I was desperate for Chelsea fans to study De la Fuente's Spain at the Euros, not the quick glance to tweet for clout. Cogitation! I'd hoped it would reduce the psychotic breakdown at the dawn of Maresca's reign & maybe help most of you identify where the team needs surgery. 1/6
I can recall Torres first goal for Chelsea after a lengthy drought. The roof at the bridge went off as soon as he scored. The players were genuinely there for him because they knew how hard El nino worked. Before any big game, David Luiz would pray for him like his father...
"While I was ready to play a throw-in, I was surprised by Mourinho next to me talking to me seriously as if he was giving me instructions. Go to Ozil and tell him he must go forward in the middle faster!โ he said, approaching my ear.
โI looked at him in amazement...
1/3
Cole Palmer is an ointment of creativity the Chelsea attackers will go to the mountains to pray for in an empty stomach. He is a press-resistant priest that must be honored in attacking tabernacles. He is as evasive as the wind & as silky as a wedding gown. Opulent.โจ
The Chelsea attack is shaping up to improve Kai Havertz in all facet of the game. Everything about him that comes off as a weakness is about to become his superpower. In few months, I expect him to improve certain aspects of his game remarkably and flourish gloriously. A thread.
Moises Caicedo waited for the perfect night to inflict such dominant performance on Brighton & her faithfuls. He was a glowing light of justice marauding the midfield like a moon. The boos were music to his ears, he didn't come this far to be intimidated by a flock of seagulls.
It's no surprise why people wonder how Jorginho was named Man of the match tonight, he's not dribbling anyone or doing step overs so it's underserved, but the things he gets done are the hardest in footbal, it's way beyond aesthetics so I understand. 1/4
I see alot of Jorginho - De Jong comparisons. The thing you need to know is that they're two different players who bizarrely have different qualities that looks the same. Jorginho isn't a ball carrier, De jong is. What Jorginho does better than De Jong asides...
Luis Enrique Martรญnez Garcรญa: A positional play demon and a master craftsman from Pep's shadows. A protege of football's delicate principles waiting to cast a spell on English football. Join me, let's dive into Lucho's pool of tactics, and have a bite of Tacos on the side.
As a Chelsea fan, I don't think I'll ever fully recover from that painful night in Moscow. Hitting the woodwork twice and that John Terry's remarkable goal line clearance with his head. The team bled with 10 men throughout extra time. Defended with their lives...1/4
With the imminent recovery of Ben Chilwell,Ngolo & James from injuries, Chelsea will become a gallery of tactics, a fusion of technical security, optimal structure, effective combination & a bag of attacking ammunitions to send shivers down the spines of famished fans. โณ
Despite all the struggles, not for once did Torres rant about going back to Liverpool or Gerrard. His first season was worse than Lukaku's. Yet, he soaked in the pressure of being a 50M flop. The first picture on every newspaper front page. A record transfer fee.
Just to let him know he wasn't alone. Torres defended with his heart to compensate for his lack of goals. When that goal went in against West Ham, the players all ran to him like it was a world cup winning goal. They rallied around him with hugs and pecks to show support.
Only for him to find his moment in the champions league Semi final against Barcelona. A moment worth more than 50M. Torres had to adapt to the Chelsea playing style and not Chelsea and Ancelloti adapting to his style. He played as a winger when the team needed him.
...The funniest thing is that the result was a 2-1 lead for Dortmund, after which Ozil managed to equalize. Schmelzer, the Dortmund player, on Mourinho's instructions. 3/3 ๐๐
Lukaku has failed himself and those who believed in him. It is a shame that is ability to cause havoc and sabotage the dressing room is bigger than his influence on the biggest stages in his career. An absolute disgrace of a player with the courage of a 6 year old.
Watching Caicedo & Enzo last night was like witnessing a scientific miracle. Palhinha & Pereira became their lab rats. Those of you who still have your doubtful lambs should offer them to the gods now, Moises & Enzo are on their way to the cathedral of scintillation.
Christian Ericksen : "I can feel it. Although we have 8 games to play. But I can feel it, the old feeling of winning the League which I last tasted back in Ajax Amsterdam. This was a critical yet a good move for me to join Inter Milan, to be a champion again in my career"
He defended deep when required. Lukaku has done nothing to ever change his Chelsea situation. He has done nothing to adapt to the team's playing style. This wasn't just about football, it had a lot to do with a player who has failed at United and Chelsea. Two of the biggest...
Thiago Silva is that type of jewelry from your grandma that is passed from generation to generation. No matter the era, he will always fit into it with aplomb. He is an hybrid of every best defender from each era, from Cannavaro-Maldini-Lucio- Nesta down to himself. Antiquity.
PSG sacked Tuchel, exiled Silva, brought in Ramos, Donarumma, Gini, Hakimi, Mendez and couldn't fill a void left by just two people. If you ever want to know what Tuchel and Silva are worth, ask any PSG fan right now.
Madrid can say they're out for revenge all they want, but there won't be an away goal advantage to bail anyone out. It's sword for sword, talent for talent, blood for blood, class for class, pedigree for pedigree, history for history. Just a combat under a starry night.
#UCLdraw
Enzo is so pivotal to Chelsea's reincarnation. With him, Chelsea will hit heights that should've taken 5 years in just few months. Enzo is a cartridge of solutions to Potter's dream Chelsea and a basket of sumptuous tactical fruits to choose from. A thread
Watch Thiago Silva's movement every time Mendy has the ball. Watch Jorginho's movements every time any of the back 3 or wingbacks has the ball, you can't teach these sort of things. These brains are worth millions for a reason. 1/5
Mukialo Mudryk was a victim of a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabรฉuย once. It is written in the stars but in Spanish, there's a royal ball to attend. While Enzo at 22 will storm the Spanish capital in his worldcup medal, RMD vs CFC is a battle wolves will howl at for nights
Stages in his careers. However you want to interpret this. Lukaku might have scored goals in West Brom, Everton and Belgium. But when it mattered the most in his career, to stamp his authority on the biggest stages in his career, he failed woefully.
He is not a god, but people drink secret toasts to his return. They understand he's just human, yet no one has ever seen a skinny lad with such intimidating shadow. They say he bleeds like a man, yet his veins are full of bluish-ice. This is the song of Cole, Palmer and ICE.
I feel for Pulisic, he has been sacrificed like a lamb for Odoi to continuously serve his fan base flicks and tricks. Pulisic is running himself down to play positions he isn't comfortable with. But Odoi finds joy in tricking the fan base he is deserving of that hamper contract.
Enzo Fernandez & Chelsea FC is a conjugal bliss waiting to explode into a catalog of euphoria. We will wait, we will sit on the edge of anticipation before we melt into molecules of excitement. Enzo isn't a piece in a puzzle, he is the cartridge to an entire era of CM prodigy.
Tactically Victor Osimhen might not look appealing to detail oriented Chelsea fans. But on a pragmatic level, this is a move that lifts the squad & the fans into the pinnacles of ambition. There's a different tastebud to the season now. It's not that of honey anymore, it's blood.
And didn't respond to him, but after I entered the stadium and arrived next to Ozil, I told him what he said involuntarily.
โWhat surprised me most was that Ozil nodded to his coach that he knew the instructions as if it was normal!.. 2/3
Absolutely no need to be worried about Mudryk like I've always reiterated. You do yourself a great disservice if you panic for a player who got a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabรฉu for obvious reasons. His light is inevitable and it'll blind your doubts.
Almost all the answers have Kova or Jorgi in it. Lewis Hall was asked who the best player in training is, he called it a tie between Kova and Jorgi. Now Reece has said the same thing. But dweebs sit on their couches and still wonder how managers rate Jorgi highly.
The balance Gallagher has brought to the Enzo/Caicedo synthesis is impeccable for a midfield revamp, a notorious grass trotter. Gallagher is not a frame for aesthetics, he is a collection of duty & grit that doesn't catch the eye. An unlovable necessity for the balance.
Solo is a childhood friend of Sadio Manรฉ who is now a police officer in Guinea-Bissau. He grew up in the same village as the Senegalese striker and played football with him when they were children.
On Saturday, after the Guinea-Bissau-Senegal match, Solo found Manรฉ... 1/3
That performance from Havertz is everything Tuchel demands from his center forward. In all fairness; it is a big task for Lukaku, not even Haaland could've put in such a shift. The constant pressing, the fluidity in movement, the defensive cover, Kai is worth every penny.
Chelsea will continue to struggle with possession & creativity until the number of 'La pausa' in the team increases. While only 4 players currently have the ability to demonstrate 'La pausa' and it's characteristics, hence the need to put together a recruitment team. A thread.
Chelsea's thirst & obsession for control, creativity, vibrancy & energy intertwined with spatial awareness is engulfed in the flames that burns sporadic football into ashes. Dewsbury-Hall & Marc Guiu are tactical pokers that propels optimal structures. Walk with me. ๐งต
Most of you don't know how important it is that we get a quality Left footed CB. Expecially if we continue playing 3 at back. Malang Sarr had all the time in the world to be that player for Tuchel. But he let himself & his career down. He'll be needing a miracle to get back in.
These herd of young players Chelsea are gathering will learn how to become a potent venom, they must learn the strength and weaknesses of their preys as fast as they can. Whilst this may take a while, the impact will be fatal, toxic enough to make their opponents quiver in fear.
Madueke & Mudryk need the right manager like a wet stone needs a sword. To master the art of hugging their external corridors like wall geckos. Such inculcation is a necessity, the width needed to devour their preys in one v one battles like famished leopards must be provided.๐งต
This Ross Barkley resurgence is giving me goosebumps. How did a player who had no squad number at the start of the season suddenly become an integral part of it? Thomas Tuchel with the Midas touch. The revitalization of these fringe players is how you recognize a proper manager.
When you talk about teams with proper DNA's, Chelsea are right up there. During their worst days, they out - muscled Beyern on their own territory to win the UCL in 2012. The following season, being knocked out of the UCL group stage couldn't stop a Europa league triumph... 1/3
Lukaku can score a thousand goals all he wants, but chances like that of tonight is exactly the reason why Didier Drogba sits at the pinnacle of football's greatest myth. These are the nights to steal the quill and write yourself into the pages in football's defining moments.
Axel Disasi is a magnificent French trotter that should only be carrying a royal family from castle to castle. He defends his territory like a grizzly bear, donates calmness, assurance & bravery on the ball like a nightwatch man. Pour me some more Disasi Hale, my throats are dry.
Like Thiago Silva, I think we're going to regret not signing Koulibaly earlier than we did. It is no surprise that a 31 years old looks like a 25 years old in motion. There's so much similarities between him & Toni, maybe Kali is a bit calmer. Regardless, this is a bargain.
You see my friend. I don't just want Chelsea in the Champions League, I want us there by merit in standard & in class. I don't want to sneak into it, I want to be there as a major threat. That is the ceiling for this project & group of players. We'll earn our way up that ladder.
Kai Havertz, Tuchel's underrated palette. Whose lack of cutting edge in front of goal has gagged the pitch of his eulogy & dented the beauty in its assonance from those whose football standard lacks an in-depth analysis of what high esteem Tuchel holds his countryman. A thread.
Enzo might end up leading the pack for most parts of this season. Destiny has ushered him into the halls of Chelsea Lieutenants. There is no better time to write the prologue of an inspiring Chelsea legacy than with such a prestigious armband. Over to you Mi Capitan.โจ
Badiashile has proven he is worthy of leading the Chelsea backline when Silva's reign ends. From his head to his feet, he carries the anointing of a prince worthy of a golden crown. All he needs to do is learn how to defend his territory like a puma & pick his preys carefully.
Andre Santos is not one out of the bottle, he is a rare artifact in the crate. A fearless 18 year old Brazilian pitbull in the body of a bunny. A leader who became a leader as a toddler. Whatever the future tellers has in store for us, Rio de Janeiro has anointed this one.
Maresca's Chelsea are a furrow of tactical lexicons. An amalgamation of attacking Mavericks. Whilst it is easy to pin that win on Wolve's defensive frailties, no one wants to admit to CFC's elite positional acumen. We might be a mess, but some of us are seeing a starry sky.1/4๐ป
Jackson's athleticism, technique & ability to maraude in the final third will bring a new look to Chelsea's attack like a two edged sword. With the likes of Nkuku, Madueke, Mudryk lurking around like a plague of locust, Pochetino's weapon is a few cartridges away from done.
The prospect of watching Kante ร Enzo pivot as they release Felix on the counter to fry my anxiety into omelettes of elation is a good enough reason to believe in any sort of reincarnation under Potter. We're a few injuries & cubes of cohesiveness away from a positive streak.
Chelsea might be limping like a bruised leopard at the moment, slapped, battered by injuries& inconsistency like the inevitable rain in spring. However, Gusto is a dark spot on a leopard's skin, resilient, efficient & a true mark of identity. At 19, he is a technical rifle...
The awakening of a new dawn is upon us & everyone must rise with it. The Maresca era is coming like cold winds rising from the north. Those who are holding tight to mediocrity will be uprooted like trees in autumn. We're ready to walk on hot coals to see Chelsea blossom again.
Man I feel for Havertz. Running yourself to the ground and trying to so hard to help the team on your bad days shows how much of an incredible character he is. I know how hard he works, I see it & so does the coaching crew. I understand how important goals/assists are but...
We were not named the pride of London because it sounded good. We are the pride of London for nights like this. An enigmatic force of English nature. My blood is blue, it will remain blue as long as man draws breath. Whoever bleeds blue should follow me to the cathedral of honor.
Arsenal fans & their herd of analysts/fortune tellers are desperate to see Chelsea drown in misery. We've lost club legends. Elite managers have come & gone. We're London's biggest memories home/abroad. Without us London will be little better than a museum of league cups.
Datro Fofana is a lotus from the shores of Abidjan that must be nurtured with supreme care. His ultra physicality and technical security must be doted into an all round carnivorous finisher like Kun Aguero. All that is required is an optimal structure & a predator beckons.
None of our LB's can stand Cucurella in duels; aerially or on the ground. None of them can match him defensively either. Not Maatseen, not Hall, not Chilly can go toe to toe in line breaking passes. This is a hill I'm willing to bury my bones on.
Bailing your backline out of pressure every now and then is putting yourself up for scrutiny, one misplaced pass and you're in flames with criticism. Football is deeper than your followers, way deeper than your likes and retweets. These big accounts don't know anything.
Say whatever you want about that Kai's goal, the pass from Enzo Fernandez was an absolute sunset. It was tidy enough to make a widower wipe off their tears in disbelief. Not even 200M would've been enough to auction such audaciousness. Elite, simply sensational.โจ
Chelsea fans are in for a treat. Mykhailo Mudryk will entertain you, he will blitz past players ferociously & your jaws will drop. He is a pallette of all 'La Pausas'. He is a
#10
with two magic feets. He will keep you off your seats, your burgers & beers will freeze. ๐ ๐ป๐ฅถ
I cannot tell you how much I long to see a Reece James inswinger being met by Osimhen's blond head like the Philippine Eagle. Deadly, an apex box predator. There's no better hymn to sing to welcome such mortal conjugal bliss into the Chelsea hemisphere. ๐ฆ
No one would watch that game and not wish they had a 38-year-old defender as good as Thiago Silva. Time and time again this man keeps making defending look easy at an age when many are having coconut juice by the seashore in Abu Dhabi. He is a mentor to his mentors.
Sancho painted a world class portrait of what the Chelsea Left Wing has been missing for everyone to see. It was colorful, it was enigmatic, it was everything a true Left wing Artis should embody. It was bright enough to send Ten hag and the Man utd hierarchy into disbelief.
Tuchel continuously protects these lots only for them to let him down at will. If Lukaku ever goes through half of what Jorginho went through at Chelsea, Stanford bridge will be on fire by now. Jorginho didn't earn the assistant captain by talking, he fought his way up.
What Jorgi had to endure at Chelsea was tragic, yet still won the European best. From the lack of intelligent off the ball movements to close to zero technical security at Chelsea. PEP would've ruined you all with Jorgi at the vanguard of his master technicians. You lot escaped.
Casedei's frame is impeccable man. Like a demon flapping beast crushing through a groove. At just 20, his upper body strength rolled into one astute technical security will become is fortitude when he masters it. That's one scary ultra physicality. Hold me, I'm in love again. โจ
Slowly like an ant, Kepa is building a castle in our hearts like an anthill and is filling all the holes he dug with disappointment with clean sheets. El Gato is atoning for his sins and we must ensure he gets to the cathedral of exaltation unscathed. Restitution. โณ
Axel Disasi is a towering ball playing CB who excels in direct physical duels. A smooth passing gladiator who is also a comfortable ball carrier. Chelsea are filling the ultra physical deficiencies in the squad with the right combination of skill sets and it's frightening...
You can see why Osimhen scores so many goals for Napoli, yet struggles for Nigeria really. You cannot have players like Chukwueze and Simon on the flanks who are too individualistic to do the basics right. Talent and intelligence must come hand in hand. It's a no brainier.
Maresca has oiled Chelsea up like a mined gold. Scuffed out of the ruins & muds of uncertainty, right into the Disneyland of footballing dreams. My boys are glittering like the evening sun in Santorini, my cups are overflowing with elation. My team is becoming a forest of awe.
Badiashile is an absolute brick of composure wrapped in a lava of a bargain. I've never seen a player of his physical nuance able to display such high level of La Pausa. I'm appalled, awed & astonished. If his development continues at such pace, bargain will be an understatement.
If you've been following my thread about Jorginho and the necessity of back passes, here's what a manager with a world class coaching license thinks it is. Some of you just love football, you have no idea how certain things outside dribbling & big muscles work.
"A back pass does not indicate fear, but the beginning of another, better play, We do not pass to move the ball. We pass to move the opposition."
-Pep Guardiola.
I won't be surprised if De Zerbi's Brighton tops this sooner or later.
๐ฃ๏ธ "Arsenal's squad could look like an advert for Mothercare with bottles and Farleys Rusks." ๐ถ
Kevin Campbell says Arsenal are playing 'Russian roulette' by not bringing in a new striker to replace Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang who moved to Barcelona.
Cobham is an elite talent factory, an endless groove of prospects. There's a left footed CB passing specimen in Levi Colwill. He left a boy, but returning a man. Roll up your sleeves blues. Your face; A stool for misery all season is about to be decorated by stardust. A thread.
Levi Colwill must understand what it means to play for Chelsea. It isn't an easy ride, a championship passport isn't enough either. Those who played earned their spots, those who wanted to didn't get their luck. Yet "Valar Dohaeris : All men must serve"...
Jorginho's move to Chelsea has done a lot of damage to how much he should be appreciated. Bousquets is a gem, but Jorginho is just as good. Can you imagine Bousquets in that Chelsea midfield? Jorginho standing out at Chelsea is a miracle. 1/3
Mohammed Kudus and Nicolas Jackson in a Chelsea shirt is a farmilia folklore waiting to tap into the club's ancestral glories. That these two young warlocks are amongst Africa's finest is a testament that will fog into decades of rapturous moments.
There's a war coming... This is live at igando lagos right now, the police are shooting citizens to the ground. Stay at home please stay safe. We are officially at war๐ณ๐ฌ ๐ง
#Endpolicebrutality
#EndSARS
His is so irreplaceable. A jewel. A cosmic gift. Everything starts/goes through him like a windpipe. Maresca must treat him like the last glass of wine left in this world. It took Cucu a while, but he is a few meters away from sitting at the council of world class left backs.
Vincent Enyeama has reincarnated in Stanley Nwabali. This prototype is an amalgamation of total dominance in the air and on the ground. We've prayed and fasted for days like this, Nwabali has announced his arrival like a proper Eagle, sitting at the fulcrum of class. ๐ฆ
This team needs to grow up defensively. This isn't how you dine with elite teams. The laziness is spreading quickly like a plague outwide & it needs a cure. Petrovic's hands should be worshiped in that dressing room, his performance was Cech-like. Big Pete would've loved that.
You can be mad at Jackson & still acknowledge his relentless efforts to keep going regardless of the outcome. He is what a lime is to the tongue. Tart & acidic with a slight hint of sweetness. You can't have too much, yet you want more. My faith burns low, but bright enough. 1/5
Anyone playing in that position either as a false nine of not will always suffer for most parts of the game. Chelsea hardly use that channel. When you play in that position for Chelsea, all you do is press until your lungs wear out. Those in that position have the least touches.
Kudus has the technical security that gels with his low centre gravity. Incredible ball striking & deadly in one v one situations. Fearless in tight spaces, venomous in half spaces. An apprentice of positional play dynamics. Pochetino's 4-2-3-1 is going to be a siege. 1/2
Gallagher stood tall like a statue of liberty tonight. He is swimming his way through scrutiny like an Alpha Dolphin. Those who took criticism to his door step like a legion of mob should go to the nearest priest for atonement. He is the leader we needed when the night was dark.
Mudryk's goal is for everyone who stood by him during that gloomy spell. Those of us who knew what he is made of never doubted that a day like this is only on the horizon. There's more to come from where that came from.Brace yourselves, the floodgate is open. It is time to feast.
He was named European best player right before your eyes and you still don't see how stupid he makes you look. You can also say it's underserved, that's what daft people would say too. Jorginho is pure art, his stature betrays his class.