Chelsea V Man.Utd - match ratings

[strong centreback 157]

Petr Cech 7 - Good performance from the big guy

Jose Bosingwa 4 - Out of position for the goal and whilst good getting forward poor in defence

Branislav Ivanovic 6- solid performance

John Terry 8 - lead by example unfourtunately though not many followed

Ashley Cole 6 - some good defensive work but attacking play was limited

Ramires 7 - was a threat when on the ball and unlucky not to get the penalty late on, our best midfielder by a clear distance

Micheal Essien 5 - didnt have a good game had little impact and could have been sent off

Frank Lampard 5 - like mike didnt have a good game infact had quite a bad game in all honesty, when frank has a bad game the team has a bad game as he is our main creative outlet

Yuri Zhirkov 6 - didnt have a good nor poor game was just seemingly there, had a few good runs but besides that a game to forget

Fernando Torres 7 - made good runs and was working hard to chase balls down, him and drogs do not work together up top, vastly better partnership when anelka came on

Didier Drogba 6 - tale of two halfs, first was good worked hard got stuck in, second the petulance started when decisions started going against us, rightly subbed as in that mood he either raises his game and has a stormer or like last night goes off the boil and stops working for the team unfortunately it was the latter last night

SUBS

Florent Malouda 6 - provided fresh attacking impetuous

Nicolas Anelka 6 - lovely link up play, and id start with him and torres at OT

John Obi Mikel 6 - see zhirkov

[TomCFC 357]

Cech 7

Bosingwa 5

Ivanovic 6

Terry 7

Cole 6

Ramires 7

Essien 5

Lampard 5

Zhirkov 5

Torres 7

Drogba 6

Malouda 6

Anelka 6

Mikel 6

[Peace. 4,352]

Cech - 7 - As usual, I would say.

Bosingwa - 3 - Since his come back he didn't convince me once. But now he has clearly convinced me that we should sell him in the summer. He can't defend nor cross a God damn ball (all his crosses either hit the first defender or go in the stand).

Ivanovic - 6,5 - Did the job.

John Terry - 7 - Like above.

Ashley Cole - 6 - ditto.

Essien - 3 - Abysmal.

Lampard - 3 - Abysmal.

Ramires - 5 - He wasn't implied in the game as usual, but still a good game from him. From the "flop" he turned into our best midfielder.

Zhirkov - 5 - Not a great game at all. But I believe he hasn't been handled correctly, he should have had 20 minutes of playing time (at least) against Stoke, because we threw him in a big big game, while he hasn't played a game for a while.

Drogba - 7,5 - I'm really pleased by his commitment. He can be execrable when he's doing his antics, but he was the our best player last night, and he was the one with the more motivition... During some 20 minutes, it was "Dider Drogba Vs Manutd".

Torres - 5 - Well, he has done good moves here and there, but that's all.

Malouda - the wrong substitution.

Anelka - ?

Mikel - 5 - He didn't have that much of time to show things. Though it was enough to show why he should have started the game.

[Ollie 4,400]

Quite funny reading this really, such differing opinions on Torres and Drogba on who was better. I was even arguing with ppl at work today on who was better. I think ppl are just saying Torres was shit because he aint scored yet. He was good yesterday and a huge threat. Drogba provided no goalscoring threat, he was just moaning for the majority, running into players, losing the ball and failing to pick anyone out.

Torres took on and beat players, had 4 or 5 efforts which almost got us the goal, a bit more luck and he woulda got 3.

Drogba has the presence but he's a striker, he didn't look like one yesterday imo, his positioning was also crap. Torres' movement was better too. I dont remember a DD shot on target.

[Tortilla9 390]

Quite funny reading this really, such differing opinions on Torres and Drogba on who was better. I was even arguing with ppl at work today on who was better. I think ppl are just saying Torres was shit because he aint scored yet. He was good yesterday and a huge threat. Drogba provided no goalscoring threat, he was just moaning for the majority, running into players, losing the ball and failing to pick anyone out.

Torres took on and beat players, had 4 or 5 efforts which almost got us the goal, a bit more luck and he woulda got 3.

Drogba has the presence but he's a striker, he didn't look like one yesterday imo, his positioning was also crap. Torres' movement was better too. I dont remember a DD shot on target.

I'm in a media blackout but I've read a view different Chelsea forums and there seems to be a split on the Torres/Drogba issue. This seems to summarize the general tone.

Pro-Torres camp:

Not being funny, but Drogba had one clear sight of goal and put it straight down the keeper's throat. Other than that he mis-controlled, poorly passed, or otherwise ceded possession all night. In the 10-15 minutes before the substitution he was regressing into his normal selfish, one man army routine that helps nobody. After Drogba went off, we nearly scored several times - including Torres bringing a world class save from VDS.

Pro-Drogba camp:

If thats how you saw it fair enough, but I disagree . I thought Drogs was far busier and posed far more of a threat than Torres. The Spaniard once again flattered to deceive. I thought Anelka made a difference when he came on and I feel that had Drogs still been on the field we would have created better chances than we did with Torres. The VDS saves were class but did not result from 'great' chances which I think Drogs/Anelka might have manufactured. It was pathetic to see Torres diving. Is he really that desperate ?

[dodojojo 510]

I dont remember a DD shot on target.

He had at least one, early in the game when he thundered in a shot that VDS tipped out for a corner...if my faulty memory serves me right.

Torres had a great opportunity early on too, when he intercepted the ball, had acres of space, brought the ball into box but slipped just as he shot and it ended up a tame save for VDS.