Ish
Lights on for Luke
just imagine....we really had Poch on here & he got booted!Probably that ban gave him time to finally coach his team to perform. There is a direct correlation between that ban and their results...
just imagine....we really had Poch on here & he got booted!Probably that ban gave him time to finally coach his team to perform. There is a direct correlation between that ban and their results...
I sort of wanted to post that "...results & performances have picked up since Enzo's injury & Caceido has performed much better as well..." but I wasn't 100% sure if it was true or not as I haven't followed you that closely.Enzo getting injured has shown our midfield works much better with Caicedo and Gallagher. Unless we switch to a 3, he'll surely be benched.
Palmer has been a revelation with key goals.
Not sure if it's down to Poch or just got lucky.
If we get Europa League, he'll definitely get next season I think.
Have to get top for minimum and deep runs in cups.
The chokes in the final and Semi this season are big ? for him for me. He'll need to win something to dispell it.
I sort of wanted to post that "...results & performances have picked up since Enzo's injury & Caceido has performed much better as well..." but I wasn't 100% sure if it was true or not as I haven't followed you that closely.
It would be interesting trying to reintegrate Enzo. He surely won't be easily benched with that price tag? Seems a case of either him or Gallagher, but not both, when paired with Caceido? Even when Lavia returns, it would be 4 players for 2, maximum 3 positions (if Palmer stays central, it is 2). Who would you go with to balance things?
Thanks bud. Interesting times ahead, and as you mentioned, it will be key to try and keep everyone happy - or at least identify those who need to move on because it hasn't worked. You might need some competition out wide as well - unless Madueke and Mudryk can kick it up a notch. I'd assume Sterling is off and Palmer might work out wide right, but he might also be better suited to play centrally.I think Enzo lack of physicality is a problem, Gallagher isn't as good technically but it looks to me like he competes more, covers more ground. Haven't actually checked the numbers, but looking at our results it's very obvious they've got much better since the team we played yesterday got set, without Enzo. Cucu pushing inside seems to work well as well. We look a very good side now.
The problem next year could be keeping everyone happy, if they can stay fit... The only position we need is more clinical finishing competition for Jackson, not convinced Osheim is a good fit for us though and too expensive and don't see many options on the market there. I'd try Nkunku up front, false 9 or however we want to try it. He can finish as we saw yesterday and before.
Enzo getting injured has shown our midfield works much better with Caicedo and Gallagher. Unless we switch to a 3, he'll surely be benched.
Palmer has been a revelation with key goals.
Not sure if it's down to Poch or just got lucky.
If we get Europa League, he'll definitely get next season I think.
Have to get top for minimum and deep runs in cups.
The chokes in the final and Semi this season are big ? for him for me. He'll need to win something to dispell it.
If he wasn't on an 8 year deal I think you'd already be offering him to La Liga and Serie A teams.
There's certainly a better balance to Chelsea now in final third with the pivot of Gallagher-Caciedo then Palmer in a floating 10 position with two quick wide players either side.
That's the template to keep for next season as Jackson looks better coming off the left aswell.
Enzo getting injured has shown our midfield works much better with Caicedo and Gallagher. Unless we switch to a 3, he'll surely be benched.
Palmer has been a revelation with key goals.
Not sure if it's down to Poch or just got lucky.
If we get Europa League, he'll definitely get next season I think.
Have to get top for minimum and deep runs in cups.
The chokes in the final and Semi this season are big ? for him for me. He'll need to win something to dispell it.
I back them to finish in top 4 next season actually. Think they've been slowly improving in 2024 and only lost 1 PL game since early February which is decent stat. Do believe sacking Poch would disrupt them now.Unlike this season there will be the distraction of European football for Chelsea. My money will be on things to turn pear shaped and Poch to get replaced midway through next season.
If he wasn't on an 8 year deal I think you'd already be offering him to La Liga and Serie A teams.
There's certainly a better balance to Chelsea now in final third with the pivot of Gallagher-Caciedo then Palmer in a floating 10 position with two quick wide players either side.
That's the template to keep for next season as Jackson looks better coming off the left aswell.
Phew! Thank the lord that the mods banned Poch himself from the Caf a while back, or this thread would have been insufferable.
Anyway, he was under some real pressure but he’s turning it around a bit. Good on Poch. They still have a couple of players to come back as well - Lavia & Fofana who I’m mostly thinking of. And if James can stay fit (& not get sent off!), plus 1 or 2 key signings, they should be a top 4 contender next season.
Missed that. Was he banned for his usual wumming or something else?
He usually seemed in good spirits considering all the shit he got (and deserved).
The problem isn't Enzo, the problem is that when he's played Gallagher has been shoehorned into that 10 role. And because Gallagher isn't a great player in the final 3rd, Enzo was constantly called on to push up and that left the midfield exposed.
An ideal version of Chelsea probably has Colwill as the left back (but actually LCB in a back 3 in possession), Enzo and Caicedo as a pivot with James/Gusto moving infield - especially since Palmer prefers to play from the right so there are overloads there already and less need for the RB to overlap.
Missed that. Was he banned for his wumming or something else?
He usually seemed in good spirits considering all the shit he got (and deserved).
If he wasn't on an 8 year deal I think you'd already be offering him to La Liga and Serie A teams.
There's certainly a better balance to Chelsea now in final third with the pivot of Gallagher-Caciedo then Palmer in a floating 10 position with two quick wide players either side.
That's the template to keep for next season as Jackson looks better coming off the left aswell.
I missed it as well - when exactly it happened but i read it after the fact in this thread. It was definitely for wumming (whenever Poch was doing well) and disappearing when he wasn't. Think around the time they beat us 4-3...which makes sense.Missed that. Was he banned for his wumming or something else?
He usually seemed in good spirits considering all the shit he got (and deserved).
Enzo getting injured has shown our midfield works much better with Caicedo and Gallagher. Unless we switch to a 3, he'll surely be benched.
I don't follow many chelsea games. Does Mudryk cement the left wing starting spot now? Did he play better lately? I still refuse to believe he is a bad player simply because Arteta and Edu were interested in paying top dollars for his service.It's a bit more nuanced than that and you don't bench a talent like Enzo.
Our form picked up while Enzo was playing and getting worse. At the turn of the year I knew something was wrong when I saw him busting a gut and his face almost went bright red.
Both Enzo and Caicedo are not great at covering space. So add that to Poch's bizarre decision for quite some time to have the fullbacks high and wide (compounded by injuries)... well problems were inevitable.
You can play then both but then the left flank needs to be hard working and attentive. So Chilwell and Mudryk would be horrendous but Cucurella and Sterling would work particularly if Cucu's inverted.
Of course it makes sense to gloat about Chelsea’s revival after they’ve beaten United… the team he actually supposedly supports.I missed it as well - when exactly it happened but i read it after the fact in this thread. It was definitely for wumming (whenever Poch was doing well) and disappearing when he wasn't. Think around the time they beat us 4-3...which makes sense.
I don't follow many chelsea games. Does Mudryk cement the left wing starting spot now? Did he play better lately? I still refuse to believe he is a bad player simply because Arteta and Edu were interested in paying top dollars for his service.
I don't follow many chelsea games. Does Mudryk cement the left wing starting spot now? Did he play better lately? I still refuse to believe he is a bad player simply because Arteta and Edu were interested in paying top dollars for his service.
I use to think these theories were far fetched but after Michael Beale got caught out having a burner account on twitter I genuinely wouldn't rule it out nowjust imagine....we really had Poch on here & he got booted!
The problem isn't Enzo, the problem is that when he's played Gallagher has been shoehorned into that 10 role. And because Gallagher isn't a great player in the final 3rd, Enzo was constantly called on to push up and that left the midfield exposed.
An ideal version of Chelsea probably has Colwill as the left back (but actually LCB in a back 3 in possession), Enzo and Caicedo as a pivot with James/Gusto moving infield - especially since Palmer prefers to play from the right so there are overloads there already and less need for the RB to overlap.
Yes that is possible I guess from how you've been playing recently. I assume Lavia is also primed to take over from Gallagher if he gets a good pre season and stays fit?
6th place in the end. Not great, but could definitely have been a lot worse given how the season was going a few months ago. We end the season with a 5 game winning streak.
Do you think Poch will be sacked now? In my opinion he has done really well over the last 6 months to get you up to where you are after a slow start and should be given another season.
I'd describe it as good enough. Promising 2nd part of the season and 5 wins in a row to finish the season which could be nice momentum for next season.Has done well in his first season really. Would be crazy to let him go.
I'd describe it as good enough. Promising 2nd part of the season and 5 wins in a row to finish the season which could be nice momentum for next season.