Barbara

City has been way better? You mean considering only home matches, right? Their form away is worse than ours with far easier fixtures except the match against us. I'm not discussing if they are or aren't title contenders, but their form away is abysmal, so even if they play amazing at home and are shite away, I can't say they're better than us... If we were the ones losing away to the likes of Villa, Cardiff and Sunderland this forum would have imploded. It nearly did with losses to Everton and Newcastle... so yeah, not sure why you say City is way better, unless if this is a greener grass situation.... As for Arsenal, they're 4 pts ahead of us. We need to keep the gap and then we'll play them twice, get 6pts and it's a done deal (not entirely true and easy, not entirely unlike either)

José's conference will be shown live by Chelsea TV in 9 minutes from now http://www.chelseafc.com/live-press-conferences http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_YbW5HR3bk#t=1235

you forgot the worst (imo). The never ending comparisons with previous managers when the only between both Jose's spells that did a decent job was Ancelotti but still you see people proclaiming di Matteo's and Benitez's tactics as if we were Bayern under them. That goes hand to hand with the list of guys to replace Mourinho... that's what's annoying imo. Some people are already talking about sacking him... after a few months. That said, he was terrible with the team selection against Basel. I'd rate him a 4 out of 10 because even though the problem was that the players didn't turn up, they were damn tired. When José realized that 1) he should have made more changes, especially when he admits he saw his team was tired from the first minute; 2) shouldn't have played all of them if he could say so early they were tired. It comes back to his decisions and I get anyone who moans about it because it was a pathetic display, I don't expect people to react positively or even neutrally to that. It's the implication that his predecessors did better (they didn't) and the willingness to sack him already that is He won't leave so Laudrup, Guardiola or Klopp can come... We don't even have players with the profile some of those managers like (not Klopp and definitely not Guardiola). Some players (very few, like 2-3) fit each of those managers' profile and still they're supposed to come because they're the ones that would make Chelsea invincible playing the sexiest football out there. Okay then...

well the haters, the moaners, the impatient ones can suck it up because Mourinho isn't going anywhere, so you better get used as expecting you to be patient and support the manager is clearly a stretch. You can cry, yell, curse, post stats, pictures, videos, maybe even try a petition. He's here to stay.

I was nearly embarrassed for him and that nonsense foul that stopped our attack had me I get it that if he's tired his legs stop working... but at some point it seemed to affect his decision making too. I'd love to rest him against Southampton, then I look at our bench and the options are dreadful. Between benching him and Lampard, I'd go with Lampard, because of the age, but I don't see how we could bench both...

It's sad that we came to the point where not only one, but two members, one after the other wish one of our players to be injured. Not only said player has a history of service done for this club, but that's an human being, a professional, working like any of us and people are wishing his health to be affected so he doesn't play. I feel utterly disgusted at how low people can stoop, honestly disgusted - no drama or exaggeration involved.

I'd agree beforehand, but watching the match and seeing how their AMs were ripping us apart, I think he would have made it worse. In theory it would be a match for him based on how superior we are, but when you see Stocker and Salah having a party with our midfield, I think it would have been worse... Also I don't believe he isn't fit for big matches, I guess it depends on how the other team plays. Whoever plays possession football (as long as it doesn't come with pace) fits Mata, but fast attacking players, teams playing wide, but starting the plays from the middle don't fit him imo. Maybe he would have been more useful in the attack, but I feel like he would detract even more us defensively. Also, let's be honest, Zidane himself couldn't save that team today. We were awful through and through and only one man in the middle wouldn't have solved our problems If anything we'd be burning him gratuitously.

too bad I didn't remember that when I defended Mourinho not playing him today. Isn't it clear it would have been suicide especially when they dominated us so completely in the first half as it was? That's the problem, people see only the benefit and ignore the price that comes with it. With Mata in the midfield today I'm positive Basel wouldhave dominated us even farther. This was never the match for Mata, NEVER, but I do understand people begging him to start more often. I want to see him more often, but tonight's wasn't the match for that at all.

mate, we were all badmouthing the lineup in the weekend before the match and Jason was going on and on about how Mourinho is never criticized while there wasn't ONE single positive Mourinho post in the live thread (the most positive I remember were people saying we should wait before overreacting over a lineup). If I were I'd consider moving on from his obsession on Mourinho's worship.

He made tons of mistakes today. Playing Lampard was one of them because he's 35 and he's already showed Mourinho many times that when he plays twice a week, he can't be the same player. He admitted making mistakes by tiring out the players when he should have rested a few of them instead. He didn't blame the players, saying they were tired... I don't know if I'm as willing to disregard their awful displays by tiredness. Anyway, Oscar in the wing is a waste, but I guess he put him there to try to stop Salah and Stocker, but not only that didn't happen, but we our midfield suffered from missing Oscar there and having Lampard instead. I think this match was perfect for Schurrle. He has an excellent work-rate and he would have taken care of at least one of our flanks, and he's also very fast and objective and he's completely rested. So my main complaint (after playing a tired Lampard) is not playing Schurrle from the start, but even more so not using him as a sub once he realized the match's scenario. Ramires was shocking. One of his worst matches I've ever watched. I would have replaced him with André, moved Oscar for the CAM position to give our midfield stability and as bad as a pivot with Mikel and Lampard is, Ramires was simply too bad to be kept. As much as Lampard as bad, Ramires was worse. I already covered in the match thread why I think this match wasn't suitable for Mata at all and I won't repeat myself. In the first half Willian was the only decent player in our attack, but that was basically because of his ball control because he didn't create anything out of it either. I feel like he was too slow and we were too narrow (one more reason to have Schurrle). Hazard was needed and if he had brought Schurrle at the same time, for Ramires and Willian or Ramires and Oscar, I think our luck could have been different. I'm not sure we would have conceded that goal with André in the pitch because even if he wasn't well positioned, he's faster than Salah and could have at least pressed him whereas Ivanovic and Cahill didn't have enough legs to close in. I expect about 3-4 changes in the weekend, but not because the players should be punished, but because they should be rested. If Schurrle doesn't start against Southampton, I'll be the first to come bitch in this thread...

I stand by my words, if Hazard didn't fix it, I don't believe Mata would have. When I go to his thread I see people justifying his lack of assists on the lack of matches, and rhythm and he hasn't played in weeks... a bit contradictory and I don't know if I should believe he'll solve all our problems in a match that was already difficult as it was, or if he wouldn't because he doesn't have match rhythm. I'm not even surprised the same people would be saying the same thing. He could have created a chance, that's a possibility, but one thing is for sure though, Basel's AM would have taken advantage of his defensive limitations. So let's exchange the certain (he exposing us in an already difficult game defensively) for the uncertain (the possibility of him creating something and one of the other players actually capitalizing it). I'm against a lot of José decisions today, not playing Mata isn't one of them.

So many people willing to become the pen for Roman to sign Mourinho's dismissal. The live-match thread was unbearable and this one isn't much better. Yeah, Mourinho made mistakes and the team was terrible... the players didn't turn up and Mourinho could have tried something else. Sorry if I don't think Mata is suitable in a match when we finally balanced the actions and stopped them from pressing us nonstop. Bringing Mata in the 2nd would have given them momentum and even when we stopped their advances, they scored, so I think it could have been even worse in all honesty. Not sure if we would have scored with Mata in the pitch... maybe yes, but I saw Hazard sparkling and his efforts were useless because everyone else in the attack was abysmal and I don't think fancy plays between Mata and Hazard - like in the Newcastle match - would have rewarded us with a goal (they didn't even have a shot 2 weeks ago, confusing Chelsea for Barça and the annoying endless passing). Mata's best shot would have been an assist, but I don't see any of our players scoring in all honesty. So if Hazard didn't fix our attack - when he could have worked a fast counter, I don't see how Mata would... and Mata slowness and lack of defensive skills could have compromised it even more. I'm not taking away Mourinho's responsibility. It's just against a solid team, playing wide and incisively, with good wingers, I see Mata making our life harder than easier to be honest. I would have played Schurrle though and would have got ridden of Lampard as our CAM because he just didn't work in the position today... Just my opinion though and while I get the frustration from everyone, some reactions seem awfully exaggerated and the lack of patience is overwhelming. I don't see how people expected us to be a finished product so soon, with a new manager, new tactics especially when players collective play out of their mind and then don't turn up at all.

this is Ramires' worst match in the last few months. He's been shocking...

You know what completely messed up our attack and Mourinho seems to be okay with it? We have Lampard playing as CAM when it should have been Oscar and now should be Willian... Lamps hasn't turned up and as said by others, he's 35, we shouldn't rely on him to play week in and out, twice a week... as long as Willian plays in the right and Lampard is our CAM we won't be able to create anything and we'll have to rely on a counter-attack with Hazard. That's the only way I see us scoring. Torres improved slightly the team going forward, and hopefully he'll benefit of a counter by Eden.

Willian's ball control is mesmerizing... so many shaky passes he received and he controlled the ball superbly in every each of them That's the only positive I can observe so far

We need to somehow manage to end the first half without conceding and then in HT Mourinho will give them a piece of their mind and hopefully - with subs or not - we'll come better in the second because this was a 1st time to forget. Shocking football by everyone maybe except Willian... Oscar, Lampard, Ramires ball control and first touch were atrocious at some points. I think the match is more suitable for Torres, but it's not like the ball has been kept in our attack...

Can Azpili and Iva switch places? Basel's left side is exposed and ours for the take, but with Ivanovic's crosses we won't be able to take advantage of it. Not that Azpili's are that much better, but still, better. How I wish we had a Brazilian FB!

The Champions Anthem gives me goose bumps every single time! Go Chels!!!!!!!

At least he seems to be in a good mood. I was hoping he'd play today, but after Mourinho's press I guess it won't happen x

http://epl.squawka.com/west-ham-united-vs-chelsea/23-11-2013/english-barclays-premier-league/matches I'm a bit lazy to save and upload the images, but click on full stats > individual > Oscar/Hazard/Ramires/Lampard/Mikel (because if we want to discuss how it worked, we need to see everyone working together. You suggested in your previous post that we should just play Ramires behind Mata to provide him coverage, but who's going to cover Ramires in other areas he was supposed to also cover? Ramires can't be Mata bodyguard, they have all to work in sync with each of them fulfilling their tasks). In addition to the heat maps you should also check actions areas. You'll see Hazard still went to the 2nd third quiet often and had his cameos in the 1st third (for example, he played deeper against WHU than he did against WBA --> http://epl.squawka.com/chelsea-vs-west-bromwich-albion/09-11-2013/english-barclays-premier-league/matches), Oscar had more actions in the 2nd and 1st third than he did in the final third - which was unnecessary if you ask me, we didn't need him to provide as much help for Ivanovic if West Ham barely attacked. But when they did it was normally in our left, meaning that Oscar + Ramires + Iva shut down completely the right flank. I remember only one attack from WHU in our right (the very last attack of the match, already during stoppage time). Replace Oscar for whoever you want, for the team to shut down opposition as we need the guy would have to have similar work-rate.

no, the three players in the midfield provide cover, stability and solidness to all three ahead of them and all four behind them. It's not only Mata, the problem is Mata doesn't have a good work-rate, so consequently the midfield has to make up for it, if Hazard is given more freedom, so he can do his runs, dribble past opponents in counter-attack and do quick link-up with the striker, both running down the pitch - all of which Mata can't do - then the other AM has to have even better work-rate. That was the problem with Chelsea for the last two seasons imo. We didn't have enough coverage in the midfield because our AMs - all of them, not only Mata (although I guess Oscar did his part last season too) - left tons of space surrounding them and especially behind them and we were astoundingly fragile in the midfield at points, which is why some oppositions whipped our midfield. It's about team balance. I don't care who the AMs are, we need to have balance, we can't overload the midfielders, especially when one of them is 35, and we only really have one genuinely holding player among the four options for the positions (Mikel). Looking partially at the team makes it easy to play whoever we want in whatever position, but when we look at the team as an alive system, working together, completing and complementing each other, you have to look beyond what one offers defensively or offensively, and see what they do collectively for the team to work as a well-oiled machine. Oscar for example needs to improve his vision, he needs to improve offensively, despite scoring a good amount of goals... Mata has the same challenge defensively, Hazard needs to be more incisive and daring and start deciding matches for us (given that is the role José gave him as our most important attacking player), Willian needs to be more incisive too and André has to improve his finishing. Poor Kev needs to be select first before we try to discuss what he needs to improve. So yeah, imo if we want to replace Oscar for Mata is mandatory we play with three MDs instead of only two. As for the last part, despite what Mourinho said, Hazard did go deep to defend, only not as much as in previous matches, he was near our corner at points and a few times at the edge of our box. Oscar was very deep too (he covered the entire right flank, attack and defense), so both of our players going wide came back to defend a lot. Do you want the heat maps?

why talk about meritocracy sometimes as the answer to some players and ignore it for others? If one player is doing well he deserves to be in the team, but to actually make it to the team he has to not only do well but better than the other contenders to the spot. Azpilicueta did better at RB than Bertrand, so the same meritocracy that would have played Bertrand, plays Cesar instead. And in the case they both showed the same 'deserving' rate, then it's down to preference, but why on earth should we question the meritocracy in Mourinho's choice of Cesar in the LB when he did so well there? So just because Ryan is a natural LB he deserves better even if Cesar played better? Then it comes down to rightfulness - as if Ryan had the rightful spot - instead of merit. I swear I can't follow this reasoning... I mean one could question why Ryan isn't playing, but label it down to a failure in meritocracy when Azpilicueta has been one of our best players in the whole team, not only in the position when playing in RB makes no sense whatsoever. As for Kevin and his work-rate, I can't say from Werder Bremen because I didn't watch it, but for us? Did nothing for me. He has started 4 matches (Hull, ManU, Swindon and Arsenal) and he has a total of 1 tackle, 0 interceptions, 0 blocks, 0 clearances. I know stats won't tell the whole story, but it's doesn't scream work-rate imo.

This formation has Mazacar and while they're slightly less underwhelming in a 4-3-3 than they are in a 4-2-3-1, it's still worse than nearly all other combinations with our 6 AMs imo. If we play Mata, we need three MDs in the midfield, so it requires the exact three that played against WHU: Mikel, Ramires and Lamps. For domestic games Essien is an option for the midfield. As for Oscar playing as the most advanced player in the midfield, I like that idea, that's how he played in Confederations Cup, although some people thought we used a 4-2-3-1 (I think it was 4-3-3). Oscar can use a rest (even if he doesn't need one). We only need one point, I see now reason why Mata can't replace him . edit: this formation doesn't require less defending from our wide players... Mourinho's system requires a lot of pressing from 8 outfield players while 2 others can press a little bit less, those being Eden and the striker. Whoever plays by Hazard side will be required to press and mark a lot, after all they're filling Oscar's shoes, but regardless of Oscar standards, this AM will need to have high work-rate.

I personally don't see one problem being solved by that to be honest... He's perfect in the position he plays. If we move him to MD not only will lose some of his advances, his differential which is tackling high in the pitch, the pressure he puts on opponents near the box, his goals may be affected (he's been scoring a considerable amount of them, I guess he's our top scorer this season) and in addition to that I don't think he improves our pivot, he is an AM not a CM, MD or DLP. Moving him deeper only makes room for another AM, but the amount of AMs sitting in the bench - whoever they are - isn't a problem imo, so I don't see any problems being solved with him being moved to midfield and I foresee a few new problems being created. Just my opinion though

guys, why you even bother with him?