Closed Reading 2-2 Chelsea

[Hutcho 8,443]

I don't particular like ifs and buts, but if ( ) we had went 5 at the back like we wanted to with 5 mins remaining with JT on, do you think we would have been as unorganised and unable to deal with the long ball... Obviously we have no way of answering that, but we would have had a huge arial prescense with jt ivan cahill and ba and JT is one of the best at organising and dictating where people should be etc... I don't know they may still have scored but what is the point of not putting him on? Are you telling me that Terry is not more beneficial than oscar in the last 3 mins of the game... Obviously he is, so why not just chuck him on with BA? Could he not be assed, or does he earn a bonus for not using all of his allotted 3 possible substituitions.

[Rmpr 8,977]

I don't particular like ifs and buts, but if ( )

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

EDIT: It is not only about having 5 on the back or whatever, just ask everyone to track back and defend. You dont really need 10 defensive players to maintain a 2-0 lead for 10min.

[zolayes 14,489]

gooners andspurs come back to rescue a point ..we throw two down the drain to to a relegation side ,,,,but not the coaches fault,,, actually it isnt ,,,its the STUPID FUCKING RUSSIAN

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

The thing is you seem to just be talking about personnel changes rather than tactical changes. He could've swapped Oscar or Bertrand for Terry and gone to five at the back. Don't forget, he didn't choose not to bring John Terry on, he ran out of time. This world class tactician couldn't make ONE subsititution in SIX minutes. Oh wait....yes he could. He brought on Ba for Torres, which I don't have a problem with in and of itself, but when we don't bring on a defender when we're defending a lead then it's somewhat irksome.

And this isn't kneejerk stuff. This is the same problem over and over again. Underestimating opposition and not playing his strongest team from the start and then making like-for-like substitutions rather than making changes to his oh so precious formation.

The point that few people seem to have mentioned is that Reading were utterly dire tonight. They were toothless in attack and aimless in defence and yet we still wasted chance after chance against them. Why are we not playing our strongest team in the league when the priority is fourth? Why has Demba Ba played about 15 minutes in the last two games, starting neither one?

Criticising substitutions might be easy. How about criticising a manager's inability to make a substitution when there's six minutes of extra time and you're defending a lead? Because those seem to be the fachts of the evening.

I hated the starting XI because I hate Bertrand on the wing, but the team was almost as good as could have been (I would have preferred Benayoun/Marin for Bertrand and Ba is better than Torres but 9 of your best available 11 players is hardly fielding a weak lineup). I prefer Ba to Torres generally, but Torres was excellent he created about three or four very good chances, his movement was very good, and he worked hard. He was responsible for the first goal. Ba and Torres are going to rotate and I'd rather Torres play against weaker sides...and Ba is, I assume, going to start against Newcastle which we need him for. Also, switching formations is not a simple thing. Most teams don't do it during games. Players don't know where they are supposed to be, they don't know their responsibilities, their lanes, their outlets. I can criticize Benitez for doing defender for defender when we are behind and we have attacking players available. (Bringing on Ba on the 82nd minute against Brentford WAS inexcusable IMO.) but we had a defensive formation already.

Although I do have to question the marking on that last play...was it Rafa's zonal marking? I watched it again...just awful, so awful, it's almost impossible to comprehend. We had FIVE players in the middle of the box...who do we put on Le Fondre? Nobody! In fact, on the far side of the net, after our wall of Chelsea players, we have Benayoun and Azpilicueta marking four Reading players. The ball falls to the first of the Reading players and Benayoun and Azpilicueta close, he heads it on and there are THREE unmarked Reading players. In fact, even if Le Fondre forces a save, there are two unmarked Reading players now on the right side and still three on the left so a rebound is probably a goal as well. Players make mistakes, sometimes bad ones. It happens under every manager and to almost every player at some point, but that is one of the worst pieces of team defending I have ever seen from Chelsea and Rafa does need to take some blame for that. So many questions:

1-Why was the opposition's biggest goal threat not being marked at all?

2- Why where the closest players to him not someone like Cahill and Ivanovic but rather Azpilicueta and Benayoun?

3-Who was supposed to be marking which player because I have no idea even watching the clip repeatedly.

4-What the fuck??? .

[Kezza 1,965]

L to the mother fucking O L

[Hutcho 8,443]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

EDIT: It is not only about having 5 on the back or whatever, just ask everyone to track back and defend. You dont really need 10 defensive players to maintain a 2-0 lead for 10min.

Of course not, but when it gets to the 92nd min after them scoring why don't you JT on as well, for everything he gives you including fresh legs. Oscar isn't exactly the best at tracking back and we have a lot of tired legs out there. You are right though we should be able to make no subs and protect a 2 goal lead with 7 mins left but my point is when you have the ability to ensure it even more throuhg the use of subs and when you have 1 of our greatest defensiver players and leaders of the last decade on the bench why not just put them on to help out, then he has done everything in his power to add to the team to make it even more likely we can hold on.

[AndersonBLUE 819]

truly disheartening. what is happening to our club? from the highs of last season to this. I'm just sick of these lineups and formations. Someone needs to come in and sort this team out because quite frankly I'm getting sick of watching every game like this one.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Of course not, but when it gets to the 92nd min after them scoring why don't you JT on as well, for everything he gives you including fresh legs. Oscar isn't exactly the best at tracking back and we have a lot of tired legs out there. You are right though we should be able to make no subs and protect a 2 goal lead with 7 mins left but my point is when you have the ability to ensure it even more throuhg the use of subs and when you have 1 of our greatest defensiver players and leaders of the last decade on the bench why not just put them on to help out, then he has done everything in his power to add to the team to make it even more likely we can hold on.

Oh no, I agree. I meant that it was even worse...

I think Benitez was shit but so was most of our players, it is pathetic!

[DDA 9,690]

Some of you are such dedicated posters and really deserve a pat on the back for such consistent writings. Myself, I just can't get motivated enough to write anything interesting about Chels going on our current form. What a load of bollocks.

[chrismada9 1,948]

I'm going to stick my neck out, and say that I'd be more happy seeing Benitez getting the sack than see us sign someone tomorrow!

[Hutcho 8,443]

I hated the starting XI because I hate Bertrand on the wing, but the team was almost as good as could have been (I would have preferred Benayoun/Marin for Bertrand and Ba is better than Torres but 9 of your best available 11 players is hardly fielding a weak lineup). I prefer Ba to Torres generally, but Torres was excellent he created about three or four very good chances, his movement was very good, and he worked hard. He was responsible for the first goal. Ba and Torres are going to rotate and I'd rather Torres play against weaker sides...and Ba is, I assume, going to start against Newcastle which we need him for. Also, switching formations is not a simple thing. Most teams don't do it during games. Players don't know where they are supposed to be, they don't know their responsibilities, their lanes, their outlets. I can criticize Benitez for doing defender for defender when we are behind and we have attacking players available. (Bringing on Ba on the 82nd minute against Brentford WAS inexcusable IMO.) but we had a defensive formation already.

Although I do have to question the marking on that last play...was it Rafa's zonal marking? I watched it again...just awful, so awful, it's almost impossible to comprehend. We had FIVE players in the middle of the box...who do we put on Le Fondre? Nobody! In fact, on the far side of the net, after our wall of Chelsea players, we have Benayoun and Azpilicueta marking four Reading players. The ball falls to the first of the Reading players and Benayoun and Azpilicueta close, he heads it on and there are THREE unmarked Reading players. In fact, even if Le Fondre forces a save, there are two unmarked Reading players now on the right side and still three on the left so a rebound is probably a goal as well. Players make mistakes, sometimes bad ones. It happens under every manager and to almost every player at some point, but that is one of the worst pieces of team defending I have ever seen from Chelsea and Rafa does need to take some blame for that. So many questions:

1-Why was the opposition's biggest goal threat not being marked at all?

2- Why where the closest players to him not someone like Cahill and Ivanovic but rather Azpilicueta and Benayoun?

3-Who was supposed to be marking which player because I have no idea even watching the clip repeatedly.

4-What the fuck??? .

Last min of the game, everyone is running round like a headless chicken and no one is organising things... And that is why JT is so crucial to our defence. Everyone looks to him to sort it out and make sure everyone has their role. Lamps is the vice-captain but isn't a defender nor has the prescence that JT does so is very rare for him to be doing it so it comes down to ivan, cahill and cole to organise it but it lacked any leadership, and envolved a lot of chelsea players going for the same ball in mid air leaving huge spaces in behind. Catastrophic defending. Especially when its a keeper launching it from his own half.

[Rmpr 8,977]

@,

This translates all of my feelings for the next 24hrs:

I JUST HOPE SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS!

I AM DONE WITH BENITEZ, I AM DISAPOINTED WITH SOME PLAYERS AND I DONT BELIEVE IN THE BOARD...

[Strike 7,217]

Nothing seems to go right for Chelsea. Wins over Arsenal and Stoke aside, we've been pathetic this year. And to think everyone were so happy back on boxing day weekend when Lamps stirred us to a 2-1 win at Goodison.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

@,

This translates all of my feelings for the next 24hrs:

[Hutcho 8,443]

Some of you are such dedicated posters and really deserve a pat on the back for such consistent writings. Myself, I just can't get motivated enough to write anything interesting about Chels going on our current form. What a load of bollocks.

I wouldn't say what i am writing is interesting but more having a big moan... Everyone, was talking about it happenning saying "2-2 written all over it" but i was thinking its not gonna happen, we are just gonna clear it hold on, and be happy we got the 3 points despite some questionable performances from some players the manager and then it happenned...

[zolayes 14,489]

strange everyone can see JT was needed when they scored the first goal ... EVERYONE except the WANKER ,,,

[Rmpr 8,977]

Mate, I have Benitez tactical ability and our players courage and focus when it comes to bets (illegal in Brazil)...

[Hutcho 8,443]

Chelsea are pleased to announce the signing of one of the hottest prospects in world football:

JOSE MOURINHO!!!!!!!!!

Please Roman, i would cheer that more than the arrival of falcao.