Itzhutavo

My preferred Chelsea line up against Arsenal tonight.

Chelsea 5–1 Charlton Athletic
Manchester City 10–1 Exeter City
Liverpool 4–1 Barnsley
Arsenal 4–1 Portsmouth
Manchester United 1–2 Brighton Interesting pattern: every worse team managed to score exactly one goal against the big boys.

Chelsea already appear to be playing in a similar style to Maresca and Rosenior's Strasbourg team. Hato is inverting into an attacking midfield position. Building up in 3-2-2-3, per @umirf1's excellent tactical piece. bbc.co.uk/sport/football…

WHAT A HIT! 🔴 0-1 🔵 [45+4] #CFC | #EmiratesFACup

🚨⚪️🔴 Maximilian Ibrahimović to Ajax, here we go! Zlatan’s son joins his father’s former club from AC Milan. Deal done on initial loan with buy option clause, as Telegraaf reported on Friday. AC Milan keep a sell-on clause. 🇸🇪

Thoughts on the opening 20 minutes of the game?

@Footballopinio_ @grok add a clown face as well

Many Chelsea fans seem to think that letting Enzo Maresca go and bringing in Liam Rosenior is a step backwards for the project, which is understandable. However, I genuinely believe it’s a step forward. I don’t believe there is one “correct” formula for how a football club should be successful. Different clubs succeed in different ways, and forcing a rigid model doesn’t always work. For me, the right direction for Chelsea is a manager like Liam Rosenior. It’s clear that the club wants a long-term project built around a consistent identity. Even if the manager changes, the idea and the “Chelsea way” should remain the same. For that to work, Chelsea need a head coach who is willing to buy into the club’s vision rather than impose his own. That’s where Maresca became an issue. He clearly had his own strong ideas about how Chelsea should be run, and in the long term that lack of alignment was always going to cause problems. It was something that felt inevitable sooner or later. Rosenior, on the other hand, seems more suited to building strong relationships, improving player confidence, and working within a wider club structure. If Chelsea want stability and continuity, then this change isn’t a step backwards at all — it’s a step in the right direction.

I still believe in the vision behind Chelsea’s current project, even though I would have preferred the club to back the manager more with his signing preferences. Despite this, I think the direction Chelsea is taking could still work in the long run. There’s been a lot of negative coverage lately, with claims that Chelsea is prioritizing profits over winning. Personally, I don’t fully agree with this narrative. I believe many of these sources are unreliable, just seeking clicks and engagement, rather than providing an accurate picture of the situation. Data-Driven Approach One aspect of the project I believe in is the use of data. This approach has worked well in other sports, such as the NFL, and could be successful for Chelsea too. By focusing on data and analytics, the club can make more informed decisions about player acquisitions, tactics, and overall strategy. Sporting Directors and Decision-Making Another point I’d like to make is the importance of giving the sporting directors the freedom to make key decisions. This data-driven model can allow them to manage decisions based on statistics and insights. While it may not be the most conventional approach, it’s a valid one, and it’s worth testing out. The next 1-2 years will be crucial in seeing whether this model truly works or not. Managerial Role As for the managerial situation, I believe that someone like Liam, who can focus on getting the best out of each individual player, might be more effective in the current setup than a more hands-on manager like Enzo Maresca. A “Yes-man” may be able to align better with the broader strategy without creating friction. Conclusion: Patience and Review To sum up, I’m not necessarily advocating that the directors should make all the decisions. However, I do believe it’s a potential approach that should be given time to see if it works. After 1-2 years, we’ll have a better idea of whether the strategy is effective or not, and whether Chelsea can return to its winning ways.

Chelsea won’t beat Man City by dominating possession. As interim manager, I’d use chaos to disrupt City’s buildup from the back, press in triggers, exploit half-spaces, overload flanks, and transition quickly. Limited possession must create overloads and chance-creating actions.

I’ve been thinking about Liam Rosenior, and I don’t think he’s as bad as people make him out to be. I’ve accepted the reality that we won’t get a truly elite manager, and if I’m honest, I like the football I’ve seen Strasbourg play. If he were to join Chelsea, I would back him 🔵

If Chelsea were to honestly bring in Liam Rosenior after sacking Enzo Maresca, it would be the definition of taking three steps forward over the last 10 months and eight steps backward.

Enzo Maresca leaving Chelsea today feels inevitable. My first choice is still for him to stay, but only two managers would genuinely excite me: Julian Nagelsmann and Oliver Glasner. Beyond those two, every option I’ve seen is mid. If we bring in that Strasbourg manager…

Positives of Maresca Getting Sacked: ✔️ Estevão will likely get a bigger role.
✔️ Chelsea could get a “new manager bounce” with a short-term uplift in results.
✔️ Palmer might play in a freer role if the next manager wants that. Negatives of Maresca Getting Sacked: ❌ It doesn’t fix the underlying problems at the club.
❌ Chelsea’s chances in the UCL would decrease.
❌ More managerial instability creates a chaotic atmosphere.
❌ There may be no good candidates available to take over immediately; the new manager might struggle.
❌ Players could feel the club is a mess, leading some key stars to consider leaving.
❌ Media pressure on the new manager will be intense.
❌ Maresca could join another club, succeed there, and look vindicated.
❌ Constant managerial changes can disrupt long-term planning and team cohesion.
❌ The “new manager bounce” is often temporary and may not lead to real improvement.
❌ Frequent sackings send a message that short-term results matter more than building a consistent club identity.

The S-tier players in the Premier League (The best in their position): Moises Caicedo — Chelsea Erling Haaland — Manchester City Gabriel — Arsenal Reece James — Chelsea

Surely we’ll get to see Palmer and Estêvão play some minutes together for Chelsea tonight?

x.com/RmadridElRey/s… For me, Adam Wharton is a player Chelsea should seriously consider in January. His biggest strength is his ability to progress the ball from deep areas, particularly through line-breaking, first-time passes that help bypass the first press and speed up our build-up. He offers control in possession without needing excessive touches, which is something Chelsea often lack in deeper midfield zones. Defensively, Wharton is very disciplined. His positioning between the lines is strong, he screens the back four well, and he reads danger early rather than relying on last-ditch tackles. That intelligence allows the midfield to stay compact and protects the defensive structure, especially against teams that attack through central overloads. Although it may appear that Chelsea have enough depth in this role, availability is a major issue. Lavia’s recurring fitness problems mean he can’t currently be relied upon for consistent minutes. Enzo Fernández has been used in that deeper role, but tactically it limits his impact. Enzo is at his best when he can receive higher up the pitch, play forward-facing passes, and arrive in advanced zones rather than being pinned next to the centre-backs during build-up. If Chelsea were to sign Wharton, it would allow for a more balanced midfield structure. A Caicedo–Wharton double pivot would provide defensive security and ball progression, freeing Enzo to operate higher between the lines. That, in turn, would allow Palmer to return to the right flank, improving our width and chance creation while maintaining central control. For certain matchups, especially against low blocks or aggressive presses, this setup would suit the squad far better.

Watching Tottenham against Crystal Palace, I can confirm Richarlison’s only good ability is looking aggressive.

Richarlison is by far the worst player on this list, and Tottenham should just cash in on him.