Chelsea 0-0 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[Tony Towner]

Agree with most of this.

It’s pretty clear to me we need an inverted wingback to make this system work as that player is an option in the middle.

Touch of controversy, we had one, everyone hated him, we sold him.

Maybe a touch of hyperbole in there, but the broader point stands. We were a better side with Doherty in it than without him

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Touch of Controversy, we had one, everyone hated him, we sold him.

Maybe a touch of hyperbole in there, but the broader point stands. We were a better side with Doherty in it than without him

Are we fuck. Doc could not defend for toffee. Samedo is showing he can do that. If doc played tonight I doubt we get that point

 

[YoungWolf]

Semedo has been playing well for a while now, and his performances still seems to be improving. Think he’s been a bit unlucky not to have a couple of goals by now too. And he’s loads better than Doc

 

[prawnking]

Some really interesting takes on here tonight concerning the virtues or otherwise of various players and systems, but unless Nuno can get his head together it won't matter too much who we play.

I think he's accumulated a bit of a confused squad and I hope we can see him start to mould it into something cohesive, start playing some football again and then get ready for a decisive summer

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Some really interesting takes on here tonight concerning the virtues or otherwise of various players and systems, but unless Nuno can get his head together it won't matter too much who we play.

I think he's accumulated a bit of a confused squad and I hope we can see him start to mould it into something cohesive, start playing some football again and then get ready for a decisive summer

Decent summary. We need a true centre half and an Attacking midfielder . Then we sorted for now

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Semedo has been playing well for a while now, and his performances still seems to be improving. Think he’s been a bit unlucky not to have a couple of goals by now too. And he’s loads better than Doc

Semedo just seems a really odd player to me, can look majestic one minute and completely brain dead another. With his pedigree and experience I'd expect more consistency, it's not like he really provides a great deal of attacking output to compensate for being a bit erratic. I don't think he's worth the fee that was paid and certainly doesn't stand out like a player who's just come from one of the world's most elite clubs.

Tonight he still had the lapse at the start of the second half that let Hudson-Odoi in behind and then a weird incident with I think Mount late on. Was sauntering back toward his own goal line with the ball then trapped it on the line to prevent a corner only to be shrugged off it allowing the Chelsea player a free run into the area with the ball. That was just bizarre.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

We've been leaking goals like nobody's business, have zero confidence, and were away at one of the big 6. First clean sheet in over a dozen games, never really looked like conceding, and could have snatched it. With the players we had available, I don't care how we set up.

Mission Accomplished.

 

[GLASGOWOLF]

I think Kilman has a better way with the ball than Bennet, but he has the pace of Laurie Madden. I like him, but he’s not for us.

You only need pace, if your positioning is such that you get caught out so need pace to Recover.

Kilman reads the game well he is always there, his passing is good .

I can't believe people are trying to defend that tripe and celebrating a point. An absolutely cowardly way to approach a football game. I could understand if it was semi-final and we were against the odds, or we needed a point to stay up, but it's a point that may make a difference between 12th and 13th, it's genuinely not worth it. It was horrible to watch, and would've been horrible to play in.

We can't even take confidence from it, because unless we're going to carry on playing a flat back seven, it's irrelevant to our defensive structure and stability for when we decide to try and ask our talented footballers to play actual football.

You have to accept lack of confidence, no real forward, returning players from Injury, all in all we stopped the conceding, now we can build on that.

Willian, Now has Thursday and Friday training with his new team

 

[Premier Quality]

I’ve been reflecting a bit on yesterday, and I’m happy with a point, but that am concerned with how badly we dealt with their press.

there are several ways to beat a press like that

quick passing and movement to work your way through the press - I think this is part of what Nuno wants, and we were doing this better before Raul got injured, but we were terrible at it last night. Our midfield just aren’t one touch pass and move players.

a target man so we can bypass the press and build from further up the pitch - we didn’t have a target man until Jose came on, but even where we did find a man, the front three were miles away from each other, so we needed individual brilliance to achieve anything, rather than having the ability to combine and get something going.

a player who can break the lines in midfield by beating a man, get us moving forwards and bring the forwards into play. Again, our midfielders can’t do this, and Adama struggles to be that player when he has someone up his arse (and was terrible last night).

hopefully Jose can be the second one and give us that option now, but Nuno really needs to consider how we are going to beat the press in the future, because it’s the obvious way to play against us.

 

[1986]

Reset button pressed tonight and season starts v Palace, for me.

Can’t be arsed to comment on tonight’s match too much - but not surprised by how many people are trying to justify the lack of attacking intent because we got a point. I understand why we did it, but like my mate text me during the second half - our performance stunk of a chirpy league one side playing away at a PL side in the FA cup. As others have said, the end justifies the means & all that.

Slightly worried by the visibly clear frustration Neto is showing. Desperately needs some support and hopefully Jose offers that. Decent little cameo by him, coming on in a difficult match.

Would love a comprehensive 3-0 win against Palace now.

We don't need a 3 - 0 win , we just need a win , full stop .

 

[Tony Towner]

Semedo has been playing well for a while now, and his performances still seems to be improving. Think he’s been a bit unlucky not to have a couple of goals by now too. And he’s loads better than Doc

My comment wasn't meant as a reflection on Semedo one way or another. Just that Johnny said we need an inverted wing back and that's the way Doherty played.

There are a number of other factors as to why we don't look as potent as previously going forwards, but we looked more dangerous when he was in the side than we do now and imo that's not simply because of the loss of Raul

 

[Tredman]

Semedo on his 'wrong' side might be an interesting choice.

 

[Paul]

a player who can break the lines in midfield by beating a man, get us moving forwards and bring the forwards into play. Again, our midfielders can’t do this, and Adama struggles to be that player when he has someone up his arse (and was terrible last night).

If it transpires that Adama is buggering off this window then yesterdays showing made sense otherwise he stole wages for that performance, the total sum of his efforts for 90 minutes was drawing two fouls, but the worst was when Chelsea where advanced on the left and we were getting overran Donk had to run passed Adama to help out whilst he stood there, I know he probably thought he'd be an outlet once we retained possession but when you say for parts of the game he's a spectator, yesterday that was literally the case

 

[Tony Towner]

As for the game last night. I didn't think it was more negative than say the Chelsea game 2 seasons ago when Hazard equalised in the last minute. It's only the wider context that makes it feel that way. Defending that way is fine for the occasional game, but isn't sustainable in the longer run, you're too susceptible to one moment that kills everything. Even last night, probably should have been a goal down after 5 minutes - small margins and all that

 

[Johnny75]

Semedo on his 'wrong' side might be an interesting choice.

I thought he did very well and have a good outlet on that side.

I'd keep him there and play Hoever on the other. Both can cut inside and out.

 

[Paul]

As for the game last night. I didn't think it was more negative than say the Chelsea game 2 seasons ago when Hazard equalised in the last minute. It's only the wider context that makes it feel that way. Defending that way is fine for the occasional game, but isn't sustainable in the longer run, you're too susceptible to one moment that kills everything. Even last night, probably should have been a goal down after 5 minutes - small margins and all that

I do think it's acceptable when in your heart of hearts you know scoring chances are going to be few and far between against a team that on form are far superior who are trying to impress their new boss, I know it was painful to watch and I was waiting in the second half for us inevitably to concede but we didn't and for all their 8 bazillion passes they strung together we had equal if not better chances than them.

 

[From Distant Shores]

I found it nowhere near as painful to watch as losing 2 - 1 to Burnley.

 

[sycophantia]

Tbh it wasn't that much different to watching us during the first 2 seasons in the Premier league against top quality teams, defend deep, hit on the break. The main difference is our quality on ball when we break and hold up play. We've struggled with this since the last 5-6 games at the end of last season.
even so we created 3 or 4 really good chances. Don't know this has happened, maybe the opposition has 'worked us out' and why Nuno said at the end of last season we need to change the way we play.

 

[Loki]

I think last night was the first time in ages that we were out back-passed by the opposition.

 

[Paul]

Tbh it wasn't that much different to watching us during the first 2 seasons in the Premier league against top quality teams, defend deep, hit on the break. The main difference is our quality on ball when we break and hold up play. We've struggled with this since the last 5-6 games at the end of last season.
even so we created 3 or 4 really good chances. Don't know this has happened, maybe the opposition has 'worked us out' and why Nuno said at the end of last season we need to change the way we play.

I think the main issue is we have zero hold up play whoever is attacking it either ends in a shot or the ball is coming back at us 10 seconds later. I'm adamant the passage of play that goes Boly - Coady- Saiss - Coady - Boly - Semedo is our back line having a breather
I honestly believe in weeks to come Willian will transfer us back to something like we were before.