Brestar:
You rate Matic? Humour me!

Spot the difference ! We all still need a Matic

Ibime:


It is all good getting praise when Messi and co win games for you while you contribute few goals and assists per season. Why should we not ask what you brought to the table when Messi and co couldn't perform? Imagine you played with Malouda and Kalou, is this what you will be serving us while we keep losing, waiting for Malouda and Kalou to provide the difference every game?

Look, I'm not blaming him for 4-0 defeat. I'm just saying read and watch his midfield play, the low volume of passes for those who claim he controlled midfield when it was Xavi. The inability to see and pass more than 10 yards to players in space and the low assist rate that comes with that short range vision.

It takes calmness and concentration to analyse midfield play. It is not something you can do in canopy with all the noise and drinking going on. That's why I ask you to watch his midfield play with concentration at home but NEPA won't allow you. Up Nepa!

At 33 he is still like an old wine in a new bottle,He is still one of the Five best midfielders in the world right now

like we've said many times,Barcelona are not chelsea or arsenal that depend on their midfielder to supply their attacking ammunition with goals and assists
we have MSN to do that,just like Madrid have BBC doing that as well,apart from kroos who has a meaningful number of assists,roughly bcus of his set piece techniques, and not from open play,


PSG tactics outclassed barca,that was why iniesta was overshadowed, and was unable to string out defence splitting passes,they pressed barca,engaged themselves in a lot interceptions and also retained the ball well

moreover a midfielder with Adre gomes will always suffer no matter whom you are playing with..

dyabman:


I suppose Belotti took u out last night

Breastar and Belotti are like .. Where's that mugabe's hand , someone should help me oo

I think you meant "Jacob Zuma's" . Belotti's on another pedestal.

Brestar:

I think you meant "Jacob Zuma's" . Belotti's on another pedestal.

Gbam ! Jacob Zuma's .. I hope Conte brings your dream player to Chelsea this summer. We can't just depend on Costa yet again this coming season .. UCL , Fa cup , ELC, EPL .. I'm sure Conte has something to prove in the UCL especially to ninjas like raumdeuter and his slaves

raumdeuter:


Yes the signing of backroom staff but they can't sign pep players when another coach was still in control

we both know that this is not true. Man city had already decided not to keep Pellegrini even before the beginning of last season. There is no way that the backroom staff of man city wouldn't have started to sign players in preparation of the coming of pep regardless of who was at the helm of affairs then. Pep is their long term plan, and they can't afford to use the short term plan to make the long term plan difficult to actualize.

nateevs:


Now let's go get the "middle ground" man between Fabregas and Matic - Marco V.

Unfortunately, Marco V wants a Barca move.

Griffon:

Unfortunately, Marco V wants a Barca move.

Let's entice him with money

nateevs:




Now let's go get the "middle ground" man between Fabregas and Matic - Marco V.

Marco Verrati is not a hybrid of Fab and Matic. He is a playmaker in the mold of Fabregas but arguably not even as good.

Veratti didn't do anything that Fabregas would not have done yesterday, especially with Matudi and Rabiot doing hatchet jobs in that midfield to protect him.

If we sign Veratti today, Conte will still play Matic ahead of him based on 'defensive stability'. Not only is he a Fab clone, he is also a midget.

Nihilist:


Marco Verrati is not a hybrid of Fab and Matic. He is a playmaker in the mold of Fabregas but arguably not even as good.

Veratti didn't do anything that Fabregas would not have done yesterday, especially with Matudi and Rabiot doing hatchet jobs in that midfield to protect him.

If we sign Veratti today, Conte will still play Matic ahead of him based on 'defensive stability'. Not only is he a Fab clone, he is also a midget.

Frstly, I am not sure I am not sure the "middle ground" man has to be a perfect hybrid. He just has to have enough attributes of both players to be formidable. The idea is not to have a player that will do something Fab cannot do. If there was such a player, then we are back to square one in terms of defensive porosity and we will certainly have to change the formation.

If we will stick to a 3-4-3, then we can with Kante and Verratti, despite both being short. We just have to make sure the Alonso and Moses' upgrade don't arrive as midgets as well. For toughness and aggressiveness that Verratti has in his play, I consider him the perfect "middle ground" man.

And I didn't reach this conclusion yesterday. I already said this about 2 months ago and Ibime replied saying we probably don't have the pulling power to get a Verratti anymore.

Brestar:

I really do think we need a new striker. Scenes if we get Belotti, He is much more talented than Diego. I just hope this is one of those "fake news" from The Sun. We need those £80m.

It's not a speculation, the deal is happening. Costa has proven himself at the bridge, lets just keep him. Batman is a good back-up, we can only get to bolster that department by recalling Tammy.

We dont have to splash cash addressing a non-existent problem.

Nihilist:


Marco Verrati is not a hybrid of Fab and Matic. He is a playmaker in the mold of Fabregas but arguably not even as good.

Veratti didn't do anything that Fabregas would not have done yesterday, especially with Matudi and Rabiot doing hatchet jobs in that midfield to protect him.

If we sign Veratti today, Conte will still play Matic ahead of him based on 'defensive stability'. Not only is he a Fab clone, he is also a midget.

Nawa o, some body cannot be short in peace again

Nihilist:


Marco Verrati is not a hybrid of Fab and Matic. He is a playmaker in the mold of Fabregas but arguably not even as good.

Veratti didn't do anything that Fabregas would not have done yesterday, especially with Matudi and Rabiot doing hatchet jobs in that midfield to protect him.

If we sign Veratti today, Conte will still play Matic ahead of him based on 'defensive stability'. Not only is he a Fab clone, he is also a midget.

Nobody has the vision of Fabregas since Pirlo, Alonso and Xavi left earth. That is not the contention here.

Verrati is well defensively solid. That is the koko.

You saw Rabiot and Matuidi alongside him yesterday does not mean he is not a DM himself. It is usually him and Motta sitting, with Matuidi given licence to roam. Hazard knows what Verratti did to him couple of seasons ago in the right sided DM position.

nateevs:



Frstly, I am not sure I am not sure the "middle ground" man has to be a perfect hybrid. He just has to have enough attributes of both players to be formidable. The idea is not to have a player that will do something Fab cannot do. If there was such a player, then we are back to square one in terms of defensive porosity and we will certainly have to change the formation.

If we will stick to a 3-4-3, then we can with Kante and Verratti, despite both being short. We just have to make sure the Alonso and Moses' upgrade don't arrive as midgets as well. For toughness and aggressiveness that Verratti has in his play, I consider him the perfect "middle ground" man.

And I didn't reach this conclusion yesterday. I already said this about 2 months ago and Ibime replied saying we probably don't have the pulling power to get a Verratti anymore.

My point is that Conte will still play Matic over Veratti. And I'm basing this on the evidence before me. Matic isn't in the team based on what he brings to the team (which as we have seen in recent matches is the square root of fuckall), Matic is in the team because of what he is supposed to bring to the team which is an important enough distinction. Matic starting over Fabregas is not justified by match performances, so it stands to reason that Conte does not believe there's a place for a non-physical playmaker in his current system regardless of form. That's why I'm pretty sure that Matic will start over Veratti no matter what.

Ibime:


Nobody has the vision of Fabregas since Pirlo, Alonso and Xavi left earth. That is not the contention here.

Verrati is well defensively solid. That is the koko.

You saw Rabiot and Matuidi alongside him yesterday does not mean he is not a DM himself. It is usually him and Motta sitting, with Matuidi given licence to roam. Hazard knows what Verratti did to him couple of seasons ago in the right sided DM position.

Verrati is a dirty player, but so are Fabregas and David Silva. If you play Fabregas with Motta/Rabiot/Verratti the result would be the same. The real koko here is that the real destroyers in that team know themselves. Veratti's main job is to be a playmaker...and that's a role that Conte does not seem to recognise

Nihilist:


Marco Verrati is not a hybrid of Fab and Matic. He is a playmaker in the mold of Fabregas but arguably not even as good.

Veratti didn't do anything that Fabregas would not have done yesterday, especially with Matudi and Rabiot doing hatchet jobs in that midfield to protect him.

If we sign Veratti today, Conte will still play Matic ahead of him based on 'defensive stability'. Not only is he a Fab clone, he is also a midget.

For my central midfield duties, I'll have Veratti. For my 3-4-3, I'll have Veratti.

There are few CMs out there who can win you back possession in few minutes and get to retain it. Veratti tops that list for me. He's no Cesc's clone, he is much effective.

Last nite, he was heavily involved in the hatchet job that was carried out in that midfield, recording a 90% pass accuracy in the process.

Did you know, Marco Verratti has never lost a UCL home game as a PSG player? No be today I begin dey eye that dude walahi.

Nihilist:


Verrati is a dirty player, but so are Fabregas and David Silva. If you play Fabregas with Motta/Rabiot/Verratti the result would be the same. The real koko here is that the real destroyers in that team know themselves. Veratti's main job is to be a playmaker...and that's a role that Conte does not seem to recognise

Fabregas and Silva are dirty in the way Paul Scholes was dirty . . . . just because they can't physically make up the ground to keep up with play and are always out of position, so they swipe you from behind.

Veratti is dirty in the way Nigel De Jong was dirty. . . . he is not out of position or struggling to keep up with play, he's just a wicked mothaphucka.

Nihilist:


My point is that Conte will still play Matic over Veratti. And I'm basing this on the evidence before me. Matic isn't in the team based on what he brings to the team (which as we have seen in recent matches is the square root of fuckall), Matic is in the team because of what he is supposed to bring to the team which is an important enough distinction. Matic starting over Fabregas is not justified by match performances, so it stands to reason that Conte does not believe there's a place for a non-physical playmaker in his current system regardless of form. That's why I'm pretty sure that Matic will start over Veratti no matter what.

Veratti is in possession of that which Matic is supposed to bring to the pitch. The Serbian can't bench him anywhere on earth.

Griffon:


For my central midfield duties, I'll have Veratti. For my 3-4-3, I'll have Veratti.

There are few CMs out there who can win you back possession in few minutes and get to retain it. Veratti tops that list for me. He's no Cesc's clone, he is much effective.

Last nite, he was heavily involved in the hatchet job that was carried out in that midfield, recording a 90% pass accuracy in the process.

Did you know, Marco Verratti has never lost a UCL home game as a PSG player? No be today I begin dey eye that dude walahi.

What you will have is in all honesty irrelevant. The Koko is what Conte will have. I would have Fabregas in our current 3-4-3, but regardless of his almost guaranteed assists or goal in all the games he's played so far this season, Conte still feels that a misfiring bean pole is the way to go.

This suggests to me that Conte does not want, need, or really reckon with creative type midfielders in his current 343 setup.

Griffon:


Veratti is in possession of that which Matic is supposed to bring to the pitch. The Serbian can't bench him anywhere on earth.

I bet Matic can't believe he works at a club where he benches Fabregas either..

Ibime:


Fabregas and Silva are dirty in the way Paul Scholes was dirty . . . . just because they can't physically make up the ground to keep up with play and are always out of position, so they swipe you from behind.

Veratti is dirty in the way Nigel De Jong was dirty. . . . he is not out of position or struggling to keep up with play, he's just a wicked mothaphucka.

Depends on where ground is though. 433 is a different ball game to 4231 or 343. That spare man can make the extra difference.

Nihilist:


What you will have is in all honesty irrelevant. The Koko is what Conte will have. I would have Fabregas in our current 3-4-3, but regardless of his almost guaranteed assists or goal in all the games he's played so far this season, Conte still feels that a misfiring bean pole is the way to go.

This suggests to me that Conte does not want, need, or really reckon with creative type midfielders in his current 343 setup.

Tou-frickin-che.
Playing an overstretched Serbian kwarshiorkor patient who contributes absolutely nothing to a midfield that already has a destroyer. When Fabregas is on the bench. Smh....

Nihilist:


What you will have is in all honesty irrelevant. The Koko is what Conte will have. I would have Fabregas in our current 3-4-3, but regardless of his almost guaranteed assists or goal in all the games he's played so far this season, Conte still feels that a misfiring bean pole is the way to go.

This suggests to me that Conte does not want, need, or really reckon with creative type midfielders in his current 343 setup.

Fabregas does not come on as a DM in the 3-4-3.

Fabregas comes on as an AM in a 3-5-2 when he comes on late in games to exploit gaps with the opposition chasing the game after we have already won the game with the 3-4-3.

Don't equate what Fabregas does as a late substitute with what would be required of him as a starting 3-4-3 midfielder. Give credit to the niggas who won the game from 0-70 minutes, not the icing on the cake.

3-4-3 midfield has no place for Fab4. The midfield is a two pincer movement, left and right. LCM helps Alonso and RCM helps Moses. This is not a case of one sitting and one forward. The two man midfield movement is lateral, not vertical. The attacking is through the wingers and wing-backs. If Fabregas knows he can help Alonso out, he should step forward, not talking about "I'm creative while Kante is sitting". Kante is not sitting for anybody. Kante has job to do with Moses on the right-side. Fabregas job will be to maintain the shape on the left-side.

Ibime:


Fabregas does not come on as a DM in the 3-4-3.

Fabregas comes on as an AM in a 3-5-2 when he comes on late in games to exploit gaps with the opposition chasing the game after we have already won the game with the 3-4-3.

Don't equate what Fabregas does as a late substitute with what would be required of him as a starting 3-4-3 midfielder. Give credit to the niggas who won the game from 0-70 minutes, not the icing on the cake.

3-4-3 midfield has no place for Fab4. The midfield is a two pincer movement, left and right. LCM helps Alonso and RCM helps Moses. This is not a case of one sitting and one forward. The two man midfield movement is lateral, not vertical. The attacking is through the wingers and wing-backs. If Fabregas knows he can help Alonso out, he should step forward, not talking about "I'm creative while Kante is sitting". Kante is not sitting for anybody. Kante has job to do with Moses on the right-side. Fabregas job will be to maintain the shape on the left-side.

And you have seen how much Matic has 'helped' Alonso, haven't you?

Unlimited22:

And you have seen how much Matic has 'helped' Alonso, haven't you?

Yes, he's helped Alonso to be our most creative wingback. Helped Alonso to the best defensive record in EPL. Helped Alonso to 20 wins in 25 games.

Our whole left-side should have collapsed completely by now if you believe the talk about Alonso, Matic and Cahill all being clueless. . . . compounded by the fact that Hazard is not expected to contribute defensively as much as Pedro on the other side.

Men and Women lie, numbers don't.

Ibime:


Fabregas does not come on as a DM in the 3-4-3.

Fabregas comes on as an AM in a 3-5-2 when he comes on late in games to exploit gaps with the opposition chasing the game after we have already won the game.

Don't equate what Fabregas does as a late substitute with what would be required of him as a starting 3-4-3 midfielder. Give credit to the niggas who won the game from 0-70 minutes, not the icing on the cake.

This would be true if Fabregas has not started games in the 3-4-3 formation and provided assists or scored

3-4-3 midfield has no place for Fab4. The midfield is a two pincer movement, left and right. LCM helps Alonso and RCM helps Moses. This is not a case of one sitting and one forward. The two man midfield movement is lateral, not vertical. The attacking is through the wingers and wing-backs. If Fabregas knows he can help Alonso out, he should step forward, not talking about "I'm creative while Kante is sitting". Kante is not sitting for anybody. Kante has job to do with Moses on the right-side.

All this one is theory. In real life Matic is as static and anonymous as the centre circle so if we try to justify inclusion based on movement, Matic still doesn't justify his inclusion in the team. If we try to justify inclusion based on LCM helping the LWB, then that one is a major fail as every man and his dog knows where Chelsea's weak spot is.

Like I said, Matic is in the team based on what he is supposed to do, not what he actually does.

Nihilist:

Like I said, Matic is in the team based on what he is supposed to do, not what he actually does.

Tell that to the league table and the Goals conceded column.

Ibime:


Yes, he's helped Alonso to be our most creative wingback. Helped Alonso to the best defensive record in EPL. Helped Alonso to 20 wins in 25 games.

Our whole left-side should have collapsed completely by now if you believe the talk about Alonso, Matic and Cahill all being clueless. . . . compounded by the fact that Hazard is not expected to contribute defensively as much as Pedro on the other side.

Men and Women lie, numbers don't.

This part here is just goldplating a turd. I could equally argue that Costa and Pedro are equally responsible for our defensive record. I can equally argue that Courtois is equally responsible for for our 20 wins in 25 games.

Abegii...

There are two reasons for our defensive record

1. We play 5 defenders at the back
2. Kante

The same midfield 2 in Matic and Kante were playing together when we were overrun in midfield playing back 4. The same Cahill and Luiz were looking like mumus. The same Alonso came on to a terruble debut in a back 4.

We include an extra centreback and find defensive stability, and you want to give mumu Matic credit for that? Credit for what exactly?

Let's call a spade a spade abeg.

Ibime:


Fabregas does not come on as a DM in the 3-4-3.

Fabregas comes on as an AM in a 3-5-2 when he comes on late in games to exploit gaps with the opposition chasing the game after we have already won the game with the 3-4-3.

Don't equate what Fabregas does as a late substitute with what would be required of him as a starting 3-4-3 midfielder. Give credit to the niggas who won the game from 0-70 minutes, not the icing on the cake.

3-4-3 midfield has no place for Fab4. The midfield is a two pincer movement, left and right. LCM helps Alonso and RCM helps Moses. This is not a case of one sitting and one forward. The two man midfield movement is lateral, not vertical. The attacking is through the wingers and wing-backs. If Fabregas knows he can help Alonso out, he should step forward, not talking about "I'm creative while Kante is sitting". Kante is not sitting for anybody. Kante has job to do with Moses on the right-side. Fabregas job will be to maintain the shape on the left-side.

Have we lost any game using 3-4-3 with Fabregas starting?? I don't understand that bolded line.

Matic doesn't help Alonso out in any way, opponents find joy against us going through those two poles, one offers a little bit more in goals while the other(Matic) offers nothing. Maybe we've been seeing different games sha.

Ibime:


Tell that to the league table and the Goals conceded column.

Thanks to Pedro's defensive input of course

All hail Pedro!

Nihilist:


What you will have is in all honesty irrelevant. The Koko is what Conte will have. I would have Fabregas in our current 3-4-3, but regardless of his almost guaranteed assists or goal in all the games he's played so far this season, Conte still feels that a misfiring bean pole is the way to go.

This suggests to me that Conte does not want, need, or really reckon with creative type midfielders in his current 343 setup.

Dont blame Conte, blame the setup.

The 3-4-3 has enough attacking firepower that it doesnt really need a creative CM in its midfield. Basically, what you need is two monsters to win you back possession and make a quick transition to the five guys upfront (full-backs included).

Matic was averaging 3.5 tackles per game last two years, you can't possibly drop him for Cesc who has never featured on the top tacklers list ever. Matic's excellent track record is why he's starting games not really Conte's preference.

If Conte sees a ninja with a better track record, in this case, Veratti, Matic is heading straight to the bench.

Griffon:


Dont blame Conte, blame the setup.

The 3-4-3 has enough attacking firepower that it doesnt really need a creative CM in its midfield. Basically, what you need is two monsters to win you back possession and make a quick transition to the five guys upfront (full-backs included).

Matic was averaging 3.5 tackles per game last two years, you can't possibly drop him for Cesc who has never featured on the top tacklers list ever. Matic's excellent track record is why he's starting games not really Conte's preference.

If Conte sees a ninja with a better track record, in this case, Veratti, Matic is heading straight to the bench.

Exactly. Matic is in the team based on what he is supposed to be doing. You may have a point with that tackling angle though. The only issue is Verrati is not a monster. As small as Kante is, he is still taller and heavier than Verrati. Verratti is very close to the ground. If you were in the same room with him, you might mistake him for a coffee table and rest your glass of ciroc on his head. I cannot see how Conte will play such a a guy over Matic. I really can't.

Nihilist:


I bet Matic can't believe he works at a club where he benches Fabregas either..

Why wont he believe it? He is more physical and has never been out-tackled by Cesc.

You go lose that bet.