Can someone put up the best video for me to watch of morata? Really don't recall ever being that impressed by him except for that run v Bayern munich that cuadrado ended up scoring from. If he were as good as some make out, he would have dislodged benzema from that squad, who had a very poor season last year (don't know how stats, just know every time I watched he was one of the worst players)
Álvaro Morata | Chelsea player
- Thread starter Zoo
- Start date
- Status
I expect to see everyone, except for Lukaku, being played anywhere across the front three. Both Rashford and Martial are better on the left, but I can see Mourinho playing a very narrow, interchanging front three next season.
Lukaku
Morata
Mkhitaryan
Rashford
Martial
Lingard
6 players for 3 positions
Morata Lukaku Mkhitaryan
Martial Rashford Lingard
Or we could play a 4132, letting Rashford and Martial have playing time as strikers in a front 2 (we have more than enough games to go around), and Mata/Mkhi can play as an AM feeding 2 front men. Also gives us the flexibilty to sub one attacker in ans change formationa quickly. The more attacking options we have the better. Last season we were too reliant on Zlatan.
Yeah, I see your point, insisting on a offensive 4-3-3 like Real Madrid, but we are yet so see Mourinho using it, even in lower games last season, so I'm not seeing it. And seems you forgot Mata there, unless you think he could be used in midfield, which I don't. Besides, we would be lacking another proper attacking #8, like Nainggolan. If we buy one instead of a #6, I'll agree with you that's the direction we're going.
Perhaps, but we would have to get a big big signing for that #6, someone we clearly don't have in the squad.
Last season, we saw a lot of Rashford (natural forward) on the wing, with Ibra up top. The only thing that would change is that we'd have Morata and Lukaku in for Rashford and Ibrahimovic.
Bascially:
Morata Lukaku Mkhitaryan
Pogba Fabinho Herrrera
Darmian Lindelof Bailly Valencia
De Gea
Or
Lukaku
Morata Mata Mkhitaryan
Pogba Fabinho
Darmian Lindelof Bailly Valencia
De Gea
I mean, those teams above would not be anything majorly different to what we saw last season. However, with Morata and Lukaku, and a more settled Pogba and Mkhitaryan, you'd expect us to score more goals.
Technically, the 433 I posted would most likely look nothing like that in game play anyway. It would most likely look like a diamond, like some have already suggested.
With Morata eager to cut in from the wing, and take up a striking role, with Lukaku liking to peel off into the right channel and Mkhitaryan roaming, it could almost end up looking like a 4312, with Mkhi behind Rom and Morata - very similar to what we saw with Madrid last season, as you mentioned.
I can imagine they'd be a lot of flexibility.
Morata wouldn't provide the directness off a natural winger like Perisic, but if played correctly, I think he could pick up a fair few goals from the inside left forward position.
Why are you guys discussing lineups with both Lukaku and Morata? I thought that deal was dead.
Because we want to piss off Conte even more.
He reads the Cafe?
Why do people want to spend over £70 million for Morata to not even play him in his best position? There is no reason to get him now unless Mourinho intends to play with two forwards (which I doubt). If we want an inside forward then sign a player whose best position is there, not shoehorn a number 9 in there whilst paying an excessive fee.
He might. We don't really know who anybody is.He reads the Cafe?
If we wanted Griezmann + another striker, it's clear that Mourinho wanted two strikers and was/is willing to splash out a lot of money to get them.
Therefore, not getting Griezmann surely means we're still after two strikers. With us securing Lukaku, I can imagine we'll still be on the hunt for one more.
He might just hang on and get Griezmann when he is available either January or next summer. I still think there is something going on there.
Possible, but I don't think Jose will want to put his plans on hold for a whole season,or risk a cup tied first teamer in Jan. If Morata comes and say, takes the no.7 jersey, we can kind of confirm Griezmann interest is over.
Morata has been a squad player for two European giants in space of three seasons, €90 million transfer would make him fifth most expensive player of all time. The biggest risk is how he would settle and manage the expectations of leading the line for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Paul Pogba was considered as one of the finest midfielders in the world while he was at Juventus, he joined us for a world record deal and his game was scrutinized and analyzed much more and the common narrative in the media has been that he has had a underwhelming debut season. The price tag will always weigh on the player.
Morata has never put up kind of numbers you'd expect for a striker who's being quoted such a fee nor has he ever had the burden of being the main man for his side. He's a better footballer than Lukaku but the risk involved was too much especially when you consider the rather meager price difference. It's easy to see from our perspective why we went for a safer and less riskier buy in Lukaku.
Morata has never put up kind of numbers you'd expect for a striker who's being quoted such a fee nor has he ever had the burden of being the main man for his side. He's a better footballer than Lukaku but the risk involved was too much especially when you consider the rather meager price difference. It's easy to see from our perspective why we went for a safer and less riskier buy in Lukaku.
A diamond formation or 4132 is not as static as it seems. Both strikers will have instructions to pull out wide on their respectice flanks, Morata to the left and Lukaku to the right, allowing space for other teammates to exploit. With their strength and relative pace, most fullbacks will have difficulty containing them, especially aerially.
A world class no.6 is not available now,but Fabinho has all the tools to become one, and already is a great player. Herrera is also no slouch defensively, while Pogba's defensive contributions have been underrated too.
A world class no.6 is not available now,but Fabinho has all the tools to become one, and already is a great player. Herrera is also no slouch defensively, while Pogba's defensive contributions have been underrated too.
He is a really good player who at other times would be in that Real side except for Zidane's loyalty to Benzema. The problem is that the fee is far too much. Perez is really not playing fair with the lad. He wants to play regularly, asked to be let go and Perez is being a right t*t.
We need to get Morata too. There are so many different styles of play within the EPL that we need flexibility in our approaches.
Ye maybe. Do you think Mourinho, in the meantime, will be happy with Lukaku, Rashford and Martial as forward options?
We don't need Morata for that. We have Rashford and Martial, we need to sign a no 6 and someone to cover LM and have the 3 strikers.
I wouldn't be, but that's just me. He might want to see if the other two can up their game. Rashford is really young, I just have serious doubts about Martial's character, his toughness.
I'm hoping if he is moved from LW to ST then he will step up, just means we need to sign a LW or stop playing a system that needs one.
That 4-3-3 lineup might do for big games, perhaps Champions League, but I'm more interested in our formation against lower opponents at home, where we failed so much last season and might define our active profile, not the reactive. And I just think a 4-3-3 with Mkhitaryan is not offensive enough for most of those games, and I prefer him as #10. As a diamond it would work best, but have my doubts on Herrera as offensive #8, despite his assistances.
I also don't think Rashford is going to disappear from the team or just be a sub to Lukaku, no way.
By the way, in 4-2-3-1 with Mata and Mkhitaryan on the team, Mata was always the one on the right. But I get that he might be useful to play near Lukaku, justifying your change. I feel one of them might not feature so much this season, with the winger coming, and I hope it's the Spanish.
We might still get an older kind of poacher, Mourinho likes to have them on the team.
Did you have doubts his character after the first season as well?
We didn't need to. He mucked his life up and then cannot cope with the outcome. It happens with a lot of men but they have to deal with it and not let it affect their work. Maybe things have been sorted more amicably now and he can get his form back.
We will need 4 strikers if we want to play 2 up top and compete on all fronts. Also, for games where we need more firepower, we can drop one of Herrera or Fabinho, bring on one of Rashford or Martial, and go 4231. Goals were our issue last season, and gettinf just one striker in Lukaku to replace Zlatan might not be enough in that department.
I agree, I would have went for a striker and a goalscoring wide player like Sanchez, but tbh not many around that would be available maybe.
I think Mourinho (perhaps wrongly) sees Perišić as a goalscoring wide player.
I hope we have an alternative
Yeah, Neymar, Sánchez…
Rashford is underrated on here. People are shit scared he's another Welbeck (or Macheda, Januzaj) so don't overhype him. He is easily capable of being the 2nd striker of title-winning team. What we really need is a wide forward. Martial on his day would be the man but he is far too inconsistent and was pretty rubbish for a lot of last season.
I'm not sure Morata would be brought in to play wide so I think this is dead.
I'm not sure Morata would be brought in to play wide so I think this is dead.
To be honest, I'm hoping we steer clear of a 4231. If we need to be more offensive, we jut need to be looking at putting more offensive players in a 433. So for example, instead of Herrera as the 8, maybe put Fellaini in to play higher up (i.e. Ajax, etc) or buy a more attacking centre midfielder (Nainggolan, Matuidi, etc).
As for Mkhi not being offensive enough, I think it all depends how he is played in a 433. If you look at Madrid, they've got their two main goal getters in Ronaldo and Benzema, whilst Isco focuses on dropping off and dictating the game. The same can be done with Mkhitaryan, although I'd much prefer Mata to play that role. With Morata and Lukaku part of our front three, you'd expect them to grab most of the goals, whilst Mkhi or Mata can focus on creating.
Mourinho did it with Eto'o, who at the time, was a prolific goalscorer when through the middle.
Morata, despite scoring 20 goals last season, is far from prolific, and has previously played on the left.
Rashford would still get plenty of games, whether it be down the middle or on the flanks.
The problem is not so much my preference, but what I read of Mourinho past choices. 4-3-3 has been his defensive setup, not offensive.
Again, I agreed with your Isco description for Mkhitaryan/Mata, but that's a diamond.
Hoping we get him still.
Lukaku
Martial
Morata
Rashford
Provides depth and options when competing in the CL and Prem. Young set of strikers as well, without Morata we appear much thinner.
Lukaku
Martial
Morata
Rashford
Provides depth and options when competing in the CL and Prem. Young set of strikers as well, without Morata we appear much thinner.
Spanish media reporting a 68m pound bid by Chelsea for Morata
We're not getting him, no chance.
How much did we bid?
- Status