Blue Armour

It happens when just about everything else is going wrong

How do you know their wage structure will remain the same? They are after all, qualifying for the CL, and most likely getting 3rd spot in the EPL. It could actually improve

At least he acknowledges something's wrong:

They're probably just trying to suck up to the minority communities...nothing new from where I come from.

The one's that don't do this:

Forgot abt Benayoun and Ferreira back there..just hope we get good replacements then

Drogba and Kalou are known to pick out each other on the pitch, and Studge and Drog have linked up well this season so....yeah

Tbh, after the merry-go-round of last season, this is nothing...

My point was also alluding to the fact we might not see the "revamp" that everyone seems to expect. I see one, maybe 2 players leaving and a similar number coming in.

I meant he's normally so composed..he scored from a free kick to win us a final.. Anyway, there's a lot more expectation from the spectators when it comes to a penalty, so yeah , I see what you mean

That's not exactly a complement to Josh, is it?

I was feeling the same way exactly one year ago.

The team is failing because our old experienced superstars, bar Terry, are too focused on proving themselves worthy of a first-team place (Lampard) or trying to get a new contract (Drogba)...Bottom-line is none of them are now really focused on the club's future at this point... While the players can be blamed...there is also poor man-management being shown by the club

Maybe because of this paper-thin squad, he's actually suffering because Terry, Ramires and Drogba have been absent from the last few games. If they all return, and the form in the PL table still doesn't improve, then it really will be curtains for AVB.

I really hope he can, at least as a sub....A small selfish part of me wanted him to win this tournament so that he could bring some of the winning mentality into our games, and this result has now made me doubly upset... Oh well, that's sports for you!

Two good points in that post.

He was certainly a better goalkeeper. The Ivory Coast GK Copa kept diving to one side during the shoot-out!

To be fair, he did mention "sometimes" in his post

Wouldn't have expected Didier, a man who has scored winners in cup finals, to miss from the spot like that...nerves clearly showed. Well done to Zambia, but just gutted with the fact that Ivory Coast lost this one big chance...

Sometimes I wonder how good the backroom staff are when it comes to motivating the players,etc. I know Di Matteo is a former Chelsea player, and maybe a good tactician, but I wonder how good a job him and the assistants do, with regards to giving players advice and how they motivate the subs/reserves... Because, back when Carlo was in charge, the team functioned like a machine. Even old minds like Deco, Belleti and Paulo came off the bench and chipped in.

No Drogba can play well if has a roaming forward like Anelka/Schevchenko next to him, while Torres can play well with David Villa. The thing is they both need a roaming forward to complement them. Sturridge could well be that guy, and I've been praying from the start of the season for him to be paired with Didier or Torres, but all we use is the old 4-3-3 and the occasional 4-2-3-1

I know...it sucks that our club has to depend on player like this,..We don't deserve to mock Man utd for bringing Scholes back... Personally I think Drogba only cares for the champions league...hopefully he'll recognize our current plight and at least give it his all in the PL...

I knew Cech would go on a run like this after the Arsenal game....The numerous goals we had conceded up until that match were enough to make most goalkeepers lose motivation and belief... He probably needs to take leaf out of Reina's book

Its right for him to take the blame in front of the media, but I hope he comes down with an iron fist on the real culprits in the dressing room....

Thank fuck for that...a player with ability, playing next to 3 other players with ability (you know what I mean)