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EP50: Matchday Review - Arsenal (H)
28 Plays1 month ago
Join Matt, Jake and Luke discuss all things against Arsenal!
Was this 2 points dropped or a solid draw?
Where do the Blues go from here after getting through the October tough run of games?
Host: Matt Blagdon
Guests: Jake Chandler & Luke Charlton
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Transcript
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Chelsea, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm your host, Matt, and I'm joined today by two wonderful guests. On on the first hand, we've got Jammie Jake. How you doing, Jammie Jake?
00:00:27
Jake
Jammy as ever man. Jammy as ever. I love the nicknames. Is it just, is it just constant alliteration nicknames that we've all got to do as hosts?
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hey, you know, it sort of, it changes every time. It changes every time. Well, I'll keep you on your toes. And, but we're going to keep in keeping with that and it's going to continue to be the same for Luke, which is lyrical. Luke, how you doing?
00:00:46
Luke Charlton
yeah i'm doing very well thank you feeling particularly lyrical today so glad we've got the next half an hour to just spit bars i suppose in another life
00:00:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. If you guys didn't know, Luke is an MC in another part of the day. But today he's a podcaster. Exactly. In another life. Lovely stuff. Boys, great to see you. And we are, we're we're now training, you know, on all things Arsenal from the weekend. It's the big Super Sunday game, 4.30 kickoff.
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think there was a lot of nerves ahead of the game, a lot of expectation from certain players.
00:01:18
Jake
Thank you.
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some players performed, some didn't. of the defense, some of the attack and all across the pitch, really. um um And Arteta said that Arsenal dominated the game, guys, that they dominated the game and that he fully expected them to or with theseishsh they should have come away with all three points and that, you know, they ran us off the pitch.
00:01:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
But when it comes to the stats, you know, we had 49% possession, they had 51%. We had effectively the same amount of expected goals. and We actually had more shots, more corners, and the same amount of shots on targets. So I think our tether is going a little bit loopy there, and maybe just viewing the game through some red tinted glasses.
00:02:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But for us guys, Jake, you were at the game. It seemed that Palmer had a bit of an off day today, considering his normal standards. What did you make of his performance? And is he really that key to us if we you know win or lose now?
00:02:27
Jake
I think this this might have been a sort of pivotal game where we recognize and maybe just accept that he's not. and I think we've, especially in these sort of bigger games, like I think the Liverpool game was really key in terms of these teams are now ah very aware of what Cole Palmer can do. And he had that sort of advantage last season where he was very fresh on the block. ah Players didn't really know how to approach him. This season, we're seeing either you know players doubling up on him or doubling up and standing off. so he's So he's got a lot of space, but nowhere to actually go. We saw that quite a lot in the Arsenal game yesterday.
00:03:00
Jake
fact, I think it was, think it was party who actually did really well in that and just locking away any sort of, passing lanes that, that Cole would have had. and there was a couple of times where I think Jackson probably would have been in if, if Parma was able to make those passes. I don't think it was as much of of an off day. I think, I think we're now aware that just players will just get targeted if they, if they are quality. And I think Cole Palmer is, you know, realistically one of the best young players in the world right now.
00:03:26
Jake
But I think in the in the same way that Parma was sort of locked out of the game a little bit, I think it really allowed a lot more space for Netto. And I think that's probably why we saw such a such fantastic performance from Pedro.
00:03:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. It was a 6.4 rating for Palmer in this game, one of his lowest this season so far. Luke, another character that didn't really deliver quite the same level or that we would really hope to and has been one of constant debate was Sanchez. Obviously he had two strong saves, but what did you make of his performance, particularly when we conceded? it
00:04:03
Luke Charlton
It's just for the kind of acknowledgement for us that we we won't we won't be able to win titles or Champions Leagues for the keeper of that level. mean, we we were blessed for many years with a keeper as good as Peter Chek. And then we had a brief period of ah ah of a kind of a youthful courtoire coming in and having a fairly dominant and obviously has gone on to have an excellent career, although He's not necessarily held in high regard and in Chelsea fan base, but in general he's clearly one of the best keepers in the world, of course, while on his day. And I think for us, we're really looking at a level now of going and appreciating the fact that for a top team, you have to be concentrating 100% of the match.
00:04:44
Luke Charlton
He clearly has some great reactionary saves to him, and he can pick out a pass, but he has an ability to have a lapse in concentration. It's the ruthlessness that Sawyer and Ramsdell, although he had a stellar season at Arsenal, he wasn't quite good enough to the level that they wanted a keeper to be. And they made the decision to change him. I think you even look at, we we won a Champions League based off of defen a defensive structure that came in. We had we had great attacking output, but also we had a keeper that was in the form of his life.
00:05:12
Luke Charlton
The reason Mendy wasn't able to maintain that is because he was going through a purple patch, which just so happened to last a period of time. We had to get through the knockout rounds and, and to really excel. but we're at a point now where Sanchez, he, I think he's, he's a, he's a, he's a fine Premier League keeper. If you, uh, I don't know.
00:05:31
Luke Charlton
more at the lower end of the of the of the of the table,
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
but the table
00:05:36
Luke Charlton
let's say, that's the word I was looking for, thank you. Lyrical Luke was lost for a second. um If you were the lower end of the table, I don't think you'd be going, oh, he's ah ah he's a problem area, we need we need a better goalkeeper. but But then I look at it and go, for us, when individual moments are so much more heighted heightened and scrutinised and highlighted,
00:05:56
Luke Charlton
he He never covers himself in glory for a consistent, not even just 90 minutes, it's a consistent run of games.
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
At the table.
00:06:03
Luke Charlton
We always feel like he's got a mistake in him. And I think for a young defence as well, they're always going to be a bit worried. I think Arsenal's goal came from a point of, we feel more confident to play offside than to play with a keeper that's going to be yelling at us, telling him what to do, drop back, or he comes out and claims the ball or anything like that.
00:06:21
Luke Charlton
He doesn't have as much of a presence that I think keeper at this level needs to have. And you you look at you look at club, for example, I mean, Liverpool flying high, they are blessed in the fact that they have a backup keeper that is better than even our starting keeper.
00:06:36
Luke Charlton
So you look at it and you go, well, they drop off there. They're very lucky in their position to be in that that sort of state. and And it does make a massive difference. It really does, because it allows allows defenders to potentially make a mistake, but knowing that they'll have a keeper there that can make a world-class save, and ah be consistent and on them and communicative, then they know that that that that they They're not liable.
00:06:57
Luke Charlton
Do you know what I mean? They're so worried about being making a mistake because they think, oh, God, well, if they do, they're in on goal.
00:06:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:07:03
Luke Charlton
Sanchez is not going to be able to manage it. yeah
00:07:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's tricky.
00:07:08
Luke Charlton
It's a problem area in the sense of there are other areas I'd still want to spend big money on, but but we have to address it in the long run because if we are really going to be pushing for titles, it will get to a point where we are going to drop silly points because of moments of of kind of, not stupidity, but but a lack of concentration and and a lack of closing down. like I mean, not to go too much into it. Well, obviously we will cover it further in the pod, but the goal, I really think he could have done a lot more for just by being a little bit more proactive and closing the space down. Martin Elliott is not going to be able to score at the far post of the angle he's got. Like it's quite clear that if he steps out a couple more yards and is a little bit more aggressive, he's going to make the shot so much harder for him.
00:07:48
Luke Charlton
And he shouldn't, he shouldn't be getting beat. Like, again, it's the common phrase you hear all the time. He shouldn't be getting beaten in your post.
00:07:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:07:53
Luke Charlton
I'm not a goalkeeper myself. Of course, when no one is at that level of being a professional goalkeeper, but there are things you can do. So I just think, yeah, I think, I think, yeah, he, he, he's, he's not covered himself in glory.
00:08:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:08:04
Jake
just Just quickly, just quickly on that, Luke, like, I mean, like so like heavily agree with you there. But like the thing is the thing that we've not got Sanchez in the team for his distribution. Like he's, he's got good distribution and he's a decent keeper is that that's not what, that's why he's holding his place in the team against Arsenal. He had 20 out of 36 accurate passes and that's essentially all short balls and accurate long balls were two out of 15, which is horrendous. It gives him a combined percentage rate of completed passes of 37%, which in a game like this, we're also, I think there's something I was saying as well. We expected Arsenal to press and they sort of did, but they only activated it a bit further up the pitch. Sanchez could have been so much better in that game on nearly every single front.
00:08:52
Luke Charlton
but i I totally agree with you because particularly in the Mareska system, we've seen it time and time again. He likes the goalkeeper to be involved as if almost a third centre back. So they will get so much of the ball.
00:09:01
Jake
Yeah.
00:09:03
Luke Charlton
You want him to be able to play a ball that will beat the first man. and we talk about he's he's a he's The lack of scrutiny, I think, on the passing has coincided with the impact that Quesada has had this season, where he's so much more comfortable receiving the ball in the half-turn. Lavia, we already knew, could do that. And I think we're getting to a point now where we saw the impact Enzo had coming off the bench, playing a little bit higher up, being a little bit more involved in the attack.
00:09:28
Luke Charlton
but Kaiseido and Lavi are almost there to negate a bad pass from the the goalkeeper or the defence. They are there because you know that you can put them, and they can have two players around them and they're probably going to get away with the ball. Not every time, but but most of the time they will. And and that percentage element, it feels like, are we actually putting out for a problem? Because we can't get we can't have a goalkeeper that consistently can pick out the wing backs or can consistently pick out Madaweki who's in space. or But there's things like that where you look at him and go,
00:09:55
Luke Charlton
we could completely remove this problem if we had a goalkeeper whose distribution was much better and also was more of a commanding presence.
00:10:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. Yeah, there's a lot to let say, but Maresca is a valiant defender of Sanchez nonetheless. It's probably just smoke and mirrors really that will probably be going on for the whole season. Anyway, we'll just go to a short break and then we'll be on to some more positive news.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back. We're talking all things Arsenal in the 1L draw at Stamford Bridge. Guys, now on to more positive news with two absolute star players I think we had yesterday and some honourable mentions, but two players in particular in Pedro Neto and Mark Kukukurela. Mark Kukukurela obviously came into the sides instead of Rhys James for this game.
00:11:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I would say totally locked up Saka. Jake, what would you make of him against Arsenal?
00:11:36
Jake
who, was who do I, sorry, I, sorry, I don't know if I meant to talk a lot.
00:11:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Kickarello'd at first.
00:11:42
Jake
yeah, I think. Firstly, he did very well coming into the team and you know, he's, he's, he's played a couple of games here and there, but he's not had a start in fiveate foot forward remember exactly, but, and he's he's come back into a team and in a massive game, which, you know, was extremely high intensity from the off and done very well from the start.
00:12:03
Jake
Then obviously, um, Kookarela only lost one draw the entire game. He had four of them with Saka. He won all four of them. there was a couple of hours between them, but again, what Kookarela was brought in to do really, you know, we've seen gusto and Reese, you know, last couple of games and it's not really worked. I don't think, I don't think it's both players have been played to their advantages there really. but Kookarela coming in.
00:12:25
Jake
just did absolutely, absolutely incredibly. he He came in to do a job and that was lock Saka down and stop any passing lanes that would go out to him. And he did that to an absolute tee. He offered a bit attacking wise as well, but all he really needs to do is give that pass into, you know, one of the midfielders, love you or a casino. And he was able to build from there.
00:12:44
Jake
and there was, there was a, there was an attack that he stopped really, really well. where he pushed, I think he was on the other side and he ended up getting the best of Martinelli as well, which is a fantastic tackle. we talk about like Sanchez and his concentration. I think Kukarela is maybe the exact opposite. He just seems to be on it for the entire 90 minutes. He's, it's an incredible quality to have.
00:13:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. And just to amplify exactly Kukarela's performance with Saka. Saka had zero goals, zero assists, zero chance graded, no shots on target or off target. It's a complete lockdown there from Kukarela. So, you know, give them the champagne, why not? so Another great player that we saw um fire.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pedro Nerto, of course, Luke. Now he got that excellent goal to to level up the scoring. He seems to be better on the right, but can do both the left and the right wing. Is he now undroppable?
00:13:34
Luke Charlton
I think from from those wing positions, particularly with the with the injury or the ongoing issue with Sancho that we've we've sort of seen a little bit of. Yeah, I think at the moment he has to be one of the first names on the team sheet. He's got electric pace. He's also very, he's very hardworking, which you need in those positions as well, particularly with the with the formation of the system we play. So I think, yeah, for the moment, yeah, he's really doing himself no harm by playing as well as he is.
00:14:03
Luke Charlton
It's quite interesting. I mean, I wouldn't say we've been unlucky with injury per se, but it would have been really nice to have seen if Sancho was fit to have had Sancho start on the left and Natto start on the right yesterday because he yeah he he would have been much better in terms of, as you said, going past past timber on on that and that right hand side, it seems to be a lot better than than he he sort of lacked an element of going past Ben White.
00:14:28
Luke Charlton
Always want to sort of pass it back a little bit and and be a little bit, not negative, but but not trusting himself on his left foot on the outside. He did a couple of times, but but he's not as confident on it he is when he's on the right-hand side. And and I think think Sancho, particularly because he's such an excellent dribbler, would have given Ben White a little bit more of a headache and would have allowed the time for Kukarela to overlap or somewhat or Kaisei or anyone to overlap on that left-hand side.
00:14:53
Luke Charlton
to have made our tax a little bit more dynamic, because he can he can keep it keep it close control, keep it moved in, keep it, dribble off both feet, make it make an instinctive decision. It's not as much touch and run. It becomes touch, make the defender make a mistake, and I'll knock it the other way. So it immediately puts the onus on the defender to make the decision. with Neto, he is essentially backing you up till he finds a bit of space to then go around, which is fine, which is cool. And i he does it excellently. But you do look at it and go, okay, well,
00:15:20
Luke Charlton
once he sort of figures you out and have closed down that hand side, or just get you to cut inside and we'll have Saliba and Gabrielle block it off. So it makes it a little bit more difficult. And I think Madawecki experienced a similar thought of thing where he couldn't go around the outside as much as maybe he'd like to.
00:15:33
Luke Charlton
And yeah, it was it was is interesting to see, but yeah, he took his goal excellently, loved the celebrations, loved the clapping of the hands of Stanford Bridges, one of the best sounds in the world.
00:15:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:15:42
Luke Charlton
And there's nothing quite like being there when it's happening, but yeah, it's moments like that where I think, this team is putting in the right direction. we We're signing. It finally feels like with these sorts of signings, we're bringing in the right sorts of people. they They know what it means to play for Chelsea. They know what it means to play at the top level and the amount of effort you need to put in. And you take those chances. And it was quite nice. so It wasn't just Neto. I think I quite liked the fact that we were taking some shots from outside the area earlier. It made Arsenal a little bit more wary.
00:16:10
Luke Charlton
I mean, there was, I remember there there was a shot fairly along for Palmer that, right. I had to, had to save because it was dipping. And it's one of those things, it's like, but we've been crying out for a number of years at different points to have players take shots from mass outside the area. And we've we've had it at different points with some different players, but, but I think on the whole, it's something that, that we can maybe, maybe capitalize on. And it was just, it was a quick ball, quick run at bursar pace, low driven, hard into the corner, beats out the defenders, beats out a keeper, excellent goal, brings this level. And it keeps the momentum.
00:16:39
Luke Charlton
But yeah, is it's one of those where I look at it and go, if Maresco had had a full contingent, full squad to choose from, I don't think Madaweke would have started, particularly when he's looking at bringing Gusto on the right as well, and to compensate for James, because I think he really wanted to create a lot of energy down that side.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:16:57
Luke Charlton
And for Madaweke, because he'd always cut in, there was a lot of times, great, he was passing some lovely balls into Gusto, but having also been the player to do that, so then Gusto can underlap rather than kind of overlap,
00:17:09
Luke Charlton
means we get a lot more of an overload in front of goal. And it allows Palmer to be in the right place, where where I think a lot of the time yesterday, Palmer was sort of picking up the ball almost in the wrong half space. We wanted him on the other side because it allows him to shoot or pass rather than pass because the angle to shoot is so tight. So we we sort we sort of negate some of the players' qualities by having players that want to be in the same area to pitch. And and I think that's that's something to to think about really moving forward, but maybe we touch on that on Tactics Tuesday.
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, maybe. I know what it would be to have a a fully fit squad every week. But yeah, Neto got 7.9 rating against Arsenal. Fantastic goal. Like we said, 89% pass completion, two big chances created and 75% cross completion. So a stellar effort from Pedro there. But, you know, a draw, a one-all draw is a solid point. Or is it? We'll discuss that after this break.
00:18:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back. So gentlemen, lyrical Luke, Jeremy Jake, a one-all draw with Arsenal at home. Is this a solid point or is this two points dropped? You know, this has been a tough period for us, particularly in October and early part of November. And now we've got an international break to kind of just let the dust settle and look ahead to what's coming up. It seems like, you know, our run of games will be easier than what we've just gone through.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Jake, let's start off. You know, was this a solid point or should we should have we really got the win here?
00:19:17
Jake
A solid point. I think it's a solid point. And and as I sort of said, ah ah sort of like on the preview on Friday, I think it's two different states for the club right now.
00:19:28
Jake
And I'm very happy with ah ah with a point from that game. Although in hindsight, you know, I think there were points where we could have won it.
00:19:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:19:37
Jake
I think there's also probably a couple of points where Arsenal could have won it. It was just, you know, you know, one of those games. But we came into it needing not to lose and Arsenal came into it needing to win and that sort of changed the dynamics quite a bit. Arsenal's recent former change has definitely changed the dynamics of of that game a little bit well as the fact we're going into the game above above them in the table.
00:19:59
Jake
and you know, I think i've I've seen like, you know, a little bit on social media, you know, and stuff like that of like a Chelsea really third, like every really third, because we've got, you know, we are third. Yeah. I mean, like on paper, we are third, but also, you know, down to six is, you know, same amount of points and two goals in terms of goal difference. And then down to Villa, it's only a point behind us. And that's, that's basically going down to ninth place. So it's obviously like incredibly tight and we're really early on, but We, I think we did really well to get a draw out of that game, considering, you know, I i think all of us fans and Maresca all looked at this sort of runner fixtures and, you know, said, you know, we want to take a certain amount of points from this sort of run of games to get us into the, to go into that next batch of games, you know, where we're going to find that a bit easier. No, one no game is yet in the frame really easy, but.
00:20:42
Jake
he sort of knew that. And I think we can, if you look at it on the whole and also having, you know, this draw against Arsenal, I think we should probably be happy with the amount of points we've taken from these big games. The only one that's a little bit stinger for me, I think is the Liverpool game, but we could have easily won this. And I think for me, the big thing that came from it is I think in terms of quality, in terms of actual player quality and maybe quality, you know, given to us, you know, with our manager now as well, I don't think we're actually too far off Arsenal, not in their current state anyway.
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's bold words. I mean, who knew? I chose if I could say that sort of thing two years ago. We were very far apart at that point. But yeah, thelap is the gap is being bridged for sure. Yeah, look, we've gone through this tough, tough periods of tricky first her fixtures. It's a worthy test. You know, every manager's got to do it.
00:21:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
But what do you expect from the fixtures ahead after after the international break? I mean, for example, we are the early kickoff against Leicester the international break. We're typically not very good against teams after international breaks. But do you think this is a new Chelsea? Do you think we can actually build some form and get into a winning run?
00:21:53
Luke Charlton
I mean, the Leicester game in itself is going to be quite an interesting one when we're asking having a bit of a return home. Um, Um, and I think he's going to have a point to prove, uh, really in that sense. so I, I mean, less anything less than three points there is is pretty bad and it loses all momentum. Obviously that we have sort of built, as you say, Jake from, from the results we've got so far, cause I think he put it in a microcosm. The fact we are in these games.
00:22:19
Luke Charlton
being a little disgruntled that maybe we could have won it and probably should have won it is such a far cry from where we were 18 months ago when we were just hoping for a goal. Do you know what I mean? like we're we're not We're not even having those sort of conversations now. It is going, oh, these little tweaks, these little tweaks, we've gone unbeaten. We're in a whole different sort of sort a sort of sort of case case now. And I think it we have to we have to sit back and think about that and take that in because Premier League fans that are fickle.
00:22:48
Luke Charlton
they that they help They want what they want right now and they want it and they they don't remember the past. They don't think about the future. It's the only as good as your last result. And of course you are. But but generally, I think, yeah, the the next run of fixtures, again, there is no get game, this as Jake said, that's easy in the Premier League.
00:23:01
Jake
Thank you.
00:23:03
Luke Charlton
But you've got to be thinking, victor victory against Leicester, bringing Aston Villa to the bridge will always be difficult. But again, I think They've been shown to not be as as as high quality as as they have they were last year. And then we've got Southampton away, which again, we're going to be looking at three points. Come stick them fast. We've got other fixtures, but but you do look at it and go, right. We've navigated us and we've we've we've we've held our own against the big boys to to an to an extent. And I think we now have to go, right, well, let lets let's go get a run of a run of run of games under our belt where we where we can consistently get some victories. and
00:23:39
Luke Charlton
I think it will come. I just think we're still having some questions about what is our strongest starting 11th. Because i like I do like that Maresco makes tactical changes for the games and and picks things up because he clearly sees areas we can exploit. But I also look at it and go, sometimes you need a bit of consistency because they can't build up the same rhythm when they're not all playing together. And I think you want to have the jeopardy of of being able to Sorry, not the Jeopardy. You want to have the confidence that you want you can play in them and keep playing playing through a lot of things. And I think you you do look at it and go, in these fixtures maybe then where we're coming up, I'd rather than see personnel tweaks, maybe see syntactical more of a a structural tweak.
00:24:25
Luke Charlton
where we where we don't have to necessarily sit with sit with two holding midfielders and then having a fullback kind of come into the midfield. Can we be a little bit more expressive? Can we see Enzo coming in from the start as well? Maybe we'll laugh at it. We haven't seen that. Maybe c just see's just see what happens. I'm not saying Quesada deserves to be dropped, but it's games like this where I now go, okay, we've got ourselves some strong position. We are third. As you say, give or take, how realistic that actually is, technically seventh as well, if you think of it like that. so but but But from the standpoint we're in,
00:24:55
Luke Charlton
butre we're we're we're we're in a chap're we're We're best of the rest. We're not top two.
00:24:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:24:58
Luke Charlton
We're best of the rest at the moment. Let's now see. In games where we we're comfortable, let's see see what things we can change. Let's let's see. Because if we can if we can be 2-0, 3-0 up in 60 minutes, ideal, dreamland, but then let's make some changes.
00:25:12
Luke Charlton
I think yesterday yesterday it was was a case of We didn't bring on reinforcements or changes early enough, in my opinion. i think And Kunku coming on for the token five, six minutes at the end, can't allow them to do anything. So we need to see players like that playing a little bit more in these systems. So when they do come on, if it is just for that short amount of time, they know exactly what they're doing. They don't have to get up to the pace of the game. They know what their impact's going to be. So I think i think with with with games against what we'd consider the lesser teams,
00:25:40
Luke Charlton
I'd like to see a little bit more of a tactical tweak or personal tweak maybe, but but but for me, I think it's hard. I feel like ahve I've almost took myself into a juxtaposition here because actually you can tweak the team, but on reflection, when every when every week when I see 11 changes from the midweek game in Europe, I think that just doesn't sit well with me because I think I know that you're resting players and I know that our B team is far and away good enough to win in the conference league. And it won't last in the last stages of the season. We'll have a lot more of the first teamers playing every game. But I just look at it and go, if we'd had more of those players playing in midweek, could we have had a stronger start with in this game and gone on and won?
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting, yeah, maybe. But then again, maybe one of them could have got injured and wouldn't have played. And that's the sort of risk you take. You never know, you never know. Just very quickly though, with the sort of chopping and changing that we've had and the effective two 11s. There have been reports from Germany that this per this player is unhappy. And then from France that this player might join Manchester United in the summer. And that player is Christopher Nkuku.
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
can maybe see the slight rationale about his frustration with the lack of minutes and like you say, Luke, the sort of petty poi towards the end of the arsenal game. But, but Jake, do you see any kind of validity in that? Um, mean, do we really need to sort of up his game time in the Premier League soon? Or is he just going to get disgruntled and say, do you know what? I came here to play the big games. I'm not getting it. I've got to go elsewhere.
00:27:16
Jake
No, no, I think it would actually be quite, it'd be, I think at this stage, I think it'd be ridiculous. I think there's a very, there seems to be a common thing where players, if they have big injuries and then come back, and it seems to be amongst players at bigger clubs, they're jumping straight back in and taking places in squads, in in first team lineups. And Kuku has done really well in the games he's played in. He scored in every game that he started in.
00:27:43
Jake
But these are against Europa conference league opponents like FC. and Yeah. You know what I mean? Like it's, you can't, he's, he is, we know he's a level of player, but we can't say Nicholas Jackson has gone through this season scoring game winning goals and improving everything we've asked him to improve upon. If anything, he's starting to be let down a little bit on the side that we liked him for last season, which is his battling and his hold up play a little bit more, but maybe he's not as instructed to do that as much.
00:28:10
Jake
and However, Nicholas Jackson is our starting striker. We don't start with two strikers and so Nicholas Jackson is earning his place. That's just the state of the squad. You have to be a good enough player to challenge people and earn that and earn that space. And it's not as if Nkunku is not getting game time and he is making the absolute best of the game time he's getting. However,
00:28:34
Jake
there is a pecking order. And at the moment he needs to realize he has to push into that. There there there will be a chance. we are We are about to hit the biggest run of fixtures in the entirety of the season of this sort of December, January period.
00:28:45
Jake
He will start getting some Premier League games and starts. And if he starts scoring in those and having the influence that Jackson has, then maybe I would say it's it's warranted. But otherwise, honestly, and no.
00:28:56
Jake
And I think it's maybe a little bit of a sore spot after you know Mason Mount and you know players like this. But yeah, for me, no.
00:29:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hm.
00:29:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Strong words from Drake, even though it's jammy. Luke, in a word, yes or no, what do you expect in Cuckoo to be with Chelsea next season?
00:29:14
Luke Charlton
Yeah, I'd like to think so. I mean, given the fact he's also got quite a long contract, but but i no, I think... we We would be remiss to to want to have that level of talent leave the club.
00:29:27
Luke Charlton
That even if it is, okay, next season will guarantee you X amount of games, because think about it. If we get what we want, we'll be playing the Champions League. And I don't have many players complaining about being a rotation player to start Champions League games.
00:29:41
Luke Charlton
So it's just the fact that these are the fixes we've been dealt.
00:29:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:44
Luke Charlton
He has to be realistic and understand that we're in this competition because of where we finished last season. We're trying to build for something new. and he's clearly an important player. He's one of our most utilised subs as well. It's just at the moment he...
00:29:58
Luke Charlton
I think, again, it's it's a slight thing of looking at say that Enzo Fernandez, where they're a little bit misprofiled in the system because they can sort of play in loads of different spots. So like he isn't an out and out center forward. He isn't good enough to take Cole Palmer's position at the moment, and and he can't really consistently play on the wings. So he has to sort of be a backup and be the first port of call when we want to not play off starting striker.
00:30:23
Luke Charlton
And you look at all the teams that have gone on to win titles. And I'm not saying that, for example, someone like a Divock Origi, I think Nkunku has more experience and more ability than that. But he will have moments where he is the main man. He has to understand that at a club like this and a club that wants to do to be at the level that we want to be at, you need to have that quality and that depth. And if you're not starting, it doesn't mean you're not important because he's getting a fair share of ah of of ah touches on the pitch. There are other players that I think would have much more of a reason to be annoyed. For example, someone like Connie Chikwameka, who for all we know was probably stopped from going on loan, and he's barely out of touch. And you look at it and you go, I get it, you're a high profile player. But as Jake rightly said, you were out for a full season.
00:31:10
Luke Charlton
We don't even use Fafana and Coldwell as often as we we should because they've had injuries and James is only coming back into the squad. And he's the club captain. How do you think he's going to feel if he's told he doesn't start because I want Gusto to start? So if you've got to play with that mentality, if that is true, if he's really disgruntled, I'd want us to have a word with him. And if that still isn't enough, well then ultimately in the long term, we don't want to play with that sort of personality and you know in the squad.
00:31:33
Luke Charlton
But no, I ultimately do think we're savvy enough. And the setup we have now is that we are aware of the qualities he has and we'd want to keep him in the team. And we would be, as I say, remiss remis to get rid of him.
00:31:45
Jake
Just very quickly, before we finish, ironically I do think that's lazy links, though, to be honest. with that being and kuu stuff i know I know there was good sources that sort of reported it, or trusted sources are reported it, but Man United, really?
00:31:50
Luke Charlton
yeah
00:31:56
Jake
Like, where where does he play there? They've got countless attacking midfielders who who they don't know how to juggle. That's the other quick point, is that Nkuku is not really a striker for us.
00:32:07
Jake
And you have to remember, like, if he's playing in our team, he's either displacing Nicholas Jackson, which is more more of an argument for, or Cole Palmer, which is just not happening.
00:32:14
Luke Charlton
Yeah.
00:32:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm Interesting,
00:32:15
Jake
And I don't really see, that's why, yeah, I think it's probably lazy links in all honesty.
00:32:19
Luke Charlton
it's It's October talk isn't October, November talk when there's not a lot going on in the transfer window.
00:32:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:32:24
Luke Charlton
iss It's agents feeding feeding stories, but don't get me wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if he's a little bit disgruntled, but that doesn't mean he's going to leave because he has to, say look, he could go on and win a European trophy this season.
00:32:37
Luke Charlton
And he's not going to be like, Oh, well, that's why I wish I'd never started those games. Cause these could be the bloody top score in that competition.
00:32:43
Jake
yeah
00:32:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's true.
00:32:44
Jake
yeah
00:32:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, true.
00:32:44
Jake
yeah
00:32:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. Unfortunately, gentlemen, we're out of time. um Lovely time. um Lovely to review with you, as always. We should do this every Monday, actually, shouldn't we? should do that.
00:32:54
Jake
ah think I think we do that, don't we? plug and
00:32:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
is Exactly, yeah. um You can catch all things Daily Chelsea throughout the week. Next up, we've got Tactics Tuesday. We'll be going through a little bit more in depth and what Chelsea needs to do maybe for the future games coming up.
00:33:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, little cool, Luke. Thanks for being here.
00:33:14
Luke Charlton
Thank you for having me.
00:33:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Jammy Jake, thanks for being so jammy.
00:33:20
Jake
Like a dodger, mate. Like a dodger.
00:33:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, there we go. Brilliant, everyone. I've been Matt, and catch us all very soon.