Chelsea’s team news from tonight’s game brought the 4 changes that Enzo Maresca had promised in his pre-match press conference.
However those changes weren’t necessarily the ones we expected. Trevoh Chalobah came in at at centre back, Enzo Fernandez in midfield, Malo Gusto on the right wing, and Liam Delap up top.
Chelsea’s workhorse pair running in the red
What that means is that Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo, Chelsea’s two top players in terms of minutes played last season, are starting once again. Not only did they both top the table for minutes played for Chelsea last season, they also both played 180 minutes each in the post-season international break.
There can’t be many players who have played more top level football than those two in the last year. Yet Maresca has continued to pick them both.
He’s just asking for trouble, in our opinion. We have some sympathy in the case of Cucurella, because he hasn’t got an obvious replacement in the squad at the moment. But that’s on Maresca too to a degree – Ishe Samuels-Smith has been great in the youth teams and could easily have made a couple of starts in this tournament.
As for Caicedo, we’ve got Dario Essugo and Andrey Santos waiting for a chance on the bench. We know that Chelsea want to take this tournament very seriously – but still, if you play them now, where do you leave yourselves in the knockout stages?
Chelsea taking risks with two important players
Both of them could easily have been rested against LAFC and ES Tunis, and started this game plus the knockouts. To us, that’s a far more sensible way of running things.
A team that has been ravaged by persistent long term injuries to the likes of Reece James, Romeo Lavia and so many others in the last few years should know to be more careful with their prize assets.
Chelsea FC has a Muppet puppet amateurish manager coach . Where is your billions Chelsea FC owners . Enjoy your wealth , we supporter are loving the club not your wealth . We want to see the team champion not chump . You hire a Muppet manager and stooges SD . Look at the team now . He doesn’t know how to twix the tactics . They are schooled by flamingo . Luis former Chelsea player outwit your Muppet puppet amateurish manager . He subs James and let gusto on field and put in Jackson which is not happy being in the bench and looks at the results, he got red card . Why not replace Palmer being man mark and changes the tactics and formation . Like I said this team will go back early from CWc . This club should own by having a High IQ about football/ soccer and wants to succeed in the pitch . Look at the team , spent billions but wasted , this is not basketball games nor tournaments . This is FOOTBALL Tournament . FIFA brought this tournament to America and the wealthy of owners of this club spend billions and look how they play, good investment in it . And they hired a Muppet puppet amateurish manager coach . You won’t win anything if you don’t changes this manager . Your just blessed lifted the confe leg because of the determination of the players to win it . But this tournament EPL and UCL with that manager coach and the two stooges , you all wasting your wealth . The Lakers changed , I hope CFc too .
I totally understand and agree with you.crowding near goal post does not give result.There are no tactical approach to make the team bring beautiful game with these bigger players.They play like locals street players.Morino,Sarri,Conte, Ancelloti,Huddick , Tuchel’s time was a great club.
Chelsea need a striker and a coach if we want to win cups but not like marasca
If the likes of Jackson are still around next season then forget the Tropies.
My take; there should be more tactical approach to the games than what we saw against Flamingo. We’ve great players, some have to be rotated to give them time to rest. a stroker is surely needed.
Return back palmer to his favourable wing attack,take him away from that midfield of a thing,,if you wan to see the best I’d palmer, return him to the right wing attack please,,,look for a better central midfielder that has the potential to give the finishing pass to his striker, people like fabregas and lampard of the then not palmer in the heart of the midfield pleas,and also a better coach is mainly advisable please,God bless Chelsea fans and God bless Stamford bridge
It’s very bad. I think Maresca has to be serious with the team and playing some players out of positions is no go area, he shouldn’t try that again. I’m a die hard supporter of Chelsea and the previous coaches won’t do that.
Chelsea is a winning team not an experimental team.