Man City v Everton. 6th Dec at 17.30.

[Tubey]

Our first glimpse of a ruined future where Chelsea City F.C are formed and the Premier League season just consists of them going to Etihad Bridge and lifting the trophy in mid August.

Oh well, if that means we don't have to watch Baines take another corner then so be it....

Baines has a worst left foot than his right these days. See that attempted cross in the first half that literally zoomed at the first mans head?

Christ.

 

[Del]

And I've said this myself, many times. Search the Lukaku thread if you like.

BUT he still needs to offer more to the team if we're using a system which relies on the ball to stick up front. If he's not doing that, then he's piss poor at what he's being asked to do. It's that simple - it may not be his fault, but it's true nevertheless.

And to be fair, I'm not asking him to be a technical superstar - I'm just asking for him to able to take a simple pass and not have it cannon off him 5 yards. For £28m (and yes, the price tag matters), you'd expect as much.

He's invisible for 85 minutes a game at the moment. It's not good enough, and people who moan about the lack of service should instead be moaning a supposedly 'potential world class talent' who has now had over 12 months to learn how to trap a ball in this system and looks as clueless as day one.

What would you have him do? Obviously his passing and control are an issue but in regards to his play

 

[diggerdestroyer]

Distin has been putting in wildy fluctuating performances, he seems to be either excellent or awful with little middleground.

It has never been any other way with him. I had a nickname for him silvan "one mistake Distan as he always made one drastic mistake per game. Then it became "5mistakes" I lost interest in him after that. Granted he can have the odd good game but will never ever be good enough to play in champs league so as long as we have to to send out players like howard Hibbert osman and Distan it's always gonna be a 7/8/9 /10 league finish.

 

[Tubey]

What would you have him do? Obviously his passing and control are an issue but in regards to his play

Learn how to control a football and actively look for space more than he does. I don't care what anyone says, the guy is lazy when the ball isn't looking to be played in behind, and it means there's no one to stick the ball to as he isn't interested in moving for the ball to feet.

He's a liability in the system we are currently playing, and the odd moment of magic doesn't alter the overwhelmingly negative aspects of his game for me. He can score 1 in 2 for all I care (and good on him if he does, as he's an incredible slotter) but if he's harming the entire system I have to call him on it.

 

[Del]

Learn how to control a football and actively look for space more than he does. I don't care what anyone says, the guy is lazy when the ball isn't looking to be played in behind, and it means there's no one to stick the ball to as he isn't interested in moving for the ball to feet.

He's a liability in the system we are currently playing, and the odd moment of magic doesn't alter the overwhelmingly negative aspects of his game for me. He can score 1 in 2 for all I care (and good on him if he does, as he's an incredible slotter) but if he's harming the entire system I have to call him on it.

A number of times tonight he dropped deep to receive the ball as he wasn't seeing it up top, How is that lazy, Lazy would be just standing there waiting to get the ball

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

Gutted Rom's shot was saved...would've been a nice Batigol.

 

[Andy C]

You think?

When's the lad ever been given a decent run in the first team, Lets say 3-4 games back to back to get a run going, He couldn't be any worse than Lukaku/Eto/Barkley/Osman/Coleman out on the right

yeah i do mate, in fairness to him at least he moves forward rather than sideways or backwards - but has no end product for me.

 

[Tubey]

A number of times tonight he dropped deep to receive the ball as he wasn't seeing it up top, How is that lazy, Lazy would be just standing there waiting to get the ball

He's doing it in straight lines and he's picked up easily, then his first touch is like a bouncy ball hitting cement and the play breaks down.

As I said, it's not 100% his fault as it is not his natural game, but he has been asked to do it for 12 months now and he is, if anything, getting worse at it.

 

[Del]

yeah i do mate, in fairness to him at least he moves forward rather than sideways or backwards - but has no end product for me.

He would offer more than a CM or RB in the position

 

[Del]

He's doing it in straight lines and he's picked up easily, then his first touch is like a bouncy ball hitting cement and the play breaks down.

As I said, it's not 100% his fault as it is not his natural game, but he has been asked to do it for 12 months now and he is, if anything, getting worse at it.

So were should he be making these runs Tubey? Remembering we don't hit over the top balls or anything past 5 yards

 

[streeky]

I am fuming mad on this one, I would rather have lost 4-0 than 1-0 in those circumstances of a non-existent penalty being given and only yellows being dished out for dangerous assaults.

Quite what has Barry got to do to be ever substituted? He gets a yellow, we are 1-0 nil down, so yes, let's take off Besic who had been playing really well. Baffling.

Really disappointed in Lukaku's effort tonight, some really half-hearted lazy moments tonight, entering challenges as the 80-20 favourite but still managing to lose out most times.

Eto'o was our best player tonight by absolute light years

can't see that ,he lost the ball all day. jags or distin for me

 

[Tubey]

So were should he be making these runs Tubey? Remembering we don't hit over the top balls or anything past 5 yards

Into space, not towards the defensive midfield in straight lines, as I've just said. But he can't do it, as he hasn't learned how to.

And isn't that a big whopping problem if you have a player 'full of potential' who hasn't learned how to do the basics of a role after 12 months of being asked to do so?

 

[Woolly Blue]

Just got back
Can't be arsed reading through 150 pages so I'll probably repeat what others have already said

They tore us to bits first half and we were lucky to only be one down to that soft penalty. We could learn a lot by watcing the video of the first half which was a masterclass in movement and making runs off the ball to create space ( as opposed to passing to players in static positions which is what we've mostly done in the last three games )

For the penalty, it didn't look like Jags made any contact with his foot to me, but, from where I was, leaving his foot in, gave the ref an excuse for giving it ( Marriner had a nightmare btw )

Barkley came on and changed the game. We were much better second half. Despite losing, that was a much better performance than on Wednesday. Against teams which park the bus, playing Ross high up the pitch hasn't worked recently, but against the better teams who leave more room, he can remind us why we talk about his talent.

 

[Del]

Into space, not towards the defensive midfield in straight lines, as I've just said. But he can't do it, as he hasn't learned how to.

And isn't that a big whopping problem if you have a player 'full of potential' who hasn't learned how to do the basics of a role after 12 months of being asked to do so?

You assume he's being asked to do what your suggesting

 

[Del]

Just got back
Can't be arsed reading through 150 pages so I'll probably repeat what others have already said

They tore us to bits first half and we were lucky to only be one down to that soft penalty. We could learn a lot by watcing the video of the first half which was a masterclass in movement and making runs off the ball to create space ( as opposed to passing to players in static positions which is what we've mostly done in the last three games )

For the penalty, it didn't look like Jags made any contact with his foot to me, but, from where I was, leaving his foot in, gave the ref an excuse for giving it ( Marriner had a nightmare btw )

Barkley came on and changed the game. We were much better second half. Despite losing, that was a much better performance than on Wednesday. Against teams which park the bus, playing Ross high up the pitch hasn't worked recently, but against the better teams who leave more room, he can remind us why we talk about his talent.

Amazing what a billion quid buys you