Chelsea (A) build up thread

[YoungWolf]

Let's move on as quickly as possible and look ahead to this one....

I think Nuno will play a similar system to the one that we played at home to Chelsea (and tonight, eek).

Only question I'd have is who plays as the ten with Gibbs-White having Covid and Podence still not back. Be surprised if Nuno starts, Vitinha, although it is what I would do.

Patricio
Boly Coady Kilman/Saiss
Semedo Neves Dendoncker Ait Nouri
Vitinha
Neto Traore
​

Personally I'd do this (and if Nuno is feeling brave, maybe so will he)

Patriio
Semedo Boly Saiss Ait Nouri
Dendoncker Neves
Traore Vitinha Neto
Silva
​

And may be the first chance we get to see Jose. The fact he's not in the Sociedad squad suggests he's on his way over. Let's hope the work permit gets sorted asap as it is a formality.

 

[Tredman]

Patricio
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Neves - Donk - RAN
Traore - Jose - Neto​

 

[Jabbawolf]

Where’s the creativity in midfield? Vitinha looks like Moutinho rather than an attacking midfielder.

 

[YoungWolf]

Patricio
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Neves - Donk - RAN
Traore - Jose - Neto​

If Jose was in a position to start the game (seems unlikely) would have no issue with this either.

 

[Tredman]

If Jose was in a position to start the game (seems unlikely) would have no issue with this either.

He has to be a better option than the 2 who played today.

 

[Jinky]

Really can’t wait for Jonny to come back. Bloody missed him. RAN is far too raw, for me. Then hopefully with Jose up top and Podence back, we can actually hit some form and momentum.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look like any of those three will be ready/available for Chelsea.

Personally, I don’t really want Moutinho to start. I suspect Semedo, Neves, Traore & Neto come back in for Hoever, Kilman, Vitinha & Cutrone. Nuno will just keep playing Fabio until Willian arrives.

 

[YoungWolf]

He has to be a better option than the 2 who played today.

Oh yeah definitely. I've got high hopes for Fabio in years to come but we will quickly see the difference even purely from a physical point of view when WJ is in the team.

I just don't know if everything quite gets done in time for him to be involved in this one

 

[YoungWolf]

Really can’t wait for Jonny to come back. Bloody missed him. RAN is far too raw, for me. Then hopefully with Jose up top and Podence back, we can actually hit some form and momentum.

Unfortunately it doesn’t look like any of those three will be ready/available for Chelsea.

Personally, I don’t really want Moutinho to start. I suspect Semedo, Neves, Traore & Neto come back in for Hoever, Kilman, Vitinha & Cutrone. Nuno will just keep playing Fabio until Willian arrives.

I think most agree that it should be Donck and Neves from here on, with Joao a more than capable back up/rotation option. In the summer we have to be looking at an upgrade on Donck too I think.

Jonny would make a big difference, I agree on that too. RAN can look fantastic one minute then do something mental the next, once Jonny/Marcal are fit he just needs some time learning from them and getting the time in training to improve.

 

[Kenny]

We are relying on a Government official to work at speed to get Jose involved on Wednesday.

More chance of us working a keeper in the 2nd half

 

[sycophantia]

Jose won't be available will he?
I've got no idea who to play at CB. Semedo back.
Donk and Neves in MF
some combo of Traore, Neto, Silva, Vitihna or Podence if fit

 

[Tony Towner]

As I put on the verdict thread I think there's a keeper question. Rui is a superior keeper to Ruddy in every way other than coming over attackers and collecting balls. I don't want him to play, but if we aren’t going to fix the defending of set pieces then we have to consider it. Nuno played him against Cardiff because of the aerial onslaught

 

[YoungWolf]

As I put on the verdict thread I think there's a keeper question. Rui is a superior keeper to Ruddy in every way other than coming over attackers and collecting balls. I don't want him to play, but if we aren’t going to fix the defending of set pieces then we have to consider it. Nuno played him against Cardiff because of the aerial onslaught

He played him against Cardiff to give him some minutes ahead of a big FA Cup game, but didn't want to do it against an actual good team as we played Chelsea between those games.

No doubt in my head that Rui should play at all. Ruddy's ability to collect crosses is being somewhat overhyped IMO, in the Championship he used to scare the crap out of me patting the ball down to the ground before collecting the bounce. One of the first things I noticed when we signed him was how clean Rui collects the ball.

I understand it, different styles of goalkeeper and everything but it's too big a risk to be playing Ruddy regardless. Especially when Rui is just a top class GK anyway.

Also - I noticed some tweaks to set pieces anyway. Slightly more players actually marking at corners. Defended second balls from the diagonals a bit more proactively too. Not perfect but could see some of the differences to previous games.

 

[Tony Towner]

He played him against Cardiff to give him some minutes ahead of a big FA Cup game, but didn't want to do it against an actual good team as we played Chelsea between those games.

No doubt in my head that Rui should play at all. Ruddy's ability to collect crosses is being somewhat overhyped IMO, in the Championship he used to scare the crap out of me patting the ball down to the ground before collecting the bounce. One of the first things I noticed when we signed him was how clean Rui collects the ball.

I understand it, different styles of goalkeeper and everything but it's too big a risk to be playing Ruddy regardless. Especially when Rui is just a top class GK anyway.

Also - I noticed some tweaks to set pieces anyway. Slightly more players actually marking at corners. Defended second balls from the diagonals a bit more proactively too. Not perfect but could see some of the differences to previous games.

Not so sure about that Rui had a mare against Cardiff away. Like I said I don't want him to play and Chelsea aren't really a set piece heavy side, but if we can't sort the defending out it becomes a question.

 

[YoungWolf]

Not so sure about that Rui had a mare against Cardiff away. Like I said I don't want him to play and Chelsea aren't really a set piece heavy side, but if we can't sort the defending out it becomes a question.

He got shoved out the way for the winner (I maintain it was a foul - but it was weak) but not sure I'd say he had a mare, we were just awful all round in that game.

Gibbs-White and Vinagre also started the home game, we made a few changes after the Huddersfield defeat (ugh) as it was the third game of the week. Nuno's reason for Ruddy playing was the one I gave above (though you may still disagree with that of course as he'd never say the real reason if it was what you think).

 

[Johnny75]

Patricio
Boly - Coady - Saiss
Semedo - Neves - Donk - RAN
Traore - Jose - Neto​

This is what it should be but we have to play Neto and Traore much closer to Jose and have Semedo and RAN provide genuine width and let them go forward and pass forward without fear.

 

[lemonjelly]

We are relying on a Government official to work at speed to get Jose involved on Wednesday.

More chance of us working a keeper in the 2nd half

I'd expect it'd be a civil servant, rather than someone from the government, so there might be a chance.
If it was someone from the government, it'd be a minimum of 3 weeks after it'd be supposed to be done, and just after nicola sturgeon has announced it'll happen in scotland.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Not so sure about that Rui had a mare against Cardiff away. Like I said I don't want him to play and Chelsea aren't really a set piece heavy side, but if we can't sort the defending out it becomes a question.

Think they've scored quite a lot from set pieces, 2nd most in the league maybe?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Zouma has four goals but he's fallen out of favour for some reason (I mean he's not very good, but anyone else they bring in is no better, certainly not Rüdiger).

 

[slink]

Think they've scored quite a lot from set pieces, 2nd most in the league maybe?

Definitely up there, a quarter of their goals have come from set pieces. They should have been 2 up in the first half at Molineux from corners but Zouma and Giroud both missed with free headers.

 

[Freddeno]

I dont care who plays but want more energy, movement, pressing higher up and faster ball tempo..and Neto taking all corners and freekicks except for just outside the box then Neves can have a go if he plays