Closed Chelsea 1-2 Basel

[The Skipper 20,593]

Missed the first half but I heard it wasn't inspiring (one shot on target?).

The major problem for me is that we don't have an identity yet, and it doesn't seem like we're working towards one either. It seems that the attacking players are confused about what we might be doing (except for Oscar who has pretty much been our best player this season) which is really sad. I think the vision is for our attacking players to be dynamic, fluidly interchanging positions to confuse the opposition but it really isn't working. We don't seem to have a focal point anywhere in the team based on that last game.

I think that Azpilicueta must play, simply because one thing that we seem to be missing is a threat from our full backs. Ashley Cole isn't a threat going forward, nor is Ivanovic (from open play).

I'll watch the game again in a few days or so to verify what I'm thinking, but right now it isn't looking good. Mourinho must get more out of these players.

[zolayes 14,489]

Excellent post. It was a terrible team performance. Oscar and Cahill aside, nobody played well. When Jose first joined we had a spine of 4 players that would start every game: Cech, Terry, Lampard, Drogba. We don't have that with this squad.

Jose needs to limit the number of changes in between game and build a team. It is unfair to pin the blame on any one player tonight. It's a group of players that have never played together before and it showed.

we had a long pre season and are now 5 games in ...ThingsSHOULD be starting to gell ...Like many I others I am starting to worry ... I think this is our 6th transition season..

I haven't many more years to see the transformation ...Still I never thought I would see us win the PL never mind the CL

[Special Juan 27,429]

Bring back rafa?

We don't stand a chance against steaua, according to their fans we should respect them because they are the best team in eastern Europe or something. Awful atmosphere tonight, nobody really gave a fuck, which was perfectly reflected by the players, with the exception of willian and oscar. The only good thing was the fight outside the shed turnstiles, made for a good pre game laugh

Wow a fight, hope someone recorded it to show the players what battling is.

[Weckerz 3,781]

Missed the first half but I heard it wasn't inspiring (one shot on target?).

The major problem for me is that we don't have an identity yet, and it doesn't seem like we're working towards one either. It seems that the attacking players are confused about what we might be doing (except for Oscar who has pretty much been our best player this season) which is really sad. I think the vision is for our attacking players to be dynamic, fluidly interchanging positions to confuse the opposition but it really isn't working. We don't seem to have a focal point anywhere in the team based on that last game.

I think that Azpilicueta must play, simply because one thing that we seem to be missing is a threat from our full backs. Ashley Cole isn't a threat going forward, nor is Ivanovic (from open play).

I'll watch the game again in a few days or so to verify what I'm thinking, but right now it isn't looking good. Mourinho must get more out of these players.

This.

Taking a more rigid approach and actually keep some width during the game could do wonders. It feels as if they interchange for the sake of it at times.

[yuvala 2,167]

Missed the first half but I heard it wasn't inspiring (one shot on target?).

The major problem for me is that we don't have an identity yet, and it doesn't seem like we're working towards one either. It seems that the attacking players are confused about what we might be doing (except for Oscar who has pretty much been our best player this season) which is really sad. I think the vision is for our attacking players to be dynamic, fluidly interchanging positions to confuse the opposition but it really isn't working. We don't seem to have a focal point anywhere in the team based on that last game.

I think that Azpilicueta must play, simply because one thing that we seem to be missing is a threat from our full backs. Ashley Cole isn't a threat going forward, nor is Ivanovic (from open play).

I'll watch the game again in a few days or so to verify what I'm thinking, but right now it isn't looking good. Mourinho must get more out of these players.

I strongly agree about us not having an identity. we're all over the place, we have no focal point, we have no system, the players look lost.

Also I agree about our full-backs, its something I've been saying for a long time now.. Look at Alaba and Lahm at Bayern, or Jordi Alba and Alves at Barca, Carvajal and Marcelo at Real Madrid etc etc.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

There is a middle-ground between good and end-of-world, though.

You can draw whatever conclusions you want after reading my post. Nowhere did I say it was the end of the world it was just a piss poor performance in almost every area on the pitch. The only bright side is we get to play again on Saturday... Other than that nothing I saw today was inspiring

[The Skipper 20,593]

I wasn't at the game but the atmosphere sounded (and felt) so bad. The fans really didn't make The Bridge a fortress tonight.

[shellpick 13]

Hazard's performance is terrible. I even don't know whether it is a problem of form or of attitude. That lad has the talent rarely found among one generation but still he needs to be cooled down on the bench and the pressure from competition for position.

Oscar is good because he never stops working so hard. He is somehow like Frank.

I am totally ok with Mou's unsuccessful trial, which can be zort of price we have to pay. But I do not quite understand the lack of ambition showed by the team. Perhaps Mou has been too gentle to the talented players like Hazard and Luiz. Their starting positions shouldn't be granted unless they show they want to win more than any others do.

[Chels 238]

Fuck off you silly prick.

About the only thing that has made me laugh all night.

[Special Juan 27,429]

Jol and his players must be relishing coming here on Saturday, it would be a simple message of work hard, press and get at them and three points cold be quite easily theirs.

[Barbara 15,149]

I wonder what is the problem here ...

- We have good players, great players.

- We have one of the best managers around.

What the hell ?

time to develop an identity and gain chemistry. Manchester City has been a testament to that for years now. 9 out of 10 times a team needs time when there's a new manager and too many new players (or in our case start from scratch in terms of philosophy and tactic). The problem is patience is a virtue rarely found in the world of football fans, although many of us bitch a bit just after the match and then we cool down. There's also those who never cool down though and demand immediate changes. Immediate changes all the time pays off as well as it has had for City in the last 5 seasons... one EPL title that was United to lose and they lost it pathetically.

[DDA 9,690]

Can i just say.. i was at tonights game and we were SHIT!

[AndersonBLUE 819]

Need Drogba back, not even trolling

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

I wasn't at the game but the atmosphere sounded (and felt) so bad. The fans really didn't make The Bridge a fortress tonight.

So lates Blame them...

[edetarod 2,155]

i'm not even surprised

[Stats 7,056]

When people were complaining after the Everton match that was a bit of an overreaction because we done well but tonight we were truly shocking and things really need to be looked into after losing this game. Basel are a good team and underrated but we simply should not even be drawing these kind of games, let along losing. I don't think it is a case of even underrating them as Cahill said in his interview because we saw the threat of them last season but our team is strengthened more than last season yet we have lost.

Even when Oscar scored, it came completely out of the blue and you would think we would press on but no, shit performance second half as well. I think a lot of people saw Moruinho as an 'automatic fixer' but as this game proved there are much bigger issues and he is not some magician who will automatically fix things. We have some of the best attacking talents in Europe but the cohesion within the team is not there. Every single game we have played, the performance has been sluggish and not really impressive. It just creates a whole loads of questions again because now people will air their doubts over Eto'o and saying he is not good enough anymore for the PL. Still early to judge him but that is what 6 games or so played and not one goal from our striker and that worries me, really.

A shame City got Fernandinho because he is the sort of player I think we need in our team. MVG can drop deep etc but he clearly is not as ready as some people think. That is expected though with his age and little experience of playing on the big stage but tonight right from the offset the atmosphere was poor and there just seemed little effort by the players even when we were down. Really odd for us to lose a CL group stage game and the performance with it.

Worrying thing is though Jose does not know what is his best team and the way the manager wants us to play and how the team responds to him is not working.

[different level 1,056]

Bunch of losers... Should we be surprised really? Since the start of the season we've had only one good half against Hull...

[The Skipper 20,593]

So lates Blame them...

What the hell? I'm not blaming them, where the hell did you get that from?

All I'm saying is that the atmosphere was flat and that reflected in our play.