Blue Armour

True...said it before, the system doesn't really suit Torres or Ba..at least the latter can still make himself useful by scoring from half-chances.

I think its mostly because, in what seemed a rarity in the past, we can now take out a key player from the starting 11 and still achieve results.

Seriously, comments about us playing "boring" football are getting quite frankly, boring. Chelsea have more fixtures than anyone else in Europe, and you can't expect them to be playing like ballerinas every match...If our finishing was sharp today, the critics would be at a loss.

Not to mention Milito, and Ibra...the thing that Argentine doesn't get is that you need the right type of striker for the right system of midfield. If Mourinho was solely at fault, why didn't we have golden-boot winning strikers when AVB and RDM were here? We have an existing midfield that is not suited to the likes of Torres/Ba. Eto'o fits the midfield better, but at his age there's only so much he can do.

I don't know....after having old man Eto'o...definitely wouldn't mind having old man Ibra around here...

If he really did have PSG in his mind going into the match, he must be surely having different thoughts about them now.

I never used to mind his previous comments, as I considered those as part of his opinion....but when he comes out with sh*t like Mourinho losing the dressing room, based off of one CL match post-interview...you have to wonder why people regard his comments any higher than that of Pele...

I don't know if Lukaku will make it big here, but after seeing Mata perform for United and Sturridge for Liverpool...I don't want to think of another "what might have been" scenario with Lukaku.

I think what Ancelloti said was that Drogba would do away with mentally weaker competition like Torres (and Schevchenko) in the squad. This was back in 2012 withAVB, when people wondered why Drogba was being preferred to Torres...

Mata has really started being influential for United, and I wish him all the best for his performances.... But I really, really cannot see him doing the stuff that Salah and Willian were doing today, with their defensive work-rate, pressing and eagerness to run with the ball. It might have worked in a different kind of team, but not in the one we seem to be building for the future.

Azpi actually went over to the right wing at one point...it probably confused Charile Adam & co..(when they really didn't need much to do so)

Real nice work on the wallpaper

Maybe at 3-0. Not when we had to double the lead at a crucial part of the game.

And people said at the time, it was a tidy profit we made from his sale...smh.

Initially thought that this guy was all about pace, but he does have a good head on his shoulders...kept thing ticking, and always made the right, simple decisions to build up our attack....And yet another hard worker for the team with his pressing...looks like a real bargain.

His frustration could almost be cut with a knife today..., as the game wore on, he was concentrating hard to make even simple decisions regarding whether to pass, or run or shoot. I guess it was pity from Mourinho that allowed to stay for the full 90 mins for this match

Hate to burst the bubble, but we had Drogba to score against Stoke AND Napoli.

For our midfield the viable option is to have an attacker who works like a slave for the midfield behind him...That's essentially what Didier Drogba did, dropping deep, making the most of average service and contributing anyway he could....apart from the two seasons when he could delegate some of his work to other forwards like Anelka and Schevchenko, and actually score goals.

Yes, there many reasons actually...and they're not really down to Ancelloti. Drogba's other 3 good seasons happened with Mourinho, and he would have probably had his best in 2006-2007 if it were not for injury. Coming back to the problem with strikers and service....its a problem that has long lasted in this Chelsea,. Like I said in another thread...unless its someone who can hold up play like Didier, or work their asses off like Anelka/Eto'o, no forward is going to have much joy playing here..with the way our midfield has been setup (and tbh, that's how we successfully control games.in most matches).

Curious...was this your opinion during the city game...never thought we were overly defensive against West Ham either...considering the result But yes, might have been overly cautious for a few of them..

Must be really furious tonight...Before the match he said that the positive was the solidity of the back 4 and today, that caves in... Personally wouldn't give too much thought to this match...This wasn't the easiest match to make a comeback after the Palace defeat anyway, and besides this isn't the team we would have fielded if everyone was available.

Well that's usually the case even when Chelsea play with regular strikers up front...Thing is in this team the strikers not only need to make good runs, they need to work like donkeys to make sure they can get the ball from the midfield...for all their link-up play and crosses, our AM's are devoid of ideas when it comes to releasing our forwards...Hazard has tried a lot this season to do that I admit, but that's not really his job is it? Lampard could do a much better job in his prime, but no-one has quite taken that role on since..

Tbf..he can still do that on occasion..like he showed against City and Tottenham eariler on in the season...But back then he had an inkling of desire...even showed some against Arsenal...but again frustratingly enough he blows hot and cold in that department...

His lack of finishing ability is the most frustrating aspect...After seeing him curl in shots from just outside the box back in his prime, its incredible how a player that had a fine shooting technique, now struggles to put shots on target...like that shot he took against Palace with his left, or that lob towards the end of the game..really disappointing,

Yeah...was begging for him to get subbed, after they went 1 up. He kept misplacing pass after pass...and provided more hindrances than any contribution. and yes hopefully he'll come back fresh in a week's time.