2018-19 FA Cup Thread

[East Coast Bias]

So the draw was held. Didn’t see it posted.


Swansea City v Manchester City
Watford v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Manchester United
Millwall v Brighton

 

[hatterson]

I like that at least 2 non top 6 teams will be in the Semis. City still clear favorite to win it.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I can't see why the **** Chelsea would give Sarri 3 ****ing years.
He has a roster which is VERY MUCH capable of reaching top 4.
Sure he struggles with this team, but a large part of it is due to his inability to adapt. When you have the best ball retreiver in the world in midfield, some solid defensemen, one of the top offensive players in the game, the most expensive goaltender in the world, you should be able to compete with Spurs and United.
The FACT is that he adores one player in a league where the guy could thrive.
Sarri doesn't want to adapt and use Kante there instead because it's quite obvious Jorginho is not only useless in the EPL so far but actually detrimental to his team.
Bakayoko was sent packing for less even though he was coming off injury. And now he's class in Milan.

Sarri deserves a whole lot of the blame here.

Disagree, the team is like Arsenal at this point. Kovacic is garbage. Our entire offense lives and dies by Hazard who is in a funk. Alonso is terrible in a back 4. Luiz can play a great pass, but also makes some boneheaded defensive plays. Jorginho can be easily exposed due to the issues with him and around him. The squad just isn't good enough unless we play defensive and counter-attacking. Kante can't play the regista role, not sure why everyone wants to put him there.

Sarri is at fault, but this squad just isn't very good.

 

[Evilo]

It's the same issue I had with the Pool fans saying United had a shitty roster.
Coaching is a big part of how a roster performs.
If those players were quality in other circumstances, if they suck, the likeliest problem is the coach.

 

[Evilo]

Ask you this question :
2 years ago, how did this roster fare against Liverpool on paper?
Yet one is on a great dynamic, CL runners up, current EPL leader.
The other is in full crisis mode.

 

[phisherman]

The problem goes deeper than just coaching. There's a lack of direction and continuity with Chelsea. If you're going to hire a manager you have to give them all the tools and support to let him succeed. Sarri will need time and transfers to fix up the squad first.

The problem is that Abramovich is extremely impatient and seems to care more about getting paid back the money he loaned to the club.

 

[bleedblue1223]

It's the same issue I had with the Pool fans saying United had a ****ty roster.
Coaching is a big part of how a roster performs.
If those players were quality in other circumstances, if they suck, the likeliest problem is the coach.

Sure. If we stuck with Conte, we'd be a better team or a coach similar to that style, we'd be a better team. Roman has always wanted a prettier style before reluctantly favoring a manager that gets results, and then firing them for not getting results, and then going with a manager to change the style, and the cycle goes on and on.

Roman wants pretty football, and this squad doesn't have the quality to provide that, maybe after more time with Sarri, but they just don't have the skills at the moment.

 

[Evilo]

I agree the constant coaching changes don't help. I don't think anyone is disputing that.

Nobody expected Sarri to contend for the title like Conte did. But top 4? Hell yes, he should be contending for that. I think I could contend for top 4 with this roster.

 

[East Coast Bias]

I'm not sure why you'd hire a guy that plays a really unique style, knowing the roster isn't going to fit it and it will take time, if you're not in the long haul. Sarri is stubborn as hell, but everyone knew that. Kinda foolish to be sitting here wondering why he hasn't completely adapted his style. He's not the pragmatist who is going to look at this team and come up with a gameplan to suit it. He's just not that guy.

That's on a macro level. I understand fans frustration with certain specific issues. Like swapping RBs down 2 goals in the 80th minute. Or refusing to budge on Kante/Jorginho. I'm not defending that. Fire away on that stuff.

 

[hatterson]

Again, Sarri is far from innocent (just like Mourinho and Conte were far from innocent) but this isn't a case of either/or, it's clearly both/and.

The players don't want to adjust to what Sarri is trying to get them to do and they know, or assume based on history, that if they roll over and die the club will ditch Sarri and the players can keep doing what they want. Sarri is too stubborn to adjust his style to counteract that.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'm not sure why you'd hire a guy that plays a really unique style, knowing the roster isn't going to fit it and it will take time, if you're not in the long haul. Sarri is stubborn as hell, but everyone knew that. Kinda foolish to be sitting here wondering why he hasn't completely adapted his style. He's not the pragmatist who is going to look at this team and come up with a gameplan to suit it. He's just not that guy.

That's on a macro level. I understand fans frustration with certain specific issues. Like swapping RBs down 2 goals in the 80th minute. Or refusing to budge on Kante/Jorginho. I'm not defending that. Fire away on that stuff.

It's what we did with Scolari and AVB. Roman truly wants to play a pretty style, but he also doesn't accept losing, which makes for a bad combo.

 

[Il Mediano]

I agree the constant coaching changes don't help. I don't think anyone is disputing that.

Nobody expected Sarri to contend for the title like Conte did. But top 4? Hell yes, he should be contending for that. I think I could contend for top 4 with this roster.

lol , Chelsea is one point off top 4.

How in any world is that not contending for Top 4? Why are we acting like they're 10 points off or something...

You (and others) went on about how United should be a top 4 side with a better (or different) manager. Well ,they're there. Someone has to miss out.

This league isn't like the others. A good team (or two) won't make top 4 every single season.

 

[Evilo]

Nah, it's a 5 team battle for 4 spots. On paper, Spurs are the least talented IMO. Especially with thos stretches without Kane. Liverpool is also not top 2 on talent alone.

Of course they're 1 point off. But they're on an awful dynamic.
In their last 10 games, they have 5 wins, including an awful 2-1 win against Malmo, a scrappy 2-1 win over Newcastle and gimme win over Sheffield.
Basically, they beat Spurs in the return cup game and Huddersfield. Other were unimpressive wins.
They also got beaten 5 times in those 10 games, including against rivals Arsenal, Spurs, City and United. And of course that 0-4 defeat against mighy Bournemouth.

Even if you want to dig in previous results. Outside of easy cup wins, they only barely beat Watford (2-1), Palace (1-0) and Brighton (2-1). While losing to Leicester and tying Mold Vidi and Southampton.

Since they beat City, they've been sick. And they still have to play City, Liverpool, Spurs and United.
If their form continues, they won't even contend for top4. Which is absolutely scandalous.

 

[Havre]

They should stick with Sarri. Bring in 10 new players in the summer. Build something for the long run for once. They got to do something like that anyway (most likely) - so why not do it with Sarri?

With Hazard gone in the summer and quite possibly Odoi as well. Chelsea got Higuain, Giroud (out of contract so I guess he is gone as well), Pedro and Willian to build on in attack. That is something like 32 years old average come 19/20 season. Obviously Pulisic reduces that average a bit, but boy do I feel sorry for him if he is seen as the saviour. At the moment he looks more like a young player that might sink or swim to me (I don´t mean sink as in becoming a bad player, but certainly not a given he will be a future superstar or even a good top 4 winger/attacking player aka Son).

Not saying Chelsea haven´t got good players, but only Hazard and Kante are potentially special. At the moment Kante is quite average (that I blame Sarri for). And a lot of the supporting group is just too old. Luiz the same.

The worst thing RA could do now is to try to patch things up. Unless some serious money is injected they´ll end up like the Canucks wasting a couple of years for nothing.

 

[phisherman]

Since they beat City, they've been sick. And they still have to play City, Liverpool, Spurs and United.
If their form continues, they won't even contend for top4. Which is absolutely scandalous.

Well it won't be the first time Chelsea has finished outside of the top 4. They've always had a squad to be top 4 but always yoyo their place in the standings.

 

[Evilo]

They should stick with Sarri. Bring in 10 new players in the summer. Build something for the long run for once. They got to do something like that anyway (most likely) - so why not do it with Sarri?

With Hazard gone in the summer and quite possibly Odoi as well. Chelsea got Higuain, Giroud (out of contract so I guess he is gone as well), Pedro and Willian to build on in attack. That is something like 32 years old average come 19/20 season. Obviously Pulisic reduces that average a bit, but boy do I feel sorry for him if he is seen as the saviour. At the moment he looks more like a young player that might sink or swim to me (I don´t mean sink as in becoming a bad player, but certainly not a given he will be a future superstar or even a good top 4 winger/attacking player aka Son).

Not saying Chelsea haven´t got good players, but only Hazard and Kante are potentially special. At the moment Kante is quite average (that I blame Sarri for). And a lot of the supporting group is just too old. Luiz the same.

The worst thing RA could do now is to try to patch things up. Unless some serious money is injected they´ll end up like the Canucks wasting a couple of years for nothing.

Oh i agree with this.
My point is that you don't give Sarri 3 years and a blank check to reach top 4 damnit.
Sarri is also VASTLY responsible for the lack of results lately.
Give him a full window and a full blank check, see if he gets players to come without CL (something people here underrate) and then if he fails against next year, then he isn't the right guy.

 

[Evilo]

Well it won't be the first time Chelsea has finished outside of the top 4. They've always had a squad to be top 4 but always yoyo their place in the standings.

They finished outside the top 4 what? 2or maybe 3 times in 15 years?

 

[hatterson]

They finished outside the top 4 what? 2or maybe 3 times in 15 years?

They've been outside of the top 3 3 times in the last 15 years and one of those was in 11-12 when they won the CL so they still had CL football the next year. This is only the second time Chelsea haven't been in the CL since 03-04

 

[Evilo]

Well there you go. It's a remarkable feat to miss top 4 with this squad.
And given their recent trend, if they don't wake the hell up, they're going to be far from top 4. Would be lucky to rank 6th.
And what's the difference in roster between this team and the last two Chelsea teams (one won the league, the other was top 4)?

 

[hatterson]

Well there you go. It's a remarkable feat to miss top 4 with this squad.
And given their recent trend, if they don't wake the hell up, they're going to be far from top 4. Would be lucky to rank 6th.
And what's the difference in roster between this team and the last two Chelsea teams (one won the league, the other was top 4)?

Although on the other hand what's the different between 14-15 Chelsea and 15-16 Chelsea. Or between 16-17 Chelsea and 17-18 Chelsea.

Both teams won the league and then took a massive dump the next year.

 

[Evilo]

Because their coach had ran the team into the ground.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Because their coach had ran the team into the ground.

The players quit on Mourinho and Conte. That's the issue with this core, they are weak mentally.

In the top years, we have great years out of Hazard, Fabregas, Costa, and some of the others. In the bad years, there was a completely different dynamic. Right now it's like the bad years where Hazard is the only offensive threat, and he himself has been inconsistent.

 

[Evilo]

Well, if they quit on Conte and Mou after two years, what does it say about Sarri if they quit after 5 months?

 

[PanniniClaus]

What would Jack Rodwell do? Probably collect a cheque or two.....Honestly, if the Carabao Cup goes south that may be the end.....Would not have said that even a month ago.

 

[phisherman]

Well, if they quit on Conte and Mou after two years, what does it say about Sarri if they quit after 5 months?

I think it says a lot about the players than the coach.