Match Threads Chelsea Vs Spurs

[Finchyid]

So on MOtD the say Bentacur was an obvious foul......hmmmmm. How did the ball change direction when Havertz never touched it?

It wasn’t a foul, he got the ball.

 

[spursfan77]

Also, why was Tuchel so rattled today? I know he has some personal issues off the field etc and it must have been a bit nuts behind the scenes at Chelsea these last 6 months but what the hell?

You'd have thought we played them off the park and he was trying to distract from that or something the way he acted.

He’s scared of us. Today told me that club completely is.

 

[Dougal]

 

[Finchyid]

Well it could still be a foul if Bentacur kicks Haverts first. I don’t think he does and he does get the ball. So not a foul.
Though Bentacur did make a few fouls do he could have had a yellow card at some point.

It just wasn’t a foul….
You could argue kulu was fouled for their second

 

[Teemu]

Finally, these last two games, Kane, Son and Kulu have been totally 'MIA' and that has to stop immediately. Wolves, you have been warned!

Son and Kane haven’t been great, but Kulusevski got a goal and an assist and was being talked about as world class literally last weekend

 

[DarwinSpur]

Yet the 4-2-4 was a major part in getting us back in the game. It opened the game up and created chaos in a game that was too orderly.

However, I thought Conte made a major mistake not fixing that after it went 1-1. In any case it's likely we will see it again, Conte did as much as say so in his press conference. But it's a system we need to learn.

I'm no manager - and yes the 4-2-4 definitely opened up attacking space previously denied but...

Why didn't we ever go 3-5-2 and match them in midfield while also maintaining our defensive width?

I love Deki and would be loathe to take him off under most circumstances but he was offering us nothing. Bissouma to match up Jorginho in midfield just seemed to be the play to me?

 

[Barrd10]

It just wasn’t a foul….
You could argue kulu was fouled for their second

I did say that it wasn’t a foul. And I agree you could say Kula was fouled as Currella constantly runs into players and then plays the ball. It’s clever as he gets away with it as he is shorter than the other player.

 

[C0YS]

Conte got it badly wrong today IMO. He should have hooked Kulu for Bissouma and gone to 3-5-2 when it was obvious we were getting overrun in midfield. Also, going to 4 at the back was a major factor in conceding their 2nd goal. With Romero and Dier getting dragged across, Davies had way too much space to cover without a wing back helping him out.

The issue is that Conte doesn't care about dominating possession in midfield. We play 3-4-3 knowing perfectly well that we won't control the game from midfield. The aim of the game is to try and hit the forward players early and quickly. Which we struggled to do today.

I don't think 3-5-2 would have been a good option. It would allow us to better organise our defense against their fullbacks drifting inside but it would have been fundamentally reactive. And would not help us very much in playing in our forwards.

Largely because their CBs are strong and physical and focusing on central areas, where space was limited, instead of the flanks were there was more space, probably wouldn't be an effective way to look for a goal.

Conte's strategy instead was to go for 4 targets up top instead of 3, allowing us to progress the ball forward, in the way we like to, much more easily. It worked. It really really worked. And our best phase of play came after we made that change.

It also exposed our back line, but that was a sacrifice worth doing. This is a proactive and brave decision that stems from the thinking of 'how can we hurt them' rather than 'how they can hurt us'.

It was a major factor, if not the main factor in conceding the second goal. Which is why the formation change needed to be rectified after going 1-1, particularly after how Chelsea reacted to going a goal down. But I think Conte saw it as a game of stick and twist. The benefit of having a chaotic open game is it could also allow us to better score another. Tuchel however tactically changed things to respond to the 4-2-4, mainly by putting James as a fullback and therefore stretch out our backline.

Conte eventually did respond but too late. At 2-1 we did not play well and the 3-5-2 was restrictive. Though now with two more offensive minded fullbacks, but the game had become a lot more emotional at that point and we were likely to get an other chance.

Basically, while the 4-2-4 created weaknesses it also created opportunities. It's worth noting that the 4-2-4 used to be Contes preferred formation before Juventus (and he did start with it at Juventus too) it's not a system he is unfamiliar with.

 

[C0YS]

I'm no manager - and yes the 4-2-4 definitely opened up attacking space previously denied but...

Why didn't we ever go 3-5-2 and match them in midfield while also maintaining our defensive width?

I love Deki and would be loathe to take him off under most circumstances but he was offering us nothing. Bissouma to match up Jorginho in midfield just seemed to be the play to me?

I explained why I think we didn't go 3-5-2. I think we wanted as many forward options to aim for, that's why we kept deki on. It's worth noting that we don't really have the players to play Contes 3-5-2 anymore anyway. I guess PEH could play at the base of midfield at a pinch.

 

[VoteMe4Prez]

I think today shows we do need another attacking midfield option when Kulu and Son can't fire. We will still have a very good season but to bring another option in would drastically improve our chances Would also love if we could get another central defender but I know we may have to wait for that

 

[Finchyid]

I think today shows we do need another attacking midfield option when Kulu and Son can't fire. We will still have a very good season but to bring another option in would drastically improve our chances Would also love if we could get another central defender but I know we may have to wait for that

Zaniolo

 

[isaac94]

Days like these make me long for coco Lamela, not even to play, just cause havoc on the touchline, want sevilla to draw chelsea in the champions league now so he can wind tommy tuchel up

 

[Matrix]

It wasn’t a foul, he got the ball.

Exactly. Utter crap analysis from some so called Pundits.

 

[Yakflange]

Unlike Germans to force their cultural and societal norms on foreigners through acts of naked rage and violence…

Unlike the English then?

Idiot.

 

[bomberH]

Let's see if we've learnt anything from the set piece couch

Pretty good. Connected well with the ball.

 

[hamsup_sotong]

It if Havertz scores his chance they win it.

we had a goood few chances as well. Sonny scuffed a 1v1 , Sess too, Harry missed a gimme( by his usual standards )as well.

 

[DarwinSpur]

Unlike the English then?

Idiot.

No. Very like the English. And the Italians fwiw.

But that observation would hardly have worked for the joke would it?

 

[Spurslove]

So on MOtD the say Bentacur was an obvious foul......hmmmmm. How did the ball change direction when Havertz never touched it?

I don't need to listen to any of the BBC muppet pundits to tell me what I know I'm seeing for myself. NO FOUL. move on FFS.

 

[piedpiper]

Souness won’t be on these games for much longer. He keeps going on about it being ‘a man’s game’ which it clearly isn’t anymore as there is a woman commentating right next to him. I will be quite glad he goes as I think he is rubbish. And generally ingrained anti-Spurs.

There were 22 men playing today going hard at it..... 2 men coaches on the bench. Nothing wrong with that comment. This was a fiesty clash played by men.

All he is doing is saying that....no quarter givenand no quarter taken. We don't always have to be PC..... yes woman play the game too now....but there is absolutely nothing wrong in enjoying men's football and loving it...... I think he just liked a hard fought game like this.....perhaps how he played it.

 

[ziggy]

It if Havertz scores his chance they win it.

Surprised he wasn't booked during the melee after our 1st goal, he would then have been off later.
Also all the fuss about the hair pull by romero, but looked like a pretty deliberate stamp on him 1st half