer technical ability, I pass. I do not believe Willian will be here next season, I do believe Pedro will.
Football is a passing game. True, true. Maybe. I think Frank would like to keep around some of our more experienced players. You cannot make too many changes all at once. I think Frank would be more inclined to keep Willian and release Pedro. Time will tell.
St Mary's has been a happy hunting ground for us in the past and want to see us maintain that good record. Would settle for a repeat of last years 3-0. I ain't greedy.
This is just nonsense. What does that even mean? “Do better in training” is not substantive advice. If that’s all that Frank’s telling him, I don’t blame him for being frustrated. Choosing Willian or Pedro is no safer than giving Pulisic a run. Both are about an even bet to excel or disappear.
I think that it means take your finger out. He must have done something as at least he is on the bench today
Team: Chelsea Kepa; Azpilicueta (c), Tomori, Zouma, Alonso, Kante, Jorginho, Mount., Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi. Substitutes Caballero, Christensen, James, Kovacic, Barkley, Pulisic, Batshuayi.