We really should of, apart from a few lucky wins at the end of the season we were the most unorganised team in the league. The defence and midfield were like a completely different species. Everyone was running the arses off but not as a team, as a result they were falling like flies. I am so glad we changed managers, we were going backwards.
Enzo Maresca - Chelsea manager - Sack watch
- Thread starter Carl
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) review both the Everton and Bodø/Glimt victories at Old Trafford. Listen to the guys discuss 2 wins and 7 goals in the last week, analyse of the Amorim formation, focus on Amad and how he is playing, and also take a look at Hojlund, Rashford & Zirkzee – who starts v Arsenal?
First time I've seen him smile, and barely recognised him. Normally he's got that angry, calculating, arrogant look hard-baked into his face. I'll believe he's a good bloke to his staff and friends but I can only go off the evidence I have, and the evidence I have is his face, and based on his face I am inclined to speculate that he might be the biggest dickhead in football and quite possibly in the world.
Fair play to Chelsea. They've really turned it around with this low profile managerial signing who has glued the mercenaries well together as a formidable fighting unit. They look to be on course to winning the league, either this year or next.
This is definitely not a cheap attempt at jinxing their form.
This is definitely not a cheap attempt at jinxing their form.
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A fine start but Im wary of Chelsea coaches and first year bounces. I think il wait. When the going gets tough this guys apparently not one to keep calm about it.
I don't really want manager to keep calm when things get tough.
The most successful managers in my lifetime have almost always had a bit of batshit anger in them.
Yeah he's done very well tbf. Kept the drama low, beating the teams they should do. Could be up there at the end of the season in the CL spots.
Right, but in the right ways I guess. It doesnt sound like Leicester was a complete happy ride toward the end.
Exceptional job unexpectedly. Even rehabilitating Enzo. Great stuff for Chelsea fans.
You don't need to feel threatened... Yet.First time I've seen him smile, and barely recognised him. Normally he's got that angry, calculating, arrogant look hard-baked into his face. I'll believe he's a good bloke to his staff and friends but I can only go off the evidence I have, and the evidence I have is his face, and based on his face I am inclined to speculate that he might be the biggest dickhead in football and quite possibly in the world.
Liverpool are top of the league.
So much hatred because he doesn't smile enough, maybe focus on something else :0 Why are Liverpool fans always so bitter
Leicester fans are missing him now..
I don't think he done badly with the tools he had
For me the most positive and encouraging thing he’s done for us so far is using pretty much the entire squad and getting a tune out of most of them. We no longer have to run certain players into the ground and aren’t totally dependent one any one or two players producing a moment of magic to bail us out. We have so many quality options that can rotate in with minimal or no drop in performance.
Everyone had a real go at us in the summer when it looked like we went way overboard in the attacking midfield area. But being able to start with Sancho, Palmer, and Neto in some games and then rotate all of them for Felix, Nkunku, and Madueke has been amazing. Even Mudryk has seen a dramatic uptick in form lately!
Everyone had a real go at us in the summer when it looked like we went way overboard in the attacking midfield area. But being able to start with Sancho, Palmer, and Neto in some games and then rotate all of them for Felix, Nkunku, and Madueke has been amazing. Even Mudryk has seen a dramatic uptick in form lately!
I dunno, maybe.
The Leicester fans in here were so wrong in their predictions about him, I'd not really take their word for it!
It's a billion pound squad pretty much and Palmer looks almost a generational talent.
In football, money talks in the long run and he's got the team where it should be. Similar form to back end of last year. He's had Lavia, Nkunku, Sanchez and others fit which is a big help too. Neto and Sancho are upgrades as well.
Jackson is converting more chances now which is a big improvement.
The squad on paper is vastly superior to the rest of the league bar City, Arsenal and Liverpool and now it's showing in practice.
In football, money talks in the long run and he's got the team where it should be. Similar form to back end of last year. He's had Lavia, Nkunku, Sanchez and others fit which is a big help too. Neto and Sancho are upgrades as well.
Jackson is converting more chances now which is a big improvement.
The squad on paper is vastly superior to the rest of the league bar City, Arsenal and Liverpool and now it's showing in practice.
I'd say it's Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea finishing in top 4 (Spurs favorites for 5th). Chelsea have had 2 really poor seasons so finally coming back towards the top. Well done to Maresca, parting ways with Poch felt bit harsh but seems like it's proving to be a good decision.
It wasn't hard atall in my opinion.
I'll give him credit for restoring a happy camp (although he was helped a lot with the "bad" eggs being replaced with good characters) but tactically he's everybit as much of a yesterdays man as Wenger was at the end at Arsenal.
Yeah I've been a big admirer of Poch for a decade now but he's probably fallen behind over last few years. Wanted him at United in 2019/20 but not as much in 2022 when it was between him and ten Hag or back in May this year. Don't think PSG and Chelsea were ever right type of clubs for him either.
I think the Poch of 10 years ago would have been very good for this group tbf, age, profile and circumstance wise we were in a very similar situation to when he took over Spurs.
The biggest difference now for him is his chaotic pressing style doesn't have the same effect now more and more teams are trained at beating the press and playing out, when he first arrived he was catching a lot of teams flat footed with it.
It's a long season still, with a hectic festive period coming up. United could new manager bounce their way into the top 4, even if most of you don't rate some of the players in the current squad.
I don't see how Spurs being 1 point ahead with all their inconsistencies are favourites to finish above United, who have acted early enough with sacking Ten Hag, and hired Amorim to breathe new life into your season.
We'll see. Can see us improving but also struggling at times so may not finish higher than 6th. Spurs are weird with their results (guess it's the result of Ange's style of football) but still can see them repeating last season and finishing in that 5th place which should be leading to CL football this season I believe.
I'm sure Caciedo had played a couple of games for Brighton at right back, I remember he played at The Emirates Vs us and played very well. It reminded me a bit of when Atletico used to play Partey at right back, when he was a fair bit more dynamic than he is now.
Magnum Ice.First time I've seen him smile, and barely recognised him. Normally he's got that angry, calculating, arrogant look hard-baked into his face. I'll believe he's a good bloke to his staff and friends but I can only go off the evidence I have, and the evidence I have is his face, and based on his face I am inclined to speculate that he might be the biggest dickhead in football and quite possibly in the world.
Seems unpleasant but it's hard to even dislike him. Prem doesn't need a resurgent Chelsea but the reports of him promoting a dull aesthetic are bullshit.
Looked this up to see what you're referring to and only got photos of actual ice cream.
Is it some Zoolander shit, like blue velvet? I've never seen the film.
Biggest plus for him is european conference league to bed in some fringe players injury return players and few new arrivals like Neto, Felix, nkunku,tosin,veiga,Dewsbury hall,mudryk. They all are getting minutes and winning as a team and performed well.
This December will be huge for him. Most squad have good minutes in their legs and that will be plus in this tough period.
Schedule also kinder for us except villa and Spurs most are winnable games on paper. At the end of December we are in better position to judge him as a manager.
This December will be huge for him. Most squad have good minutes in their legs and that will be plus in this tough period.
Schedule also kinder for us except villa and Spurs most are winnable games on paper. At the end of December we are in better position to judge him as a manager.
If it’s an alternative for Liverpool city and Arsenal I’m all for it.
Yep, Zoolander. I suppose Blue Steel would be more apt.
As much as I've loved watching Chelsea struggle to finish top half over the last few seasons, the prospect of them winning the league is significantly more palatable than Liverpool, City or Arsenal.
Won't happen obviously but they're definitely the least terrible option.
Won't happen obviously but they're definitely the least terrible option.
Seen a bit of Chelsea this year and agree the manager has established a style and seems to have a happy camp which looked to be a tough ask. At the moment, I see them as the most likely to catch the Dippers. However, they will need to start beating the big teams. Against Arsenal, Utd and the Dippers he seemed to set them up a lot less attacking than he did against Leicester, West Ham and Newcastle (these are the games I have seen them play.) For me that was a mistake as in the games against Arsenal, Utd and the Dippers I felt they could've won those if they had step up a yard or two with their attacking talent.
Good bit of form, but we should have all leaned by now, a few good months means fook all!
Let’s judge after a season or 18 months.
Let’s judge after a season or 18 months.
I'd just like to point out that Chelsea under Maresca have 1 point more than we had at the same time last season, under ETH.
Big fecking whoop.
Big fecking whoop.
It’s nice to have some stability, for now at least! Promising signs with a young squad that’ll develop together.
Hopefully just tweaks needed in the transfer market. Let Maresca earn his stripes
Hopefully just tweaks needed in the transfer market. Let Maresca earn his stripes
They have 9 points more than themselves last season though and are 3rd rather than 10th.
They have a habit of appointing someone from nowhere and he does well. Di Mateo winning the champions league and gets sacked the next season still makes me laugh. Or the gormless look of Avram Grant in CL final.
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They were a laughing stock at this point last season. Improving on that is a ridiculously low bar.
What do you think is a reasonable bar for Maresca this season? Is it really 1st, 2nd and anything below that is "big whoop"?
They are in the top 4 currently. That would have been the aim at the start of the season along with the ECL trophy. They're 3rd and top of the league in the latter. Job done so far.
I honestly could not give less of a shit about how Maresca or Chelsea do this season. I just find it funny that being one point ahead of a United manager who was getting dog's abuse at this point last season is seen as some sort of ringing endorsement of Chelsea's new manager.
Yeah it was too easy to mark Palmer out of those matches - Lavia / Caicedo / Gusto aren't the biggest threats in the final third so Palmer struggled to find space.
The wrinkle of using Caicedo at right back so Enzo can get forward is extremely intriguing. Worked extremely well against Villa - had the right balance of security in transition with Caicedo inverting back to midfield and threat on the ball with this 3-1-5-1 we've been playing recently.
You definitely could give less of a shit.
I give slightly more of a shit than I would otherwise now there's a slim chance they could stop Liverpool/City/Arsenal winning the league, which would be great. Otherwise I'm fully in the "meh" camp about Chelsea and everything they do.