EPL Matchday 2

[DaRick]

1 point from 6 for Chelsea. Not a great start. Mount is looking the part though.

As long as we don't show 2015/16 form after 10 PL games, I'll be pleased enough given the circumstances.

The quantum leap Zouma took from the Man U to the Leicester game indicates that the squad is in fact gelling - and learning - all the time.

We just need not to take the mid-week games (CL aside) seriously.

Azpi is declining though. Needs to be rotated, with a view to pensioning him off.

 

[moomba]

Chelsea just need to be patient. The results will come. The squad is what it is, so use the time now to work out who should be persevered with and who shouldn't.

 

[chef]

1 down 39 to go.

Great to see Mount get his first Chelsea goal, many more to come.

 

[chef]

Azpi is declining though. Needs to be rotated, with a view to pensioning him off.

James will be fit after the international break, cant come soon enough.

 

[Thistle]

First half we played some of the most attractive football I've seen from us in years. Disappointing that Leicester took control in the second half but they are well managed and we won't be the only top side to drop points to them.

I'm the biggest Azpi lover going around but even I have to admit the father time is catching up to him fast and he has been costly.

 

[jd2010]

And? That doesn't mean that's how they play.

No side solely plays for set pieces for the whole game. Even Stoke's Pulis didn't. But it would be crazy of Bournemouth not to utilise Fraser's whipped free kicks from the right especially. I find that guys like King, Fraser and Brooks when he was in last year do have a tendency to go to ground on that side of the pitch. Maybe it's just in the few games where I have seen and it is not a directive but I think it is smart from Howe to instruct it considering how good Fraser is

 

[Bostonian]

Now they have Mooy the sky is the limit for Brighton. It's their title to lose.

Only VAR can stop us now.

 

[SM]

No side solely plays for set pieces for the whole game. Even Stoke's Pulis didn't. But it would be crazy of Bournemouth not to utilise Fraser's whipped free kicks from the right especially. I find that guys like King, Fraser and Brooks when he was in last year do have a tendency to go to ground on that side of the pitch. Maybe it's just in the few games where I have seen and it is not a directive but I think it is smart from Howe to instruct it considering how good Fraser is

Seemed like you were commenting on their actual style not what you think they should do.

 

[Bostonian]

I'm sending out some love for our 6ft7 man Dan Burn.

Started off the season very well.

As tall as Crouch but doesn't look like an awkward Giraffe on the pitch.

 

[jd2010]

Seemed like you were commenting on their actual style not what you think they should do.

They play for free kicks on that side of the pitch. It's not their only way of playing but just a bit of cunning that snuck into their games last season where they didn't try and ride challenges or played for free kicks for the Fraser set piece

 

[Sozabarus]

They play for free kicks on that side of the pitch. It's not their only way of playing but just a bit of cunning that snuck into their games last season where they didn't try and ride challenges or played for free kicks for the Fraser set piece

Definitely a tactic. They must do a lot of work on set pieces because they seem to have a whole catalogue of set piece routines. It’s not like they just lump it in the box.

 

[apollo_creed]

First half we played some of the most attractive football I've seen from us in years. Disappointing that Leicester took control in the second half but they are well managed and we won't be the only top side to drop points to them.

I'm the biggest Azpi lover going around but even I have to admit the father time is catching up to him fast and he has been costly.

The first 15-20 minutes you were ok with the pressing and high intensity but after that the game slowed down and Leicester came more and more into it.
Schmeichel wasn't tested that much after the first goal either.

I like Lampard and like Chelsea as a club so I do hope they have a good season but the Leicester performance (I only saw the first half) they seem to struggle to create outside of pressing and counter attacks. There's a lack of creativity/invention in the side and too many of the same type of player in their attack. Mount, Pulisic, Pedro etc are all neat players but with Mount and Pulisic I don't see anything in their game, any outstanding attributes that'll make them regulars in a Champions League side going forward. They might fit into Chelsea now considering the circumstances but in the long term I have my doubts. Admittedly I've seen little of both of them so the opinion could be off the mark but that's what I see at present.

 

[apollo_creed]

Was a belter. Was even better in the ground watching it live. We'd had so many chances and all that frustration got let out. We all went spare.

Bournemouth are lucky tinpot dogs. Never seen so many divers on one team.

Was glad there was less diving from us as well against Bournemouth. Thought we did it too often and poorly against Tottenham.
Wesley was much better for it on the weekend, stayed on his feet and used his strength. Feel sorry for him as the second week in a row he has copped a stray forearm/elbow to the face and received not even a free kick for it. A free kick/yellow is all I'd expect in the situations for a loose jumping technique but referees seem to miss the stray arms sometimes.

 

[jd2010]

Definitely a tactic. They must do a lot of work on set pieces because they seem to have a whole catalogue of set piece routines. It’s not like they just lump it in the box.

I was never on the Howe bandwagon as quick as the love-fest over there in the UK but there's little things like that which I think he is starting to add to their game which is winning me over. I just want to see them not have a bottom 3 level defence for once before I'm fully convinced. They always seem to be in the bottom 6 for that but their signings of late should help fix that

 

[apollo_creed]

I was never on the Howe bandwagon as quick as the love-fest over there in the UK but there's little things like that which I think he is starting to add to their game which is winning me over. I just want to see them not have a bottom 3 level defence for once before I'm fully convinced. They always seem to be in the bottom 6 for that but their signings of late should help fix that

They didn't impress me much (only one game) but their attack is tricky as it's very pacey (fairly customary in the PL) and their movement is very good.
Don't think they get enough quality from the middle of the park though to maximize the quality they do have in attack.

 

[DaRick]

The first 15-20 minutes you were ok with the pressing and high intensity but after that the game slowed down and Leicester came more and more into it.
Schmeichel wasn't tested that much after the first goal either.

I like Lampard and like Chelsea as a club so I do hope they have a good season but the Leicester performance (I only saw the first half) they seem to struggle to create outside of pressing and counter attacks. There's a lack of creativity/invention in the side and too many of the same type of player in their attack. Mount, Pulisic, Pedro etc are all neat players but with Mount and Pulisic I don't see anything in their game, any outstanding attributes that'll make them regulars in a Champions League side going forward. They might fit into Chelsea now considering the circumstances but in the long term I have my doubts. Admittedly I've seen little of both of them so the opinion could be off the mark but that's what I see at present.

Mount's only 20 - too young to judge. He could do more defensively and I'm not yet convinced with his passing, but his forward movement is good and he's a threat in the box.

Pulisic I was never sold on as a potential top-class player (I would have bought Thorgan instead) but again I'd give him 2 seasons or thereabouts before making a final judgement.

 

[apollo_creed]

Mount's only 20 - too young to judge. He could do more defensively and I'm not yet convinced with his passing, but his forward movement is good and he's a threat in the box.

Pulisic I was never sold on as a potential top-class player (I would have bought Thorgan instead) but again I'd give him 2 seasons or thereabouts before making a final judgement.

Yep agree in both cases. It is very early.

My point was more that i don’t see anything with either of them in terms of quality I would usually associate with a world class attacker but they are both young and im judging of a very limited sample set so the margin for error is quite high.

 

[jd2010]

They didn't impress me much (only one game) but their attack is tricky as it's very pacey (fairly customary in the PL) and their movement is very good.
Don't think they get enough quality from the middle of the park though to maximize the quality they do have in attack.

Conceding goals is their problem. Last year they added Lerma to sure up the midfield and it was still too much for him and now they've added Billing who looked decent at Huddersfield. If they can be a middle of the road side defensively they are a chance to be the best of the rest

 

[Sozabarus]

 

[RossFC]

"No VAR this time!" hahaha

 

[SM]

Moomba's kid?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Mr Patchwork Quilt interests me more.

 

[RPCB]

How about swinging a boot at the cross Martial? I know, crazy theory.

 

[RPCB]

Wow, Martial! 1-0.

 

[RPCB]

Of course.