P302Rivals Football - Chelsea FC
Time For Change
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 21/10, 16:35

We need to change the formation, to nice we have a fully fit squad.
The weak links in the first team are Cahill and Alonso. They both lack pace and on numerous occasions are caught out of position, and teams are exploiting this all the time.
Our three at the back is not working this season, because of the lack of pace down the left, opposition forwards pressing us and because Cahill is not comfortable with the ball at his feet. Alonso is too dependant on his left foot, so is regularly losing or giving the ball away.

I want to see us going to a 4-3-3, to be more attacking, but having full backs who can defend, and three mobile ball winning midfielders.

When all fit I want to see us playing this: -

Courtois
Zappacosta Rudiger Luiz Azpilicueta
Drinkwater Kante Bakayoko
Batshuayi Morata Hazard

Subs - Caballero Christensen Cahill Alonso Fabregas Willian Pedro

ps it allows the keeper to kick the ball upfield from goal kicks.

Time For Change
by upthechels @, 21/10, 17:25 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

Yep...time to mix it up a bit again...imo too.

Can't risk both Batshuayi and Morata to be playing at the same too often so I would have a 4-5-1 for a change. Opponents have stopped second guessing what we will do because they know how we will play!

Given a full squad I try this...

Courtois
Zappacosta
Rudiger
Christensen
Luiz

Drinkwater
Kante
Pedro
Hazard
Fabregas

Morata

I bench Cahill, Moses, Aspi, Willian, Bakayoko and Alonso .

Time For Change
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 21/10, 19:56 @ upthechels

I want Batshuayi in the team because he keeps scoring goals.
I play him with Morata and Hazard because his all-round game is not good enough to allow him to play as a loan striker against the better teams.
If he or Morata gets injured/suspended, then I bring Pedro in.
Fabregas looks shot to me, well off of his game, at present, just like Willian. We need to press teams in the middle, Fabregas doesn’t do that. It is another reason for playing three up top, so that we can press opposing defenders, as well. Far too often we are allowing teams to walk theball to the halfway line, yet our defenders are pressed and harried into giving away before it reaches halfway.
That is how I see it at present.

Time For Change
by CLL_JT26, 21/10, 18:23 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

I would like to see a back 3 of Christensen, Luiz and Rudiger!

Time For Change
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 21/10, 19:58 @ CLL_JT26

That is the system which is letting us down because we have no full backs.

Time For Change
by CLL_JT26, 22/10, 17:03 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

It didn't let us down last season when we won a league playing this system, can't see conte going to a back 4 any time soon, especially when our squad is heavy in defenders and light everywhere else.

For me the problem at the moment is fabregas/bakayoko together in CM. For Bournemouth I'd like to see Luiz and bakayoko, with Christensen stepping in at CB, with fabregas a nice option to have off the bench if needed.

Time For Change
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 22/10, 19:18 @ CLL_JT26

Even though you don’t realise it, your first sentence backs up all that my original post was about.

It is letting us down now because the oppo knows w how to play against it.
Conte won’t, which is why I said I would.
My suggested 4-3-3 formation balances the first team evenly, and is not over defensive minded. It gets rid of the weak links in Conte’s current formation. It makes us more competitive in midfield and allows the front me to press the oppo defender’s.

Time For Change
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 21/10, 20:01 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

Just noticed the first line in my post above, bloody predictive text. I have no idea how ‘to nice’ got in there.

Time For Change
by R1der, 22/10, 12:50 @ OSGOODWASGOOD

The defence is exposed because we are missing Kante.

Yesterday Watford were walking past Fabregas and Baka - both of whom had bad games. That then means the defence is under pressure.

Don't get me wrong, not saying Cahill is Baresi...

Time For Change
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 22/10, 13:10 @ R1der

Teams get at us with Kante in the team because they play the ball in behind our wing backs. They get crosses in to our box from wide areas and we look like conceding every time a ball comes in.
Changing the system and having two full backs with three in midfield will help this.
Have a look at how we have conceded goals this season. Not too many come through the middle or from shots outside the area. Most are conceded from crosses.