GWT: PL Matchweek 31 (part 1)

[Chimaera]

Does he have the parts he wants to play like he wants? I mean, he got Jorginho. But did he really get much else do implement his project? Chelsea spent a ton of time wrangling the Kepa deal.

That's a better question. I mean, he didn't have Hazard there, but I wouldn't say any of Chelsea's defenders are as good as Koulibaly.

I think he deserves some blame, but how much of it really stems from being basically given Conte's roster and told make do. (Or maybe the problem is he felt he could make do with it? I'm not sure I know the complete answer).

 

[Gecklund]

Does he have the parts he wants to play like he wants? I mean, he got Jorginho. But did he really get much else do implement his project? Chelsea spent a ton of time wrangling the Kepa deal.

That's a better question. I mean, he didn't have Hazard there, but I wouldn't say any of Chelsea's defenders are as good as Koulibaly.

I think he deserves some blame, but how much of it really stems from being basically given Conte's roster and told make do. (Or maybe the problem is he felt he could make do with it? I'm not sure I know the complete answer).

There’s a single PL defender that’s as good as Koulibaly (maybe 2) but neither are on Chelsea.

 

[S E P H]

I would absolutely take Alexis back in red and white North London. However, the bloke has issues. The biggest is that because he works his ass off so much that he thinks anybody who doesn't have his work rate is inferior. That and he tends to dive because he's more on the slighter stature.

 

[YNWA14]

Alexis is an interesting player. I think he's a problem for most teams because he's very talented, very hard working and very competitive but he's tactically inept and IIRC @les Habs didn't think too highly of him even when he was at Barcelona for this reason, despite his production.

 

[Chimaera]

There’s a single PL defender that’s as good as Koulibaly (maybe 2) but neither are on Chelsea.

Right. That's part of my point. He doesn't have what he had there. Heck, I think if he was given the option, he would swap rosters.

I'm not saying they need to go out there and buy Koulibaly, but they bought no defenders. Not one. They bought Jorginho, Kepa (who was a lateral move at best, and I'd argue worse than Courtois by some margin) some youth players and Robert Green. They loaned Kovacic, though he's proven wanting. But that's not enough.

Sure, they got Pulisic for next summer (who Sarri didn't even know about/want), and they loaned Higuain in January, but they haven't done enough to see if he can do it.

Going out and getting Sarri is one thing, and I'll completely buy the argument that he isn't doing enough, but if you're getting a guy who plays a particular style, and you're not willing to back him, why do it at all? If you were going to try and do a Conte/Jose and bully what they have into another top 4, paying what you paid Sarri was ridiculous.

It's not like they dug up Sarri from nowhere. He was a coach with a track record, reputation and had many supporters on the continent for the job he did at Napoli. You knew what he does. You knew what style he would want to implement. It's like hooking a race horse to a plow. It makes zero sense. I'll completely concede the point that he isn't doing enough, and he's losing the room. But at some point when the players aren't performing, it's not always the manager (when they're on the third or fourth manager with this issue).

 

[YNWA14]

Also keep in mind that Klopp finished 8th in his first season with Liverpool and if Can hadn't opted to leave he would probably still be starting for them. City finished 3rd, far behind Chelsea and Spurs in Pep's first season (and he inherited a team better than the current Chelsea by a decent margin). If you are bringing in a manager that you want to transform the club long term you have to be willing to give them a chance to do it. Pep is still chasing European success with City (mind, CL isn't EL); Chelsea have a very good chance at winning the Europa and finishing in the top 4 in Sarri's first season which is a pretty good start all things considered.

 

[bluesfan94]

Also keep in mind that Klopp finished 8th in his first season with Liverpool and if Can hadn't opted to leave he would probably still be starting for them. City finished 3rd, far behind Chelsea and Spurs in Pep's first season (and he inherited a team better than the current Chelsea by a decent margin). If you are bringing in a manager that you want to transform the club long term you have to be willing to give them a chance to do it. Pep is still chasing European success with City (mind, CL isn't EL); Chelsea have a very good chance at winning the Europa and finishing in the top 4 in Sarri's first season which is a pretty good start all things considered.

Very good is a little bit of an exaggeration, but yeah, I think they've had a good year for a new manager

 

[Live in the Now]

Chelsea's goals are to hit the ground running, so by their standards, he hasn't had a good year. He'll also probably be sacked as normal standards just don't apply. The only reason he wouldn't be sacked is because they have a transfer ban impending, in which case if I was him, I would consider just quitting.

Chelsea were also never going to make enough changes to suit the way he plays.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Alexis is an interesting player. I think he's a problem for most teams because he's very talented, very hard working and very competitive but he's tactically inept and IIRC @les Habs didn't think too highly of him even when he was at Barcelona for this reason, despite his production.

You could say the same for Pogba.

Seems like he can only play well in a 4-3-3 formation, with Pogba on the left side of the midfield 3.

The other formations that United has experimented this season, he has been trash. Mourinho will need cope some of the blame but Pogba needs to as well.

 

[Cassano]

Does he have the parts he wants to play like he wants? I mean, he got Jorginho. But did he really get much else do implement his project? Chelsea spent a ton of time wrangling the Kepa deal.

That's a better question. I mean, he didn't have Hazard there, but I wouldn't say any of Chelsea's defenders are as good as Koulibaly. He was stupid good in Bundesliga and last year as well.

I think he deserves some blame, but how much of it really stems from being basically given Conte's roster and told make do. (Or maybe the problem is he felt he could make do with it? I'm not sure I know the complete answer).

He is benching their best defender in Christensen for some reason. Not that I'm complaining. But he has Koulibaly like upside to his game.

Sarri basically inherited a Napoli team that was built by his predecessors. Not sure I'd trust him to build a squad.

 

[les Habs]

Alexis is an interesting player. I think he's a problem for most teams because he's very talented, very hard working and very competitive but he's tactically inept and IIRC @les Habs didn't think too highly of him even when he was at Barcelona for this reason, despite his production.

IIRC it was a more a matter of him playing a role that wasn't suited for him. That and his dribbles leading to nowhere. I wasn't thrilled with his signing in the first place, but he was alright. Definitely don't miss him.

 

[Evilo]

You could say the same for Pogba.

Seems like he can only play well in a 4-3-3 formation, with Pogba on the left side of the midfield 3.

The other formations that United has experimented this season, he has been trash. Mourinho will need cope some of the blame but Pogba needs to as well.

Hmm.
France played 4-2-3-1.

 

[East Coast Bias]

You could say the same for Pogba.

Seems like he can only play well in a 4-3-3 formation, with Pogba on the left side of the midfield 3.

The other formations that United has experimented this season, he has been trash. Mourinho will need cope some of the blame but Pogba needs to as well.

This is not true. They've played multiple formations in his time at United that worked well.

Where it did not, and was a complete waste, was having him sit back as the DM in a 4-2-3-1.

Jose did that for awhile, and it was dumb as shit.

 

[Chimaera]

He is benching their best defender in Christensen for some reason. Not that I'm complaining. But he has Koulibaly like upside to his game.

Sarri basically inherited a Napoli team that was built by his predecessors. Not sure I'd trust him to build a squad.

I mean, I think Christensen has upside, and he's a decent player, but has he really shown much more than some bursts during a pretty defensive oriented spell for Conte? I think it's a bit of a stretch to say he's in the same realm with potential to be a Koulibaly.

I certainly think you could wonder why Sarri isn't playing him, and I think that's a justified question, but I don't know that he's the difference between being better defensively and being bad.


I will agree that he did inherit much of his Napoli squad, and maybe he's not the one to select the ingredients for the stew. But you know what type of stew he's going to make (I seem to be using a lot of metaphors in this thread). If he's not the one select the players, who is actually doing it at Chelsea with any plan? If that plan is not to help the manager to be successful, they're wasting their time.

Note, I completely realize it's Chelsea we are talking about. They're going to whack him, bring in Guus again, and be right back where they started. Their supporters will argue with me again that their team isn't aging (it most certainly is) or Hazard will finally go and they're going to be royally done for.

 

[hatterson]

This is not true. They've played multiple formations in his time at United that worked well.

Where it did not, and was a complete waste, was having him sit back as the DM in a 4-2-3-1.

Jose did that for awhile, and it was dumb as ****.

Also not giving Pogba forward options. Pogba can play will a little deeper and be valuable as long as there are runs being made ahead of him so he can use his technical abilities and long passing to spring breaks.

Under Jose, players weren't given the freedom to break forward nearly as fast so if Pogba was playing a little deeper and got the ball, the only forward option was Lukaku alone against two central defenders which would tempt Pogba into holding the ball for a while and waiting until more got forward. That inevitably lead to him turning the ball over when he's surrounded by 3 opposing players and trying to small ball his way out of it.

 

[Gecklund]

This is not true. They've played multiple formations in his time at United that worked well.

Where it did not, and was a complete waste, was having him sit back as the DM in a 4-2-3-1.

Jose did that for awhile, and it was dumb as ****.

Don’t think the problem was him being a DM. He was very good there for France in the WC. The problem was no forward runs and Pogba wasn’t allowed to go forward at all.