Closed Tottenham 5-3 Chelsea

[Dion 2,476]

Does anyone here have an answer to this simple question. Why is Remy, who was one of the best strikers in the league and is in the prime of his career get shunned even when we're desperate for a goal, so much so that even Salah get's picked ahead of him? And especially since he's impressed most times he's played not just with his goals but with his link-up play and techical ability? It's a rhetorical question for me, but I just like to know what fellow TC members think about the treatment of Loic Remy this season.

My assessment is that Remy fucked Mourinho's daughter and it pissed him off. That's the only explanation I can think of right now.

[Fernando 6,585]

Ivanovic was awful

Cahill has to be dropped for 4 games minimum

Willian does not win games hes been so lacklustre of late

Oscar is the same

Fabregas needs to massively work on set pieces. Countless times he didn't get corners past the first man or hit freekicks into the wall.

Mourinho really needs to make more influental changes earlier he leaves it too late.

Disappointing

Pace really killed us.

Apart from Azpi who was good, our defenders are too slow for that type of game.

Blueprint for other teams to beat us now, unless Mourinho does something with the defense.

[Thendo 1,088]

Gotta give credit to Kane and Chadli who had the game of their life today.

[Stats 7,142]

OK where do I start. What an awful start to the New Years. We lost 5-3 and I went out in the fantasy cup and who did I leave as my first sub? Kane... I subbed him out for Sigurddson 5 minutes before the 11.30 deadline. It just was not meant to be my day.

Anyway on the performances, bar Hazard and Fabregas in some ways, we were absolutely awful. I don't know what else to say really. I was really annoyed with Costa today. Apart from the goal was bloody awful. Away from home I think it is clear that we are going to have to see Fabregas pushed further forward quite often. At home, Matic and Fabregas is fine but away from home it just is starting to get caught out more and more.

Regarding Luis, it was not one of his better days against Southampton however does that warranty him being left out the squad completely? No. Yes we have a big squad but it begs the question as to why the hell did we have both Remy and Drogba as subs if we did not bring them on and that is why leaving Luis out the squad seems more bizarre as you think about it. If Luis was a sub I am 100% sure Mourinho brings him on for Azpi at H/T. Assuming Luis is fit, it was a poor error of judgement by Mourinho as he would of added more of an attacking impetus and is naturally left footed. Look at Man City for instance. They rotate between Clichy and Kolarov however if Clichy is starting you rarely see Kolarov left out the squad. Why? Plan B. Kolarov provides the attacking impetus needed if they are struggling to break down teams and it works more times than not for them and Mourinho can't assume we are going to wipe every team off the floor and I think it is important that when Azpi starts we should be having Luis on the bench all the time because he may have just helped this evening.

Anyway this is another lesson learned. I am sure we will recover and there is definitely a few lessons learned today for Mourinho. I am still confident by the end of the season we will be lifting the PL title. Football is not played on paper but I look at the amount of difficult fixtures City have compared to us and think they will drop points in a few of those games. Also Yaya Toure goes to the ACON and he will most likely miss the game against us later this month.

[chrismada9 1,948]

Have to give Eden Hazard credit for his performance though, but it felt like watching Lionel Messi playing for Cambridge United.

[edetarod 2,155]

last time we lost to Spurs we won the league

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I was going to write a match report but I'm in such a shitty, hypercritical mood that if any of the players read it they'd break down in tears most likely.

• Gary Cahill is a fraud. I like "safe" defenders, but Cahill is about as safe as a used condom at the minute. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Go in at half-time 1-2 down and we'd probably have turned it around. The penalty ruined the game from our perspective.
• John Terry getting on the scoresheet should not cover up what was an equally hopeless defensive performance from him. Woeful. Okay, I rate Kane highly and think he has a great future ahead of him, but today you'd have thought Terry and Cahill were marking Maradonna.
• Every player in Chelsea blue - except Eden Hazard and Diego Costa - were hopeless today. The worst team showing in a long, long time. We made Spurs look like Bayern Munich. Even Courtois was poor.
• Just a horrible performance, I feel sorry for Watford because José will probably play his strongest line-up and destroy them now.

[pgleo 90]

What a heart-breaking start of the year !

[JDY 1,290]

Terrible defensively. I hold Brana partly or fully responsible for atleast 3 of their goals. Him and Cahill were awful. One of those games where they scored every chance they had (even half chances) and we didn't take all of ours. Need to move on, Brana needs to be given a few games off after that.

And Hazard was the best player on the pitch.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Terrible performances all around with the notable exception of hazard who was amazing, and Azpi who was good.

I honestly see more potential in Kane than I did in Rooney back then.

Didn't quite agree with Ramires coming on for Oscar; Fabregas looked really tired to me.

I do understand why Ramires hasn't been playing though as he is completely off form

To be expected but this was definitely the game for him to feature from the start in. Thought we didn't have any legs in the midfield and ultimately that's where we lost the game. As soon as Ramires came on we had more of a foothold in the match. 4-3-3 in away games is the way to go, we won't have to worry about that though since we don't have any real tricky aways left.

[TheIceMan 596]

Now, If we don't make any transfers, we won't be fucking champions!

[robsblubot 3,595]

To be expected but this was definitely the game for him to feature from the start in. Thought we didn't have any legs in the midfield and ultimately that's where we lost the game. As soon as Ramires came on we had more of a foothold in the match. 4-3-3 in away games is the way to go, we won't have to worry about that though since we don't have any real tricky aways left.

I meant right now. Ramires looks physically weak going to the ground often which is not normal.

[Stats 7,142]

I was going to write a match report but I'm in such a shitty, hypercritical mood that if any of the players read it they'd break down in tears most likely.

• Gary Cahill is a fraud. I like "safe" defenders, but Cahill is about as safe as a used condom at the minute. Horrible, horrible, horrible. Go in at half-time 1-2 down and we'd probably have turned it around. The penalty ruined the game from our perspective.
• John Terry getting on the scoresheet should not cover up what was an equally hopeless defensive performance from him. Woeful. Okay, I rate Kane highly and think he has a great future ahead of him, but today you'd have thought Terry and Cahill were marking Maradonna.
• Every player in Chelsea blue - except Eden Hazard and Diego Costa - were hopeless today. The worst team showing in a long, long time. We made Spurs look like Bayern Munich. Even Courtois was poor.
• Just a horrible performance, I feel sorry for Watford because José will probably play his strongest line-up and destroy them now.

I agree with most of what you were saying but Costa?? I thought he was poor. Looked quite decent first half but apart from that was dominated in every other angle of play and was frustrating. What summed it up for me was his selfish attempt at the end when he should have done the smart thing and look up and play it across the goal.

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

If ivanovic and Cahill dont get dropped or a stern talking to, ima lose it.

How every goal was scored on Ivanovich's side, and with Cahill backing off Kane for days, our right side of defense was exposed today. Zouma cannot be that much worse as a CB, and why Luis wasnt brought on and then Azpi put on the right is beyond me. For a manager that is crazy about defense, it seems Ivanovich is beyond criticism

Hazard was fucking unreal today! He alone, looked focus and dedicated to the cause. He keeps delivering masterclass performances almost every game. Set up a beuty for Salah, and also for Azpi, unlucky those didnt get the finishes they deserved.

[Cripen 110]

It was just one of those games. I wouldn't draw too many conclusion from todays match. Yes, this game proved once again that Cahill maybe isnt Chelsea first team material but he wasnt the only defender that dissapointed today. In general our defence played very bad game. And some people are hilarious saying we are one man team. Like I said - that was THAT bad day for us. Matic, Fabregas played worse than usual. Hazard was terrific and TODAY he was carrying us in attack, but I repeat - that was today. When Cesc is playing on his usual level, same as Nemanja and our defence is not so shit then we had good balance in squad. Of course - Eden is one of the best, but we are not one man team. Calm down and onto to the next one

[Madmax 9,219]

Does anyone here have an answer to this simple question. Why is Remy, who was one of the best strikers in the league and is in the prime of his career get shunned even when we're desperate for a goal, so much so that even Salah get's picked ahead of him? And especially since he's impressed most times he's played not just with his goals but with his link-up play and techical ability? It's a rhetorical question for me, but I just like to know what fellow TC members think about the treatment of Loic Remy this season.

Demba Ba answered your question last year, I'm afraid.

Either that, or Remy took a shit in Mourinho's sandwich.

[Muzchap 8,966]

Same old story when we play a team with width

We concede and normally down the right hand side

Time for Azpi RB and Luis LB - sorry Jose you can't get away with Iva anymore.

Matic looked fucked and that's poor rotation from Jose

Willian - poor and should be considered a sub

Oscar - normally good but off the pace

We need a CB and a RW like Hazard for the right hand side

Jose has pushed too hard and now has to learn the hard way.

But still top of the league a long way to go yet and maybe the wake up call the club needed

[Oscar 441]

Today was one of hazard's best games as a chelsea player...

Fantastic match for him.

[The_Flash 1,144]

It was a shocking result but I guess.... at least we are still top alphabetically but we must do better we started so well this season I thought we were looking awesome.

We need to re-find our earlier form please, I really want the league

[mannyfreshh 164]

Oh and hand the shirt back to Cech.

I don't think its time for that quite yet. Courtois should be saving some of those attemps I think though. After a performance like this though, I wouldn't be opposed to cech be given a chance