cosmicway

Get well soon mate.

This season is gone. In Europe if we are very lucky we eliminate Borussia but clearly there is no future beyond that. The question is therefore how to build a new team ? From past experiences this takes two to three years if we are serious about it (huge injection of cash). Only on one occasion have I seen revival in just one year: Panathinaikos 1983-84. In 1982-83 they were laughing stock. In 1983-84 with a youth squad and the inclusion of Dimitri Saravakos they won the Greek league. So to build a new team it typically takes two seasons, unless we are destined to sink even deeper.

The weaknesses of this team were fully exposed yesterday: First Newcastle although playing decent football they were nothing special (like say City is). Second there were no unlucky coincidences, such as going down 1-0, 2-0 by early fluke goals. Midfield and the frontline were abysmal - only one good shot at goal.

Nothing special from Newcastle but we lost again.

You saw better movement because City were not defense minded - even after their second goal. You saw better movement against AC Milan too. It's when the opponents play defensively that we struggle - much more than better teams like City and Bayern do.

The pep team is streets ahead - can't complain. Again we managed some good forward moves against a team who were not playing defensive football (Ortega saved then - he was their motm). But the problem is we don't know how to build play against defensive teams,

Hazard was the second world's top player while at Chelsea. Rather optimistically I used to say that the short one was about to give up the ghost and Eden is the first. Today we struggle to manage a decent cross.

I did n't see the first half because it was too early. In the second half they dominated before and after their goal. So if they had n't scored I don't really see how we could have won this - we were playing rubbish football. But their goal was an Oliver gift really. Tiago was floored and instead of a foul he allows play to continue and they win the corner. There was a replay as well and Tiago is bumped from behind when at full pace and he is downed.

Cucurella costed 1/2 the money Real payed for Hazard. Hazard was supposed to be their star signing of the decade - what happened next is another story that nobody expected. So who was the one who ... discovered Cucurella ???

All of our players are not running off the ball and Sterling is slower than the others.

Sterling is slow.

I explained to you why by comparing Real Madrid to us. Last Wednesday we both played against shit sides for fun. Real scored five, we scored two.

But it was his goal.

It's dogshit but it was Michael Oliver who won this match.

Cucurella tried his first shot.

Benfica cannot be an opponent in the round of 16 - PSG can.

I watched Real Madrid and ours today. Both Real Madrid's opponents and our opponents were second tier champions league teams, extinguished from the groups. The difference is big. RM once they have the ball they perform artworks - only some last minute save can stop them. In comparison we are struggling. Their secret is motion off the ball and accurate passing. They communicate as if they possess telepathy. The RM defense was shaky. They conceded one like we did and despite the 5-1 result Tibot was the hero of the match ! Saved a pen as well. That's why we scored three against them the year before and four last year. But from the midfield downwards there are a lot of lessons to learn.

Kepa can see those balls only on tv - he was n't to blame. Neither Chalobah and RLC - the ball was going straight to Brighton players to tap it in. Initially the back line was absent - they thought Brighton was not in the pitch. But throughout the game they had an easy time at the wings.

It is because big clubs do not transfer list good players. Except if it is a situation like those of Hazard, Rudiger.

Maybe we can go through one more round in the CL if we are drawn against some sheepsagging team like Lille last year but all the decent teams will thrash us. In the league 9th or 11th. Last year we lost Rudiger, Lukaku proved a flop then in the summer transfer window -free of the Abramovich problem so it's not an excuse- we shot ourselves in the leg. Who was responsible ? Certainly it could n't be Boehly himself. I might expect some desperate clubs with no money making such poor transfers but not Chelsea.

Why City dumped Stirling ? Was he somebody like Mbappe asking for trillions from the club ?

There was no plan to absorb an early pressure from a team playing infront of their supporters and wanting to attack. Same as against Leeds, under Tuchel (his biggest failure). Complacency - everyone expected Brighton to sit back and just park the bus. Why ? Have they signed a contract to do that ? Then you have to try to come back from three goals down. This can happen only if the opponent got lucky but they are amateurs and panic. But also look at the players who are posing as Chelsea attackers: Stirling (indeed), Pulisic and Havertz. I don't care if Havertz scored our only goal and our winner at Strasbourg. He is no Chelsea material. If you make me centre forward and if in spite the general indignation you keep using me, I 'm going to score the whatever few goals are scored.

I remember one of those turned around in 1963. But again it was 3-1 at half time.

There are, but we are useless. We were supposed to try and pull one back. Pulisic is useless as well. Plus there was no plan to absorb an early pressure.

Final score prediction: Brighton 8 - Chelsea 0