Chippy

I think its difficult to rate our AMs against each other as they are all slightly different and all have had massively different game time, its all down to form or opponent for me and we're pretty lucky to have the choices, its much more of a squad game than it used to be with more games seeming to be played than ever. On form I'd put Willian ahead of Shurrle but only a couple of games ago Shurrle scored two and was a menace, I think he was predictable last night but when Hazard came on he was equaly predictable, it must be a hard job being a manager with all the choices we have in midfield. I still wouldn't be letting KDB go, I thought he was rusty last night and he gave the ball away in a couple of scarey positions but he grew into the game and looks to me like a run of games and the feeling he was Part of it all without so much pressure to perform would help him no end.

I don't think we saw anything last night we didn't already know, I also don't think the Manager done anything wrong in selections or substitutions. Looking at the starting eleven and considering the next game, that was a team well capable of winning the game and Jose kept to his word of giving KDB a start while everybody thought he'd be off in January (which he might well) without getting any more chances (which he did). Ivan, JT, Ramires, Mata all given time off, still going away in the CC with a good bench to back up a decent team. What we then got was a good first half with some good attacking runs from Azpilicueta (showing he is a better option going forward than Ivan) a rusty display from KDB (to be expected) another workmanlike with some good touches of skill performance from Willian (who needs to work on getting into positions to finish or deliver more of a killer ball), a poor performance from Shurrle (who surely has fallen behind Willian for selection). a lack lustre display from Mikel (never seems to play well in games we feel we should win), usual stuff from Lampard (badly tiring towards the end), solid enough from Cahill (backs off sometimes too much) usual nail biting stuff from Luiz (backs off not enough but delivers some great passes), a bit better from Cole (will need to step up again). Great stuff from Shwarzer (best back up we've had since Carlo) and a lightweight and generally poor showing from Eto'o (seems to have gone backwards again). Then the game panned out so that the player (Essien) likely to replace Mikel or Frank at some stage has to play at makeshift RB (which then nullifys the threat of Azpilicueta while also meaning Frank and Obi must play the whole game), Ba is rightly brought on to replace Eto'o (and proceeds to be on the floor with arms up at every opportunity, although he did make a few more runs into the right positions) and Hazard had to replace the ineffectual Shurrle. The Substitutions were pretty much forced on the Manager and they were the right ones, the game was going ok and Chelsea were the better team for seventy odd minutes but with only the one chance taken (some un Frank like shots, a woeful Eto'o miss, a good save from a decent De Bruyne effort and some lack of effort getting into the box when both Willian and De Bruyne put in decent crosses mean the game was never put to bed) and the Hazard for Shurrle change seemed to contribute to us losing some shape rather than putting them on the back foot, I felt Eden came on to run at them but forgot a bit of his defensive duties in the process. They scored and the nerves again came to the surface, tired legs and no more subs took its toll and Sunderland sensed it, all credit to Gus for giving them the belief. An in form striker, a Ramires in midfield capable of pushing them back, a better and fitter DM? all things we've needed for some time and need to be addressed, maybe someone for the midfield will arrive in January but I think up front we will have to rely on the three unreliables untill the summer.

Willian, rarely give the ball away, made a couple of nice Dummies (no not Ba and Eto'o) ran his legs off and though still little end product does most things right. as Dave said above would likely have given my vote to Azpilicuta if he'd have been on longer.

We should have killed it in the first half where we played some decent stuff, it hurt us when we lost Dave and Essien who was likely going to come on late for Mikel or Lamps had to play as a makeshift RB. Shurrle was quiet but Hazard didn't have the expected effect when he replaced him, KDB first half was bad but improved although he miss placed some passes that could have been costly, shame if he is off though. Cahill I thought was pretty good and still my choice to partner JT although it was nice to see some of Luiz long passes finding the target...shame that target was Bambi on ice. Mikel had one to forget and I think he gets up for the bigger games better which is a problem, Lamps looked tired in extra time which was costly after all the subs had been used. Shwarzer is great back up. Cole is getting sharper but again Dave still looks better going forward even on the wrong side. Willian needs a bit of cutting edge but it seems no matter how many players are on him, he rarely gives the ball away, good prospect I think. Hate going out of competitions but I think the Manager knows the problem and it will take a purchase or two to rectify it.

we certainly are

Terry has been a different player under Jose and Cahill has improved a lot as well. And I don't base my observations on the threads on the forum.

Thats four I've counted...Shwarzer is superb

I think a quality DM and a quality striker would show our defense to be title winning quality, Terry and Cahill are well good enough and Luiz/Ivan as back up a lot of teams would only wish for.

Seriously?

Blimey if the midfield and defense are as poor as the strikers how the f**k are we top half of the table?

Considering we've got sh*t and dung in the team we're doing ok tonight

Essiens looked ok out of position since he came on, thats a plus.

First half very rusty, second half a lot better. We've had chances, its taking them thats been the problem.

I'd be interested too see if KDB could slot in where Lamps is, that would leave a place for Hazard to come on and with Shurrle, Willian and Eto'o would mean nightmares for the Sunderland defense. Later on obviously

I feel for young Kev, he looks like someone who hasn't featured much and has leaving the club hanging over him, too much to expect him to come out and show Jose something that will make him tell him he's part of his plans, nt a good showing from him so far. Willian and Dave looking good, Cahill looking good as well.

Thats decent odds Joey, I can't get an anytime scorer and the result on William Hill, Who are you with?

Bets for tonight, any winnings half gos to the site. 17 Dec 2013 - Sunderland v Chelsea - Correct Score Chelsea 3-1 @ 11/1 Stake : £5.00 Estimated Returns : £60.00 and 17 Dec 2013 - Sunderland v Chelsea - First Goal Scorecast Andre Schurrle / Chelsea 3-1 @ 80/1 Stake : £5.00 Estimated Returns : £405.00 come on boys

Looks a decent team and a nice rest for the others, I wonder who will be playing in the ten role? Willian or KDB? great to see KDB getting a start, I hope he does well.

Funny how we all look at things different, I think his high line was working ok at Spurs, obviously with exceptions but thats football and although AVB is stuborn in his approach in that he wants the players to play to his preferred style and seems to leave out the ones that don't fit even when they could do a better job I do think with time he would get it right, I also think Levy and the board must have known and wanted that style when they brought him in. Under AVB Porto were superb and he coached them to a record points tally after Jose was there, he's no mug, it's maybe a bit early for him to be coaching in the Premier but our board and Tottenham's have seen enough to bring him in and thats not a coincedence. I know all about the CL win and that we wouldn't have done it had he stayed here and if the job description when he came to us included a long run in the CL he was rightly sacked, the thing is I expect his instructions included a change in style that he was trying to implement which alienated a lot of the players and he payed for it with his job, I wonder what the agenda was when Spurs hired him? top 4 I suppose...two places below that and the fashionable thing to do is sack him, I think they watch us too closely.

Brit, I'd accept it to be totally honest, the three games you mention are for me the strange ones as AVBs tactics have worked well in all but those three (defensively) and I thought the City game they actually played well and you just had to hand it to City who took almost every chance they made, Tottenham's problem wasn't and generally hasn't been not making chances, its been not taking them (we know all about that here don't we?), the West ham game for me was the worst of the three. He just changed the team from being reliant on one player to bedding in players that have not yet settled, they are not bad signings they just haven't settled to the pace of the premiership yet and nobody can foresee when they buy players how long that will take. I won't say he hasn't made mistakes as if I did that would be making him best manager in the world but hes good enough for Tottenham and I don't say that because I hate Tottenham.

He was 31 early this month, still starting to look like a decent option to me and I'm sure he'd get better with games.

Tottenham...too good to be sixth, delusional and knee jerk, they never cease to find ways to go down in my estimations.

They've lost two more games than the leaders, they are struggling to score because their new striker hasn't got himself used to the premier league and their best striker doesn't fit the system AVB wants them to play, barring the two disasters to two good teams having good days and no shortage of luck they would have let in the least goals. I don't know if Tottenham are as knee jerk as us but they are sitting equal 6th and there are eight very capable teams this season, he should be given the chance to see if they can bounce back for the second time. The players he brought in will improve its just unlucky for him that Soldado looks like he might take the longest to do so.

The way I look at Villa Boas situation is he's had two drubbings against good teams and he has spent money on mostly good players with the main striker surprisingly for me being the main let down. That said the team are around the place I'd expect them to be...Jose has said there are six teams challenging for the four places and included them in the six, they are sitting equal six and in front of another expected top four team in United., both have been hammered by City and they won't be the only teams that are this season. I think he's a stubborn man but I think his ideas are based on some tactical awareness, his problem is he won't try to shoe horn better players he has at his disposal in to the system even if the players in it are so out of form that it isn't working, again today though the Referee helped it look as bad as it did and had the Soldado shoulder barge been allowed and a yellow given instead of a red it would likely have gone down as narrow home defeat to a team who played well on the day. I haven't seen the players looking like they don't want to play for him or heard the same unsettled comments from them like when he was here and today was for me the worst I've seen them play.

I can't see how you can write him off after a couple of outings this term, the last being an improvement on the one before. You also have to take into account the competition for the place which appears to be only Frank and Obi realistically, Essien moves the ball forward better than Mikel and if he carries on improving is an option as Frank can't play every game and its a long season, we've seen what Mikel has to offer, we know what Frank has and the most likely of the three to have some improvement looks like Essien. Unless we bring someone in in January these are our options and I'd say Essien deserves game time