Football Soccer Football Soccer Football Soccer

[ShoulderRoll]

I was thinking after reading that above.

Is England the worst league for experimentation?

For instance, the philosophies of say Athletic Bilbao, Red Bull, or even Barcelona and Juventus.

Those couldn't really suffice in the Premier league can they?

I feel like the stakes are so high that any type of policies or football idealisms seen in other countries are nigh impossible in England. Y

ou'd almost for sure end up relegated at some point and possibly relegation looped after the initial relegation from the PL.

I feel like Crystal Palace for example could benefit from the Red Bull model in many ways but also wind up relegated from it.

Ferguson's Man United was probably the closest to Juventus' monopoly style approach.

While Chelsea post-Hazard was probably closest to Barcelona and we f00ked that off completely at the first sign of growing pains.

What is the best league for experimentation?

[Sparked_26]

Chelsea's biggest problem is that Disasi, Gusto, Colwell, and Silva have been horrendously bad defensively. Kepa covered up a multitude of defensive sins last year and never got credit for it. Now Silva is understandable: He's 39 and his legs are gone, leading to bad mistakes he never made in the past. The others are just hot garbage. Couldn't they have thrown some of that transfer money at some stud defenders instead of some of those redundant midfielders they blew their wad on?

Cole has been the steal of the year and looks to be a stud for years to come. Jackson's numbers look good, but obviously needs more work on the training pitch and more experience. Nkunku hasn't played enough to get a read on how good he is.

Caicedo has quietly put up very good defensive stats according to FB Reference. Enzo and Conner need to switch positions: Gallagher's defensive numbers are very good and he and Fernandez are a push in ball moving numbers. Switch Conner to the defensive midfield and put Enzo as ball mover.

I think the issue is the midfield. The defenders aren't great but an opposition keeper can throw a ball out and start a 4 on 4 break.

I get that risk taking one way means Chelsea can score but the issue is then going the otherway.

Tbf you can get defenders better in that kind of nuts football (though I don't believe any really good teams will leave gaps like Chelsea do) Cucurella for example looks better than he ever has done - he's aggressive and fit and can get tight.

Chelsea players are having to cover vast amounts of pitch. Disasi to cover for Gusto, Badiashille who has looked really bad still has to cover the left back area often although Cucurella doesn't push forward as recklessly as Gusto.

Caicedo has too cover for Enzo and Conor.

I know Caicedo made a terrible error. Like I wouldnt make that pass ffs but you have to question why an elite footballer is under such pressure positionally that he cant think clearly.

Chelsea are the weakest team tactically in the league.

I suppose this Chelsea are more fun than Potters but they are fundamentally just as crap.

Some players are massively exposed whereas others can shine.

I think Chelsea are rubbish tbh. But I do think there are tweaks that could make them better.

[Outworn]

Fukin ref i lost moolah

[F l i c k e r]

What is the best league for experimentation?

Probably Italy.

Could do practically anything in that league and either break even or strike it rich.

Danger of relegation is really small for the established clubs. So a club could do a Red Bull philosophy and firmly sit mid table at worst. Or a club could do like Athletic Bilbao and stay in the Serie A pretty firmly. A rome based club with only rome based players? They'd be mid table but firmly mid table.

While Sarri successfully did a Barcelona regen with Napoli and nearly won the league.

All that stuff in England would get a club x'd off the map.

[BigZ44]

Lmao!!! I should have known. Of course when Palace look at their worst down the stretch and can't beat awful teams at home, they go and pull off a 1-0 at Anfield. Such a Palace result lol, 1st L for Liverpool at home in EPL in 29 games, pure hilarity

[Sparked_26]

Lmao!!! I should have known. Of course when Palace look at their worst down the stretch and can't beat awful teams at home, they go and pull off a 1-0 at Anfield. Such a Palace result lol, 1st L for Liverpool at home in EPL in 29 games, pure hilarity

It made my heart sing.

[F l i c k e r]

What a time to be a Chelsea supporter.

I can't even blame Poch all the way. The blame is split evenly amongst the players, coach, owners, and fans. All except Palmer are at fault.

100% had Pochettino convinced Lukaku to stay and not gotten rid of Ziyech and kept one of Mount/Havertz. They'd at least be in Europa league places with a final sprint towards Champions League play.

[Sparked_26]

What a time to be a Chelsea supporter.

I can't even blame Poch all the way. The blame is split evenly amongst the players, coach, owners, and fans. All except Palmer are at fault.

100% had Pochettino convinced Lukaku to stay and not gotten rid of Ziyech and kept one of Mount/Havertz. They'd at least be in Europa league places with a final sprint towards Champions League play.

I do think Poch is a very poor tactician. Maybe he's a good man manager and a coach? The players might know that. As a fan from what we can see and hear- he's objectively garbage.

Any team that consistently gets hit for 4 multiple times probably has a bad manager and his team have conceded the most goals of any Chelsea team in 32 years with another 6 games still remaining.

I know one thing takes away from the other. But the first Chelsea team I watched had Mal Donaghy and Gareth Hall in a back 4 and these are guys who with no disrespect could have been blokes in the crowd who had made it - they had zero talent. Even as a 6 year old I'm thinking- man these two aren't very good and we had loads of players like that.

Now we do have players with some pedigree but they have no backbone or self belief or just that bit of spikyness that you need playing for a team that nobody likes and everyone want to lose.

Badiashille and Enzo are big examples of poor management. Both have been dreadful but not protected at all. Enzo may be injured and Badishille is having some sort of breakdown which I think might have ended his Chelsea career (and he was promising!). Enzo hasn't been able to move properly for months. To the point he's either the worst midfielder in the Premier league or as it looks like he's f.ucking injured! Poch has killed him. The vast majority of Chelsea fans and me included think he's a howler of a signing when the counter point is that he's made himself available.

I am trying hard not to judge a lot of these players now. Mudryk and even Jackson (who has had good moments and a lot of poor ones) but I just can't see how we ended up with either. They are genuine novices. Mudryk has played more games for Chelsea than his previous team. Jackson will have soon too.

How could Chelsea buy two 'would be' first teamers based on such a small sample size?

Bad recruitment but Poch is still a bad manager who could easily switch to a back 3 soak up and counter strategy with a team that has the profile to do that.

I would put l big money on any new manager immediately switching to a back 3.

I do think Poch gets sacked because I expect us to lose most of the remaining games draining any possible believe in 'the project'

[F l i c k e r]

I do think Poch is a very poor tactician. Maybe he's a good man manager and a coach? The players might know that. As a fan from what we can see and hear- he's objectively garbage.

Any team that consistently gets hit for 4 multiple times probably has a bad manager and his team have conceded the most goals of any Chelsea team in 32 years with another 6 games still remaining.

I know one thing takes away from the other. But the first Chelsea team I watched had Mal Donaghy and Gareth Hall in a back 4 and these are guys who with no disrespect could have been blokes in the crowd who had made it - they had zero talent. Even as a 6 year old I'm thinking- man these two aren't very good and we had loads of players like that.

Now we do have players with some pedigree but they have no backbone or self belief or just that bit of spikyness that you need playing for a team that nobody likes and everyone want to lose.

Badiashille and Enzo are big examples of poor management. Both have been dreadful but not protected at all. Enzo may be injured and Badishille is having some sort of breakdown which I think might have ended his Chelsea career (and he was promising!). Enzo hasn't been able to move properly for months. To the point he's either the worst midfielder in the Premier league or as it looks like he's f.ucking injured! Poch has killed him. The vast majority of Chelsea fans and me included think he's a howler of a signing when the counter point is that he's made himself available.

I am trying hard not to judge a lot of these players now. Mudryk and even Jackson (who has had good moments and a lot of poor ones) but I just can't see how we ended up with either. They are genuine novices. Mudryk has played more games for Chelsea than his previous team. Jackson will have soon too.

How could Chelsea buy two 'would be' first teamers based on such a small sample size?

Bad recruitment but Poch is still a bad manager who could easily switch to a back 3 soak up and counter strategy with a team that has the profile to do that.

I would put l big money on any new manager immediately switching to a back 3.

I do think Poch gets sacked because I expect us to lose most of the remaining games draining any possible believe in 'the project'

Enzo apparently has a hernia and will being undergoing surgery soon.

Can't switch to a back 3 either because we have no fullbacks. Chilwell is literally broken. Seeing him in person, I promise you, I would not only out run him but put yards between us, he's that slow. Reece James is still injury list. Malo Gusto just picked up an injury before Arsenal. Cucurella is coming off injury but is not even as good as Bosingwa and that guy was notoriously bad defending. Gilchrist is a kid and looks like it in his decision making on pitch.

No way can we swtich to a back 3 without functional fullbacks.

I can't defend Poch though. So don't get me wrong with the above. He's not looked anything like his Spurs competence nor even his time at PSG.

This is a guy who out coached Maurizio Sarri with Eden Hazard and ended the run of games under Antonio Conte's 3-4-2-1 revolution. He clearly knows how to coach if he was doing that.

He took Tottenham to the Champions League final. That in itself says he can coach. He has to. There's no way to fluke Tottenham into a major competition final.

But he's lost the plot it seems like. Or never knew what it was to begin with sadly

[Sparked_26]

Enzo apparently has a hernia and will being undergoing surgery soon.

Can't switch to a back 3 either because we have no fullbacks. Chilwell is literally broken. Seeing him in person, I promise you, I would not only out run him but put yards between us, he's that slow. Reece James is still injury list. Malo Gusto just picked up an injury before Arsenal. Cucurella is coming off injury but is not even as good as Bosingwa and that guy was notoriously bad defending. Gilchrist is a kid and looks like it in his decision making on pitch.

No way can we swtich to a back 3 without functional fullbacks.

I can't defend Poch though. So don't get me wrong with the above. He's not looked anything like his Spurs competence nor even his time at PSG.

This is a guy who out coached Maurizio Sarri with Eden Hazard and ended the run of games under Antonio Conte's 3-4-2-1 revolution. He clearly knows how to coach if he was doing that.

He took Tottenham to the Champions League final. That in itself says he can coach. He has to. There's no way to fluke Tottenham into a major competition final.

But he's lost the plot it seems like. Or never knew what it was to begin with sadly

He did fluke them into that final though.

I'd like Bodies opinion on it. They lost 15 league games that year.

They were possibly the worst side to ever make that final with the worst coach.

Lucas Moura and his God's Work hat trick.