Debates, Tactics - Written by BlueChampion on Thursday, September 6, 2007 11:46 | 1,459 Views | 146 Comments | Add Comment
Set Pieces - Will They Be Our Weapon Again?
Of late, I can’t help but think that we’re getting weaker and weaker in one area - set pieces. One of the hallmarks of the title winning seasons was our fantastic conversion ratio of the set pieces. Even defensively, we never allowed teams to make anything out of their set pieces. Of late, especially since April or so, I feel that our main weapon is becoming quite impotent.
Making the best out of set pieces requires a lot of planning, tactics, practice, technique and sometimes an element of surprise. Earlier, every corner or free kick we used to get would end up in something - a very good attack, offensive position or even a goal. We used to be very strong that teams were wary of allowing us corners or free kicks. I don’t have the figures but I know that we scored quite a lot from free kicks and corners, that they became a very important weapon of our armour. It used to be even a part of our tactics to earn corners with the kind of conversion rates and confidence. It used to be quite common to see that the Chelsea players settle for a corner in tight situations, instead of nutmegging or chipping.
It was not just the free kicks and corners, we were good at throw-ins too. We even scored from a throw-in at Anfield during our 4-1 rout of Liverpool. The important component of our successful set pieces was a fit and in-form Lampard. Not only has he scored from free kicks but also he has set up beautifully for goals.
Why have we suddenly become toothless in set pieces? The irony is that we have a huge band of free kick/corner takers. Of late, there seems to be some kind of lethargy when it comes to set pieces. One thing is to make a not-so-good delivery and a corner turning into a goal kick with no second touch, is entirely different. When Lampard’s quality of delivery was dropping, in came Malouda with sharp, inswinging, to-the-targetman deliveries but it was so short-lived.
Is the average height of the Chelsea players reducing? Or is it because we have not played with the same eleven for a series of matches? In the first three seasons under Jose, despite the varied composition of the team, always about 7-9 players would be the core and always be there. That helped because the more they play together there was better understanding of things that happen in live match situations. No amount of training and practice would help as much as playing together in a league match. Right now, you could only count on Cech, Essien, Lampard and Drogba being there. Rest of the positions keep changing over and over again, mostly due to short and long injuries.
But all of these can not be a reason for crossing the ball 10 yards beyond the far post. If we split the corners into good delivery and taking advantage of a good delivery, we can realise that what we lack is good deliveries. We see the corners being criminally wasted. If there were good deliveries, there are players like Drogba, Terry, Alex and Pizarro to make the most of it. I was at a loss for words, when I saw a Malouda corner swinging right behind the goal net, without bothering anyone on the pitch.
Is it possible that we can think of any other options for our set pieces? For long free kicks, can it be someone else than Lampard or Malouda? For short free kicks, can it be Drogba? For corners, can it be the pint-sized SWP? Or like me, you also think that, once in a while, we should make short passes from corners, instead of always crossing it to the far post.
Surely, this is one area that we need to improve on. Given the set of players we have now and given the fact that the transfer window is closed, what options can you think of, to make the best out of the set piece situations?
146 Comments
1. Jo
2. Manish
a very effective remedy to this problem is to stop relying on set-pieces…better start scoring by playing ball on ground….
3. TrueBlueInd
Good post..
I’m not seriously worried of not being able to score from set pieces.I am more worried about the way we have started conceding from set pieces.I think over the last 6 to 8 months, lots of teams have hurt us with their set piece play.That has to come down to poor marking and defending from our side.That has to improve.Get back the defensive solidity.
lampard can deliver a good corner kick..but I dont think we have anyone in our team to take perfect curling short range freekicks.Drogba does it once in a while.Lampard just blasts the ball towards goal.Anyway curling in freekicks is a skill.I dont know if it can be mastered with regular practice.lampard’s shots work 3 out of 10 times for us…but if we had someone to curl n dip the ball at will, we could score more regularly from short distance free kicks.Maybe Ballack could be an option.I dont know for sure.
As for not scoring from corners , I think that has more to do with better marking from the opposition.The opposition teams naturally watch tapes of our team n know our strengths.They can easily plan counter measures to combat our arial threat.
To make the best of set play situations, I think better delivery of long range free kicks and corners into good areas is necessary.A free kick or corner into a good area will surely cause problems for any team n defence.The only way to achieve that is to practise that on the training ground and deliver it on the pitch.Then of course it also comes down to intelligent movement of our players within the opposition box and ofcourse a lot of luck at times as well.
4. True Blue Fusion
For free-kick………………we have michael ballack
5. Blue Maveick
I dont think Lamps has degraded in corners. His delivery of corners is still pin point. In direct free kicks he used take curling freeckiks earlier but it seems that he has stopped that. May be he has been told. Indirect freekicks are still his forte.
Against A.Villa Malouda was poor in all the set pieces. Yes poor by all the standards. Even SWP took some corners and he was poor. We should be less reliable on Lamps and should develop new set piece takers.
Terry was so useful in 1st title winning season of Jose since he was the one unused in those regards before. And suddenly there was he scoring in set pieces. Even in last season apart from 1st match goal he failed in all other matches. I remember in Dec 2004 when we played against Arsenal at highbury, we scored both the goals from set pieces. In first goal Sol Campbell failed to properly mark terry hence Terry scored. Where as second goal was even more intelligent. Sol Campbell didnt leave any gap this time and Terry took him out of box intelligently. Lauren also dragged out with Terry given 1st goal mistake. And Gallas got exposed and scored with help of Guddy. The point is now our set piece prowess is well known are all the other managers are giving utmost important to it since Jose’s Chelsea scored many goals from Set Piece. Team needs to find some efficient strategy in set pieces.
And last we need to develop some youngster in set pieces. Scott Sinclair/Mikel can be groomed that way givne Lamps will be fading after 2-3 years.
6. manuatic
sorry losers. u,ve not jus gone down in set pieces only but in all departments of the team. how come u dint notice that, your once unshakable defence is now leaking goals like a team that has been newly promoted. compare your against column to that of derby,sunderland and birmingham.lol!
midfield is dead as know one is shielding the defence and attacking is useless.
only place that looks a bit better is inclusion of wright philips and malouda they are the only players playing there hearts out the rest are just overpaid lazy asses.
and yes i am a man utd fan
7. Mikey
Ballack will be a good weapon once he’s back. He is totally dominant in the air.
Also, why isn’t Sheva playing? Is Jose trying to unsettle him and make him want to leave in the January window? He could at least be named as a sub.
8. manishchandra
Jose Mourinho must understand that his footballing philosophy has outlived its life….everything in this creation has to undergo changes to survive in new conditions or face getting perished….thats what is called evolution….and whats wrong in adapting according to new challenges….a true champion has to be ready for all sorts of changes….Mourinho’s style brought big laurels to Porto,Chelsea and to Mourinho himself…everyone acknowledges this and we all Cheslea fans must be grateful to Mourinho for his contribution to recent Chelsea rise….but it is evident now that Cheslea’s famed solid defensive style has lost its aura of invincibility…we are leaking in goals as easily as anyone which has complicated the problem as we are not at all a free scoring side….problems are really too obvious to be seen by everyone….a defense in disarray, not-so-creative midfield,a strike force totally out of sync….its high time that Jose does a deep self analysis and makes amendments…fortunately age is on his side,he is 45 something…if Jose can put aside his ego and make changes it would benefit all parties…Jose himself, club and football.
9. Giggs11egend
Every1 now knows chelsea dirty tricks when is comes to corners.terry holding defenders.drogba holding the keeper.what happened to chelsea and their’beautifull attacking football’?ooohh mr sugar daddy is goin to be maaaddd!
10. manishchandra
Giggs11egend u have scored how many goals so far…2 or 3, with all that hype for new strike force…u scored a solitary goal against new entrant Sunderland and that one too was through corner…so what happened to ur ‘beautiful’ football…u loose ur 2 players and u r way down the pack….we missed majority of players for a major part and still were second just 6 points back….hmmm…it seems that we lost the title,u didn’t win it.
11. Anonymous
Excellent analysis manishchandra , i spoke abt this change in approach a long time ago as well , now teams know what we will do , there is nothing special or different anywhere , the ppl who did unpredictable things r no longer at the club , everybody knows its Lampard to check , its Drogba to frustrate and Terry to mark in set pieces , Pizarro has nothing new up his sleeve , so we r almost the same but having a little more depth , oh the days when Crespo was here were simply superb , he is my fav striker in the world and to loose him is a very big blow , i m not a big fan of Sheva in blue but still who knos , he might play better or might hav got the hang of the EPL , atleast he is diferent , whats with Jose and his arrogance to not let him play????
Who knows he might end up with 30 goals or so , just atleast give him a chance!!!!
12. joeblue
the above coment was by me joeblue!!!!
13. foreverblue
im not that worried about we not scoring from set pieces but i dont like the fact that we are conceiding goals from set pieces….
14. manu4evanevaneva
u wht
15. manu4evanevaneva
chelsea lost the title u must b shittin me. FACTS dont lie, we won more games acuumilated more points, thus we won the title. Y CANT CHELSKI ADMIT DEFEAT.
the history books dont care about chelski’s injuries. man utd injuries, liverpool injuries, arsenal or ne 1. it just says who won. chelski had injuries, BUT THTS Y U HAVE A SQUAD, to cope with injuries. stop moaning u LOST.
and boi o boi, how about this 4 hypocracy. a chelski fan having a go at man utd 4 winning games 1-0. when its chelski doin it its called “effecinet” whn its man utd, they arent playing well and the hype isnt lived up 2.
WHN WILL CHELSKI FANS OPEN THEY’RE EYES, UR FOOTBALL SUCKS. BOOOOOORRRRIIIIING!!!!!!
4 a team who play football tht is the extreme opposite of asthetically pleasing football, are so arogant and lack humility.
accept defeat, also accept whn ur team plays bad football
16. manishchandra
manu4evanevaneva…currently ur team is playing ordinary football i can say….atleast Cheslea wins with that brand…u can’t even do so….
17. manu4evanevaneva
ohhh wht do u chelski fans think of the great FRANZ BECKENBAUER’s(bayern munich’s persident, 4 u chelski “fans” who dnt knw) comment tht :
“micheal BALLACK” SHOULD HAVE JOINE MAN UTD rather thn chelsea”
do u agree.
18. manu4evanevaneva
manishchandra15
chelski win with wht brand. BROING FOOTBALL, wht brand r u tlkin about. the ability 2 win 1-0. thts whts happening at the moment, y is it ordinary whn utd do it but nt chelski. thts abit bias init.
neways us fans and players dont want it , cos we want attractive footall, but we dont mind its just a means of getting momentum going.
unlike cheslki its a building block, not a permanent way of playing.
19. manu4evanevaneva
ohhh wht do u chelski fans think of the great FRANZ BECKENBAUER’s(bayern munich’s persident, 4 u chelski “fans” who dnt knw) comment tht :
“micheal BALLACK” SHOULD HAVE JOINE MAN UTD rather thn chelsea”
do u agree.
20. manishchandra
manu4evanevaneva….the style u r talking abt is the one ur team is very happy to have currently as it is giving u wins/draws at least, no matter scrappy ones….u deserved to loose against Spurs, draw against Sunderland….but u got full points because of the style u r criticising urself…what an irony….
21. Giggs11egend
We had worse injuries our whole back 4!back 4!we have won 2 games 1 0 2 games.without 3 players who scored bout 60 goals last season!and what happens when the return?hmmm….yep the thrashings begin.even when united lose we show more class!jose has shipped all the exciting players out ha ha …duff,robben…ha ha chelsea are now(as jamie foxx says) so predictable
22. manu4evanevaneva
manishchandra19
yes and chelsea hav never derserved 2 loose matches theyve won. ie liverpool, first game against wigan 2 year ago, sorry i had 2 go back far, but the thought of chelski’s boring matches are hurtin my head so i cant b bothered 2 give ne more examles.
stop bien a hypocrite
23. Giggs11egend
We are winnin 1 0!but we showin more class!manish…do u see us hoofing?no ways!rooney,ronaldo,saha…..i rest my case.the best chelsea can do is 1 0.u keep sayin when we get better….but thats is your best!y do u think mr sugar daddy is pissed off?huh?coz he dam well knows that the football played ay sugar daddy fc is boring zzzzz….
24. manishchandra
manu4evanevaneva#21….hypocrites are those who run away…LOL…u know u shot urself at ur foot by criticising Chelsea’s style as ur team is the one religiously following it currently….
Giggs11egend#20…u had worse injuries….none except manure fans think so….
25. Giggs11egend
Come on 2 games we have won 1 0.chelsea av been doing it for the part 3 years.and its only because our whole striking force is out.chelsea complain bout injuries but they never had there back 4 out like united.never.chelseas ‘injuries’ are caused by chelsea.jose pushes his players even when they arent fit like terry right now.
26. manishchandra
Giggs11egend admitted that Manure r playing the style they themselves criticise….injuries etc are relative issues….so all manure fans now shut their mouth on Cheslea’s football….
u say we r doing it for past 3 years………u forgot we thrashed u 3-0 with beautiful goals by J Cole et al….in last to last season at OT u were only defending after scoring…I hope u remember that…which one is better in proven only by performances in face to face matches and u know Manure won’t have place to hide its face if this is discussed…how many wins have u got against us in last 3 years or so….
27. Giggs11egend
How many trophies do u have?
28. Giggs11egend
No comparison.how many champions league?fa cup?yes?dont argue bout wins please there is absolutely no point.chelsea are not even with newcastle in this category.y is it that every1 says chelsea play boring football.y?we aint talkin shite are we?even roman knows it.thats y chelsea will never be a great club like united.simply because of brands of football or hoofing as i should call it.
29. manu4evanevaneva
yes chelsea beat us on the ocassions u mentioned. but 2 fings.
1. u didnt paly beautiful football, u were machanic as usal and beat a transitioning man utd team (but ths nt an excuse, we lost 2 u)
2. its seems every so called chelsea fan on this site can only recall chelski games since 2003/4- to the present. not because thy cant remember but because thy dnt knw. i just read the intro area, and all of u r recent suporters, jumping on the bandwagan.
but neva mind, ill hav 2 school u as it would appera i knw more bout ur team thn u do.
and u make ridiculous statements tht man u didnt hav ne injuries whn we won it last year or even whn chelski won the leauge.
-we lost schole 4 the majority of tht season, n van nistelrooy was in n out (but we didnt complain, we just gt on with it)
-last season we lost the wgole ofour back four, this 3-4 strikers r missing, includin suspensions. (BUT UNLIKE CHELSKI WE DONT MOAN, thts y u have a squad)
STOP BIEN BLINDED BY UR LOYALTY. wake up n smell the cofee, ALL NUTRALS and some chelski fans knw ur football bores ever1 2 death.
30. footballguy
finally some man utd fans or shld i say TRUE FOOTBALL FANS hav arrived 2 back my points.
chelski fans rather thn disagree wit us take our advise, as man utd fans we r accustomed over a duration of tym 2 winning in style. something u lot dnt knw nefing about.
prove me wrong if u can
31. manishchandra
Giggs11egend…now u have resorted to something called red herring in debates…u start mentioning collection of trophies which is no way related to face to face performance of both teams….u will simply not discuss on this issue as Chelsea will win hands down….what happened to ur football style in FA cup final, or when u were thrashed 3-0….style matters when u r against opposition like Chelsea or Milan…against such oppositions u are crap…against Milan even Lpool were threatening while u were like kinder garden kids… btw if no of trophies in last 3-4 years are taken into account Chelsea is way ahead so cut this crap….just discuss on face to face matches and then we can debate on style etc.
32. Anonymous
We are weak when defending and attacking set pieces for a team with such tall players.
33. joseblue
united won against sunderland unconvincingly while we lost a match we SHOULDve won. fuck history, i agree united have more history and i respect that but in recent years chelsea have been the better team. agree or not. that’s fact. football is about winning not style or beauty. so i dont care what type of football we play as long as we win. united, arsenal have always played more attractive football.. but beauty doesnt buy you victories. it’s scoring goals and defending well. set pieces are just as significant as ground football. and english football has always been more phsyical than artistic. so fuck united’s art and pace. most of what i can remember about their art is ronaldo’s artistic diving. that’s all.
34. manu4evanevaneva
manishchandra (30)
thts rich of u, mentioning the CL semi finals. yes we got beat. but if im nt mistaken so did u. in fact uve lost 2 liverpool twice, and monaco.
youve neva played in the final, never reached tht stage.
so until u win the trophy then u can talk. but until thn, dnt spek 2 CL winners. ie man utd, liverpool, even ipswich, astonal villa and nottingham forest.
yes can u believ it even they hav won it , n u havent.
even arsenal can tlk as they have reached the FINAL
35. Giggs11egend
Match to match?aston villa beat chelsea 2 0.are they a better club?no.there is no point in discussing match to match.this the league not a cup game.
36. Giggs11egend
And as manu4ever says.y mention the champions league when u do shite in it?have u won it?there is no shame in losing to ac milan(considering the circumstances at the san siro) as they are a great team.plus we lost to the champions.not liverpool.
37. Midfield_Decider
Hey United fans,
Yes you have history, you have tropheys and it is a fact that Sir Alex Ferguson is better than Jose Mourinho.
But don’t you have anything else to do than to waste your precious time by coming here and boasting about your great club??
38. foreverblue
i jus wanna ask united fans that how many chelsea matches do you watch out of the 38 league matches?? please just answer that??
39. Bluesmile
Come on guys we are moving off topic….The topic is about set pieces and our weapons and not Giggs11egend & man united…This is Chelsea’s world man!!!
40. weloveutd
foreverblue38
u asked hw many chelski matches man utd fans watchd. well i cn only answer 4 me.
i watch the interesting matches chelski plays. figure tht 1 out 4 urselves
41. manu4evanevaneva
i watch games available, although as the years hav passd, its becoming harder. as i swear my head cant take ne more of chelski’s football.
booorrrring. its lyk watchin paint dry. LITERALLY
42. MANUTDdabest
Doesnt matter wht jose says about playin offensive football.
chelsea are always goin 2 play BORING FOOTBALL.
doesnt matter who chelsea bring in. its lyk the saying goes.
DIFFERENT TOILET, SAME SHIT
43. chelseafcrocks
Wow,football guy is coming to the Chelsea blog in different names n writing stuff.I guess footballguy just found out that its pretty easy to change the name n post stuff.LOL
MANUTDdabest42
weloveutd40
manu4evanevaneva
All the three above are FootballGuy himself:)
Man,get a life.What are you trying to prove by coming in 4 different names and writing the same stuff over and over again.Dude,You changed your name, but you forgot to change your style of writing.We here have been reading your posts for quite some time now.So we know your style inside out.Change that style before you try silly tricks like changing your name and posting again.
44. chelseafcrules
Me again in a different name.I am doing a FootballGuy.LOL
45. chelseafc4evanevaneva
Hahahahahahahaha.I cant stop laughing
46. WeloveChelsea
LOL
47. ChelseaDaBest
HAhahahaha.LOL
48. joseforlife
hi guys did any of hear the comments by jose mourinhio. he might be leaving. check out skysports. im scared.
what do u think
49. Maysam
that is correct and I believe the main reason is that our players have no chance to play together , they get injured or their partenr get injured. that’s one of reasons. look at our defence or our midfield line , they change every game.
and last game , I really got disappointed , we are a team that we claim the championship , we say we wanna win EPL and CL but in absence of Lampard we did not have anybody to take corenr kicks properly. it seems to me they don’t practice in practice sessions. that’s very sad. Malouda was horrible. i am very sorry.
50. Adonis
Man, I’ve missed this blog! After much traveling and a new job, I’m finally settling back and getting some more time to enjoy this blog. Good article once more, BC… It’s a shame that we have dropped our level both offensively and defensively on set pieces. I certainly think Ballack can help, whether by taking or finishing them with his head. Also, I believe that at the end of last year we were in such chaos with all the switches at the back, and this year we’ve got quite a few new defenders, but I think as soon as they start gelling more, and as soon as we establish a constant starting core, as you alluded to in the post, the better our defending’ll become.
It’s important we get this right. We’ve got so much to win and lose from dead ball situations.
51. foreverblue
@ united fans if you guys wanna have a healthy discussion i can do it otherwise i think there is no point wasting my time with you people, you people i have no sportsman spirit….
52. ChelseaFootballGuy
Hey foreverblue,dont waste your time discussing with the 4 or 5 United fans here mate because 4 of them are the same guy–>FOOTBALLGUY
Only two united fans here.The giggs boy and footballguy.Who know maybe even the Giggsboy is FootballGuy himself in another name.He couldnt make us fans hate chelsea with his wonderful analysis alone.So he thought he would come in different names and try geeting his point through.He wanted to show strength in numbers.LOL.Great effort,but got caught.Poor guy.
53. joeblue
look at the coming fixtures mates , amazing stuff , we hav to get up and be ready , these fixtures wil surely decide where we r headed!!!
54. Lampard1legend
LOL.Hows this name.I am looking forward to Manutd away.I hope we beat United,else FootballGuy will come up with 10 or 15 new names and come here to abuse us.
55. joeblue
hey Chelsea fan , i suggest name urself ‘chameleon’ ,lol ,nobody wil kno what u r or where u r ,and u can keep these Manure nuts under control , anyways nice to meet u , M joeblue mate , keep cmn over!!!!
56. True Blue Fusion
@joeblue and supporters
i m just here to debate with you over some of the points you have made earlier
1.michael ballack is not creative
u mentioned that schuster is an attack minded manager and we require an attack-minded,creative manager………….i think this same guy schuster mentioned earlier that real needs a playmaker like ballack and now is claiming that he was unable to sign ballack because of his wages and his agent fees…………..so wat was your point…………….
2.real madrid is an attack-minded team
if you have followed pre-season real lost 7 times out of their 9 matches in preseason…………..they just manage to win a match against athletico………and just one match 5-0 drubbing……..u claim real is an execellent attacking team
3.shneijder,van der vaart,deco and lampard
shneijder-talent no doubt about it but u cannot have anythin you wish for
van der vaart-he is another arjen robben when injuries are concerned
deco-he is no longer a first choice at barca…………ur point being
lampard-may not be the creative player u urge for…………but still scores,assist…………..excellent at long passes and finishing
57. joeblue
hey , a debate , finally , i was waiting twiddling my thumbs…………
1.I hav not said Ballack is not creative at all , he is ,but not as much as our team needs , u say why Real tried to sign him then???? the reason being that he offers something that their midfield lacks , height and power , if they need creativity there is Guti , Robben , Sneijder , hence that is not the reason for schuster to be interested in Ballack!!!
2.Who cares if they lost 100 out of 100 matches in pre season????
the real deal is being able to play like champions once the season starts , hav u followed Athletico’s signings???? if not here is a sample………..Simao Sabrosa , Jose a. Reyes , Diego Forlan , Santana , onlt to name a few!!!!
but real beat them fair and square , Villarreal on the other hand is a quality team , they dismantled Valencia easily in the first week , at Mestalla , a demolison of 3-0 , but were destroyed to shreds by Real at HOME , losing 5-0!!!! not only that, Real played football that made eyes pop out , i was pleading for the match to not get over!!!! one touch football to the limit , made me cry to see football like that!!!
Imagine us beating Totenham at White Hart Lane 5-0 , then it wld make u think what the results show!!!!
3.Sneijder………young , strong and a very talented mid fielder ,if we can sign losers in quantity why not somebody of real quality for a change????
Vaart…………….hav u seen this guys stats???he has scored 30 times in 65 matches , being a midfielder , he single handedly saved HSV from relegation , i follow the Bundesliga thoroughly , and he is by far the most talented and creative mid fielder in that league!!!!and dont forget he is an international star for Holland , they flop big time when he dosent play!!!
Deco………………r u kidding me??? he is by far one of the best midfielders in the world , only a few days back Ronnie named him one of the 5 best players in the world , others being Ronaldo , Kaka , Henry and Messi , that itself is fact enough , even now Barca’s creative , consistent king of midfield is Deco!!!
Lampard……………..is a very good player in his own right , score loads , but will never be in the category of Kaka ,Ronnie , Ronaldo , Deco etc , he is very hard working but not gifted , the others i mention hav god given talent , and there is nothing him, u , me , Jose, Roman or anybody can do anything abt it!!!!
58. villians
hey chelsea boys. how does it fell 2 loose 2-0. ur teams crap mate
villa for the leauge. come on villa come on villa.yeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
59. manishchandra
villa for the league….it will surely enter the list of world’s wonders..
60. villians
manishchandra
no a world wonder would be chelsea playing entertaning football or winning the Champions L eauge like we have. show some respect mate.
villa can do it come on boys.
wait till we meet at stamford shitty bridge. i predict 0-4. to the villans. screw u
61. joeblue
if u want to post pep talk , ur on the wrong site , next wat u wld be saying Villa for CL , guess wat u arent even in the competition , and a 1 in a million victory aint enugh to win the league , else Boro , Toffees or some other team like that wld be champs by now , LOL!!!!
62. Chameleon
I am back.Hey joe blue,thanks for suggesting this name man.LOL.
JoeBlue you make a strong case for attacking football.Suggest some players we can get in january that can ensure the type of football you like to see at chelsea.Ofcourse the players should be available as well.
shneijder,van der vaart etc not available I believe.So,who according to you can come in january and contribute to flowing football.
I read in tribalfootball that chelsea are pursuing dos santos from barcelona.How do you rate the kid?Then,do you think Peter Crouch can do anything for us?Is Deco avilable?There was some talk during the last month about him.Just mentioned three that came to my mind.What do you think mate?
Cmon all you blues.Join in.Suggest your ideas as well.
Lets rock this blog.
FootballGuy.Your Suggestions and analysis are welcome too(AS a true Football fan)Mybe you could suggest some players to make chelsea beautiful
63. AntiVilla
ooooooooooooooh.Look at the impact Chelsea has on the EPL.Villa beat us & suddenly they believe they can win the league.So, I guess they rate Us pretty high then.Thanks Villains,we didnt know you considered beating us so important.So, surely you guys feel now that since you beat chelsea, you can beat any team and win the league.So,that means you guys consider us the best team and the team to beat huh.Nice to hear.We will see you at the bridge.Come soon
64. Fraudbuster2007
Oh My God.Is it football guy in another one his get ups as villains???I dont think the Villa fans are so stupid as to come here and gloat over a win.
65. footballguy
chameleon nice name.lol (but u wer wrng i only added 1 name, nt the otha 2)
players tht would make chelsea an attackin team, unfortunaletly its a catch 22.
robben, woulld have been perfect but has gone. ballck is suited 2 tht football, but chelski’s football wont allow it. (look at ashley cole)
essien is great at the moment, but entertaning football int his game, thus ud lose out on his strenghts.
queresma, who he n ronaldo wer touted as the next best things, ronaldo went 2 man u, queresma 2 barcelona. i think he would b tht type of player.
terry as good as a defender he is, doesnt suit tht play. despite wht many say he is nt tht comfortable with the ball at his feet. nt like rio, or to the lesse extent vidic/toure/curtis davis/dawson.
and theres ur manager. i dnt fink he cares bout tht type of football. but in his defence defensive football is wht he is good at. despite boring ever1 else 2 death.
drogba would nt be as effective. swp would thrive, though he shld hav gne 2 arsenal.
if u want entertainin football, alot has 2 change. but it still wnt be as good as man u.
66. footballguy
Fraudbuster2007 comment64
im not the villa fan. i alredy said i was 1 man u fan.(weloveutd)
67. joeblue
hey chameleon , hows it goin???
well i really appreciate that u also prefer attacking football , the kid u mentioned…..Dos Santos is a very interesting prospect indeed , unlike the youngsters Jose usually tries to get(African imports) , this guy is a thru and thru Barca academy product!!!! he is quick , talented , creative , young , agile and very intelligent , the fact is if we dont make a move soon he might sign an extension , and most Barca contract extensions make the players…..ahem a little out of reach!!!!!
But i wld prefer a player like him to be taken only in summers , as thats the best time to influx him in the team as he is still 17 , and is a developing player , so he needs time to settle and adjust!!!
The perfect one for the winter window wld be Deco…………
1.He is a complete Jose man
2.He is a hell of a creator , has bags of experience and intelligence
3.He stated he wld wait for Jan for CFC to make a move
4. He can play at any level , and is pretty fed up with the ego clashes at Catalunya
That wld solve our problems to the core Lampard will hav all the time and space he wants to run off and score goals , while players like j.Cole can learn the arts from the master himself , and Sheva will definately find a new lease of life!!!!
Though Vaart can be a realistic target as well……
1.He wld be ready for a big club move
2.He wld be eligible for CL
3.A chance for him to get to the highest level of football at a good age
If Jose can pull off a deal for him or one like this then i m dead sure the title wld be in our sight , we just need that extra bit of imagination , someone defenders cant anticipate , the one with the magical feet !!!!
Lets keep our fingers crossed!!!
68. joeblue
nd footballguy , i wld rather hav Tery for me , an out and out Centre back , rather than Rio , somebody who thinks he is Beckenbeur reincarnate!!!LOL!!
69. Reptile
First of all, a huge round of applause to FootballGuy.He had the guts to come and admit that he added posts here in another name(Though i believe he added posts in more than one name).It takes a man of courage to own up to something he did.
Congrats FootballGuy.Seriously,from the bottom of my heart, my respect for you as a human being has increased.
Well, you gave a good dissection of the changes necessary.Ok, lets just SUPPOSE Jose changes his mind and decides to attack more.Just SUPPOSE.
Now you suggest the players to come in.The players to Go out.The formation.The strategy.The roles of the various players in the squad.You do know your stuff as far as football goes.So this one should be easy for you.Oh, please answer as a football fan.(not as a united fan)
70. joeblue
nd u mention Quaresma , indeed he can be one amazing prospect at Chelsea , pace , power , creativity , and he can score quite breathtaking goals consistently as well , that wld be a very shrewd buy , but Porto wldnt part with him for a small sum , Jose has to be rock adamant to get him!!!
71. joeblue
this wld be my formation…………
—————–Drogba—————-
—–Quaresma—————J.Cole/Malouda
——–Lampard/Ballack————Deco/Vaart
———————Essien————–
A.Cole———Carvy——-Terry——-Beletti
——————-Cech——————–
Drogba will be the target man , he wld hold the ball for Joey Cole , Quaresma or Malouda , when these quick players come into play ,Lamps or Ballack come as supports in the box for the main striker , the kay wld be Deco/Vaart , they wld slip balls , passes , long balls for the quick players and get behind the defence , i can imagine the defenders runing helter and skelter , the offside trap wld be a very big danger , otherwise we wld be attacking the othr team within 30 yards of their goal , with almost half the attackers posessing long range shoes!!! Man that wld be damn fun to watch!!!!
72. True Blue Fusion
@joeblue
1.Michael Ballack
i will defer with you a lil on this matter………….i clearly remember schuster saying”we need a “PLAYMAKER” like ballack”…………….shneijder,robben are wingers…………………you cannot associate them as playmakers…………
i will rather have ballack in my team than lampard this is true…….
he has been the king of midfield for both germany and bayern munich………maybe here he played second fiddle to lampard[no disrespect to lampard]………………..germany went into finals and semi-finals of last 2 respective world cups……due to his heroics from midfield
he single handedly took bayern leversuken to cl finals………….he is already a german legend………………equal footed………..strong in the air……………excellent long shots………..excellent creativity he has got it all
2.shneijder
your point is right in your sense …………but you want talent……..nasri,van der vaart………..dos santos…….ribry…….there are many talents you cannot integrate them into midfield which is already overcrowded
maybe i will have dos santos but that’s it…….that tooo because of ageing cam position at chelsea
3.van der vaart
i never doubted his talent neither robben………….they are excellent…………but their injury record u have to take that into account………….this is not fifa 07…………we have to take practical considerations in mind
4.robben
he left because of money……………there’s no second option……..mourinho did not throw him out as u and many others claim……….as for duff and gudjohnsen…………..they left because they did not want to fight for first team place…………………..we have xample of “swp” in front of us
he fought and came into starting 11
5.obi mikel
u have earlier commented he is a waste…………..but we had to urge fa to force man utd to sell him to us………….i don’t think SAF is an ass…do u?????????
6.lamaprd and jose mourinho
well there is no way i can change your mind so i won’t bother with this point…………..yes i will……………….i will write an article and post it in here
good luck buddy
73. Alligator
So, JoeBlue mate you have suggested a 4-1-4-1 of sorts.
What do you think oF Peter Crouch? Can he add anything to the chelsea team?
74. joeblue
Peter Crouch wld not be of any use!!!!
we need a player like Torres , somebody fast , who can get behind defences , when Drog holds the ball if we hav another striker who can make those runs it wld be great ,but unfortunately there r hardly any of those strikers for sale!!!
Villa is awesome but he is of a slight physique as well has the habit of ‘falling’ down far too often , Henry , Adriano , r others who come to the mind!!!!
but i wld personally want Eto’o’ , and if the problems carry on at catalunya , he shld be the man we shld gun for , he is strong as well as fast , what a deadly combo at front we wld hav!!!!
And trueblue fusion , valid points , but i wld reply l8r for sure!!!!
75. Giggs11egend
Ha ha ha all u chelsea fans think your style will change?ha ha you all sound like fools!!ha ha united are the best dam team!9 league titles.the treble!boring football!zzzz!chelsea will neva play good football with drogba!u know it i know it.
76. lizard
Adriano.Hes a great talent.Hasnt really been firing of late I guess.I think hes up for sale at Inter right.Villa would be great, but I think the asking price would be outrageous.Eto would be great.If all the rumours of him being unhappy with proceedings at Barca are true, then Chelsea should go all out for Eto
77. manishchandra
guys I want to watch CL matches of yesteryears…which one can I get on net and where..free of course…please tell me….
i noticed it lately too….chelsea failing to score from set pieces and conceding from setpieces
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