MrExcalibur100

Predictable. With all that bus parking, emphasis on tracking back and pressing, it seems the technical quality of some of our players has declined sharply. Fabregas for instance is fast becoming the new Ramires. Our "football" is nothing short of pure garbage. Beyond abysmal and pathetic. If Matic or Fabregas or Hazard get injured, and if Costa continues to struggle with his hammie, we might as well just forget about finishing top four. Then hopefully, Abramovich can take the necessary action.

Disgusting "performance".

In addition to some other stuff, I posted this in the match thread at half-time. I was true then, it is true now and it's been true for months now, even years, depending on how you choose to look at it. That's why I simply can't be upset by this game or the way we played. What have we seen so far that we DIDN'T see in the 2nd half of the season? Or for majority of the 2013/14 season? Against big sides, specifically in the CL? * Is it hopeful lobs to no one in particular? Or wingers playing as fullbacks, spending more time in the opposition half? * Or 3-4 passes in our "built attacks" then a player hoofing it to no one in particular? Or passing it to Ivanovic to cross the ball to no one in particular? Or ZERO shots on target for over 70 minutes? * Or Ramires being an automatic, unjustified starter? Or Hazard receiving the ball in bad positions, before being crowded out? I can go on. Gone are the days we actually play well in both halves. When we do well in one half, the team becomes defensive in the other or vice versa. This was all predictable to anyone who knows quite a bit about football and the history of Jose Mourinho, the manager. No signs of practicing organised attacks, instead a brief period of dominance then an overreliance on individual brilliance of 1 player. Whether it's Drogba, Milito, Ronaldo, now Hazard. When the team became "defense + Hazard" for the 2nd season in a row, I knew we were headed in the wrong direction. We all wanted to blame it on "fatigue", but that was only part of the problem. The bulk of our problems lies at the feet of the manager. The technical quality of most of our players has gone down the drain. We now rely on instictive talents of our attackers to win us games instead of anything coached on the training ground. That might work against smaller, weaker teams, but against stronger sides, it won't. I know many people in this thread will start blaming individuals again, I won't because I know better. Our players are MUCH better than they have shown today. I know what they are all capable of and I know why they've played the way they did today. I refuse to blame any of them. I'm not that surprised Roman has failed to back Mourinho in the transfer market. Signings will have been a temporary solution to a permanent problem. We will be lucky to scape 3rd place this season. CL? forget about it. At the first sight of a big team, we will park the bus and be humiliated again like against PSG and Atletico. We might win the FA cup, but that's about it. Time to wake up. This team is already on the decline under this manager.

What have we seen so far that we didn't see in the 2nd half of the season? Or for majority of the 2013/14 season? Against big sides, specifically in the CL? Is it hopeful lobs to no one in particular? Or wingers playing as fullbacks? Or 3-4 passes in our "built attacks" then a player looking for a direct solution? Or ZERO shots on target? Ramires being an automatic, unjustified starter? Or Hazard receiving the ball in bad positions, before being crowded out? This was all predictable to anyone who knows football and who has watched this team under Mourinho. When the team became "defense + Hazard" for the 2nd season in a row, I knew we were headed down the wrong path. We all wanted to blame it on "fatigue", but that was only part of the problem. The bulk of our problems lies at the feet of the manager. Our players are MUCH better than they have showed in the last 6/7 months. Come to think of it, i'm not that surprised Roman has failed to back Mourinho in the transfer market. Makes sense.

You guys still blaming individual players? Just don't get it, do you?

His passing is on par with Ramires.It's been for months and he can't get out of the quagmire. That's what Mourinho ball does to you.

Have we even had ONE SHOT ON TARGET!??? The way we "play" under Mourinho is awful. The way we've played for months now is simply unacceptable. It's truly painful watching this team. All our attackers are now defensive minded drones. Our wingers are now fullbacks. We can't build attacks, a symptom of all Mourinho teams. Like we don't even practice that. Because know why? We actually don't fucking do that. And please don't tell me otherwise. Fabregas now misplaces pass more often than I can imagine. The only one who has risen above the mediocrity is Hazard, but how long before he starts angling for a move to one of the truly big European giants? Teams that will actually let him play, regardless of opposition? Like I predicted on the Mourinho thread months ago, this team is on a decline. We aren't defending the Premier league this season. CL? Forget about it. We'll be lucky to scrape 3rd place.

Why are we surprised Ramires is in the starting XI? Mourinho was always going to go for the cautious, defensive option, regardless of how poor Ramires is.

Crickey! Someone should have told Eden it was just a friendly.

Why are you even wasting your time responding to that guy. Some posters, the usual suspects just post for attention. Nothing more.

Nice one Ramires. Fantastic shot accuracy from 12 yards with only the keeper to beat! Just brilliant!! Take a bow lad!!!

Ramires and Mikel; Two clowns stealing a living at Chelsea. They can't even do a role player job correctly. Anyway, I'm off to bed. The 2nd half was entirely pointless.

Didn't they both start the 2nd half though? Matic and Fabregas.

Won't be surprised. In fact, I was expecting this type of performance in the 2nd half. Not something I'm not accustomed to.

After a brilliant first half, the team comes out in the second half looking like shit. Playing negative. We say that quite a while last season. What is Mourinho telling them at half-time?

What happened to the part when he was supposed to have a surgery?

We've signed a crock. Things are looking horrid now.

A much improved performance from that rubbish vs PSG. The team playing with confidence and poise, passing it with confidence. Enjoyable to watch.

I see what you did there!

Impressed with Kenedy so far, if that hasn't already been said.

beast mode

Remember, there were quite a few games last season which we literally had ZERO shots on target, not just once but on more than once occasion. I don't think I've ever witnessed that from any team since I've been following football and certainly not from us.

Typical Chelsea. Feeding off scraps to "create" chances.

Fabregas you clown.

I hate it when people do stuff like this. Respond to flaws in our team with non sequiturs. No one gives a fuck about Arsenal here or what they are doing. Here, we only care about the Chels. We aren't playing well. We haven't done so for a while. We limped to the title last season playing the most boring football imaginable. Even worse, the board and/or manager have done nothing to rectify our problems. Instead of building a straw-man and attacking it, we should be addressing serious problems with serious answers.