2015-16 EPL Season

[ederson]

Bloody boring to watch as well of late.

I want Mourinho gone.

It`s amazing how he has changed his mind since the Porto days.

I think he is bored coaching... I don`t see any fire in him. He just parks the bus and waits for some magic. I got him some results and he got complacent. I don`t mind ultra def strategies but not  when you have (or can have) the best talents in the world. I wouldn`t be surprised if hazard truly wants out .....

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Only Arsenal can blow a chance to get to the top of the table after Man City get a point from bottom dwelling Aston Villa.

I'd gladly take the point, but man...

[Who]

I think a draw is a good result for Arsenal. They are not well constituted to play against a team that presses as well as Tottenham do in the middle of the park. Arsenal's attacking play is too focused on playing down in the middle which plays into Tottenham's defensive strengths.

I think teams need to be able to play (1) over the top, or, (2) around and down the wings against pressing teams like Tottenham or Klopp's Liverpool team.

Arsenal had no Walcott or Welbeck to provide pace for balls over the top. They did have a strong target man in Giroud but Ozil is bad at playing off of a target man and looking to be a scorer. Arsenal should have really dropped Ozil for his game and played somebody else. Pity Ramsey was injured. He would have been great at that. Injuries really hurt Arsenal today in terms of being able to play long balls over the top (to pace or off target man).

Arsenal not good down the wings in general. Alexis Sanchez always wants to come inside. Playing a dominant left footer (Joel Campbell) on the right wing who is constantly trying to check back onto his right foot hurt them. Limited ability to get in behind down the flanks and hit early balls into the box. So they couldn't do this either.

I don't like playing a back to goal #10 like Ozil against teams like Pochettino's Tottenham or Klopp's Liverpool. Those teams do such a magnificent job of shutting down that space where they operate and make it a nightmare for teams who normally like to play through those players.

Anyway, I think Arsenal should be happy with a point. Tottenham should feel like they gotten all 3 points today. They were well setup to bother Arsenal and create enough chances going the other way. I think Tottenham were unlucky not to win today.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

The lack of pace is showing with Arsenal, Spurs played a high line most of that match.

We got bailed by Gibbs and a beauty of a pass from Ozil, but without someone who can run behind the defenders, the attack is easy to predict.

I disagree with Ozil. His crosses are on point today and without him, we probably wouldn't have a point.

And Giroud missed 3 clear cut chances. This should have been 3 points for the Gunners.

Who, you think it's better to star Gibbs over Debuchy at right? It seems like Debuchy is completely toast.

[Who]

Who, you think it's better to star Gibbs over Debuchy at right? It seems like Debuchy is completely toast.

I can't get over how bad Debuchy has been. I wonder if is just all part of recovering from injuries and that his comfort (physically) isn't there yet. A shadow of the player he once was.

I'd probably try Chambers at RB first. He played there for Southampton and did a good job.

[Sixth Man]

Four attacking problems

(1) Double pivot = two holding midfielders reducing options for deep midfielders to move the ball forward. Hurting combination play in attack. It is also slowing down attacks and allowing opponent to get more men behind the ball. This is easily fixed by moving from a double pivot to a single pivot and playing two central midfielders instead of one attacking midfielder.

(2) Lonely striker = Diego Costa is up front all by his lonesome and has nobody to combine with. This allows defenders to converge on him and either costs Chelsea possession or slows down attacks enough to make it more difficult for Chelsea to score. This is also easily fixed by playing a 2nd striker up front next to Costa or moving the wide players further up and playing a 4-3-3 allowing Costa some passing options when he receives the ball.

(3) Defensive full backs = Mourinho is very defensive in full back selections & instructions with Chelsea. Again, this is limiting attacking play. Ivanovic has been a problem all season. Playing Zouma as a full back was a disaster in attacking play. Finally, Azplicueta has been moved back to RB (best position) and Baba Rahman (best attacking full back) is finally getting an opportunity. But they still play for Mourinho who doesn't give them much freedom going forward.

(4) Lack of pace to get in behind defense = Diego Costa isn't the quickest striker to begin with and is clearly heavy-legged this season. Football is simple. In attack, you want to make the pitch big. In defense, you want to make it small. Costa's inability to stretch the pitch for Chelsea is allowing defenders to push up and shrink the pitch. Lowering the amount of room the midfielders have to work with and making Chelsea easier to defend.
 
.....

Sick of how badly Mourinho's defensive mindset & tactics are hurting the team.

Bloody boring to watch as well of late.

I want Mourinho gone.

A lot of the problems Chelsea are going through are coaching problems. Mourinho is doing a terrible job. As things get worse, he gets more and more defensive minded and the attack gets worse and worse. Giving opponents more and more opportunities to get on the ball and attack Chelsea on the other end. Giving them belief. And zapping belief from his own players. Not trusting in their talent & technique. Only in himself (Mourinho). His defensive organization.

You nailed it there.  If Mou is sacked soon and Ancelotti returns, a CL spot is still quite possible.  The Chelsea players are badly lacking in confidence right now, and they don't play for the manager any more.  These, however, are issues that can be corrected fairly quickly, but a new manager is the prerequisite.

Another thing - Diego Costa is just a waste of space right now.  Remy should be starting every match possible, IMHO. 

[Sixth Man]

The lack of pace is showing with Arsenal, Spurs played a high line most of that match.

We got bailed by Gibbs and a beauty of a pass from Ozil, but without someone who can run behind the defenders, the attack is easy to predict.

I disagree with Ozil. His crosses are on point today and without him, we probably wouldn't have a point.

And Giroud missed 3 clear cut chances. This should have been 3 points for the Gunners.

Who, you think it's better to star Gibbs over Debuchy at right? It seems like Debuchy is completely toast.

Off recent form, you would have to start Gibbs.  By the way, I enjoyed viewing this match.  Are Spurs the side who will compete with City and Arsenal for the league title? 

[Sixth Man]

I think a draw is a good result for Arsenal. They are not well constituted to play against a team that presses as well as Tottenham do in the middle of the park. Arsenal's attacking play is too focused on playing down in the middle which plays into Tottenham's defensive strengths.

I think teams need to be able to play (1) over the top, or, (2) around and down the wings against pressing teams like Tottenham or Klopp's Liverpool team.

Arsenal had no Walcott or Welbeck to provide pace for balls over the top. They did have a strong target man in Giroud but Ozil is bad at playing off of a target man and looking to be a scorer. Arsenal should have really dropped Ozil for his game and played somebody else. Pity Ramsey was injured. He would have been great at that. Injuries really hurt Arsenal today in terms of being able to play long balls over the top (to pace or off target man).

Arsenal not good down the wings in general. Alexis Sanchez always wants to come inside. Playing a dominant left footer (Joel Campbell) on the right wing who is constantly trying to check back onto his right foot hurt them. Limited ability to get in behind down the flanks and hit early balls into the box. So they couldn't do this either.

I don't like playing a back to goal #10 like Ozil against teams like Pochettino's Tottenham or Klopp's Liverpool. Those teams do such a magnificent job of shutting down that space where they operate and make it a nightmare for teams who normally like to play through those players.

Anyway, I think Arsenal should be happy with a point. Tottenham should feel like they gotten all 3 points today. They were well setup to bother Arsenal and create enough chances going the other way. I think Tottenham were unlucky not to win today.

Yes, it seems that Wenger wants to play narrowly, what with wrong-footed wingers and wingers who like to cut inside.  I personally am sick of this style of play; when Mancini was at City, he did this every match, and it drove me crazy.  It made some sense when Jovetic was playing on the left, where he excels cutting inside, but he was rarely available for selection, which is why he is no longer at City. 

Whatever happened to those good old "chalk on the boots" type of "old-fashioned" wingers we used to see so many of in Premier league squads? 

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Think that the playing style which supporte the classical wingers was found wanting in Europe so teams have been trending in a different direction.

Someone ought to tell LVG that boring football is a sackable offence in the red half of Manchester.

[ederson]

Playing devil`s advocate here LVG can claim that now MU are again contenders.
IMHO that`s bs..... He has spend almost 200m. There is no excuse for this boring boring boring kind of football.

PS Vardy must be the feel good story of the decade (at least)

[Who]

50th premier league goal for Giroud in an Arsenal shirt. In a 113 appearances. Only 7th player in Arsenal history to score 50 league goals for the club. 3rd fastest in club history after Ian Wright and Thierry Henry.

11 goals in his last 13 games. 72 total goals in 158 appearances for Arsenal when you include the Champions League and domestic cups. Throw in the aerial ability, the hold up play, how well he links up with others ... I don't think Giroud gets enough credit for how good he is.

[Who]

Chelsea lost 1-2 to Leicester City. Another loss and more pressure on Jose Mourinho. Chelsea now 20 points behind Leicester City ... and only 1 point ahead of relegation places.

I am shocked to see Roman Abramovich be so patient with Mourinho.

Leicester back top of the Premier League.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Arsenal and Chelsea both look ok, but I am doubting any BPL team will make it to round two of the knock out stage this year (again).  The British teams just aren't elite.

[Sixth Man]

Arsenal and Chelsea both look ok, but I am doubting any BPL team will make it to round two of the knock out stage this year (again).  The British teams just aren't elite.

You really believe my Man City will lose to Dynamo Kiev?  Wow, anything's possible, but even a semi-cynical supporter such as myself will have a hard time believing that.  An exit in the quarter-finals, however, wouldn't surprise me at all, especially against a top side. 

[Sixth Man]

Chelsea lost 1-2 to Leicester City. Another loss and more pressure on Jose Mourinho. Chelsea now 20 points behind Leicester City ... and only 1 point ahead of relegation places.

I am shocked to see Roman Abramovich be so patient with Mourinho.

Leicester back top of the Premier League.

Mourinho just signed that lucrative long-term deal with the club, but if memory serves, that was also true in the third season the first time around, and Roman pulled the trigger early on.  However, this is a bigger contract which will require a larger settlement if Mou is sacked during this season, or even afterward. 

Maybe Roman has someone lined up to take over at season's end? 

Nice to see "The Tinkerman" doing so well.  He's a class act.