closed Stoke 1-2 Chelsea

[Fulham Broadway 16,987]

23 minutes ago, Johnnyeye said:

i find it baffling that teams are set out to play like this against us, just kicking our players, what a disgrace for the game, just play football for farks sake, such bad sportsmanship, but it shows how well we are doing this season and its messing with everyone´s heads. Cheers

I was reminiscing back to school when we played one touch football or no contact football - we'd beat every team 9-10 nil under those conditions !

[Thor 2,475]

Thought we played well. You'd think we were 2 goals down reading this thread during the game.
RLC was a runaway best on ground for me. His physicality in the middle changed the game for us. Really nice hold up play as well as a few great link ups.

I think he can grow with the team. Not ready for constant minutes but he can serve a purpose.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Special Juan 27,559]

Whilst it was tough, it was always going going to be tough. Hazard missing and against a very physical side who battle for everything. Now hold that thought "They battle for everything" if this had been Arsenal they would of caved in, and that's the difference between us and them and a lot of us in this league...We stand up, we never shirk our responsibility and we scrap if it's a scrap and play football when it's needed.

This was as terrific performance in so many ways.

[Johnnyeye 7,458]

2 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said:

I was reminiscing back to school when we played one touch football or no contact football - we'd beat every team 9-10 nil under those conditions !

yeah, but for me not so great as i grew up playing as a goalkeeper haha, i got a lot better with time

[Roquila 1,335]

MY MAN ANTONIOOOO

[The Skipper 20,593]

8 minutes ago, Jason said:

Love the overrating of Christensen and Zouma.

The thing is, there aren't many outstanding CBs out there at the moment, so we might as well work with what we've got. Christensen and Zouma have pretty high ceilings anyway. 

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

RUBEN LOFTUS CHEEK getting more minutes than MICHY BATS is not acceptable.

This is #FakeNews from Antonio Conte.

[Unionjack 7,531]

We knew it was going to be a dig deep, dirty game and there wasn't really any suprizes.

Not all games are beautiful with flowing passes and long dribbles.

Some like today you just gotta dig in and wait for your chances to come.

A wins a win and I'll take them as they come.

1 down 7 to go!

[Jase 43,479]

5 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

The thing is, there aren't many outstanding CBs out there at the moment, so we might as well work with what we've got. Christensen and Zouma have pretty high ceilings anyway. 

Having high ceiling is one thing but whether or not they fit Conte's style is another. Christensen will maybe get a look in next season but Zouma may not. He's a bit like a Cahill. Can defend when sitting back but average 1-v-1 and looks cumbersome on the ball.

[Pizy 18,538]

16 minutes ago, Jason said:

Love the overrating of Christensen and Zouma.

Both good enough to be squad players which is what they will be. Luiz obviously won't be dropped next season and Azpi either. That leaves only one spot.

[Jase 43,479]

3 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Both good enough to be squad players which is what they will be. Luiz obviously won't be dropped next season and Azpi either. That leaves only one spot.

Being squad players may not help their development and while we have done well with the Azpi-Luiz-Cahill combo this season, we definitely still an upgrade in there.

[cosmicway 1,333]

1 hour ago, Johnnyeye said:

i know Cahill scored the winner but i voted for Loftus Cheek for man of the match, changed the game for us

He should have made it 4-1.

[The Skipper 20,593]

4 minutes ago, Thor said:

Thought we played well. You'd think we were 2 goals down reading this thread during the game.
RLC was a runaway best on ground for me. His physicality in the middle changed the game for us. Really nice hold up play as well as a few great link ups.

I think he can grow with the team. Not ready for constant minutes but he can serve a purpose.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

Seems like that forward role is truly his best position. Conte saw it from ages ago. If he can develop a killer mental in the final third he'd actually be a very good player. We should get Lampard to teach him his tricks.

[The Skipper 20,593]

32 minutes ago, Jason said:

Having high ceiling is one thing but whether or not they fit Conte's style is another. Christensen will maybe get a look in next season but Zouma may not. He's a bit like a Cahill. Can defend when sitting back but average 1-v-1 and looks cumbersome on the ball.

But we need a defender like Zouma. You don't just get the same sort of players. A player of Zouma's profile is needed in the squad. Very useful late game and also actually a good natural defender. People have forgotten that when fully fit and on form the guy is actually a good one v one defender. I will stick my neck out and say Zouma can still be a very good defender.

Naturally people have forgotten because he's been out for long but he was our best CB by far before he got injured.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Even though we ground out that win, I think we played well overall today. We hit the post twice, grant made 4 very good saves, we scored twice and Stoke had one shot on target all game from a soft penalty. All this without hazard and Costa having a mare in the first half, it was a good, well fought performance. 

[Tomo 21,740]

2 hours ago, BoyBlue96 said:

Wheels are falling off

You said this in the Swansea game too, are you going to every time were on terms?

[Special Juan 27,559]

If people feel tense they type and think the team feel like that.....I understand we are not playing the ultimate football but for god sake we are 13 clear and for some there are no positives.

What a position and moment we are in, I for one am delighted and thankful.

[Jase 43,479]

14 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

But we need a defender like Zouma. You don't just get the same sort of players. A player of Zouma's profile is needed in the squad. Very useful late game and also actually a good natural defender. People have forgotten that when fully fit and on form the guy is actually a good one v one defender. I will stick my neck out and say Zouma can still be a very good defender.

Naturally people have forgotten because he's been out for long but he was our best CB by far before he got injured.

No, I haven't forgotten but the profile of this side under Conte is different to the one under Mourinho. And given his age, ideally, you would want him to be playing week in week out and develop his game rather than just sit on the bench for the most of the time.