closed Watford 1-2 Chelsea

[Blue Armour 4,300]

1 hour ago, bigbluewillie said:

For me there was only one Chelsea player that came out with any credit and that's Kai Havertz

Would add Mount, and also maybe Silva (defense were like 6s and 7s until he came on).

[Blue Armour 4,300]

1 hour ago, Jase said:

Even if they drop points, they have had a history of showing amazing consistency in recent seasons to stay up there and that's something still unknown with us because we hadn't challenged for the title since 2016/17. Can we really handle the pressure every week as the leaders? Can we handle it later in the season during March, April if we are still up there? So many questions, unknowns etc to be answered with this group.

I don't know about every week. 

But you have to admit that games like this one, Brentford away and Pool away show that this side is made of stronger stuff. Especially this one, considering we were largely second best and playing with a depleted squad. 

 

[Superblue 6,370]

2 hours ago, Jase said:

Even if they drop points, they have had a history of showing amazing consistency in recent seasons to stay up there and that's something still unknown with us because we hadn't challenged for the title since 2016/17. Can we really handle the pressure every week as the leaders? Can we handle it later in the season during March, April if we are still up there? So many questions, unknowns etc to be answered with this group.

Definitely they've both set the benchmark and as you said have shown the recent experience and expertise for a title fight.

At present, 14 games in, we're trending towards 90 points for the season. I think realistically getting the experience and exposure of a title race this season and running it hard to the end of the season will be a significant improvement on everything since Conte's first season. to 

As you mentioned remains to be seen how we can handle the pressure later in the season if we're still in the race but I do think we've shown a lot more mettle in games this season than we have in recent seasons to grind results out and find ways to win which can hopefully only bode well.

 

[Tomo 21,733]

13 hours ago, Pizy said:

West Ham will run all over us if we are anywhere near this poor at the weekend. I pray Reece and Kante are fit. Jorginho, too.

And we'd have never won the UCL if played as poorly in the final as we did against Porto in the quarter.

Two games are never the same.

[Jase 43,479]

1 hour ago, Blue Armour said:

I don't know about every week. 

But you have to admit that games like this one, Brentford away and Pool away show that this side is made of stronger stuff. Especially this one, considering we were largely second best and playing with a depleted squad. 

 

22 minutes ago, Superblue_1986 said:

As you mentioned remains to be seen how we can handle the pressure later in the season if we're still in the race but I do think we've shown a lot more mettle in games this season than we have in recent seasons to grind results out and find ways to win which can hopefully only bode well.

It's one thing to do it in a game here and a game there but it's another to do it over 38 games. If we go deep in the cup competitions, then there will also be those to contend with on top of the Premier League. This team hasn't experienced this before. So we are still in the unknown when it comes to this. We have been burned too many times over the last decade on false dawns. 

[Pizy 18,404]

2 hours ago, Tomo said:

And we'd have never won the UCL if played as poorly in the final as we did against Porto in the quarter.

Two games are never the same.

Second half against Brentford, large stretches against Burnley, most of yesterdays match. Becoming a theme this season against vastly inferior sides. Shit teams are told to press us high and basically play bully ball and we struggle massively with it. At least against Brentford and Burnley we played well for much of the games. Yesterday we were shit for about 85% of the game.

West Ham have dipped slightly recently but are a much better side than than these other teams we’ve struggled against. And they love to get physical and press.

If we line up with Alonso and Azpi as the wing backs again and a midfield without any of Kante, Kova, and Jorginho we will absolutely struggle.

[MoroccanBlue 5,318]

At the very least James and one of Jorginho, Kante, and Kovacic needs to be fit for West Ham. 

[Tomo 21,733]

4 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Second half against Brentford, large stretches against Burnley, most of yesterdays match. Becoming a theme this season against vastly inferior sides. Shit teams are told to press us high and basically play bully ball and we struggle massively with it. At least against Brentford and Burnley we played well for much of the games. Yesterday we were shit for about 85% of the game.

West Ham have dipped slightly recently but are a much better side than than these other teams we’ve struggled against. And they love to get physical and press.

If we line up with Alonso and Azpi as the wing backs again and a midfield without any of Kante, Kova, and Jorginho we will absolutely struggle.

Large stretches against Burnley? We were every bit as good if not better than we were against Leicester and Juve but sadly Pope was sensational.

Brentford fair enough, however yesterday we played the midfield 4 we would usually only see in the league cup, ofcourse it was going to get a bit chaotic.

[Warning_Hazard 156]

5 minutes ago, Tomo said:

Large stretches against Burnley? We were every bit as good if not better than we were against Leicester and Juve but sadly Pope was sensational.

Brentford fair enough, however yesterday we played the midfield 4 we would usually only see in the league cup, ofcourse it was going to get a bit chaotic.

Injuries are hampering us, Most of the games you speak of we've not had our ideal starting 11, For me last night we looked a different team but im penning that down to who we had availiable ands whos out but we still won so we should be whipping the horses onwards, Top of the league.

Edited December 2, 2021 by Warning_Hazard

[BringBillyBack08 1]

4 hours ago, Warning_Hazard said:

Injuries are hampering us, Most of the games you speak of we've not had our ideal starting 11, For me last night we looked a different team but im penning that down to who we had availiable ands whos out but we still won so we should be whipping the horses onwards, Top of the league.

Add to the mix that all 6 changes for one game with most not playing together on a week to week basis it was always going to be tough. I.m.o the Leicester and Juve performances were top drawer. So to play poorly and still win away from home has surely got to be a plus point not a negative? It wouldn't be Chels if we didnt do it the hard way ......  Since 1905 .. KTBFFH