Closed Newcastle 3-2 Chelsea

[bushman 2,043]

Yeah, its crap, but we can't do anything about that. But fresh legs are fresh legs and Azpi and Marin are better than a very tired bertrand and ivan.

It will solve the endless protests from fans etc, and mean we can concentrate on the game, it wouldn't solve all our problems but our team is more than good enough for top 4 with anyone other than rafa there.

The other day most of you complained about substituted one defense-man for another. Now you posted the same shit here.

As for Marin. He is useless as seen the other day. Just get it through. Chelsea are one depleted & tired team because of fucking clueless deals by the fucking board.

[super_frank8 186]

So what you're saying is that sacking Rafa will solve our problems. He is the only one dribing us down, not the lack of players in our disposal. A new manager can come in, somehow breed Mata and have more options and come out with results? Im not saying Rafa should stay but why can't you see a bigger picture here? He is not the real problem here.

Where exactly did I say any of that?

It's all well for you to make assumptions, but there should at least be an inkling of evidence to actually support them - whereas I made no mention of the obvious team deficiencies which are an entirely different issue altogether.

Do you really think we are a one-man-team? That Mata is the only thing keeping us afloat? As wonderful as he is & easily being our brightest spark for the last 2 years, he can only do so much, & for periods of games he does go missing because in reality he is only effective at influencing play in the final third of the pitch. If you're going to simply dismiss the efforts of Lamps & Cole & others who do actually show some spirit & determination without a second thought - then maybe it is you who should be reconsidering your own perspective.

You want to talk about the problems today? The issues that have simultaneously characterised & plagued our season & this 'bigger picture' you speak of since Rafa snuck his slimy foot in the door?

Well the first half was pure shit. No question about that. However, although the vast majority of our team didn't really show up until the 25th minute or so - the root cause of all our problems was the way that we were set up as a team. & guess who's job it is to sort that part out?

Newcastle came out clearly a reinvigorated team with a point to prove & positive attitude instilled in them by Pardew. They pressed us so high up the pitch & their midfield was set up to contain ours by closing off the free man & our wide players simply lacked any meaningful movement throughout because we had a largely irrelevant Betrand five feet away from Cole at times while Oscar & Mata were being man-marked the shit out of with Ramires surrendering the ball every time he tried to make something happen; resulting in Ba being completely isolated for the most part & left us resorting to through balls over the top.

That's why Cabaye & Sissoko had so much time & space to work with. However, obviously you can't employ that kind of high press with such expenditure of energy for an entire game & after they scored that's when they tired a little & backed off to conserve their energy, allowing things to open up for us in the second 45.

That's when Mata, Lamps & Oscar decided it was time for them to take control of the game & we could have easily had the win purely due to their individual craft alone - but once again the ultimately disappointing result was down to Rafa not reacting to what was happening on the pitch as the game progressed.

At 2-1, why not take off a largely useless Bertrand & let Oscar continue causing havoc down that left side whilst bringing on Azpi to give us some defensive support down the right? Or at least give Marin a shot? Unless he's going to be banished to train with the youth team as well...

Instead, he just decided to do nothing. Absolutely fuck all nothing. & that's simply not good enough. He's not a manager - he's a fucking joke.

How is it that even our own rivals & every single semi-intelligent footballing brain on this planet can see this - & yet you seem more than reluctant to acknowledge it as the universal fact it is?

Yes there are obviously issues throughout certain aspects & areas of our team, I don't think any Chelsea fan who has been watching every painful second of this season is going question that whatsoever.

However, the more immediate issues are clearly relevant to this fat cunt & his baffling tactical approach. The current (lack of) depth in our squad is what it is. Nothing can be done about the players who are out injured, or in Africa, or puzzlingly still out on loan - nor the ones we should have purchased in the last month - but something can certainly be done about the manager. & at this point, it simply has to.

Whether you choose to believe it or not - the absence of Rafa alone will at least replenish our drive & dignity - if not return the performances & results we are used to seeing on the pitch. At least that will give us a fighting chance of finishing this season with Champions League football & a brighter future on the horizon...

Sacking Rafa may not solve all of our problems - but it will solve the one that is bothering most of us more than any other at the moment.

[Hutcho 8,443]

The other day most of you complained about substituted one defense-man for another. Now you posted the same shit here.

As for Marin. He is useless as seen the other day. Just get it through. Chelsea are one depleted & tired team because of fucking clueless deals by the fucking board.

What? We were LOSING then and we needed goals and crucially, Demba ba still hadn't come on the pitch yet. Also that change was bertrand for A.cole not Azpi for ivan. As for marin, he isn't useless but he never gets any chances and hasn't impressed yet. Still he would be more usful than a tired player. Chelsea are tired and depleted, but and getting rid of rafa wouldn't change that but it would still make us a hell of a lot better then. Any sane manager would have used the bench as depleted as it was when players are TIRED as you just told me... If players are that tired then surely that is a bigger reason to use all of your subs.

[Henrique 9,133]

Ivanovic and Cahill, OUT!

[BlueJack 24]

Di Matteo picked Bertrand to play his debut CL match in the final, on the wing. Regardless of having Malouda, Sturridge on the bench. Do you believe Bertrand is a better winger than Malouda / Sturridge? Or did RDM lack a footballing brain? Your hate for Rafa is blind, please try to see a bigger picture here.

We were playing Bayern Munich, today we were playing Newcastle. Bit of a difference mate. And we were playing defensive against Bayern. Think before you speak mate.

[robsblubot 3,595]

I don't agree, he improved a lot and became a hard worker, tracking back all the game. Did u see our last 10 games?

it's not that he hasn't improved...he has. And he is young enough, so he will improve further--I have no doubt.

However, my point remains that playing Hazard will not *add* (keyword here 'add') anything defensively compared to the player he'd be replacing. Now as bad as Bertrand is on the ball, he does add defensively; it's clearly not working though--conceding 3 goals and all... It's all relative of course. Hazard may have nullified their rb with his skill for ex.

We just have some players in defense who have not been delivering (or delivering as much as their are capable of), but their names can't be mentioned (see current squad section and how their threads are always uneventful).

[bushman 2,043]

What? We were LOSING then and we needed goals and crucially, Demba ba still hadn't come on the pitch yet. Also that change was bertrand for A.cole not Azpi for ivan. As for marin, he isn't useless but he never gets any chances and hasn't impressed yet. Still he would be more usful than a tired player. Chelsea are tired and depleted, but and getting rid of rafa wouldn't change that but it would still make us a hell of a lot better then. Any sane manager would have used the bench as depleted as it was when players are TIRED as you just told me... If players are that tired then surely that is a bigger reason to use all of your subs.

BA not being put on earlier I agree.

As for Marin = USELESS now & will be, wasted money on him.

Getting rid of RAFA would not make any player fresher cos the team is DEPLETED.

Look at those players on the bench that are currently available but take your time this time.

If Rafa as manager is bad, what about his side-kicks Holland & Zenden ? Even more useless bunch, I feel.

Just hold your horses until the end of this season & pray for Chelsea not to miss the top four. That´s all we have got.

[Jase 43,479]

Only saving grace from this result is that we are not playing till next Saturday. With the results we are getting lately, my health will deteriorate further watching all this mess every 3-4 days! Just bloody depressed at what is happening right now. *sigh*

[Sheva. 5,373]

At 2-1 we needed to slow things down a bit, but Lampard was still in the box and Ramires was nowhere to be found so they countered pretty easily. You just can't play consistently without a DM in this league.

But anyway the players have some time to rest now after a really frantic period, and we could have Hazard, Mikel and Moses back for the game at the weekend.

[didierforever 7,349]

Only saving grace from this result is that we are not playing till next Saturday. With the results we are getting lately, my health will deteriorate further watching all this mess every 3-4 days! Just bloody depressed at what is happening right now. *sigh*

we had an amazing start to the season when we had 22 points in 8 games.

take it out we got 24 points in 17 games (can u believe that!!!!)... if this continues there is no way we would be able to finish 4th.NO WAY IN FUCKING HELL.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Btw i thought oscar was very good today especially in the 2nd half.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

#BringBackAVB

Just go back to 4-3-3 infact, we don't have the players to play 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 would probably work its just getting somecunt to do it.

[termninja 5,290]

#BringBackAVB

Just go back to 4-3-3 infact, we don't have the players to play 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 would probably work its just getting somecunt to do it.

And how would you do that when we have 2 available midfielders at the moment? One of the being 34 and the other having football technique equal to an ox? Not even enough for 4-2-3-1 week and week out, let alone 4-3-3 ... Play Oscar in there with them? We he is already doing that ... playing all around the pitch, same with Mata. Besides, our players who could be deployed on the wings don't seem to favor playing directly or they either suck at it.

[bushman 2,043]

Yes, bring back DiM & his park the bus. That way no fucking team will score against Chelsea.

Cech in the net & 10 players in front of him just might do the trick.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

And how would you do that when we have 2 available midfielders at the moment? One of the being 34 and the other having football technique equal to an ox? Not even enough for 4-2-3-1 week and week out, let alone 4-3-3 ... Play Oscar in there with them? We he is already doing that ... playing all around the pitch, same with Mata. Besides, our players who could be deployed on the wings don't seem to favor playing directly or they either suck at it.

I meant in general! 4-3-3 Mikel - Ramires - Oscar/Lampard

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

Yes, bring back DiM & his park the bus. That way no fucking team will score against Chelsea.

Cech in the net & 10 players in front of him just might do the trick.

You're becoming quite annoying with that mate. People answered that 'argument' dozens of times yet you continue with your silly little hate towards Robbie. And to make it even funnier, the bus scored twice against the mighty Catalans and also against Bayern.

[Ollie 4,400]

I'm still feeling so dejected about this game. Don't know how all of you take defeats but i'm seriously struggling to get over the last few weeks. I've forgotten what happiness feels like. I am truly and genuinely gutted beyond belief.

[xPetrCechx 13,571]

Husam Mansour ‏@SaM81M

Meeting tomorrow between Rafael Benitez and Chelsea officials confirmed, let's hope he'll be sacked:)

[termninja 5,290]

I meant in general! 4-3-3 Mikel - Ramires - Oscar/Lampard

I see. Well it would be nice to give it a go, but I firmly believe our problems are more down to the current manager, pressure and lack of confidence we have.

It's still beyond me how the hell someone at the world class club like Chelsea could've made the decision to start the season with 4 midfielders with the crazy amount of games ahead of us and all the competition we were in!?

Just brilliant to start a season in the most competitive football competition playing 4-2-3-1 while having 34 year old midfielder not really suited for DM, Ramires who as I already said, is like an ox, Romeu who hasn't shown the level required and Mikel who, credit where credit is due, is a decent choice for the position, but clearly is not enough.

And even more brilliant decision to go into the season with Sturridge and Torres...and just keep and keep and keep playing Torres...

Even today, you could see the problem. Both Lampard and Ramires were going forward leaving kilometers of space to Newcastle while they were simply unable to get the ball forward for the most of the time. Ba did alright until Collocini knocked the fuck out of him and when Torres was put on, out attack looked like a really dull blade.

For quite some time our goals are not well worked attacks but either penalties, set pieces, lucky deflections and moments of individual brilliance from Juan, Oscar, Eden and Lamps.

Hopefully we will pull back since Eden will come back for the next game, we have JT back and hopefully Moses and Mikel fast soon. There is still a chance to prevent this season from becoming a disaster.

[bushman 2,043]

You're becoming quite annoying with that mate. People answered that 'argument' dozens of times yet you continue with your silly little hate towards Robbie. And to make it even funnier, the bus scored twice against the mighty Catalans and also against Bayern.

It´s very simple for those who are annoyed. Do not read it.

Also, I have no hate towards DiM, get it ?

That style is not or was not my type of football this club should be playing.