The Big Drog

Anyone actually watching the games last night would completely disagree with you. Two cracking matches, both completely different but both filled with quality in their own way. Ye Real Madrid have a mountain to climb but discounting Madtid this early is silly, though this particular mountain is the greatest team of their generation.

Really poor. Created a couple of chances, didn't take them. The positive was that Moses looked genuinely dangerous when he came on and created one great chance for Hazard. Luiz also did quite well at the back. That second half was dreadful, we never linked the play together, we never pushed them back into defending deep inside their own box, there was hardly any concerted pressure. For about 6 minutes there was a pattern of the ball going to Cech, him kicking us, Torres losing the aerial battle, QPR win the second ball and attack, then repeat the process all over again. Again the midfield of Mikel and Lampard just isn't technically good enough or mobile enough to control a game like this in the way Barcelona, Man City or Man Utd do. It's such an obvious problem. It wasn't aided today by Di Matteo's team selection, far too negative for a game like this and we paid the price for that with the final result. That a player the quality of Oscar doesn't get a look in is simply bizzare. Torres's greatest talent these days seems to be his ability to stay on the pitch, even when he is playing as badly as he did today, he was only taken off in the 80th minute and Sturridge looked considerably more dangerous. A lack of quality in the final third, a lack of control, sloppy passing and a lack of cutting edge all killed us today. Flat, sloppy and nowhere near good enough if we are going to mount a challenge for the Premier League. It needs to be better and that starts with the starting line up, it has to be different.

Why though? We've spent so much money this Summer and we've brought in real top quality talent, we are the Champions of Europe and yet we are having to be reactive to QPR and Juventus? Why can't we be pro-active?

Couple of good chances but Hazard and Torres couldn't take advantage. Still a lack of real fluidity and cutting edge in the attack but what do you expect when Ramires and Bertrand are playing on either flank. Needs to be better to get the 3 points. With City and Man Utd also drawing at half time in their respective games it's important to win to show we can hang with those two.

I agree it is hugely disappointing, given how excited we all were by the signings and yet they've barely had a kick.

I'm not underestimating them but could you imagine Man City or Man Utd picking such a defence orientated side for a game against QPR? Not a chance. Last time I checked we are the European Champions, they should be making concessions for us, not the other way around.

If your Oscar you must be perplexed. Your Brazil's starting number 10, one of the brightest young talents in world football and you are being kept out of the team by a left back and a box to box midfielder. Had he joined Spurs he would certainly have established a regular starting place in the side, so far with us he hasn't even started a game.

Stoke actually do have a genuine threat down the flanks. It's Bosingwa, Fabio, Park and SWP not Alves, Alba, Pedro and Sanchez.

I just don't understand Ramires playing right wing. Particularly when Bertrand is playing wide on the other side. Maybe if we were playing against Barcelona or Real Madrid then it might be understandable but it's QPR, surely we should be taking the game to them. In Moses and Oscar we have two attack minded, technically gifted players but neither, let alone both, start. It's perplexing that we are playing such a counter attacking suited side against QPR.

I'll miss him. Good player, played a part in our Champions League win, hopefully his exit means more playing time for Romeu (but I wouldn't bet on it) but how could you not miss Meireles a bit given how hipster he is.

Their resources are so great and they have such a wealth of talent that they dont mind letting players go, if they do come good they ensure that they have a buy back clause in the contract (such as with Bojan). I'm not saying he was the standout young player at Barcelona but he did get an appearance for the first team (an achievement in itself) and he is clearly in tune with the Barcelona way.

Thing is that when he did have a run of games he was excellent. While it doesn't mean you are Xavi it does mean something and he is a player that Barcelona do actually rate.

Surely now he has to be given game time.

Inconsistent but gave it his all, did well during the Champions League campaign. It really weakens our midfield area, sans Essien too and with Ramires unproven in a double pivot it leaves us in a worrying situation.

Impossible to predict a line up because you never know what might happen during internationals, assuming everyone returns fit I'd like: Cech Azpilicueta, Luiz, Terry, Cole Mikel, Meireles Hazard, Oscar, Moses Torres

Lol cheated their way to titles, GTFO

Robbie's entire time as manager has been set against the backdrop of Guardiola. It must be very tough for Di Matteo to deal with, knowing Guardiola is available, knowing how much Roman seems to rate Guardiola.

I think he'll have a good season, might get 20 goals in all competitions. He will never be revitalised though, he'll never be the player he was early in his Liverpool career. The knee problems, the niggling injuries took their toll and robbed him of his really killer pace. He is still relatively fast but it was his killer pace that set him apart. As a result he's still adapting, trying to change his game because he can't physically play now as he did before.

That's exactly how it works.

Right I've been soul searching now for a while trying to find some kind of positive from today. Tough task, I thought of one. Maybe now, in the absence of Essien, Romeu will have to be given a chance. He is a genuinely talented holding player, he can play quick, he can keep the ball, he is mobile, he is aggressive. Surely now we will see him given a chance.

Far too late for us to do anything now, except for letting Essien leave on loan (losing a player from our weakest position) and helping to fund Benayoun's move to West Ham. You couldn't make it up.

The headlines are Falcao's and rightly so, it was an awesome performance from the Colombian target man but the whole Atletico team were terrific. All comfortable on the ball, all pressed and all kept their shape. Look at Mario Suarez tonight and then look at Lampard and Mikel, spot the difference. The funny thing is we actually have quite a talented Spanish holding midfield player but obviously he must have killed Di Matteo's pet dog or something cos Di Matteo certainly doesn't seem to like him. By contrast Chelsea were sluggish, slow and disorganised. Ramires isn't a right winger, the amount of times Ivanovic got the ball in their half but wasted it was headwrecking. He didn't have the quality delivery, he couldn't go past his marker and in top of that it was a horror show defensively, as it was with all of our defenders. Mata and Hazard hadn't the space or the runners to work with. Aside from a decent Oscar cameo there was nothing positive about this, nothing at all.

There's no words for that. Nothing to do with tactics or talent, that's just bad.

Worst Ivanovic has played since he 2009/2010 Community Shield. Ramires unbelievably poor. Midfield not mobile or quick enough both on and off the ball. Centre backs completely perplexed by Falcao. The Colombian giving a lesson in centre forward play as Mario Susrez is giving a lesson in how to play the role of a player in the double pivot. Di Matteo has to change things at half time.

Shocking. Fucking shocking. How slow were we to get back. How poor was Ramires there (and during the whole half). Pathetic.