Closed Leicester 2-1 Chelsea

[LAM09 7,069]

Lesson learnt, heart and desire over money and names.

A team over individuals. Always been the case

[cosmicway 1,333]

When a player's time is up you can't bring him back.

With football stars it happens every time. Your man is a giant until May-June but come September he is a different quantity - he is wasted. I think most stars ended that way. Maybe they soldier it out for one season then they have to go.

If it happens to 5-6 simultaneously then it's big trouble.

It's a rare occurence but we are right into it at this moment and without very big measures I 'm afraid it's a very dangerous situation probably for years to come.

Can a youth squad make it ?

The youth squad everyone remembers in Greece was Panathinaikos of 1966. That time it was n't old age or anything like that to blame but a dispute in the team made 6 or 7 of the divas leave the club. The youngsters were inexperienced but very good. Against all the 2nd-3d-4th class rated teams they managed to win. Two seasons later PAO won the league again with them, plus make it to the European champions final (1971 Wembley against Ajax). Miraculous for a Greek team.
That was a phenomenal youth team - does n't happen everytime.
So the truth is one needs budget to create a championship winning team.

[cosmicway 1,333]

Speaking of youngsters though, there are some managers who have a speciality in building teams.

Some names of the past I know:

Gina Simonovski (Jugoslav)
Jaczek Gmoch (Polish)

[WNDS 502]

This match actually proved as bad as Fabregas has been, him being dropped is not the answer. Same team against Porto yet we still were dominated and overran like we have been all season. Again, the system is broke, the team does not have an identity and it seems the players are guessing as to what to do when they receive the ball.

This match was yet more evidence in favour of what just about every Chelsea fan already knows to be true: our options at CM are hugely inadequate. Neither Ramires nor Fabregas can handle being pressed, with the former simply not possessing the levels of technique required, and the latter having no mobility or athleticism whatsoever. Mikel is a solid squad option, but not someone who should be starting for us with any regularity if his midfield partner is going to be Matic.

We need to find ourselves a CM who is both genuinely dynamic and fairly comfortable with the ball at their feet, and we need to get them this January. It doesn't necessarily need to be someone who is going to cost a fortune, just someone who will do the job required of them and provide our CM with greater balance. This is where our scouts (should) come in....

[Azpinator 2,325]

This shit is so dramatic it can easily be turned into an Adele album.

[Muzchap 8,966]

This shit is so dramatic it can easily be turned into an Adele album.

Rolling in the deep

Let's hope we end up with more than 25 points

[chelseawise 115]

Funny how Remy has been sitting on the bench when we are chasing goals and then comes on and scores. He also had one great chance which was terrible to fuck up by him. Imagine if he scored that one as well!

Even if he scored three after coming on, Costa would still start next game.

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

They should transfer the players' and managing staff''s salaries into the accounts of all the fans who have put up with the crap we've been fed for months.

What a happy day that would be.

I like the way you think..

And for the record, i don't even like venturing into the whole 'captain, leader legend schtick'. Not all players are hardwired that way to publicly display their emotion, and are not the rah rah type like Ballack, John Terry or Drogba, I get it.

But you can at least show it with your play/appreciation to the fans. Even in times of crisis. If those guys from before were still here, we'd all be upset at currently being 5th, maybe even 6th at the worst. The equivalent of being 6/7pts off from 4th place. IMO.

I just can't get over how weak/fragile this squad is. PSG summed up this squad all too well. Give them a Man advantage? they lose their shit. Tough match away from home, leading by one? cancel all hope of producing that killer goal to finish the match. Didn't score the first goal in a match? that's it game over.

@Kellzfresh summed up this team best when he points out how limited too many of our key players are.

This lot are just not well-rounded footballers.

idk how you find said leaders, or judge that aspect of a player from afar, but it's painfully clear, that after JT goes, we'll just be a lot of mercenaries.

With Fabregas as our leader into Battle on an away trip to WHL.

Gotta find that English/African core once again lol.

[Stats 7,153]

What the hell was Terry doing for Vardy's goal please? Embarrassing.

[manpe 10,861]

Tbf not many teams have gone to Leicester and picked up points. It was always going to be a long shot for us. What bums me the most is that we have sunk to a level where we basically have stopped hoping for anything, performances like that don't encourage much faith anymore - it's mid December! Improvement has been marginal, not sufficient. Also, when you have inconsistent players like Oscar, Fabregas, Ramires and Matic playing in key positions, you will get inconsistent team performances. Our midfield is flat out useless no matter how you combine the personnel. We need a leader there! We have no damn leaders above the defensive line and it shows. Everybody is acting on wrong instincts, there is no one in there to tell them what the fuck they should or should not be doing. Mourinho can only do so much when not involved in the game himself. He insinuated that by saying the players are not doing in games what they are doing in training.

This is depressing, I think it's beyond repair if those players and Mourinho continue together, neither is responding to each other. And they just won the title together, the bond should be there.. but it is not for reasons unexplainable. Bold decisions need to be made at the top, the minions below are destroying the club.

[-Kaplan- 410]

Really hoping we get S.G. Eriksson now!

[zolayes 14,489]

I like the way you think..

And for the record, i don't even like venturing into the whole 'captain, leader legend schtick'. Not all players are hardwired that way to publicly display their emotion, and are not the rah rah type like Ballack, John Terry or Drogba, I get it.

But you can at least show it with your play/appreciation to the fans. Even in times of crisis. If those guys from before were still here, we'd all be upset at currently being 5th, maybe even 6th at the worst. The equivalent of being 6/7pts off from 4th place. IMO.

I just can't get over how weak/fragile this squad is. PSG summed up this squad all too well. Give them a Man advantage? they lose their shit. Tough match away from home, leading by one? cancel all hope of producing that killer goal to finish the match. Didn't score the first goal in a match? that's it game over.

@Kellzfresh summed up this team best when he points out how limited too many of our key players are.

This lot are just not well-rounded footballers.

idk how you find said leaders, or judge that aspect of a player from afar, but it's painfully clear, that after JT goes, we'll just be a lot of mercenaries.

With Fabregas as our leader into Battle on an away trip to WHL.

Gotta find that English/African core once again lol.

I was hopeful of a Brazillian Belgian British ,, core ,, but the heart of it was ripped out

[DYC. 7,542]

I like the way you think..

And for the record, i don't even like venturing into the whole 'captain, leader legend schtick'. Not all players are hardwired that way to publicly display their emotion, and are not the rah rah type like Ballack, John Terry or Drogba, I get it.

But you can at least show it with your play/appreciation to the fans. Even in times of crisis. If those guys from before were still here, we'd all be upset at currently being 5th, maybe even 6th at the worst. The equivalent of being 6/7pts off from 4th place. IMO.

I just can't get over how weak/fragile this squad is. PSG summed up this squad all too well. Give them a Man advantage? they lose their shit. Tough match away from home, leading by one? cancel all hope of producing that killer goal to finish the match. Didn't score the first goal in a match? that's it game over.

@Kellzfresh summed up this team best when he points out how limited too many of our key players are.

This lot are just not well-rounded footballers.

idk how you find said leaders, or judge that aspect of a player from afar, but it's painfully clear, that after JT goes, we'll just be a lot of mercenaries.

With Fabregas as our leader into Battle on an away trip to WHL.

Gotta find that English/African core once again lol.

When you win, players are leaders and love the club. When you lose, they are mercenaries and don't care.

Chelsea's and Man Utd's old leaders are nothing like Barca's or Bayern's or Juve's leaders but they're all considered leaders. It's a very interesting term.

[Changingman_2000 876]

Hazard will have to go sadly, a pale, pale shadow of what he was last season. He was the player in question, getting treatment from Eva when Jose went into one. Maybe that has bent his head, I have no idea, but, at present, he is the poor man's Kevin McAllister.

Costa, his style of the bully boy centre forward, he just makes himself look silly. The only other player I can judge him against, in a similar role is Joe Jordan. Jordan was a mare for defender's, he didn't give a fuck and went in as hard as they did, if not even more so. Costa is a million miles from what Jordan done. From memory, no one would dare attempt to wind up Jordan. Costa, before it's too late, should check him out via YouTube. He might learn something.

Ivanovic, the decline has been startling. Fabregas seems of the opinion "I got my title medal I should have got with Arsenal, job done". Matic is a completely different player now, he has zero influence in games these days.

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

When you win, players are leaders and love the club. When you lose, they are mercenaries and don't care.

Chelsea's and Man Utd's old leaders are nothing like Barca's or Bayern's or Juve's leaders but they're all considered leaders. It's a very interesting term.

That is true.. and is why I don't like venturing into said area, but you don't feel like the previous chelsea spine under JM were leaders of men? They may not compare to Barca/Bayern legends, but that's a whole different argument right there. I mean, i'd like to think that JT, Lampard, and Drogba were all C.L.L's for Chelsea, no?

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

I was hopeful of a Brazillian Belgian British ,, core ,, but the heart of it was ripped out

I'm assuming you mean the English core?

Yeah after JT departs, who's going to be that English face of the club? Cahill? And subsequently, who's going to be that next Chelsea youth prospect to make it to the first team?

Some people may not value this, but I do. Something has to be said about an English club not having one of their 'own' (from both nationality and youth ranks) and having one that's also as good on the pitch as JT has been for us. It's part of the aurora of football.. Or at least for me that is.

[DYC. 7,542]

That is true.. and is why I don't like venturing into said area, but you don't feel like the previous chelsea spine under JM were leaders of men? They may not compare to Barca/Bayern legends, but that's a whole different argument right there. I mean, i'd like to think that JT, Lampard, and Drogba were all C.L.L's for Chelsea, no?

They were character players, definitely.

No, I wasn't comparing them to Barca/Bayern legends as players. I mean their players, whether that's Xavi, Iniesta, Robben, Lahm, Pirlo, Vidal, Pirlo, are known as leaders but their nothing like JT, Drogba, Scholes, Giggs when comparing their personalities and their connection to their clubs. Touré and David Silva are nothing like them either but they are the leaders and City men. That's why I find the term leader interesting. It always seems to pop up when you lose.

I find it very hard to define a leader. How is Drogba a leader compared to Iniesta and Zlatan? Do leaders lose? Schweinsteiger's and Lahm's leadership was questioned after losing the CL final in 2012 and missing out on all the other trophies (lost the CL final of 2010 as well). They were legendary leaders after winning the treble in 2013.

But whatever. Chelsea is crap and it sucks.

[zolayes 14,489]

I'm assuming you mean the English core?

Yeah after JT departs, who's going to be that English face of the club? Cahill? And subsequently, who's going to be that next Chelsea youth prospect to make it to the first team?

Some people may not value this, but I do. Something has to be said about an English club not having one of their 'own' (from both nationality and youth ranks) and having one that's also as good on the pitch as JT has been for us. It's part of the aurora of football.. Or at least for me that is.

I used British as B B B but meant English ,, Terry and Cahill still ,, RLC Baker Solanke in the future along with Abraham ,

we were promised to be helping England but just more empty words

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

I am in so much pain. I am feeling pretty much broken and I don't have much left or anything to say. I feel so sorry for the Chelsea Fans in London, who are feeling the pain much worse than me, being much closer to Stamford Bridge.

[Spike 12,049]

There was a rare and mysterious sighting of Fabregas' skill and guile today.