blizeH

I hate to bring this guy up in this thread again, but I've just watched this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqoCTYQKtXY&feature=player_embedded# !Now, the first thing I noticed is just how people would hang onto every word he said. I'd love seeing pre and post match interviews with him, he's almost mesmerising with the way he speaks, and his passion for the game. By contrast, I find AVB to be rather droll. He may be very clever, but can this guy really inspire people with his words like all good managers should be able to? No doubt he knows his stuff. His record speaks for itself, but when things aren't going your way, does AVB seem like the kind of manager who can give a rousing team talk to really turn things around? Another thing that strikes me after watching that is just how much Mourinho wanted to win. There was an incredible determination about him, seemingly a hatred of failure, a "we cannot lose" mentality that was instilled throughout the players. I hate typing this as it's like I'm being really down on AVB, which I'm not trying to be, but I'm just a little worried that these missing traits could be a big part of why our performances have been subpar lately (and yes, I'm fully aware a lot of that blame is with the players too!)

If he stays he needs to be backed in the transfer market, simply because Roman will (hopefully) realise our current squad simply isn't up to it right now.

Ramires? Luiz? Ivanovic? Sturridge? Terry? I could go on... and anyway, all of our players deserve recognition you twat, even the ones who aren't on the best of form still deserve our support.

Ivanovic. And if AVB persists with Bosingwa at right back in future I'm going to f**king scream. The guy is so solid, yet also bombs forward at will, with a terrific cross and a real determination to make things happen.

Ivanovic was utterly superb for us today, very solid, great cross, liked to get forward - surely, surely he has to start every game at right back now when he's available? Especially when we have the likes of Terry, Luiz and Cahill vying for a spot in the middle.

Like it, but don't like the new kit a season thing :(

Good to hear, thank you Zola. I have to admit I was so frustrated to see (essentially) Bosingwa playing at Cahill's expense, and was really wondering what Cahill must have thought he's got himself into here.

I think Chelsea will need to finish at least fourth for AVB to stay in the job, which I have every faith we will do. From a selfish point I really quite enjoy watching us take on the finest clubs from around Europe (and have kinda come to take that for granted in the last 10 or so years) but from a club point of view (and not just a financial one) it could be a catastrophe, particularly in terms of trying to attract new players. But then look at Spurs... finished 5th, and came back stronger than ever. A year out of the CL certainly did them no harm and they're argueably playing the best football in the league right now (eugh, it hurts to say that!) Either way I think AVB is building something here. I just hope he has more conviction in his actions and not just his words, and the players who have been putting in very lackluster performances will make way (temporarily or otherwise) for players who are going to want to give their all for his cause. That's my main concern with AVB - at the start he was constantly trying new and different things. For whatever reason (his confidence was knocked, influence from above, or something else) he seems to have got quite set in his ways with the line up and we constantly see the same under-performing players in the starting line up. Please stop doing that AVB. You're better than that.

I can absolutely guarantee that if he gets the sack and moves onto another club (Inter?) he'll be a huge success and we'll all be on here kicking ourselves as we struggle on in the league with yet another manager. Not sure what the problem is. His record before Chelsea was immense, it shows he has serious ability as a manager, but something just is not right. In fact the way we're playing recently I'd go as far as to say something is very, very wrong. Unsure what the solution is.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/7523729/Courtois-wants-English-loan This lad seems to have his head screwed on. And genuinely seems like he's keen to play for Chelsea, especially since it seems like he's maybe willing to drop to a slightly lesser club than Atletico to get some Premiership experience. I was a little worried he'd get a bit too comfortable at Atletico... Needless to say I think this guy will be the real deal, already one of the best in La Liga, and incredibly young for a goalkeeper - we've got a real gem here. Hope we don't f**k it up.

http://www.glory-glo...-Grant-at-Spurs As much as my initial opinion is 'LOL' (assuming this actually happens) it could come back to bite us. Bearing in mind Avram got us closer than any other to a CL victory, and considering the state the team were in when he took over (7th I believe?) he did a damn good job in leading us to being very close runners up.

I don't know what's more offensive, the 'homophobic term' or the awful use of English

Interestingly, a Chelsea forum I used to go on would lock the 'live match' thread with all of the build up and open a new thread with the MotM vote in. I wonder if we could do that? Or at least add the MotM poll into the existing thread?

On a side note, I only caught the last third of the game yesterday, but in that time Lampard was our best player in terms of movement, vision, passing etc (although again, considering who he was up against that isn't saying much!

Arsenal were really on the ropes yesterday, they were really unlucky to concede the way they did but also certainly didn't deserve to win. Bodes well that the team we desperately need to overtake again still aren't all that. I was very impressed they managed to beat a very good Sunderland side, but having seen the game... I'm not quite so worried as I was

Sorry Zeta, but most of your comments can be brought back to the manager, or at least the training, tactics etc: "Cech - Quality keeper, but getting worse" In keeper ages, the guy has at least 10 years left in him. What possible reason is there why he should be getting consistently worse than he has been, I don't believe the blame lies exclusively with him. "Luiz - Skillful, lacks concentration, exciting, infuritating...unpredictable." So, a raw talent that needs nurturing and guided on how to sort his head out, his concentration out and his decision making out. "Cahill - Seems to be a good player from what little we've seen. I think he should be rotating with Terry and Luiz to form the 2 out of 3 CBs." Agreed, yet AVB has left him out entirely in 5 of 6 matches he's been here so far. "Ivanovic - Plays much better at RB and is somewhat wasted at CB, because it's no longer his natural position." Again, agreed - so why isn't AVB using him at right back, and our new England international signing at CB? "Bosingwa - If you believe most pundits, they'll say he's poor defensively, but "great going forward". Apparently 1 successful cross out of 20 is "great" nowadays. He costs us goals every time he plays, he makes stupid decisions and he shouldn't be anywhere near the starting 11." Yet he starts every single game. (other option is Ivan at RB, Cahill/Terry/Luiz at CB) "Merieles - Squad player, nothing more. Works reasonably hard, but can't tackle, can't intercept and often blazes his shots over the bar" Yet he starts every single game. (other option pick from Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Romeu, Josh should not have gone on loan etc) "Sturridge - He is getting more and more selfish every game, choosing to stop, turn, stop turn, run, stop, turn, stop, run, turn, shoot." You said yourself, the manager is the one person who should be sorting this out, as Mourinho did with Joe Cole. "Drogba - When he decides to turn up, he can still be a match winner... sulks around the pitch" Again, this is something the manager should really be looking at. Sorry to pick by the way, I've always been behind AVB, but your post has highlighted many problems that could have, and should have been stamped out by him already.

Not a rival, but god damn, what a goal from Fletcher

It's depressing having watched quite a few games this weekend, just how poor we look compared to almost every other team I've seen. Even West Brom now, finally ahead, are playing some amazing football - great movement, amazing work-rate and desire, they're playing like a well-oiled machine. Playing together, everyone knows their role and what they should be doing. We still have one of the best squads in the league. Compare our squad's to say Arsenal, who moved above us yesterday, or Newcastle/Liverpool who aren't far behind us either, yet we're really struggling to get results lately. With the players we have, we shouldn't be so far off the pace. And we certainly shouldn't be worrying about losing a CL spot. Saying that, I do still have faith in AVB somehow, we're utterly dreadful at the moment though, and yes we may need to strengthen the squad in certain areas, but then we've had two transfer windows to do that and arguably in January at least we were greatly weakened, especially since Anelka actually looked pretty good this season when we actually gave him a chance.

edit

Bertand needs to step in, this is a joke right now. Two games in a row that Cole has been utterly woeful.

We got the piss taken out of by a player who often couldn't even make the Tottenham bench. Not good.

We're f**king terrible at the moment and have a squad full of players that teams above and around us would love to have. That has to tell you something.

Lol!

Shame it wasn't a Suarez own goal