No the poor chaps brain was overawed after one outfield injury.
Chelsea under Conte | Let's sign the next Hazard, literally.
- Thread starter Gandalf Greyhame
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
No the poor chaps brain was overawed after one outfield injury.
Good interview so far. Honest and refreshing.
true. just habit with having a fellow chelsea fan in my house i can see both sided of arguments and think a lot of stuff said about them is BS
He took full responsibility for that today in his interview. The concern for their fans I'm sure will be if they have a plan b, will other teams play against them like we did today, what happens if there's an injury to one of their wing backs, seems to me they have no one really to come in and replace them and the fact they've gone around ten games without a clean sheet.
Have our resident Chelsea fans decided not to join us this evening?
Zero shots on target is not easy to swallow. First time this has happened to them in the PL since 2007. Have some mercy.
People moan when we're here and moan when were not!
We won the possession. That's the real victory.
The trouble with Conte is he has only one tactical plan. He isn't able to switch things up, or maybe he lacks the players to do so. Just because they lost Alonso to illness, his entire system was unsettled. Mourinho on the other hand is wily and experienced, and knows how to set his teams up to counter the opponent. This is why we completely negated them today. They were severely restricted, totally stifled, as evidenced by their zero shots on target. Like it or not, this game was a vindication for Mourinho, he really showed his tactical acumen today. Many fans slammed the starting XI but it turns out he set the team up perfectly to shut Chelsea down.
Objectively, Mourinho is still the better tactician, and it's about time people gave him due credit for it.
Only cause as Jose said 'they are a counter attacking team, they don't know what to do when they have the ball all the time'.
That was shocking. This is the game that Chelsea needed to get at least a point in, I think. But worse than the loss was the actual performance, this was embarrassing. As well as United played, the real disappointment was the lack of fight from our players when things weren't going well.
Where was that tactical genius when United lost 4-0 at the Bridge earlier in the season? Why are you fifth in the table? One good game doesn't change the fact that he was underwhelming through most of the season.
False problems. None of the teams left to play bar maybe everton can play like united did against chelsea with the same success.('sides, it was the energy and hunger of united that made the difference. Mou's tactical plan relied on his players outrunning and outhustling their chelsea counterparts. Took a page right out the playinh style of current Atalanta manager Gasperini, to my knowledge the only manager who still plays man-to-man all over the pitch in the five big leagues. Full disclosure: both Conte AND Mourinho had trouble against him in Italy). They don't need a plan B to win the league now
As for injuries, well yes, they've been thin at several positions all year. It's the reason why Conte was so angry with Roman for not giving him the cash to sign players in january
Agree. To nullify Hazard, Costa & Pedro while still have enough attacking prowess to break through a back 5 behind Matic & Kante is not an easy feat. You can have all the ideas. Without the personnel to carry out the plan, it's useless.
I don't think we played man marking all over the pitch, it was just Herrera man marked Hazard and rest of it was usual defensive shape.
Nope, you played man-to-man all over the pitch. You had Fellaini vs Matic, Pogba vs Kante(Pogba dominated. For all those claiming Kante is better...), Herrera vs Hazard(with another player always close to help) Bailly/Rojo vs Diego Costa, Darmian vs Pedro and Young vs Moses
Darmian did similar with Pedro & then Willian. Young on Moses. While not full pitch man marking, Fellaini did mark Matic plenty of time, Carrick on Cesc, Pogba on Kante.
Hehe, fair point! Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I wouldn't come here either if all I would get was abuse, just like I wouldn't go swiming with ice on the surface.
You do kknow that in the next few weeks they'll be crowned champion right?
Gosh it feels like we're becoming liverpool with "we beat chelsea 2 times"
Costa was dispossessed 10 times against ManUtd, more than any player in PL.
That makes no sense
No, Herrera and Darmian man marked Hazard and Pedro. Everything else was simply formations naturally matching up.
It's even debatable whether Darmian (#36) was heavily man marking Pedro considering his average position was so far forward that he held a similar average position to Valencia (nominally the RB).
Credit to JM his tactics paid off, I thought he made the right call to drop Ibra and play the fast attackers and also Ashley Young. The first goal was always going to be important.
Chelsea have been able to keep the same 11 throughout most of the campaign and unfortunately just before the match we lost two of our regular defensive players. JM has intimate knowledge of a number of our players and I am sure he utilised this well to nullify Hazard and Costa and later Fabregas.
I also think Spurs are currently the best team and they certainly outplayed us at the Lane so next weekends cup match at Wembley will be interesting and possibly uncomfortable.
A criticism of Conte is, he is sometimes slow to make substitutions and so occasionally we lose because he does not bring on the subs early enough. For me Costa has lost his sharpness in front of goal since the China episode back in January but Conte does not fancy Batshuyai.
With a four point cushion we still have a two match advantage over Spurs yet if we lose the cup match that gives them a huge psychological lift, I just hope the mystery injury to Alonso gets cleared up before next weekend. If not will we revert to a 4-4-2?
Chelsea have been able to keep the same 11 throughout most of the campaign and unfortunately just before the match we lost two of our regular defensive players. JM has intimate knowledge of a number of our players and I am sure he utilised this well to nullify Hazard and Costa and later Fabregas.
I also think Spurs are currently the best team and they certainly outplayed us at the Lane so next weekends cup match at Wembley will be interesting and possibly uncomfortable.
A criticism of Conte is, he is sometimes slow to make substitutions and so occasionally we lose because he does not bring on the subs early enough. For me Costa has lost his sharpness in front of goal since the China episode back in January but Conte does not fancy Batshuyai.
With a four point cushion we still have a two match advantage over Spurs yet if we lose the cup match that gives them a huge psychological lift, I just hope the mystery injury to Alonso gets cleared up before next weekend. If not will we revert to a 4-4-2?
They are tiring and their bench is short in specialists and quality but, come on, it was not a CL final, in the grand scheme of things they are still favourites for the league and overall punching above their weight. We will see, surely Conte needs to act less than a hammer and more as a fellow to keep his unit together, his pedigree as a footballer at Juve is good in victories and full of bloody defeats too, so we can assume he knows this shit well. We will see his approach.
We all witnessed the character of the Chelsea players last season, downing tools when things didn't go their way, will be interesting to see how they fair with a little pressure, Hazard and the like have the mentality that fit Arsenal down to a tee.
My guess is though that they'll scrape over the line as Champions, with Spurs their only contenders, without major investment next year though their plate will be pretty full with the Champions League.
My guess is though that they'll scrape over the line as Champions, with Spurs their only contenders, without major investment next year though their plate will be pretty full with the Champions League.
JT leaving at the end of the season.
Yesterday reminded me of a game a few seasons ago when Jose's Chelsea beat Man City at the Etihad which after the game Martin Tyler described the win as a "Jose master class".
Yesterdays performance, whilst being one of the bets I've seen from a Utd side since the Fergie days was tactically spot on from the get go. I don't think Antonio Conte was a) expecting us to put in such a performance in terms of how we set up and b) didn't have any answers how to stop us.
Like the FA Cup game at their place, we kept their main man quite which kept them as a team quite. A big well done to Ander Herrera who after getting sent off in the cup might have had second thoughts about performing the same role but he did exactly what Jose asked and it worked a treat.
Yesterdays performance, whilst being one of the bets I've seen from a Utd side since the Fergie days was tactically spot on from the get go. I don't think Antonio Conte was a) expecting us to put in such a performance in terms of how we set up and b) didn't have any answers how to stop us.
Like the FA Cup game at their place, we kept their main man quite which kept them as a team quite. A big well done to Ander Herrera who after getting sent off in the cup might have had second thoughts about performing the same role but he did exactly what Jose asked and it worked a treat.
That MNF bit on man marking was really interesting, but that Messi goal vs Bilbao is a joke.
The tiredness excuse is wild in this case. They don't have to play in Europe all season while we just played last Thursday. We played quite fair few squad players than actual starting material: Rashford as no 9, Lingard as forward, Young wing back, Darmian as some sort of CB, Fellaini in holding role. It's a make shift tactic this game too while Chelsea played their preferred tactic which they have had plenty of time to master. If Chelsea was punching above their weight then this game we did punch way above ours too.
I am not sure about Conte, but I think Chelsea is strong enough to scrap it with their fixture list
Those were the broad assignments. Your players were clearly instructed to identify their counterpart on the pitch and stick close to him at every moment when you weren't in possession. Of course they weren't blindly following their man all over the pitch, they switched assignments accordingly. But they still played man-to-manNo, Herrera and Darmian man marked Hazard and Pedro. Everything else was simply formations naturally matching up.
It's even debatable whether Darmian (#36) was heavily man marking Pedro considering his average position was so far forward that he held a similar average position to Valencia (nominally the RB).
Mental tiredness imho aka pressure from having a target on their backs since December. United have different pressure and are punching below their weight, you know well.
They have enough margin of error for most part of the second half of season to not be this mentally exhausted.
Yes different pressure. Less no. Shennigans in the media has been out all season to prove Zlatan can't cut it in PL before a ball even kicked. Pogba is shite. Mourinho is past it. Rooney the captain... We still aim to win the EL while can't abandon the league. Gave a game at SB against Chelsea in FA Cup. He failed but it's big mistake if you're thinking we're moving with the motion & free off pressure like Arsenal & City.
Part of proving Mourinho past it, some Chelsea players are media darlings & the team seems like playing expansive dominating football than just a ruthless transitioning team.
Yesterday's result was more down to Conte's cowardice than Mourinho's genius. Conte should have given Ake the nod. I am beginning to think this lack of faith in the youth thing is more down to the club than the manager.
On another note, I cant believe the number of mugs in Chelsea fan base who think out team does not need serious upgrades in the summer. The team is lacking in depth as well as quality in 2-3 positions. I seriously hope its only those fans being idiots and not the the club. Need at least 3 starters this summer, possibly 4 if Costa leaves.
On another note, I cant believe the number of mugs in Chelsea fan base who think out team does not need serious upgrades in the summer. The team is lacking in depth as well as quality in 2-3 positions. I seriously hope its only those fans being idiots and not the the club. Need at least 3 starters this summer, possibly 4 if Costa leaves.
If you measure success by that criteria, just hire LVG and every game shall be a victory
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I think both Hazard and Costa will leave this summer, what are your thoughts about that?
I believe it's the expectation of the club that bear down on the coach. The coach is there to win game/ win trophies. They wouldn't risk their job just to develop some youngsters who may end up be good for the next coach than the current one(!).
Chelsea is good but lack options for different game plan.
If Hazard left, we would likely get Morata in return so it is not that big a deal. That said, I dont think Hazard will leave this summer as finding two starting wingers of that quality would be near impossible for the club in a single summer. Likely that we keep Hazard and look for a solution on the right wing.
It all stems from the lack of quality in the current set of players. We dont have players good enough (at LB and LCB) to play a normal back four which restricts our ability to play 4-1-4-1. And the lack of a second striker and Lampard like MF makes it impossible to play 3-5-2.
Regarding the youth, Conte started out well enough giving Chalobah and Aina minutes in some key games but has gradually become increasingly weary of them as time has gone on.