Not enough attacking players!

[Pauly]

It's true what JM said, we need an attacking player and a center back. The team we are playing now doesn't have enough attacking players in it. Even with 3, drogba, kalou/swp and robben?, or with sheva/drogba and lamps/ballack/essien accross the midfield, it's still only 3 of 11 players in the lineup attacking. and drogba is always double marked in that 433 system as we don't support him with the midfielders enough anymore simply because of the players selected. Too flat.

I blame the attack more than the defense for what happened at liverpool- you can't really blame the defense or JM, the defense did their best and JM fixed it with Mikel marking crouch as soon as he could (HT). But with Robben injured and crouch forcing his hand until the last minutes (to keep mikel on until it was "caution to the wind" time) his options were cut. But the attack- i've not been on the "F%^* Ballack" band wagon but the number of sh*tty long balls of 30 40 yards he played at a little angle was shocking- the attack was simply awful. kalou was terrible and robben was uninspiring too when he was on, there was no outlet to keep the ball.

With the injury to robben there is only one way to play and that is the diamond midfield, which is sad for SWP! I think what JM said, we need an attacking player and a CB (to stand a chance) was right. But ultimately it depends on him using them properly. He can't rely on freak goals from drogba all season, we will drop points, many points, if we keep playing the crap with essien lampard and ballack flat in the midfield. People are so quick to say Shevchenko has lost form, can't adapt, but let me introduce you to an old continental custom:

THE TREQUARTISTA:

Yes. A muskateer is needed. I don't for a second believe you eeeenglish can't do it- i thought initially it was a problem pronouncing the word, but then i see KIERON DYER at GLEN ROEDER'S newcastle doing it reasonably and i know, i believe in you guys, you can do it!!!

go on jm... bring back eidur

 

[barak81]

We need somthing, with no cole, no robben, no any one!! there is absaloutly no magic in that midfied, to robotic, so what im thinking is...

Roman offers this man 50 percent in all his company's for service untill the end of the season!!

Now i have posted it i fully expect that it will appear in the papers tommorow!!

 

[Anonymous]

dont ever suggest Deco for CFC again!!!

lol, no i get you, yesterday Luton Town would have laughed at us...

i have said it continuosly, our midfield has no central passer.

Lamps is being forced to try to bridge the gap from maka to attack, but we all know thats not his job, - ballack coming in has forced this on him.

makalele is only a give-and-go player, so, yeah we need a central midfielder to boss the midfield and spray the ball about

kevin nolan, nigel reo-coker, jermain jenas, sidwell, those types of players i think would change CFC into the solid team wed like to see

 

[g3.7]

ballack has forced nothing on lampard, that's rubbish. but both players ideallly like to play flat, diagonal balls, and make late forward runs. neither are a constant link to the attack, and nor is essien, obviously.

I was thinking, if we wanted a lower key player, one that's not a massive star, benayoun from west ham would have been good before they were taken over.

deco is great, brilliant. also, does more work than he gets credit for.

I like to think of the player at the top of the diamond more as a third striker- he should concern himself with where they anything else.

rui costa still alive? great option also..

nolan, jenas, sidwell.... all absolutely not the type of player we need. we have 3 world class box to box players...

another short term player would be ivan de la pena. in the summer we should adress getting a long term one...

 

[Pauly]

how about a gamble on... CAAAAAAAASANOOOO!!! hehe ok it's a terrible idea. i personally would love, laugh hysterically holding my sides, to see it.

As a bonus Capello would drive him to london himself! no need to pay the 15 euro from madrid.

it's not just a player to run through, past the strikers, it's somebody to find space and pass the ball short to them. therefore, kevin nolan is not ideal.

 

[g3.7]

loz wants it to happen.

it would be madness obviously.

he would take lampard to transgender strip bars withing days of joining.

 

[loz]

The day we sign Cassano is the day I lock up Bluebeard in a cupboard, feed him nothing but raw meat for 18 weeks and then release him onto the pitch wearing a studded collar, union jack on his back, and point him toward Cassano with the cries of 'HE'S A RABBIT' firmly in his cocked ear!

 

[barak81]

IMO the short term option is the best, as we are short but im still convinced that cole can easily play that role when he returns besides im also hoping that with a full compliment of staff we go back to a 4-3-3

by the way there is no way barca would part with deco but despite his antics he is a phenomanle player!!

 

[Pauly]

think of the flicks Jack and Just... finally a player MAN enough to challenge seba veron

 

[loz]

think of the flicks Jack and Just... finally a player MAN enough to challenge seba veron

You have just added Just to my attack dog team - it will be tag team stuff as Bluebeard passes the carcass to Just!

 

[BlueBeard]

The day we sign Cassano is the day I lock up Bluebeard in a cupboard, feed him nothing but raw meat for 18 weeks and then release him onto the pitch wearing a studded collar, union jack on his back, and point him toward Cassano with the cries of 'HE'S A RABBIT' firmly in his cocked ear!

I reckon a fortnight should suffice

 

[Pauly]

The day we sign Cassano is the day I lock up Bluebeard in a cupboard, feed him nothing but raw meat for 18 weeks and then release him onto the pitch wearing a studded collar, union jack on his back, and point him toward Cassano with the cries of 'HE'S A RABBIT' firmly in his cocked ear!

I reckon a fortnight should suffice

Who wouldn't pay to see this spectacle! I'm starting my own Cassano for Chelsea campaign in the hope of seeing a mad BB running the field in a jockstrap with a knife clenched between his teeth!

CAS SA NO!! CAS SA NO!!

 

[loz]

No blades for two good reasons:

1. BB is not a scouser

2. I would prefer to see Cassano eaten alive by a rabid charlatan Scot than see a lame, run of the mill Rambo style knifing!

 

[Pauly]

I just read this Euripedes play where Dionysus god of wine possesed Pentheus, king of thebes' mother to tear him limb from limb with super-natural possesed animal like viciousness and feast on his flesh. maybe we could get that happening...

 

[loz]

I just read this Euripedes

That cowboy - keep reading too much of his nonsense and before long you will be demanding women get the vote!

 

[Sofa Manager]

Agree. A CREATIVE Playmaker would make a great deal of a diference.

Ballack is a playmaker, but isn't creative enough (on the lack of a better description).

Mikel I think - as discussed on another thread - could be a decent one, but he's still growing. Again, not creative enough IMO.

Now, as i see it too, it's Deco, Kaka and................?

Don't think it's gonna happen.

Rui Costa is still playing for Benfica. Last season before he hangs his boots I think. Definitly too old, but on his prime...oh man !

Totti. Not exactly a playmaker, more of a "spear" behind the striker/s. Excelent player, terrible terrible enfant terrible.

So, who ? More sugestions ? Young guys ?

There's this so called new Ronaldinho...I think it's been discussed before. Anderson from Porto. He's got lots and lots of potential. I think he's definitly one to look for.

 

[Guest]

Isn't Ballack at least in the running to be considered a "trequartista"?.

I think the problem we've had (and im sure G4 will disagree entirely) is that Ballack simply lacks the pace to get around the ground and contribute and hence the game often passes him by.

This situation reminds me of back around the early 2000s when Man Utd had a very handy and balanced team which was doing fantastically domestically. They then decided that Veron might just be the player who would take them to the next level in Europe. It didn't work, Veron was completely out of his depth (more so than Ballack has been for us) and Man Utd's team balance was thrown out of whack. Now Veron was a fantastic player (and probably still is), but he just wasn't suited to life in the premiership and neither one could argue is Ballack.

The reason for me why Essien and Lampard have been such tremendous players for Chelsea whereas Ballack hasn't thus far is basically this, they have the pace, the energy and the workrate to get around the ground and contribute to the side.

I think ultimately, Chelsea will have to either a) adjust their tactics to better accomodate Ballack or B) he will eventually leave the club like Veron did not ever reaching the levels he did at his previous club.

PS. I think alot of the above also applies to Shevchenko. However I beleive (if Mourinho leaves) there is a greater chance Chelsea will adapt tactics to suit him better than there is Ballack

 

[The Moos]

Isn't Ballack at least in the running to be considered a "trequartista"?.I think the problem we've had (and im sure G4 will disagree entirely) is that Ballack simply lacks the pace to get around the ground and contribute and hence the game often passes him by.

This situation reminds me of back around the early 2000s when Man Utd had a very handy and balanced team which was doing fantastically domestically. They then decided that Veron might just be the player who would take them to the next level in Europe. It didn't work, Veron was completely out of his depth (more so than Ballack has been for us) and Man Utd's team balance was thrown out of whack. Now Veron was a fantastic player (and probably still is), but he just wasn't suited to life in the premiership and neither one could argue is Ballack.

The reason for me why Essien and Lampard have been such tremendous players for Chelsea whereas Ballack hasn't thus far is basically this, they have the pace, the energy and the workrate to get around the ground and contribute to the side.

I think ultimately, Chelsea will have to either a) adjust their tactics to better accomodate Ballack or B) he will eventually leave the club like Veron did not ever reaching the levels he did at his previous club.

PS. I think alot of the above also applies to Shevchenko. However I beleive (if Mourinho leaves) there is a greater chance Chelsea will adapt tactics to suit him better than there is Ballack

I don't think Chelsea has to adapt their tactics to better suit Sheva, they only have to let him play in his right position. As it is now he usually plays as a sort of winger (looks like it anyway) and that certainly is not the best position for him. He's a striker and needs to play as one. Put Sheva up front chasing the ball and he will start scoring goals.

 

[Phillip]

Isn't Ballack at least in the running to be considered a "trequartista"?.I think the problem we've had (and im sure G4 will disagree entirely) is that Ballack simply lacks the pace to get around the ground and contribute and hence the game often passes him by.

This situation reminds me of back around the early 2000s when Man Utd had a very handy and balanced team which was doing fantastically domestically. They then decided that Veron might just be the player who would take them to the next level in Europe. It didn't work, Veron was completely out of his depth (more so than Ballack has been for us) and Man Utd's team balance was thrown out of whack. Now Veron was a fantastic player (and probably still is), but he just wasn't suited to life in the premiership and neither one could argue is Ballack.

The reason for me why Essien and Lampard have been such tremendous players for Chelsea whereas Ballack hasn't thus far is basically this, they have the pace, the energy and the workrate to get around the ground and contribute to the side.

I think ultimately, Chelsea will have to either a) adjust their tactics to better accomodate Ballack or B) he will eventually leave the club like Veron did not ever reaching the levels he did at his previous club.

PS. I think alot of the above also applies to Shevchenko. However I beleive (if Mourinho leaves) there is a greater chance Chelsea will adapt tactics to suit him better than there is Ballack

I have lost a lot of respect for you, Qaz, with that comment.