Mid Season Review

Discussion in 'Chelsea' started by nicephoras, Dec 29, 2019.

  1. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    Since we've now played half the season, I thought it'd be useful/interesting to do a mid-season review and grades of the club. For young players, there are two grades – current performance and, a grade based on potential in parenthesis. So, here goes:

    · Kepa: C At this point Kepa is no better than an average EPL keeper. He consistently plays us into trouble with his distribution and often has trouble making saves beyond the routine. Decent at penalty saves but not spectacular. We would be no worse with someone like Fabianski. Might improve, but based on his time at Chelsea so far seems unlikely.

    · Azpilicueta: B Was much maligned for his supposed defensive lapses early on, but it's become more and more apparent it's not actually his failures that have been the issue. Has mostly been forced to play a system not best suited to his talents, given that he isn't really meant to be racing up and down the pitch at his age. However, does what he can. His crossing isn't always the best, but is a willing runner.

    · Reece James: B- (unclear) His crossing is great. No question. His defending is solid at times. The rest is unclear. He has a tendency to fail to run back in defense after going up the pitch and other than crossing he doesn't seem to have an offensive game – he doesn't make forward runs. Is part of this a result of his injury? I'm not sure, but I hope his ceiling isn't Leighton Baines.

    · Rudiger: B+ Hard to grade, since he's been hurt so much of the season, but we look better in defense with him than without him

    · Zouma: C+ Can look solid at times, but is forced to do a lot of defending in space in this system, and he's bad at it. He just doesn't have a lot of speed to enable him to do that. Surprisingly bad in the air on set pieces – keeps mistiming his jumps. Also, his distribution is pretty bad. No "youth" grade – he's not a young player anymore. Would look a lot better playing in a deeper more settled defense.

    · Tomori: A-(A) Other than Tammy, our most exciting academy player, by far. Has generally been very good already, with lots of room to grow. Struggles with occasionally doing a John Stones with the ball and with bigger attackers, but both should come with time. Our next Gallas, I think.

    · Christensen: INC I have no idea why the defender who's most suited to playing in a 3 man backline isn't playing now that we are playing a 3 man backline. Likely isn't long for the club, will look good somewhere else.

    · Emerson: C Keeps falling asleep at the back. Not good enough going forward to compensate for it – the runs are good, but the end product tends to be pretty bad.

    · Alonso: B- He's simply not a fullback. Better at wingback. Every game where we play a 3 man backline and he doesn't start is kind of a mystery. Is what he is at this point.

    · Kovacic: A- Our best midfield player this year. Very good all around performance, has even gotten a few goals. Am concerned he doesn't have the stamina to go 90.

    · Kante: B+ Still really good, but slowing down. He was always far more of a box to box player than a pure defensive player, but he doesn't quite seem to have the same energy anymore. Hopefully that's an injury problem, but those accumulate with age

    · Jorginho: B Willing runner and willing presser, but solid rather than great at those, which remains an issue when he's the deepest midfielder. Getting better at long balls, still will make the occasional bizarre pass that lets in the opposition (see the City game). Unclear as to what his future at the club is imho. Excellent penalty taker

    · Barkley: This horse has now been beaten to death.

    · Pulisic: A- Our best attacking midfielder. Why he doesn't get more time is anyone's guess. Better than I thought he'd be. Went through a weird period where hipsters were sure he was bad (like the Grimsby game in particular) because the shots weren't going in. Was always quite good, should play more. Does need to become stronger though.

    · Willian: B+ On his day can be great, especially when given lots of freedom and the ability to play deeper. On his other day can be terrible, sending in aimless crosses and stopping the flow of the game. There have been a lot more of the first than the second this year.

    · CHO: C- (B) Ooof. He has been quite bad this year. The age/injury factors obviously mitigate the youth grade, but the actual performances have been just short of awful. Has gotten worse as the season has gone on, not better.

    · Mount: B- (B+) A polarizing player and clearly Lampard's security blanket. Mount does score goals (5 in the league) and he presses very well. It is not clear what else he does particularly well. He's not a good dribbler and even when he passes (not often), he's not very good at it – he constantly releases balls very late in transition. Also, why does he take our set pieces? He's not good at them. To people who argue "but he scores goals, that's all that matters!" the response is – he's not a striker, he's a midfielder. When he's not scoring goals, which is 75% of the league games he plays, he's not contributing that much to the game. If we're facing sides that concede possession to us (almost everyone), and his pressing is less useful, it's not clear to me what his biggest skill is. Lampard continues to play him as a #10, which is why we often struggle to break down sides. Today (Arsenal match) was an excellent example – Mount consistently got into decent positions and consistently did nothing with them.

    · Abraham: A Tammy has been great. His recent dry run is more about weird tactical choices than anything else. Could be better defensively on set pieces. That's quite a small complaint.

    · Michy: B-/C+ Sometimes looks great. Sometimes looks like the pitch is greased and he's wearing clown shoes. I have no idea which one will show up.

    · Pedro/Giroud – not bothering, they'll be gone soon.

    · Lampard: The players seem to like him and he has adapted the side to play his brand of football quite quickly. Those are not small things. He has given youth the chance to play, and some of them have been very good. While that was going to be job for every manager, I'm not sure Tomori comes through under anyone else.

    However……he appears out of his depth tactically. He prefers an extremely aggressive gegenpressing approach, but we have Jorginho at the base of midfield, who's the wrong player for it. We also face sides who concede possession against us, so we can't really press them. That leads to us buzzing around a lot but then conceding on the counter, especially since Mason Mount's top skill isn't very useful in those games – and Mount is Lampard's security blanket. Recently Lampard switched to a 3 man defense, which was bad! The press lapped it up because we beat Spurs at home but didn't play all that well, so he stuck with it. It was still bad for the next 1.5 games. Predictably – we couldn't create any chances. Pulisic hasn't started any of the last 3 games because…? (He's our best attacking midfielder.)

    None of this is shocking given that Lampard has only managed one season in the Championship, with a side that just scraped into the playoffs. Those tactics made sense in the Championship, where Derby played most sides evenly. They don't work nearly as well at Chelsea.

    That said, I've never called for his sacking. I want Frank to succeed at Chelsea. I have a Lampard shirt! He's a club legend. But I also want the club to succeed, and Frank and the club aren't the same no matter how much of a club legend he is. Clubs hiring legends as managers has gone badly with consistent regularity. We shouldn't be buying players in January per Lampard's requests, in part because we may as well stick with the youth – and because it's not at all clear to me Frank will be here at the start of next season, or should be. Unless results deteriorate massively we should reexamine where we are at the end of the season.
     
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  2. Rman3349

    Rman3349 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 31, 2006
    Boston
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Hard to argue with most of this. C+ for Zouma is generous if you ask me.

    I would also bump Willy into the A/A- range
     
  3. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    I think there are still a few too many games where Willian looks poor. When he’s good, he’s been excellent this season.
    As for Zouma, I think he’s being asked to play in a system that’s really not suited to his talents and still doing a decent job of it.

    But we’re arguing on the margins.
     
  4. Wrath

    Wrath Member+

    May 4, 2007
    New York
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Don't really disagree with ratings for any of the players except maybe Jorginho who I will bump up to B+ as I really impressed with how he has evolved since last year.

    As for Lampard, you are entitled to your opinion which I don't share. I recognize Frank has made some big blunders tactically. His back 3 worked against Spurs but we can't rely on it as we already create very less. He made the same mistake again today but realized it pretty soon and made a positive change. I like that he isn't afraid to try things. We aren't married to a particular system or style of play as our previous managers. It is not like Jose, Conte or Sarri never made tactical mistakes. He however looks lost against sides that park the bus against us and whatever he is trying isn't working. But i expect him to find a solution. If he doesn't, even with new players, he will be out. I never expected top 4 this year and I will be happy with top 6. I don't think any other manager would have given these many chances to young players. Jose would have trotted out a back 4 of Azpi, Zouma, Rudi and Alonso every game irrespective of the result.

    That said, I really disliked Frank over-celebrating our wins against Spurs and today. By all means be happy but it is only 3 points and 3 points mean nothing if you don't put away the bread and butter games and Frank needs to learn that fast. The team lose focus if you celebrate too hard.

    Lastly, Frank has been questioned his entire career, big money move from West Ham to us, being the first player expected to drop in a midfield that included Gerrard, Scholes (England) and Ballack, Essien (Chelsea), etc. He always fought his way through and I really hope he does this time as well.

    Edit: Somebody corrected you in the match thread but you bring the point again because it looks better. Pulisic had a hamstring injury today. He didn't start our last 2 games but did the one before against Bournemouth in which he was mostly invisible. I fully expected him to start today.
     
  5. Kazuma

    Kazuma Member+

    Chelsea
    Jul 30, 2007
    Detroit
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Despite a transfer ban and losing a top 5 player in Hazard, we’ve done well.

    I am happy to see the academy being used. I’m not expecting like United in the 90s (although they got overly reliant on them, especially Scholes and Giggs) or Barca’s, but it’d be be nice to use the academy to replace one or two spots. Tammy is definitely showing he belongs 3rd in scoring) and Tomori could be a lock in the back for years.

    Rudiger being back is a huge plus and since he’s returned, I’m not panicking as much when the ball is near our end.
     
  6. Rman3349

    Rman3349 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 31, 2006
    Boston
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    That's what this is all about :)
     
  7. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    So you don't share my opinion that Frank has made big tactical blunders?

    I HOPE he finds a solution. On what basis do you expect him to find a solution? It's not his managerial record.

    I agree, hiring Jose to manage this side would have been a bad idea. So would have been hiring any manager who would have just desperately wanted to finish 4th. But there's no reason we couldn't have hired, say, the Rose/Maric combo and told them to play the kids. It's all about instructions.

    This is......a really odd interpretation of his career that I don't think is at all true. But even it was, the skills Lampard displayed as an amazing player are simply not the same as a manager.

    And I noted that on the game thread. But he didn't start the prior two games and while he may have been "invisible" against Bournemouth, that was the best attacking performance we'd had in some time.
     
  8. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    I wish that were the case :)
     
  9. Brock Hannsen

    Brock Hannsen Member+

    Feb 3, 2014
    Hartford, CT
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Thanks for this. Great rundown.

    Generally agree with most, if not all.

    I think the low grade for Kepa is a bit harsh as he's kept us in more games/kept us from being embarrassed more than he's actually lost us games or put us into bad positions. The terrible giveaways in midfield, lack of communication/Rudiger/youthfulness in central defense is far more the issue of our giving away goals. Add to that Emerson sleeping on every set piece.

    If we were told "top 4 and into the knockouts of the CL and your rookie striker will have 10+ goals" we would take it. I just want more consistency.
     
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  10. Wrath

    Wrath Member+

    May 4, 2007
    New York
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    I don't agree that he will be a terrible manager and won't be here next season. I fully expect him to see out next season unless things just implode like Jose.

    On the basis that I have seen positives in his management and not everything has been negative. We are still 4th remember so he must have done some things right? He is getting valuable experience and hopefully evolves into a better manager tactically. Also, like you said, the players seem to want to play for him and sometimes it is the heart that makes the difference rather than tactics.

    I am not saying he is the next coming of Pep Guardiola. In today's world, no coach can be a guaranteed success except maybe Klopp. Even Pep needed oodles of money to turn city into a machine but even he is faltering. Although a raw coach, Frank has a lot of intangibles working for him - Inherent knowledge of the club, great rapport with the board and fans, support staff with great knowledge of the academy, etc. Me like others on here are holding on to the hope that he will pick up on his tactical deficiencies as he gains experience. If not, we can always restart our manager merry-go-around.

    Well he has played kids and we are still in top 4 at the mid season stage. I would consider that encouraging.

    My point was more about his intelligence and his ability to work tirelessly to prove people wrong. He wasn't as talented as some of the others but worked harder than anyone.

    Yes but you noted "three" games here to prove a point. Also, I disagree. We have had better attacking games. Whoscored has Pulisic at 6.2 rating for the Bournemouth game. Only CHO and Michy were worse. Feel free to attack the credibility of Whoscored.
     
  11. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    I had a longer post written, but deleted it. Basically, you're suggesting I said Frank was terrible and should be fired (which I didn't), and you hope he'll get better.

    I hope Frank gets better too! I just don't know what basis we have for this hope. And that's not a great way to run an organization.
     
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  12. Wrath

    Wrath Member+

    May 4, 2007
    New York
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    As long as both of us want the club to do well :)

    Cheers!
     
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  13. Ninjatend0

    Ninjatend0 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 10, 2007
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    at this stage i think it's pretty crystal clear than any personnel we play should revolve around a 3 mad midfield of Jorg, Kov, and Kante. anything else and the quality drops off substantially. now, you have to rotate that so i get it, but that's far and away our best option for the entire team.

    the front 3 currently picks itself when healthy and available at Pul, Tams, and Willian. the 4-2-3-1 with Mount at the top of the midfield really only works in certain situations right now. i have to share that while mount shows a ton of promise, he can be a liability. ironically Jose would love a hard working AM that can press, but at that position you have to be able to link and pass quite a bit better if we have possession.

    which typifies the conundrum when he plays. the assumption is he plays in game we only need a two man midfield, which assumes we have enough quality to keep the ball from lesser opposition, which often means the opposing team will play in a low block, and Mount has to be able to then operate in tight spaces and that's a game where pressing is less valuable.

    then, if we play a game where you need more pressing, you probably also need a better 3 man midfield to control that style of game better. that's not universal, it's generalization, but it speaks to the tactical problems lampard is faced with at times.
     
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  14. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    I agree with you. Which is why I've said for a while that if I was running the club, my second purchase (after a left back) would be in central midfield, since we're pretty light on genuine midfielders. Maybe that's Ampadu, but hard to know. Kante also isn't getting any younger, so we do need to think about the future.

    I think Mount works best when we're facing a side of similar quality, where his pressing will generate turnovers and harry a team who also wants to possess the ball. The problem is, that presently describes Liverpool (who do this better than us), City (who also do this better than us) and Leicester. Maybe Spurs. Everyone else will give up possession. Which leaves Mount in a bit of no man's land. I think he was a lot more useful in the Championship where Derby were of a similar talent level to a lot of other clubs so he could be deployed at his best skill level.
    He reminds me a lot of what made Jesse Lingard good at United (ignoring all the idiotic beanz stuff). And Lingard is a good player, but ultimately a limited one.
     
  15. Rman3349

    Rman3349 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 31, 2006
    Boston
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    In the spirit of arguing on the margins, I do think there's good evidence for Frank's improvement.

    He's definitely shown a willingness to switch things up, and while many times the changes have not worked, many other times they have. But more important than the current success rate of Frank's adjustments, the quantity of adjustments indicates that he's not going to stubbornly hold on to something that isn't working, and that's a necessary, though not sufficient, component of improvement.

    We have plenty of experience around here with managers who lacked this willingness to flexible, and therefore had no hope of getting better with time
     
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  16. nicephoras

    nicephoras A very stable genius

    Fucklechester Rangers
    Jul 22, 2001
    Eastern Seaboard of Yo! Semite
    I agree he has tried a few things, but I think very few of them have worked and his in-game decisions have tended not to work. Yes, his change at 30 minutes against Arsenal was good, but that's in large part because the 3 man backline decision was so bad in the first place. It's a bit like claiming success because you've stopped punching yourself in the face.
    His success has been in implementing his tactics on the side - which he has done quickly and well. I think he has done that very well.

    What you (and a few other people) are getting at is that Frank is still learning on the job. And I agree with that. We're witnessing growing pains. But we're not meant to be a club for that sort of thing. That's why I keep saying this job came too fast and too soon for him.

    Also, other managers have also made changes. Sarri didn't (and I wasn't enamored of Sarri - I wasn't exactly crying tears of joy when he left). But Conte clearly did. Lampard is hardly the first manager to do it. What concerns me is that the process seems haphazard. The back 3 against Spurs made sense; playing it against Southampton in the next game didn't; Arsenal even less so. We don't have a backline like Luiz, Christense and Azpilicueta to do it - we're trying to do it with Zouma and Rudiger against sides that concede possession to us.
     
  17. stanger

    stanger BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 29, 2008
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pulisic wasn't injured yesterday.

     
  18. Brock Hannsen

    Brock Hannsen Member+

    Feb 3, 2014
    Hartford, CT
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    He was kept out as a precaution after tweaking the ham after our dismal home loss to Soton.
     
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  19. yasik19

    yasik19 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Chelsea
    Ukraine
    Oct 21, 2004
    Daly City
    Based on our table position and the CL (though coming 2nd sucks), I'd give this team an overall grade of B. I think we have exceeded our pre-season expectations, but if you look at individual games, we could have done better.
     

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