Stoke 0-0 Chelsea

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Just on a side note.. Ryan Shawcross. Fantastic defender, very passionate and tough!

Enjoyed watching him battle on with Terry for set-plays! I'm sure he's gained his respect.

[zolayes 14,489]

after watching the game and both interviews i think we should all look at the positives and negatives with sensible heads. Yes its always dissapointing for us to drop points, yes kalou and malouda were poor but also it was a tough fixture. I disagree with people saying this is a hard game and that will be an easy game because you never know till youve played it. We arent an easy away game for a team but we were for sunderland last season. Im more dissapointed that after 1 game the refs have already been lenient to fouls and let players make up with lack of abiity by deliberate fouling that goes unpunished. I dont blame stoke and pullis because if you get away with it then carry on, stoke arent gonna get the players some teams at that level can so make sure they work hard and follow your orders. I say that even though i think there anti football and a bit depressing sometimes, but its not for pullis to change its for the refs to stop it. We should have had at least one pen. However begovic was top drawer and woodgate played well for them and if stays fit will get stoke some points this season. I was a massive critic of torres last year and love drogba but AVB got it right. Torres looked a different player to last year and we should get behind him and hopefully get him firing for us. We defended really well, alex really played for his place. Ramires looks the part and mikel had a shot! Thouht lampard and the wing situation is an issue but overall pleased with the commitment and effort of the team. I think mcheachrans good enough so should be old enough to play games and think he turns and releases the ball quicker than lampard and mikel and we should of brought him on. Bosingwa was good also. Overall i think wel be alright, they were massively up for it and played them off the park second half, Man utd might have just beat wba but have a lot more questions to answer then we do off those performances.

GOOD POST

[Henri 115]

Don't think Torres is as physically faint hearted as some think. He looked more than up for the physical challenge today and repaid AVB's faith in getting the starting nod. I was surprised though he started because of the concussion he got while playing with Spain. Unfortunate for Torres he was playing with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for most of the match.

:541: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (agree totally!)

[Henri 115]

y was torres chosen ahead of dd in a match which is definitely not for the faint hearted... i d really like to know the answer to this question...

If you want to beat Stoke do it technically not physically you will failure. He was perfect chosen today. Drogba will need to learn to be an

substitute if Torres continues, thats the fact. A good on but still a...

[Henri 115]

By the way. Bosingwa played very well today

[dodojojo 510]

When your tip of the spear center forward is the best creator and dribbler of the ball for the starting line-up...something's wrong. This cannot be sustained until May.

[termninja 5,290]

Just on a side note.. Ryan Shawcross. Fantastic defender, very passionate and tough!

Enjoyed watching him battle on with Terry for set-plays! I'm sure he's gained his respect.

Agreed. He's one hell of a player!

[manpe 10,861]

By the way. Bosingwa played very well today

Yes, but his crossing ability holds him back by a mile... it is often what separates a good full-back from excellent full-backs. Having an attacking full-back who can't deliver a cross is pretty much useless in attacking sense.

[Henri 115]

When your tip of the spear center forward is the best creator and dribbler of the ball for the starting line-up...something's wrong. This cannot be sustained until May.

Of couse not. Something must and will happen everybody can see.

[Madmax 9,219]

after watching the game and both interviews i think we should all look at the positives and negatives with sensible heads. Yes its always dissapointing for us to drop points, yes kalou and malouda were poor but also it was a tough fixture. I disagree with people saying this is a hard game and that will be an easy game because you never know till youve played it. We arent an easy away game for a team but we were for sunderland last season. Im more dissapointed that after 1 game the refs have already been lenient to fouls and let players make up with lack of abiity by deliberate fouling that goes unpunished. I dont blame stoke and pullis because if you get away with it then carry on, stoke arent gonna get the players some teams at that level can so make sure they work hard and follow your orders. I say that even though i think there anti football and a bit depressing sometimes, but its not for pullis to change its for the refs to stop it. We should have had at least one pen. However begovic was top drawer and woodgate played well for them and if stays fit will get stoke some points this season. I was a massive critic of torres last year and love drogba but AVB got it right. Torres looked a different player to last year and we should get behind him and hopefully get him firing for us. We defended really well, alex really played for his place. Ramires looks the part and mikel had a shot! Thouht lampard and the wing situation is an issue but overall pleased with the commitment and effort of the team. I think mcheachrans good enough so should be old enough to play games and think he turns and releases the ball quicker than lampard and mikel and we should of brought him on. Bosingwa was good also. Overall i think wel be alright, they were massively up for it and played them off the park second half, Man utd might have just beat wba but have a lot more questions to answer then we do off those performances.

Great post!

Just on a side note.. Ryan Shawcross. Fantastic defender, very passionate and tough!

Enjoyed watching him battle on with Terry for set-plays! I'm sure he's gained his respect.

Good defender, but very lucky to stay on for 90 mins. Fouled Cech several times at throw ins and corners while already on a yellow.

[lentherussian 86]

Agreed. He's one hell of a player!

you think? i see him as very cynical defender. I would put a decent wager that he'l get sent off in the europa league this year. His tackle on ramsey was horrendous and really cant understand why ppl defended it. Woodgate was head and shoulders there best player. That wasnt a compliment to his hair by the way.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Shawcross lol, how many times did he hold Cech during set plays today?

Descent defender, but he's too dirty for my liking.

[Term-X 7,891]

he has more than enough brilliant moments in his Chelsea career. He offers us depth and he is a brilliant sub,i would even start him in all the cups so we can rest the big guns.

King Solomon

For anyone unfamiliar with True_Blue... he is not being ironic.

[Henri 115]

Yes, but his crossing ability holds him back by a mile... it is often what separates a good full-back from excellent full-backs. Having an attacking full-back who can't deliver a cross is pretty much useless in attacking sense.

He is a good allrounder, but never has been a top notch back. Good but not fantastic.

[Randall 315]

Shawcross is shit and today proved it, should have been sent off. He's a dirty bastard.

[Peace. 4,352]

Just on a side note.. Ryan Shawcross. Fantastic defender, very passionate and tough!

Enjoyed watching him battle on with Terry for set-plays! I'm sure he's gained his respect.

I hope you are ironic LDN here. He is just a dirty bastard who should have been sent off X times. He is a Vidic mark II.

[Henri 115]

Just on a side note.. Ryan Shawcross. Fantastic defender, very passionate and tough!

Enjoyed watching him battle on with Terry for set-plays! I'm sure he's gained his respect.

Disagree. He is like a young bull, you just need a great bull fighter and his fuck`ed up for good.

[lionsden 4,689]

y was torres chosen ahead of dd in a match which is definitely not for the faint hearted... i d really like to know the answer to this question...

That's because it's ineffective to tackle aggressiveness with aggressiveness (the like for like approach rarely works). when you face a rigid team like stoke, you opt for fluidity and finesse. that's how to break such a tough defence down. the only time the aggressive approach is ideal is against highly technical sides like Barcelona. in a nutshell Drogba is built for the likes of Arsenal,Barcelona, Man utd et al while players like Torres are more suited to the stoke fixtures.