Chelsea 2018/19 - 3rd and European Champions. Sarri, not sorry

Suedesi said:
Don't you think they have stalled a bit after their wonderful start? Most Chelsea games seem boring these days, no idea how you can enjoy watching them at the moment.

They're certainly not the finished article by all means.
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I'm not judging their entertainment value nor is that relevant. Chelsea's big strength is that they concede very few good chances/xG and are on par with Liverpool and City in that regard. They obviously have issues up front and Higuain will certainly strengthen them in that regard. Still, only Spurs have managed to dominate them chances-wise in a league game this season.
 
Pagh Wraith said:
I'm not judging their entertainment value nor is that relevant. Chelsea's big strength is that they concede very few good chances/xG and are on par with Liverpool and City in that regard. They obviously have issues up front and Higuain will certainly strengthen them in that regard. Still, only Spurs have managed to dominate them chances-wise in a league game this season.
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This is a point that is lost on many it seems. Chelsea create enough chances to win games while conceding very few. That is usually a a good sign. If Higuain is a hit I can see us getting 3rd. But the football is the most boring I have seen in the Abramovich era.
 
Makelele said:
This is a point that is lost on many it seems. Chelsea create enough chances to win games while conceding very few. That is usually a a good sign. If Higuain is a hit I can see us getting 3rd. But the football is the most boring I have seen in the Abramovich era.
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And apparently Conte was sacked because of boring football.
 
Makelele said:
This is a point that is lost on many it seems. Chelsea create enough chances to win games while conceding very few. That is usually a a good sign. If Higuain is a hit I can see us getting 3rd. But the football is the most boring I have seen in the Abramovich era.
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It can be dull because our attacks rarely come to anything. Let's see if you think its dull when we're playing like this but the players know the system better and we're scoring 3-4 in plenty of games. I didn't hear many people calling Sarri's Napoli team boring.
 
Pagh Wraith said:
I'm not judging their entertainment value nor is that relevant. Chelsea's big strength is that they concede very few good chances/xG and are on par with Liverpool and City in that regard. They obviously have issues up front and Higuain will certainly strengthen them in that regard. Still, only Spurs have managed to dominate them chances-wise in a league game this season.
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Actually, Arsenal and City had better xG despite Chelsea winning both.

Your claim that the team that finished out of top 4 last year and didn't really get an upgrade over the summer is somewhat clearly better than United (who finished 2nd) seems rather flimsy. Kepa for Courtouis was like for like and Jorginho while a tidy player with 2,000 completed passes still hasn't registered an assist. I guess we will see how Chelsea does with Piguain.
 
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I think Higuain coming to us with Sarri is potentially brilliant. I think his best season scoring wise was under him wasnt it? I am quite looking forward to see how it pans out. People bring up his Milan stats of 8 goals in 22 games, but has any striker done really well at Milan since Ibra?

At Juventus Higuain was pretty good, Napoli he was brilliant with Sarri. I dont think he ever wanted to go to Milan; and would have joined us last summer over them given the chance. Maybe now he is at a club he wants to be at(provided it goes through), with a manager he himself says is like a father figure, he may find his form.
 
We should at least wait how their attack looks with Higuain up front. Having an actual goal scorer up front might completely change things.
 
I know some people would like a draw today. But Chelsea losing would be best for us. Arsenal can be excellent, but have zero consistency, we will finish above them.
 
I think that unbeaten run they had earlier in the season warped everyone's expectations for this team. Coming into this season I think everyone expected that it would take a while for this side to get Sarri's system.
 
Hazard can't do a Mertens - would probably have been better starting with Giroud up front.

Chelsea might do better once Higuain comes in but think they're struggling to play both Jorginho and Kante in the same team.
 
And people talk all day about the Jorginho/Kante thing but, the other midfielder position might be a bigger issue. I think you need a creative player in that position and Kovacic has not been that and Barkley has fallen off from his good start early in the season.
 
The no striker shit is a poor excuse. Absolute bullshit.
Morata and Giroud weren't plucked from the third division.
Sarri needs to be called out.
 
Can see them losing at Old Trafford and Man. City comfortably. They usually turn up at Anfield so not sure on that one or Spurs at home (depends if Spurs have some attackers back).

Not win any of those four and that will put huge pressure on them not to slip up v bottom half teams home and away.

Get the feeling winning europa league will be their salvation like it was for Man. United in 16/17. Certainly wouldn't put much on them finshing 4th.
 
Adisa said:
The no striker shit is a poor excuse. Absolute bullshit.
Morata and Giroud weren't plucked from the third division.
Sarri needs to be called out.
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I agree. Playing no CF has been an issue so surely Giroud or Morata is better than neither of them?
 
Started the season so promisingly but seems to have faded now.
 
Foxtrot said:
Started the season so promisingly but seems to have faded now.
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Did they ever look convincing though? Always felt they were being carried by Hazard being in great form for the start of the season
 
Adisa said:
The no striker shit is a poor excuse. Absolute bullshit.
Morata and Giroud weren't plucked from the third division.
Sarri needs to be called out.
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Neither of them are good enough. That's why Morata is leaving already. His mistake is the use of Jorginho and Kante/zero creativity in midfield.
 
abdo99 said:
Neither of them are good enough. That's why Morata is leaving already. His mistake is the use of Jorginho and Kante/zero creativity in midfield.
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Kovacic is the one who is supposed to be supplying the creativity. He has been the much bigger issue in Chelsea's midfield. This Jorginho/Kante thing has let him off the hook.
 
Keeps It tidy said:
Kovacic is the one who is supposed to be supplying the creativity. He has been the much bigger issue in Chelsea's midfield. This Jorginho/Kante thing has let him off the hook.
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Why? He's never been a creative midfielder.

The problem is that Jorginho-Kante-Kovacic is a midfield that doesn't offer enough offensively when you don't have a great front 3. It's the balance of it that's not working, they're 3 very good players.

With Higuain coming things will change.
 
Their midfield is horrible, may be 3 good players but the balance of it is shocking, no goals and no creativity and the best defensive player out of position. Silly.
 
The main argument of appointing Sarri was that he improves what he already has and won't ask for many signings- so counting on Higuain to reinvigorate their season is a bit ironical.
 
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