Premier League Matchweek 22 (Jan 21-22)

Chelsea have two things over United which are big:
-Clinical finishing in front of goal.
-Being good at set pieces (with defenders who are an actual threat).

They're also much better defensively. I think that's twelve or thirteen clean sheets so far as opposed to our seven? Our lack of clinical finishing would be less of an issue if we were capable of shutting teams out like that.
 
Was more referring to the penalty decision of course because we're not allowed those, we've had a few offsides go our way ;)

Although, barely any of those effected the overall result of the game and they definitely even out in terms of wrong decisions that actually did cost us points!

Yeah I notice you guys only had I think 1 for the whole season which is strange. Hard to know why, maybe its just Zlatan is so strong and doesn't go down easy (to his credit) added to the usual premiership incompetent referee's.
 
Yeah I notice you guys only had I think 1 for the whole season which is strange. Hard to know why, maybe its just Zlatan is so strong and doesn't go down easy (to his credit) added to the usual premiership incompetent referee's.
Yeah, most of the complaints from me (and our fans) are a bit petty sometimes. I feel like we have been unlucky on a variety of fronts this term, but we've created great chances to win all of these games and failed to take them, so the lost points are our own fault.
 
They're also much better defensively. I think that's twelve or thirteen clean sheets so far as opposed to our seven? Our lack of clinical finishing would be less of an issue if we were capable of shutting teams out like that.

Chelsea's defensive solidity (or perceived solidity) is down to Mourinho's legacy at their club. For all intents and purposes Chelsea still play like a Mourinho team - efficient, clinical, and solid. What they lack is inventiveness. They do not create lots of chances, they are merely good at finishing the few chances they get.
Conte is really a lucky man, he gets a lot of credit for the foundations that Mourinho built.

Give Mourinho some time. One more summer window to let him get the players he needs. And the good news is that UTD is currently undergoing a very exciting project, blending Jose's philosophy (efficient play, solidity, winning mentality, hustle) with the club's own philosophy (attacking football, creating lots of chances, young players).

When the two philosophies merge and blend with each other we could very well experience something very special taking place. I am extremely confident that next year UTD will surpass Chelsea because Jose will take on all of the Chelsea-like qualities and add the UTD-like qualities of flair, risk taking, and inventiveness. Best of both worlds. I am extremely sure we will be champions under Mourinho.
 
Chelsea's defensive solidity (or perceived solidity) is down to Mourinho's legacy at their club. For all intents and purposes Chelsea still play like a Mourinho team - efficient, clinical, and solid. What they lack is inventiveness. They do not create lots of chances, they are merely good at finishing the few chances they get.
Conte is really a lucky man, he gets a lot of credit for the foundations that Mourinho built.

I usually dislike when people talk about "foundations" as though the proceeding manager doesn't have much of an influence, and I think it's very insulting to Conte to suggest that he is lucky here. In any case, Conte straight up ripped the textbook on how we attack and defend as team, and tactically we are very different to how we played a couple of seasons ago with Mourinho. The end result might resemble some characteristics Mourinho is known for (not that he alone owns things like "defensive solidity" anyway) but it is 100% a product of Conte's genius.
 
I usually dislike when people talk about "foundations" as though the proceeding manager doesn't have much of an influence, and I think it's very insulting to Conte to suggest that he is lucky here. In any case, Conte straight up ripped the textbook on how we attack and defend as team, and tactically we are very different to how we played a couple of seasons ago with Mourinho. The end result might resemble some characteristics Mourinho is known for (not that he alone owns things like "defensive solidity" anyway) but it is 100% a product of Conte's genius.

The fickle fan

Conte's genius :) Not exactly overflowing with trophies apart from the graveyard that is Italy and probably due his first major trophy on the strength of Jose's influence still flowing through the club.


Of course you dislike it. The man laid the foundations and is now at his dream club without the interference of a megalomaniac who has financially doped Chelsea in the same fashion that City have been, to prevent you reverting to your former, customary status of the Sunderland of the south.
 
The fickle fan

Conte's genius :) Not exactly overflowing with trophies apart from the graveyard that is Italy and probably due his first major trophy on the strength of Jose's influence still flowing through the club.


Of course you dislike it. The man laid the foundations and is now at his dream club without the interference of a megalomaniac who has financially doped Chelsea in the same fashion that City have been, to prevent you reverting to your former, customary status of the Sunderland of the south.

Excellent post sir :)

People have short memories. Conte and the whole of Chelsea owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mourinho. He should be judged on the net output of his 6 seasons with them, not his final half a season. Conte is a young pretender compared to Mourinho. Can he eventually be as great at Jose? Sure, if he wins a Treble, two CL trophies, and wins league titles in four different countries. But for now he has won nothing outside Italy (where he coached a juggernaut flat track bully team in a rigged competition that is really just a one horse race)

Chelsea as a club had won nothing for fifty years before Mourinho joined them, FFS!
 
Excellent post sir :)

People have short memories. Conte and the whole of Chelsea owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mourinho. He should be judged on the net output of his 6 seasons with them, not his final half a season. Conte is a young pretender compared to Mourinho. Can he eventually be as great at Jose? Sure, if he wins a Treble, two CL trophies, and wins league titles in four different countries. But for now he has won nothing outside Italy (where he coached a juggernaut flat track bully team in a rigged competition that is really just a one horse race)

Chelsea as a club had won nothing for fifty years before Mourinho joined them, FFS!

I think people underestimate what Conte did with Juve when he took over. They were 7th and were far from the team he built.
 
Excellent post sir :)

People have short memories. Conte and the whole of Chelsea owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mourinho. He should be judged on the net output of his 6 seasons with them, not his final half a season. Conte is a young pretender compared to Mourinho. Can he eventually be as great at Jose? Sure, if he wins a Treble, two CL trophies, and wins league titles in four different countries. But for now he has won nothing outside Italy (where he coached a juggernaut flat track bully team in a rigged competition that is really just a one horse race)

Chelsea as a club had won nothing for fifty years before Mourinho joined them, FFS!


Yep. It's a solid but mediocre PL right now and several clubs are an arms length away from being a little more than an efficient team riding the crest of a wave since their cup final victory over United.
 
Chelsea's defensive solidity (or perceived solidity) is down to Mourinho's legacy at their club. For all intents and purposes Chelsea still play like a Mourinho team - efficient, clinical, and solid. What they lack is inventiveness. They do not create lots of chances, they are merely good at finishing the few chances they get.
Conte is really a lucky man, he gets a lot of credit for the foundations that Mourinho built.

Give Mourinho some time. One more summer window to let him get the players he needs. And the good news is that UTD is currently undergoing a very exciting project, blending Jose's philosophy (efficient play, solidity, winning mentality, hustle) with the club's own philosophy (attacking football, creating lots of chances, young players).

When the two philosophies merge and blend with each other we could very well experience something very special taking place. I am extremely confident that next year UTD will surpass Chelsea because Jose will take on all of the Chelsea-like qualities and add the UTD-like qualities of flair, risk taking, and inventiveness. Best of both worlds. I am extremely sure we will be champions under Mourinho.

It has nothing to do with Mourinho. Conte plays different system, the one Mourinho never employed. And where were thouse great defensive foundations last season when Chelsea couldn't stop conceding and finished tenth?
 
The fickle fan

Conte's genius :) Not exactly overflowing with trophies apart from the graveyard that is Italy and probably due his first major trophy on the strength of Jose's influence still flowing through the club.


Of course you dislike it. The man laid the foundations and is now at his dream club without the interference of a megalomaniac who has financially doped Chelsea in the same fashion that City have been, to prevent you reverting to your former, customary status of the Sunderland of the south.

What is this reply even about? Why is his career brought up based on what I said (and I won't even bother with the childish digs at the clubs)? All I said was that the tactics and the way the team play right now is down to Conte, not Mourinho. It's a pretty straightforward statement.

Excellent post sir :)

People have short memories. Conte and the whole of Chelsea owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mourinho. He should be judged on the net output of his 6 seasons with them, not his final half a season. Conte is a young pretender compared to Mourinho. Can he eventually be as great at Jose? Sure, if he wins a Treble, two CL trophies, and wins league titles in four different countries. But for now he has won nothing outside Italy (where he coached a juggernaut flat track bully team in a rigged competition that is really just a one horse race)

Chelsea as a club had won nothing for fifty years before Mourinho joined them, FFS!

This seems like another post that's taking it personally that Mourinho is not the only capable manager around. I never said that Conte stacks up to him career-wise (I didn't even come close to implying anything about Conte's standing as a manager in world football). All I said is that this Chelsea side is infinitely more his than it is Mourinho's.

And as frustrating as last season was, no Chelsea fan would forget what Mourinho did so again I'm not sure why this is brought up either.
 
The fickle fan

Conte's genius :) Not exactly overflowing with trophies apart from the graveyard that is Italy and probably due his first major trophy on the strength of Jose's influence still flowing through the club.


Of course you dislike it. The man laid the foundations and is now at his dream club without the interference of a megalomaniac who has financially doped Chelsea in the same fashion that City have been, to prevent you reverting to your former, customary status of the Sunderland of the south.

Excellent post sir :)

People have short memories. Conte and the whole of Chelsea owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mourinho. He should be judged on the net output of his 6 seasons with them, not his final half a season. Conte is a young pretender compared to Mourinho. Can he eventually be as great at Jose? Sure, if he wins a Treble, two CL trophies, and wins league titles in four different countries. But for now he has won nothing outside Italy (where he coached a juggernaut flat track bully team in a rigged competition that is really just a one horse race)

Chelsea as a club had won nothing for fifty years before Mourinho joined them, FFS!

Embarrassing posts tbh.
 
What is this reply even about? Why is his career brought up based on what I said (and I won't even bother with the childish digs at the clubs)? All I said was that the tactics and the way the team play right now is down to Conte, not Mourinho. It's a pretty straightforward statement.



This seems like another post that's taking it personally that Mourinho is not the only capable manager around. I never said that Conte stacks up to him career-wise (I didn't even come close to implying anything about Conte's standing as a manager in world football). All I said is that this Chelsea side is infinitely more his than it is Mourinho's.

And as frustrating as last season was, no Chelsea fan would forget what Mourinho did so again I'm not sure why this is brought up either.

To say that this is "infinitely" Conte's team is very unfair to Mourinho. All the key players in the team, from Costa to Willian to Pedro to Fabregas to Matic were recruited by Mourinho and not Conte. I doubt that Costa and Fabregas would have been willing to come to Chelsea to play under Conte. To be fair, even Courtois was recalled by Mourinho, and it was he who made the decision to give him the #1 GK position and sell Cech which was a pretty bold move given that Cech was a club legend.
 
To say that this is "infinitely" Conte's team is very unfair to Mourinho. All the key players in the team, from Costa to Willian to Pedro to Fabregas to Matic were recruited by Mourinho and not Conte. I doubt that Costa and Fabregas would have been willing to come to Chelsea to play under Conte. To be fair, even Courtois was recalled by Mourinho, and it was he who made the decision to give him the #1 GK position and sell Cech which was a pretty bold move given that Cech was a club legend.
I don't think it's that unfair to call this way more of a Conte team than a Mourinho team. Most of the players are obviously the same since there's only been one complete transfer window since Conte was appointed, but a few key acquisitions have been made to be able to play in a vastly different manner than we ever did during Mourinho, namely the additions of the two wing backs. With these two the way we set up the games holds very little resemblence to how we set up during Mourinho's second stint at Chelsea, even though the result of being "efficient, clinical, and solid" are the same.

This is no slight at Mourinho. The overwhelming majority of Chelsea fans would consider him our greatest ever manager, and it would take quite the achievement to overtake him there. He will always be remembered fondly here. This is simply a case of another manager creating his own team, with little being similar except for the players.
 
Yeah, most of the complaints from me (and our fans) are a bit petty sometimes. I feel like we have been unlucky on a variety of fronts this term, but we've created great chances to win all of these games and failed to take them, so the lost points are our own fault.

Same as city. I've watched alot of both teams and missing chances is a bigger issue for both even though we've both had more than our share of bad reefing decisions too.
 
We're not unlucky. I believe that you make your own luck in football and our finishing simply hasn't been good enough.

We are 6th in the league for a reason - I like how we are improving though.
 
Why aren't people discussing the stonewall penalty Arsenal should have had when Mustafi was bought down in the box?
 
The fact anyone is even remotely trying to downplay how well Conte has done is sheer embarrassing. Just face the facts that this year he is the best manager in the premier league. Not CV wise, but he has come in, looked at what he has; made the changes and also used players that our imperious Jose thought were only good enough to farm out on loan. This is not Conte's personnel but it is his team, with his tactics playing his style of football. Their run is nothing to do with Mourinho ffs. I swear Treble Winning is Duncan Castles lol
Conte is one of the top managers around and if he and Jose got sacked tomorrow, no one would be against him taking over at OT.

And let's be fair, they were not shit before Roman. City were yes. Chelsea were decent. Likes of Gullit etc
 
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Excellent post sir :)

People have short memories. Conte and the whole of Chelsea owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mourinho. He should be judged on the net output of his 6 seasons with them, not his final half a season. Conte is a young pretender compared to Mourinho. Can he eventually be as great at Jose? Sure, if he wins a Treble, two CL trophies, and wins league titles in four different countries. But for now he has won nothing outside Italy (where he coached a juggernaut flat track bully team in a rigged competition that is really just a one horse race)

Chelsea as a club had won nothing for fifty years before Mourinho joined them, FFS!

That is wrong, championships yes, but they had won things.
 
Almost every single player to have played for Conte when asked about him, adore the guy. A lot of players who played for Jose, dont like him and have sly digs at him. Jose is a winner, but also a bit of a massive prick behind the scenes