Closed Chelsea 1-1 Schalke

[zolayes 14,489]

LOL at those saying we should rest three or four players...now d game is drawn...what a disappointing result...

MOST were saying start Remy NOT Drogba

[The Skipper 20,609]

Tbh, people are overeacting way too much. José got his tactics wrong but hey, it's early in the season and now we know Drogba is our 3rd option striker.

The thing José got wrong was probably starting Ramires instead of Oscar, Ramires wasn't bad but this is not the type of match suited to his strenghts. I guess Mourinho wanted to test the formation we most likely will play against City but was wrong in playing it against Schalke. They where happy to let us come to them, and hardly pressed us. Oscar would've been a better option from the start, using him as a sub was wasteful because he's hardly an impact sub. The only real negative (besides Drogba) was the way Huntelaar got his goal, our defence need a cracker up their arse, unacceptable!

Anyway on to City! They lost btw against Bayern.

Jose didn't even get his tactics wrong IMO, we created plenty, just weren't clinical. The only thing Jose got wrong was starting Drogba ahead of Remy.

[DYC. 7,542]

Perhaps so but you can't deny that was an average performance, especially when we failed to control the game and still looking suspect defensively.

Of course but a average or poor performance was always coming. So the many chances in such a performances is a positive sign. Just need to finish.

I honestly didn't think the defending was that bad. Schalke mostly came up with long shots. But yeah, the concetration tends too slip a bit too often.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

This game also shows why Schurrle is so crucial for us and why in my opinion he should start. He is the only one really who can finish off a chance apart from Costa. In teams that sit back, it is absolutely necessary to play him. For teams that tend to attack we may be playing Ramires instead, but if on Sunday's game Ramires starts then I'd wonder back to today and why Schurrle didn't start because he surely wasn't being rested.

The reason he didn't start is because he was rubbish the game before.

[Yeboii 1,844]

best thing about this game is that no injuries were picked up for man city

As well as the point we gained

Don't forget that we did get a point! It was a draw, not a loss and we are still unbeaten in this season (not including pre-season since that's not the season).

[hdpeak 29]

CHELSEA VS SCHALKE 04 18/9/14 HIGHLIGHTS

http://www.matchdrama.com/chelsea-vs-schalke-04-18914-highlights-watch-online-video-free-football/#

[Iainrfc04 39]

A point at the end of night, but should have won the game with the chances created. Should still progress with ease though from this group

[The Skipper 20,609]

No Costa, no goals. Very worrying. Willian and Oscar are useless except running and tackling.

You obviously didn't watch the game.

[Azpinator 2,325]

I think Luis did pretty well for a debut. I definitely prefer him there over Azpi. Produced a nice cross for Didier too.

Not the best result though. I don't think Didier should have started at all and Remy would have been enough.

He made his debut at Goodison Park

[TheOneChan95 225]

He made his debut at Goodison Park

Woops I meant start.

[Barbara 15,149]

Mourinho made a capital mistake today: he believed the media - and even Keller - that Schalke couldn't win because of a battered defense and he played with his emotions by choosing Drogba to start.

That, not Cahill cowardice to run towards opponents, or other players that wasted chances, or our clueless defense cost us the three points.

Drogba not only wasted a few chances himself - too many for my taste - but was a passenger. Had we started with Remy (can't blame the guy if someone makes a clearance under the goal) we should have won this comfortably.

Surely, this doesn't excuse the others' mistakes. Cesc was tackled and lost the ball in the attack in their goal, but our midfield and defense LITERALLY watched Draxler and Huntelar. Sorry, if I see a difference between this goal and Swansea's first goal. Back then Matic decided to hold the ball instead of passing and we actually tried to stop their attack. Today we just watched. You see Willian running his lungs off, but not being able to tackle, despite reaching Huntelaar, but everyone else is just watching. The way Draxler - who's talented, I admit that - passes by Ramires so easily, and how our defense watches and Cahill walks backwards, AS ALWAYS, instead of closing in, is RIDICULOUS. RIDICULOUS.

I don't know which was worse, our positioning and passiveness in the defense or our wasting ways in the attack.

We actually pressed well today in the first half, but we were too complacent. Cesc missed a goal he shouldn't. Drogba a few chances, then Remy, then Hazard. Ugh, it was annoying as hell. But I still blame this defeat - it feels like a defeat, not only a draw - on Mourinho's sentimentalism. Had he not been emotional or believed the media BS about Schalke fragility, we would have won this match in the first half already.

I'm annoyed at him and the team, but I'm also very annoyed at people on the forum. Everyone is entitled to have their opinions, but some people's concept of supporting our players is baffling. Cesc is going to become the scapegoat - undeservedly - the moment he goes two matches without scoring. He played a part today in the draw - by missing a clear chance, and being tackled in their goal. But he's one of the players that contributed the most defensively, being everywhere, tackling like there was no tomorrow, and he continued to create good chances. Still the posts I read in the live match could make one believe he was wearing the #11 shirt today...

I'm not going to touch much of the Drogba issue. I'll just settle to say that was a pathetic display of a player that is only a shadow of himself. He's past it, it's not his fault. Mourinho should be more rational and I hope he's learned his lesson. Drogba shouldn't be starting matches for us anymore, let alone an UCL debut. I don't blame him, because he tried really hard. He's just past it... his first touch was sad to watch. The chance he missed in the second and then a cross he's received two minutes later where his first touch got the ball meters away from him just showcase what he is currently.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Sorry BUT we werent UNLUCKY

Think we were good, created a lot, but Schalke stopped every fucking attempt somehow. And their defence wasnt even made from starters, not to mention Boateng in midfield. They would eat five goals another day, but tonight it was their day. Schalke had out of the world performance in defence, despite us creating tons of chances, think we were unlucky.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Going by a few comments on here you'd think Schalke dominated us and had chances upon chances upon chances and were unlucky not to win. Stop overreacting guys.

[Jase 43,479]

Of course but a average or poor performance was always coming. So the many chances in such a performances is a positive sign. Just need to finish.

I honestly didn't think the defending was that bad. Schalke mostly came up with long shots. But yeah, the concetration tends too slip a bit too often.

That happened because our pressing was hilariously bad again. Didn't press as a unit and got passed around way too easily at times.

[Dion 2,476]

Like I have said before when the rumours began, I still don't see how having brought Drogba make us stronger and it will possibly just tarnish his reputation. Not that he will cease being a legend or anything, legend he's always going to be but I'd have preferred that my last memories of him were his last games in our UCL campaign than looking at him on the pitch and wondering whether it is Torres or DD playing.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

You can't be serious. They didn't nearly beat us at all. If we stuck away our chances it could've easily been 3 or 4-0. It's not like we played bad today, we actually created plenty of chances. Has we still kept the same team and had Remy up front from the start instead of Drogba it would've been a comfortable result.

You've got to be kidding if you think that team we put out there wasn't strong enough to beat this Schalke team.

I didn't say that.

I said everyone who thought (including yourself may I add) that we'd be able to comfortably beat Schalke were wrong and that was our strongest team except for Drogba. They are a good side, if we had rotated more than Costa then who knows what would of happened?

Then there was posters who said we could afford to rotate 2 or 3 other players against Schalke because our squad is very good (which don't get me wrong it is) but its hardly like Salah is the same level as Willian or Zouma the same level as Cahill/Terry.

[Stats 7,145]

lol, get over it.

You're acting like Zouma has never played against good teams before. Why? This would have been the perfect match to ease him in as I've said before. Saying Zouma should start is treating this like a carling cup game is ridiculous. He's not a bad player at all, he would have done better than Cahill anyway

Zouma has made a big step up by joining Chelsea. You don't throw your two best CB out for a 19 year old kid because it is a "perfect match" to see him. No.... this is not a friendly or a cup game like I said. This is the Champions League. Zouma is a very promising defender but also still raw which is natural. If Mourinho suddenly takes out Cahill or Terry for Zouma that is underestimating the opposition. Has he done so in the league so far? No. So why would he do it in the UCL? We have to go out with more or less our best team. Cahill was not bad tonight anyway. It was not his fault why we conceded. Fabregas lost the ball for a start and it did not help that we struggled to put the game to bed.

[DYC. 7,542]

Going by a few comments on here you'd think Schalke dominated us and had chances upon chances upon chances and were unlucky not to win. Stop overreacting guys.

Agree. I'm frustrated by the amount of chances the boys squandered. Chelsea was easily the better team.

And Drogba was poor. But he also had games like this in his prime. Frustrating but it happens. Get over it.

[jeronimo 130]

People are overreacting like crazy. They're making it out as if we couldn't of beaten them up unless we played our 100% strongest line up. Our only mistakes was starting Drogba and keeping him on that long.

I think if we started remy we could of honestly rested other players and still win. But hey today we didn't take our numerous chances and got the draw.

[zolayes 14,489]

Agree. I'm frustrated by the amount of chances the boys squandered. Chelsea was easily the better team.

And Drogba was poor. But he also had games like this in his prime. Frustrating but it happens. Get over it.

THIS was ONE of his poorest games ever . he looked OLDER than Me