The only place to be

This is Rafa - he doesn't change the system, but changes the personnel instead. Southampton's players stepped up all over the pitch, whilst we lacked leadership despite having Cech, Lamps and Terry on the pitch. Yet you'll still get people on here saying that we shouldn't give young players a chance because they don't have 'experience'.

The image I'm trying to paint is of someone who has ignored the performances Mikel has put in on the pitch and defended him blindly for fuck know's what reason. People are frustrated with his lacklustre performances and you mock them by saying that 'he'll be in the team next season'. You've nailed your colours to his mast and seem unable to admit you were wrong.

Actually that would be Rafa. Or Torres. Lamps and Mikel were appalling today and showed no composure in possession and no determination in defence. This isn't the first time that's been the case either and any team that puts pressure on that double-pivot will get some something out of the game.

I swear you feel like you've manouvred yourself into a position where you'd rather be right about Mikel being in the team than seeing Chelsea do well. You're starting to sound like Backstreet sounds about Torres. BTW, why watch the match - he had 84% pass completion. That's good enough to vote for him as MOTM isn't it?

Three players who started all FOUR of those games?? Bertrand Ivanovic Lampard

Amazing to see our fans throw this club under the bus so easily. We still have our fate in our hands and I'd back us to make top four. If we do or we don't, the level of pessimistic bollocks that's being thrown around this forum is a fucking joke. People saying they're not going to watch games, implying Rafa's trying to tank the team...it's absurd.

We're a team in transition. We were sixth in the league last season and we're reaping the consequences of mistakes made 5 years ago. Regardless of what happens this season, we've got a great future. If that means missing out on the Champions League for one season then so be it, but the long-term plan at this club is sound.

I heard he invented AIDS and was on the grassy knoll as well..... I think there's logic in resting Mata today if you're trying to win 3 of the 4 matches. We knew we were going to have to rotate at some point and if Mata can only play alternate games then picking him for the United and Sunderland games makes some sense doesn't it? Have some perspective - we've still got a game in hand over Spurs and we've also got them at home.

I don't think Mata could handle two games in three days which is why he was rested today. I think he's got a better chance of playing Monday-Thursday-Sunday in all honesty, so not playing him today was perhaps understandable.

He's the heartbeat of this team. He's the leader of this club now and that has it's positives and it's negatives. But we all knew we had four games coming up this week and that team we put out today should have been good enough. What we've learnt is that we have some dead wood in the squad (and judging by some of the comments on the match thread, in our support too). Bertrand wasn't good enough. Azpi had a bad game. JT did well but got little help from Branislav (the odd bad game is becoming a worrying trend) or the midfield who were awful in almost every aspect of the game today. Moses had a shocker, Oscar couldn't do much and Marin confirmed the suspicions some of us have had for a while. At least Torres worked hard today. Top four is still in our control but it's going to be tough and we need to rest the players on Thursday for the Sunderland game.

Same problems we've had all season. Couldn't control the game in the double pivot and Southampton outfought us. Moses had a bad game, Marin simply isn't good enough and Oscar didn't have a chance with the players surrounding him. But ultimately this comes down to Lampard and Mikel simply not being good enough when there's pressure put on them. Mikel was a disgrace to the shirt and Lamps simply isn't suited for that position.

Don't think he heard you.

Plenty of people. In fact people have been saying Mikel and Lampard have been good enough for us for the last few months. Southampton just exploited the issue we've had all season and they deserved the three points.

Plenty of people. In fact people have been saying Mikel and Lampard have been good enough for us for the last few months. Southampton just exploited the issue we've had all season and they deserved the three points.

Nice to see certain 'fans' throwing players under the bus when they have one bad game in a largely impressive season. Southampton have worked hard and defended well, and Moses has had an off day. He isn't a cunt because of that.

Moses has been good in his first season - get off his fucking back.

Who the fuck is the guy 60 feet up in the air that Lamps has been trying to pass to today?

You've been advocating offering him a new contract for the last few months. I actually qualified it by saying those who wanted him back but hadn't learnt anything about how to win matches. That isn't 95% of Chelsea supporters (thank fuck).

Are you seriously saying he's trying to let the team tank by picking this team? Fucking ridiculous.

I was advocating ignoring the Europa League, not the FA Cup and that doesn't detract from the fact that for months people have been putting forward cases for us being able to rely on Mikel and Lampard. But yeah, try and make it look like I'm trying to offend 95% of Chelsea fans.

Amazing that people like you who want Mourinho to come back learnt fuck all about the way to build football teams - the midfield need to win their battles for the team to win and they simply haven't. Yes Hazard would've almost certainly have done better than Marin but this team should be good enough to win. Plus we have a big game on Monday. We are losing the game in midfield yet some people will look for almost anything else to blame than that. It's fucking pathetic.

I think Rafa's been reading the players' threads on here, hence him thinking Lamps and Mikel could contend with Southampton in midfield. Just look at some of the aimless balls they've played forward and the lack of protection they offer the back four.

Thank god we have Rafa to blame for our players not performing.

I think you mean without a moment's thought.