Closed Everton 1-0 Chelsea

[Stats 6,987]

Mata didn´t play for several weeks, but Jose decided to start him. Wrong decision, in my view. Hazard is stuck on the wing, wrong position for him. Too creative to be there, I feel. Players jerkiness to convert clear chances will always cost them to win.

Some say, Eto´o was reasonable. To me, I didn´t see much.

As I already said, there are still too many players on the team. Willian is still waiting to be played. I still can not understand why was he bought, 32m spent for what ?

Mourinho obviously bought Willian for a reason. There are many games left. Jose will know when he plans to use him.

[bushman 2,043]

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion as I am entitled to think that they are overreacting. Who says Jose is infallible? I was criticizing him in the very same post you quoted!

Then, you are one rarity here to criticize Jose. Sorry, somehow I overlooked it.

Just one thing I still can´t get over. Every time Hazard the most skillful player picked up the ball Everton doubled him.

If Jose blind here ? Why play him on the wing, then ?

[Blue Warrior 109]

Best to make mistakes early, I think it was just one of those days, where it did not happen. Jose is far from unbeatable, but who is. A bit more cutting edge and we would have won convincingly. We have to play with plenty of width to be successful and pass out of double team situations.

[bushman 2,043]

I do not complain about Jose only. Mostly, I complain about the squad & their inability to convert clear chances.

However, I still think the squad is not put together ideally.

I believe, Chelsea still not have solved their biggest dilemma of one decent striker who can score almost at will.

[NishC300 1,865]

Horrible luck for us yesterday! All our rivals got super lucky (City, Arsenal, Man U) and we had the complete opposite!

We should have been 3 nil up by half time. Awful defending by Luiz for the goal, he left Ivanovic to mark Jelavic and Naismith. (spelt it correctly?)

Some of the people who are saying we didn't deserve to win because we didn't put our chances away. Are your trying to say something about the match or are just trying to show off how 'unbiased' you are. It was just terrible luck!

Well played Mikel. Hope his critics take this performance into account.

[chelseathebest 150]

This game is about the one who sucked less than his teammates! And to me that was Hazard

Why am I not surprised...

[bushman 2,043]

Horrible luck for us yesterday! All our rivals got super lucky (City, Arsenal, Man U) and we had the complete opposite!

We should have been 3 nil up by half time. Awful defending by Luiz for the goal, he left Ivanovic to mark Jelavic and Naismith. (spelt it correctly?)

Some of the people who are saying we didn't deserve to win because we didn't put our chances away. Are your trying to say something about the match or are just trying to show off how 'unbiased' you are. It was just terrible luck!

Well played Mikel. Hope his critics take this performance into account.

Awful defending by Luiz ? I am not sure whether Cech had not made the mistake of not knocking the ball off just before I got to Naismith. His positioning was wrong, I feel. Twisting & turning instead of jumping up after the ball.

[sureshot 20]

The buildup was way to slow. I don't understand why Mikel was on the pitch all of a sudden. He doesn't add anything if you want to play fast and dominant. Ramires is imo not able to play the role he's given. Way too sloppy in his passing and too panicking when in possession. Luiz's poor passing, using the long ball or just shooting it away like a headless chicken more than once is something I can't comprehend. You can't EVER play a long ball when playing how Chelsea plays and with the players who are on the pitch. The game left me frustrated and I didn't feel any improvements over last year when the team went through a bad period. Ivanovic on the flank is just asking for bad football. I can go on.

[bushman 2,043]

The buildup was way to slow. I don't understand why Mikel was on the pitch all of a sudden. He doesn't add anything if you want to play fast and dominant. Ramires is imo not able to play the role he's given. Way too sloppy in his passing and too panicking when in possession. Luiz's poor passing, using the long ball or just shooting it away like a headless chicken more than once is something I can't comprehend. You can't EVER play a long ball when playing how Chelsea plays and with the players who are on the pitch. The game left me frustrated and I didn't feel any improvements over last year when the team went through a bad period. Ivanovic on the flank is just asking for bad football. I can go on.

Excuse me, but do you have anything positive to say about the team of this year ?

[sureshot 20]

Excuse me, but do you have anything positive to say about the team of this year ?

Do you? Naysmith scored against us btw, a free transfer!

[edetarod 2,155]

2012: Everton 1-0 City => City champions

2013: Everton 1-0 Utd => Utd champions

2014: Everton 1-0 Chelsea => ....

[OneMoSalah 8,616]

No he isn't

Who is then? Just curious mate not trying to cause an argument

[bushman 2,043]

Do you? Naysmith scored against us btw, a free transfer!

Plenty, I do have. In comparison to last year, Chelsea is a better team. So far, it might not seem that way, apart from the 1st half of the first game though. Naismith here or there, most likely I would have scored into an empty net, then.

[OneMoSalah 8,616]

Off course but when we need to push, have very good build-up to stretch defences, were are not that good until now.

And it's a Mourinho pattern, good when there is space for counter-attack and are wainting in our half but quite average when we have to create, the central defense playing deep inviting the other team to press is a trick that will not work against many teams and only slow our build-up.

I miss our build-up from the back from last year with the full-back much more involved, especially Azpi who was like an extra midfielder when he had the ball. Central defense was closer the the midfield and fullback, easier to move the ball quickly from side to side, Luiz pushing, opening up angle passes. We were more organised in our attack, with a clear plan, good patterns in the runs of the players to stretch the oppositon and create openings.

We were putting our attacking midfielders in better position to do damage.

Totally agree, Mourinho's Madrid team particularly struggled against smaller teams in La Liga when Real had the ball and had to break them down. Ozil in particular wasn't in great form and bar him they really lacked someone with vision to find that pass to unlock a defence (Modric was struggling and still adapting to La Liga). Mourinho constantly did counter attacking drills in training (at Madrid) down both flanks, from what I've read, as it is his game plan as well all know. Is it the same at Chelsea? Going on the evidence of the games against Bayern, United, Villa and Everton we are probably going to be much more counter attacking, which I don't mind again but still when we get the ball in central areas when we play teams who will sit off us, what do we do with it? Do we continue to struggle to come up with ideas there or what? We still need a playmaker of sorts, I don't think we'll look for another CM until Lamps retires to be honest.

I'd like to see us try and build from the back some more but I don't know, I thought Jose said he was here to play the football 'the fans wanted', sure I don't mind counter attacking football but at times we lack ideas when we have the ball in central areas, we either let Ramires carry it forward or play it into the channels so Hazard/Schurrle can try and do something will the ball. Luiz should start every game at CB for us though, because he has the ability to step into midfield and find that pass over the top of the defenders or in between the full back and center back, at times we need that.

[NishC300 1,865]

Awful defending by Luiz ? I am not sure whether Cech had not made the mistake of not knocking the ball off just before I got to Naismith. His positioning was wrong, I feel. Twisting & turning instead of jumping up after the ball.

They showed on Sky, Luiz was on the edge of the box rather than marking Naismith. It left Ivanovic on 2.

[sureshot 20]

Plenty, I do have. In comparison to last year, Chelsea is a better team. So far, it might not seem that way, apart from the 1st half of the first game though. Naismith here or there, most likely I would have scored into an empty net, then.

I can't see a team yet tbh. And what exactly did you see that was better than last year? All I see is the same slow buildup and sloppy passing.

[bushman 2,043]

They showed on Sky, Luiz was on the edge of the box rather than marking Naismith. It left Ivanovic on 2.

Yes, I saw it. I just thought Cech could have jumped for that header from Jolevic to Naismith.

[bushman 2,043]

I can't see a team yet tbh. And what exactly did you see that was better than last year? All I see is the same slow buildup and sloppy passing.

May I suggest to review the 1st half of the 1st game. An admirable half of crisp passing, link up play, just awesome in my view.

Personally, I do not even remember the similar performance as I saw, then.