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[Sparked_26]

Things are absolutely dire in South London, I'm not sure Palace is going to pick up another point this season. Still probably gonna be enough to hold off Luton and relegation though. Big fire sale is coming this summer though, so any chance of a young exciting team pushing top 10 will be out the door and it will be a rebuild next year. Really felt like a wasted season

Madueke for you. You can give us the perpetually injured Olise

[Sparked_26]

What a ****** game.

[The Defecator]

Chelsea's biggest problem is that Disasi, Gusto, Colwell, and Silva have been horrendously bad defensively. Kepa covered up a multitude of defensive sins last year and never got credit for it. Now Silva is understandable: He's 39 and his legs are gone, leading to bad mistakes he never made in the past. The others are just hot garbage. Couldn't they have thrown some of that transfer money at some stud defenders instead of some of those redundant midfielders they blew their wad on?

Cole has been the steal of the year and looks to be a stud for years to come. Jackson's numbers look good, but obviously needs more work on the training pitch and more experience. Nkunku hasn't played enough to get a read on how good he is.

Caicedo has quietly put up very good defensive stats according to FB Reference. Enzo and Conner need to switch positions: Gallagher's defensive numbers are very good and he and Fernandez are a push in ball moving numbers. Switch Conner to the defensive midfield and put Enzo as ball mover.

[ShoulderRoll]

I was thinking after reading that above.

Is England the worst league for experimentation?

For instance, the philosophies of say Athletic Bilbao, Red Bull, or even Barcelona and Juventus.

Those couldn't really suffice in the Premier league can they?

I feel like the stakes are so high that any type of policies or football idealisms seen in other countries are nigh impossible in England. Y

ou'd almost for sure end up relegated at some point and possibly relegation looped after the initial relegation from the PL.

I feel like Crystal Palace for example could benefit from the Red Bull model in many ways but also wind up relegated from it.

Ferguson's Man United was probably the closest to Juventus' monopoly style approach.

While Chelsea post-Hazard was probably closest to Barcelona and we f00ked that off completely at the first sign of growing pains.

What is the best league for experimentation?

[Sparked_26]

Chelsea's biggest problem is that Disasi, Gusto, Colwell, and Silva have been horrendously bad defensively. Kepa covered up a multitude of defensive sins last year and never got credit for it. Now Silva is understandable: He's 39 and his legs are gone, leading to bad mistakes he never made in the past. The others are just hot garbage. Couldn't they have thrown some of that transfer money at some stud defenders instead of some of those redundant midfielders they blew their wad on?

Cole has been the steal of the year and looks to be a stud for years to come. Jackson's numbers look good, but obviously needs more work on the training pitch and more experience. Nkunku hasn't played enough to get a read on how good he is.

Caicedo has quietly put up very good defensive stats according to FB Reference. Enzo and Conner need to switch positions: Gallagher's defensive numbers are very good and he and Fernandez are a push in ball moving numbers. Switch Conner to the defensive midfield and put Enzo as ball mover.

I think the issue is the midfield. The defenders aren't great but an opposition keeper can throw a ball out and start a 4 on 4 break.

I get that risk taking one way means Chelsea can score but the issue is then going the otherway.

Tbf you can get defenders better in that kind of nuts football (though I don't believe any really good teams will leave gaps like Chelsea do) Cucurella for example looks better than he ever has done - he's aggressive and fit and can get tight.

Chelsea players are having to cover vast amounts of pitch. Disasi to cover for Gusto, Badiashille who has looked really bad still has to cover the left back area often although Cucurella doesn't push forward as recklessly as Gusto.

Caicedo has too cover for Enzo and Conor.

I know Caicedo made a terrible error. Like I wouldnt make that pass ffs but you have to question why an elite footballer is under such pressure positionally that he cant think clearly.

Chelsea are the weakest team tactically in the league.

I suppose this Chelsea are more fun than Potters but they are fundamentally just as crap.

Some players are massively exposed whereas others can shine.

I think Chelsea are rubbish tbh. But I do think there are tweaks that could make them better.

[Outworn]

***in ref i lost moolah

[F l i c k e r]

What is the best league for experimentation?

Probably Italy.

Could do practically anything in that league and either break even or strike it rich.

Danger of relegation is really small for the established clubs. So a club could do a Red Bull philosophy and firmly sit mid table at worst. Or a club could do like Athletic Bilbao and stay in the Serie A pretty firmly. A rome based club with only rome based players? They'd be mid table but firmly mid table.

While Sarri successfully did a Barcelona regen with Napoli and nearly won the league.

All that stuff in England would get a club x'd off the map.

[BigZ44]

Lmao!!! I should have known. Of course when Palace look at their worst down the stretch and can't beat awful teams at home, they go and pull off a 1-0 at Anfield. Such a Palace result lol, 1st L for Liverpool at home in EPL in 29 games, pure hilarity

[Sparked_26]

Lmao!!! I should have known. Of course when Palace look at their worst down the stretch and can't beat awful teams at home, they go and pull off a 1-0 at Anfield. Such a Palace result lol, 1st L for Liverpool at home in EPL in 29 games, pure hilarity

It made my heart sing.

[F l i c k e r]

What a time to be a Chelsea supporter.

I can't even blame Poch all the way. The blame is split evenly amongst the players, coach, owners, and fans. All except Palmer are at fault.

100% had Pochettino convinced Lukaku to stay and not gotten rid of Ziyech and kept one of Mount/Havertz. They'd at least be in Europa league places with a final sprint towards Champions League play.