Barbara

said something very similar to this in one of the players thread just a few minutes ago. He's the DLP people were begging for us to sign. Now we have one, but a DLP despite playing in the pivot isn't mainly a defensively player. Whether we have a DLP or a B2B, this guy won't be a defending machine and even then he's our second or third player in defensive stats every match (among midfielders and fullbacks). What else can we expect and demand? Expect polishing as he gets used to the teammates, as he gets at his best physical conditions, as he grows more confident. Demand? Not much imo...

there was a counter in the second where he was in doubt between passing to Willian or shooting. He took a tad to long to make the decision, chose to pass and there went our chance... That said I can see some welcoming and amazing improvement on his attitude. He seems more determined these days. Hope that isn't only to convince us to pay him crazy wages (that I think he deserves anyway). I hope this attitude is here to stay...

guys, that's why I added the at the end of that sentence. I am, of course, joking around, although I do think it's a waste to move Iva to CB now, but if that's what will get our defense better, than just do it. I trust the other guys in the attack.

For it to work - regardless of the system or formation, Matic should be more conservative and hold position more often, he is after all, the team's holding midfielder. I already shared my views about Fabregas game in the post match thread, but I'll try to watch the match again later this week. He seems just fine imo, can make some adjustments and slight improvements in the defensive aspect of his game, but nothing too life changing. He isn't a defensive midfielder despite being a pivot player. I still believe the moment Matic starts to play better, we won't have much issues and I have problems believing that Cesc's presence is what is causing him issues. He had old Lamps last season many times as his partner and an awful Ramires... Cesc is an improvement - even defensively - on both. Ramires had really a bad second half of season and Matic coped. I know he has more ground to cover now, but if he's actually deeper in the pitch it isn't much more ground. The problem is if he insists on approaching the attack and leaving a huge gap between him and the defense. We have slow CBs, Matic should be closer to them no matter what and who plays by his side at the pivot.

Didn't get as much service (or any, I don't remember any good chance served to him) as Drogba got during the minutes he's played. If he can't play thrice a week, we'll have to deal with it, but the answer to that isn't playing Drogba... sorry, Mou. Hope he keeps his record on EPL this weekend

The only bad thing about getting Iva to play CB is that it's going to be a waste to lose him attacking... Can't Azpili be a CB instead? Luís was superb, my MOTM by a mile (although to be fair, Hazard was also brilliant, so not exactly a mile). Defensively he was as solid as we know he can be, and he can cross like a magician. That cross from nearly the midfield line straight to Drogba's head was a beauty. I'd start him against City...

in my defense, I think people are being harsh on him for a while. Every time he's praised many make sure to add a PS at the end of their analyses saying how he's a liability (and yes, I've read this word being thrown at him a few times). I'm not basing my feelings on the reaction today, but ever since he's here. When he makes a magnificent pass like the one for Schurrle's goal, people don't say much negative, but other than that it seems like even when they're praising him a footnote is added about how 'he can't press, can't tackle, is causing us a defensive problem'. The defensive problem comes from a change of style and relying much more on Matic... but then Matic isn't on his best yet and it's still early days and the things don't go as we want them to go. But we can't expect Cesc to improve much better defensively. That's not the player he is, that's not what Mourinho wanted from him when he brought him here. He can improve and Skip convinced me he will improve some, but he's not a holding midfield, he's an ex-Arsenal player and he's had some bad months on Barcelona. People trust him distrusting him.

I don't even know the guy, but if this PM is ever sent, make sure I'm copied Way to make people curious, Choulo, you should be banned for that

at least you admit it. I feel like people still hold a small grudge on him (their right, I'm not judging), others don't completely trust him yet (also their right) and others magnify his defensive shortcomings (this I mainly have a problem with). He's a pivot player, but not the holding midfielder. We shouldn't expect him to defend like Mikel, Ramires and Matic. He's going to be close to a box to box, but much more like the so much dreamed deep lying playmaker that I've seen people craving for since I've created my account here. Demand him to play as defensively as Matic, to be an ace tackling, pressing, defending isn't coherent imo. We can't blame everything on him every time anything goes wrong. He was dispossessed, the team didn't react. Not his fault. Anyone can be dispossessed at any moment in the match. It's how the other players react, except the dispossessed player makes a judgment mistake or a bad decision (like I believe Matic did against Swansea). Now, if Eden tries to dribble and someone dispossesses him and the other team counters and scores, will people blame Hazard? So why do they blame Cesc? Because he's a pivot player and should never be dispossessed?

thank you! as I'm really mad now (not at people here, but about the match), I feel I'm kind of blind and maybe even biased - I'm not being sarcastic. I feel like any other player could have lost the ball there. It was the final third. We should have done a better work after he was dispossessed. If every time a player is dispossessed and we watch, we'll concede goals most of them. I agree about Ramires too. He was so easily dismissed by Draxler... it was almost as if he wasn't even there...

I guess I was the only one to see Cesc pressing well most of the time and putting a shift defensively. I saw him tackling on many occasions, intercepting balls, pressing in sync with others... He's made mistakes - the biggest one being the goal he's missed, but defensively, I didn't see him making mistakes today... he was well positioned most time, he wasn't running behind opponents like a headless chicken, so the things Neville pointed against Swansea didn't happen today or happened rarely... still he's getting stick for his defensive presentation. Also, most of chances created passed through him at one point or the other... I'm sorry, I think I'm too pissed to think properly, so I'm coming off too blunt now. Somehow I feel like I've watched a different match to everyone. I feel like Cesc and Iva are getting far more criticism than they deserve whereas the guys who really could improve are barely mentioned. I'll re-watch the match later this week... maybe I'll come to the same conclusions seemingly everyone did...

I also have a problem with Ivanovic's stick here. It should get inside people's skull that we've changed styles, we are a more attacking team, like most of you begged us to be. Ivanovic is one of our best players going forward. He can't be at two places at the same time, so OF COURSE, he's going to be caught out of position if he was supporting the attack. Our defense and midfield should supply him coverage for that. That's what teams around the whole world do, but we've been failing. Matic shouldn't be all over the place so much. He should hold position more often. With Cesc, the three AMs, the striker and the FBs taking turns in the attack, he should be deeper nearly at all times when we're attacking. Ivanovic has a lot of business going forward - especially given his special moment attacking - is Matic who has none. He should be more conservative in his positioning and I think he's been tackling all over the place too. I've been criticizing him since the season started and I'm waiting and will continue to for him to improve, but I still believe he's the main reason why we look so fragile defensively. We could ask Ivanovic to hold position more often in the second third as well as Luís. We could also bring Luiz back to the team and play in the pivot, we could also sell Cesc... we could be 2013/14 all over again. Yes, Ivanovic is being caught out of position. It's part of the new style - it doesn't give us an excuse to look so bad. Yes, goals came from his side, but most of them were with plays that started in the middle... our main problem continue to be there. Even pub teams offer coverage to their FBs when they support the attack. It's one of the most basic things on football. Still on Chelsea the FB is actually blamed for the goals when no one covers his advances properly... I don't know, maybe I'm reading the game completely wrong, but I don't see anything wrong with him there. And even then he's been running all the time, covering the midfield a few times, being solid defending set pieces... I don't know if the problem is how I view football or people's view, but I can't agree with the criticism he's been receiving.

you made me laugh so hard now, Ron. LOL

Mourinho made a capital mistake today: he believed the media - and even Keller - that Schalke couldn't win because of a battered defense and he played with his emotions by choosing Drogba to start. That, not Cahill cowardice to run towards opponents, or other players that wasted chances, or our clueless defense cost us the three points. Drogba not only wasted a few chances himself - too many for my taste - but was a passenger. Had we started with Remy (can't blame the guy if someone makes a clearance under the goal) we should have won this comfortably. Surely, this doesn't excuse the others' mistakes. Cesc was tackled and lost the ball in the attack in their goal, but our midfield and defense LITERALLY watched Draxler and Huntelar. Sorry, if I see a difference between this goal and Swansea's first goal. Back then Matic decided to hold the ball instead of passing and we actually tried to stop their attack. Today we just watched. You see Willian running his lungs off, but not being able to tackle, despite reaching Huntelaar, but everyone else is just watching. The way Draxler - who's talented, I admit that - passes by Ramires so easily, and how our defense watches and Cahill walks backwards, AS ALWAYS, instead of closing in, is RIDICULOUS. RIDICULOUS. I don't know which was worse, our positioning and passiveness in the defense or our wasting ways in the attack. We actually pressed well today in the first half, but we were too complacent. Cesc missed a goal he shouldn't. Drogba a few chances, then Remy, then Hazard. Ugh, it was annoying as hell. But I still blame this defeat - it feels like a defeat, not only a draw - on Mourinho's sentimentalism. Had he not been emotional or believed the media BS about Schalke fragility, we would have won this match in the first half already. I'm annoyed at him and the team, but I'm also very annoyed at people on the forum. Everyone is entitled to have their opinions, but some people's concept of supporting our players is baffling. Cesc is going to become the scapegoat - undeservedly - the moment he goes two matches without scoring. He played a part today in the draw - by missing a clear chance, and being tackled in their goal. But he's one of the players that contributed the most defensively, being everywhere, tackling like there was no tomorrow, and he continued to create good chances. Still the posts I read in the live match could make one believe he was wearing the #11 shirt today... I'm not going to touch much of the Drogba issue. I'll just settle to say that was a pathetic display of a player that is only a shadow of himself. He's past it, it's not his fault. Mourinho should be more rational and I hope he's learned his lesson. Drogba shouldn't be starting matches for us anymore, let alone an UCL debut. I don't blame him, because he tried really hard. He's just past it... his first touch was sad to watch. The chance he missed in the second and then a cross he's received two minutes later where his first touch got the ball meters away from him just showcase what he is currently.

how much do you want to bet he's going to become thw new scapegoat the moment he doesn't assist for two matches? He's had a very good match, both creating and defending, and still people are talking shit because of ONE bad finish. I don't know what's worse, Chelsea being so sloppy or this place being so overreacting and toxic. I'm in a bad mood.

For fuck sake, Mourinho, what are you waiting to bring REAL strikers? Drogba is nice and all, but he's been having a mare today. We could lose this...

Their defense is all injured, but some of their AMs are recovered and Draxler could have drawn for them just at nick of first half. Seriously... we need to kill the match. Bring Remy if Mourinho really feels like resting Costa is necessary. Luís has been my MOTM in the first half. His passing has been brilliant, as well as his pressing. Schalke didn't try much from his side, but it doesn't seem like Azpili is missed defensively at all. I'd go with him for City - even knowing it's a risk to give him a debut against such a tough opposition. But I don't think he's struggling so much with the physicality to the point he'd compromise defensively. Even if he stays put most of the time, a couple of the cross he's done today could make a whole difference. Sorry, but he's an upgrade to Azpili all day long...

Call me greedy - or just cautious after all this wasting, but I'd sub Drobga off during half time. Remy or Costa, doesn't matter. We need to consolidate the win... with Drogba it doesn't seem like it'll happen anytime soon... He's not on his best today.

That formation - except ST - has showed the best football we played so far this season. We should keep it, get Costa and we're set for City.

I know their defense is pretty shitty, not one regular player, but this formation penetration is just mind blowing. A joy to watch.... Fabregas Torres'ed it

AGAIN! Seriously, this team needs Filipe. He, Cesc, Hazard, and Costa... my God, I don't want to be our opponents.

that cross

I wonder what the scoreline would already be if it was Costa playing, lol.

Willian adds a flair and a fancy pass that Oscar doesn't have on him at all. It's been an upgrade so far. He gives the game a new dynamic. I really, really, really like him.