What We Learned: Defense is a mess and needs a fix

CFC loss vs stock

In spite of John Terry’s birthday and Andre Schurrle’s brilliant strikes in each half, the Blues’ costly errors and bad defending gave Stock a huge victory that no one saw coming despite their horrible form this season. Jose Mourinho seemed to have picked a great line in the beginning and would have been efficient had we transitioned into a 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 as in many times this season to salvage a win against a dangerous counter attacking team.

Let’s take a look at five most important points we learned from this game and things that need to be fixed.

We need a natural full backs in either sides of the field: 

Branslav Ivanovic was in a bad spot many times during this game since he went out attacking and failed to mark down the opposing winger on his side. Oussama Assaidi also was not put into pressure by the Serbian in the dying stages of the game to prevent the winning goal for stock. This might be a message for Mourinho to put Ashley Cole in the left back spot next game and try Azpilicueta in his natural position of RB to see the fix that might be needed.

Costly errors from Dead balls hurting the Blues more often this season:

Despite a roller-coaster and winding forms last season under two managers, the blues were strong in set pieces having a premier league record of not conceding headers for more than a season of 38 games. But, in the past two games alone, we conceded three coming from dead balls after lofty clearances from Chelsea players. Against Sunderland, two times out of the 3 they scored on us. Against Stock, an equalizer from Crouch that easily could have been prevented.

Jose had it all wrong for the 2nd half changes:

Despite admitting in the post match comments that Schurrle hurt his cough and told him he couldn’t continue, the other two substitutions probably cost us the game late on while we were tied 2-2 for the majority of the 2nd half. We should have transitioned to a 4-4-2 with Eto’o and Torres as two strikers up front to give Stock a trouble for their resilient defense and their dominant keeper. Hazard and Mata on either wings could have fired many crosses or cut in and play in with Eto’o and Torres to get goals. Instead, Jose stuck to the 4-2-3-1 and put Eto’o on the wing where Schurrle had been playing. And Torres was substituted out for Demba Ba who really doesn’t play a link-up game with team mates rather scrambling with Shawcross and Wilson in the back.

Schurrle was totally incredible and needs to start more games:

The German winger was so frightening for the Stock defense through out the game and his quality was shown clearly when he fired in two thunderbolt strikes from the edge of the box for a double. But, unluckily for him, his brace didn’t prevent his side losing the game and slipping in the title race that is being closely contested late on. Liverpool are now behind with just trailing in goal difference and Arsenal are clear at the top with 4 points having a game to play on Sunday.

Schurrle goal

Here are the main points I gathered from our 3rd defeat in the premier league this season. Comment and let us know your opinion about this and what you learned. Thanks for reading and let’s look to the next UCL mid-week game to bounce back from this defeat and hope Arsenal don’t get three points tomorrow against Lukaku’s Everton. Follow me on twitter (@FahmiCFC)

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54 thoughts on “What We Learned: Defense is a mess and needs a fix

  1. On what grounds was Shuerlle who had given the team taken off?

  2. Each time the team loss game you always point we need this we need that. I think we have enough, the real mess is Jose, arrogant and lacking ideals.

  3. @akess.i think u shd shut up if u have nothing better to offer.even united still support n believe in their coach.hw can u say JM is the mess just cuz he lost his third game of the season.in JM i trust!

  4. mata was horible 2day.

  5. Mou got his subs wrong..the premier league is gradually slipping outter our grip

  6. We need strikers!!! Since Drogba left the team we don’t have letal striker, ba and Torres performance are really poor!!! eto is good but on the bench for the last minutes or when we need two strikers on the front!!!
    What’s happening with Luiz?
    Another thing is that we need to play azpilicueta like a Rb, where he feels better and we need to buy a Lb!!!
    Is my opinion and let’s see the next game!!
    Hoping the best for our team

  7. @wambau please explain how mata was horrible.if mata was horrible,what wil u say about eto who was disposesd 4 the wining goal,what of torres who looks lost upward,what of ramirez who missd at least 2 sitters in the 1st half,what of branas lack of mobility,cechs slugishnes,joses mistake in sub & tactics.please save al these sentimental talk.

    • Mata didn’t bring anything in this game. And you must finally recognize. Next time you shut up and let mou works. we cannot have many useless on the pitch: mikel, mata and torres were useless.

    • @Zyte because other players were rubbish it doesn’t mean Mata did anything. Please next time shut up like you do when the team win. Guys let Mou does what he knows best. It’s horrible when we lost against weak teams

      • @ emilo matas performance was average & not rubish.none of cfc player & is rubish.we must criticaly analyse matches here constructively sinc every1 is prone 2 mistake.yes i feel bad that we lost.adults hav mutual respect 4 others,but kids tel others 2 shut up.i hav no right to tel u shut up & u dont either.

      • @ emile matas performance was average & not rubish.none of cfc player & is rubish.we must criticaly analyse matches here constructively sinc every1 is prone 2 mistake.yes i feel bad that we lost.adults hav mutual respect 4 others,but kids tel others 2 shut up.i hav no right to tel u shut up & u dont either.

      • Sorry @Zyte for using such stupid words hope you forgive me😜. We have to agree that Mata didn’t do anything today. I don’t know why I wish Mou can try Hazard, Willian and Shürrle. But the big problem we have isn’t our AMFs. First is our strikers and second defenders. A top striker doesn’t need only a thro ball or a cross to score. For example look at Suarez every day he win almost a game on his own. We need someone who can produce magic at anytime. Some people want Martinez, other want to hold Torres and other want Lukaku which I think it’s little bit stupid. Chelsea is a top club and top clubs need top players for me I don’t see someone who can help us more than Suarez. Lukaku is good but not a type of the striker Chelsea need. I don’t know if I’m mistaken but Lukaku is the same type of striker as Ba and we all know how Ba is straggling now. They are physical strong but not too skillful to produce that magic. Sorry to say Ba, Torres and Eto’o aren’t good enough to start in Chelsea even Lukaku which most are going to disagree with me

  8. glory hunter…when win, praising a lot…when lost, cursing everything…hahaha

  9. @ adam i can see u are anti mata & mikel.mikel was useles in the assist he gave 2 schurrle 4 the 1st goal.even jose said the attacking 3 playd well.hatred can make a man behav like a kid.please go 2 goal.com & see 2days rating of mikel u are calling useles,then u wil know who should shut up.anyway may be u watchd only 2nd half or highlight

  10. We nid a strong defence

  11. when we win, we don’t see the name of raffa or any stupidity from you. You shut up your big mouth as you don’t have anything to say. We conceded 2 silly goals: is it the fault also of mou?

    For raffa, I don’t see anything he brought to Chelsea. We don’t a good striker, good midfielders. The keeper cech has been awful so far and you are talking about mou. Do you thing mou is a magician??

    • Thanks Adam. Thank you so much. How can you say u want Rafa? He did absolutely nothing special. Winning Europa league is nothing special. Mou ain’t magician, we have to criticize players first because I still think that we don’t need our strongest 11 to win against stoke. Players are fucking up everything

  12. @adam pls explain what made mata & mikel useles.i can see u are a mourinho fan & not a chelsea fan.in as much as we lov jose,we wil criticise him also,but politely.2days loss was causd by rami & torres mis in the 1st half.u must learn 2 expres ur views without cursing ur fellow fans.is only a kid that wil cal a fellow fan stupid

  13. Torres sucks big time! Here what fanboys say everyday: Let keep starting him to gain his confidence…he play with foot like others play with they hands 😞….he scores against big teams…,bla bla bla. Guys let get this shit straight. For how long it’s going to take to get his damn confidence? He is too damn unstable. One game is the best in the world and other 5 the worst I ever see. Chelsea isn’t an academy, Chelsea is one of the biggest club in the world and need to have ones of the best players in the world too. Suarez is winning games after games for his average team. Almost win their game by his own. And what Chelsea has now are jokes. Torres, Ba, Eto’o don’t deserve to play for a club like Chelsea. You guys almost killed Mou because he doesn’t play Mata. And my question is: Mata is now playing, how many goals did our strikers scored so far? Zero goal. Is there that a problem with midfielders? The answer is NO! If you can’t score any open goal what do you want Mata and co to do for you? Sorry to say but if you can’t be happy with Mata’ help probably none can help you tho. Chelsea until I die 💙

    • Their*

      • @ emile u are right.am one of those that stil support him 2 score goals,but after this match,i became tired of torres.am jealous of suarez & kunaguero.what of if we try playing schurrle as false 9? what do u guys tink.

  14. @ emile 10 u are right.am 1 of those who support torres 2 score goals at cfc,but after today i was fed up.am jealous of suarez & kunaguero.what of playing schurrle as false 9.what do u guy tink.

    • Zyte you are right bro! That what I was thinking right now. The type of striker which Chelsea need should be more skillful than physically strong. We play in small spaces and for big guys like Demba aren’t helpful in that kind of football. For Torres and Eto’o ooh man they are already done. They can’t hold the ball or dribble pass two players. And Shürrle is skillful as we know. I think we can try him until we get a good striker. Seriously watching Suarez scoring or even only on the ball makes me the most jealous person on the planet. And Sturridge too! We didn’t give him a chance and all we said: was calling him selfish. Look how he plays for Liverpool and England. We need to finish our romance with Fernando and try other options.

      • Anonymous

        Fire this Mou! He aint good anymore. Ask Real Madrid.

      • Is true!!!! Our striker can’t hold the ball and dribble!!!
        We need someone like Suárez or Falcao!!!
        I don’t understand what are we waiting to sell Torres and Ba!!!!
        How many years we are going to wait for Torres goals???

      • Well said bro, well said!

    • Missing Drogba 🙁

      • Seriously I’m missing Drogba more, but I think he is old now and we can’t even rely on him if he’s stll with us. Let’s make do with Shurlle as false 9 now till we get a prolific striker in January

    • Zyte I like your idea of playing schurrle like a false 9!!!

    • Vaibhav Kumble

      Scurrle was played a false 9 against United and our attack was really poor that day. False 9 was tried against Juventus and we were hammered. Our style of play is not for a false nine. Won’t work.

      • True I remember that game against mu!!! But do you think that the right way is use Torres, Ba or Eto???
        I think that the best of all is eto but is not enough for our team!!!
        We have a big problem with our strikers!!! Let’s see what happen on this market!!

      • @ kumble the tactics jose playd against man united didnt give our players room 2 attack.schurrle was their 2 disrupt play at man u defence.u can see by the way we playd.if jose plays false 9 with attacking tactics it wil yield impact than what torres & co are doing.

      • Akinwande

        I think we should use torres as a supporting striker and schurrle as a false 9…… Torres makes runs which creates space for other attackers……. His runs will create space for schurrle to do his thing.

  15. Anonymous

    Another thing is our left back 🙁
    And we have to try azpi like a right back!!!

  16. Seyi Soyemi

    Dis season is much tofa dan d previous ones.

  17. Neri Abayomi

    What I saw;
    1. Schurrle was fantastic as a second striker.
    2. Ramires’s inability to take the right options when he had the Stoke’s goal @ his mercy is terrible.
    3. Courtois should be called back to replace Cech.
    4. Mourinho’s second half substitution gifted Stoke the game. Removing Schurrle in this game hurt us, bringing in Eto’o and Lampard slowed up the game.
    If Mou were to have changed shape into a 4-4-2, we might have asked more questions with crosses into the box.
    Eto’o and Ba are tall, and Lampard comes in with his late runs.
    5. The verdict is still out on Mou’s ability to get the best out of this team. He mentioned dat our team ain’t physical but he plays a physical style of play. It was crazy to see Chelsea playing long balls when Torres was our point man. Let’s keep the ball on the ground more often and play in little triangles to open up space for our forwards.
    6. Azpilicueta is wasting away @ LB. He is a better Right Back. Ivanovic shd be pushed into the CB alongside Terry, Cahill was off colour in the second.

    Cech caused us this match.
    Mou was the second cause for removing Schurrle.
    Am a Mata fan, but he shd v bin sacrificed in place of Eto’o. The match was too physical. Schurrle was driving d team forward.

  18. I KNEW SOME STUPID PLASTIC FANS WILL COM UP AND SAY MOU WAS SHIT MOU SHOULD GO OUT,BUH MA PROBLEM WID U IS WHERE WERE U PEOPLE WEN WE WERE WINNIG DE GAME,CAMPARING MOU TO DI MATEO ND RAFA TO MOURINHO?.BOYS GROW ND TRY HARDER, FOR THE PASTE TWO YRS HV WE BEEN SITTING COMFORTABLY AT DE SECOND SPOT? DID WE REALY LOOKED LIKE TITLE CONTENDERS EVEN @ DE TYM OF WINNING DE CHAMPS LEAGUE. AND LOOK @ DE WAY WE STRUGLED FOR THIRD SPOT LAST YR, FAKE FOOLISH FANS (FFF) WEN WE PRAISE MOU WEN WE LOOSE, MOU SECOND COMIN IS SHIT. ASK GOD TO COM ND COACH CHELSEA WE WILL STIL LOOSE MATCHES ND WIN SOM TOO, SO GROW ND STOP BEHAVING LYK KIDS. LEAVE DE JOB TO DE MANAGER ND JUDGE HIM AT THE END OF DE SEASON. ND KEEP DE BLUES FLAG FLYING HIGH. EVEN LOOK A WHOLE UNITED, BUH STILL SUPORTIND THIER MOYES.

  19. Ola adelanwa

    Many cfc fans dont know what they call football they want 2 win every game please my people let us this team some time dont 4get that this is new coach nd he need some time anything that come 2 our way this season let take it but i know that at the end chelsea we come out with flying c chelsea 4 life

  20. please we need to hand over Courtoise the glove. Cech has not been at it this season.

  21. Martin, Norway.

    IT PAINS ME TO SEE US LOSE MATCHES LIKE THIS. Ivanovich made a lot of erros. Why will Mourinho change my favourite player schurrle, he should always starts. Torres was invisible, not his day. Better luck next time blue is the Color.

  22. Martin, Norway.

    We should have a second look at Cech he has been his performance has been abysimal oflate. Luckily we have already our talented keeper we can rely on next season.

  23. Anonymous

    Coach doesn’t play in the field players

  24. Akinwumi Steven

    The only problem with the team is Mou himself!He’s no longer special at all.how could he sub mikel and schurrle from that game?he has nothing to offer as far as I’m concerned!

    • @AKINWUMI u see hw stupid u are?,did u listen to why he sub Shurle, u people shuld being sentimental or u tink chelsea is Nigerian national team,Mou is no more special, u are so go nd coach Chelsea so u can play Mikel week in week out. Mikel for me wasnt at his best yestaday nd Ramires too wen we win de nxt u de same person will come nd say Mou has no size grow up man. Learn hw to support a team nt an individual nor the coach.

  25. Akinwumi Steven

    @Adam ure a disgrace to the world football for calling mikel useless especially after he assisted schurrle in scoring the 1st goal.If u don’t know anything about football,it will be better for u to do something else!

    • Chelsea4life

      I think he’s right. This is not a nigeria national team. Dun support chelsea. Go support nigeria instead.

  26. Here’s what should of happened.
    De Bruyne on for Mata and change the formation to 4-3-3
    With Mikel as Defensive midfield and Ramires and De bruyne beside him.
    Schurrle and Hazard on the wings and Demba ba up front.
    Schurrle can cross so he might of picked out Demba Ba

    But to be honest Brana should revert back to CB as Luiz is injured right now.
    Play Azpilicueta at RB and Bertrand at LB he’s good enough now.

    Cech isn’t consistent anymore, but he’s a more of a big game goalkeeper now , sadly 🙁
    Terry and Cahill did well but Brana’s out of position most of the time cost them on the counter attacks.

  27. Neri Abayomi

    We have some big babies in the house. Peeps like @emile 10, @gabby , @adam, @bryan, y do u guys keep attacking people that are making their opinions heard? Everybody has a right to express his or herself without been called stupid or told to shut up. Just make your points dudes and learn from what each and everyone is saying.

    @Young Beharry: I love your tactical change.

  28. Vaakmeisster

    Chelsea fans are just something else. We win, we are united. We lose, factions are developed and we start insulting each other.

    Players may not be showing desire, but ultimately,just as victories are credited to the coach, the coach must be held responsible for defeats.

    Who should be held responsible for telling Ramires to stop trying long balls (something he sucks at) or telling Torres not to calm down and play clinically or telling our AMFs to play more for the team than for themselves…that’s the responsibility of the coach!

    Mou has these players playing a style they can’t effectively play. his style doesn’t play to their strengths, Blame Mikel or Torres or Ramires all you want, but I hold only Mou responsible. We are struggling. We haven’t had a convincing win this season. We don’t dominate, we don’t outplay even weak opposition. Most of our wins are as a result of individual player brilliance, not tactical nous of the coach.

  29. @NERI DEN U ARE RATHER SENSELESS INFANT from ur view means only wnt Mikel am telling Nigerians dat Chelsea is not De Nigerian national team to only stress on Mikel being played weak in weak out dey shuld start supporting chelsea dan Mikel here nd der.and u @Vaakmeisster shuld Mou step on de field to tell Rami to stop shooting?. nd wat if he scored those shots.u will say Ramires is unstopable, dat one der will be no credit for mourinho, has’nt Rami done more dan this? look at the goal he scored valdes just last yr, wat i wnt u people to do is grow up nd knw dat somdays it just dnt wrk even if u try harder. stop blaming individuals nd knw hw to support a team nt an individual. wen a player make one mistake it means the player cnt do anytin again.wen Mou tell de player go on the field nd do this he does nt do bd he starts benching the player u the same people will open ur big mouths nd say mou is arogant nd a whole lot of insult on him. When som one says mou is no more special is dat a view to stress ma friend go away. United still supports Moyes, i wonder wat u people would hv been sayin we happen to be wer United is.

    • Vaakmeisster

      Gabby, I never said there’s anything wrong with Ramires’ shooting, infact i believe he’s a great finisher.His passing tho is his only weakness, and his long passing is atrocious! A good coach would tell him to keep his passing simple as long passes aren’t his strong side. Besides, I know you love Mourinho as he’s a chelsea legend and all. I don’t hate him, I am indifferent about him. But I do believe that if the team plays crap, people shouldn’t be insulted for blaming the coach. As no one complains if he’s praised when the team wins.

  30. Neri Abayomi

    My thoughts on Mourinho’s Chelsea:

    Hazard, Mata, Willian, Schurrle, Oscar, De Bruyne, all the aforementioned names should be synonymous with possession based football but all I see week in, week out is boring counter attacking nonsense under Jose.

    Jose’s inability to conform his tactics with his players abilities is baffling. He would rather have technically gifted footballers play long hopeful balls against every opposition, eventually frustrating his own players. The only time I saw possession based attacking football under Jose this season was against HULL city for just 20mins, we were devastating in attack and we created chances @ will. Sadly, it has bin boring, boring Chelsea once again.

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