27 Sep 2023 06:09:15
Hi Ed001

It seems very obvious that what is wrong with Chelsea currently is the lack of skill/ calmness/ whatever to score goals.

I'd like to hear if you think this is the player's fault, the coach's fault or perhaps just due to bad luck?

I'd also love to hear if you think there are any "solutions" to the problem other than just buying a new strike, which isn't possible until January.

{Ed001's Note - it is never one person/thing totally to blame. Like when a goal is conceded, there are multiple mistakes made in the build up by a number of players for the play to arrive at the point it did. It is the same in this case. There are a lot of things that are causing problems.

Number 1 is confidence, which seems to be in very short supply. That can be fixed, but the usual and most efficient solution is discipline and drilling players relentlessly. Poch is not good at the discipline side, that has always been the problem his team has faltered on when it comes to the crunch. That lack of discipline sees them crumble under pressure. There is a reason why military forces are so keen on tough discipline, because at that moment when you want to mentally quit, it is discipline (whether self-discipline or enforced) that keeps you going.

Without relentless drill and discipline, you are relying on psychological means and/or luck to bring that confidence back. Which is perfectly possible if the players you have are self-confident and believe in themselves. Hard to say whether they do or not, lots of players have a strutting arrogance to hide their deep-lying insecurities, but lots are genuinely full of belief in their own ability. If they have that genuine belief, then confidence will flood back as soon as something goes in their favour. Those that don't have that self-confidence might well need to find some kind of superstition to hang onto in order to feel it.

Luck is a big factor though, as even when you believe in yourself, if you feel luck is against you, then you will not be confident in your chances of getting a win. Right now the players must be feeling it is all against them, especially after the way Caicedo started off and Lavia, Nkunku etc picked up injuries. A chance going in off someone's backside or an opponent scoring an own goal etc can soon change that lucky feeling. One moment like that is enough to make it feel like your luck is turning.

The other big factor is the huge turnover in playing staff, which has been increased by the lack of experience of the new signings. Experience teaches you how to deal with problems and work through them. Bringing in a bunch of youngsters might seem great in theory, but in practice it can just end up with almost none of them reaching anything like their potential without the right experience around them to guide them. Right now you basically have Silva with that experience and no one else. That is not a good situation to be in. I know people will bring up the Man Utd side that 'won it with kids', but that is just absolute bollox. They had a very experienced spine, Schmeichel, Cantona, Irwin etc were 30+. It was not a team of kids at all, just had a couple sprinkled in there. That experience is sadly lacking at Chelsea and it is right now you are seeing the effect it can have. When things go well it doesn't matter about a lack of experience or how little discipline there is etc, it is only when things get tough it matters.

The solution is to grind hard. There is no quick fix, the team just have to work at it.}

1.) 27 Sep 2023
27 Sep 2023 13:06:58
Emil, good question and thanks Ed for your in depth response.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome Tom.}

2.) 27 Sep 2023
27 Sep 2023 15:18:23
Yes good question Emil and great thoughtful answer as usualk from you Ed001, thanks to both of you.

Coincidentally I had just seen a YouTube video posted by Football Meta titled Why Chelsea Can't Score (But Man City Can) which goes into how CFC were when piece made 1st in league for number of crosses and for cut backs from byline into potential scoring positions - but is someone there, and what is there confidence level! - while City 1st for through balls and (I think) from crosses into box from inside forward position just outside it with argument that City technique harder for low block defense to deal with. BUt gthen City do have Haaland!

{Ed001's Note - that is something Pep has always liked as he believes balls from inside forward position on an angle into the box are easier to score from. It was one of the first things he worked on when he became manager of Barca B. That is why he is not bothered about full-backs getting forward in wide areas and tries to invert them all the time.

It works with his set up because he drills the team in it relentlessly, but it is not a natural way of playing. That is why it takes so much work to get it to click and he can go and buy the best players in the world to play those passes. It is questionable whether you have the right players to play that way. You need a De Bruyne or Silva (either Bernardo or David) class player to put those balls into the right areas. I don't see anyone in your team that can pass like that. Enzo is probably your best passer, but he is not playing on the edge of the box like the Citeh players do.}

3.) 27 Sep 2023
27 Sep 2023 16:16:46
Blimey, my fellow posters are on fire with there questions today.

Thanks again for your insight Ed.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome Tom.}

4.) 27 Sep 2023
27 Sep 2023 16:16:56
A very good question EmilSC and a great reply ED01.
I agree totally with ED01 as well, confidence is a huge factor, particuarly with young players who have arrived from different cultures and leagues. Take Mudryk for example, a young player who arrives from a war torn country on his own and is understandably lonely and homesick. After all, these players might earn big money but are human beings as well and I do feel a lot of (fans) don't really understand that they are as emotional as you and I.

The Poch and discipline has been mentioned before and time will tell if he can move forward and create that environment for the players to move forwards. Luck has certainly been against us, particuarly with injuries to key players, if Nkunku had been fit to start the season and Carney had not got injured I honestly feel we would of won our first 2 games against Liverpool and West Ham and suddenly the confidence is sky high, pundits would be talking us up and the belief would be there. fine margins particuarly with young players as well.

ED01 is 100% right, the only way now is to grind it out, keep working hard, keep doing the right things and over time things will change. After all, this is a very good squad of young players and a refresh was needed and has been needed for several seasons now. Should it of been done in such a short space of time? who knows? Should we of kept some of the experienced players? not for me. I do believe it will come good and exciting times are not far away.

5.) 27 Sep 2023
27 Sep 2023 22:01:48
G8, I agree with the majority of your post mate.

Happy to have the win tonight.

6.) 28 Sep 2023
28 Sep 2023 05:44:18
Thanks for the reply, Ed - and great posts by you guys too!

{Ed001's Note - welcome Emil.}