Closed Chelsea 0-1 QPR

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Well I am blaming Benitez, do you want to know why? Complacency. That is what screwed us over tonight. No, I'm not just talk about squad rotation; I'm talking about the whole teams attitude, because the manager's attitude towards a game is always reflected by that of the player's on the pitch, and I saw very few who looked up for it tonight; and when they did, they left it very fucking late. Benitez thought he could walk this game, therefore, so did the players.

Do you think José would have been happy with what he saw at half time? Would he fuck. He would've ripped into his players. He would've made a change as soon as he saw a weakness in the team, hell, if it was ANY other manager, they probably would've put Mata on before/at half-time and not waited around until the 70th fucking minute to make a change, like some sort of stupid ritual.

Benitez has a history of stupid decisions, fact. Now we have to deal with them until May.

How do you know what Rafa's attitude towards the game was like? He made two bloody changes, has Ferguson or Mourinho ever made two changes to their regular team against the bottom side in the league at home? You can bet that they have.

How do you know what he said at half time? Marin has barely kicked a ball for us and Oscar has barely played lately. He obviously wanted to keep on the two wide men and give Oscar s chance at number 10 (notice Hazard coming on before Mata).

Yes stupid decisions that amounted to being two time Uefa coach of the year, two time La Luga winner, Uefa Cup, FA Cup and Champions League winner.

Simple fact is that if you are carrying too many passengers in your team you will get results like that. Bertrand, Lampard, Moses and Torres last night all ranged from either poor to utterly inept. Benitez can only work with what he is given.

[The only place to be 11,313]

How do you know what Rafa's attitude towards the game was like?

Because he rested our best player so he'd be ready for a FA Cup game against Southampton's reserves.

Watched it again. He didn't look offside. Was in line with the QPR defenders, at least from the high angle that I saw.

That angle seems to show him marginally offside.

[22mek22 133]

the fact that we are reliant on Mata and Hazard is not a problem...they are our best players!

so therefore, you expect us to perform worse without them

that fat c*nt should be able to see that

[Hamilton 2,120]

Mata and Hazard should have come on at half time.

Mata, Hazard and Oscar, two of those three should always need to start imo to get a result. Maybe when we have Ba you could rest them more cause we will finally have a striker then..

[Jase 43,479]

That angle seems to show him marginally offside.

Hard to tell really. And maybe, the referee just want to make amends for not sending off Marin earlier.

[22mek22 133]

and Hazard has played 250 minutes in the 4 games before

[Stingray 9,441]

I'm just ruling it out because we simply aren't going to win anything this year. We're out of the CL and we're way back in the PL. Next year, we absolutely could win. And I agree, you can mix youth in there if you do it right and it's only a couple of players at time. It will be very interesting to see next year how players like Lukaku and De Bruyne get worked in.

I'd get Lukaku and KDB back now actually. ST and CM are what we need, we actually have the players already and they are playing well (KDB is a boss right now)...

Especially KDB would improve the team is my feeling. Add Ba AND Lukaku into the mix and fucking bench Torres for the rest of his contract. Useless ass. Disgrace to wear that blue shirt!!

Edit: don't bench Torres. -21 him instead.

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

the fact that we are reliant on Mata and Hazard is not a problem...they are our best players!

so therefore, you expect us to perform worse without them

that fat c*nt should be able to see that

Performing worse than usually isn't the main problem either. The problem seems to be that without them we can't get a result, meaning that some players are either underperforming or aren't on the level required to be in a club like Chelsea. Long story short - we have no depth and reliability in the squad to use any kind of rotation. Give it time, it'll improve.

I think Benitez did right there with resting Hazard and Mata. We still fielded a strong line-up if you think about it. Only ones who haven't proven themselves are Marin and Bertrand - the rest have shown their worth more or less, even Bertrand in Munich. So in that sense the team should have been able to beat QPR. The stats speak for themselves, 20 something chances and 2 on goal, we don't capitalize and make the wrong choices when we have the chance to attack. Replace Torres with in-form and consistent striker (let's hope Ba proves to be that) and things will change. It wasn't Benitez's fault, it was the underperforming team, we had plenty of chances, we just didn't take them .- not Rafa's fault.

[Jase 43,479]

and Hazard has played 250 minutes in the 4 games before

That's the thing I don't get. Can possibly understand why Mata was rested given he has played the last 8-9 games without being rested. But Hazard?! He was already rested against Leeds and Norwich FHS!

The problem was of course then compounded by the fact that Benitez brought on Mata with just 15 minutes left when he should have done so way earlier!

[The only place to be 11,313]

I think Benitez did right there with resting Hazard and Mata.

Mata is our best player. He's been the player who has dug us out of holes this season (Leeds away, Spurs Away, Norwich away) and he should play every league game.

If we're talking about rotation, both Lampard and Luiz looked a little gassed last night so probably should've been rested. But Mata is too important to drop.

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

Mata is our best player. He's been the player who has dug us out of holes this season (Leeds away, Spurs Away, Norwich away) and he should play every league game.

If we're talking about rotation, both Lampard and Luiz looked a little gassed last night so probably should've been rested. But Mata is too important to drop.

Moreover Mata is a human, who also gets tired. I'd rather rest him than risk burning out or a muscular injury. My point is that you'd expect more from the squad players

[The only place to be 11,313]

Moreover Mata is a human, who also gets tired. I'd rather rest him than risk burning out or a muscular injury. My point is that you'd expect more from the squad players

Rest him at the weekend then. Don't forget he was still on the bench and still used.

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

Rest him at the weekend then. Don't forget he was still on the bench and still used.

He was used because Marin, Moses and whoelse were supposed to bag the 3 points in theory weren't up for it. Either way it's a problem that needs solving, we can't play Mata 60+ games a season

[MHL 47 378]

During RB tenure two teams have played with predominately 11 men behind the ball and let us have easy possession in our half but closed everything down in their half, especially the last third of the pitch. Benitez's tactics have failed twice now, he made the wrong call with team selection and wasn't able or willing to admit this and change things around early enough.

This isn't a scenario Chelsea haven't had to face on multiple occasions previously and have mastered the majority of the time, he seems stuck in a small number of tactical scenario's and if they don't work, we don't win.

There was the opportunity last night to take off a full-back and replace them with Mata, Hazard. This was evident within the first half-hour.

It seems clear that he has no passion for us and this can come through in the players when faced with scenarios such as last night.

An example of the passion we seem to be lacking, recall the TV interview by Geoff Shreeves with Drogba and Cech just after the CL Win, Drogba says something like himself, Frank, John, Petr have been at Chelsea for eight or more years and we try to show the new players how to behave, perform like a Chelsea player, never give up, fight to the end. He and the others got that mentality from Manager/s they'd worked under here. The Interim seems to me to not have this mentality. I wonder how many texts, calls Benitez has had over the last 10hrs taking the mickey? I've had plenty, it's this empathy with the fans that he'll never get here.

[The only place to be 11,313]

He was used because Marin, Moses and whoelse were supposed to bag the 3 points in theory weren't up for it. Either way it's a problem that needs solving, we can't play Mata 60+ games a season

He doesn't have to play cup games, just league games. The league is the most important thing this season. We could throw the weekend game, throw the Swansea game and it wouldn't matter because the league is all important. Play Mata last night, send him on holiday if you want and then come back for the Stoke game.

I actually think Benitez sees the cup competitions as his best chance for success, to get his fat mug in a photo with a trophy. What's best for the club is a top four spot. If that's the case, we're fucked.