Yelloow Since 72

Beating 6th place Wolves is a bigger task than beating Villa IMO.

I also think that 36 points will be enough but it also depends on how the teams around us do. Brentford started with a lot of adrenalin from their first promotion and then a first day win over Arsenal when the gunners were in a mess. Ten days ago they were 10 points ahead of us and now it's down to 5 points. They've taken 1 point from the last 5 games whereas we've taken 7 from our last five and 6 from the last 2 games. Momentum is worth a lot and we need to continue our unbeaten run as long as we can. If we can get up to 16-18 points by 19 games we should have a reasonable chance of survival.

1-1 now. Byram played the first half and apparently looked lovely. Their equaliser came after he left.

Unfortunately Charlton have equalised in the second half.

Certainly the theme at the presser was that of no radical changes, but that's not surprising given Smith's preference for variations on a 4-3-3. Against Brentford our 4-3-3 morphed into a 4-2-3-1 when we had the ball and moved forward in attack.There are plenty of tweaks Smith can bring in to enhance those formations, including drills to snap back defensively more quickly when the ball is lost. He could also bring in tweaks to play the ball out of defence more quickly rather than playing safe to keep possession. It may not look drastically different, but adding a sharpness that could make all the difference. Lineup similar, with Gilmour and Cantwell coming off the bench earlier for McLean and Dowell. Three games in a week would be a big ask for Billy and Todd lacks match fitness. If we're chasing the game, then we could see Tzolis and Idah brought on. That's my guess anyway.

One of the key factors might be the backroom staff Lampard brings with him. That could be Jody Morris or... "According to a recent report from journalist Simon Phillips, Lampard’s impending appointment could see Chelsea’s assistant coach, Joe Edwards, follow suit. Lampard and Edwards have worked together before". https://www.caughtoffside.com/2021/11/11/chelsea-set-to-lose-key-backroom-staff-member/

Good first half, Brentford raised their game second half. The comparison with Leeds is appropriate except that Krul made excellent reflex saves as compared to an uncharacteristic error against Leeds. The major difference for me was Normann's performance, rightly commended on MOTD. His goal could have been Emi, dribbling past several defenders and then placing it perfectly inside the post. Classic Emi. Then to top it off he played a perfectly weighted through ball to put Pukki through on goal resulting in the penalty. Again, classic Emi. He's only played 6 matches but looks better and better with each one. To cap it off, both Normann and Krul were included in the PL Team of the Week. Well done both!

Yes, this has been a totally committed management team from day one. The passion and dedication of Daniel and the whole team has been amazing, even down to coaching staff being booked for contesting decisions on the pitch. Our club has grown hugely in many different ways as a result. A massive thanks to Daniel and the whole management team.

Latest: https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/lukaku-werner-pulisic-chelsea-injury-21923159

Not having enough depth, especially when Klose was ruled out for the season before it began. I know we didn't have the money for major upgrades but we could have brought in a loan or free-agent. Having 5 CB options now at least shows that we learned from that and have increased the depth throughout the squad so the same doesn't happen in other positions.

Absolutely agree with this, especially concerning CBs which is where we went wrong two years ago. The new players are also new to the PL, with the exception of Gunn, Gilmour and Williams and the six months Kabak had at Liverpool. It's a big adjustment to the league, the tactics and the new teammates. Fortunately we've not had many injuries and players who were injured, are now available. It can go the other way very quickly though and PL teams prey on any weakness. With quality in depth we can respond to that when injuries happen, which they will.

Parma's use of tessellate (I had to look it up) is excellent and fits the 'mosaic' of many and varied facets of the players and combinations DF has to interweave to achieve an overall synergy, as he describes. DF identified a weakness on our left flank and set about strengthening it, not by a simple change in formation, but by rearranging that mosaic of relationships. Kabak came in late and was adjusting to that mosaic (very different from Liverpool's last season). Gibson's lack of pace was being exposed, so DF changed to 3 at the back which accommodated those elements while also allowed Hanley to organise the defence from the centre. Playing as WBs has also brought the best out of both Aarons and Giannoulis both defensively and in support of the attack. Dimitris is now our second highest rated player on WhoScored. The arrival of Normann brought a new dimension to midfield through his ability to play as a DM against the ball and a deep playmaker progressing the ball forward when we get it back. Both he and Kabak are still adjusting though and should have even greater impact with each new game. The Pukki/Sargent tandem is also still developing and has been pointed out, Sargent makes our pressing stronger up front while also offering the second striker option. DF clearly feels their relationship will develop, but if it doesn't, Idah, Rashica, Cantwell and Tzolis offer other options. The overall mosaic isn't there yet, but game by game it's improving.

It's very true that we are just getting started, for the reasons you state, but the potential for improvement is massive given all the new players added. For me, the first real indicator will be the halfway point after 19 games. To have a realistic chance of survival we need at least around 15 points by then from the remaining 11 games. The two clean sheets have brought confidence but we need to build on that. Chelsea will be tough, but it's also a chance to show the improvement is real. A draw would be a great result, but a good performance would lift us for Leeds a week later and a run of winnable games after that. It's about points now.

34 We've turned the corner and confidence will rise. A draw at Chelsea would also help.

DF explains the situation very well, IMO: https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/canaries-ncfc-todd-cantwell-farke-premier-league-challenge-8420438

What DF is doing is not extreme in the PL. Of the 14 teams playing last Saturday, 8 were using a back 3 and most of those a 3-5-2. The fact that we now have 5 CBs suggests that it's part of long term planning rather than just a reaction to results. DF is more experienced and adjusting to our circumstances, which is a good thing. We will see some variations in starting lineups and during matches as well, given the attacking players we've recruited, but much will depend on the new players settling in and developing a rhythm as each game we get closer to that. With a fully fit Normann, the next test will be Chelsea and I'm actually looking forward to that now.

The main reason was that we hadn't signed Kabak yet and Zimmerman was injured. Hanley had missed the pre-season and Gibson had also had an injury. There was Omobamidele, but that seemed a big ask against Liverpool. In hind sight, it might have been better to play him in a back 3.

Bit of an odd angle, but I remember the first time we were promoted to the top tier back in 1972. We started really well and were up near the top of the table at this point. Pundits were rather embarrassed to have to pose the possibility of us getting into Europe. Unfortunately it didn't last and we struggled after that. Time to mention Shankly's 'not a sprint, but a marathon' quote perhaps?

This is it. DF warned early on that it would take time to bed in such a young player. The comparison with Buendia is apt and the time for Tzolis will come.

Brentford threw everything at Chelsea near the end but they still lost - nul points. Let's just hope Chelsea play like that next week.

It seems that we've turned halfway with the last two clean sheets, but will it move on more quickly now? Being underdogs in virtually every game, we need a surprise result to speed up the process. Had we put away one of those chances our situation would look very different, but we didn't, and it doesn't, so who knows indeed.

Good video, but it could have been posted on the Cantwell thread.

Agree with the lineup but would keep Normann in the centre as he's the specialist DM. He's shown that he can contribute to the attack from there while still screening the defence when they have the ball. His ability to do both is vital to our chances of success this season. If Gilmour is considered fit enough to start then he may replace Lees-Melou rather than McLean, who is our only left-footed midfielder and can also cover defensively when needed. Brighton also use a 3-5-2 and have achieved 6th place doing so. It also allows us to play two strikers while evening up the midfield. This is not the time to go gung ho.

Yes, Normann wasn't going to be beaten in the tic tac toe! Amazing get in the foot volleyball! Tremendous stuff and they really seem to enjoy it.

This is pure speculation about him being unwilling to play for the club.