MetsajCFC

Good read, cheers Choulo

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No disrespect to the player but we did dodge a bullet here, glad!

I agree totally, and I would love to see Ba start ahead of Torres. But if you think about it it's a difficult dilemma for Benitez. On one hand he knows Ba will more likely produce goals but on the other hand he has Torres who is a star and might disrupt the squad mentality, piss off the board for not playing Torres as he did put the club back 50m. All I want to say is that it's not that easy to manage a squad and keep everyone happy and get the results. Benitez isn't thinking 1-2 games ahead, he is thinking alot further, I'm guessing atleast.

Wishful thinking, now close your FM2013

In the end of the day Benitez has more knowledge about football than all of us put together. He has a reason why he is rotating plus him not being injured in recent history doesn't change the fact that there might be a problem with his knees. Just look at Torres. He was a cripple in Liverpool because he played so many games, had that much pressure and expectation on him. Since joining Chelsea he hasn't had anything serious, might be down to higher quality of our medical team or the fact that this rotation "shite" is working. I'm not a fan of Benitez, totally neutral. So far, in my eyes, he has done a good job given the circumstances.

Some of you don't realise the fact that Benitez CAN NOT start Ba every game. He will need rest at some point, like any other player. Also take into account his knee situation, if there's anything in that. And for the sake of squad harmony he has to rotate aswell, you can't play a season with 11 players. We should have put Swansea game beyond doubt already in the first half, and it wasn't only Torres who missed, he wasn't that bad in that game. The whole squad was WASTEFUL. We dominated the proceedings, meaning that Benitez was spot on with tactics. I feel condifent going into this game. Ba will start if we follow the logic. 2-1 or 2-0 for Chelsea. Get behind the team not slate everyone after a soddy result. The performance was there, just no end product. Swansea game was a carbon copy of QPR and Corinthians game, we had chances - took none. This forum often reminds me of herd of sheep who just follow an example, and often a bad one - one over-emotional person starts calling for new transfers, new managers, new owners, new whatever and others just join the bandwagon. It has been 2 months of HECTIC game schedule, new manager coming in, players are exhausted aswell - if not physically then mentally for sure. GET BEHIND THE TEAM and don't be a hateful keyboard warrior, just support them.

Get real for fuck sake. He can't say that to the press and humiliate Torres nor other players publicly. Naive mate, naive

Not counting the result I think we've showed what we're capable of and to think Swansea will have an easy time second leg is big mistake. We dominated them all game long, minus some counter attacks and those two mistakes by Ivanovic. Don't shower Ivanovic with hate though, he has been one of our most consitent players whole season, even scores goals. Talking about goals, we create loads and loads of chances but we don't convert them. Their goalkeeper had a great game. Ba's disallowed goal was questionable and that yellow card was just silly, clear touch on the ball - might have been hard to see for the referee but lines-man should have picked it up. Doesn't change the fact that we did dig this hole for ourselves, we had tons of chances and possession in the first half. I see you slating Torres but he did have no chances, partly because he didn't work for them but partly because in all honesty the crosses he was given were of low quality. He also made one nice cross into the box, can't remember if it was Cahill or Ivanovic who got their head to it, another chance gone begging. I must say though, some of the attacks we built were Barcelona-like ones, joy to watch but no end product. Did you see Cahill's technique at the side line when he was fouled? Rather neat for a defender. I haven't been impressed with Luiz in last matches but today he was brilliant, has a warrior's mentality, very passionate. Well minus the shots he took but Hazard for me was the MOTM from our side. Energetic and neat footwork throughout the match. Can't blame Benitez here either, atleast for not all of it - in my eyes all he did wrong was playing Torres for so long, perhaps could have put Ba on earlier but keep in mind we've got away trip to Stoke coming up where we need the points for top four finish. Even if Guardiola would be in charge, we can create 10 or 100 chances but if we don't convert them (it wasn't only Torres who missed, but also Mata, Ivanovic, Oscar, Ramires and so on, not just the nr. 9) then the outcome is always the same. I'd be surprised if Torres stays beyond this season, until then it's hard to get a big name signing in, such as Falcao or Lewandowski. I also read lots of abusive and hateful comments, perhaps because of emotions but try to say civilized, there are things you ought to say and ought not to. All it does is makes you look like a twat. For some time I've wondered what's the average age around here because I can count level headed and tolerant posters on my fingers. If someone disagrees with you, then he is of different opinion not attacking you nor is he a lesser fan by any means.

Regardless of the scoreline, Chelsea has been brilliant. Swansea been VERY lucky not to be 3 or 4 behind. We'll come back if second half is anything like this for Chelsea and we take even the half-chances.

Are there any reliable sources for this?

All I'm saying is that he isn't as good in my eyes than Mourinho for example. Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale, Real Madrid - he brought success to everywhere, he didn't just inherit great squad, he also adapted to the new squads, environment, leagues. He has more experience, more to show for. Guardiola has only managed Barcelona B and Barcelona, doesn't change my point, still he had advantage with the squad he had. Following your logic let's get Vilanova, they're having their best start to the season at the moment, he must be a great coach, right? This Barcelona squad was also built by Rijkaard, mostly by him

For me Benitez comes across as an intelligent person. I know he has said things in the past but who cares, if anything then it shows he cares for the club he is managing and sticking up for it, mind games-banter, whatever you call it comes with the job. If he continues doing the job he has done so far, keep in mind the reception he got from the fans and the pressure put on him. It isn't an easy period either with club legends having contract problems, coming in mid-season when we were out of the CL more or less, busy busy schedule coming and so on. From that list, I'd of course pick Mourinho but I'll stick to the reality and face the fact that he won't leave Madrid (unless sacked) and if he did, perhaps some other jobs would be more suitable. Never rated Guardiola that much either, great coach of course but he also had the best squad in history of football to play for him, can't really judge his managerial skills before he took up some other post at another club. Other names are just next AVBs, doubtful they'd get the control from the board Mourinho or Guardiola would. Benitez is just my choice because it seems the most realistic one.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8384114/Frank-Lampard-will-leave-Chelsea-in-the-summer-agent-says

Would be insane to let Lampard go on so many levels. We lack numbers in the midfield with Romeu's injury and so forth. I think he just wants to get to that goal scoring record, perhaps make a statement aswell, to show he still has it (which in my opinion he does, always been brilliant. Just check his scoring and assists season by season, very stable) He just perhaps thanked the fans for the support, as they did sing "Sign him up, sign him up" when Lamps was subbed on. I sure hope so atleast, he and JT are on whole another level when it comes to being a club figure, even Drogba didn't reach that.

Great game, hard to pick MOTM, Azpilicueta ran up and down the pitch whole game, Demba Ba took two goals, almost 3rd if it wasn't for Artur Boruc's great save, and Moses... though Mata gave us to edge to get back into the game! Well done!!

the only place to be

Giuseppe Rossi -> Fiorentina

Number 29

Welcome Ba!

Does anyone have any link for SSN stream?

He was used because Marin, Moses and whoelse were supposed to bag the 3 points in theory weren't up for it. Either way it's a problem that needs solving, we can't play Mata 60+ games a season

Moreover Mata is a human, who also gets tired. I'd rather rest him than risk burning out or a muscular injury. My point is that you'd expect more from the squad players

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/higuain/profil/spieler_39153.html 2016 apparently

Performing worse than usually isn't the main problem either. The problem seems to be that without them we can't get a result, meaning that some players are either underperforming or aren't on the level required to be in a club like Chelsea. Long story short - we have no depth and reliability in the squad to use any kind of rotation. Give it time, it'll improve. I think Benitez did right there with resting Hazard and Mata. We still fielded a strong line-up if you think about it. Only ones who haven't proven themselves are Marin and Bertrand - the rest have shown their worth more or less, even Bertrand in Munich. So in that sense the team should have been able to beat QPR. The stats speak for themselves, 20 something chances and 2 on goal, we don't capitalize and make the wrong choices when we have the chance to attack. Replace Torres with in-form and consistent striker (let's hope Ba proves to be that) and things will change. It wasn't Benitez's fault, it was the underperforming team, we had plenty of chances, we just didn't take them .- not Rafa's fault.