₦airaland Forum

Look at that broad smile from Lampard

BikeMan:
Lampard will faint if he changes his formation.

He actually did.

Looks like a 4-4-2

Ibime:
From a fellow Chelsea German

The Huth I remember was always lacking in the cerebral aspects of the game and is certainly not for Chelsea.

Probably still nursing a grudge for being benched by Carvalho.

Kai's manner of play is not peculiar to Chelsea and has always been so - Which he would know if he was a true German.

I do agree about the body language though - Something has been off about it recently

Looks like Tuchel is nicking it, If rumors are to be believed.

Reportedly has a mutual friend with Roman who has been putting in a word for him

nihilistjnr:
Myth myth myth - Take theirr first goal yesterday.

Pic1: Maddison has gone to join Albrighton to play short corner. Pulisic follows Maddison. Havertz is standing at the near post and is the closest man to the corner flag.

Pic2: Before Albrighton even plays the ball, Vardy runs from nowhere and tries to pin Havertz - instead of the mugu to smell a rat, he stands there and allows himself to be held

Pic3: Maddison/Albrighton tagteam Pulisic in a 2 v1 - this is where Havertz should charge out...instead the mumu is just rooted to the spot.

Pic4: Havertz is seen marking pure air instead of rushing forward to stand in front of the ball

I dont believe Lampard should be blamed for the blindness of an alleged midfielder

Lol

Are we grasping at straws now

Ibime:
It's called a high press which if Havertz does his part will result in turnovers closer to the opponents goal.

Agree that Lampard about have switched a low block over the last month given the teams current lack of confidence, but that high press is a staple of Lampard and most modern managers play, however it requires all of them on board. Havertz, Ziyech and Giroud are the reasons that press is often broken, making Mounts efforts come to nought.

My point is Havertz is not as averse to pressing as u say neither is Ziyech ( At least Ajax games last season vs Chelsea and Spurs in UCL involved a lot of pressing)

But as the guy below you say; There has to be coherence and not individualistic displays of pressing. All of this has to be tactically driven.

A lot of people give Sarri flak, but this is one aspect he was trying to drill into the players

babytoun:
Aside Mason I hardly can point one player that lampard has improved..even Mason is debatable because the guy has been performing right from his loan at Vitesse..

Lampard's chelsea, aside being pedestal in attack is also fond of neutralising their own attacking threat ..i saw how from very promising attacking positions the ball was passed back until it got to our Central defenders or keeper ..what i say to this is if they have not been doing this in training and uncorrected by lampard they just can't be showing it in matches .

Chelsea should not only replace lampard but also the scouting head ..i see leicester and seriously envy them ..aside the fact that Brendan has really improved a lot of the players, they have a history of exceptional scouting at minimum cost ...from Kante,Mahrez,Ndidi,Justin,Forfana,soyunchu etc....

If they can get a commitment from someone like Brendan to join by next season ,I will suggest they just get a temp coach to manage till end of the season ..the matter don already spoil and can get worse ..

Reece James was very guilty of this.

I'm not really sold on the guy especially defensively

Ibime:
Seeing is believing. The Leverkusen game I watched 90mins against Inter abi Sevilla, he was just strolling, and he's been strolling since he came to Chelsea

Depends on what he's asked to do by the coach especially one who knows how to deploy positional play and tactics. Especially one where every player is clear on where to be and what to do

For Instance, a lot of Mount's pressing and interception occurs at odd areas of the pitch where he's not meant to be in the first place( Look at his heat maps in most matches) which to me signals positional indiscipline as this creates space across the channels especially between the midfield and attack

That Lampard is most time impressed and hasnt addressed it tells me how myopic Lampard is and explains why he's struggling tactically; Also the body language from the players gives me vibes of those who are not clear on what they are to do on the pitch.

P.s - This was not an attack on Mount, Just illustrating a point

Ibime:
He said football is a running game and anyone who doesn't run won't get in Brendan Rogers team. Havertz fans should take note. We are not in 1990s or 2000s. Havertz will be a tactical millstone around any serious managers neck.

U are so wrong.

Believe me Kai is also good at pressing.

I watched him extensively at Leverkusen. He just has that non-challance vibe in him that makes people think otherwise

U cannot survive in Bosz team without pressing. Not even Messi will and this is not my bias speaking

I think Lampard's last days are here and he knows.

I would have believed otherwise if he didnt make that statement in the press conference yesterday

rooftops:
If we can just hire a caretaker and write off the season and just hope we can snatch Rogers from Leicester

Very Funny

Lol.

I Just heard Lampard complain about our off the ball movements

Funny guy

This team woulda been a perfect fit for Sarri

nihilistjnr:
Fam did you see how complicit Havertz was for the first goal?

You better don't start tonight

Lol..But of course

How Chilwell gets away with a whole lot baffles me.

The Interplay with him is so rubbish

nihilistjnr:
Rudiger and his cement shoes gaan sef...

See James

Chaiii

Are you sure?

Coulda sworn that was Fraudvertz

Looks like Kai Havertz is getting sacked tonight

I would think so with the way he's getting scapegoated here tonight

Almajirihunter:
Only God will help us in that midfield, I don’t have a doubt of Mount holding his own strength wise or even Kova but Kai against Ndidi, Tieemans, Barnes or Maddison na suicide mission

Depends on the formation.

If its a 4-3-3; U may be right

Five Paragraphs on Mason Mount alone

BlueMann:
Remove Rudiger from that list

Also, I wouldn't refer to a poor run of form as an outright regression. The same Kante you said has regressed from last season, was getting praise left, right and centre when he started playing as a lone DMF and looked like he was back to his best when we were in our 16 game unbeaten run. He certainly looked better than he did last season.

Kante is not a lone DMF; How long will it take Lampard to figure this out; Playing players out of their position has been one of my major grouse with him. Again too many players are having this poor run of form for it to simply be a coincidence

The so called 17 game unbeaten everyone speaks of only had Spurs and United as worthy opponents (Which all ended as goalless draws by the way); Even then we still didnt have any identity

nateevs:
Look at this dude talking about embarrassment. Are you phucking around, deliberately trolling, or did you just bang your head?

Did we loan different players to go on a 17-match winning run? Or are you telling me that did not happen this season? So what the hell did you mean by "most players have regressed this season" What the Bleep are talking about with so much arrogance?

This is why I call you a propagandist. You have no objective analysis of your won. Just another blog reader, freaking out over reactionary tweets on Twitter and then forming intelligentsia.

This bad form started in the Everton game. Before yesterday, that was only 7 games ago. Precisely 16th Dec. In your small head, the season started 16th December and 8 matches ago right?

If not, then WTF do you mean by most players have regressed this season?

Personal attacks dont get a response from me

OJURONGBE1:
Agreed, that the team is playing below expectation, Lampard can have all the sticks in the world. He deserves it, but you coming here to say we got lucky playing at Craven Cottage against a Fulham team that got deserving draws against heavyweights like Spurs & Liverpool is flawed.

Fulham played Spurs Midweek within a 2 days notice, currently sit 18 on the table, played with 10 men the whole of second half and we couldnt win them convincingly

Scored a goal in the 80th minute with what I thought was more of Areola's mistake than our effort

nateevs:
Abegi. Mount, CHO, Reece, Chillwell, Zouma, Silva, Gilmour, Kante and Giroud have all stepped up. Ziyech has just been recovering from injury. Only Tammy, Pulisic and Kovacic are suffering from a loss of form.

Werner doesn't know where the goal post is. Not Lampard's fault. Havertz....well we cannot say he regressed when he hasn't started.

So who are these 'most' you refer to?

Propagandist!

Kante Stepped up, U must be Joking.

Did u also put CHO in that Box, Cos all recent improvements from him is Inspite of Lampard who wouldnt even start him despite his good run of form

Propagandist - Please dont embarass yourself, Kante, Kovacic, Pulisic, Werner, Kai, Ziyech, Jorginho, Azpi, Rudiger have all definitely regressed this season, Even Chilwell is starting to look clumsy recently

Please give it a rest - The only reason why I didnt go on a tirade yesterday was cos we got lucky; the way we played was disappointing

Keep making the story about Mason Mount and Lampard while forgetting the fact that most of our players are regressing, Heck even Kante

1 rule for them; another rule for the other players

amodu:
My grouse is not the personnel but with Lampard.

I don't have issues with his selection but his set up.

At least, one can tell the identity of Sarri, Mourinho and Co.

Can you at this point of his second season at the helms give us an explanation on his pattern, tactics, and imprint?

What is he doing technically to unlock opponents who sit back and all that?

Have you ever seen Lampard with a tactical twist and switch?

Is there any coherency in our football?

Proof me wrong about the tactical ineptitude of Lampard and I will succumb.

Touche!!

Amoto94:
Mason Mount created more chances (2) and completed more take-ons (3) than any other player on the pitch in the first half vs. Fulham.

When I said Mount is undroppable the other day some who think that football is soap opera were questioning that assertion, when he's in form he gives you goals and assists plus his normal hustling and bustling and when he's off form he gives you workrate

Any other day, I would ask you to check his xA but not today.

Have your fun

Happy with the 3 points but not impressed with the playing

timbros:
Chilwell, Silva, Kovacic, Jorginho, Mendy threw that "strongest lineup" out the window.

When 5 key players didn't feature in a match, how can you call the starting 11 a "strongest lineup"?

Noticed how you threw in Jorginho in there for the sake of an unnecessary wrangle.

Please reread my statement and stick to the context of the convo

timbros:
Why will you isolate anyone when you clearly confirmed Lampard played his strongest lineup? Won't injury to some key players mean he didn't play his strongest lineup?

Now ure being pedantic.

"I saw a very well under pressure Lampard putting his strongest lineup against a second rate team (without any academy guys on the bench)"

The above was my point and still stands given the lineup

timbros:
Really?

I never knew Kante, Kovacic, James, Mendy, Chilwell, Silva were "weakest lineup"...

I already Isolated Chilwell and Silva. Kovacic an unused sub

Kante and James are injured - please keep up with the team

timbros:
This this Lampard's strongest line up?

Yep

Asides Chilwell and Silva, Everyone who coulda played, Did play

nihilistjnr:
Of course you can only beat what's in front of you, but you should remember to mention who was in front of you when you are quoting stats too.

For instance, Kai Havertz scored a fantastic Hattrick....against Barnsley, a mid table team in the championship

Or Havertz had a marvelous game today with a goal and assist against Morecambe, a mid table team in league 2.

My argument has always been consistent

The games you highlighted were the only ones where he was played as an advanced ( in and around the opposition box) ditto Sevilla and Southampton - or are they small teams now

Cant blame the guy for Lampard incompetence in using him

One more thing - None of Kai stats bias him against small teams in terms of minutes per G/A contribution