Closed Tottenham 5-3 Chelsea

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

What makes it harder to let go of Cahill is that he is home-grown, and we don't have many of those in the first team at all.

Exactly, imagine if we sold him today. Other fans will say we're foreigners team. Also we would force to buy another English player, which is most of them are overrated and overpriced (if not all).

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

The thing is, there are only a couple of places he CAN rotate without the quality dropping significantly.

RB and CB are really the only spots I can see us changing whilst maintaining our quality. Rotating Schürrle for Willian is pointless because they're both useless offensively these days. Can't really rotate in the middle because we have no one remotely close to Cesc or Matic's level. Can't just constantly drop Oscar and putting Mikel in there next to Matić because he's not an every game player.

The longer the season goes on the more it's starting to show how lacking our squad is outside of our best XI. We have the best first XI in the league but if some of them are in a lengthy run of poor form we don't have top quality to slot in. This is why we need a signing or two this month in my opinion.

Was on the point of liking this till I read the sentence about us having the best 1st XI. Of course I respect that this is your point of view, but I don't share it. City's top team vs our top team and my money would be on City. Worse, I believe City could lose as maybe as many as three top players in certain positions and still put out a better XI than us.

Absolutely agree with everything else though. Top post.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

Like actually rest or rotate players a little bit more, like against Sporting Lisbon or even Derby in the League Cup.

Thanks Jay.

And how would that solve the problem Jose was talking about about? He said that none of the players on the bench are as good as the starters. If he meant that, which is the question you asked, then how would mere rotation have solved it? I ask again, if Jose does not think the available backups are good enough then what could he have done about it in the last 1-2 months?

[hdpeak 29]

http://www.matchdrama.com/match-day-motd-1115-watch-online-free-football-video/

MATCH OF THE DAY (MOTD) 1/1/15

[dee25 1,044]

Was on the point of liking this till I read the sentence about us having the best 1st XI. Of course I respect that this is your point of view, but I don't share it. City's top team vs our top team and my money would be on City. Worse, I believe City could lose as maybe as many as three top players in certain positions and still put out a better XI than us.

Absolutely agree with everything else though. Top post.

The thinking that City can lose 3 top players and still "put out a better XI than us" is a blatant example of fans overrating City's squad and a clear case of the grass is greener on the other side syndrome. Aside from Silva, who no doubt is world class, how many other top class players do City have in the positions behind the striker? Navas, Nasri or Milner are nothing special nor have they been in top form this season. They've frustrated City fans just as much as Schurrle, Willian and Oscar have frustrated us.

I really hope you intentionally meant that as a hyperbolic comment, because that's exactly what it reads as.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Exactly, imagine if we sold him today. Other fans will say we're foreigners team. Also we would force to buy another English player, which is most of them are overrated and overpriced (if not all).

Tyrone Mings.

[Mission 97]

It is truly mind boggling why Mourinho didn't bring Remy on. He has produced well enough in far less creative teams. Every time he has played for us, has either scored a goal in no time or has somehow been involved. Things happen. Instead Mou decides to resort to Salah and Ramires. Understandably, they added missing pace to the team - but the icing on the cake would of been in Remy, who surely was scratching his head as Jose didn't make a third substitute.

In the grand scheme of things however, Spurs have grown a scathing quality under Pochettino recently. They have been unbeaten for five games - including two away wins, their last defeat was against us. They haven't been top tier, but they've been gaining some substantial form and are starting to find their feet in the league table. All you have to do is look at players like Chadli and Kane, it was never going to be an easy game. A somewhat similiar vibe was given off Newcastle, who had a quite a resurgence in form before they managed to get the better of us.

[quickpassnmove 924]

I haven't watched this match yet. Did Bentaleb prove he's a maestro in this one?

I'm not surprised about the result.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

Really, Jose? REALLY!?!

Just shows how good Jose really thinks Zouma and Kalas are. In reality I agree slightly with his point, if JT gets injured Cahill and Zouma? We'd be fucked.

[DH1988 1,348]

So much over reaction on this forum. Terrible performance, Wrong subs but Christ.. Chill out.

We were outplayed, out performed, Spurs had more desire.

I called this before the match said I had a bad feeling Spurs been very decent lately, chances haven't been going in but close, scoring late on, work ethic, Harry Kane on form ala Charlie Austin, whatever he touches is gold, its called a golden patch (Costa start of the season?)

We still have issues with the team but what team doesn't.

Calm. Gary is a good defender, not his biggest fan, check my posts, criticism dates well before Monaco (Falcao-gate) but the defence suffered from our midfield or lack there of.

Credit to Pochettino, played Rose to keep Ivan pinned back, Eriksen's sole job was to pull Matic away from the midfield leaving Fabregas isolated against mobile movers.

Why is it so hard to believe we were outplayed, Jose's tactics were wrong (few times that happens), players weren't at the races.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Has anyone check that have City facing Spurs away yet this season? I did, f*** me, lol.

[Nik Hasri 10]

Damn Hazard wad awesome despite the frustrating lost. 10/10 performance from him

[Clevemayer 764]

AS soon as dickhead mearson said Chelsea will win this 3:0 I thought, f... Me we will lose this...

[Clevemayer 764]

Oh and SFL should pkease at least try to not smile when he spits on our Club with his prolonging of his contract... Where is Term X btw?

Feel like when we lost to them under Ancelotti I think, where Joe Cole had a fantastic game, but few min before the whistle was blown the ball dropped off the back of Carvallho or SFL and berba scored the leveler for a 4:4

[Owizzy 19]

There was no evidence shown today that has not been on display all season. If you feel you learned anything today then you haven't been watching as closely as you might have.

You are ABSOLUTELY correct mate!!!!!

I read all most the post and I chose yours to reply to for the plain truth in your message - All that happened yesterday showed what the team has been all season long and all it takes is a determined bunch of young lads (the Chadlis/Kanes/Roses) to make it glaring.

I was gonna address a personal letter to Mourinho - but I don't know how to start new posts on this Forum so I chose to reply to other posts instead.

Not only do we need to shop in January but we need to do new things in training with what we have.

The current Chelsea team is still lacking cohesion (I wonder why some people started calling us Chelsealona we are still very far from the cohesive bunch the Spanish club is).

70% of our players play below par and still find it difficult to play to their full potential - this I attribute to the coaching crew not doing enough to TEACH new tricks and make the players become a formidiable network (Chelsea should start playing with connectivity - just as is displayed by the best NBA teams). Players need to be able to see their teammates on the pitch even with closed eyes - that is cohesion.

Now I will pick on the players based on yesterday's game and what needs to be done;

Gary Cahill - normally good and strong, but yesterday he was lethargic, I observed this from the first few forays the opponents made at him. If I were Mourinho, I would have replaced him after 15 minutes (but do we have replacement? - Has Zouma been psyched enough to make him realize that he can do better than Cahill and surpass our old benchmark of a CB - (Ricardo Carvallho)? Cahill was Pathetic all through the game, and I am sure if he watches the video he will hate himself - He costed us the game simple!!!

others:

Ramires - strength no skill, that is biting us to this day - the opportunity that came his way instead of using the outside of the left foot to put a backward curve and roll the ball into the net he chose to use the inside of the foot - alas ball rolls out for spurs goalkick.

Willian - another energy speedstar who does everything well except the last thing kick or pass the ball to the right place

Oscar - maybe he is just a softy who lacks courage and is unaware of how good he can be.

Ivanovic - strong below average skills needs serious polishing.

Azpi- good man marker but no confidence in making a good pass or good goal - Maybe because he is been pushed to his weaker left foot role

Eden Hazard - Golden Boy!!! , but can he do it alone

Fabregas - Master passer - he should be the coach to the likes of Ramires/Ivanovic/Azpiculueta and make them better passers.

Diego Costa - the determined attacker - Good team player, because of the way we play he has been forced to be a member of the attacking squad and not a lone striker, if there was cohesion in the team his contributions would yield more results as he can always lay a pass for a finisher - but when you have the likes of Ramires, Azpiculueta or Ivanovic running into the box you can be assured that they are gonna kick the ball outside the goal - shame here.

My recommendations for Mourinho going forward.

1: Do something different in training - teach these boys how to network with each other accurately on the pitch.

2: Let all the players have @ least 1hr per training session on how to shoot at goal accurately from inside/outside the box with any foot either inside/outside of the feet. Currently we are very poor in that department that's why we don't score in high numbers. Our players should take cue from players like Yaya Toure, Lampard, Beckham, Finidi George & Pirlo.

Chelsea can be a better team If we address the shortcomings in our playing style - As it is for now we have no pattern and we just win when fortune shines on us, otherwise we end up with disastrous results like yesterdays game. If our team was completely cohesive we could have turned around yesterdays game and keep counterscoring till we win (there is the old adage 'the best defence is a very good attack').

3: Go to market go and shop for some more defenders and a couple more Intelligent midfielders. I have always said football goes beyond energy alone but acumen is also involved.

Just some few words to improve our game to the ultimate outcome of being champions.

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

Embarrassing and sick feeling how we made the likes of an average footballer that is Harry Kane look like a world beater.

I want to fucking vomit.

[Owizzy 19]

Embarrassing and sick feeling how we made the likes of an average footballer that is Harry Kane look like a world beater.

I want to fucking vomit.

Don't puke - Average footballer... mmm well thats the usual starting point for any footballer - thereafter the onus lies on the player to keep climbing to heights unimagined. Look at Christiano Ronaldo plot his graph from Lisbon - to MUFC - RM did you see the ascent. Any player can be what he wants to be depending on how devouted he is to the course of being a world class player. Or would you say James Rodriguez is an ordinary player and so will he remain?

We were beaten by guys who had less booze & women on New years eve Simple!

[unitedkingpin 21]

Still top of the league

Nope....joint top.

[Jase 43,479]

Thanks Jay.

And how would that solve the problem Jose was talking about about? He said that none of the players on the bench are as good as the starters. If he meant that, which is the question you asked, then how would mere rotation have solved it? I ask again, if Jose does not think the available backups are good enough then what could he have done about it in the last 1-2 months?

Was alluding to this.

Seems like we are finally paying the price for the lack of rotation in the last 1-2 months, especially in matches that we could rest players (e.g. the Sporting Lisbon match). People may point out the fact that the likes of Schurrle, Salah, Mikel, Luis etc have not been convincing when given the chance to play, which is true but as lionsden pointed out in the previous page, one cannot expect them to just be on form after one game like turning on/off the tap water. The players need consistent run of games or at least play matches that are close to one another, not one here and another one 5-6 games later or even just the last 10 minutes. You can't expect players to build up their rhythm, confidence and form by doing that. Mourinho should perhaps trust some of these squad players more and manage them better.

[unitedkingpin 21]

Has anyone check that have City facing Spurs away yet this season? I did, f*** me, lol.

You'd be shocked on the day....