₦airaland Forum

Nihilist:
Nobody ever claimed that our midfield is the best. After all, I posted last summer how the Matic-Fabregas pivot was the most dribbled past pairing in the league...and we still won the flipping thing.

What I, in particular, will never accept that our midfield was the main cause of our terrible slump pre-Hiddink. I had to refuse and reject that assertion and the accompanying implication that we had the 16th best midfield in the EPL because that was a big fat lie...

Corelation does not equal Causation.

Or how do you explain the small fact that Matic, the mascot of the 'Midfield Enthusiasts' here was\is actually terrible in the first half of the season?

Do you honestly believe that the turnaround in our team's fortunes is due to Hiddink?

Jose got sacked on Friday and Gus started on Monday- Yet a team that couldn't buy a win previously beat Sunderland by 2 goals on Saturday.

Abi you think 4-5 weeks is enough to change almost 3 years of Jose's tactics?

See Costa that didn't know where the post was before now playing like a striker again.

Omo lets move on with the team and not deceive ourselves.

Even that serial German false prophet has slightly shifted his stance from 'Midfield is the problem' to 'Tactics was the problem'

Tactics apart, many factors were responsible for our slump in form pre-hiddink, that has always been my stance.

I tend to point at the imbalance in the team more, in this case, the midfield, b'cos when a certain revolt against the manager was reported to be on, a proper utilization of the squad could have had us moving.

Had it been Jose had a fat squad to choose from, do you think a revolt led by certain players would be a problem? NO.

Had it been Jose had competent CM players to choose from, do you think he'd be bothered about Cesc's lackadaisical attitude? NO.

Jose needed to turn to some players to save his season, alas, those he had were the Ramires, Loftus-cheek, Kenedy of our time, ninjas that put the I in incompetence.

So my point stands. The imbalance in the team and lack of depth contributed largely to our slump in form pre-hiddink.

Jose is the last man you'll expect to massage your ego. When he fell out with Casillas and Pepe at Real, it was easy to replace 'em with Diego Alves and Varane respectively. Here at Chelsea, we parade ninnies as squad players. So it is easy for the first team players to revolt against the manager and still be of the knowledge that their place in the team is safe.

This winter transfer window could have been of immense help to Jose, unfortunately, the club had a call to make.

Ain't buying the ''tactics is responsible'' excuse. That wouldn't even feature on my list of probable causes of our slump in form.

azpekuliar:
At some point my 8-match winning run had to come to an end. Welldone.

And you're chaze?

Good game it was I must say with a lot of suspense to it.

Heavy lame inductive reasoning on display.

What's wrong with Nigerians?

Insecurity or daftness?

I honestly need to know.

raumdeuter:
Lack of depth and imbalances suddenly got fixed or better managed in the last 4 games

4 games on the trot and Chelsea is yet to lose a game. Something that was happening every weekend before

When was the last time Chelsea went 2 games without conceding? even when playing Bournemouth, Norwich and Newcastle

Mourinho that would enter the field against Newcastle playing like an underdog or face Aston Villa and be bunkering down expecting them to make mistakes

Superior teams force opponents into mistakes and enforce their tactics on the weaker opposition. A team like Chelsea should be forcing their will on Crystal Palace. Not waiting for Palace to make mistakes and playing defensive.

Even though the changes wont happen in all games, anyone can see the marked improvement in the Chelsea of the last 2 weeks and the clueless ones playing earlier

Dayo you obviously don't know a thing about our problems this season.

So stick to Bayernliga I say.

Adamsdelrio:
My mind keeps telling me this... Mikel will soon become the best soccer player that Africa has ever produced..Just waiting for the right time.

Nigga is above 30. Keep waiting bruh.

The worst thing that can happen to punditry is to leave it to Nigerians to handle.

Jose's tactics is now the problem?

WTF where you last season when thisame Mourinho was breezing past teams?

Why is it hard for ninjas to understand that lack of depth, imbalances and a revolt which sored the atmosphere at Chelsea triggered our downslide?

Lazy football pundits must clean up their act.

slim49z:
Intresting!

I have been looking for offline income streams, as all my income at the moment is solely online. This thread might just be the solution I'm looking for.

Thanks op!

Can we have a discussion off NL with regards to online income streams?

Phew. . .

I was able to beat second placed Chaze in our FA Cup tie. Well, I must admit it was a close one.

The ninja had Dele Alli benched and im pretty sure I wouldn't be here typing had the Englishman started.

Moving onwards!

Meanwhile, it looks like Ibime's Ipukuluibiye got pummeled by a team wey no get crest

pamcode:
lacer this time you eat your words and take that poison ,D,D

I shoulda known McArthur and Jedinak are no longer in business

Funny how some folks now think nothing is wrong with our midfield 'cos we won convincingly today.

Seeing comments like "Thisame bad midfield won today" is quite baffling.

In which world is a pivot of Mikel and Fabregas gold?

We've got injury and suspension to thank for today's victory. It was obvious Palace in the absence of Bolasie, Wickham and Cabaye lacked firepower. We've got Pardew to thank for deciding not to overload the midfield which would have seen Cesc and Mikel getting genuinely tested in the middle of the park Finally, we've got Hiddink to thank for once again doing what he knows how best to do.

Today's victory doesn't and shouldn't rule out the obvious fact that we have a phucked midfield.

4 shots on target, 3 goals.

Efficiency defined.

3pts in the bag.

Call it comeback.

Still we need to reinforce.

Bring on Traore abeg.

Goaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll

Suffer them

This is the efficiency Im talking about. This is our game.

Willllliiiaaaaaaaannnnnnnnn

McArthur and Jedinak are trapped in no man's land.

They can't control this game, they can't restrict our movements.

Cabaye is sorely missed.

nateevs:
Zouma is taking giant strides. Like a boss! I love him.

Meanwhile, the boys are working with the ball, using their evidently superior collective talent to get the ball into dangerous places and causing Palace serious problems.

What we've seen in the past instead, is a multi million pound team defending on the tiny box against a mere Palace.

I cannot remember seeing Azpilicueta bombing forward so many times.

Another noticeable thing is that because the whole team is pushing up against the opposition, it becomes tactically infeasible for Costa to keep drifting left. He isn't playing as a lone and as such, is able to receive play in the middle and interchange passes swiftly with other forward players, which generally improves attacking play. Even Mikel is looking like a midfield mentor.

Apt!

We're playing like a unit.

airmark:
Good game guys. Hiddink thanks.

You can see the intensity is back.

We have a 78% pass accuracy and have made over 200 passes in the Ist half against a disciplined side like Palace.

You can't help but think we're almost there.

JT hasn't lost it, give him one more year I say.

Mikel isn't doing bad today though.

Gooooooaaaaalllllllll

dopeJemi:
And chelsea can't beat crystal palace, Southampton and even Bournemouth at home

Cray season I tell ya

Now you understand hombre.

Zouma is a French monster.

Kid reminds me of Lilian Thuram.

I needed Hazard's guile in this game, shame he isn't going to finish this one.

dopeJemi:
Why? Cause chelsea put the 16 in 2016?

Nah! Cos Manyoo can't even beat Norwich at home.

Cray season!

chrisley024:
If you're into football betting, which I don't advise, stay away from epl.

This season has to go down in history as the most dramatic.

Crazy season.

Mikel Fabregas?

I'll rather die by poisoning.

mencade5:
newbie?
Go and check 4 season's thread to see if am nt there.

That post wasn't for you hombre but if the shoe fits, feel free to lace it