nullabletype

Like I said in the AVB thread, I'm not going to judge him until he has time to build what he wants to build. Then, after that, we can judge him objectively. Until then, I'm only going to judge the individual games with the knowledge that AVB can only work with what he's got. I personally can't understand AVB out posts, even if he does come across poor at times. If we had of won 1-0 yesterday we'd probably all still be here voicing slight concerns with a few choices and poor performances, but nobody would feel aggrieved so we have to remember that. Could be worse, could be Blackburn Rovers... or any team from 6th down. Because most people assume that Torres is going to be sticking around. Prior to Drogba's recent good run which ended yesterday, there wasn't much to choose between the two. Others, and myself, feel that Drogba should be played if he's performing better. But in games like yesterdays, if he's not, drag him off for Torres. Worst case scenario, Torres comes on, does nothing and we're no worse off and perhaps Drogba gets a well needed kick up the arse. Best, he comes on, gets some well needed game time, improves and starts toward getting back to his best.

Today's match, evidently, was piss poor for a multitude of reasons. A combination of poor individual / team performance(s) and some strange managerial decisions (According to me, an non-tactical minded never to be football manager). The squad as a whole didn't wow me at any point during the game. As individuals most of them were less than impressive. In my opinion Ivanovic, Meireles, Lampard and Drogba all had a woeful day, the rest bar Sturridge were lackluster at very best. I've seen points for and against AVBs substitution decisions on here, so here's my take on them (I'm no expert, I know, I'm modest. So excuse me if I talk rubbish). Removing a DM for an attacking player, to then remove an attacking player for a DM, to then remove another attacking player for a lesser one is beyond me. The second change with the first in mind made AVB come across as indecisive which doesn't fill me with confidence. Removing our goal scorer and arguably best player this season at all, given the situation was crazy. The players he chose to play made those decisions even more mind boggling. If he wanted to change up tactics, I believe the players he had on the pitch were more than capable of carrying out the job, no need to even replace them with the sub-power players he did. Perhaps it was to keep the players he removed fresh for the upcoming fixtures? Maybe. I've personally never bought in to this idea that players at this level, guys in peak physical condition, can't perform at their best multiple times a week. No need to rest players for a game five days away in my opinion. I genuinely think AVBs mind just went blank. Oops. Got to talk about Torres. What would a Chelsea game be without it? Fernando must not be doing the job in training otherwise he would be getting on. Now, I assume there's not much hope for the guy to get back to his best unless he's provided with some much needed game time. I know he hasn't proven himself worthy of it, but he can't even begin to do so if he doesn't get any whatsoever. Why then, when we have games like today, were Drogba offers absolutely nothing do we not give him a go? What have we to lose? If he comes out and plays rubbish, we're no worse off than we were with a struggling Didier. I'm all up for playing whoever before Torres if they can do the job. Drogba's inclusion in the last few games has been spot on since he's been on form. But if he comes out and gives a performance like today's, then it only seems fair to give our 50Million bench warmer a run out, and perhaps save him a few fresh splinters in his arse. All in all a disappointing day. The only plus is we didn't get beat, which, by the way, we deserved to.

I've been quite fickle in regard to AVB from the beginning. When we have good games I'm convinced he knows the score. When we have bad ones I start to get the feeling he's perhaps overrated. Of course, this is all because of how you feel post game and what you feel shapes your opinion at that moment. I've decided not to draw any conclusions on him yet. He's inherited an ageing team and he's only half way in to his first season of the EPL. I'll decide how I feel about him once he's had time and built the team he wants to build. Until then, I'm just going to take each result as it comes for better or for worse.

It has fans from many teams across many leagues. But shock horror, the majority are UTD and Liverpool fans. Virtually everybody though is convinced we will get beat. I'm not so sure, think we'll get the job done.

Yeah, maybe I'm a mug or something, but I don't think this is the worst draw in the world. Sure they're a great side, but we're getting back on form and surely this January can only be positive. On another forum I'm on everybody is talking like Napoli are going to walk over us no problem. Saying we have no chance. I put it down to the their dislike of Chelsea, as I've said, Napoli are a good side and it will be tough, but I think some people are giving them more credit than perhaps they deserve.

Has this not died on it's arse yet? More to the point, how many videos do they need to see to finally put this to bed? It shouldn't really matter if they have 1 video or 100. If you can't hear what he's saying in any of them then all that they can do is speculate.

What a night. Thought we would get a win and so we did. Happy enough with that. We're gonna win the league! Haha! :blue scalf:

I don't hate the lad or anything, but that video is cringe inducing. That said, he's not the worst. Noticed he bust out a few tricks.

After our recent run I'm actually feeling a bit of confidence running up to this game. Same team as Valencia, minus Luiz since he's suspended. Think we can hold them to a draw at least. A win would close the gap to 7 points and we would have our season right back on track.

So did the forum go in to melt down over the win? Or was the lack of availability coincidental.

Think if we put a similar squad out as the one against Newcastle and play as we did we can get what we need from this. Wont be easy, but sure, what is?

You could watch that game a thousand times and he'd always be good because he had a good game. As I said a page or so ago, that's probably been his best game this season. On the whole, he has been poor and whilst people might not like it, he has been worse than Torres. We need to watch the game and read the sats, not one or the other. When you do that, Torres has been the better of the two. However, he's been rubbish too, but to say in your other post that he's not good off the ball isn't really true. Watch him, you can see that he is, but whenever nothing falls to him, what can he do? The Torres gets no service argument is old, because the whole topic is old. But unfortunately it's true. You can't chastise him because at Liverpool he made up for his lack of team play with his movement and goalscoring, when he now plays in a team that can't utilise him. He'd be doing just as he did at Liverpool, or at very least attempting to if we could use him. But we can't. It's really why I can't get annoyed with him most of the time. It's easy to get angry with Drogba because he does fit in to the team we have. So when he under performs you're left scratching your head. Torres doesn't, which is why a lot of people are more forgiving of him. And because they can see that a lot of his problems are not just his, but team problems.

We still on about Drogba v Torres? Sad as it is, Drogba's has been sub-power just like Torres. We can talk about stats, or we can talk about watching them. Either way, Torres has been the better player. Which is really unfortunate for the club because other than a few good flashes (and they were pretty good) he has been tripe 90% of the time. Drogba's performance in the Wolves game was probably one of his best games this calendar year. Like it or lump it, Torres is part of the future of this club, with Drogba likely out the door in the summer. As that's the case, we might as well start trying everything we can to get the best out of Nando since he's highly likely to be sticking around. Edit: Hoping for a win tomorrow obviously, not expecting one though. Happy with a draw to be honest.

If true, they probably don't eat, park etc in the same place, moreso due to timetabling than anything else. I assume the reserves and the first teams wont always be training and all the rest of it at the same time. Doubt they're being shut out.

francozola, assuming what you have posted is true, that's great. I think we all know AVB can get the job done if he gets the support and as the players he wants. I said before, I wouldn't be surprised if Roman is happy to let him play the older guys who's contracts are soon to expire now, so as not to rock the boat. Let them go, and then get some new signings.

Can somebody point me to the AVB out thread? wee jokes. But really, how bad is this side now? It's unreal. Must say, I've seen Lukaku a few times now and he does nothing for me. I know he's still young and has plenty of time to develop, but I don't get the hype. Ramires looked off tonight too.

I think it was an intentional yellow. It seems he now misses the Carling Cup game. If he knew a yellow would get him the match ban, approaching a game where he was unlikely to play anyway, might as well get it over and done with.

I don't love Romeu nor do I hate Mikel. But I would start Romeu over Mikel everyday of the week. As for most of the points you made, well I'd have to respectfully disagree. But maybe I was watching a different game to you.

As it stands now, we may have some of the best players in the world, but we don't have a team.

Lets be real though, he'll use Bosingwa just as he has tonight.

I read this also and thought much the same. He'd have some pair of conkers to make a claim like that if he wasn't sure it was true.

When AVB arrived most of us knew some of our top players were getting on a bit. We knew if we were going to carry on using them that it should be sparingly. AVB said that all these players were good enough and didn't need replaced. I for one don't believe he meant it for a second. I genuinely believe half of the old pros are going this summer and I think they're just being used and talked up so as not to rock the boat. After all, why create bad blood when they're at the end of their playing careers at this club? That's not how I think it should be handled, but it's how it comes across. This manager is renowned for his attention to detail and strategic knowledge, so there is no way he can't see what the rest of us can. I can see him buying big in the upcoming windows. We wont win a thing this season and whilst that's disappointing, I don't really care if it means we are getting everything in place to start building for the future. Anybody who expected AVB to come in and get us back to the world class team we used to be was kidding themselves. I do think he'll get the job done. Just not this season with this squad.

Mark my words. If Torres scores tomorrow, pants will be shat.

Fair dues.

I don't recall ever bringing it up before other than at the time? Recent events in the world of football have nothing to do with how this forum is run though. I'm not saying the comment that I referred to was sincere and that the poster is genuinely racist, I don't believe him to be so. I was merely pointing out that at the time the comment was made, other posters expected that should something similar happen and the same actions not be taken, that the mods would open themselves up to criticism. And I know it hasn't gone unnoticed. But perhaps a tougher banning policy will prevent the same in the future.