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Team for Chelsea...

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,770
99,331
Same as today

I think it probably will be but if Ndombele is ready he should start for me.

Think him and Dier will prove our best balanced cm2.

And Ndombele's passing will improve our ability on the ball.

Games coming thick and fast over the festive period as well.
 

Ron Burgundy

SC Supporter
Jun 19, 2008
7,705
23,267
I think it probably will be but if Ndombele is ready he should start for me.

Think him and Dier will prove our best balanced cm2.

And Ndombele's passing will improve our ability on the ball.

Games coming thick and fast over the festive period as well.

yup. No way will Ndombele play though
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
Same again, don't think anybody other than Son had a really bad game, Sanchez had a few ropey moments but dealt with quite a fucking lot.
 

buckley

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2012
2,595
6,073
Poch 99% of us loved him but one of his failings was he went 98 games since he played an unchanged team .
We can see the benefits of stability already starting to show benefits
 

carpediem991

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2011
8,836
20,308
Same team even though I still shudder seeing Sissoko and Dier pairing up as our CM2.

Ndombele to move to the bench for Winks or Skipp.
 

ajspurs

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2007
22,987
31,167
Yeah I would go with the same again. Unless Ndombele resumes full training tomorrow I don't think there's a chance he'd start and even so I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the bench on his first game back post injury.

Today was brilliant in some aspects and disappointing in others but the aspects that were disappointing are those that I don't think we'll see playing at home, such as not being able to retain possession or neither Dele, Kane, Son or Lucas flourishing in any great way offensively. I don't think it's a game in which it's fair to judge whether someone should play the next game off if it.
 

WiganSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
15,974
32,682
Definitely would not go with Dier and Sissoko. Chelsea are a far different opponent to Wolves, they'll play much shorter with more technical as opposed to physical players.

Winks in for Ndombele if not fit.

Gazzaniga
Aurier Sanchez Toby Verts
Skipp Ndombele
Lucas -- Alli -- Son
Kane
Austin, Foyth, Sessegnon, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Lo Celso

 

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
11,234
46,574
Definitely would not go with Dier and Sissoko. Chelsea are a far different opponent to Wolves, they'll play much shorter with more technical as opposed to physical players.

Winks in for Ndombele if not fit.

Gazzaniga
Aurier Sanchez Toby Verts
Skipp Ndombele
Lucas -- Alli -- Son
Kane
Austin, Foyth, Sessegnon, Dier, Winks, Sissoko, Lo Celso

You would honestly rather see Skipp? Based off what?
 

popstar7

Well-Known Member
Jan 14, 2012
3,036
9,367
I think today's result will have been Mourinho's most valued since he came in. No one's getting dropped bar injuries.
 

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
My XI :

Gazzaniga,
Aurier, Foyth, Toby, Jan,
Dier, Winks,
Lucas, Dele, Son,
Kane

Not a fan of Sanchez. He headed really well yesterday but his on ball play was responsible for most of the pressure we had yesterday. I would play Foyth ahead. Winks for Sissoko - IMO, we need some build up play in midfield.
 

spuradik

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
418
2,434
My XI :

Gazzaniga,
Aurier, Foyth, Toby, Jan,
Dier, Winks,
Lucas, Dele, Son,
Kane

Not a fan of Sanchez. He headed really well yesterday but his on ball play was responsible for most of the pressure we had yesterday. I would play Foyth ahead. Winks for Sissoko - IMO, we need some build up play in midfield.

I think Jenas did an excellent job in identifying the root cause of this problem in MOTD.

Dier and Sissoko are not midfielders that play the ball forward instead they either pass sideways or backwards most of the time. The back passes tend to end up with the defenders who are now tasked with the job of the CMs, i.e. try to find a way to move the ball further forward. In this particular case, the easiest pass for them to make would be primarily to our wing backs (except for Toby who has the ability to make diagonal passes directly to our forwards). The additional time the defenders take pondering to find an outlet leads to undue pressure, due to opposition players closing them down. And as a result they end up making mistakes and losing the ball not unlike Sanchez yesterday.

So while Dier can be defensively decent, he's simply terrible with his usage of the ball. It is his responsibility as a midfielder to link play with the frontline.

This is more the reason why we cannot keep pairing Dier and Sissoko as our 2 holding midfielders. I understand the reason they started against Wolves was because they are a physical side, but the longer we stick with this combination, it will inevitably start costing us.
 
Last edited:

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
11,234
46,574
I think Jenas did an excellent job in identifying the root cause of this problem in MOTD.

Dier and Sissoko are not midfielders that play the ball forward instead they either pass sideways or backwards most of the time. The back passes tend to end up with the defenders who are now tasked with the job of the CMs, i.e. to find a way to move the ball further forward. In this particular case, the easiest pass for them to make would be primarily to our wing backs (except for Toby who has the ability to make diagonal passes directly to our forwards). The additional time the defenders take pondering to find an outlet leads to undue pressure, due to opposition players closing them down. And as a result they end up making mistakes and losing the ball not unlike Sanchez today.

So while Dier can be defensively decent, he's simply terrible with his usage of the ball.
Dier was excellent with the ball yesterday and consistently found the attacking midfielders when he had the opportunity. That was the type of game that so many people think that Winks has all the time.
 

arunspurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
8,807
35,543
I think Jenas did an excellent job in identifying the root cause of this problem in MOTD.

Dier and Sissoko are not midfielders that play the ball forward instead they either pass sideways or backwards most of the time. The back passes tend to end up with the defenders who are now tasked with the job of the CMs, i.e. to find a way to move the ball further forward. In this particular case, the easiest pass for them to make would be primarily to our wing backs (except for Toby who has the ability to make diagonal passes directly to our forwards). The additional time the defenders take pondering to find an outlet leads to undue pressure, due to opposition players closing them down. And as a result they end up making mistakes and losing the ball not unlike Sanchez today.

So while Dier can be defensively decent, he's simply terrible with his usage of the ball.


Dier did what he was asked to do. Post game, I felt he had his best game in a while.

Sanchez has issues not just on the ball, even got out muscled couple of times yesterday. Overall, I feel Foyth is a long term better bet than Sanchez. I feel its time, he gets a run. But then, I dont expect Jose to change the XI against Chelsea, as he normally likes to not make any change to winning teams.
 

Montalbano

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2018
3,917
18,685
Still need to sort our best combination in midfield. If Ndombele is fit, he should start at CM. If not, I would love to see Lo Celso playing the 8. Our midfield is in dire need of a player that commands the ball and doesn't just play it back to our CBs - something that Winks and Sissoko haven't shown much of this season. Unfortunately I don't think we'll see GLC amongst the starters though. If Ndombele isn't fit, I'm sure Mourinho will give either Winks or Sissoko an opportunity to partner alongside Dier here - although I think Kante is going to give them some problems.

Gaz
Aurier Sanchez Toby Jan
Dier Lo Celso
Lucas Dele Son
Kane
Subs: Austin, Foyth, Skipp, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Sess​
 
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