OneMoSalah

One game in a season where he’s been one of our best if not our best player though? And much better than the likes of Enzo and Moises who cost £220m between them….. some of you lot are on one.

I think for where we are and what we will be for 1,2 maybe 3 seasons he could bring something. Never going to propel a top 4 team to the next level though.

Not bothered. Wasn’t exactly outstanding here and rarely played so winging about him now because hes doing well at Monaco is just typical for on here.

Irrespective £1 billion is a lot of money to spend and someone has to be held accountable. Poch has to go soon for me as results and performances are poor and then come the summer, the footballing director lads need to go as well. If they don’t go we will never get back to any sort of respectable positions. Those 2 should not be trusted with a project of this scale and level EVER again - they have singlehandedly set this club back at least 5 years with the flooding of “talented youngsters” they’ve recruited because it will take a long time for some of these guys to become serious players whilst also neglecting top class signings for key positions 2 windows in a row.

I am sorry but simply he has to go. The results and performances are as bad as under Potter.

Sack him now. Jesus christ. Also where are all the fucking fuckwits that were complaining about Tuchel and his style of play hiding at? Is this really better? Really?

ADL wanted Garcia to play football the exact same as Spalletti. So why he hired Mazzarri I don’t know but ultimately his poor decision probably cost Napoli the momentum and progress they’d made over the past seasons.

We will be lucky to get 8th never mind 6th. Not done enough so far and won’t have done enough to get real traction in the league before the end of the season, lets be honest. Unless we spend around another £200-300m on 3 top top players at CB, CF and GK and go on a huge run, it will be next to impossible. I mean are we really going to finish above the likes of Man United, Newcastle, Brighton? Without taking the likes of the current top 5 teams into consideration just now who may fade out such as Villa or Spurs - again doubtful they’ll drop out too much? Absolutely not.

But also look at how many years have West Ham played in Europe now also? He also captained them to a European trophy too didn’t he? Was Rice a huge contributor in their success and doing that? Undoubtedly yes. They were smart investing in Alvarez and JWP because they wouldn’t be able to get what they got from Rice in one player. Plus they needed to become a more multi functional team because some of guys they have will only get them so far and with question marks around the likes of Paqueta’s future also. Arsenal started very well last season. But didn’t finish well. Also is a league won after 18 games? Look at City last year and then the year or one before. Slow starts, finish strong. Arsenal haven’t played the same sort of high level of football they were last season but they are still getting a lot of results. Them, City and Liverpool all haven’t played anywhere near as well but 100% they are all capable of going on a run too. Just watch how much of the dirty work Rice gets through for Arsenal, particularly in the first half there I thought he was very good. Maybe looks simple the things he does but Rodri is the same. Adds stability and grit to their team. And height also.

Precisely what Caicedo was bought for too…. There is a lot said in being a top top midfielder who contributes these things to a team. And can be relied upon every week to do so. People have short memories on here, Maka, Mikel, Ramires, Matic, Kante - all players who yes could do other things but were primarily their best assets and contributions were to do the bits that the likes of Rice & Rodri do so so well for their sides.

Severely disagree. Suddenly Arsenal went from a side who were all style and no substance to a team who have got some real grit. They have actually won a lot of games this season without actually playing as well as they did last season. What changed? Declan Rice in their starting 11. To say otherwise is just being ridiculous. Would swap any of our midfielders for him without hesitation. Also saying that we would probably turn him shit. Probably will be Arsenals player of the season. Look how many key headers, tackles and interceptions he has made so far in this game alone never mind over the season. Only better midfielder in the PL right now is Rodri. Not even debatable. Wouldn’t hesitate to swap any of our guys for him. Definitely done more to warrant being worth £100m than Enzo and Caicedo. Without question. Also so much more obvious how much of an impact he has on their team. 😂

Why didn’t we throw everything at signing Declan Rice. Absolutely ridiculous, looks the real deal. In fact would of paid what we paid for both Enzo and Caicedo to get him.

But statistically if you look at the top 10 players who have covered the most distance this season in the PL they are mainly DMs/CMs…. Ok this article from the PL website is dated in late November but it gives the list of top 10 players and there is only one full back on it. Majority are central midfielders. Then in the next 10 below again, only 3 are full backs. The list they put out in September I think was primarily central midfielders again. https://www.premierleague.com/news/3787191 Re bone density, in all honesty what do you know about Reece’s specifically to say that 😂? That is why it is a ridiculous claim. That was more the point. Particularly when he has been suffering repeated muscle injuries over the past few seasons. Not broken bones or related so to say this is a big reason, yes ridiculous. And just because for one sport, ie lets use American football as you said it, - a much more physical game than football - it may play a bigger role in defining someone’s position in that sport but it doesn’t necessarily mean it does for another. I mean do you think it is taken into consideration in rugby for instance, where everyone is of a very muscular build irrespective of where they play? Or defines how someone plays tennis for example, where everyone is usually of a much slimmer leaner build? Football’s no different in being unique, modern day players have to be fit enough and at such a high standard of fitness where bone density isn’t going to affect someone’s playing position or where they should be played. Muscular problems are 90% usually caused by things like player burnout, manoeuvring, sharp twists, landing in awkward positions amongst all the usual stuff. Yes Petr had a lower bone density due to being a triplet but he also suffered a depressed skull fracture due to a high impact contact injury so I think regardless of his bone density because being normal or not, he would of likely needed to have had something like that to continue playing irrespectively. Look at Raul Jimenez. He is in the same boat.

I think the fact is people - whether right or wrong - are maybe sick of the frequency he posts apologies and other things ie. “we will do better” after a loss, “I will learn from this” after stupid sending offs and “I will be back” after significant amounts of injuries. Sometimes the best thing to do is just to let your football do the talking and leave the social media posts out of it. Particularly when your Chelsea captain. I think he needs to toughen up a bit if he cannot take a little bit of stick for being injured (as long as it’s nothing that is going extremely OTT). I mean Jack Wilshere got hammered by opposing fans for it his whole career as did Ledley King, Owen Hargreaves etc. If this is to keep occurring, eventually pundits, experts and even managers will get on his case more and more as well. So he has to be able to deal with that or break the trend. And again, I think that the Chelsea captain should have much more things to be worried about than if some folk on the internet is calling him out for being injured. For example, our league position. Irrespective of that, I have been wondering if him being given the captaincy has been overwhelming and too big a responsibility at this stage of his career for him for months now. Even more so with the team struggling.

Well if he was garbage I’d hate to think what your mate would have thought of Caicedo and Enzo whilst he was on then. Or even the rest of them as he was probably our best player in that match by a country mile. Maybe he’s on the wind up 😂 Yeah….. probably another nobody who will not feature in any Chelsea managers plans now or in 5 years time. Would go as far as saying now that our insistence on stockpiling u21 players under this ownership is probably going to be much much worse than it was with Roman back in the day.

Either sell or give him a run of games from the start. I get the feeling he is still very rusty. Not going to do anything sitting on the bench at Chelsea or anywhere else. Funny though after a loan at Southampton and playing every week, the hype for him here was incredible 😂

Isn’t built to be a RB but should he used as a DM or CM? I don’t get it, playing him as a DM or CM is even more ridiculous as central midfield is probably still and always will be the most physically demanding positions in football. Central midfielders have done and still do on average tend to cover the most distance, participate in the most physical duels, usually make the most recoveries, the most interceptions etc - all things that heavily rely on the physical aspects of the players. Also bone structure? This is certainly one of the most interesting takes on his fitness…. what has this got to do with reoccurring hamstring injuries? And even then, I genuinely get he may be top heavy but even then if he is, how would anybody know about his bone structure. For me - and I get this isn’t the direction you wanted to go with it making the comment- is definitely one of the most controversial and also ridiculous comments I’ve seen regarding any Chelsea player and injuries. Like ever. Majority of his issues have been muscular too.

So I am guessing (and wouldn’t be surprised) if the genius medical team we have were saying it was ok to play him through it?

Hopefully Nkunku is able to play a bit more on Sunday as I think his style will suit playing with the likes of Palmer and even Sterling. He will get in the box. He won’t sit out wide waiting for the ball to get fizzed across and come out to him. Sterling also does this but he has been much more of a creative source than a goalscorer for us this season, playing more directly, much more 1 v 1 and getting to the byline as opposed to getting across the box like he would at City. This is why I hope Gusto and Maatsen are given a run out next time round because the width and ability to go on the outside as well to put crosses in will encourage the wider attacking players to flood the box more. Erratic finishing doesn’t/won’t help either. Jackson had a few tonight where your thinking christ how has he managed that

Hate to be doom and gloom but I don’t think we should be getting overly excited yet. In fact far from it. Yes we are in the semi finals but the performance was still pretty awful in attack. We are never going to break any teams down playing like that and you cannot rely on other teams making huge errors like Trippiers for the goal every game. Nkunku being back though maybe that'll change a bit but still think with us and how we try to play through midfield, Caicedo and Enzo… just don’t do enough as a pair for me and whilst Gallagher has improved a lot and probably our best player on the park, he has a limit and a role. The starting fullbacks tonight also limit how he play in the other half of the pitch I feel, I think you can see Disasi and Colwill aren’t completely comfortable and Gusto made a difference. The players celebrating getting to a domestic cup semi final in that fashion, for me, is just odd… yes show of passion but I suppose it just shows where about we are as a club and that perhaps for now, getting to a semi final is going to be much more of an achievement than it was years ago for previous groups.

Whys he holding his face 🤣 fucking hell

Gallagher been our best player by a country mile. Barring the dive there. What I don’t get is, irrespectively of if he is good or not, how the fuck can he not get a look in ahead of Colwill at LB who was absolutely abysmal tonight? Also holy fuck did Mudryk just score 😂

Gallagher again putting fires out everywhere before that break for the offside goal….

Enzo coming off. Not going to lie, hopefully its not an injury but he has made fuck all effort to get involved in the game again tonight. Just stands there his body language is absolutely stinking. Apparently he isnt feeling very well… hmm…

Not sure what Colwill is doing or Caicedo there more than Badiashile. Yes he makes the most impactful error but its just more bad luck than stupidity. Colwill’s pass was incredibly slack. And not the first or last one he's done tonight. Also is Enzo planning on doing anything tonight or just sitting behind Newcastles midfield hiding?