Closed Man City 1-1 Chelsea

[DYC. 7,542]

Can't stand these super defensive performances..

Very poor game but how did Chelsea not win that game against 10 men after taking the lead? To make it worse, they still looked the better team. Disappointing stuff.

Can only hope for much better in the next big game.

[Azpinator 2,325]

Schurrle's to blame for his lack of marking on Lampard's goal. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

Schurrle? Why not Saint Branislav?

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

A point, in that fashion, is terrible. They were down a man and absolutely DOMINATED us apart from 1 counter. That isn't the form of champions. Fucking hell even stoke showed more fight at that point.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I'm fully convinced that we would have won the midfield battle today and won the match but Mourinho didn't even try. Our players are better than they've shown out there. He's just way to negative and scared to death to lose. Roman bought us attacking flair players so we wouldn't have to watch shit like that. People will blame Willian but he's being asked to do an impossible job for 90 mins, that is to play as a second right back all game.

Even Stoke showed more ambition than we've done and they got a win at the Etihad. Even with the point it leaves a sour taste in my mouth because we deserve nothing from this game. Can't wait for the next game to come along so I can forget about this boring rubbish.

[Pizy 18,911]

I must say that I do agree with people about Drogba. He's spent. Past it.

Sooner José realizes it the better. Only, ONLY use him when we're ahead by multiple goals and against poor opposition.

Also, I hope this marks the start of us putting Luis in the team. Azpi and Iva were solid defensively, but Hazard was once more almost invisible for much of the game becasue the City defense weren't concerned with Azpi getting forward. They could mark Hazard out of the game with reletive ease. We need a fullback out there who forces the opponent to respect the overlap.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Drogba needs to leave. Him playing infront of Remy is just terrible

Maybe Demba Ba was right about Mourinho favorism

[Amblève. 4,995]

Lampard's a football legend but a Chelsea legend he is not. Traitor.

[Viper22 2,418]

Courtois - 6 - Didn't have much to do all game and got beaten at the near post for the goal (although a hard shot) but did well to collect dangerous balls in all game.

Azpilicueta - 7 - Thought he had a decent game tbh, looked solid at the back and made a few key tackles.

Cahill - 6 - Solid, uneventful game for Gaz.

JT - 6 - Same as Cahill.

Ivanovic - 6 - Solid game, went forwards well sometimes, but a lot of the attacks came down his flank, including the one for the goal....

Matic - 7 - Made a fair few decent challenges and hounded the City midfield a lot of the time well. Not as good as Feb though.

Ramires - 6 - Good energy but made his customary stupid fouls and lost the ball a bit too often.

Fabregas - 6 - For anyone else a good performance, for someone of his quality and average one. Some decent balls, some decent tackles, didn't find much space thanks to Fernandinho.

Hazard - 7 - Our best player but still not at his best, good runs to put the city defence under the only pressure they suffered all game and great ball for the goal.

Willian - 3 - Awful performance before being (thankfully) hauled off. Some good ideas is the only saving grace but execution was non-existent today, misplaced so many easy passes.

Costa - 7 - Only had scraps to feed on, and unlucky not to score when he hit the post. Did well winding up their defence resulting in Zaba being sent off. Don't know why he was booked.

Mikel (sub) - 5 - Didn't give us any stability like I hoped he would and lost the ball too much when he had it too easily.

Schurrle (sub) - 5 - Great run and finish for the goal but once again didn't track back and lost Milner for the assist to the goal. Poor from Andre.

Drogba (sub) - N/A - Not giving him a rating for 4/5mins of hardly touching the ball. Why wasn't Remy brought on? Not his fault though I guess..

[nono 791]

This place is a fucking joke. A point away at the Champions, 3 points clear and people are moaning about one of the best managers in the world and telling our greatest ever player he's a twat. Gus Mears would be turning in his grave at the state of some of the 'supporterers' of this club

One of the best managers in the world had us playing like schoolboys.

[Myself 793]

Term X is a fucking tool. Ban him please. I bet he didn't think Lampard was a money chasing posh boy when he captained us in the CL Final.

[Stats 7,142]

Would have taken the point before the game but to be 'frankly' honest I am quite frustrated. We were 1-0 up with a man advantage and conceded an equalizer to Lampard of all people. And then rather than go out for the win we seem to settle with a point while City go for a win. Yes we have a good lead for now but it is only 5 games and there is still a long 33 games left so I don't really understand why Mourinho was content with the point. When we done the same approach against Arsenal and thought it would do us well in the long run it backfired because we dropped points in games you would not expect us to. We had a great chance to go 8 points ahead of our most serious title challengers and we messed up that opportunity. While the point is a good result it might just be this game we look back on and think if only we won. Would have preferred to see Remy on as well due to his pace on the counter. But really knowing Mourinho and how we set up and the man advantage we should have held on to the lead or finished City off, not bloody drop 2 points when the 3 points was in our hand.

Thought the defence was excellent. Matic too. But once again, I will repeat it frustrates me that Mourinho seemed to be content with the point even when we equalized. If it is 5 games to spare rather than 5 games into the season then yes it is understandable but to think that teams like Arsenal and City cannot catch up with us at this stage is naive and ludicrous. We were quite negative compared to City for most of the game which is understandable as going into the game we would have taken the point but for City to be more offensive than us while we had a man advantage with the scores 1-1 is bloody frustrating. Really frustrated tbh and while a lot fans will be happy I can't deny my gut feelings. Never saw us losing the lead once Schurrle scored and annoyed that they scored because Courtois performance today deserved a clean sheet.

Anyway, 5 games in with 4 wins and 1 draw, I would have accepted before the season started and considering City have lost to Stoke at home already I will look at the positive side of things.

[Hutcho 8,443]

People blaming frank should probably be blaming the defence for leaving him open.

I have never seen a player go up to the openents fans after scoring the equaliser and getting a bigger reception from those fans before.

It sucked that it happenned but you could see how upset it made him at the end. He didn't go score kiss the badge with a big FU to the chelsea fans.

[edetarod 2,155]

well, feck me sideways...

[robdog 2,084]

I can only think about Super Frank saving their ass. I can't be mad at him, but I do have some feelings that the Board could have done more to keep him. It feels that someone socked me in my stomach. All I can do is shake my head.

[LAM09 7,054]

The result is hard to take. The three points were there for the taking, but one moment of lack in concentration cost us. To make it even worse, Lampard had to be the one to score.

Apart from that, a point away to our closest rivals isn't too bad, and we are still three points clear at the top.

[iseah100 5,612]

That hurt. Felt like crying, didn't watch after the goal. Love Frank, but that hurt.

Lampard's a football legend but a Chelsea legend he is not. Traitor.

Stop being a cunt.

Term X is a fucking tool. Ban him please. I bet he didn't think Lampard was a money chasing posh boy when he captained us in the CL Final.

He's a joke.

[Ledg 643]

Needed to be Terry.. And if it was Cech at goal..

[Laylabelle 9,535]

Frank's topic is a fucking disaster. 'Hoping to lose the title because of him scoring against us? Judas?'

Children here vs men at the Etihad.

And if we loose the title cause of it be due to how poor we played not just to him scoring.Its his job...it happened..whats done is done....

[Blue Traveler 256]

I fucking pissed! how on fucking earth we concede against a 10 men team by a fucking senile Lampard the mercenary in shitest way???!!!!

Our players need a kick in the arse by Jose especially Terry.

[nono 791]

Why is Frank even a talking point ? Any player would have scored that goal.