Match Thread: Chelsea v Liverpool

[Red October]

Yes, can he get isak,etikite and chiesa into a front 3 somehow? Gakpo and Salah to get 15-30 mins at end until/unless their form merits a start. And play the fullback for 90mins no matter who he picks. Kerkez may not be at the level we think he's capable of getting to but sadly robbo is near done despite his experience. Unfortunately if we don't play maccs then Jones has to play and isn't ripping it up either. Meanwhile we risk burning out dom and grav. Painfully short of added quality in midfield, no disrespect to Endo but hopefully Bajetic can come back in when fit and do a job somewhere.

It's what's left us all scratching our heads so much. We desperately needed someone else in midfield to do Grav's job. Imagine him further forward with Wirtz as a 10. That could be great. Sadly we won't see it this season.

[teesred]

It's what's left us all scratching our heads so much. We desperately needed someone else in midfield to do Grav's job. Imagine him further forward with Wirtz as a 10. That could be great. Sadly we won't see it this season.

Agree. Really frustrating because that's where he's going to be most effective. People talk about him being one of the best DM/6s in the world. Even if he is that's not where he's meant to play and it negates his best qualities.

[Red October]

Also, he might get fed up of being played out of position in a year or two and go somewhere they will play him in a more advanced role.

[Kev0909]

Will never happen but maybe we should play a diamond formation or as a backup tactic at least whilst we have no wingers, and salah underperforming, pack the midfield but allow them to drift off to the side and help the fullbacks when on the back foot

Slot obviously has a issue with chiesa.. even when he's fit which isn't often, Rio can't start often still very raw, option for the cups and bench though.

Wirtz behind Isak, grav holding Szob maca ahead..... if maca sorts himself out whatever the issue is or drop Maca play Szob/Grav as the 2 with endo behind, we really should've got a new midfielder and a CB..... bit of a farce neglecting these areas then making us weaker on the wings too, whoever's great idea this was needs to sort there heads out.. and Hughes can get fired, questions have to be asked.. but but guehi you say..... more to life than guehi out there

Salah can come on as a sub for Wirtz or to change things up.

Not sure why we're obsessed with 1 tactic we've tweaked to make us as open as a whore in a brothel

we don't seem very good at changing things when it's not going well, only one way of playing... unless that includes best midfielders at the back somehow..

What worries me, slot doesn't have a clue how to use the new boys it seems

[teesred]

Will never happen but maybe we should play a diamond formation or as a backup tactic at least whilst we have no wingers, and salah underperforming, pack the midfield but allow them to drift off to the side and help the fullbacks when on the back foot

Slot obviously has a issue with chiesa.. even when he's fit which isn't often, Rio can't start often still very raw, option for the cups and bench though.

Wirtz behind Isak, grav holding Szob maca ahead..... if maca sorts himself out whatever the issue is or drop Maca play Szob/Grav as the 2 with endo behind, we really should've got a new midfielder and a CB..... bit of a farce neglecting these areas then making us weaker on the wings too, whoever's great idea this was needs to sort there heads out.. and Hughes can get fired, questions have to be asked.. but but guehi you say..... more to life than guehi out there

Salah can come on as a sub for Wirtz or to change things up.

Not sure why we're obsessed with 1 tactic we've tweaked to make us as open as a whore in a brothel

we don't seem very good at changing things when it's not going well, only one way of playing... unless that includes best midfielders at the back somehow..

What worries me, slot doesn't have a clue how to use the new boys it seems

Good suggestion Kev and you're right about a seemingly rigid system we stick to. One of my pals said to me last week he thinks we've got the perfect players to have a back three but it would also mean Salah sitting out.

[Red October]

Agree with the above points. Slot needs to be brave and come up with a way of playing that makes the most of the players we have right now.

Surely we should be using the full-backs for width? Frimpong is a winger isn't he? To make the best use of Isak we need crosses into the box surely. Also, for Ekitike.

In terms of cover, the midfielders need to cover for the FBs when they're forward. Right now Salah is a passenger and I don't think the way we play allows for any passengers.

I think Slot needs to be back at the drawing board big-time to figure out how he wants to play and how to best use the players we have.

[redgold]

I'm not a football tactician, but why haven't we simply replaced last season's missing players and used the same system? We'd be similar but with more cutting edge with Isak. Did we actually need Wirtz or was it to replace Trent's passing range?
Also why did we let Diaz go to Bayern? To Barcelona I can understand, but Bayern? Surely we could have offered him enough to stay rather than move sideways? It feels like we've cut off our left arm and our engine room at the same time.

[Red October]

Will never happen but maybe we should play a diamond formation or as a backup tactic at least whilst we have no wingers, and salah underperforming, pack the midfield but allow them to drift off to the side and help the fullbacks when on the back foot

Slot obviously has a issue with chiesa.. even when he's fit which isn't often, Rio can't start often still very raw, option for the cups and bench though.

Wirtz behind Isak, grav holding Szob maca ahead..... if maca sorts himself out whatever the issue is or drop Maca play Szob/Grav as the 2 with endo behind, we really should've got a new midfielder and a CB..... bit of a farce neglecting these areas then making us weaker on the wings too, whoever's great idea this was needs to sort there heads out.. and Hughes can get fired, questions have to be asked.. but but guehi you say..... more to life than guehi out there

Salah can come on as a sub for Wirtz or to change things up.

Not sure why we're obsessed with 1 tactic we've tweaked to make us as open as a whore in a brothel

we don't seem very good at changing things when it's not going well, only one way of playing... unless that includes best midfielders at the back somehow..

What worries me, slot doesn't have a clue how to use the new boys it seems

What if we did something like this:

Mamar
Frimpong Gomez VVD Kerkez
Jones
Szobo Grav
Chiesa Isak/Ekitike Wirtz

Full-backs would provide width. Jones would be a Mascherano type destroyer. That's his only job. Grav could be more creative. Grav and Szobo could cover for the full-backs when forward. Chiesa would also provide width and double up when defending. Wirtz would do the same on the other side. However as the full-backs would provide width Chiesa and Wirtz would be more free to attack and move where they wish when we have the ball. Isak/Ekitike get on the end of things.

[jozza800]

What's happened to Grav dropping deep to receive the ball. The amount of times over the last week Konate has been stuck with the ball with only the RB or VVD as an outlet is crazy.

We've not been able to get out from the back at all. All 3 central midfielders are so far up the pitch it's kneecapping us at both ends of the pitch.

If this is by design then Slot has got it very wrong!

[Kev0909]

What if we did something like this:

Mamar
Frimpong Gomez VVD Kerkez
Jones
Szobo Grav
Chiesa Isak/Ekitike Wirtz

Full-backs would provide width. Jones would be a Mascherano type destroyer. That's his only job. Grav could be more creative. Grav and Szobo could cover for the full-backs when forward. Chiesa would also provide width and double up when defending. Wirtz would do the same on the other side. However as the full-backs would provide width Chiesa and Wirtz would be more free to attack and move where they wish when we have the ball. Isak/Ekitike get on the end of things.

Not sure about Jones....