The difference in the team now versus even 2-3 weeks ago is the off the ball movement. Been fatastic again today just like city and Tottenham games.
We are so much more crisp on the counter with Higuain. He just understands spacing and lanes so much better.
Got lucky. They outplayed us the last 20. We had no tape on FFC tactically though with their new skipper. Hopefully CHO’s absence means he starts next fixture.
I doubt Cho starts next game. Likely he gets a cameo but I don’t see him starting. Hopefully I’m wrong. Pedro did absolutely nothing today. CHO needs more minutes.
That’s why Emerson has gotten the look he has. He should be starting in all our major fixtures in my opinion. I will say dave had some great crosses today.
Morning lads, courtesy of the Chelsea subreddit, let's give a big happy birthday to our cornerstone, the legend himself, the heart and soul of the club.... Danny Drinkwater!
How would you line up tomorrow if you were picking? Kepa Zappa Christensen Luiz Emerson Kante Kovacic Barkley Hudson-Odoi Giroud Willian With the game being home and still having the away tie next week I would lean toward a younger side and a tad more rotation for this game. Guys like Barkley, giroud and Willian have shown that they can do well against lesser competition.
6 months ago I would have thought yes but hazard went out of his way earlier this year to say that he felt like he let mourinho down and would be open to working with him again. I think our best bet to keep hazard will be if PSG decide that it’s best to build around mbappe and agree to sell Neymar to Real Madrid.
Surprised Ruben isn’t starting. Not surprised at all that CHO isn’t. If Ruben doesn’t start in a game like this where Barkley AND kovacic start then I don’t know what more he can do.
Guess that buys another year for Sarri. Can we still sell Hazard? If things aren't looking great with him (and they aren't) and we can't sell in the summer...
Wonder what this means for CHO? If Sarri actually played him I think you hold onto him even if it means he walks for free next summer. But since he doesn't I guess we might as well let him go still? Have to figure Hazard is 100% gone now if he wasn't already.
This still goes to CAS and my guess is that barring something truly distinguishing in the club’s actions, the ban will be delayed. Crazy the FIFA are doing this though.
He deeted his earlier (more optimistic) tweet, now looks a lot more likely that Chelsea can’t register players this summer.
It’s pretty unprecedented which means FIFA either has damnable concrete evidence or they’ve decided to not care about human atrocities in Qatar and instead drop the hammer elsewhere. Ridiculous.
This certainly isn’t a positive. I think the hope is that hazard would either agree to stay or agree to a 1 year extension so he can make a decision next summer that won’t screw us over. If he wants to leave I don’t think you can afford to keep him for a season and let him go free. We get pulisic back off “loan” and I believe we can trigger an extension on the Higuain loan even with this ban. You certainly can’t lose hazard and Cho now both this summer and you can’t strengthen in the midfield or defense. At fullback we can use Reece James coming back off loan. The other thing with this is kovacic would go back to Real Madrid and we wouldn’t have the chance to sign him, loan him again or even replace him. I like mount but he’s not a backup to Jorginho so I don’t know what we would do there.
Sounds like Chelsea are screwed with this transfer ban. No way to appeal before the summer because FIFA delays.
Would like to see RLC on for kovacic before or around the 60 minute mark. If the game stays like it has I would love giroud for Pedro and move to a 4-4-2 diamond with hazard playing behind both strikers. Let RLC and kante take each side and start trying to get both strikers to make runs. Wolves look very good and comfortable defending a low block right now.
Kovacic has been pretty rough today and that position really needs to provide something going forward when their block is this low.
This is what happens when we play kovacic or Barkley and can’t do anything offensively. Our team pushes harder and gets hit on the break.
RLC comes on and made a run that kovacic hasn’t made in the first 55 minutes of this game. That LCM role that continues to be either kovacic or Barkley is really our worst position in games like this.
In fairness to Sarri, I think this was trending that way before RLC got hurt. My guess is when he gets back to full fitness he’ll start.