EskWeston

We have been top of the league for most of the season........ and we could still win the thing. To even be talking to letting Ancelotti go is madness

What makes you think Hiddink or anyone for that matter would have done better with the squad we have and injuries we have? Lets not forget that even though Hiddink got some good results with us it also coincided with some returns from injury of players, most notibly Michael Essien!

The stats would always hold up well considering up until Sunday we were able to stay top with our game in hand.... The problem we have is that at the crucial time in the season we are unable to hit form and have players that are not hitting the right level of performance. With Ivanovic out as well now we are short at full-back, of course we can still win the league and FA Cup. But we need to get ourselves playing again before we have any chance.

Need to try something different in this game now! Either play 4-3-3 with Kalou & J.Cole or play the 4-diamond-2..... My team: ............................................Cech........................................... Ferreira.................Alex.....................Terry..................Zhirkov ............................................Mikel.......................................... .......................Lampard......................Malouda...................... ...J.Cole..............................Drogba...........................Kalou..... Either than or have a real go at trying something different and play either Kakuta, Sturridge or Matic......

Think it is very unfair to judge Carlo on his domestic titles at Milan, especially considering how corrupt that league is and the points deductions that they took..... People are so quick to blame the manager, i find i ridiculous that there are actually Chelsea fans out there that want Carlo sacked. When asked who they would replace him with they usually come out with names like Zola, Moyes or O'Neill. Carlo is a very good manager and when we had a fully fit squad we were cruising, once we had to rely on the depth of our squad due to injuries we have come unstuck. Investment in creative options is a MUST for the summer, a stale squad is all that has held us back this season. Most Chelsea fans have been talking about a summer clearout for about 3/4 summers now and it hasn't happened. Can't exactly blame him for that.

The only problem that we have is with our squad. It is just not right and it needs to be dealt with in the summer once and for all. I think Carlo is a good manager and hopefully he will show that next season after being given the chance to build his own team. However if we are to carry on next season without sorting the problem out then there will be serious problems for us.

Poor game. But again shows our massive lack of creativity..... Long balls to Drogba was more of a feature again in our play!!

Wouldn't read too much into that to be honest. Doesn't really mean that much at this point..

These young players are the best of our young players for a reason. Players like Kakuta and Stoch can turn a game easily, they in my opinion should be give the most playing time. Players like Matic and Cork are more than capable of permiership quality and showed be allowed to gradually grow into the team, 30 minutes here and there and a start here and there. Defenders are a bit harder, but either Bertrand or Van Aanholt are getting near being ready for back up to Cole, especially Bertrand who has a lot of league experience now. And Bruma is certainly more than capable of being 4th choice centre back, being given time here and there to show he can move up to 1st choice eventually.

We have to be realistic though, a lot of players come through our academy, most of them are NOT going to make it with us and it is down to us to make money from them. In my opinion we are in a very good position with our youngsters at the moment, in the summer we will have Kakuta, Bruma, Matic, Borini and Stoch all ready to step into a bigger first team role, not to mention the ones who will be trying very hard to join them Mancienne, Hutchinson, Van Aanholt and Bertrand. Di Santo and Sinclair have struggled on Premiership loans so chances have been massively reduced of them making and impact with us now. But i agree that we need to stop wrapping our kids in cotton wool and being scared to use them because they can be a big weapon.

I've said it before and i will say it again. Aguero is THE perfect player for us to sign.

You are absolutely right, Carlo would be saying - look if you don't put the effort in i have young players here who WILL put the effort in. Your are also correct that Kakuta is probably better than Joe Cole right now. Kakuta can be Chelsea's Messi! I shudder to think where Messi would be right now had he been comming through OUR youth set up. Kakuta can play a central playmaker role or a winger role both very very well. Yes his form for the reserves hadn't been great, but the tempo of reserve games doesn't always suit him. Played in the first team (as he proved) he can have a big impact and make things happen.

I will re-post this from another thread because i think it sums up where we differ from the 2 title winning seasons and now:

Still having an excellent season with them by all accounts. Scored a decent amount of goals and has been something of a revelation in the dutch league. Reports on Miro's website claim that Chelsea have offered him a new deal...

As much as i would LOVE to see us use youngsters, with the importance of this game you can forget it! Turnbull Ivanovic Alex Terry Zhirkov Mikel Ballack Lampard Malouda Anelka Drogba Although what i would LIKE to see is: Turnbull Ivanovic Alex Terry Ferreira Mikel Lampard Matic Kakuta Zhirkov Drogba either that or play the diamond with Sturridge partnering Drogba and Zhirkov at left back.

A bit extreme with the cull of players. Also if i was to only keep one out of Anelka and Drogba the one i would keep certainly wouldn't be Anelka!! As i have just finished writing in my FA Youth Cup match report that team has highlighted to me what the 4-3-3 is all about and how we had it right in Jose's first 2 seasons. 2 combative midfielders with 1 creative player ahead of them, 2 fast and tricky wingers with 1 target man, a simple formula that reaps massive rewards with the right players. With the youth team they have: ......................C.Clifford.............................. .........................................Kaby................. .........McEachran........................................ Sala/Lalkovic....Mitrovic...................Tore... The first team used to have: ........................Maka................................. ................................ Lampard.................. ..........Tiago/Eidur..................................... Duff................Drogba...................Robben Both of these teams have/had the balance perfect and both cause headaches for the opposition. The current line up is missing the creative midfield role and the cut and thrust of proper wingers..... ........................Mikel................................. ................................Lampard................... .............Essien......................................... .Anelka............Drogba.................Malouda The team is too "functional" without the spark to break teams down.

Well the stories have started to hit the papers already about a spending spree, but i take it with a pinch of salt. Every season we are supposed to be spending vast ammounts on this player and that player. Hopefully there are some truths there because we DO desperately need a clearout and Carlo needs to build his squad. Also Carlo needs to go back to giving the youngsters a go, i think he stopped using them once the transfer ban was dropped and he didn't have to rely on them as much for next season. But Kakuta should be getting plenty of games from now till the end of the season because he be a truly great player for us.

So ridiculous that they are making any sort of big deal out of this! Typical of the media witch hunt....

Experience counts for nothing if they can't produce on the pitch in my opinion. Well thats the real question, will Carlo do a clearout? With roumers of new contracts for Ballack and Anelka it doesn't seem like they are looking to refresh the squad much at all. Deco will go, as will Belletti. Will any others? I am not convinced.

I would say that since the injuries to key players, mainly Ashley Cole and Essien we do not have the resources to be running away with the league. Unfair to blame Carlo, especially as we are still in with a very good shout of winning the league still..

Carlo went through a phase when the young players got some game time, and that was very pleasing to see, especially as they all aquitted themselves well and showed what they can offer. The problem is with the injuries and the problems we are having Ancelotti has chosen to go with the experience of Ballack rather than give a chance to Matic or Kakuta, and he has prefered to stick with Anelka rather than give Sturridge or again Kakuta a chance. Both Ballack and Anelka have put in some poor displays lately and i can see the logic on continuing to play players who are not producing just because the next option happens to be a 19,20, 21 year old....

Why on earth would you want Shawcross or Muamba as cover for the centre backs when we have already one of the most talented young centre backs in world football in Bruma at the club, and top options in Mancienne and Hutchinson? Players like Hamsik, Ribery and Aguero are exactly the sort of players we need to be looking at. Although we have a habit of stunting a players creativity, just look at Zhirkov, dubbed the Russian Ronaldinho and we are playing him at left back...... All i want to see us do is to inject some creativity, and also to use the talented young players we have. Sturridge, Kakuta, Stoch, Matic, Cork, Bruma.... all very top class players, but they are not going to progress unless we play them. Kakuta impressed massively when given first team chances and since then he hasn't been given a sniff..

There is a lot of analysis going on after last nights game, and that is to be expected. I am seeing a lot of reactions from Chelsea fans (not on here though) saying that Ancelotti has to go. Ancelotti is suffering from our squad at the moment, and i hope that is sorted come the summer. When you take out top players like Ashley Cole, Cech, Bosingwa and Essien you are taking some real quality options away from us. That means our bench is going to be lacking in options: Carvalho, Bruma, Belletti, J.Cole, Kalou and Sturridge. Not exactly inspiring options if truth be told. I would have prefered Sturridge to have come on myself who has energy and determination, but for some reason Ancelotti has really moved away from the youngsters in recent weeks even though i think Kakuta, Matic and Sturridge in particular will offer to us more than what we are getting at the moment. Inter closed us right down last night and we had no-one who can open the door for us when that happens, no-one unpredictable. No winger who will run at defenders quickly and create fast openings. What we see is slow build ups and balls played into crowded boxes. Hopefully last night was a wake up call for Chelsea. We can still now go on and win the premiership and hopefully we will.

First time i have seen the incident. How on earth did the Ref not see that and send him off for it and secondly how on earth did the FA got give him punishment afterwards.... absolutely shocking and a mockery of the game.

Didn't like the way that the game turned into the Jose show. This is one of the reasons why he isn't popular in Italy. I agree with FB about his dig about what has been won, Jose could have won Serie A with his eyes shut, infact it was pretty much gifted to him. If he doesn't win the CL this season he will be out on his ear! And he is not going to win the Champions League with this Inter Team. Love Jose for what he did when he was with us but last night he was the opposition and he took over the game himself.