Closed Sunderland 0-0 Chelsea

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

All the teams from the bottom half of the table will try to play like this against us. We have to find solutions

Many have tried and failed, the difference today was the lack of rotation after 3 game in 7 days

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I have my restrictions to Iva as a right back, but I consider him to be very good in defending, especially when he doesn't make too many runs forward like today.

So, I really can't take anything away from Connor, as I have to assume he has merit in making Iva have a defensively poor performance.

What really concerns me from today is that Sunderland showed how to play against us: stick (real) wingers on both sides, blocking our fullbacks and our width is gone. Better teams with better finishers wouldn't let us walk away with a point today.

I think it has to do with fatigue which was also why Iva was not going forward as much. Wickham was beating him with the slightest burst of pace. Iva's role takes A LOT of stamina. He can't do it as well 3 matches per week.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

So here is the thing. One of my friends is a massive Liverpool fan. Guy is so deluded it is not even funny anymore. And he hates Willian from all his guts. He can't understand why he is ahead of Coutinho in the pecking order for Brazil and thinks he is one of the most overrated players to have ever played this game. I mean the guy hates Willian more than he loves Gerrard and the entire Liverpool team.

Now he texted me that this result against Sunderland is just the beginning of a carousel of bad results and God will do justice to football and stop Willian from winning a PL medal.

Quote from him: "It would be the biggest insult to this sport for Willian to have more PL medals than Gerrard."

[OhForAGreavsie 6,074]

Really I'm completely calm about this performance and result. Jose and the team have surpassed our expectations so far and have more than earned our continued support when they turn in a sub-par performance. This isn't our first uninspiring outing but then are we perfect? I don't think anyone here ever thought that we were. Do any of our players need to be told that they didn't do it today? Every single one of them knows it already.

Honestly, I've never felt less like giving anyone any stick about a display. My message to the Boss and his squad is dust yourselves down, get your feet up and we'll see you Wednesday.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Many have tried and failed, the difference today was the lack of rotation after 3 game in 7 days

naaaa no team have gone as hardcore as this though. I think Sunderland barely got out of their own half in the 1st half apart from that free kick hitting the bar. Basically this performance is like our at Atletico last season.

[michalcfc 69]

All the teams from the bottom half of the table will try to play like this against us. We have to find solutions

Maybe, but there's only two teams i think that can defend like today's Sunderlad, and it's Stoke and West Ham

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

naaaa no team have gone as hardcore as this though. I think Sunderland barely got out of their own half in the 1st half apart from that free kick hitting the bar. Basically this performance is like our at Atletico last season.

We usually score that was the difference imo... Usually we force them out.

[DYC. 7,542]

That was unexpected. You'd think the 0-5 win would've given them a (major) boost, and it looked that way after the first 6, 7 min. But the team looked exhausted after that; Hazard of all people looked incredibly slow. Made it even worse by constantly attacking through the middle.

Boring game. No win. Move on.

[Billy. 2,742]

we was dreadful tonight simple as that.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

It was obvious that jose was reluctant to make changes. you could hear it from he's recent press conferences

Ya you're probably right but he'll have to now, no choice...

Someone said last year this is a game we surely would've lost last year and I agree, we really never looked to move the ball and run at them at all. Looked a lot like last year for sure.

[didierforever 7,349]

How many goals did we score today?

oh.. what an argumwnt.

So tell me. You want our defence "sorted" for not conceding a goal or for not scoring a goal?

Typical reaction of people in the face of an adverse result.

[didierforever 7,349]

So here is the thing. One of my friends is a massive Liverpool fan. Guy is so deluded it is not even funny anymore. And he hates Willian from all his guts. He can't understand why he is ahead of Coutinho in the pecking order for Brazil and thinks he is one of the most overrated players to have ever played this game. I mean the guy hates Willian more than he loves Gerrard and the entire Liverpool team.

Now he texted me that this result against Sunderland is just the beginning of a carousel of bad results and God will do justice to football and stop Willian from winning a PL medal.

Quote from him: "It would be the biggest insult to this sport for Willian to have more PL medals than Gerrard."

No lack of idiots in the world.

[Jase 43,479]

MAJOR OVERREACTION ALERT! MAJOR OVERREACTION ALERT!! MAJOR OVERREACTION ALERT!!!

[The Chels 2,502]

Why do we allow the game to become so stretched when we can't score? If we're going to have everyone attacking in the opposition half then we should be pressing frantically when we lose the ball to maintain the attack and prevent the counter. You could blame fatigue but we do this quite regularly like against Villa and Palace away last year. We were so open defensively - extremely lucky to get a point today.

[zolayes 14,489]

MAJOR OVERREACTION ALERT! MAJOR OVERREACTION ALERT!! MAJOR OVERREACTION ALERT!!!

UNITED TO RULE ,,, UNITED TO RULE .. I hope TX is wearing his red and black condom

[stroey 2,525]

Not unhappy with 1 point, we were lucky not to lose. (ball on the bar, Altidore clumsy goal, 2 shots from Johnson)

Costa, Hazard, Oscar were all bad, Hazard didn't even try to dribble into the box, really weird.
Diego needs to calm down, one day he will cost us a match if he doesn't work on his temper.
Oscar didn't press as much as usual. Willian was the only good one in the first half, great shot on the post and created a clear chance for Ivanovic, a lesser second half. I

We needed Ramires badly in the midfield, his energy, aggressivity and legs were missed.

MOTM: Courtois or Matic.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Why do we allow the game to become so stretched when we can't score? If we're going to have everyone attacking in the opposition half then we should be pressing frantically when we lose the ball to maintain the attack and prevent the counter. You could blame fatigue but we do this quite regularly like against Villa and Palace away last year. We were so open defensively - extremely lucky to get a point today.

Because we're trying to score and committing more bodies to the attack. The players were knackered they couldn't be asked to play high press football all match. At about the 70min mark fatigue is a factor and the will to win the ball back and also go forward to score is much less.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Why do we allow the game to become so stretched when we can't score? If we're going to have everyone attacking in the opposition half then we should be pressing frantically when we lose the ball to maintain the attack and prevent the counter. You could blame fatigue but we do this quite regularly like against Villa and Palace away last year. We were so open defensively - extremely lucky to get a point today.

Mourinho does this a lot. I was just waiting for him to take off Azpi and switch to 3 def, and really give the game away.

[The Chels 2,502]

Because we're trying to score and committing more bodies to the attack. The players were knackered they couldn't be asked to play high press football all match. At about the 70min mark fatigue is a factor and the will to win the ball back and also go forward to score is much less.

You can still maintain at least SOME defensive stability when you're trying to score right at the end. Plenty of big teams have maanged that over the years. Our gung-ho approach makes the chances of conceding much higher than the chances of scoring, especially if we've been poor all game and a goal is unlikely.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

You can still maintain at least SOME defensive stability when you're trying to score right at the end. Plenty of big teams have maanged that over the years. Our gung-ho approach makes the chances of conceding much higher than the chances of scoring, especially if we've been poor all game and a goal is unlikely.

Goal is never unlikely... We just didn't get it. I like the fact we went trying to look for it, the guys were just tired no need to overanalyze the game. We don't have fast people at the back Brana, Cahill, Terry, Matic and Cesc are not exactly speed demons, when we go looking for goals there is alway a risk we'll get caught out. Nothing to worry about really.