Chelsea 2020/21 - General discussion

Lee565 said:
I can still see chelsea having a chance of finishing 2nd, they are banging in the goals in their first 4 games and that is without pulisic and ziyech, or Werner and havertz showing any real form.
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If chelsea able to come 2nd or not but this season title race will not be bore fest for sure. Even Liverpool with supposed greatest ever defender in their defense let in seven goals. Spurs not go away easily with Mourinho at their helm.One hell of a season awaits.
 
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Listar said:
My only question is (as I have implied from my previous posts) how do you find that confidence that Chelsea will get >80 points this season after the first three (albeit very early) games. Is it not more of a blind hope that everything will gel more than concrete signs of progression from last year? If this form keeps going waiting for them to gel you won’t get to 80 even if they gel. Just look at us last season where we whack most teams including city post Burnley and still not able to get anywhere close to 80. We were the most on form team post Bruno.

what I am trying to say is if you blow hot and cold for a good half a season you won’t get close to any title challenge even if you click in the second half. 80 will be a pipe dream if your current form continues even if you eventually get it right.

as much as I do not want to admit I think arsenal are the ones that have clear signs of progression from last year. Not you, not us, not city, not Tottenham.
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You may want to reconsider this.
 
Listar said:
My only question is (as I have implied from my previous posts) how do you find that confidence that Chelsea will get >80 points this season after the first three (albeit very early) games. Is it not more of a blind hope that everything will gel more than concrete signs of progression from last year? If this form keeps going waiting for them to gel you won’t get to 80 even if they gel. Just look at us last season where we whack most teams including city post Burnley and still not able to get anywhere close to 80. We were the most on form team post Bruno.

what I am trying to say is if you blow hot and cold for a good half a season you won’t get close to any title challenge even if you click in the second half. 80 will be a pipe dream if your current form continues even if you eventually get it right.

as much as I do not want to admit I think arsenal are the ones that have clear signs of progression from last year. Not you, not us, not city, not Tottenham.
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You are judging teams in first few games with most teams not even have full of squad members of the team with no pre season.

After ten games you can judge will be fairly correct in my opinion. Even Liverpool let in seven against villa doesn't fit the narrative of best team in league.
 
Listar said:
Top two is for sure the usual suspect.

The problem for both our teams is the high flying Everton Leicester and arsenal. You are still dreaming of top 2 when obviously we are looking at top 3 to 7 and are already chasing these teams this early in the campaign. You are already 5 points behind Leicester and Everton? That west Brom team that held you 3-3? You know how much they got beat by both leicester and Everton?

If you are not worried then you’re certainly way more optimistic than me that’s for sure because I am worried about United knowing we can’t drop any silly points from now on. Even the Tottenham game this weekend is a must win. There is no time to gel and not get left behind.
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You may want to reconsider this.

I'm not overtly confident about Chelsea's chances of challenging this season but there is definitely potential for something to happen. They got a clean sheet this weekend and thats a major issue from the weekend. Palace didn't even get one shot away. They need to build on this. Chilwell seems to have hit the ground sprinting, hopefully Silva won't be making anymore mistakes like he did at WBA and Zouma seems to be OK at the moment. If Chelsea can just improve their defense they will improve. I don't think scoring is going to be a problem. Werner hasn't started well but there are goals throughout the team and they still have Pulisic and Ziyech to come in.

The best thing at Chelsea at the moment is that there is competition for most places. The players know they have to perform to get in the side. Last season they were running on siege mentality because of the ban but they have to raise thier game this season because some real quality has been brought in.

Of course this all has to be managed by Frank and he is a relatively inexperienced manager. Mourinho was good at managing a squad. He was ruthless in dropping players if they didn't perform and even took players off in the first half if he thought they were playing badly. Ask Juan Mata. Frank will still be seeing things from a players perspective and he needs to learn about managing a squad. He will have heard all the old cliches about "a good problem to have" but he will still have to deal with that problem. Dropping Mason Mount after his performances of last season will play on Franks mind but I think he knows he has get a steady team together and work out his starting line-up. This isn't popular among many Chelsea fans but I don't think Mason is in the best team at the moment. I think the best team at the moment is as the Palace game but with an attack of Ziyech on the right and probably Pulisic on the left.

Frank needs to build on this result and settle his team selections down.
 
blue blue said:
You may want to reconsider this.

I'm not overtly confident about Chelsea's chances of challenging this season but there is definitely potential for something to happen. They got a clean sheet this weekend and thats a major issue from the weekend. Palace didn't even get one shot away. They need to build on this. Chilwell seems to have hit the ground sprinting, hopefully Silva won't be making anymore mistakes like he did at WBA and Zouma seems to be OK at the moment. If Chelsea can just improve their defense they will improve. I don't think scoring is going to be a problem. Werner hasn't started well but there are goals throughout the team and they still have Pulisic and Ziyech to come in.

The best thing at Chelsea at the moment is that there is competition for most places. The players know they have to perform to get in the side. Last season they were running on siege mentality because of the ban but they have to raise thier game this season because some real quality has been brought in.

Of course this all has to be managed by Frank and he is a relatively inexperienced manager. Mourinho was good at managing a squad. He was ruthless in dropping players if they didn't perform and even took players off in the first half if he thought they were playing badly. Ask Juan Mata. Frank will still be seeing things from a players perspective and he needs to learn about managing a squad. He will have heard all the old cliches about "a good problem to have" but he will still have to deal with that problem. Dropping Mason Mount after his performances of last season will play on Franks mind but I think he knows he has get a steady team together and work out his starting line-up. This isn't popular among many Chelsea fans but I don't think Mason is in the best team at the moment. I think the best team at the moment is as the Palace game but with an attack of Ziyech on the right and probably Pulisic on the left.

Frank needs to build on this result and settle his team selections down.
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I know it is still early in the season but do you think it is still too early to say Chelsea won’t win the carabao cup this season?
 
Really bad luck for Chelsea. Mendy has been injured in training with Senegal and we're likely to have Kepa back in goal for the next couple of weeks.

 
WeePat said:
Really bad luck for Chelsea. Mendy has been injured in training with Senegal and we're likely to have Kepa back in goal for the next couple of weeks.

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Gotta love INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL!!

It's genuinely staggering that these breaks are happening in the midst of a pandemic and a compressed season. Here's hoping every Chelsea player comes down with a convenient case of the sniffles when call-ups are happening.
 
TheMagicFoolBus said:
Still only 26 and genuinely a sad story - he was among the best young LBs in Europe when we signed him; ruptured his ACL and suffered multiple setbacks in his rehabilitation. A shadow of the player he was for Augsburg.
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A player in his career status (No chance at his club and loan moves haven't worked out for various reasons) must leave the club.
 
I can't believe we're finally back to actual football. Feels like I haven't watched Chelsea for months.
 
One thing I have always begrudgingly liked about chelsea is they are never afraid to completely hit the restart button on their squad, you always feel in 2 seasons time they can virtually have a completely different starting 11 when things clearly need a change.
 
As good as their players maybe individually- Chelsea dont scare me as a team.

Seems like there is gaps, seems like their is weaknesses, seems like they will tactically be a whilst to get the best form out of most of their players.
 
I have seen on their forum saying Chelsea conceded 62 league goals in 43 matches under Frank ? Crazy if true. How are they even finishing top 4 with such defensive record ?
 
Defending was pretty comical today, team doesn't look balanced, poor from the set piece at the end, Walcott just allowed to shoot and individual errors from Havertz, Zouma, Kepa.

Conceding at a rate of 1.8 per game, will be 68.4 if same trend continues all season. Need to halve that.

Lots of attacking quality, tactically it's not working.
 
Just said to my brother that these guys are the most overrated team in the league. They’ve been good attacking-wise this season and pitifully poor defensive-wise. What’s changed from last season?
 
Bebestation said:
As good as their players maybe individually- Chelsea dont scare me as a team.

Seems like there is gaps, seems like their is weaknesses, seems like they will tactically be a whilst to get the best form out of most of their players.
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This is fair tbh. We constantly have gaping holes in midfield and we can't stop making individual errors in defence - those two problems combined is a recipe for disaster and I really want to start to see some improvements in that regard soon. No point in me being upset with Jorginho or Kepa when Lampard keeps picking these players.
 
Bad dropping of points so far this season. You really shouldn't be conceding 3 goals to likes of West Brom and Southampton given Lampard has had a year to work with them but then I never thought his Derby team were much good defensively either.

Big game for them next weekend. ;)
 
Mb194dc said:
Defending was pretty comical today, team doesn't look balanced, poor from the set piece at the end, Walcott just allowed to shoot and individual errors from Havertz, Zouma, Kepa.

Conceding at a rate of 1.8 per game, will be 68.4 if same trend continues all season. Need to halve that.

Lots of attacking quality, tactically it's not working.
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I'm keen to see what you're like when you have a different keeper settled in, not that there isn't plenty to work on for Lampard right now.
 
They have done absolutely nothing to solve their disastrous defense, and just thought 36 years old Silva will be enough to make it solid on his own. Pretty weird really.
 
FootballHQ said:
Bad dropping of points so far this season. You really shouldn't be conceding 3 goals to likes of West Brom and Southampton given Lampard has had a year to work with them but then I never thought his Derby team were much good defensively either.

Big game for them next weekend. ;)
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‘Them’ is a transitory concept when you sign 6 or 7 new first team players in one window!

I remember Van Gaals first season when he brought in loads of new players. The team lost its entire identity and it took until Christmas before any kind of consistency or style emerged.
 
el3mel said:
They have done absolutely nothing to solve their disastrous defense, and just thought 36 years old Silva will be enough to make it solid on his own. Pretty weird really.
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Well we have just neither he nor the keeper we bought in played.
 
el3mel said:
They have done absolutely nothing to solve their disastrous defense, and just thought 36 years old Silva will be enough to make it solid on his own. Pretty weird really.
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Left back? Goalkeeper? Nobody is expecting SIlva to do anything on his own. We've replaced 3 of the back 5, they've just not had a chance to play together yet.
 
sammsky1 said:
‘Them’ is a transitory concept when you sign 6 or 7 new first team players in one window!

I remember Van Gaals first season when he brought in loads of new players. The team lost its entire identity and it took until Christmas before any kind of consistency or style emerged.
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They didn't sign many players for the defensive structure....same keeper (o.k he'd be out if Mendy was fit), Zouma, James, Azpi, Christensen all there last season and Jorginho and Kante anchoring midfield so Lampard shouldn't have to do too much to get a solid defensive shape....if he's indeed capable of that which I really doubt from what I've seen from his managerial career so far.
 
duffer said:
Left back? Goalkeeper? Nobody is expecting SIlva to do anything on his own. We've replaced 3 of the back 5, they've just not had a chance to play together yet.
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You needed 2 very good center backs at least. Left back is nice and all but it's not going to solve your central defense problems. As for that GK you signed, his career is underwhelming for 28 years old player let's be honest and I don't think you expect him to actually solve your problems ? You simply focused most spending on the attack and went on cheap options and B choices in defense, it's really weird.
 
el3mel said:
They have done absolutely nothing to solve their disastrous defense, and just thought 36 years old Silva will be enough to make it solid on his own. Pretty weird really.
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We signed three defensive pieces, two of whom weren't playing today.

The one time they all played together we completely nullified a dangerous counter attacking side that could and should have scored about seven at your piece.
 
duffer said:
Left back? Goalkeeper? Nobody is expecting SIlva to do anything on his own. We've replaced 3 of the back 5, they've just not had a chance to play together yet.
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I was actually expecting another CB to be signed. Would've left yourself a bit short there if Tomori had gone to West Ham on transfer deadline day unless you're going to move Azpilicueta there to cover if you pick up injuries.
 
duffer said:
Left back? Goalkeeper? Nobody is expecting SIlva to do anything on his own. We've replaced 3 of the back 5, they've just not had a chance to play together yet.
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They actually have ....and we beat Crystal Palace 4-0 with them not having a single shot on target.
 
el3mel said:
You needed 2 very good center backs at least. Left back is nice and all but it's not going to solve your central defense problems. As for that GK you signed, his career is underwhelming for 28 years old player let's be honest and I don't think you expect him to actually solve your problems ? You simply focused most spending on the attack and went on cheap options and B choices in defense, it's really weird.
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When you say "solve your problems", I don't really know what you mean. All he needs to do is be better than Kepa and that's our defence improved. Is he going to turn us into a 2004 Chelsea defence? Of course not but nobody expects that.

Replacing 3 of the back 5 cannot be described as "done absolutely nothing". Has any team ever replaced more of a defence than that in one window?
 
Dancfc said:
We signed three defensive pieces, two of whom weren't playing today.

The one time they all played together we completely nullified a dangerous counter attacking side that could and should have scored about seven at your piece.
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You signed a 36 years old CB, a no name keeper and a very good left back (I'll give you the rest). Hardly "strengthening defense", in comparison to the money you splashed on the attackers in the market. Your team needed at least 2 very good center backs at their prime, but you decided to went for cheap and plan b or c options and focus spending on the attack instead.
 
Their defense is atrocious, but their attack is almost brilliant. They will be very inconsistent throughout the season, unless they fixed that. But, they should still get top four. Werner and Chillwell has been brilliant signing. I am not sure about Havertz. I feel mount can be as productive in that role.
 
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