Chelsea 2016/17 - Very Content

The difference being Leicester slipped up a few times last season but other teams just weren't good enough to capitalise. This season is a completely different ball game, the top 6 are all right behind each-other, any little slip up and the ladder could look completely different in a few weeks.

I don't see Hazard being able to keep this form up over a whole season, couldn't even manage to get arsed against Spurs today.

Good point, well made.
 
feck no. Flavour of the month I know but we've got Terry & Zouma to come back in if needed.
Forgot about Zouma. Don't think Terry can survive in the back 3. Azpi is a fullback playing there and Cahill is average.
 
You
feck no. Flavour of the month I know but we've got Terry & Zouma to come back in if needed.
You need a LWB IMO. Alonso is a good crosser of the ball but too slow to play the position in a top top side... and seems nervous on the ball sometimes. The one youre linked with, Rodriguez, would improve that position massively.

You dont need much
 
Chavs showed last year how easily they can imbibe bad habits and self destruct. Wonder if Spurs have accessed an achilles heel?
 
Changes little for me, just gives hope to teams around them. Conte has won leagues before, he knows how to manage the cushion and they still have a massive advantage of no Europe. They'll probably buy a CB in January and put Azpilicueta at RWB. Expect a lot of 1-0s from them.
 
Have Chelsea peaked early?

I think we're in the title race if we beat Liverpool.
 
Will we need to go with the 3-4-3 to beat Chelsea if Conte sticks with it through the season? Think it'd be naive not to match up with them, as Spuds just showed. In that case (obviously a long way away) what would it look like?

Bailly - Jones - Rojo
Tony - Ander - Pogba - Blind
Miki ----- Zlatan ---- Martial
 
Will we need to go with the 3-4-3 to beat Chelsea if Conte sticks with it through the season? Think it'd be naive not to match up with them, as Spuds just showed. In that case (obviously a long way away) what would it look like?

Bailly - Jones - Rojo
Tony - Ander - Pogba - Blind
Miki ----- Zlatan ---- Martial

Not going to work vs Moses.
 
Outnumbering them in the midfield seems to be a good way to go. Eriken's goal in their 1-2 defeat came that way - Dele Alli got the in a position where he could start running at the defence, Azpilicueta stepped out but it was too late (through no fault of his own) and a little while later Eriksen lashed the ball in. And then again Eriksen being the free man in midfield was instrumental today. It's a bit like playing against a false nine because they have 2 men free at the back and one has to step out to confront the on runner. If you remember the CL final 2009, Ferdinand and Vidic would hold their position but once Messi got to a certain point, they would step forward.

Another good thing to do is to attack through the centre quickly. Their wingbacks are high when the ball is in the centre, looking for a pass. Just think about Martial and Mkhitaryan in our 4-1 win against West Ham in the LC and how they were running in behind their CBs in a 3v3.
 
Will we need to go with the 3-4-3 to beat Chelsea if Conte sticks with it through the season? Think it'd be naive not to match up with them, as Spuds just showed. In that case (obviously a long way away) what would it look like?

Bailly - Jones - Rojo
Tony - Ander - Pogba - Blind
Miki ----- Zlatan ---- Martial

Blind on the left? 3 4 3 will send shivers down the spines of the players and start sideways/back passing each other.
Current formation is fine, need the midfield trio of Carrick, Pogba and Herrara at their best along with Mikhi and Martial, especially Martial to show glimpses of his form in the game he was motm.
 
Changes little for me, just gives hope to teams around them. Conte has won leagues before, he knows how to manage the cushion and they still have a massive advantage of no Europe. They'll probably buy a CB in January and put Azpilicueta at RWB. Expect a lot of 1-0s from them.

Why though?

Moses has been a vital attacking threat especially in the smaller games. He gives them something Alonso doesn't going forward. Azpilicueta and Alonso as wing backs is way too defensive. Maybe good to use in the big games away from home.
 
It's not that Chelsea lost, teams lose, it's normal. It's the manor they lost which surprised me, they never looked like scoring today and showed no fight at all, that would worry me if I was a Chelsea fan.

Will be interesting to see how they bounce back now.
 
That loss made the next 2 fixtures must wins for them. After Leicester and Hull they travel to Anfield and host Arsenal. The way they will bounce will show whether they have it in them to win the league. Today was a bit gutless performance.
 
Blind on the left? 3 4 3 will send shivers down the spines of the players and start sideways/back passing each other.
Current formation is fine, need the midfield trio of Carrick, Pogba and Herrara at their best along with Mikhi and Martial, especially Martial to show glimpses of his form in the game he was motm.

Think you pull our wide forwards almost completely out of the attack if you stay in a 4-3-3 against them. You would go for overloading them in the middle, but they'd get wide on us on nearly every break they have. I don't think it's such an easy question to answer, especially after Spurs just beat them at their own game.
 
Win 13 out of the last 14 games but only lead by 5 points. They must be very annoyed at the consistency of the other top teams.
 
Tottenham on their day are the best of the pack. As for Chelsea, poor game today, let's see next two and then head-to-head again. I will put 10 kilos on with following this League while eating popcorn and drinking beer ehehe.
 
Will we need to go with the 3-4-3 to beat Chelsea if Conte sticks with it through the season? Think it'd be naive not to match up with them, as Spuds just showed. In that case (obviously a long way away) what would it look like?

Bailly - Jones - Rojo
Tony - Ander - Pogba - Blind
Miki ----- Zlatan ---- Martial

Has to be ashley Young here. Perfect LWB
 
That loss has to have psychological problems surely?

Or will they just pick up from where they left off against Leicester?
 
Why though?

Moses has been a vital attacking threat especially in the smaller games. He gives them something Alonso doesn't going forward. Azpilicueta and Alonso as wing backs is way too defensive. Maybe good to use in the big games away from home.

Isn't Moses off to the African Cup?
 
Think you pull our wide forwards almost completely out of the attack if you stay in a 4-3-3 against them. You would go for overloading them in the middle, but they'd get wide on us on nearly every break they have. I don't think it's such an easy question to answer, especially after Spurs just beat them at their own game.
We played that way against West Ham in the LC and destroyed them. The trick is having our wide men be forwards, not midfielders, and press their CBs. That was the change we made to the 1-1 draw in the PL against West Ham. Having said that, Tottenham did that in the first half of their away game in the PL to Chelsea and did well but in the second Conte had the CBs move closer to the the byline for the goal-kicks and that allowed Chelsea to assert control over the game.
 
When was the last time a mid-season signing played a big part in a team winning the league?
Or even a big impact for a top team?
Can't think of too many.
I would think Matic for Chelsea if my memory doesnt fail me.
 
We should be fine over the next couple of games. Leicester have 3 key players off to afcon, that is a winnable game. So is Hull at home.

That said, we might drop 5 points vs the dippers and arsenal and even then we will be at worst joint top.:D Such was this insane run of form.

If we can get Rodriguez and Llorente in this window. We can have a strong ending to the season.
 
That loss has to have psychological problems surely?

Or will they just pick up from where they left off against Leicester?
They will probably pick up, but it's quite nice they'll have to wait a week and a half with the defeat in their minds.
 
We should be fine over the next couple of games. Leicester have 3 key players off to afcon, that is a winnable game. So is Hull at home.

That said, we might drop 5 points vs the dippers and arsenal and even then we will be at worst joint top.:D Such was this insane run of form.

If we can get Rodriguez and Llorente in this window. We can have a strong ending to the season.
Confirmed to stay (perhaps till summer) in Copa Del Rey post match