Chippy

Decent half I thought, can understand Jose's reaction to Costa's penalty appeal as I thought it was until the replay and likely had a better view on the Tele than Jose from where he's standing. Matic looks a bit better. Willian superb again and Baba if he carries on the way he played in the first half will get more games.

I think we'll all appreciate Hazard if he comes off the bench tonight and gets on the score sheet...could really give us the kick start we keep thinking about. I'm happy he didn't start and it will be a good pointer to his mindset if he comes on late and performs.

I remember when he was linked with us a bit too late in his career I didn't mind the thought of him for a second choice, glad he never came now.

Yeah the Owen that just said he couldn't understand Azpilicueta being slung over to RB, as if he's been put in goal

I'm not worried about Hazard not starting, he's arguably the most out of form player and needs to step up, great to have off the bench if he gets his head around making a statement, I think he can take it and isn't as mentally fragile as the press will have us believe.

Listening to sky sports news and Mark Swarzer was superb, no sour grapes, no agenda really came across well.

Lets hope there's not many posts after the game...we all know that's a good sign

Team to play Kiev: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Terry, Baba Rahman; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Oscar; Diego Costa. Subs: Blackman, Cahill, Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy, Hazard, Pedro, Remy I expected Ivan back for this one...come on now lads, lets do it.

That they do and I have no doubt about it, the thing for me is Managers and players hold some information back as it gives the third option (the media) words to twist and bullets to fire...Journalists lie for a living and use twisted half truths to meet their own agenda. If there are any players complaining I would imagine it's no different to at any club at any time, JT would likely be answering as to say there's been nothing out of the ordinary. I know I'd sooner believe someone I watched in a press conference and felt he looked like he was being straight up than someone who makes his living out of stretching situations to add interest having a tweet. Hope you're right about tonight, I think we could all do with something positive (although I thought the pressers were that).

As I said, every footballer the media has asked about it has said the same basic thing, none have said they would be happy to have the player stroll through the game while they tried their nuts off with basically ten men and if you had the professionalism that it needs to get to the level they are, I'm sure you'd feel the same. Footballers have a limited timespan where they make their money and collect their trophy's medals and caps, none of them want to waste a season where they could have added to that collection because one knob has spat the dummy. I doubt any player has told Mourinho they are unhappy, they might not want to do the extra work but the rewards they saw last year will only be repeated if they listen to him and do as he says, they know that and haven't got to where they are now by only training or playing how they fancy. I think JT looked totally at ease in that presser, nothing looked rehearsed and he looked like a man who would still do anything for the man who he said with what I think are his own words is miles ahead of any other he's played under. I believe him, and I don't believe anything from Journo's who quote unnamed sources and lie through their teeth on a regular basis. It's all like a soap opera to them, no different to the celebrity paparazzi who run around printing stories bout Peter Andre or Kerry Katona, they have half of them shacked up together that have never even met.

I wonder why it's so easy to doubt tthe word of the club captain against the word of a Journo and his unnamed source?

Look at any other footballer the press has asked about it, Even Rooney and Ferdinand said they wouldn't get out of the dressing room if someone said it at UTD. I've played in teams where someone had the slightest lazy game and they got slaughtered for letting the rest of us down and that was at no level at all not a level where losing harms the reputation of the whole team to the extent it could have an impact on their international places, Medals etc. It wouldn't be ignored in my opinion.

Halfway fair from BT sport I thought. http://sport.bt.com/could-kiev-defeat-spell-the-end-for-mourinho-at-chelsea-91364014604439 I'm looking back through the thread and surprised that the so called leaked stuff and player revolt, even after JT came out and rubbished it is still being talked about but the offer of 35 mill for the best manager in the world is almost laughed off, I can understand how you can look at that as the club would wait it out and get him for nothing if he's sacked but maybe they just don't want to fight it out with the other interested parties if that day comes. Not saying I believe it either but I certainly prefer it to the other BS floating around.

The leaked comment was either something someone mumbled under their breath as they got subbed, told off in training for not doing their job or when they looked at the team sheet and found their name missing. Either that or someone made it up to get some attention for themselves and some more bad press for Mourinho...I know which I find more likely but to be honest either one means nothing.

I think your fears are really only valid if the players have weak personalities, for me I wouldn't care how the manager conducted himself if I had seen the rewards he'd earned in his career...that's all I'd need to hang on his every word and try to win all I could while I was lucky enough to play under him. Not to say I'm always happy with the way he conducts himself but we all know there is good with bad in most peaple, he feels that he takes attention off the players sometimes, others he puts the focus on them, his style and his choice for me. I certainly wouldn't let it bother me if I were in their position and I really don't think they do.

I agree there is some degree of mental fragility, I don't agree that it's the fault of the manager...for me it's down to the form of the players and the fact that every time things start to come together a bit, a refereeing decision gos against them or a deflection lands in the net, they expect it and when it happens their heads drop. Jose is doing his best to get them out of that frame of mind but the only real cure is winning games and getting decent runs going. It isn't (in my opinion) Jose's management style it is purely form issues and the form of the attacking players makes the form of the defenders even worse as it leaves them open to more pressure because the opposition isn't as preoccupied with our strikers as it would be if they were on top form. I know it's simplistic and boring and I know there are other factors, I just don't lay many of them at the feet of the manager and I'm quite happy and content to believe every word JT said about the players, who is to blame and who is the best man to get them through it.

would it be too difficult to believe JT was speaking from the heart in his presser? the look on his face said if he thought anyone was slacking because they disagree with Mourinho they'd answer to him, if there's someone in that team making JT look a mug languishing in the bottom end of the EPL in what is possibly his last season at the top level as a player then they are not only a sorry excuse for a player but one with balls. Nobody will make me believe the whole team is against the manager and there is no way on earth these players wouldn't spot the one purposely under performing and ruining their season, do people honestly think they'd just say "oh well we'll write this season off cos "insert imaginary name here" doesn't like the manager" . These players are top professionals and want a huge medal collection to show for their abilities when they hang up their boots not a barron season here and there where one of the others has thrown a strop and ruined it for them. These lads are playing for their futures, their international careers and their professional pride, I just can't see that they'd let it happen.

I watched "no escape" last night, surprised me that Owen Wilson played the main role fairly well in what isn't a comedy and Pierce Brosnon with a dodgy English accent was pretty good as well, no Oscars for the lads but quite decent action film with some edge of the seat moments.

I'm never going to agree with a lot on here and some people support the team in very different ways, I've never been too interested in the personal sides of players managers, what clothes they wear or their choice of tracksuit over suit jacket etc but I do have to ask Splishsplosh this...as a Chelsea fan (resisting the use of brackets) why oh why would you choose such an endearing picture of our manager as your avatar?

Really admire your optimism Zola, I'd just temp it down a bit as like Jose said there is a multitude of different problems that are causing our poor form and they won't go away overnight (much less under a new manager) so It might be a stretch to expect the old Chels straight away. Great to see an up beat presser and hear JT putting the press to rights but the form we've started off with means baby steps could be the way to recover and there has (although some people have missed it) been signs of improvement. For me this isn't a new get behind the manager game for the boys as thats where they've always been, it's just another game where we need to stay focused and hope we have a fair share of the luck, if that happens it could be the turning point but as I've said a few times it might involve a step back here and there to go forward...we just have to be behind Jose and the boys in both of those events. Edit: Great to see a positive thread

That's the spirit, you've seen the presser, you've got renewed hope, you'll back the team and manger through thick and thin...or maybe not

Nothing said has surprised me in fact hearing JT getting to speak and sounding as annoyed as I'd expect at people casting aspersions against his team mates was exactly what I'd hoped although I didn't expect him to get the chance and audience to say it. I said in another post that if a player said he would rather lose than win for Jose, he'd be slaughtered by his team mates and JT has pretty much alluded to the same. It would be nice if people listened to what both of these top top men at our club said and instead of finding reasons like "JT has to say that" or the like (only guessing what some might come up with) just get behind them and stop digging everyone in the side out. They are the ones trying to get this sorted not sitting on an internet forum moaning about it.

Looking at results to date and the way Chelsea have played I still think the problems are less interesting than the media would like people to believe. I saw improvement in the Kiev, Villa and West Ham games but still saw out of form players, out of form players trying their nuts off. Lets be fair, a Chelsea team with an out of form Hazard would not have won the title last season, a Chelsea team with an out of form Fabregas would not have built up the momentum that meant when his form dipped, they could grind out enough results relying on the aforementioned Hazard to get them over the line. Costa obviously suffers when either is out of form so it's no wonder he is having a tough time with both below par. You don't even need to think about the extra year on JT's legs that will show more when our attack is so blunt as teams are generally more ambitious against us knowing we struggle to hurt them on the counter. Then we have a similar problem with Ivan, again without the need to worry (as much as last season) about our forwards and with Fabregas defensively frail Ivan's form dip is exaggerated. We also have lost a couple of big personalities in Cech and Drogba, we've lost two top goalkeepers (as good as Asmir is he is not on their level) and other teams in the league have improved. I doubt many media sources would want to look at it like that but nothing I've said is conjecture, sensationalism or plain bias so I can understand why they wouldn't want to print it.

That could well be the next bombshell

Seems unlikely to me as Cesc's missus has been tweeting backing Jose, I'd guess it's a figment of someones imagination.