Chelsea cannot expect to win this game sitting back.

Red card incident: Not much contact really, but you can't argue the fact that it was a terrible challenge from mertesacker to begin with. Don't think ref had much of a choice.

Pandemona

Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts

January 24 2016 16:47 GMT

#4946

Arsenal really hate playing vs Chelsea eh. Can't deal with over the top balls to Costa and Cesc running the show! Great

Hazard to come on sometime in 2nd half to help pick off Arsenal as the keep coming forward.

Rebs

Pakistan10726 Posts

January 24 2016 17:02 GMT

#4947

On January 24 2016 22:19 sharkie wrote:

Show nested quote +

On January 24 2016 21:25 Rebs wrote:

On January 24 2016 20:00 smr wrote:

On January 24 2016 19:48 zeo wrote:

On January 24 2016 11:41 Pandemona wrote:
Leicester, kings of /counter. Can't knock the style it just they NEVER keep the ball, i mean Real Madrid and Mourinho teams as a whole use this tactic but they don't do it EVERY GAME. Vs top teams not god a problem, but Leicester do not have good possession stats at all for a team top of the league. Highest possession was in 2-2 draw vs Southampton at 57%.

[image loading]

Top of league and have 42% average possession over the season and lowest was 33% in a game they won

Football is changing, I think so much work and science went into figuring out how to play without the ball against possession teams that now teams that don't have the ball play better.

A lot has to do with underestimating the opponent aswell. Dortmund was able to win two German championshps because everybody allowed us to counterattack. Players might now that Leicester is damn strong at the moment but they won't be afraid because those aren't big names. Parking the bus in the most extreme way can do wonders as long as you do not allow the likes of Mahrez to dribble through 5 of your players.

Pretty much this, once teams start figuring you out and making it a priority, having a target on your back so to speak, the game gets hard for real. That is something I expect Leicester to suffer from at some point in the season. But I kinda hope they win, it would be a nice story and a hilarious indictment of the quality of the top teams + Show Spoiler +

(as if they arent bad enough already)

With respect to football changing.. Italians had been winning shit for decades by just kicking the shit out of the opponent and using a couple of skilled attackers to go score by themselves.

While its true that the last decade or so alot of work has gone into playing well without the ball, its not so much about skill and hard ability as it is understanding/reading the game and being monstrously fit. Ofcourse there is a team element to it that is hard but gets easier as you play deeper. The deeper you defend the easier it gets.

As for teams that dont have the ball being better. Thats pretty much bullshit. You need the ball to score. If you have more of it, the more chance you have to make said possession relevant. Just because a team here or there bucks the trend doesn't change that. It just suggest that its a relevant way to play like it has been since forever.

Possession based Barca was way less dangerous than current Barca is.
Same with Bayern, possession based Bayern (with better players) is less dangerous than pre-Guardiola Bayern.

There is a limit to everything, Guardiola is focusing way too much on possession.

It was way less dangerous because it didnt have Messi Neymar and Suarez. Possession has nothing to do with it. What makes you suggest this Barca isnt posession based ? Its just that this one is alot less willing to go balls deep into the other teams half and get exposed, has nothing to do with posession. An obviously needed pragmatic change because they got brunt to many times with that.

The avg drop in possession is like maybe 3-4 percent over the past few seasons. If that, you could probably look it up.

And yes Guardiola over does it for my liking, but your examples as usual are rubbish. 1 year of a very strong team that basically won domestic championships it nearly always wins and added the CL to it doesnt make a very strong case. However a team that keeps winning all of this shit regularly over the past 6-8 years does make a pretty good case. You know which is which. And it wasnt Guardiola who came up with the logic of, "if you dont have the ball you cant score." Thats been the case in football since forever. What Guardiola does is totally different and not somethng any team can do and is pretty much impossible to pull off for most squads in the word.

malcram

2752 Posts

January 24 2016 17:14 GMT

#4948

that koscielny body check on fab should have been a penalty =/

Rebs

Pakistan10726 Posts

January 24 2016 17:38 GMT

#4949

Giroud need to be in the game, Chelsea isnt going to be offering to much space. Wenger is a moron. Walcott was never going to get in behind shit and he is pretty useless otherwise.

Faruko

Chile34171 Posts

January 24 2016 17:40 GMT

#4950

With Alexis and Giroud Arsenal had a chance

But Wenger is a moron when he is in pressure

zeo

Serbia6301 Posts

January 24 2016 17:48 GMT

#4951

Remy wtf was that?

malcram

2752 Posts

January 24 2016 17:51 GMT

#4952

yea, remy, wtf was that lmao.

yay, we won!

Faruko

Chile34171 Posts

January 24 2016 17:52 GMT

#4953

Congratulations Manchester City for winning the league

zulu_nation8

China26351 Posts

January 24 2016 17:53 GMT

#4954

Wasn't Giroud carrying an injury?

Pandemona

Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts

January 24 2016 17:53 GMT

#4955

I hate fkn Remy with a passion. Guy is useless and so weak. Offside and then when he gets ball just mehhhh

zeo

Serbia6301 Posts

January 24 2016 17:53 GMT

#4956

On January 25 2016 02:52 Faruko wrote:
Congratulations Manchester City for winning the league

As long as it isn't Arsenal I'm content.

lprk

Poland2249 Posts

January 24 2016 17:54 GMT

#4957

On January 25 2016 02:53 zulu_nation8 wrote:
Wasn't Giroud carrying an injury?

Yes

Pandemona

Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts

January 24 2016 17:57 GMT

#4958

They don't think he was that injured, it was rumour he picked up a knock. You don't start if you have a knock?

Oh well, shocking 2nd half from Chelsea but another standard 3 points from Wenger, thank you sir.

zeo

Serbia6301 Posts

January 24 2016 17:58 GMT

#4959

On January 25 2016 02:57 Pandemona wrote:
They don't think he was that injured, it was rumour he picked up a knock. You don't start if you have a knock?

Oh well, shocking 2nd half from Chelsea but another standard 3 points from Wenger, thank you sir.

13th place hype!