Football Season 2010/2011

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

It is no good blaming the manager, it is the players that are at fault, l don't support either club, but my belief it is that there are 11 PLAYERS on that pitch, and they are the ones to blame NOT the manager.

It's a question of where do the failings lie; The Tactics or the players? It's a hard issue to spot because a poor tactical approach can make decent players look poor (Messi at the World Cup anyone?). A poor performance from a player and equally bring down a tactical plan but in that case than the manager needs to address it.

However I don't think it's a issue with the manager as he won the league last year, the players are not performing but their age may be catching up with them.

Don't think it's a crisis for Chelsea yet though. They may have had their worse run of form for years but that is a bogus statistic. No one is setting the league alight and they have had some difficult games in this run in. Away at Arsenal, Away at Spurs, these are hard games.

[punky]

I just think the Chelsea squad is stretched too thin.

Individually they have great players and decent guidance and tactics from Ancellotti. They aren't doing anything now they didn't do at the start of the season but now players are tiring and they don't really any fresh legs or even fresh options for the team. They do seem over-reliant on their star players as well.

It's a management issue but I think more at Abramoich's level rather than Ancelotti's.Anyone can see Chelsea desperate need a massive investment in the squad.

Over the 90 Arsenal were the better team and much more clinical in finishing. However Chelsea pushed hard on the counter you felt if they got a second Arsenal could implode again like they've done all season. If I was a fan i'd be a bit concerned.

[Shadow Demon UK]

I would say its more Abramovich's fault than Ancellotti's. In the past year or so they've got rid of Cole, Deco, Ballack, Belletti, Carvalho and a few more and have only brought in a couple of players. They've had a few injuries this season. Terry, Lampard and Drogba have all been out at different points but they don't have the quality in depth to cover for them anymore. If they want to be challenging Abramovich needs to start spending.

Originally Posted by punky

Over the 90 Arsenal were the better team and much more clinical in finishing. However Chelsea pushed hard on the counter you felt if they got a second Arsenal could implode again like they've done all season. If I was a fan i'd be a bit concerned.

The fact they didn't though reduces the concern. Chelsea scored and Arsenal didn't implode, and in fact continued to look confident for the rest of the match. Save one panicked moment in the box Chelsea never looked like scoring and Arsenal defended well and didn't commit too many players to an attack. They shut the game down.

[adzii_nufc]

Anelka really plays a big part in a dominant chelsea side. Take out Anelka and the goals are scarce as you have seen.

[punky]

Originally Posted by Damien

The fact they didn't though reduces the concern. Chelsea scored and Arsenal didn't implode, and in fact continued to look confident for the rest of the match. Save one panicked moment in the box Chelsea never looked like scoring and Arsenal defended well and didn't commit too many players to an attack. They shut the game down.

The fact Chelsea didn't get a second wasn't down to resolute defending by Arsenal but more that Chelsea didn't capitalise.

I don't know if it's an absence of the likes of Viera, Gallas (and Pires, I don't remember him that aggressive before?) but there does seem to be a very soft underbelly running through your team, even worse than we did.

Originally Posted by punky

The fact Chelsea didn't get a second wasn't down to resolute defending by Arsenal but more that Chelsea didn't capitalise.

I don't know if it's an absence of the likes of Viera, Gallas (and Pires, I don't remember him that aggressive before?) but there does seem to be a very soft underbelly running through your team, even worse than we did.

Chelsea had one shot on target (the one they scored). They never got a clear chance, broke the offside trap, or got behind the defense. It's hard to see where Chelsea failed to capitalise because they didn't break the defense. Look how little Fabanski had to do. They have had a lot of the ball towards the end of the game but where did they get though Arsenal?

The whole team pressed well and got behind the ball when they needed to. They did this against Chelsea back in the away leg in October and despite losing that game I think Arsenal played well. They also did it against Everton when they, Everton, were attacking for the last 20 mins or so. This was in contrast to the lack of team effort in defence last season, where there was a lack of pressure and teams were given too much space.

I think Song, Sagna and Djourou all deserve credit for the way they handled the game. Actually Djourou was my MOTM. Handled Drogba very well. Him and Vermalen might actually solve a lot of our issues.

[Niles Crane]

Originally Posted by punky

The fact Chelsea didn't get a second wasn't down to resolute defending by Arsenal but more that Chelsea didn't capitalise.

I don't know if it's an absence of the likes of Viera, Gallas (and Pires, I don't remember him that aggressive before?) but there does seem to be a very soft underbelly running through your team, even worse than we did.

Complete and total rubbish. It was exactly resolute defending which kept Chelsea at bay as all the stats testify and any actual match and tactical analysis explains: http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/12/...elsea-tactics/

Probably the most surprising selection – Walcott over Arshavin – turned out to be key. He was disciplined defensively and dangerous when he got the ball (even if his touch let him down a couple of times) and gave Ashley Cole far more to think about than in the previous fixtures between these sides, when the left-back was a constant threat on the overlap.

The defensive job was not all about tracking runs into deep areas, however. The most important feature of Arsenal’s game today was not what they did with the ball, but how well they pressed Chelsea when they lost it. Walcott was important in this respect – compared to Arshavin’s lethargy, his energy and willingness to chase non-stop typified Arsenal’s approach as a whole. And ‘as a whole’ is the most important part there – Arsenal pressed cohesively, as a unit, rather than in ones and twos.

The difference between the two sides without the ball is demonstrated well by the different positions of their interceptions:

The natural result was that Arsenal played high up the pitch, and therefore Chelsea’s main (only?) tactic with the ball was to knock passes over the top of the Arsenal defence for their forwards to chase. There was little understanding between the runners and the passers, however, and frequently Chelsea were caught offside. More credit is due to Arsenal for working as a unit without the ball, but it’s also worth considering whether Anelka’s pace would have made a difference here, especially Kalou had a very poor game.

United's away form is shocking. Really impressed they remain unbeaten and are top of the league despite that but I think we have a good chance to take them at The Emirates. Spurs and Chelsea will fancy their chances at home as well.

[Shadow Demon UK]

Birminghams equaliser was a foul, handball and offside all in one. If you get all three the goal is allowed it seems

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Shadow Demon UK

Birminghams equaliser was a foul, handball and offside all in one. If you get all three the goal is allowed it seems

You're turning into a Spurs fan

---------- Post added at 23:08 ---------- Previous post was at 23:06 ----------

Originally Posted by Damien

United's away form is shocking. Really impressed they remain unbeaten and are top of the league despite that but I think we have a good chance to take them at The Emirates. Spurs and Chelsea will fancy their chances at home as well.

It's a fact that no one is in sparkling form at the minute.

[Niles Crane]

Not really. Tottenham and Man City are both in great form.

[Mal]

...compared to previous years, but no one is sparkling

[wwe]

come on Liverpool easy 3 points tonight. hope he puts torres and gerrard out tonight.

[Uncle Peter]

There are no easy points playing to Roy Hodgson's tactics and methods*

HOOF!

*that have served him so well for 35 years and that "famous" championship in Scandinavian fisherman's alehouse league division 1