Closed Chelsea 1-1 Southampton

[FabHazard 655]

Really pleased with the second half performance..the intensity and passing was lot better ..if our players had taken their chances we could have won this game...

matic and fabregas were bad in the first half ..oscar was awful entire match..cuadrado looked terrible in his cameo but expected as he barely played

costa hazard and courtois looked very good

[kellzfresh 7,229]

We just wasted the whole first half.

I accept everyone of our players are shit and weak when they are pressing us, what i dont accept is us not pressing them back and playing so slow like that first half.

[Barbara 15,149]

I'd be embarrassed if I were those players after that first half presentation. Embarrassed. Mourinho didn't change the system, only got Matic out of the match because he was a second away from a second yellow and being sent off. Ramires did exactly the same job. There was no difference in how we played, except the players actually gave a fuck in the second.

I'm bloody tired of those guys being so nonchalant, careless and just entering the pitch to make it count as 11 players. The second half presentation came probably after a wakeup call by Mourinho in the break, and it shows it can't be physical. There's no rational, believable way to explain players aren't performing because they're tired because they're overplayed when after 45 minutes they finally play.

Also, we criticize Mourinho for the lack of rotation. What has Cuadrado done? Remember Ramires midweek? Except Zouma - who definitely has a case - and Luís who's moe suitable for games at home, who else can Mourinho rotate in this team? Remy and Drogba didn't show to be any better than Costa (actually Costa was one of our best players there today imo), we don't have options for the AMs (there's no questioning about how bad Oscar has been and how useless Willian is in the attack). Who's to replace Cesc - the worst by far imo today. At least Oscar improved some in the second (even if he missed two goals he should have scored) as did Willian and Hazard ran the show as usual. But Cesc was just as lethargic, slow, soft and uninspired as he was in the first. Maybe slightly better because Ramires really improved our midfield.

So I'd love for the people blaming Mourinho to tell me what system or players he can employ that would have changed how we played the first half. I don't think Zouma would have changed our overall performance - he isn't a midfielder, where the problem basically resided - and Luís could have brought some impact, but even then, I don't see something eye catching they would have brought when we were just easily outplayed in the midfield by Saints - who completely dominated the match after scoring.

We're lucky to be six points ahead of City - and seven ahead of Arsenal. I'd be surprised if our lead at the end of May is bigger than 3 points.

[Gappy 130]

to me Cuadrado was a joke if he play like this better bring Schurley back

[Laylabelle 9,534]

I don't know what you're watching if you thought that was our typical performance given how we've played recently.

Boys turned up in the second half and gave it their all.

second half maybe but first half was dire.

Just seems as late we take a lead and sit back until the other lot score.

don't often look convincing and didn't first half today either.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Great effort by the boys in the second half. That was the best 45 min I've seen them play in I don't know how long. Fair enough, Southampton's energy level dropped after that first half but still. The ball was moved around quickly, they played with intensity, the players were moving. This resulted in space to operate in and all of sudden, the opposition defence was put to work. Chances were being created and the team looked like scoring. Unfortunately, the ball wouldn't go in.

Fair play to Southampton for some solid defending and Forster for some fine goalkeeping. It was frustrating, but it happens. After all those poor matches (for me anyway) I've had to endure for so long now, I'll take that 2nd half performance and hope for more of that in the coming games. Play like that and winning the league should be no problem with this lead.

My man Hazard really turned it up in the 2nd half. What a gem. Fabregas was still sloppy and too easily passed by, but he showed some positive stuff as well. Diego was good too.

Schneiderlin was fantastic. For Mourinho's approach, he would make a fine signing. I find it hard to say how good he actually is, how he'd do at an elite club. But he would definitely make a great squad option. One thing's for sure, I'd much rather have Schneiderlin in the middle than Mikel or Ramires in the big games.

Spot on on every single point here, exactly how I saw the game.

On Schneiderlin as well, he would be a fantastic signing, I agree. He'd be the perfect squad player in midfield for us. Ideal replacement for Matic and a midfield three of Schneiderlin - Matic - Fab would also be very good in big games.

[zolayes 14,489]

Good performances from Courtois and Hazard... 2 out of 14... although Remy not given enough time so call it 2 out of 13

[cosmicway 1,333]

Schurle was certainly better than Cuadrado (from what we see from him so far).
Hazard's main preoccupation is outside the box.

That leaves Costa who does n't look the player to create the miracle -like Bayern's Miller does for ex. He is a reliable one, if found in the right place at the write time but he can't pull things out of the fire I 'm afraid.
Willian is a little fellow. How can he score ? Only with his long range shots.

It's the pattern, weeks now. No goals, dried up.

The first half in which Southampton should have scored four is a different story. The defense was at sea. No person to person marking whatsoever. That was put right in the second half even though Southampton managed to create some more dangers.

[The Skipper 20,609]

I'd be embarrassed if I were those players after that first half presentation. Embarrassed. Mourinho didn't change the system, only got Matic out of the match because he was a second away from a second yellow and being sent off. Ramires did exactly the same job. There was no difference in how we played, except the players actually gave a fuck in the second.

I disagree, there were clear changes in our approach in the 2nd. We increased our tempo, played a much higher line, Fabregas was allowed to push forward a lot more and we weren't as compact as we were before. We pressed a lot more as well. These are all the changes Mourinho made for us in the 2nd. It wasn't purely the players. I commend him for that.

[cosmicway 1,333]

Interesting to see what jose will say about the penalty they got, It was not a penalty! 100%

Against Ivanovitch it was more of a penalty.

[LukakutoStamford 779]

What the hell are you talking about ? We dominated the second half and should have scored 3 -4 times easily. Southampton didn't do anything

Matic should have been sent off for a second yellow as Dean was pulling out the card and realized Magic was already on yellow.

Southampton was still terrorizing the back line creating chances.

[Special Juan 28,133]

Sadness is all over me right now, failing to punish what Burnley did has really annoyed the shit out of me. I know it's a point but I'm fucking greedy and wanted the full three.

Really thought we played flat, without zest and it took the crowd to get at them for the lads to come and out and show a half decent 2nd half.

The lads looked fucked and void of ideas.

[Barbara 15,149]

I also think the sale of Schurrley and the addition of Cuadrado mid season was a huge mistake!

I said it many times, but as I'm a Shirley fangirl - I don't even deny it - people thought it was just my feelings for him. Cuadrado is a waste of space, money and when we have Oscar and Willian contributing negatively or with nothing in our attack, we look to the bench and see Cuadrado instead of Shirley, I understand why the Brazilians start every match.

Also too bad that yellow for Cesc didn't come. He wasn't good for even that today, as he never challenged/tackled/pressed any Saints play at all, let alone with enough force to draw a yellow.

[longguilol 14]

Why the fuck is Mourinho not rotating the squad? I'm tired of his shit house negative mentality.

[didierforever 7,349]

poor first half, great second half. on any other day, we could/should have won the match easily.

courtois - kept us in the game in the first half.

IVA - good assist but dire in defence.

GC- decent game. covered well for iva who was no where,

JT - got owned by LONG time and again.

azpi - solid performance.

matic - horrible. absolutely horrendous. lucky not to be sent off.

cesc - another horrible performance. only time he started playing is when soton dropped off and just played for a point. the number of times he lost the ball was troubling.

willian- decent game. but not a goal threat.

oscar - HHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH... what a con artist. all this time he has somehow made us believe us that he is a PRO football player.

hazard - influential in the first 10 mins, then slept off. but as soon as oscar was told to fuck off on the wing and hazard played central, we were a 100 times better,

costa - MOTM.

subs -

rambo - when he came on, i thought we were dead, but changed the match. did everything matic usually does. covering for the defenders, spreadin the play, breakin the play, getting the ball back,

juan - very poor

remy - should start next match on the RW with willian in center.