Chelsea Legend 11

Thank god I didn't have to read that nonsense again!

He's suspended for the League Cup game, Sunderland.

Nervy, nervy, nervy game. I expected them to equalize... fortunately Jerome was awful today. For all the good Azpilicueta adds going forward he is so poor defending. Thought Willian was our most lively player, Hazard could've done more in the final 3rd didn't try to take anyone on in the box. He needs to be more threatening in the box... Give them something to think about. Luiz was a beast defending, made a shit tom of interceptions and made it easier for the midfielders to recycle possession. Cech made some big saves! FINALLY! I don't like the way we're defending as a team.

ya I know what you're saying...

Isn't that the problem though? Its like saying if I score loads of goals i'll be like messi...

Not sure if you read what I said... I love Lamps there is just no way in hell at 35 he should be our day in, day out holding midfielder. I know Van Ginkel was supposed to get some game time and that would've made for more of a rotation but for my money, Ramires should be the only automatic starter in the middle of the pitch with Essien, Mikel and Lampard rotated according to need. This has nothing to do with last night, I've been thinking this for a little while. In order for CFC to move on we need to revolutionize the squad and to me that means slowly weening off of Lampard, Terry and Cole. They were great stewards for club and country but its time for the weening process to begin... Lamps should play every 3rd game and come on as a sub. This is why this stat is bullshit and overused... Where did his passes go? did he even once make an incisive pass? For me the problem yesterday was having Ivanovic, Cole, Terry, Mikel and Lampard in our back six. Everyone of those guys like a slow build up and don't take any risks threading a ball through our turning to trying and move it forward. Each time the ball comes to their back to the defender, it would go right back to where it came from... Nobody tried to take on the defender, nor should they since they don't possess the technical ability. That's the problem I had with yesterday's lineup and was the main reason for the laborious build up and lack of incision.

I'll never see this but I would love it if we were bold enough to try this.... PLAY IN FORM PLAYERS! ------------------- Schwarzer ---------- Brana - Luiz - Terry - Azpilicueta ------------------- Mikel ------------------------------- Ramires Willian ---------- Hazard ------------------- Schürrle ----------------------- Ba Sort of a 4-1-4-1 with Ramires playing box to box. That is by far our fastest most direct attacking mid 3 and I'd love to see Hazard in the hole just so he can get on the ball more.

I love what Lamps has done for CFC and I feel he has great purpose from a leadership standpoint but I tired of seeing him as a regular now. He's a once every 3 game performer, he needs to be getting less time on the pitch now.... Its getting ridiculous.

Well... wasn't expecting it to be a cake walk when I saw the lineup. Oscar, Luiz, Willian and Cole haven't played for various reasons and Mikel and Lampard in the pivot was always gonna mean slow build up. The combination of Cole, Terry, Mikel, Ivanovic, Lampard make slow boring football; none of them move the ball quickly enough for us to make incisions in the defense. Today was a perfect example of why we should experiment with one of our attacking players in the pivot...DeBruyne or Oscar for me, perhaps Willian. We just don't have the types of players who think the game fast and can control/dictate a tempo

The game for rotation was the last game. -------------------- Cech(He's been killing me lately but I still don't trust Schwarzer... sorry) Azpilicueta - Luiz(if healthy) - Terry - Cole ----------------Mikel ----- Lampard Schurrle --------- Willian ----------- Hazard ------------------- Eto'o

For the record I wouldn't mind playing Barcelona right now

We need to worry about ourselves right now. Top of the league isn't something we should be focussed on when we're shipping goals like we are.

So much hilarity in one post.

I can't believe the blame is being directed at Eto'o. Hahahahahaha.... Wake up people! It was a shit giveaway but Chelsea shipped 3 more goals to shoddy opposition. We are shipping WAY too many goals! The problem the last two games and pretty much the whole season is our shit defense. We can't protect a lead and we are conceding far too many. Cech, Terry, Cahill, Ivanovic are playing way too much right now. Terry looked every bit like 33yr old yesterday and Cech.... Why does he just stand there on so many of the goal attempts??? Ramires needs a rest that much was obvious to me. Nobody wants to hear it but Essien needs some game time. we are running guys into the ground and its not even midseason yet. Essien needs a game, Bertrand needs a chance, maybe give Ake a run out for Ramires at some point too.

Cech Ivanovic Luiz Terry Cole Ramires Lamps Mata Willian Hazard Ba

Set piece defending make it really hard to drop Ivanovic.

Hear, hear. This is not a championship worthy back 5. We need to either change things up or go in and buy again.

Well agree to disagree. I thought he was poor and provided little to nothing as the leader of the line. He works hard, yes but that is the bare minimum for me...

The excuse isn't the SITTER its his WORKRATE. For what he gets paid that should be the bare minimum under Jose.

So sick of hearing this as some sort of excuse. He was poor today the hallmark of a Jose team is for everyone to work hard without the ball... He didn't put them under any pressure and missed an absolute sitter! That is poor, not okay, poor. He's been hot and cold and cold his entire Chelsea career

Torres did absolutely nothing positive other than win a couple aerials, he was awful today. Ba did more in his limited time and should've scored.

I really don't see another talking point from this game. Eden Hazard that's all. That was quite simply the best performance of skill, technique, explosiveness and command I've seen from a Chelsea wide man, he was on another planet. That game is what I expected to see with more regularity from him when we signed him.

100% gold star.

I swear people here give absolutely no credit to the opposition. Its like all Chelsea have to do is show up and a win is guaranteed. As for those calling Mourinho poor... Good Lord.... I can't think of a more idiotic thing to say, its like people have only been watching football for 4 months. IT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS FOR THIS YOUNG TEAM TO UNDERSTAND AND CORRECTLY IMPLEMENT THE BRAND OF FOOTBALL JOSE INTENDS TO PLAY! THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT WITH THE YOUNG SQUAD WE HAVE... Why is this so obvious to me and not to other Chelsea fans who have seen us go through 5 managers in 3 yrs??? very strange group of fans I must say.

Of course he is! The tandem made sense today but how many times has Ramires and Ess actually played together? its a factor. I don't think Essien was half as bad as people say he was after the mistake. He nearly scored and I don't remember Southampton getting another kick in the first half. Jose said it best J.Mourinho: 'Everybody makes mistakes, and Essien was trying to play when he made his, but he also played his part in our stability.'