CHOULO19

I thought he did very well today. The team was setup excellently as is evident by how well we started the match, then we came out from HT well on top and creating chances and finally the subs he made were all brilliant and helped us create chances and get back into the match despite Newcastle have all of the their players around their own box. No complaints whatsoever from me. He did his job perfectly and can't be held accountable for the players failing to score the chances created. Funny thing is, that was EXATLY the problem, you don't even need to watch the match to know. Our finishing and decision making in the final third was terrible and Newcastle got very lucky on several occasions.

If anyone is still feeling upset, just put on the Arsenal match! They're just so hilarious to read when he clearly was one of our better players today

What exactly did he do wrong on either goal, then? The funnies thing about people blaming Mikel is that it is predictable from even before the match starts! He had an very good performance, one of our better players today. Won almost everything in midfield in the first half, kept the ball moving well, and was vital to helping us keep the pressure on in the second half and even played a few excellent long balls into the box.

Another goal for Boro. But much more common than that, Omeruo got an assist for the first goal.

Name: sherry33 Reason: Trolling Punishment: Content moderated permanentlyAbility to create content removed permanently.Suspended permanentlyAlso move to Banned

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Not for the first time, Chelsea have been undone by a Cisse brace and not for the first time, Jose Mourinho has faced a very tough match at St. James, in fact, the Portuguese has never managed to get a league win there. And that "tradition" was unfortunately to continue today in a frustrating roller-coaster of match from the blue perspective. A match that ended Chelsea's unbeaten run despite a late attempt at comeback and a Drogba consolation goal. Chelsea started the match on top and played some brilliant football in the opening 30 minutes but poor finishing and bad decision making in the final third kept the scores level. Looking back, that was probably where the match was lost. Newcastle came back strong in the last 15 minutes of the half and had their only dominant period of the match taking advantage of some lapses of concentration and defensive errors from our side. Though, they too failed to capitalize on their superiority and only managed to work Thibaut once. But Jose's men came out strong and lively at the start of the second half. Hazard very much at the center of all the danger. But in very typical fashion, a minute after Mikel missed a great chance from a FK, Newcastle score in the 57th minute from a cross that Cahill tried to clear but missed. Almost needless to say that the Scorer was Cisse. Jose directly brought on the subs that we were all calling for against Sunderland. Andre Schurrle first came on and made a really positive impact with his runs, then Droba and Luis after Newcastle parked a double-decker in front of their goal. But once again, seconds after Eden had hit the post, Newcastle break and double their lead from an mistake in midfield. Again, Cisse the scorer and Sissoko with his customary assist against us. Just as the point were looking all but lost, Ryan Taylor was sent off for a second yellow and Didier Drogba pulled one back for Chelsea with 7 minutes to go. Another Cesc assist, of course. The Blues piled the pressure on the 10 Newcastle players inside the box, but debutant and Newcastle's third goal keeper, Jak Alnwik, kept making save after save. Finally, despite the six added minutes (which Newcastle wasted about 4 of taking a single goal kick), Chelsea ran out of time and a smiling Jose Mourinho left the stadium which has defied him once again. Despite the result, boys mostly put on an excellent performance and fought very bravely to get back two goals down. But in the end things just didn't fall for us today which you often at tough away grounds like Newcastle's. But hey, look on the bright side: at least now, all the bloody reporters will shut up about the unbeaten run! Newcastle (4-3-3): Elliot (Alnwick 46'); Janmaat, Taylor (sent off), Colocini, Dummet; Tiote, Collback, Sissoko; Cabella (Cisse 53'), Ayoze, Ameobi(Williamson 83'). Chelsea (4-3-3): Courtois; Iva, Cahill, JT, Azpi (Luis 67'); Cesc, Mikel, Oscar (Schurrle 61'); Willian (Drogba 67'), Costa, Hazard. Goals: Cisse (57' & 79'); Drogba (83'). Click here to view article.

:lol:

Very proud of the boys despite the result. The performance was very good and the reaction to the goals even better. Things just didn't go our way. We certainly deserved more from this game, but at least all the talk about the "invincibles" can stop!

Mixed half but pretty good performance-wise overall. We played brilliantly for about 25 minutes of it and should really have scored when we were on top. Lost a bit of focus in the last 15 mins and allowed Newcastle to win the second balls. Hazard was brilliant but Cahill and Iva are looking shaky in defense and Willian should REALLY take those chances.

That's it, bring Didier on for Costa!

That was painfully close! But I'm happy by how good we're playing.

"Mikel, in the middle of our pitch..." Nah, not the same, is it? ...Oh, I know: "Mikel, gives the opposition hell, Mikel" :blue scalf: Much better!

More often than not, Iva gets more forward than the opposition striker. And that's not even an exaggeration!

Or both..

Apparently Jose said that Ramires is ready:

And here's where I pop your bubble http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/19222-important-notice-for-all-members-signatures-and-avatars/ Sorry, bro.

You have to also think what's best for him too. Yes, it would have given the team more stability and security had he stayed, but that would have probably killed his development and saw him sold at the end of the season. Granted it's not exactly going in splendidly for him at Milan (though things seem to be looking up for him now), but at the time, I think it was the right decision.

LOL That was some guy who was badmouthing Mikel before the game last season against Derby and said that he'd his name tattooed on his arse if he scored! Credit to the guy for actually going through with it. Takes some massive balls!

Yes, but with the slight difference that I wanted the team to do well while some people were actually hoping that Rafa, and hence Chelsea, do badly which was the whole point of that last post of mine. Yes, and you can't prove that we wouldn't be winning the CL every season if I were the manager! I really don't wish to revive ancient debates that are now meaningless, but, for me, it was never about the results and I would have said the same had we failed to win the EL, in fact the article I'm referring to was written before we even reached the semis IIRC. It was about the evolution of the squad as whole and the key players in particular in a direction that ensures that the next manager can, with a few minor adjustments, build a team that can challenge for titles, i.e. what Jose has done. But that was not going to be possible, imo, with the tactically woeful manner the team was playing under Robbie. I completely agree that the club did act embarrassingly with a club legend. He should never have been offered the job in the first place as the board clearly didn't think he was good enough to do it. And let's not open and an even older debate about AVB and how and why he was sacked.

This is extremely unfair and even completely false! Marco actually rejected the Milan offer at first and said he wants to stay at Chelsea. Then the club and management convinced him to go to Italy because he wouldn't be getting the minutes he needs here to properly recover from basically a season off from football that he had last year.

Someone just give this man all the awards in the world!

Interesting to hear that after the match Steve Holland said that there was no thought of bringing Luis on for Cahill (and shifting Iva and Azpi) because Kurt has been training fantastically well for the past few weeks and his immense performance was not the least surprising for them because they knew that this is his current level. I wish that means he means he will be given a fair chance to contest with Cahill for the starting CB spot, but realistically I juts hope that he will be getting more time and hopefully starts against Derby and Sporting and in the busy Christmas period.

Yeah, but at the time of his injury (which was with the Netherlands U21 NT) it was said that he needed 6 weeks to recover.