Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth

DJ said:
Fantastic effort Neil.

You’ve called it all along, well apart from Lewis Cook becoming a winger, the team sitting back and soaking pressure to play on the counter, risking muscle injuries in the process and the goal coming from a Championship at best midfielder.

Shame every thread has to turn into the same discussion.
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A bit bitter that DJ let’s just enjoy the win pal.

Not having two up front stranded with the rest of the team stretched, having bodies to bring the ball forwards, midfielders getting furthest forward to create or score goals. We’ve always had the players to do it. That’s all we asked for, and great it’s been spotted.

You need to go and say the same to Fritter and everyone else saying it else it will look like you are just singling me out?;)
 
Neil Dawson said:
A bit bitter that DJ let’s just enjoy the win pal.

Not having two up front stranded with the rest of the team stretched, having bodies to bring the ball forwards, midfielders getting furthest forward to create or score goals. We’ve always had the players to do it. That’s all we asked for, and great it’s been spotted.

You need to go and say the same to Fritter and everyone else saying it else it will look like you are just singling me out?;)
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I haven’t seen other posters dragging the conversation in the same direction on multiple threads Neil. So it doesn’t look like I’m singling you out. I am.

With injuries to wingers, strikers and full backs, this isn’t an Eddie master stroke on formation this was a side that almost picked itself. He had no options to play more than one striker because neither King or Solanke could manage 90 minutes with their hamstrings.

Where Eddie does get the praise is for the style of play and tactics, which is what you’ve been critical of. So some blind point scoring exercise is daft. But whatever floats your boat.
 
It’s funny how injuries forcing your hand in terms of team selection can actually provide the balance a team has been missing for a while.

I would hope that some of the players today have made a case for more involvement going forwards.

Nice to have the real Ryan Fraser back again and have always liked King leading the line I must admit.
 
wingsnwheels said:
I posted this on another thread earlier. 'Any sort of gutsy performance will be better than nothing. I'd love to get something out of this game but can't see how.'
Well we got the performance but I'd never have had Gosling in mind for the winner!
WELL DONE THE WHOLE TEAM!!
:utc::utc:
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Gozza ALWAYS scores against Chelsea!
 
Not able to see the game, sounds like it made a difference having Josh up front, someone who gave their defence no rest. Callum recently has just been casually jogging about up there, we need to defend from the front.

Let me highlight Franno, we al questioned the need to start him again recently and that still stands. But today it seems like he was absolutely spot on back there and lead by example.

The question raised now is how close to this team do we field against Burnley? A different game, at home.....
 
davygravy said:
Not able to see the game, sounds like it made a difference having Josh up front, someone who gave their defence no rest. Callum recently has just been casually jogging about up there, we need to defend from the front.

Let me highlight Franno, we al questioned the need to start him again recently and that still stands. But today it seems like he was absolutely spot on back there and lead by example.

The question raised now is how close to this team do we field against Burnley? A different game, at home.....
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king didn’t need to press from the front probably because he wasn’t 100% and probably because we sat back. Which seemed to give him a little more zip when we tried to break.
 
All 11 played excellent. When I saw the starting line-up I was worried and would have been pleased with a point.

Special mention to Franno, Rico, Lerma and of course Rambo. Stacey was also excellent for the first hour though seemed to get a little tired towards the end; not surprising as he covered every inch of the flanks.
 
DJ said:
I i Where Eddie does get the praise is for the style of play and tactics, which is what you’ve been critical of. So some blind point scoring exercise is daft. But whatever floats your boat.
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He deserves the praise for the style of play and tactics tonight... he got it bang on and long may it continue. I said on my post from California that he takes longer than we like to find change but historically he always does.

As I’ve always said there will be other games when 4-4-2 is the way to play (maybe even next week) . It’s less about the system and more about catching teams out, players breaking lines and being fluid to situations. Chelsea would not have been expecting that today and that’s what it is all about.

Let’s not point score at individuals you are better than that. It’s Christmas and we’ve just won away at Chelsea.
 
DJ said:
I haven’t seen other posters dragging the conversation in the same direction on multiple threads Neil. So it doesn’t look like I’m singling you out. I am.

With injuries to wingers, strikers and full backs, this isn’t an Eddie master stroke on formation this was a side that almost picked itself. He had no options to play more than one striker because neither King or Solanke could manage 90 minutes with their hamstrings.

Where Eddie does get the praise is for the style of play and tactics, which is what you’ve been critical of. So some blind point scoring exercise is daft. But whatever floats your boat.
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Dunno what your issue is really mate, it’s been blindingly obvious that on numerous occasions this season we have not been able to get ahold of the ball due to be outnumbered in midfield, many of us have been saying for a while that we needed an extra body in there to help us get a foothold, today we did that and we won! There is NO point in having 2 strikers on the pitch if you can’t work the ball to them in advanced positions! It baffles me how anyone cannot see this!
 
Waz afcb said:
Dunno what your issue is really mate, it’s been blindingly obvious that on numerous occasions this season we have not been able to get ahold of the ball due to be outnumbered in midfield, many of us have been saying for a while that we needed an extra body in there to help us get a foothold, today we did that and we won! There is NO point in having 2 strikers on the pitch if you can’t work the ball to them in advanced positions! It baffles me how anyone cannot see this!
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Have a day off FFS....:D
 
Was unable to follow the game today but just opened the The Verdict thread and it appears that somehow this threadbare group of players and Eddie are coming home from The Bridge with all three points ( 3 in 5 there now - wtf ???? ). All I can say is wow, just wow ! Will try to find a VOD stream where I can enjoy those 90 momentous minutes plus stoppage time.
When I read that we had two NEW injuries by the time the team was announced I was just hoping we’d somehow keep the score somewhere the right side of embarrassing. Never would I have thought that we’d be coming back with all three points.
This club just continues to surprise and amaze in equal measure.
Thanks to all who travelled and got the boys over the line in what must have been very tense final minutes and thanks to all on here who never gave up hope of another AFCB Christmas miracle !

Only downside I see, does this win mean that Snoots’ NNM ban is set to continue ??? Maybe we should just have NNMs on non match days snoots, no need for a blanket ban I feel ;)

So chuffed tonight, now where’s that Whisky for special occasions ?

EFFING:utc:
 
Waz afcb said:
Dunno what your issue is really mate, it’s been blindingly obvious that on numerous occasions this season we have not been able to get ahold of the ball due to be outnumbered in midfield, many of us have been saying for a while that we needed an extra body in there to help us get a foothold, today we did that and we won! There is NO point in having 2 strikers on the pitch if you can’t work the ball to them in advanced positions! It baffles me how anyone cannot see this!
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I do find this ironic that this is being thrown towards me. Considering I used to call for three in midfield in the Championship because games went by that we struggled to get a foothold in the game...

...but then the players put the effort in, evolved and showed they can dominate the ball in midfield despite having a man less etc.

It’s the same now, just different challenges in the Premier League and different managers.

The focus isn’t on the formation on paper whether 2 central midfielders or 3. It’s whether the players take responsibility on the pitch for their performance.

It’s too simplistic to just call out a formation if the players don’t perform or celebrate it when they do at this level. It’s not football manager and just hitting play.

You can name a 4-4-1-1 and it can evolve during a game the central pair can both drop deep or create a diamond, the wingers can get chalk on their boots or tuck inside and you dominate with a narrow midfield, the number 10 can drop into midfield to make the 5 or drift out wide etc etc etc. The wingers can push on and it’s really a 4-2-3-1 and so on and so on.

Formations under Eddie the further up the ladder we’ve gone are always fluid and playing a different tactic or style depending on the opposition.

Yes sometimes the game plan can be wrong, sometimes he shouldn’t match up and should concentrate on us to force the opposition to change, but more often than not it’s the players that make it successful or a failure depending on tempo, attitude, pressing.

That’s what was wrong in recent games and those performances would have happened regardless of formation.
 
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