Chippy

Esteveo, not the biggest influential performance but most players would have gone across Mitchell's path and been happy with a foul...not that boy, he just saw 0-1 and took control.

Pleasantly surprised with 5 goals tonight and only one conceded considering the choice of CBs. Charlton not really a big test and a win was expected but once I saw the team the expectation turned to fear. At least there were no silly subs, Hato got a decent run out, has Gittens found his level or has the change of manager given him a new lease of life? Bad as Delap has looked it was a nice little touch on for steveo to win the dubious penalty. Under Maresca we seemed better against better team and clueless against teams that we expect to beat, let's hope we haven't swapped the two and can build on this.

Great to see the new manager putting out a statement line up, great to see him respecting the FA Cup and looking to give us fans a proper spectacle while showing intent to win and entertain. Obviously player for player we should still have enough but players that have rarely played together and our lots odd attitude and I just think why?

I thought Santos done well and would have him alongside Caicedo rather than Enzo. Other than that I was amazed at Josh being subbed off as he looked good. James was good but I still prefer him at RB. Hard to pick a mom but Santos nicks it for the way the game changed and he kept it simple.

Looks like our ambitious owners have decided we need the man that was sacked at Hull...it is what it is. My thoughts are on the lines of the interference from the board and medical staff obviously made Marescas job difficult but that's as much slack as I'd cut him, he made stubborn mistakes and selections that can't all be attributed to those above him. Add to that, for me our best performances came against better teams where it looked like he'd studied them and come up with a gameplan, often looking almost genius but did he even have a glimpse of a video of Leeds, Bournemouth etc? We often looked like a sunday league team without a plan and when changes were needed it was usually personel and not tactics. I'd imagine anyone with a clue about management could have the same up and down performances. That said, the lack of ambition is sickening, ok for clearlake if the can earn a bit from player sales etc but what about the fans? If not an elite manager that Chelsea deserves then at least someone with Chels connections, a Fabregas or Lamps back although not ideal would for me make watching our games a lot more interesting. The passion is going from my support and it's down to this ownership and their business model. Let's hope something changes like the owners deciding they want to see Chelsea winning titles again. I'll keep dreaming.

Nice to be able to say Gusto as he is often prone to a mistake but shows a lot of commitment. Forfar and Trev look to be forming some sort of partnership, let's hope they get to play the majority of games together with Josh as back up. Everton looked a bit out of sorts but maybe we were better than we looked.

Taking Trev off because of a yellow card without putting Reece into the RB slot and Josh in at CB was strange, gittins coming back on for the second half equally so. Neto subbed off without Estaveo coming on? Loads of options but Maresca chose to go with Gusto to win us the game. I really find no excitement watching this team under this manager and it's got me feeling like I'm struggling through the Benitez era again. Everton must be rubbing their hands about now.

I was about to post something similar, After seeing Spuds performance against Arsenal and saying Frank has let the supporters down with a showing that lack luster against their most hated rival I get to witness Maresca handing the points to Leeds...do these manager even think about the historic rivalry in these games let alone the importance of backing up a good performance with at least a steady one? And they called Ranieri the tinkerman🫣

It's the false hope that gets me, I never rated Maresca but have seen 4 or 5 games that made me think I was being harsh but his constant changes especially with CBs really peevs me. I said after the Arsenal game that like the PSG game he looked like he'd done his homework, even the James to midfield has surprised me with starting to look good but throwing it away by changing so many players when your best midfielder is out is just too much even for me. Hope alls good with you Ploks, I'm having a bad time, might explain my lack of patience☺️

Unbelievable, it's as if Maresca only takes certain games seriously, why keep changing centre back, Trevor at RB when he's been settling in well... Defensively we look clueless and weak in attack, too many changes at a time we've lost all fluidity.

Not on here a lot but thought I'd pop in after the game as I always like to defend the manager when calls start for his sacking. Poundshop Pep though is surely the least ambitious coach we've had and is somehow more interested in trying to sit on a lead if we get it than taking the opportunity while we're on top. Once behind or down a man his substitutions seem to be "take off the most dangerous or quickest striker and throw on another defender". Not sure if the owners have the ambition to do anything about it as although they have put a lot of money in, they must see that two or three decent experienced players would not only see us challenging but would help bring the younger players on, they only seem to bring in players young enough that with some improvement will turn a profit. I preferred the days when we were skint but they all played for the badge and gave everything.

Sounds great mate, definately sh*te getting old but the alternative isn't too appealing either. I used to have a place in Hungary and spent a couple of months out there every year, it really used to recharge my batteries.

Good to know you're still on here mate, Health's pretty bad, I thought popping on here might cheer me up but looking at some of the threads I'm not so sure☺️

I'll try mate, good to see you still on here. Let's make the shed end great again😃

I picked a bad time to start looking in on the forum, seems our decision not to buy an experienced striker has cost us dearly, Jackson has potential but is back up quality for a team challenging for CL places and might have learned from a proper striker. Not sure if the blame lies with the manager, scouting staff of the owners. you would think Jackson would have known the importance here and at least not done anything stupid.

Hello Ploks, not many I remember still in here, good to see you still posting. Health bad but still keeping an eye on the boys, strange times but we've seen worse and there is potential.

Hello shedenders, Been away a long time but you may remember 14 years ago I posted the question asking if anyone could remember an old England song that included the words "Martin to Ossie and bang". Well 14 years later I thought about it again and somehow it's found it's way onto youtube. I'm not cracking up😆 https://youtu.be/OQMGkV76Qqg?si=PwK6RbjzpbE9-qYl

Glad you're back on Moi and Mod got it sorted for you. So sorry to hear about coco, always enjoyed his posts in the old days and he used to have a good go in my betting thing at the weekends, RIP Mate.

Just popped in for a read and to see how the forums going and wished I hadn't. Very sad to hear of the passing of Lofty. always a witty addition to the place back when I used to frequent it and although I never knew him Its brings it home to you how quickly things change, you turnaround and nothing stays the same. RIP Lofty.

Butch, cheers for doing this every week it's been great, I'm bowing out now as the site's finished for me...to be honest I think Chelsea's finished for me. Thanks again mate.

So far you're posts have had me blind, a kidder and delusional, tell me all knowing one, how do you get a hat to fit with all the knowledge you've got in that head?

A lot of people on here who's I opinions I respect feel the same SP, that won't make me feel any better when I think you're all wrong. Because he's been sacked it doesn't vindicate all the crap that's been spouted about him or make the decision right, Romans just repeated another mistake. Enjoy the site and the groups of "fans" who joined up to post the same old tripe about him and believe all the media bullsh*t, enjoy the next manager for a few months before the same thing starts again. This club has no soul.

We've sacked nicer blokes, we've sacked blokes who have had less poor results, we've sacked blokes who should never have been given the job. Today though the owner shot himself in the foot long term, results might not show that at first but long term we are now looking at second best and lower.

Exactly...you have only seen a few minutes of them on TV...qualified to judge better than a man paid millions to do so and that sees them every day, tries things in training with them and gives them those few minutes you see on TV? I do't think so. RLC hasn't been woeful, Kenedy hasn't been woeful but RLC has to do enough to displace the options of Fabregas, Mikel, Matic and Ramires...Kenedy has the small obstacle of Hazard, Pedro Oscar ahead of him, none of which are lighting the world up but I am sure if the youngsters applied themselves better on the training pitch the manager would have stopped reading his paper long enough to look up and see it. You people who believe Jose is too stuborn to pick youngsters and in the next breath are saying the players have fallen out with him are just looking for anything to complain about, if he fell out with the players he'd play anyone in front of them, if the youngsters were better than the establihed players he'd play them, do you think he wants to lose games? Top manager, a few out of form players and not strong enough options to replace them, he's the one who must decide when to give up trying to play them into form and try other options and he will when those options show him something that says they're ready. You carry on complaining while he tries his nuts off to sort it out.

alternatively you judge without seeing the players...great manager you'd make. Mourinho's job and reputation are on the line here, if he doesn't think the alternatives will do any better, I'm sure he has valid reasons. what happened last time you watched some of the youngsters train with the first team boys? did they look good enough to you?