OneMoSalah

Yep. Think he needs taken out the team just to sort of take him out the firing line but that wont happen to Marc & Ben are fit

Wait and see Pahlinha put in an absolute proper performance against us in midfield as well. Why we didn’t even try to get him in the summer is beyond me instead of Ugo or Lavia. Fulham can be as good as they want to be but have been inconsistent this season too. Not confident either way.

Well tbf, for me, I think most top managers would look at this job and think fuck that. For a magnitude of reasons. In the past with Roman, you knew once results went to shit and expectations weren’t being met that the next permanent managers instructions would be get the team back being really competitive and winning trophies. Or they would be out. There is a clear pattern in the last 15-20 years, when we changed managers, we usually ended up winning trophies until that cycle happens again. There is next to nothing positive that has come out of these past 18 months or longer with Boehly & ClownLake. Nothing what so ever. Nothing that would excite any genuine top managers if we were to change Poch. Our best finish with them was right at beginning when they took over when Tuchel got us 3rd place. In the 2 full seasons - when this one finishes can’t fucking come soon enough - our finishes we’ve finished 12th & will likely be around 8-12th this season. There doesn’t seem to be any real ambition to be successful now from the club, it seems very much a long term strategy. And a risky one at that. Then not to mention the lack of quality in the squad, the recruitment criteria/profile, the fact that spending a lot of money is going to be difficult as we already have spunked £1bn in 3 windows, no European football next season again (90% sure on this)… what top top manager is going to go yeah this Chelsea project is what I want to go and get involved in.

Is it just me or did anyone else think Cucurella’s performances under Poch definitely improved a lot compared to last season though? They couldn’t get much worse granted but I don’t believe he all of a sudden is a bad player, even like Caicedo although his price tag is scandalous and he is having an even worse first season than Cucu did so far. Loaning Lewis out to play every week would have been the right thing to do. The loan to Newcastle with buy option is more than likely to fall through unless he meets certain performance criteria, even Eddie Howe has said he doesn’t know if he will be at Newcastle next year. So maybe if he comes back, we find him an actual loan to try develop him instead of thinking about making a profit on him. Another silly decision from the footballing directors and owners (although I think he is a Geordie so maybe was difficult for him not to push for this move also) because he has rarely had a look in for Newcastle really. I don’t think for one minute that currently he is a better option than the LBs we have got right now though (Maatsen not included). And anyone saying he is, they’re just straight up lying.

Conte and Mourinho wouldn’t work with these clown owners and sporting directors. They would have disagreed on the signing of the huge number of u21 players to start with, even more so after losing so many experienced players in the past 2 seasons probably precisely because of what we are seeing. And yes I get the feeling Poch is a yes man. Even at Spurs with Levy you got that feeling. He is a good coach but I feel he needs to get some proven quality in there to stabilise the team which seems to lack the knowhow of what to do when things aren’t going well. Also the midfield is a huge issue, Enzo and Caicedo as a pairing aren’t solid enough and things get by them too easily. I do think Poch won’t last much longer if performances continue as they are but ultimately he doesn’t shoulder all the blame, although the owners and sporting directors will throw him to the wolves when they are really accountable for the poor squad planning and new direction with recruitment. On defenders out of position, particularly Levi, when Ben and Marc are back fit, Levi needs to come out the team all together for a few weeks. I don’t care how good he will/can be, he has been particularly poor this last while and needs taken out the firing line. Unfortunately due to the injuries and the fact Maatsen isn’t up to much (shock horror), he has had to be used there. Disasi for me has started to show some half decent qualities playing as a centre back but I do feel he needs to be used there and not at RB to keep going to see where he maxes out. It seems like he is maybe starting to find his feet a wee bit. I don’t think he will ever be a top top quality CB but certainly looking like if he can just keep plodding on as he has done the last few weeks and keep steadily improving, he could be a good 3rd choice. Bailed Silva out I don’t know how times yesterday - who is certainly starting to look a bit aged although he still has moments of class due to his experience and knowhow. If the midfield could also solidify up a bit too this would give us a better platform.

Should have guessed. Oh well

They’ll probably beat us in the second leg as well wouldn’t be surprised. If they do Poch has to go.

I see the hype for this kid has died down a bit. Hasn’t started since the end of November. Still by all accounts he had a reasonable start but fizzled out. Think he got an assist last game he played though but only got the 2 for the season and no goals. Again just let him go at his own pace - don’t think he will be coming back in the summer needs another 18 months of playing regularly and add end product as apparently he is a good dribbler but not great for end product.

Surely cannot be any fucking worse than Caicedo at the moment. And if he is, then not good enough and should be loaned or sold.

What was the point of 1) signing this guy & 2) not loaning him out? If he can’t get any minutes when we are needing a goal in a cup game against a championship team then that says it all. Loan him out this month FFS.

Europe? Don’t make me laugh.

Embarrassing. Not the first time he has let someone run off him, his awareness is shocking. Liverpool, United and Brighton probably all pissing themselves that we paid £115m for him. Yes he isn’t playing well but fucking hell, do the basics at least. Not difficult to follow someone.

Not many top managers who would be daft enough to take this project on in the current circumstances. The new owners were shouting about stability, feasibility and moving away from the previous regime yet we are on our 4th manager/head coach technically in their ownership period which is barely even 2 years and basically have to sell before we can buy because they blew their load too quickly. They’ve completely turned over long serving members of staff from various departments and not to mention upstairs the likes of Vivell being put on gardening leave after barely being in the door and now Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb - the footballing directors - really should be given their matching orders come the summer as 80% of what they’ve signed haven’t done anything. Or they would at any top club who had an ounce of sense. The whole thing is a mess and it doesn’t look like we have any clear plan at all - I am genuinely worried that it is only going to get worse too. At least before with Roman, potential managers knew that when a manager was sacked we would always be looking to bounce back immediately and usually would due to his ambitious and demanding nature as an owner. Chelsea sacking a manager always meant one thing: they will be back and competitive the following season. That isn’t the case now, look at the lengths of contracts they’ve given out to absolute shite with the thinking that they’ll maybe become top players in 3 or 4 years. Why would any top top manager want to come here and have to wait 3 or 4 years for some of these near untouchable misfiring assets to maybe become good? Its clear the clubs invested in these players and will not be binning certain ones anytime soon. Hopefully these clowns sell up after 10 years and stick to baseball.

But we didn’t sell him and going from most reports a month ago he will be returning in the summer as the buyout clause only becomes an obligation based on his playing time? Where he hasn’t played anywhere near enough? And even then, everyone was so dazzled by Maatsen after one year at Burnley (in the championship FFS) and now think Hall returning may be the answer. Don’t get me wrong he’s talented but he isn’t anywhere near better than Ben or Marc and who is to say he will be? He is another young lad who we have probably all severely overrated as we always do with young kids. Even Santos and Casadei they were some sort of amazing players after a loan spell in Brazil and Reading….

Palmer unlucky with his first chance. Second one was poor but again without him we wouldn’t of had half the chances we had tonight. He is already our main man and our best attacking player this season by a mile. Too much responsibility on his shoulders when you consider the lack of goals from the other players barring Raheem who has 7 in all comps from these areas. Sterling also being asked to be a more creative player than the role he was utilised at City is also poor management by Poch. Yes he can take people on 1 v 1 but get him the box for cutbacks/low centers. Absolutely scandalous he keeps asking him to go out wide and try beat folk 1 v 1 to create crossing opportunities. It is clearly a tactical instruction. He didn’t score over 100 goals for City and a huge % of them under Pep by staying out wide and taking on his fullback and crossing it in. Palmer was hardly bullied though? He isn’t a number 9 but he had the best chances and they all came from either his intuition or individual skill. Should of scored at least one, maybe 2 including his first chance which was desperately unlucky after he did the hard bit anticipating and intercepting the pass. He cannot do it all by himself though - already we are heavily far too reliant on him.

Yep. Noni doesn’t do anything unless the ball is played to feet and Sterling doesn’t seem overly involved. Few times hes got it 1 v 1 he looks to take his man on but we need to get it out to him more

And 2 of his big chances came from great anticipation too. If it was Jackson he wouldn't of intercepted or followed in.

Yep. Him and Enzo are both bad for it. Horrendously bad for letting runners go. Just laziness, cant blame anyone else for that. Not the first time and wont be the last.

Caicedo again letting a runner go for the goal. Shocking awareness. £115m but cannot track a runner.

We need to get Ben & Marc fit so we can take Levi out that left back position. Got lucky there and good covering by Disasi

An attacking midfielder/second striker? Again like Nkunku, not a proper CF.

Have to agree. I think after the goal you could see Broja’s confidence. It remains to be seen maybe he starts him at the weekend.

But also we have to look at why Santos and Casadei aren’t starting there. There is obviously a reason beyond clubs using us to get “cheap depth”, its never as black and white as that, performance and level obviously has to be a factor at some point. And also a reason as to why theh were loaned in the first place. He is a good prospect but was the same with Santos last year - we have to temper expectations. Even look at Colwill for Brighton strolling it last season as a left sided CB in a back 3 and 4 as well as at LB some weeks compared to here, he has looked suspect. Also we have too many young MFers in the squad as it is so inevitably some won’t make it here.

Palmer false 9 interesting but also remains to be seen how effective he can be there. Personally think in the long run he is better as a 10 or off the right. We will need a CF irrespective of if he does well there.

Probably has more chance of winning a Golden Globe than us winning a trophy under his ownership.