Chelsea (a) Pre-match thread 22nd December

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

2 minutes ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

Can’t see how he can have more time, we are in free fall with him in charge

 

Man U have been brave getting rid of Mourwhingo and we must do the same re Puel - he just doesn’t fit our club, no progress at all, we are boring to watch, don’t have a go at teams and don’t look like we even have a pattern of football that is easy on the eye

 

i just can’t see many positives at all with Puel in charge, yes he plays youth but other managers could do that also

Man U are really in free fall. We are not

 

As I said in another post.  Compare Man U with Arsenal and you will see the benefits of not sacking managers like sacrificial lambs

 

Arsenal when they eventually did change manager it had a positive effect because they haven't destroyed their club by chopping and changing willy nilly

[UniFox21]

Would quite like to see the same formation played;

Swapping Ward for Kasper

Simpson for Ricardo

Ghezzal for Albrighton

 

 

[Corky]

31 minutes ago, weller54 said:

4 straight defeats after this one,  with another around the corner... The Cardiff game will be absolutely crucial for Puel's survival.. If we don't win that one he's gone! 

Puel's been one or two games from the sack since April.

 

Why do you think this will be any different?

[volpeazzurro]

20 minutes ago, Corky said:

Puel's been one or two games from the sack since April.

 

Why do you think this will be any different?

He's been one or two games from the sack with some people on here before he'd even managed his first game, such was their prejudice. He not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but appears to have a brief and a change of direction which he's sticking to. Thought with the players he had available to him last night he played it spot on (bizzarely they'll be some individuals a bit narked about that as they can't moan about him as much until the next adverse result), though you can't legislate for rediculous powder puff penalties. 

Edited 19 December 2018 by volpeazzurro

[Bob Weasel Fox]

40 minutes ago, AlloverthefloorYesNdidi said:

Man U are really in free fall. We are not

 

As I said in another post.  Compare Man U with Arsenal and you will see the benefits of not sacking managers like sacrificial lambs

 

Arsenal when they eventually did change manager it had a positive effect because they haven't destroyed their club by chopping and changing willy nilly

I think by the end of this next couple of games we will of lost 5/6 games on the spin. I’m desperately trying to hope things will turn around but I just can’t see it

[l444ry]

Probably be the usual Puel agenda with half a dozen changes to the side. Play like last night maybe we can get off lightly. Play like at Fulham and Palace and it could get messy. Either way, it's become a habit to come off second best under this manager and this style of football. Expecting very little so anything remotely better than this is a bonus. That's the sad part. 

Edited 19 December 2018 by l444ry

[smr]

I'd take Wilf out and put Hamza in.

 

                        Schmeichel

Pereira    Morgan Maguire Evans     Chilwell

               Albrighton Mendy Hamza

                         Maddison
                           Vardy

[Bob Weasel Fox]

1 hour ago, l444ry said:

Probably be the usual Puel agenda with half a dozen changes to the side. Play like last night maybe we can get off lightly. Play like at Fulham and Palace and it could get messy. Either way, it's become a habit to come off second best under this manager and this style of football. Expecting very little so anything remotely better than this is a bonus. That's the sad part. 

Spot on, we expect nothing with these current tactics and line ups etc

 

Puel needs to alter his game plan 

 

have a go at teams, stop playing for a 0-0 or 1-1 draw and losing anyway. It’s far too predictable 

[mozartfox]

Schmeichel 

 

Perieira

Soyunucu

Evans

Chilwell

 

Maguire

Hamza

 

Albrighton 

Maddison

Gray

 

Vardy

 

This would baffle everyone on the planet.  But at least the DMF pairing might contribute a little more and Harry can play more forward and get his head on some of the expected aimless high crosses. 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

3 minutes ago, mozartfox said:

Schmeichel 

 

Perieira

Soyunucu

Evans

Chilwell

 

Maguire

Hamza

 

Albrighton 

Maddison

Gray

 

Vardy

 

This would baffle everyone on the planet.  But at least the DMF pairing might contribute a little more and Harry can play more forward and get his head on some of the expected aimless high crosses. 

Inspired putting Maggy in midfield  

 

But its all about that front 4

[UpTheLeagueFox]

22 minutes ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

Puel needs to alter his game plan 

Don't hold your breath.... but we can live in hope!

[drofmor55]

                                       Kasper

               Ricardo  Morgan  Maguire  Chilwell

                          Iborra   Ndidi  Hamza

                        Albrighton  Vardy  Gray

                             

[TonyN11]

12 hours ago, chapero82 said:

I’m going to this match I really hope it’s a good one  

Me too.

Hope we score, was frightfully disappointed that we only got a 0-0 last season when we were playing with 10 men  

[TonyN11]

3 hours ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

Can’t see how he can have more time, we are in free fall with him in charge

 

Man U have been brave getting rid of Mourwhingo and we must do the same re Puel - he just doesn’t fit our club, no progress at all, we are boring to watch, don’t have a go at teams and don’t look like we even have a pattern of football that is easy on the eye

 

i just can’t see many positives at all with Puel in charge, yes he plays youth but other managers could do that also

Wouldn't say brave, I reckon now that Man Utd will have a better chance of making top 6.

And we have a better chance of making top 6 with Puel still in charge.

Puel will only get sacked when Hamza gets his hair cut!

[Xen]

11 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

Schmeichel

Ricardo - Soyuncu - Maguire - Fuchs

Ndidi

Choudhury - Maddison

Gray - Vardy - Albrighton

 

Assuming Chilwell's still out that is, although in fairness Fuchs has done well in the games he's come in.

More or less this.

I'd swap Ndidi for Iborra and move Choudhury back though (4-2-1-3 rather than 4-1-2-3).

 

Wouldn't be totally opposed to see Ward in goal instead of Schmeichel, to be honest. Schmeichel's distribution has been particularly poor lately, and Ward has performed well enough in the cups to have a shot in the league. Happy with either of them between the sticks though, so it'll probably stay with KS.

 

Chilwell if fully fit, Fuchs if he's not.

 

Soyuncu-Maguire looked decent yesterday and will only improve with gametime.

[UPinCarolina]

3 hours ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

Can’t see how he can have more time, we are in free fall with him in charge

 

Man U have been brave getting rid of Mourwhingo and we must do the same re Puel - he just doesn’t fit our club, no progress at all, we are boring to watch, don’t have a go at teams and don’t look like we even have a pattern of football that is easy on the eye

 

i just can’t see many positives at all with Puel in charge, yes he plays youth but other managers could do that also

We're hardly in free-fall. Prior to the last 3 losses (2 in the league) we had gone 7 matches without a loss in all competitions.

Free-fall is Burnley.

[Xen]

6 minutes ago, TonyN11 said:

Wouldn't say brave, I reckon now that Man Utd will have a better chance of making top 6.

And we have a better chance of making top 6 with Puel still in charge.

Puel will only get sacked when Hamza gets his hair cut!

Like how Mourinho was only going to get sacked when Fellaini got his hair cut... Oh wait.

 

[RumbleFox]

                Kasper

Ricardo Soy Maguire Chilwell

       Hamza  Maddison

   Albrighton Ghezzal Gray

                 Vardy

 

(Only because I think Ndidi needs a rest and would like to see us experiment with a more attacking CM).  X

[reynard]

Hard to see past another defeat sadly. The top 5 teams, when they don't rest players, are at another level entirely to us.

[Devonfox1884]

Seeing how well a 3 disrupted Man City last night I’d play it again. An unpopular opinion perhaps, but I’d also play Simpson in this one.

 

Kasper

 

Simmo

Soyuncu (it’ll be Wes)

Maguire

Chilly (if fit)

 

Wilf

Hamza (To Man-mark Jorginho)

Mendy/Iborra

 

Ricardo

Vardy

Gray

 

Harsh on Madders, but we’re gunna need to contain and break in this one and I think he’s a little too lightweight for that style of game.

[OhYesNdidi]

1 minute ago, Devonfox1884 said:

Seeing how well a 3 disrupted Man City last night I’d play it again. An unpopular opinion perhaps, but I’d also play Simpson in this one.

 

Kasper

 

Simmo

Soyuncu (it’ll be Wes)

Maguire

Chilly (if fit)

 

Wilf

Hamza (To Man-mark Jorginho)

Mendy/Iborra

 

Ricardo

Vardy

Gray

 

Harsh on Madders, but we’re gunna need to contain and break in this one and I think he’s a little too lightweight for that style of game.

We will have about 20% possession and won’t be able to get out of our half with that team. Ricardo is our best right back anyway so hopefully will play there. 

[Foxxed]

          Kasp

Ric Eva Mag Chil

        Hamza

Alb Mad Ndid Gray

          Vardy

 

 

Doubt we'll play both Ndidi and Hamza and drop the rested Mendy.

 

But Hamza looked fantastic so why not play him and put Ndidi futher upfield?

 

Puel can continue to attempt to make Ndidi into more then just a ball winner.

 

 

[Devonfox1884]

5 minutes ago, OhYesNdidi said:

We will have about 20% possession and won’t be able to get out of our half with that team. Ricardo is our best right back anyway so hopefully will play there. 

We’ll have about that anyway, we crap ourselves whenever pressed and hoof it. Hence the pacey front 3 to try and counter when we have the chance. (Agree I’d rather have Ricardo at RB, but we don’t have another pacey winger other than Gray and I can’t be dealing with Diabate) 

 

Chelsea are capable of keeping the ball very, very well. We don’t, or at least not meaningfully. Give it a go 15/16 style.

Edited 19 December 2018 by Devonfox1884

[Xen]

4 minutes ago, Devonfox1884 said:

We’ll have about that anyway, we crap ourselves whenever pressed and hoof it. Hence the pacey front 3 to try and counter when we have the chance. (Agree I’d rather have Ricardo at RB, but we don’t have another pacey winger other than Gray and I can’t be dealing with Diabate) 

 

Chelsea are capable of keeping the ball very, very well. We don’t, or at least not meaningfully. Give it a go 15/16 style.

Albrighton isn't particularly pacy but he's brilliant at putting in early balls for the counter attack. I'd play Pereira at RB and Albrighton in front, with a mix of overlapping play and early crosses in to Vardy.

[TonyN11]

1 hour ago, Xen said:

Albrighton isn't particularly pacy but he's brilliant at putting in early balls for the counter attack. I'd play Pereira at RB and Albrighton in front, with a mix of overlapping play and early crosses in to Vardy.

????  Albrighton does lack certain qualities but pace is certainly not one of them!!