Chelsea Home Thu Mar 4th KO 8.15pm

This topic contains 253 replies, has 20 voices, and was last updated by  kopite 3 years ago.

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  • #1928634
    Rob Fort Worth TX
    Rob Fort Worth TX
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    • :

    Friggin tennis match this game last July.

    Naby (his last goal for us and his only goal in 2021), Trent and Gini had put us three up just before half time then Giroud pulled one back right at the whistle. Bobby then made it 4-1 before the mini revival when Abraham and Pulisic made it very nervous for us until Ox scored late (his last goal for us) to give us maximum points. Helluva game.

    Chelsea head into this game on a very good streak and all down to night and day management but Tuchel doesn’t have a good record v Klopp. In the 14 times they’ve faced each other Klopp has prevailed in 9 of those games with 3 draws and just 2 wins with the last coming in the 2018/19 CL group stages v PSG. Interesting note too is that Tuchel replaced Klopp twice both at Mainz and at Dortmund so there’s some good history between these two.

    This game could go either way and will all depend on how we line up. I’d go for this if Fabinho is fit:

    Alisson, Trent, Phillips, Fabinho, Robbo, Gini, Thiago, Jones, Mane, Bobby and Mo.

    Our bench should look stronger than the last (Jeez!) with Jota possibly available (although I smell Covid there unless he’s got the two bob bits) with Naby making the subs list once again (there’s still three days to go tho!).

    My fear is that Chelsea will win this; they’re not conceding and they have the ammo. My gut tells me a draw so I’m sticking with that – 1-1 and so says….
    https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.mEw-mvKkE8GCb8h_A3do6gAAAA?w=195&h=180&c=7&o=5&dpr=1.2&pid=1.7

    #1928656

    gingerlfc
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    • :

    Chelsea have only lost twice this calendar year, City and Leicester, apart from those 2 teams they don’t concede more than 1 goal a game. So we’re up against it to get a score. We need to score first.
    I’ve said it in the other thread I’d happily take a draw now considering our situations. We just need to not lose. However our makeshift defence against Chelsea’s attack will not make for easy watching.

    Fabinho, Allison and Jota should be back in the squad with Milner and Kieta more sessions under the belt.
    I can see Klopp putting Fabinho into the defence alongside Kabak. If he’s gonna do that I’d prefer it to be Philips. Trent and Robbo keep their places obviously as does the front 3 (Doubt Jota will start) so possible midfield places will be up for grabs. Don’t see Kieta starting but wouldn’t be surprised if Milner did just for the added experience and nous in a game like this. Jones should feel hard done by if he did.

    We played a kinda 3-2-5 last night when in possession but doubt that’ll be used v Chelsea. At least we can now see Klopp is prepared to step away from the 4-3-3 while we are undermanned.

    No idea what formation he’ll play but using the 4-3-3 as the template can see him going something like…

    Allison
    TAA, Kabak, Fabinho, Robbo
    Thiago, Gini, Jones
    Salah, Firmino, Mane

    Not my choice. Personally I’d go with a 4-2-3-1

    #1928688

    NotoriousBingo
    Participant
    • :

    I haven´t looked very closely at the fixture list Chelsea have been dealing with but I suspect they are not conceding much because not many teams dare to play the game against them, against a top team its another matter where they actually need to fight for possession and can´t control the game as well…

    I can actually see us adapting a similar tactic against them in possession, we remain very tight even though we can still open up the wings with our fullbacks…

    Mane was working hard with Bobby in a more central role, I loved his outburst at Salah but honestly Salah should have gone for a goal but with another finish… We need more of that though, all the forwards need to demand more for themselves!

    Its gonna be interesting with Jota coming back but I really doubt we will see him for more than 10-15 minutes…

    And about our fringe players, I don´t want to be slating them but I can´t be excited about seeing any of them out on the pitch right now, they are producing shit!

    #1928781

    Sean the sailor
    Participant
    • :

    Guys let’s be honest, a better team then sheff utd would have scored againest us on Sunday.

    Philips would be my choice ahead of kabak but I can see it being the team we had out on Sunday with fabhino coming in

    Chelsea are a very well organised team under tuchel. Very solid at the back and I can see it being a very frustrating game. We badly need to score 1st which is going to be so difficult

    Home form is a real worry. Would take a draw now but I think it will be a narrow loss.

    #1928782

    gingerlfc
    Participant
    • :

    Yes my fear is that we’re gonna leave ourselves far too open at the back with our formation.

    #1928881

    NotoriousBingo
    Participant
    • :

    I prefer Kabak over Philips sean, he is much more composed in possession and I don´t see him giving away silly fouls either… Philips has improved though as he has grown more accustomed to the level we are asking him to perform at but overall he simple is a very limited defender… Without a more technical defender next to him we would be exposed at the back when pressured and when we are pressured and exposed we make silly mistakes, we panic or simple mishit a ball or lose a 3rd ball in the wrong position…

    I really liked the changes to our buildup play in our last game, I only saw the first half but the lads were trying out different stuff and it was working… Our midfielder worked really hard to make those triangles happen and allowed Robbo to roam free when in possession, just occupying space on the left flank… We were basically playing a back three when in possession and the only one that is not capable of playing the ball further up is Philips… Thats fine while we have Trent and Kabak on either side of him, especially with our midfielders dropping as well but we can´t have two of those players in the backline… That slows us down and exposes us… I would prefer not to have him in the lineup but he is doing way better and maybe he can build up his game…

    I kinda want to see how Davies performs but I would not try a new central partnership unless I have to… Every time we do something new there we concede a goal, its like giving the opposition a one goal advantage, I hate doing it!

    #1928882
    Rob Fort Worth TX
    Rob Fort Worth TX
    Participant
    • :

    Looking like Fabinho will be available for Thursday. Question now is where will Klopp play him. Alongside Phillips/Kabak (we need aerial strength especially against the excellent Giroud) or screening the back line with Gini as a double six? I would expect him to start as centre back.

    #1928886

    Sean the sailor
    Participant
    • :

    I keep hearing Philips is limited with the ball binbgo but I don’t see it. He’s no were near as bad as some are making out. Kabak has been booked twice for silly fouls. Be Philips all day long for me . He was the one organizing our defensive line at set plays.

    In a perfect world neither would play to be fair. Kabak is only 20. He needed to be eased into the team. It’s not going well for him at the minute

    Rob, it be fabhino with kabak I’d say. I really can’t see much changing from our last game at home to Everton. It’s be near enough the same team with Chelsea playing 3 centre backs and they will nullify us quite easily. I’m expecting a game very similar to the Everton and burnley games

    #1928888
    Razor
    Razor
    Participant
    • :

    Either way, Klopp should stop fucking around with the defence. I’m not convinced by Kabak in the least, but at least give him and Phillips time to build up a partnership. Changing partnerships every week affects everyone, even the GK. It’s like he’s trying to put out as many partnerships as he can just to prove a point. Move Fabinho back to midfield and give them some proper cover. Gini is not a #6.

    #1928891

    NotoriousBingo
    Participant
    • :

    We are seeing different things then, I´ve been impressed with Kabak, especially because he is settling pretty quickly…

    I like what Philips has to offer I just wish there was more of it and he is becoming more assured on the ball and it doesn´t surprise me that he is organising at the back…

    He is senior to Kabak… I felt gutted for Gomez when he got injured, he had been stepping up in that regard, I always thought it was the weakest part of Joe´s game but he really had been stepping it up.

    #1928893

    captkirk
    Participant
    • :

    I will be very disappointed if Kabak and Phillips don’t start. Fabinho needs time to get back to his best after an injury unlike Matip and will likely concede some silly free kicks if he’s playing at the back. Will prefer to ease him in a less difficult game.

    It’s not like we were not conceding chances when VVD and Gomez were playing last season. Every match the opposition had two or more good chances but the strikers were too exhausted to take their chances. They are made to run like crazy by the Liverpool team and don’t have the necessary energy to finish off chances. It’s one of the trademark of Klopp’s team and as Razor says we should stop with this square peg in round holes experiment.

    #1928904

    pinezes69
    Participant
    • :

    No Kabak!! Nat and Fab!!!

    #1928935

    NotoriousBingo
    Participant
    • :

    you got a point there captkirk and I always like consistency in the backline, just fielding the same central partnership gives us stability at the back…

    I doubt we would have had so many injuries had our players not been forced into twice their workload, I would love to give every player an extra week to recover…

    It would be good if Fabinho actually started on the bench and perhaps got a few minutes in midfield and started playing there again

    #1928961

    gingerlfc
    Participant
    • :
    #1928988
    MrMakaveli
    MrMakaveli
    Blocked
    • :

    Sean, Philips is an old style defender and a pretty good one at that. It isn’t what Klopp wants though. He needs at least 1 CB top be able to play the ball up over the top, or onto the wings. he wants both to be able to be quick enough to play up high and also he expects them to be good with the ball at their feet. These are not your standard core CB duties. Well, they are more and more the way things have gone for sure but classically. Take Carragher for instance. When he was young, was he any better than Philips? I don’t think he was. As he developed, you would still not call him a ball playing CB.

    Philips isnt quite as slow or poor on the ball as people might think but you wouldnt say he’s brilliant in these regards. He is however a very competent CB and I think he’s got a PL level career ahead of him. Klopp neds something that he feels he can’t get from Philips, which must be the reason why he has not played this very decent player more often. If I were another PL side who was looking for this type of player though, I’d be all over setting up a transfer in the summer.

    Kabak. I really want to give him time, but he’s making fundamental mistakes. I don’t want to write off a player so early but it’s very difficult to see him being successful here. As I said before, I’m all for Klopp making one more change in the defence, if it is indeed the final pairing. There is merit in asking for kabak to be given a settled partnership in there for the remainder of the season but we may not have him next season and we still have something to lose here.

    Once Davies is ready to play, I think we’ve got to try himself and Philips.

    #1928989
    MrMakaveli
    MrMakaveli
    Blocked
    • :

    “Fabinho needs time to get back to his best after an injury unlike Matip”

    Matips ability to come back from injury and just resume very good form is pretty awesome isnt it? I mean, he’d made of glass which will ruin his legacy at the club but he must be absolutely meticulous in his recovery to end up this way. I guess he’s adapted after a career filled with frustrating setbacks.

    #1929044

    Sean the sailor
    Participant
    • :

    Bingo, we do see different things mate and it’s all about opinions chum but I don’t think kabak is settling well at all chum??

    He looks very shakey. I’m not writing him off at all but players and get in behind him to easily. He’s not bad on the ball.

    Mak, I don’t think Philips is anything special chum but I’d have him over kabak at the minute

    Kirk, if fabhino plays tomorrow then he will play cb chum.

    I just don’t think anything is going to change tomorrow. Same midfield, sane formation etc.

    I’d be getting keita and fabhino in tomorrow if they are fit. Get jota match fit and get him in the team. We need to make changes even if we did beat sheff utd.

    I really think it’s going to be a frustrating game like Everton, BRighton, burnley as we will be going with the same personnel,tactics etc

    #1929065

    captkirk
    Participant
    • :

    Interesting thing Sean is that Chelsea fans think that we are beatable and if Tuchel feels the same they might have a go at us.

    That will play in our hands. I don’t think for a minute that are we are as vulnerable as they think. Take away Alisson’s errors, Thiago’s moment of madness against Leicester, the non penalty awarded to Everton and the table would look different.

    #1929074

    Songman
    Participant
    • :

    We have to go for a win in this match, while keeping the defence tight, and no more silly errors, of course. A win here could be the catalyst for a very good end to the season.

    Will be interesting to see who starts as Fabinho, Keita, Milner and Jota are all back in contention. Could be some surprises in the selection.

    Also I hope Jota will be on fire again, picking up from where he left off

    #1929080

    Sean the sailor
    Participant
    • :

    Chelsea such be confident Kirk mate as anyone can beat us at home these days.

    We are far to predictable and slow abd we are trying to the same things over and over again

    Chelsea are solid at the back. They don’t give away to many chances abd we don’t create many at home. That’s why I can see it being a frustrating evening and a narrow loss

    A draw be a good result to stop the rot at home.

    Chelsea know we will go 4-3-3

    It be the same team as Sunday with Allison and fabhino coming in. Same formation etc

    I’m hoping we might see some charges but I doubt it. We keep playing that midfield and it’s not working

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