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Why Chelsea's Season Has Started Collapsing

Analysis from FourFourTwo:


Thoughts?
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Never big fan of analysis from 442.

He complained about spacing, offensively player move around. That is not important.

 
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Analysis from FourFourTwo:


Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Clickbait video, the same bloke claimed these same tactics would dominate the Premier League about 8 weeks earlier and now his main thesis is that injuries to Fofana and Jackson have ruined everything?

Tactically we are not collapsing; in fact what we're seeing is probably a regression to the mean, because the problems we talk about now are the same problems that people were identifying when we were winning. The difference back then was merely that goalkeeper mistakes, a lack of pressing, inconsistent finishing and a slow tempo did not cost us. We were winning (and winning well) but the scoreline often flattered us, games were closer than they first appeared, and Maresca himself stated on multiple occasions that he was concerned at our inability to control games.

Our season is "collapsing" because our poor run has coincided with great runs and improvement from our competitors. It is unlikely that Liverpool, Arsenal or Man City will suffer further implosion. Serie A's bombing in European competition means it is extremely likely the EPL gets a 5th CL place,. That gives us some hope, but also emboldens our near rivals; there's just 5 points between 5th (Bournemouth) and 10th (Brighton).

 
I kind of like the fourfourtwo videos.

I thought this one in particular at the end of last season was very good at summing up our strengths and deficiencies under Pochettino

While I still think sacking Poch was a mistake (at least with the benefit of the hindsight we have now), this absolutely influenced my thinking at the time.


 
The Athletic podcast had a different take. It's worth a look on their YouTube channel.

Their opinion was that we are actually now playing the system and the way Maresca wants us to play...slow, controlled ,possession based football . The adventurous , uncontrolled, risky football ( that we loved) was something he said he didn't want. " We don't want basketball games". He was concerned about our inability to control games, as SydneyChelsea in his post says.

Not only is it not working, they said that in general Chelsea fans don't like this way of playing and referenced our dislike of Sarri ball.

They did say though, that if it was actually successful then we would be more inclined to accept it. No surprise there ! It makes sense to me at least, dunno what others think ?

 
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So the closer we play to Enzo's system the worst our results have become? Oh deary me.
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And apparently the board are "delighted" with him and won't be conducting an in depth "Pochettino-style" review until Summer 2026 !

 
So the closer we play to Enzo's system the worst our results have become? Oh deary me.
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It was this system that I was dreading that we would be playing, but I was delighted that it was the complete opposite. Now it looks like the system that Leicester fans warned us about, slow, ponderous, dull, and hard to enjoy .I was full of praise for our exciting football, but it seems that wasn't actually what Enzo wanted !

 
The Athletic podcast had a different take. It's worth a look on their YouTube channel.

Their opinion was that we are actually now playing the system and the way Maresca wants us to play...slow, controlled ,possession based football . The adventurous , uncontrolled, risky football ( that we loved) was something he said he didn't want. " We don't want basketball games". He was concerned about our inability to control games, as SydneyChelsea in his post says.

Not only is it not working, they said that in general Chelsea fans don't like this way of playing and referenced our dislike of Sarri ball.

They did say though, that if it was actually successful then we would be more inclined to accept it. No surprise there ! It makes sense to me at least, dunno what others think ?
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I think they are bang on. It's a style of football I have never warmed to, even when Barcelona were doing it and being called the greatest team of all time. It's Messi that I enjoyed watching, but Xavi, Busquets, even Iniesta who could be as brilliant as Messi at times, it bored the life out of me.

At our best and most successful period in our history, we were the opposite to this kind of football, we were it's foil. Strong defence, strong midfield, counter attacking, a threat from set pieces, we were the best at it for nearly 15 years. We ruined Arsenal and Wenger, we were by far the team Barcelona hated playing against the most, then Sarri came in and it all changed. The football is boring, the fans are bored in the stadium, the fans are bored at home, the players look like they are sleep walking. It's quite simply not the Chelsea way.

 
To summarise then, the longer Maresca has spent with the players and the more his system is implemented the worse we’ve got?

 
I think they are bang on. It's a style of football I have never warmed to, even when Barcelona were doing it and being called the greatest team of all time. It's Messi that I enjoyed watching, but Xavi, Busquets, even Iniesta who could be as brilliant as Messi at times, it bored the life out of me.

At our best and most successful period in our history, we were the opposite to this kind of football, we were it's foil. Strong defence, strong midfield, counter attacking, a threat from set pieces, we were the best at it for nearly 15 years. We ruined Arsenal and Wenger, we were by far the team Barcelona hated playing against the most, then Sarri came in and it all changed. The football is boring, the fans are bored in the stadium, the fans are bored at home, the players look like they are sleep walking. It's quite simply not the Chelsea way.
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Agreed Scott. And I reckon football has moved on from the slow possession based style anyway. Trust us to try and impose it on the team just as it goes out of fashion!

 
I kind of like the fourfourtwo videos.

I thought this one in particular at the end of last season was very good at summing up our strengths and deficiencies under Pochettino

While I still think sacking Poch was a mistake (at least with the benefit of the hindsight we have now), this absolutely influenced my thinking at the time.
Click to expand...
442 analysis is mostly meh.

We started last season under control with Nkunku as our best player but Nkunku/Chuku went down and the team was simply not comfortable playing that way.

Playing Gallagher is not about possesion vs counter attacking ball. You can play whatever ball, you need to run to cover ground.

Enzo can't run, Palmer doesn't want to run, Sterling doesn't want to run.

 
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The Athletic podcast had a different take. It's worth a look on their YouTube channel.

Their opinion was that we are actually now playing the system and the way Maresca wants us to play...slow, controlled ,possession based football . The adventurous , uncontrolled, risky football ( that we loved) was something he said he didn't want. " We don't want basketball games". He was concerned about our inability to control games, as SydneyChelsea in his post says.

Not only is it not working, they said that in general Chelsea fans don't like this way of playing and referenced our dislike of Sarri ball.

They did say though, that if it was actually successful then we would be more inclined to accept it. No surprise there ! It makes sense to me at least, dunno what others think ?
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Our lack of a keeper and at least 1 clinical striker destroys any formation or tactical set up Maresca plays.

Had we had both then we’d be at least 10 points better off imo.

Maresca craves control but that’s pointless when you don’t take your chances and the whole stadium has a sharp intake of breath when the keeper gets a pass back.

I thought we were a shoe in for the top 3 in December but now? We could finish anywhere from 4th to 10th.

 
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