GWT: EPL - Matchweek 36 (ft. MW 26)

[Wee Baby Seamus]

another young legend coming on!

What can I saw, I'm a strict textualist.

explains a lot about you doesn't it

vicario gives away a set piece that need not be given away... hope it works out for them...

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Words cannot articulate how funny it will be if we end up finishing 6th

 

[luiginb]

Dreadful performance today, if we lose the next three games (Liverpool, Burnley playing for their lives and City playing for the title) and/or we drop below United or Newcastle at the end of the year I'd like this team to give a go with a less naive coach.

 

[Peen]

I know chelsea have been short essentially 8+ players the entire season, but we were down 14 today.

Not a good look for Ange today.

Also Poch’s second half of the season here.. if we finish 6th or 7th, even though I’m not a fan of him, I think you have to let him stay. Especially if there isn’t an obvious upgrade

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

this is the table since boxing day. chelsea are only two points back of villa and seven off liverpool having played a game fewer than both.

team	points since boxing day
mci	42​
ars	40​
liv	33​
vil	28​
che	26​
tot	24​
new	24​
mun	23​
bou	23​
ful	22​
cry	22​
wol	21​
eve	18​
whu	16​
bre	16​
bha	14​
bur	13​
lut	10​
nfo	9​
shu	7​

 

[Savant]

Chelsea going to have to sell Enzo this summer if this keeps up

 

[bluesfan94]

Champions League Spots (4)
1. Arsenal - 80 (Confirmed)
2. Man City - 79 (Confirmed)
3. Liverpool - 75 (Confirmed)
4. Aston Villa - 67 (Magic Number: 6)
5. Tottenham Hotspur - 60 (Magic Number: 17)

Europa League Spots (1-2)
5. Tottenham Hotspur - 60 (Magic Number: 7)
6. Man United - 54 (Magic Number: 12)
7. Newcastle United - 53
8. Chelsea - 51
9. West Ham United - 49
10. Bournemouth - 48
11. Wolverhampton - 46
12. Brighton - 44

I think this is everyone that is in contention. 6th place will be Europa League if Man City wins the FA Cup or If United finishes 5th. 7th place will be Europa Conference League unless Man U wins the FA Cup and finishes 7th or worse.

Updated numbers going into the weekend.

 

[Savant]

Updated numbers going into the weekend.

LFC confirmed for UCL with the Tottenham loss

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I know chelsea have been short essentially 8+ players the entire season, but we were down 14 today.

Not a good look for Ange today.

Also Poch’s second half of the season here.. if we finish 6th or 7th, even though I’m not a fan of him, I think you have to let him stay. Especially if there isn’t an obvious upgrade

Chelsea are still below-expectations in terms of standing but I think propping up these stats is doing the exact same thing as folks did with ManU last year (who actually finished third).

Chelsea looks like shit 85 percent of the time you actually watch them, regardless of result.

 

[Peen]

Chelsea are still below-expectations in terms of standing but I think propping up these stats is doing the exact same thing as folks did with ManU last year (who actually finished third).

Chelsea looks like shit 85 percent of the time you actually watch them, regardless of result.

Not as much so over the past few months.

And I agree to a certain extent re: the stats.

Playing like a bottom half table club with the injuries we had was still inexcusable imo.

Playing like a mid upper table team (5thish) with the injuries we’ve had in the new year + making the finals + a semi… like I don’t know how you could have had higher expectations.

My issue with poch is the way we’ve played in the latter stages is how he said we’d play all year. And when we faltered to start, he walked back all of his comments on how good we’d be, top four, winning is all that matters, etc.. I didn’t like that. Felt like comments someone out of his depth would make.

Meh

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Not as much so over the past few months.

And I agree to a certain extent re: the stats.

Playing like a bottom half table club with the injuries we had was still inexcusable imo.

Playing like a mid upper table team (5thish) with the injuries we’ve had in the new year + making the finals + a semi… like I don’t know how you could have had higher expectations.

My issue with poch is the way we’ve played in the latter stages is how he said we’d play all year. And when we faltered to start, he walked back all of his comments on how good we’d be, top four, winning is all that matters, etc.. I didn’t like that. Felt like comments someone out of his depth would make.

Meh

I guess we'll see what they do next year but even recently they got drubbed 5-0 by Arsenal, tied Burnley who were down ten (lucky to get away with the point here, Burnley looked better, even at ten) needed a ten and ET to beat Leicester, tied Sheffield, etc.

They get a good result here and there (like today) but they also seem to me like the exact same club as they were early on in the year (albeit better than last year) and have way too many players who just aren't pulling their weight or justifying their price tag at all. I don't want to take away from Chelsea because he is their player after all and they went out and got him but I don't think there's been a player more influential relative to their squad as Cole Palmer has been. He's been a one-man wrecking crew at times. There's a lot of points in there that feel solely attributed to him in a similar fashion as Bruno Fernandes at ManU.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Chelsea are still below-expectations in terms of standing but I think propping up these stats is doing the exact same thing as folks did with ManU last year (who actually finished third).

Chelsea looks like shit 85 percent of the time you actually watch them, regardless of result.

i mean like

there's not much in the way of propping up going on

before the season started i had us in 6th and we now look like we have a very solid chance of finishing 6th

no one is pretending we've been world-beaters, but also if you watch them week-in week-out (as i have the [dis]pleasure of) you'll find that what makes chelsea fascinating currently is that it's in fact not 85% of the time. they often play very well, and they often play like garbage. the beauty is you have no idea what to expect.

there's genuine progress being made, as insane and rocky and stupid as it's been. this isn't a case of United stealing very blatantly undeserved results, it's a case of a team choking better ones because they are dumb and annoying.

but very bluntly, this team has lost one time in the league since february 2. there is obviously progress being made, and that's not "stat propping"

 

[Spring in Fialta]

i mean like

there's not much in the way of propping up going on

before the season started i had us in 6th and we now look like we have a very solid chance of finishing 6th

no one is pretending we've been world-beaters, but also if you watch them week-in week-out (as i have the [dis]pleasure of) you'll find that what makes chelsea fascinating currently is that it's in fact not 85% of the time. they often play very well, and they often play like garbage. the beauty is you have no idea what to expect.

there's genuine progress being made, as insane and rocky and stupid as it's been. this isn't a case of United stealing very blatantly undeserved results, it's a case of a team choking better ones because they are dumb and annoying.

but very bluntly, this team has lost one time in the league since february 2. there is obviously progress being made, and that's not "stat propping"

Since Feb 2nd, they've lost:

- Lost to Wolves
- Tied Brentford
- Struggled mightily to beat two Championship clubs
- Were lucky to tie ten-men Burnley
- Tied Sheffield
- Got drubbed 5-0 by Arsenal the instant Cole Palmer wasn't on the pitch and their manager openly asked them to show they weren't Cole Palmer FC

This is without mentioning how their manager has looked openly exasperated with them as recently as a couple weeks ago.

They drubbed Everton, came back from 2-0 to tie Aston Villa and beat Spurs as impressive results.

I'm sorry but I don't see what's so spectacular about this. Good for them that they look better than last year (pathetically low bar after all they spent) but I'm really going to have to see more until I remotely believe in them being a threat. As far as I'm concerned that squad is Cole Palmer and hanger-ons right now and they might lose Gallagher (easily their 2nd best player) to boot.

 

[bluesfan94]

I guess we'll see what they do next year but even recently they got drubbed 5-0 by Arsenal, tied Burnley who were down ten (lucky to get away with the point here, Burnley looked better, even at ten) needed a ten and ET to beat Leicester, tied Sheffield, etc.

They get a good result here and there (like today) but they also seem to me like the exact same club as they were early on in the year (albeit better than last year) and have way too many players who just aren't pulling their weight or justifying their price tag at all. I don't want to take away from Chelsea because he is their player after all and they went out and got him but I don't think there's been a player more influential relative to their squad as Cole Palmer has been. He's been a one-man wrecking crew at times. There's a lot of points in there that feel solely attributed to him in a similar fashion as Bruno Fernandes at ManU.

I think the problem is that the midtable this year is soft. It's why United, Newcastle, Chelsea, and Tottenham are all around the same spot. I would also argue it's why Liverpool has done as well as they've done. They've feasted on the midtable while having a pretty poor record against top teams.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I think the problem is that the midtable this year is soft. It's why United, Newcastle, Chelsea, and Tottenham are all around the same spot. I would also argue it's why Liverpool has done as well as they've done. They've feasted on the midtable while having a pretty poor record against top teams.

The EPL has not had a great year.

 

[bluesfan94]

LFC confirmed for UCL with the Tottenham loss

Thank you - I had already had them in in my head and didn't even think about it.

The EPL has not had a great year.

No, it really hasn't, although I still think the best talent all around is there. A lot of injuries hurts, but I also think there are too many matches and it's finally catching up.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Since Feb 2nd, they've lost:

- Lost to Wolves
- Tied Brentford
- Struggled mightily to beat two Championship clubs
- Were lucky to tie ten-men Burnley
- Tied Sheffield
- Got drubbed 5-0 by Arsenal the instant Cole Palmer wasn't on the pitch and their manager openly asked them to show they weren't Cole Palmer FC

This is without mentioning how their manager has looked openly exasperated with them as recently as a couple weeks ago.

They drubbed Everton, came back from 2-0 to tie Aston Villa and beat Spurs as impressive results.

I'm sorry but I don't see what's so spectacular about this. Good for them that they look better than last year (pathetically low bar after all they spent) but I'm really going to have to see more until I remotely believe in them being a threat. As far as I'm concerned that squad is Cole Palmer and hanger-ons right now and they might lose Gallagher (easily their 2nd best player) to boot.

i should've said february 4th, because i meant since the Wolves match.

i don't know in what universe "what's so spectacular about this" became the bar, because no chelsea fan has even begun to pretend there's anything spectacular going on here. like, engage honestly when you engage. "until i remotely believe in them being a threat" - who the f*** is calling them one? absolutely no one!

chelsea fans are saying "yknow what, there's progress going on in amongst the week-to-week noise of stupid results." something which is empirically true. toss the strawman out in the cornfield where it can distract some crows, because no one is saying this team is f***ing world beaters.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

i should've said february 4th, because i meant since the Wolves match.

i don't know in what universe "what's so spectacular about this" became the bar, because no chelsea fan has even begun to pretend there's anything spectacular going on here. like, engage honestly when you engage. "until i remotely believe in them being a threat" - who the f*** is calling them one? absolutely no one!

chelsea fans are saying "yknow what, there's progress going on in amongst the week-to-week noise of stupid results." something which is empirically true. toss the strawman out in the cornfield where it can distract some crows, because no one is saying this team is f***ing world beaters.

Let me rephrase it then - I still believe them to be mediocrity personified.

I'm not impressed by haven't lose since Feb 4th if it means that you needed 90+ minutes to beat two championship clubs and struggle to get ties against relegation level clubs. To me this is framing their 'run' with rose-colored glasses in the same way that looking at ManU third place finish last year and go 'great' to be farcical.

To me, there's been two great clubs this year - Arsenal and City. Two really good onea in Liverpool and Villa and then a bunch of crap.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Let me rephrase it then - I still believe them to be mediocrity personified.

I'm not impressed by haven't lose since Feb 4th if it means that you needed 90+ minutes to beat two championship clubs and struggle to get ties against relegation level clubs. To me this is framing their 'run' with rose-colored glasses in the same way that looking at ManU third place finish last year and go 'great' to be farcical.

it's contextualizing info. but i think, if this team finishes 6th (as was predicted pre-season by chelsea fans with no delusions of grandeur), they're lowkey value for it. they have probably been, overall, the 6th best team in the league this year (maybe 7th, below newcastle). no one is asking you to be impressed by it, no one is asking you to look at as an amazing run. but it's not rose coloured glasses to think - yeah, this team that creates lots of chances, ships lots of goals, and has had some stupid results is probably on the balance above average.

this chelsea is dumb. they are stupid and dumb. they struggle to beat a championship side in one cup competition and they outplay city (while still losing) in another. when they badly outplay teams (as they did against villa and newcastle) they still conspire to make it hard for themselves. and they end up with stupid f***ing draws against teams like burnley and sheffield united. NO ONE IS PRETENDING THIS TEAM IS GOOD. but the play is very self-evidently improving.

if there is anything to be said about the chelsea fans on this board, it's that we've been profoundly aware of how much this team blows

 

[Spring in Fialta]

it's contextualizing info. but i think, if this team finishes 6th (as was predicted pre-season by chelsea fans with no delusions of grandeur), they're lowkey value for it. they have probably been, overall, the 6th best team in the league this year (maybe 7th, below newcastle). no one is asking you to be impressed by it, no one is asking you to look at as an amazing run. but it's not rose coloured glasses to think - yeah, this team that creates lots of chances, ships lots of goals, and has had some stupid results is probably on the balance above average.

this chelsea is dumb. they are stupid and dumb. they struggle to beat a championship side in one cup competition and they outplay city (while still losing) in another. when they badly outplay teams (as they did against villa and newcastle) they still conspire to make it hard for themselves. and they end up with stupid f***ing draws against teams like burnley and sheffield united. NO ONE IS PRETENDING THIS TEAM IS GOOD. but the play is very self-evidently improving.

if there is anything to be said about the chelsea fans on this board, it's that we've been profoundly aware of how much this team blows

I didn't say a single thing about Chelsea fans, either in England or on this board. I'm just being honest about what I think of the team (hell, I think that they have some great players that are prob being held back at this point!) and that this level of inconsistency to me leans more towards the negative than it does the positive. I just don't trust them and don't think they're going to even improve if they end up in such a rut that they have to sell Gallagher. I think the league has had a pretty bad year and that they might not even finish where they are currently next year.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

I didn't say a single thing about Chelsea fans, either in England or on this board. I'm just being honest about what I think of the team (hell, I think that they have some great players that are prob being held back at this point!) and that this level of inconsistency to me leans more towards the negative than it does the positive. I just don't trust them and don't think they're going to even improve if they end up in such a rut that they have to sell Gallagher. I think the league has had a pretty bad year and that they might not even finish where they are currently next year.

i mean, when you're talking about posts about chelsea since the turn of the year having 'rose coloured glasses' and 'propping up these stats' you are in fact saying a thing about the chelsea fans posting them, lmao.

they will absolutely get worse if they have to sell gallagher, and there are players being held back (because the purchasing strategy was no strategy, it was shit at the wall). but the inconsistency week-to-week has been part of an overall softly upward trendline. no one is pretending this team is imminently challenging for top four. but it does this team a disservice to claim progress has not been made.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

i mean, when you're talking about posts about chelsea since the turn of the year having 'rose coloured glasses' and 'propping up these stats' you are in fact saying a thing about the chelsea fans posting them, lmao.

they will absolutely get worse if they have to sell gallagher, and there are players being held back (because the purchasing strategy was no strategy, it was shit at the wall). but the inconsistency week-to-week has been part of an overall softly upward trendline. no one is pretending this team is imminently challenging for top four. but it does this team a disservice to claim progress has not been made.

Alright if Chelsea finishes top 6 next year I'll become a Strasbourg fan

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Alright if Chelsea finishes top 6 next year I'll become a Strasbourg fan

oh no they're def getting relegated next year

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

i will just add as an academic note, with the obvious caveats about the limitations of xg (and the affirmation that it's generally a pretty good stand-in for how a team is playing)

chelsea are 4th in the league xG table. united are 15th and west ham are 17th.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

oh no they're def getting relegated next year

I'd turn into a butterfly if that happened