Closed Chelsea 1-1 Schalke

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Should have been an easy win, but that doesn't matter anymore, Chelsea will top this group with ease.

Hazard motm. Cesc, Filipe and Matic had a good game too. Bring on City!!

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

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...

.

There's a difference between making a scapegoat out of a player and believing a player didn't play well in one game, dear. Personally, I felt he didn't play well without the ball but neither did some others as well. I thought Ramires was pretty poor as well. Both offensively and defensively. Worse than Fabregas was. But as much as I like Cesc, I'm not going to say he's had an even decent game when he didn't. Goal aside (which shouldn't have stood)

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

I'm worried. And in all honesty it had nothing to do with drogba.

We haven't had amazing strikers for years now ( bar these last few games) but we always had a solid defence and a midfield that could shore up when we were under pressure and step up to take control. Seems we have lost a large chunk of that.

Take Drogba away and what do you have? A cesc goal, and cesc miss, a Remy shot and terry header off the line. Plenty to win a match.

From Cahill through to our midfield through, it was nothing like what this club has been for the last 10 years. Bloody hell, all they had to drop deep for the start of the second half to absorb the pressure. I'm not seeing much variety in this midfield - seems great at some things but quite poor at others.

Just to get in first, this is not a knee jerk reaction. Everton was terrible, the more these games happen, much longer can it be shrugged off as just 'one of those games'? Leicester and Swansea were cutting through us like butter. Literally through the middle.

[The Skipper 20,609]

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.

I still think we were pretty comfortable today, just lacked the clinicality. If we put away our early chances it's a run away game, but obviously if you miss chance after chance after chance the other team will grow in confidence.

[The_Flash 1,144]

Very disappointing result, really expected more. Too many wasted chances we could have scored like five goals. That is how we lost the league, we must score and finish the game off.

We must play better against City

[DYC. 7,542]

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

I know. But a poor Drogba is not enough to make Chelsea not win. Match should've been regardless of his performance.

I'm not saying he doesn't deserve criticism, his performance aggrevated me as well but some take it too far.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

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.

You could see how upset he looked when he got subbed off. He was thrown into the fire today and should have been off by half-time. Hopefully, he get's a chance to shine vs Bolton (the game he should have started)

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

Regarding Fabregas, I don't care about his stats with assists. I want him to provide control with the ball. To keep it sometimes and illustrate attacks at others. He is smart enough to know when to do which.

I want decent defensive duty, not amazing because he is just not the type of player. His pressing can be worked on in terms if timing but what about just holding the teams shape?

[bababoom 4,478]

We will still top this group with ease, everyone's on 1 point.

I also like to think Mourinho will make sure everyone is ready for Sunday now especially after today.

[zolayes 14,489]

OK TWO positives Luis and Remy

[Stats 7,145]

Think majority of us were very surprised to see Drogba start. It was clear he was very rusty and ineffective but Mourinho decided to keep him on and only subbed him off 70th minute. Normally if Mourinho sees a player/striker playing below par he would have no qualms in subbing them off half time. But with Drogba I can't help but think that because of the sentimental factor that evolves around Drogba he feels he almost owes him something. Drogba was returning from injury so if Mourinho decided to rest Costa, Remy should have started 100%. This is not in hindsight and I think a lot of us expected us to see Remy starting as he is much more fresh and should be our 2nd choice striker. We got a point so there is no catastrophe but it irritates me that Mourinho underestimated Schalke and decided to sub Drogba after the 70th min mark. I just have the gut feeling that if it was another striker they would have been off in no time.

On the positive note it looks like Hazard is reaching that level everyone wants to see him perform at. Shame he could not score but he is at times, simply unstoppable.

[Barbara 15,149]

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

you made me laugh so hard now, Ron. LOL

[kellzfresh 7,229]

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

That's how important a finisher is. We underestimated Costas importance in our team and this match will put things in perspective. That said, we need fast proactive CB'S rather than slow backing off ones so that we reduce goals on the counter

[puri 6]

We were better but only scored one goal which shouldn't even count. Shows you that you should take every opponent serious.

[Jase 43,479]

Positives:

1. Luis' performance. Those crosses were 'delicious'.

2. Going forward and actually creating chances. Much improvement from last season.

3. Saved by Maribor's stoppage time equaliser against Sporting Lisbon. Everything still the way it is in the group (sort of).

Negatives:

1. Mourinho starting Drogba and not Remy, at least. Feels like the former was chosen because of sentimental reasons.

2. Defensively still look a suspect and way too open at times. Team not pressing as a unit and getting bypassed way too easily at times.

3. Missing chances galore. That was so like the 2013/14 Chelsea.

Random Stat: Third consecutive Champions League campaign for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho in which they have failed to win their first group game - DLD.

Random Stat 2: The two times Jose Mourinho started the UCL campaign with a draw, he ended up winning the competition - Porto in 03/04 and Inter in 09/10.

(he did start with a draw in 06/07 with CFC but left the club soon after. So, not counted...)

[Sidzeret 2,257]

We needed this. Now Jose could work on the holes in our defense. That's me being positive after almost breaking my remote.

[bababoom 4,478]

Cesc was great today apart from getting intercepted for their goal, yes he should have done better but for the whole 90 minutes he was one of our better players, along with Hazard and Luis.

[Azpinator 2,325]

Me and my mates thought about having a drinking game. Drink a shot every time someone says "Where's Ivanovic?".

Should be fun.

[Hutcho 8,443]

Meh. Not ideal start. Shouldn't be any real harm done though.

Disappointing result. But the group is still ours and we showed that today even if the score that matterred was 1-1.

[Jase 43,479]

Cesc was great today apart from getting intercepted for their goal, yes he should have done better but for the whole 90 minutes he was one of our better players, along with Hazard and Luis.

Think that's a bit overstating TBH. Offensive wise, yes, he was great and he has been so far this season but defensively though, he still need to improve, a lot.