Nibs

Especially Joe he did so much really. What did Joe Cole in the last months ? GB I can't believe the problem you have with Joe Cole He's come back and looked pretty bloody good. Played well against Blackburn and if it wasn't for him, I really don't think we would have turned the game around against Valencia in the second half when he came on. Robben is a decent player on his day but has been way too inconsistent. The fact is, as good as Robben can be, he hasn't given us anything like as much as Cole has up to now. You should accept that.

Lets not give them ANY points this time around. We could take Dean Ashton of their hands this time WHEN they're relagated. They can keep the rest of the squad though - pile of sh*te!!

So far so good since Joe's return - although you've been a little quiet GB

Totally how I saw it Loz. In the first half, I too thought that we were gonna win by 3 or 4 - Blackburn were all over the place - just as they were second half v's Utd. OK, they dominated the second half and could have easily won, but they caused us very little problems in extra time. When Sky showed attempts on goal, I think one stat showed us having something like 9 and Blackburn had about 20 Not sure how they came up with that it must have included any time Blackburn launched the ball into the general area of our goal?

I would agree to a certain extent about both JT & Lamps. Thought Lamps did ok yesterday - all round game pretty good, took his goal well and some of his corners were ok. But what about Blackburns deliveries on set pieces? Everyone seemed to cause us problems - the way they were whipping them in with pace. JT hasn't looked up to his usual standards of late. It was noticeable yesterday how a workmanlike forward like Roberts, caused him quite a few problems and it was actually Carvalho who looked liked he was taking control. Have to say, sice Gallas has gone, Carvalho has just got better & better. He has a real urgency about his game when we are not winning. As good as Essien was going forward and his non stop running, I am worried about him at right back. He could easily have cost us the game yesterday by losing his man on a number of Occasions - it was like having Johnno back!!!

He played a pretty big part in Ballack's winner so that alone deserves a decent rating. Thought Mourinho's substitutions were spot on. Sheva had to go off he really was that bad. We needed more going forward so it made sense to replace Maka with Mikel and then Joe was completely shagged so again fresh legs with SWP. Watching the MOTD highlights I can see why my stomach was in knots second half. That Pederson header and then the Cech save from JT at the end - that's how close we were to going out. Philip, you have definitey under scored a few of those players.

Given what everyone is saying, perhaps I was a bit too harsh in my rating of Petr Cech. However, you had to have seen Joe Cole's miss in the first half to appreciate how bad it was. I don't care how well he played the rest of the game, that miss demands that he get a mediocre rating (unless of course he scored one or two goals thereafter, which he did not do). Sheva's miss was a bad one, but Joe's miss? Are you referiing to the one outside the box, that he first had to control? Hardly a bad miss?

Fair play to you mate for coming on hear when you must be feeling pretty low. I fear for your cat if you have one!!! You can be very proud of your team today. That's probably of little consolation to you now, but I must admit in that second half, I thought we were heading out the cup - you really had us on the rack. I guess it's payback time since Mourinho took charge, 'cos I can recall a long run of games back in the 90's when we never seemed to beat you lot.

I thought MOTM was between Cech & Carvalho and on that basis I think they both deserve 8.5 each. Joe did well but tired but still deserves at least a 7. Have to agree with Sheva's mark though. He really did stink the place out today. He was terrible. And WHAT a miss

.What? He's gonna start shagging Ulrika again?

That's pretty much what I had down Butch - great team. I would swap Ellott for Gallas as the Gallas / JT partnership is legendary (but Elliott was brilliant). Striker would be between Kerry, Drogba & Ossie - but as Ossie was really prior to my era, I'd go for one of the other two. But a team with Nevin, Cole, Gullit & Zola - how great would that be to watch

Have to say, that performance ranks as one of the best I have witnessed, taking into account the quality of the opposition. Other than that brief spell in the first half when we could easily have gone 2 or 3 down, and the one moment in the second when their sub had a great chance at 1-1 but fired the ball wide, we were pretty much in completed control. EVERYONE played their part - they all deserve credit. Yet another great result for Mourinho to add to his cv. It's hard to put into words just how good this bloke is. With him at the helm you just get the feeling that anything is possible. He is a legend and we cannot afford to lose him. Looking forward though, I'm worried about how many of our key players are on yellows and who will miss what if they pick up another in the first leg of the semi? We saw what happened when we went to Anfield in the League with an under strength side and I'll be gutted if we go out because of having to field a weakened team. And IF we do win the semi, what happens about cards for the final? Do they get wiped unless it's a red?

I'll second that. I'd go as far as to say that that was his best performance in a Chelsea shirt to date.

Just gave us a glimpse of what's been missing for so long this season. Someone that is willing to run at defenders and cause them REAL problems. And he mixed it up so well - little dribble here but neat little touches and passes when that was all that was needed. He seemed to link up with the other players so well - especially Ballack. The signs are good, and with a decent run of games under his belt he will only get better & sharper. Welcome back Joe.

Not too many arguements with those marks. Think I would give diarra slightly higher and Drogs too. Felt Diarra was unlucky to go off as he was doing ok. He is one of the few players we have who doesn't look to get rid of the ball too early. Ok, sometimes he runs in to trouble but I do admire the way he always tries to wriggle and turn his way out of tight situations and he's not afraid to hoof it out either when need be. He's a star. And Drogba just went on and on again tonight and won free kicks a plenty. Brilliant header in the first half. Special mark for the ref - 10. I don't think he really put a foot wrong and seemed to give us a lot of the 50/50 calls. Top Bloke!!

There you go - what did I say? That's why I am NOT the special one :oops: But I did want Joe on and thought he helped turn the game. And fair play to Ballack tonight. He was great.

Some were awful but he hit a couple of really good ones too. The one for Ballacks header that the keeper made a world class save from - and his corners were a LOT better tonight.

Do we go for it at H-T or wait 15 minutes or so and then it's sh*t or bust. If it were down to me, I'd bring on SWP & Joe NOW. We have to have players that can do more than just knock it about without being threatening. I'd lose Essien as he really hasn't been in the game and has a yellow and possibly Sheva. Then either throw Kalou on too later if we still haven't scored or if we get 2-1 up put Maka on to sure things up. COME ON CHELSEA

Shame on you Loz.

When or should we say IF Ballack ever manages to play the sort of match that Enrico has described above, then I will give the guy the credit that those sort of performances deserve. But 1,000 one touch passes? 584 tackles? Maybe during his lifetime - not since he's been playing for us? YES he does give away loads of free-kicks (or commits little fouls as Enrico calls it!!). That might break the flow of the oppostion, but unfortunately, more often than not also gives them a free kick in a very dangerous position. So 584 tackles - 583 of which would have made Paul Scholes proud. I'm sorry, but the guy has been complete crap, full stop. With everyone available he wouldn't get anywhere near our best starting 11. Some may say that's BIAS, I just say it's REALITY. And how can anyone have a pop at Drogba this season

But if they do get the first goal, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference as we have to score at least 1 whatever. I'm worried that if we do get a goal early on and have the 1-0 scoreline we're after, we'll try and shut up shop and I don't think I can stand that. Whatever happens, I do hope we don't start with a midfield of Maka, Lamps, Ballack & Essien, because that doesn't work - not unless they start, keep it at 0-0 and then we bring on SWP/Kalou/Joe to win it for us.

No and neither are the Gooners - both teams being media darlings for playing football the right way. But on the other hand, look how many times Brazil have won the World Cup. It's what all teams should strive for - to win but to win in the right way.

Yorkley, Can't agree about teams like Watford making it difficult for us with men behind the ball etc. All top teams face that problem and it's up to the top teams to overcome that. How they overcome that is where the problem lies and that's where Utd have been a lot better than us this season - just look at the goal difference. Lampard, Ballack, Essien and Drogba are great players with plenty of strengths and they will keep going all day, but they are not known for being able to open up a defence with a killer pass on a regular basis, nor dribble past players and open things up that way. And as for Robben - so he has the problem of being surrounded by defenders and not being able to do his thing? Ronaldo comes up against exactly the same defenders / players and yet it doesn't appear to restrict him in the slightest. I just think at the moment, we have too many similar type players and Jose does seem to favour this type of player even when we have a fully fit squad with all available. I hope he stays, but I also hope he changes things a bit.

I watched Leon Knight on Monday night play for MK Dons reserves against Norwich. He was skipper and although he didn't look totally fit, was the best player on the pitch and won a penalty in a 2-1 win for MK Dons. But there is a player who blew a great chance and he must think "If Only".

Good post Abramovich - more or less exactly how I feel too. I don't want Mourinho to leave, I really don't, because he has turned us into winners and as a coach I think he is pretty unique. However, there is no getting away from the fact that our football, on the whole is not great to watch. We rely far too much on brute strength and out muscling other teams and wearing teams down as opposed to using flair & skill and that goes against all I like about football. Under Mourinho, there is no doubt that our flair players come second to the players that "run about a lot". I don't think we can compare the Mourinho era to any other Chelsea era though, as it pretty much goes hand in hand in with the Roman era and the unlimited funds, so yes, we were inconsistent in the past, but then no coach had ???'s to rectify matters like JM has had. So I have mixed feelings. I don't want to see Mourinho leave, but on the other hand, if a new coach came in and got us playing a better style of football, even if that means we did lose that consistency, then perhaps I'd be all for it?