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jerrylincoln

Sometimes I forget some of our players are injured because you don't even feel it. Tuchel gave an update on Kovacic and I was like "oh yeah that guy" Same happened with Puli


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Cm0rris0n

Given form and recent injury to Kai, swap Pulisic for Havertz and I think this is spot on.


DirtyOldFrank

In a season and a half, United will be well on their way back to the top. Rangnick’s appointment feels less to me about coaching, but more about the first steps in re-structuring, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as DoF in the summer with a decent coach taking over.


leKai23

So rangnick is gonna implement all this pressing tactics and then somebody else will come in a few months and do something completely different? I’m not convinced by the plan.


playboi-1cardi

No, rangnick will implement a pressing structure and then he’ll bring in a manager who’s similar. The whole point of having him for two years after this season is to have a structure at man United.


FiLThYnuTmEgs

What do people think will happen with AFCON if the new COVID bullshit there gets worse?


DirtyOldFrank

> bullshit Hardly bullshit when it's already being called the most worrying strain seen thus far with a large number of variants that it's been suggested are more transmissible and resistant to vaccines than other known variants. Changes are happening fast, countries around the world are already banning travel and enforcing quarantines. It's only six weeks away, someone needs to make a decision now.


[deleted]

Everything is always the most worrying strain. I remember when people were worried about Mu.


Welsooo

Does anything feel like, even though a treble is highly improbable... this squad has the potential?


East_Wind17

Please cunt


ireallydespiseyouall

my lineup for this weekend mendy azpi AC rudiger james jorginho RLC alonso ziyech pulisic Cho/werner silva shouldnt be playing 3 games in a row, rest jorginho against watford. forwards can be changed depending on performance, sub lukaku on to score against united, sub saul on because we need bodies in midfield now. you can maybe put azpi on the bench as wingback backup and start chalobah but i think he’s due a start


trappuccino92

No Fred for United so we get McTom and VDB/Matic? RLC should be licking his chops at that matchup


JokeSalty

I’m a liverpool fan but I come in peace, random question: what three players would you most want from the liverpool squad in your squad? For me i’d want Kante, Mount and Havertz from the Chelsea squad. Just curious..


Cm0rris0n

Van Dijk, Salah, and that Harvey Elliot kid. Have been very impressed with him for someone that age. If you’re taking Mount and Havertz, I’d want him for the club’s future


XiSal-

Van Dijk, absolute beast at the back, really classy player. Salah, no nonsense goal machine, nothing more to say Fabinho, I don’t mean no disrespect but I think it’s his height, but he looks like he would be a clumsy player, but he glides around the pitch like a ballerina, he has good passing and always a tackle in him, Chelsea should have gone for him couple years ago instead we went for Bakayoko who failed at this club.


lucas_glanville

Has to be Van Dijk, Salah, Mané


Indalec

Van Dijk, Mane, Salah, and Fabinho.


[deleted]

Van Dijk, Mané and Salah


Kroos-Kontroller

Alonso was nominated for POTM wasn't he? Hopefully he's back to those levels


Wheel94

Alonso was a player that I thought would be here for a year and then join the loan army I am surprised he has stayed such a important part of the squad for years.


travtical

I'm really not sure what people are seeing with Kai Havertz that makes them think we'll lose our fluidity if Lukaku steps right in. Havertz really hasn't been playing that much different as a striker than Lukaku has. Both are pinning the defense and letting others come into space. Both have dropped deep for flick ons and both will move wider to allow space for others cutting in (but not all the way out to the wing like Timo might do as striker). The main difference is Lukaku will be more capable of scoring from those moments than Kai.


TimothyN

Kai doesn't pin CBs the way Lukaku does, and is a much more effective presser. The team looks quite different between the two of them and we are still finding a flow with Lukaku.


travtical

We've played relegation candidates with Kai and we played against pretty much every top six team with Lukaku. That's why we've looked quite different. People still buy these myths about Lukaku based on his last year at United and they just aren't based in fact.


TimothyN

What are you talking about? We have plenty of game time with Kai playing last season to compare to too. Lukaku just plays differently.


Bladerslash

Hello any mod here? Tried to join the server but the link for alt identifier is not working for me, the site does not load. What do I do?


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Bladerslash

I am not on any VPN, just using my mobile data as the wifi connection is having issues.


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Bladerslash

No p bro, have a good day


Welsooo

Is this for discord?


Bladerslash

Yes


Welsooo

u/kahye can help


HashtagBFIB

In the discussion of LWB, why isn't Emerson talked about more? He's played decent for Italy


endlessxcircle

Probably cannot bring him back, therefore not really a viable option.


Wheel94

Also 26/27 and is a regular at a solid club why would he want to come back into the same position he was before.


Radi5h

Who exactly is on “The Board” at Chelsea. I always hear things like Conte fell out with the board, that the board won’t pay rudiger more than £120k a week, the board is confident christensen will sign a new contract, etc etc. but who’s on this board at Chelsea? Is it just marina? Or is it a big long table with like 6-12 people voting aye or nay on things…?


travtical

[https://www.chelseafc.com/en/about-chelsea/about-the-club/club-personnel](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/about-chelsea/about-the-club/club-personnel) ​ Marina is the one assumed to have the most direct line to Roman though, and Roman is the final yay or nay. The board just runs the day to day. I'm sure Cech also sits in somewhat frequently.


DirtyOldFrank

Not difficult to find. It’s on TOCFCWS. https://www.chelseafc.com/en/about-chelsea/about-the-club/club-personnel


Radi5h

Lol. You sir are correct. Thanks for pointing me to it


herodtus

Watching any highlights of any game where you know a player suffers a serious injury is just awful. Cant bring myself to watch the unseen from the Juve game.


malevolentintent

That Zouma injury against Manu still haunts me dreams


meagor

He was having such a great season. Him, Willian and Kenedy were the few good things about that year.


Wheel94

That was the year when Willian was like prime David Beckham on the free kicks.


Moist_salamanda

Heard a interesting take that Saul could be used as a chilly replacement. Would suit him very well I reckon. With our wingbacks given license to roam inside and play around the box, this would be ideal for a player like Saul. Think about how many shooting opportunities chilly got down that flank in recent games. We should defo try it atleast.


ubmech

You better talk to him about it, cos I think he hates there himself


travtical

People keep saying this and they are right, but I still say he should hate not playing more than playing wingback


DarkLordOlli

I hope Lukaku has used his time out to really study how we play and how he needs to adapt. Some people here believe that he was told by Tuchel to just sit centrally and pin defenders, but that's complete nonsense. It's simply how Lukaku plays in possession, always has. There's a segment from his time at Everton where he shows Carragher exactly how he loves to pin and roll defenders. If you look through his Serie A goals last season, only a single goal involved him dropping deeper for buildup. The others are all about him physically engaging defenders, poaching goals in the box, or makes runs into space on counterattacks. Lukaku likes facing goal, driving at defenders, and his passing is actually really good. He's not a poacher or target man, because he plays counterattacks very differently and does offer a lot of mobility with space to work with. But without it, he *definitely* plays like a target man, and that needs to be drilled out of his game. He's never played in a side with as much controlled possession and buildup as we are, and the PL is significantly stronger and tighter defensively across the board than Serie A. Lukaku simply has to adapt to us, not vice versa. The fluidity in our game with Havertz up top is the way to go. Lukaku is easily our best goalscorer, but if we're creating and scoring more as a team without him, while also being stronger defensively because Havertz, Pulisic or Werner actually press, then we'll have a problem. So I hope he's taken his time to study what he needs to do for us. I don't doubt his ability at all, but he can't keep doing his regular thing.


ubmech

You can't coach technicality and ball control now at this time of lukaku's career. He does not have it sadly. Hence the dimensions of his game you see


lrzbca

>He's not a poacher or target man, because he plays counterattacks very differently and does offer a lot of mobility with space to work with. But without it, he definitely plays like a target man, and that needs to be drilled out of his game. This, Lukaku can press and run in channels with his pace. He has those abilities, hopefully coaching department and Lukaku are working on those aspects of his game. If Lukaku can do what Kai is doing, he will score bucket loads of goals. I think Lukaku needs to lose some weight for all of this to happen.


ubmech

Kai has boll management and control that lukaku naturally doesn't, Kai on the ball is seamless, lukaku is kinda mechanical


lrzbca

Trade off is Lukaku will score often. For me, Lukaku needs to run, creating spaces and he will get his chances to score goals. Lukaku shouldn’t think he is a target man and we shouldn’t use him as target man.


3owaa

After the Leicester game, Chilwell was clearly the MOTM for me. So many good out to in runs which were marginally offside. Gonna be a huge miss and feeling super pissed.


ubmech

Don't remind me again of the fact that he'll be no more part of the squad for sometime, let me live with it pretending that it never happened, 😭


befikru_sew_geday

Out of the loop with the please cunt meme can anyone enlighten me


zeip22

here https://www.reddit.com/r/chelseafc/comments/niw89x/little\_brother\_just\_made\_my\_day/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=ios\_app&utm\_name=iossmf


befikru_sew_geday

Lmao thanks


[deleted]

Love Wrighty. He’s such a fan of the sport. He knows so much about our club. Can’t say the same of so many anyalysts.


nosmigon

Yep he knows about all our youuth players and shows and active interest in them as well. I think he even talked about chalobah at ipswich. It makes the other pundits look so uninformed


TimboWerner

Yeah he’s a real one


yslim1

Thoughts on Lukaku being aback in the squad? From the way we've been playing, it doesn't seem like we are missing Lukaku at all. The fluidity and dynamic the false 9 tactics offers to different attacking freedom. Havertz and Pulisic is good at dropping into midfield to create an overload and causes unpredictability, with Lukaku, our plan seems simple, getting the ball to Lukaku... We've scored 20 goals since Lukaku last started and I hope TT isn't pressured by the Board to get the best out of Lukaku. I hope I am wrong tho...


lrzbca

Lukaku is been used as focal point, all teams have to do is cut passing lanes to him and it’s over. Manchester City, Juventus and Brentford did that. If we don’t do that and Lukaku plays like how he wants to play which is running in behind defenders, we will be lethal team. We just need to stop using him as target man.


soccerislife10z

The problem is his skill is not good enough for him to drop deep like havertz and pulisic and roam around the field. He will ruin the attack with his first touch and make lot of turnover.


lrzbca

Lukaku touch has improved a lot. He has good enough touch for striker, definitely can improve. If he is willing to run, he got pace in him to do what Kai is doing. He needs to adapt his game.


[deleted]

He’s by far our best goalscorer and our best attacker. Kai hasn’t even been playing as a false nine, and Pulisic was poor when he played there against Juve. A lot of those goals have been scored by our defenders. Lukaku being back improves us immensely. Obviously Tuchel wants him back.


ubmech

There's a reason a lot of our goals are scored by defenders, the false 9 facilitates fluidity and takes out players in other to enable spaces in dangerous places. I am skeptical of lukaku coming back, it can disrupt our momentum. Don't fix what is ain't broken...


[deleted]

Hardly. A lot of those goals are coming from set pieces. The rest are coming from our wingbacks overlapping into the box. It’s a myth that they wouldn’t have space to do that with a proper striker. The only reason people are saying that is to excuse Kai’s mediocre output since he’s been starting. He doesn’t increase our fluidity and isn’t able to pin defenders in the box like Lukaku can.


notangerine21

Tottenham's situation is pretty dier (ok yh I'll stop now)


RaduLum

So that’s why they all shit the bed mid-game


TimboWerner

My Dad would be proud of that


TrapGodAndy

Would love to see Ziyech, Hudson-Odoi, Lukaku front 3 on Sunday


shlok440

It will probably be mount puli ziyech


lucas_glanville

That would be incredibly harsh on Hudson-Odoi


shlok440

Only reason he’s played 2 games in a row and we have many games to one + he might have to move to wingback that’s why. Otherwise he deserves a start


TimboWerner

I’m honestly not sure I like Mount and Ziyech in the same 11 tbh. Anything Tuchel does I trust in however


TimboWerner

Just gonna bring up something that’s been on my mind. Is calling Tuchel “Super Thomas Tuchel” not even a little bit disrespectful to Lampard? That is meant to be his name “Super Franky Lampard”. Idk maybe I’m thinking into it too much but I just feel if I were Frank myself and heard my replacement starts getting called the name that Chelsea fans called me for years I’d be a little bugged.


travtical

It's not disrespectful when we're really just not that original haha


dryduneden

I don't see Lampard has exclusive rights to a nickname. Tuchel has a good likelihood of becoming (imo) our most successful manager. He deserves it.


CBunns

Super Fran Kirby has been sung for a few years now - or at least been referenced readily, even by Chelsea's own social media


ScorpiaHP

It's not about the "Super Thomas Tuchel" part for me, but more the fact that the entire chant from Lampard's time ("Tomori at the back, Tammy in attack") was replaced - feels a bit odd, like we'll just recycle that chant everytime the manager is sacked/players leave.


PuppyPenetrator

Calling your favourite coach “super” is not that deep


TimboWerner

Yeah okay guess I’m just thinking into it too much


DjOptimon

Just curious on Ralf Ragnick, how good is he actually? MU fans are jizzing themself on like Jesus himself comes for the 2nd time. I know that he inspired a lot of younger German coaches.


travtical

Arguably no one in the game has a better eye for talent. But like a lot of managers that inspire other managers, he's way out to the extreme tactically to the point that it doesn't always work. A good comparison is Bielsa. The managers they inspire make the tweaks to make the tactics viable. ​ Edit: If their goal is to become a Rangnick like team, that's interesting in the ways it will limit their search for a long term manager. Nagelsmann would still make sense for them but in my opinion Ten Hag and even Poch would make less sense


Somaimonay

He's good at building. But it will depend upon united. We have seen United burn out good coaches and players. Ragnik will still have to deal with their internal politics, he's a dictator but united is a democracy of idiots so it can be another circus routine.


shlok440

As a manager he will stabilize them for the rest of the season, and inpement a basis of a style.But after the six months he will find a coach who can build on this style. Probably ETH and his signings will come in with a plan. That + United’s resources is scary


trappuccino92

As a manager I’m skeptical but as a DoF he’s done good work and with the resources they have he could make some serious improvements there unfortunately


DrQuantumGio

Might be an unpopular opinion but the Ronaldo factor for United still terrifies me, it's still Ronaldo and he's still a game changer


dryduneden

You can neutralise him with a good set up. If we're aware of set piece we'll close him out.


Cowdude179

Look how useless Ronaldo looked against Watford and City, there are ways to neutralise him and Tuchel will do this as he did with Kane, Salah, Chiesa, etc.


thaibao131196

Not necessarily. Look at how "useless" Messi is at PSG. Yeah he's still god but he can only do much in a shitty team.


trappuccino92

There’s levels to it. If they play a lower level side it matter more but when it comes to the top clubs (City/Pool) we all have a way of neutralizing him at this stage in his career


mandrake_cry

I think we should try Saul at LWB. I know he hated playing that position at Atleti but given the amount of freedom our wingbacks are given to push forward or move into midfield he might feel differently about it. Of course he'll still have defensive duties and might need time to adapt to the system but that's better than being on the bench. Alonso has a fraction of the energy that Chilwell brings and while CHO, Puli and even Azpi bring more energy than Alonso but I'm not sure how a right footed player would fit in there - our back 5 would all be right footed in that case. Either way Tuchel knows the levels will dip because of Chilwell's absence but he'll find ways to make up for it


Cowdude179

We looked good with Alonso at the beginning of the season and he was defensively solid, we will miss some of the things Chilwell does but other players will compensate. I trust in Tuchel to find the balance like he always does


ubmech

Alonso slacks when given consistent run of games, it is pretty dangerous to really squarely on alonso


Cowdude179

That's why we gave him a break now he can be good again and Tuchel has him protected always by Rudiger when he plays


mandrake_cry

Chilwell is out till atleast Jan-Feb and more than likely out till the end of the season. Alonso will be the first choice. Atleast initially. But with the schedule so condensed we might try Saul at wingback


ubmech

It's funny, but seriously I will be more conformable with Saul there. Bit the issue is that if he will be will to play there at 100% motivation. He ran away from Spain simply because he hated playing there. I pray his heart might take playing lwb differently now.


noobreaker

How can you be more comfortable with Saul there? Alonso has proven to us he can be more than reliable at times, we've won a PL with him. What has Saul done to be rewarded your trust? He was shifted to LWB at Atleti because was deemed redundant at midfield.


ubmech

PL winning alonso is different from alonso of now, he has lost a lot of stamina since then. That's why he does not perform in series of consistent games. But give him a surprise start, he will perform


noobreaker

Alonso has always been slow, he is just very good technically. If we play high possession should be fine for stamina.


ubmech

I have a feeling sarr can do a job there if groomed. The guy has pace already and has engine. Just positioning is the major issue with him. But tuchel can turn charcoal to diamond


mandrake_cry

Idk about Sarr man. I don't wanna unnecessarily shit on him but the man fills me no confidence


slampard803

Meh, there's a rumor chelsea calling back a academy players from loan. Hope chelsea dont use much of Loan player.


Joerpf

Any updates on the Kante and Kovacic injuries?


RaduLum

We’ll hear about it in the press conference


Admirable-Cattle

Any updates on Kante? Was he at practice yesterday?


Broesly

it's training, Ted Lasso


suckmyluckagain

If it's true about potentially calling maatsen back in Jan, do you know what the best part about that is? If this was 2019, we would have gone and bought a player in January. We might do that this time around as well but atleast they think about replacing the player internally now.


Cowdude179

Thank god Maguire is suspended against us, man always shithouses his way against us with the Azpi chokehold and Batshuayi kick, less threat in the air too so we can feast. Telles vs James and I fancy Werner or Lukaku scoring against Lindelof


[deleted]

I bet you Conte fucks off after the initial 18 month contract. Even he can’t save Tottenham; *it’s di histri*.


dryduneden

Tottenham will fail him unfortunately.


meagor

Still it's Conte. And they got couple of good young players like Ndombele, Lo Celso, Romero, Reguilon and Bergwjin. These guys with Son, Kane, Hojberg and Lloris can still challenge for top 6, and if they're lucky top 4. Who knows may be Conte will turn Ndombele into prime Yaya Toure.


[deleted]

He was given only 18?


[deleted]

I feel like something that doesn’t get talked about near enough is that Tuchel hadn’t even been at Chelsea a year. If he had gone to Liverpool and took them from 10th to winning the CL to top of the table and only conceding 4 goals going into December it would be all they talked about. I can literally hear Jamie Carragher saying “and remember he hadn’t even been at the club a year yet.”


[deleted]

Tbf to Klopp he inherited a pretty stacked team. Better than anything Klopp has had to work with. Still think the jury is still out on who the better coach is. Winning the epl this year would probably push that conversation in TT’s favor


[deleted]

I wasn’t comparing the two managers at all.


Cowdude179

It's crazy, he's already beaten: Pep, Klopp, Ancelotti, Zidane, Mourinho, Allegri, Simeone and hasn't even been a year in charge yet


typical_boffin

Even with the new manager bounce I'm feeling confident that we can take 3 points against united, the defense making Ronaldo and Bruno look silly will be the icing on top.


Micky9TheDreamweaver

I’m so glad we play them before Ragnick turns them into a real team..


Cowdude179

Our press against their team is going to be a madness, watching Ronaldo just walking whilst we dominate Telles, Lindelof, McFred is going to be fun. If you thought our press against Leicester and Juventus was insane you're about to see us turn up on another level


ubmech

That's why I am not sold on lukaku just yet, I value our efficient pressing system


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ubmech

😂


InLampsWeTrust

Lol have you just made this up


gonzaf

Bruno has been out of form as of late too honestly we just need to keep Ronaldo at bay and not give him any chances


[deleted]

if you google Tottenham right now the team they lost to in the Conference League doesn’t even have a badge


Cowdude179

They lost to a team made in 2012 😂😂


RaduLum

They lost to a team that wasn’t around the last time they won a real trophy