Blue Armour

This is right up there with the BS they used to come up with for Emenalo. The media is just excited by all the flames surrounding the club...they really don't have a clue about what's going on.

Really tempted by the idea of Lampard coming into management here. Would, no doubt, bring a couple of other members of the old guard with him to boost the dressing room mentality. Joe Cole is already a Chelsea youth coach.

I maybe in the minority when I say this, ...but I cannot really blame the board.,.for THIS season at least. After a long time, they did something bold by hiring someone like Sarri to take the helm. Unproven, but believed to potentially be able to bring the type of attacking football many fans have been craving for, for a long time. A really unorthodox move, all things considered. Compared to the transfer windows from recent seasons, they even bent over backwards not once, but twice, to get the manager his number one target, in Jorginho and Higuain. But for the moment, they seem to have been duped by Sarri's mad plan. Whether there is any method to it, I'm not sure, but we are starting to go into free fall because of his designs. With every negative result, I become more curious to see whether Sarri will actually change something in the next game. He seemed to tweak things a little bit, earlier on in the season, most notably, the City game. But now, he just seems to fallen into that same poisonous mindset that gripped Conte in his second season. Refusal to change tactics or personnel. Adamant to prove that he's right. I'm going to be pragmatic for a moment,..and say, okay, we're one point from top 4, still in a couple of other cup competitions, and in the final of one. So I'll wait a little more before passing any true judgement. However though, the game at the Bridge with Spurs is going to weigh heavily upon things.

haha.... your gifs are always quality

Well...I agree with your sentiment. There is no need to be needlessly depressed. But on the topic of confidence...I feel that this team has an ON-OFF switch when it comes to that. And I fear that Sarri has no control of it.

No idea... if he thinks that bringing them on to 'enjoy' a win against Malmo will boost their confidence...smh... Whatever it is...his idea flopped. They just conceded a goal instead of adding to the total. Not even one of our youth players in the lineup...there's a good chance he will play majority of the senior squad again against United. Will be really pissed to see Jorginho huffing and puffing again in that central midfield.

Two constants I think. One constant...managers with no good plan B. Second constant...poor, poor defenders. We've been playing with aged, past-it, defenders since 2012 and lost any quality defender we had by 2017. We haven't been with a quality full-back for even longer than that. Azpilicueta and Ivanovic (until he got old) were good 1-v-1 defenders but lacking in other departments. In any case, the full-back on their opposite side was even worse. Our back line sucks. Mourinho tried to mask it by going ultra defensive in 2015, and Conte tried to do it with his back 5 and defensive tactics, so that each defender wouldn't be horribly exposed. Sarri is so far trying to avoid a reactionary approach like the other two, so the back 4 is constantly getting exposed like a Baboon's backside.

I'd like to think of Manchester City as pepperidge farms in this scenario. They were bitter enough to play ‘One Step Beyond’ after their win. Not sure why, considering they are top of the table. Small club mentality. Can't wait to kick them to the curb again.

Remember this..? Pepperidge farms remembers....

I will admit though, he is a great player and our best defender IMO. But he is absolutely POOR at organizing the rest of our defense. I would argue that even Cahill would do a better job in that regard. We are lacking someone like JT to organize that back line. It takes more than 'passion' and love of the club to be a good leader.

Interesting points. I really do get the impression that a lot of the players are blindly following a script laid out to them by Sarri. This could explain our disjointed performances,...how they look really good at certain moments, and completely capitulate the next. Majority of the players don't know how to improvise when things DON'T go according to script. We lack the players with intelligence to take control of the situation. Sad to say it, but that especially applies to captain Azpilicueta who is still our best defender, but unable to organize our back four. Then again, who would bother to instruct someone like Alonso? Guy doesn't seem to give a crap when on the pitch.

We'll score 7 against them at the bridge, just like how we used the Huddersfield match to make up for the loss in goal difference against Bournemouth

I have, thankfully, never watched any of these dratted games (the 2-0 to Arsenal, 4-0 Bournemouth, 6-0 city.) live...and I do try to catch every league game live. I just flicked through the highlights for these matches, and looked on in disbelief as the scoreline became more and more lopsided. I have seen Chelsea teams capitulate in the past, but to this extent and multiple times in a single season? No words.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6688843/Maurizio-Sarri-admits-job-pressure-Chelseas-6-0-drubbing-Manchester-City.html 'If the owner calls, I'll be happy, seeing as I never hear from him': Under-pressure Maurizio Sarri aims dig at Roman Abramovich Might not be too long for that.

Re-markedly enough, I think the media were a lot more aggressive with Conte at a similar kind of stage last season., compared to Sarri now. I guess with United just about edging the top 4 spot on goal difference, they aren't exactly looking forward to a new manager at the helm, and a possible Chelsea resurgence.

Need Mufasa to come out before every match to talk to this lot

With Roman A., currently out of station he cant even arrive at the training ground to put fear into this lot. Need someone of the likes of Drogba or Terry back. And soon

Unlikely, but if this coach has any guts he would bench a huge chunk of the senior squad for our 3 homegrown youth players who would play with full motivation, for the next game. While I think a huge chunk of responsibility lies with Sarri, and his one dimensional strategy, I agree with the point that Bluelyon made in the match thread. This lot only care about their trophy count. I've suspected this for a while now especially after watching Contes second season The league performances have steadily become worse ever since we dropped out of the title race. The fight to win every match is no longer there. This is why we no longer fight back in league matches. Complete contrast to the start of the season when we fought to score goals in the dying minutes of the game. Also complete contrast to the league cup game against Spurs.

Back in LW, Back in business Classic Hazard!

As much as I disklike watching Sarri's football at the moment, Articles like these are an even bigger bore. An 'insider' claims training sessions are dull and monotonous. What 'creative genius' came up with this crap? Rubbish article. Don't wont another season Chelsea in the doldrums, and certainly don't want to read crap like this from the gutter press. Its like on an annoying loop.

Not arguing with anyone. Was just giving my perspective. Regarding the last sentence on Tomo's post. About the backing given to Sarri.

This is true...I think the club has done fairly well (on relative terms) compared to previous seasons. They took a gamble by sticking with Morata as first choice striker, but who can argue otherwise? Its only his second season, plus he came in for a lot of money. Even the appointment of Sarri himself. Pretty bold by Chelsea who normally go for only proven managers. (Grant maybe an exception).

Yeah, Kante is fantastic..but he does not have the tactical nous of a Makelele or Essien to play the CDM role all by his lonesome.

Heh... looks more like a sheep walking into a den of wolves. The players are going to stick it to him at this rate. Hasn't got a clue about what he's getting into with this public shaming.