Closed Chelsea 0-0 Fulham

[YouNameIt 1,511]

Exactly why I made the first point: "We don't have a 'most important player'". Not like Barca and Messi, Madrid and Ronaldo and Arsenal last year and RVP..

Id say Iniesta is more important to Barca than Messi is, or equally. Cant really say they have a most important player. Also, both of them are natural goalscorers. We dont have that atm.

Every team doesnt need that single most important player either. However all other top teams have at least one (actually two) established strikers. We dont.

But at the moment I think it's quite clear that Mata is probably the most important player we have. Because when he's not on the pitch, things usually look the way they did before he came on in the Fulham game.

[Styles 9,790]

Boring football the Benitez way. Get used to it.

As long as Torres plays his 90 minutes nothing else matters.

[Fulham Broadway 17,319]

I dont think I have ever felt so apathetic towards the club at present.

Anyway I can get mildly excited about the pikeys Saturday, because its the fans mantra -''next game, next season'' etc. Its this drug that keeps people coming back and allows people to make money out of football. We know the board have total disdain for the fans, yet they fail to recognise they are nothing without us. I'd love there to be a game at SB and no one turns up.

On the pitch -big yawn-worst home run since 2002. No fire, no leadership,-the next goal will more than likely be a Terry header from a set piece.....

[Styles 9,790]

I dont think I have ever felt so apathetic towards the club at present.

Anyway I can get mildly excited about the pikeys Saturday, because its the fans mantra -''next game, next season'' etc. Its this drug that keeps people coming back and allows people to make money out of football. We know the board have total disdain for the fans, yet they fail to recognise they are nothing without us. I'd love there to be a game at SB and no one turns up.

On the pitch -big yawn-worst home run since 2002. No fire, no leadership,-the next goal will more than likely be a Terry header from a set piece.....

The atmosphere around the clubs stinks, the football is terrible and the owner and board show a total lack of class in almost everything that they do. We're becoming a laughing stock if we aren't already. Controversy and turmoil every season guaranteed. We can't go a month without something going wrong. Almost starting hate football.

[zolayes 14,489]

I dont think I have ever felt so apathetic towards the club at present.

Anyway I can get mildly excited about the pikeys Saturday, because its the fans mantra -''next game, next season'' etc. Its this drug that keeps people coming back and allows people to make money out of football. We know the board have total disdain for the fans, yet they fail to recognise they are nothing without us. I'd love there to be a game at SB and no one turns up.

On the pitch -big yawn-worst home run since 2002. No fire, no leadership,-the next goal will more than likely be a Terry header from a set piece.....

you have echoed my feelings exactly and I think the feelings of many fans ...only so much shit we can take

[Blue Traveler 256]

I don't remember the exact minute but the moment we crossed the ball from left of pitch and ball moved acrossed Torres and he was apathetic and didn't respond and Luiz raced from behind him to get the ball explain it all to me!

[Sheva. 5,373]

People will as usual put all the blame on Benitez since they don't like him, but some have rightly pointed out the problem with our attack started under RDM.

Rafa has just made it worse by making us organized. Torres is part of the problem but it's not just him, Oscar and Hazard are not playing very well and Mata has been anonymous in his last few starts - different when he comes from off the bench.

We have another difficult game at the weekend, so this can only get worse for Rafa if he doesn't find a way to replace the non performers.

[Fulham Broadway 17,319]

you have echoed my feelings exactly and I think the feelings of many fans ...only so much shit we can take

Very true.

The irony and one of the things I hate most about all of this is the division it's caused amongst the fans. But let's not forget that all of us are only here and so passionate about our views, because we all love the club; and it's because we care that emotions run so high.

Any criticism given on here to Roman/Benitez etc. is not anti-Chelsea, because WE are Chelsea - and the fans care in all honesty, more than any suit or marketing man spouting rhetoric

[NishC300 1,865]

I saw the highlights of the match and notice that our only chances came through aerial balls when this team was built for tiki taka? I mean what happened to our attack? Abrahmovic got a manager who fails to play the style for which he removed the a legend like Drogba and refuses to renew legends like Ashley Cole and Lampard?

Drogba could easily have fitted into this team. Even earlier this season when we were thumping everyone (Gunners, Spurs). Torres was like converting 1 chance in like 10! Didier scored a goal Spain would have been proud of scoring against Stoke. I don't believe this shit that he couldn't have fitted into our system. And anyways we could have atleast have had a plan B! and a leader! and billions of more things!

But now we have no Plan B and and have a team who can only play one system which they are currently failing at! Torres is a fail. The need for Falcao/Cavani is getting greater and greater.

[bitee 12]

maybe we are going to division 2 lol

[Superblue 6,372]

I'm glad we finally look a solid unit defensively again, but until we possess a genuine goal threat we won't get anywhere.

Teams have clued in and press up marking our three in behind Torres, leaving them no space to play. They can do this because Torres has no pace and no willingness to run in behind teams. With a striker with pace and movement it would stretch teams and push them back giving space to our midfield.

I worry for us until January and I worry even more that if a genuine striker is not signed (not just a back up for Torres) then we won't even make top 4 this season.

[Chels 238]

Two goals all season mate. And one of them was a penalty against the might of Walsall in the League Cup!

I know mate, it makes me laugh, everyone bitching now about how bad we have it lol.

What is it with the I want my Chelsea back blah blah blah,

What Chelsea do you want back ? 80s Chelsea ? early 90s Chelsea ? I don't want to go back there, or do they mean last weeks Chelsea ?

For some reason we do get strikers in their prime, or big name strikers and it just doesn't work.

We have been through a few, now and then we get a gem.

I say bring back Gordon Durie.

[Jase 43,479]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a1GVpLV-ew&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=319qU-TQ_i8&feature=plcp

[BlueSanti 290]

So acording to our new magnificent manager is clean sheet positive of the game.

I only wonder how the fuck is drawing agains Fulham at Bridge fucking positive. Not only that Benitez is a cunt but he is also delusional.

[Rupert 130]

I am a neutral. I was impressed by Chelsea against Manchester City - both defence and attack - especially given the lack of support and negativism from the terraces. I was impressed by their defence and organizaton against Fulham, but not by their attack. Against Fulham there were too many failed passes and losing of the ball by the likes of Oscar. The interchanges between attacking players was too slow. Torres was obviously trying to find space falling back and going to the wings and he played an OK game in a generally poor attack. Rafa demanded a pressing high-line and for most of the match Chelsea pinned Fulham in their own half. But I can see Rafa's dilemma. If he gives the signal for all out attack he will get a repetition of the defensive failings of the last six weeks. Against Fulham we saw two examples of that where defensive players were caught out of position on the Fulham breakaway. I like Luiz but he's got to prove again that he is consistent over several games in keeping the defensive shape befoe he can be given a licence to go forward. I think all the players have to readjust to the idea of a team which has a strong defence first of all and then an ability to move forward very quickly as a unit and overcome the opponents in the final third. In the last six wedeks they have slipped into some bad habits of neglecting defence.

[Sheva. 5,373]

On another note, our double pivot is probably the shittiest around. Romeu/Mikel and Ramires just do not offer enough going forward.

Ramires will make a great run down the field only to get the final pass wrong, and they're all hopeless when the ball comes to them outside the box.

At least Lampard actually did good things going forward, but the problem was he was often too far forward and we get nailed on the counter.

Anyway it's time to move Oscar deeper i think.

[Corner 456]

On another note, our double pivot is probably the shittiest around. Romeu/Mikel and Ramires just do not offer enough going forward.

Ramires will make a great run down the field only to get the final pass wrong, and they're all hopeless when the ball comes to them outside the box.

At least Lampard actually did good things going forward, but the problem was he was often too far forward and we get nailed on the counter.

Anyway it's time to move Oscar deeper i think.

I couldn't agree more!

With Oscar deeper, besides the obvious benefits, it would allow us to play Moses and Marin more also.

[Las7 951]

On another note, our double pivot is probably the shittiest around. Romeu/Mikel and Ramires just do not offer enough going forward.

Ramires will make a great run down the field only to get the final pass wrong, and they're all hopeless when the ball comes to them outside the box.

At least Lampard actually did good things going forward, but the problem was he was often too far forward and we get nailed on the counter.

Anyway it's time to move Oscar deeper i think.

I'm tired of the double pivot nonsense

----------------Mikel/Romeu-------------

Ramires/Oscar----------Lampard/Mata

We should revert back to 4-3-3

[Corner 456]

I'm tired of the double pivot nonsense

----------------Mikel/Romeu-------------

Ramires/Oscar----------Lampard/Mata

We should revert back to 4-3-3

This. 4-3-3 is so versatile. It would be especially beneficial when Lampard is back from injury.

No way Rafa would ever use it though.

[Sheva. 5,373]

I'm tired of the double pivot nonsense

----------------Mikel/Romeu-------------

Ramires/Oscar----------Lampard/Mata

We should revert back to 4-3-3

I've said this also, a 3 man midfield suits Oscar, Ramires, Lampard and probably even Mikel. This 4-2-3-1 is not working atm.