Blue Armour

What I liked about this match was that it actually felt like a home game. There was a zip in the attack, something I hadn't seen for quite a while.

The City game?

I think it was part of Rafa's plan (better believe it) that our players press more aggressively today. I guess a couple of players took it to heart.

Anything can happen, yes...but Kakuta is not the right comparison. Shaw is playing regularly against PL opposition and is proving capable. Kakuta was never trusted with that role neither with us, or for Fulham. But I agree with with the rest of your post. Cole has signed a new contract, and with Ryan as a backup a new LB is NOT high priority at this stage. That being said, Shaw could be a target for a number of other clubs and we might have to secure him as early as possible..especially for the season after the next one, when Cole might call it quits.

So now...we not only have poor subs, awful team selections, and horrendous motiviational skills....but also a lack of home advantage?? Seriously...Chelsea FC deserves better....

Sad, but your post is 100% true...

Back the players 100% of the time....even if we are losing or drawing the match... Forget the fat manager and focus on the team...For the past 1-2 seasons, Chelsea hasn't played like the home team at the Bridge. What's the point in wasting energy booing Rafa...the board isn't going to give a fuck..they do things on their own terms...all it does is generate negativity in the minds of the players

Comedy or Horror?

A gripe I have with the 4-2-3-1 is that our double pivot members never seem to know where to position themselves when opposition midfielders start making attacking runs. I've lost count of the number of times this when both the pivot members have dropped deep into the d-box, allowing unmarked opposition to come and take a shot at goal.

Agreed. And good post.

Tbh, I'm surprised Rafa hasn't opted to try Ba and Torres together more often. It worked well in the first FA cup fixture against Brentford this season.

Its obviously not his fault...there's something wrong with the way this team plays. Now that Ba's there, they only see him as a targetman for aerial passes.. In other words, this team doesn't do enough to feed their striker.

Lol...what if Samsung was responsible for buying Torres...just so that he could make that commercial with the blueberry muffins

Can understand SOME of the sentiments to remove him from the starting 11, but realistically who else do we have for the double pivot (I'm really starting to hate using those words again and again).... Its either Lampard/Mikel which is too slow and rigid at times..or Oscar/Mikel or Luiz which may not work well, as Oscar may not be adept in the tactical sense. The other option is Mikel/Luiz which I haven't seen in action enough for me to judge the combination.

I honestly think he needs to be dropped for a couple of games, to get the message across...

I hate to see it this way, but the team's confidence just seemed to deflate after Hart made a save from Lamps' spot kick

He's been playing well ever since he got back from AFCON..really calm and composed, good passes... But then there's that odd mistake..However in his defence, Yaya's goal had more to do with Ivanovic's poor defending from Milner's cross.

Didn't do enough to block crosses today...If he had blocked Milner's cross, the move which led to Yaya's goal wouldn't have happened. This season as RB, he's been giving his attacker far too much room to swing in crosses. Based on these performances alone, he deserves to lose his RB spot to Azpilicueta.

Cahill played well today...way above expectations. I was hoping Terry would start ahead of him, but am glad he played...and tbh the starting line-up was exactly what I hoped for. But those last few subs, removing Mikel and Lampard, was asking for trouble considering City had Tevez AND Aguero on the pitch.

Backstreet09 does raise a few valid points. But to sum it up, Torres simply doesn't suit Chelsea's style of play. In Liverpool, he used to be at the end of all the moves made by their midfield whereas at Chelsea he has to serve as an extra man in the build-up play. The same is happening with Ba as well, but Ba can hold up play better and knock down the aerial balls like Drogba.

To tell the truth, even though Ba WAS involved with the goals it was largely a Torres type performance. No real goal-threat from the striker himself. This is quite worrying, as I don't the strikers are to blame for this. I don't remember any clear cut chances being made for Ba during the last match. He even raised his arms in exasperation when Lampard tried one shot outside the D-box during the first half, instead of making a pass.

And Laudrup has no real desire to coach a big club...Like he himself said, he's already lived the dream of working with big clubs as a player...he's in no urgency to do a repeat as a manger.

4 am for me...guess I'm not sleeping tonight. ......... Why I do I keep on believing in this team.....

They cook up a lot of drivel, but they seemed to have used a bit of imagination for this one (if it actually is drivel) http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4798729/John-Terry-and-Rafa-Benitez-in-furious-Chelsea-bust-up.html JOHN TERRY has had an amazing row with Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez .

On recent evidence yes, but we did have our Osgoods, Tamblings and Greaves...Maybe they need to be white AND English...Sign Rooney!!!