DoubleHelix74

Ahh, spot on! I thoroughly enjoyed this one... Thanks Moi!

You can't compare Ferguson today with AVB but what you should do is look at when Ferguson first took over at United and struggled. I am not saying AVB is the next Ferguson but to make a comparison to him with a 34 year old manager is simply wrong. Things have not worked out well thus far, tactically, player selection, and even in the media, who needed the slightest of reason to jump all over the man... I too question his moves during the matches and may even call for his head after a terrible loss like yesterday but the reality is we should stick it out with him. See what her has to offer us and give him more than one season! Everyone wants Jose back but does he even want to come and personally I think we shouldn't! It will not work, just like it didn't the first time... There will be a falling out and we will be sitting here saying why did we sack AVB. At that point AVB maybe building a squad and style for another club that could be dominant...

Well its obvious that the older guard does not, has not, and will not play up to its potential. I think old and aging is a small part of the issue at hand. I am sorry, you just do not lose the physical ability of a game you played and studied you're entire life. Sure, maybe a slight slowdown when you play better squads but certainly not the way some of these guys are playing against the lower to mid level clubs. I also don't think its the style of play because a professional footballer with the talent we have on this squad could and should adapt to again beat these lower level clubs. The old guard were some of the best players in the game and I don't care what anyone says should be able to rise to the occasion with a through ball or to have a good first touch, turn, and score. Style of play may hamper at times but again these players have been playing long enough at the top level to show inklings of good play... So now its come down to two other reasons... One is they are halfway out the door and know it because they're contracts are all up... Playing a lackadasical brand of "just don't give a shyte" football. They are out there going through the motions and are just playing out the season and then its onto the MLS here in the States or to China where they can record huge paychecks and play like shyte there... Two, they are rebelling against a young manager who they all know he does not have any use of them in his future plans! They know this and with contracts up they know their future lies elsewhere... AVB has lost the dressing room and now his head is on the block. We've been watching it all unfold since November when Lampard, Alex, and Anelka all complained. AVB should've show the spine he had with those other two and treated Lampard the same way, take command of you're squad. If that meant sitting out the older guard and playing the younger guys so be it! He didn't because we still had fighting chance then. Now all hope is lost and he is still playing the old guard. He should never had let Josh go and should be suiting up the likes of Bertrand, Piazon, and even Romelu up top or play the whining brat Sturridge up top alone like he wants! This kid pouts like he is Drogba except he has 10 goals under his belt and no trophies! Reminds me of another player we just got rid of when he was young, LeSulk! AVB has done none of this and that is what will cost him his job! We all knew the risks going in and I sure would hope Gourlay and Buck did too! They're should've been an exit strategy from the get go but it looks like there is none. Either give the man more time and kiss everything on the near term goodbye, or sack him! And please do not hire Jose who will be here for three years, wear out his welcome wit the owner and we will all be back here in 5 years speaking about the same shyte!

I don't know if I should laugh or cry because "IF we beat Birmingham" and the fact that City could actually beat us 16-0 is just not something I would ever think to hear. Sadly, we have sunken so low... And I agree with both of these guys statements too... We will more than likely play the stale and static form with Birmingham and get worked over by City. Then I think we have Napoli after that which we are gonna get steamrolled out of the CL. By then AVB will get the sack and hopefully somebody can motivate this pathetic group of players... If not, throw in the towel and let's all sit back and relax because we will then surely be in a transition. Which in mind wouldn't exactly be a terrible thing.

Spot on! Malouda has certainly fizzled out and appears to be way past his expiration date but signing him wasn't a total loss. The guy played extremely well once Scolari left and was superb the first year Carlo was at the helm. In fact, if I am not mistaken he was voted as POY by the squad! Sure it took time to adjust when he first came over from France and he may be rubbish now but let's not forget the brilliant play he had in between. Without him, there be no 2 FA Cups and a Prem title either. Wake up people! With that said, I do think he needs to be shown the door this summer but to lump him as a possible worst signing is f*cking absurd! With some of you lot, you'll have Lampard up there next!

Well 10 years ago we were an upper level mid table club and now we are headed for a mid table club again... Ask yourself how many of these players on the squad who have been there a majority of the decade you speak of. We have basically the same squad we had when Jose was here. What else could you expect? Like somebody else on here previously stated, the club from top to bottom needs to he looked at and the first ones I would look at is Buck and Gourlay! They keep using the manager as a scapegoat when things are not working properly Perhaps it is them that need to go? Maybe we scrap the squad altogether, including Lampard, Drogba, and Cole and give AVB a squad who is young and hungry and except it will be a few years before we can get back up top again. Honestly, I am begining to lean in that direction and build a club that utilizes all the young talent we have amassed... Perhaps AVB is the guy, perhaps he is not, but that is the direction the club needs to go... If you've been a supporter with season tickets for 22 years, you've waited a long time to get to the top level, had some great years in the past decade but now its time to regroup and wait a bit longer for a club that can build properly. Maybe in doing so, we become the next United or Barca. There is a reason why they are so successful, they utilize their youth...

AVB clearly has the pressure on him now and like others have mentioned already, name calling isn't obviously a polite way to go about it on these boards. Have to feel sorry for him, he is in way over his head. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind when our own supporters are out there chanting "You don't know what you are doing" He has probably lost all confidence in himself and is a at a complete loss on how things have gotten to this point. At this point change is inevitable in my opinion and if AVB goes, send those idiots Gourlay and Buck with him! Imo, they are really the ones to blame here. They give an inexperienced manager who is just about the same age as his older players (which is basically our starting 11) and have done nothing else. Sure went out and signed a few players, mainly for the future though, not now when AVB needs it most! Now we are beyond the point of return and Unfortunatley AVB will be the one to pay! Imagine a parent throwing their child off a boat and told to learn to swim in the ocean when the child has only swam in a pool previously. That is what Buck and Gourlay did and the club will be a circus as long as these focking clowns are there running it...

Summed it up best there... The squad while shyte or not is not reacting to anything he does, there no respect for the man and when there is no respect, there is no motivation! Can any of you be motivated by somebody you don't respect? Didn't think so! The season needs to be salvaged and done so pretty quick. Unfortunatley that normally means the managers head. Also tired if hearing everybody bickering here, its bad enough having to watch the current squads piss poor display but to come on here and hear people at each others throats doesn't help either...

They truly do play a great brand of football, don't they? They should be in the Champions League this year instead of our f*ck all squad. We are going to be completely dismantled by Napoli next week. AVB will have no strategy whatsoever and the likes of Cavani, Hamsik and company are going to run circles around us. If today wasn't, we can all bet after we get completely shredded apart in the CL, AVB will get the sack! No idea who to bring in, Hiddink for the interim? Jose in the summer? Don't know and frankly don't care. We simply need to have somebody who knows what it is they're doing and not only has the respect of the squad, but to be able to motivate them too! None of that is happening now...

Just finished watching the match because honestly I don't see the point in getting up early to watch it live. In fact, I wish I never watched it at all... Don't even know where to begin here? The entire display from top to bottom was sub par. Something needs to be done and it needs to be done quickly. AVB is clearly out of his depth and frankly I haven't the slightest inkling of what he is trying to achieve. Not sure he does either, for that matter. Why was Mata taken off? Cahill benched? Seriously, the majority of the squad just needs to be replaced this summer. Malouda, Kalou, Mikel, Drogba, Ferriera, Bosingwa, Torres, and I will even send Lampard and Cole packing as well. Pains me to say that because they are legends but the reality is these guys are old and cannot perform to the level they once did. Sturridge appears to have grown himself an attitude and really has done nothing in the past few months except maybe a shining moment here or there. Appears to be sulking because he is not up top and maybe he should be? I don't know! AVB is utterly useless, does more damage than any other as far as I can see. Up until last week, I remained calm and patient but now I just want to see the back of him. He is clearly over his head! Don't even know who to bring in really but this is just bad! A Liverpool friend said it best to me after the United match "Now you see how we felt with Hodgson" I couldn't agree more! 4th spot, Champions League next year? We are lucky if we even make Europa? FFS, I don't even think we will be in the top ten! AVB cannot motivate this squad, its that much clear! Just get rid off him now and cut our losses, try to salvage the wreckage before we sink lower...

Ditto... So tired of hearing about this kid... Sorry, he may have skill but he's a diver and will wind up with best of them at Barca... From a Chelsea supporter standpoint, let's stop talking about him because no way and no how he ever puts on a Chelsea shirt...

Great for Capello for not giving an inch! If the FA were so worried about their image with JT at the helm, they would have dropped him altogether! But being the Spineless Twits they are they thought they could evade this all with their ridiculous decisions. Now they need to find someone who is willing to step into that giant wet smelly pile of dog shyte they call the English National Team. Ooh, perhaps JT had this planned all along to upset Spurs because now we know dear old 'Arry will not be able to turn down his dream job! Maybe this is our way into the third spot after Spurs shyte the bed w/o their leader... Of course I am letting the minute "conspiracy theory" portion of my mind get the better of me but honestly I would not be surprised to see some newspaper suggest this off the wall JOKE!

This is a joke right? Did I log onto ESPN Soccernet by mistake? Edit: Nevermind, I get it now... My mistake...

What Prem squad can really match up to City though? Half of their secondary players like Dzeko, Johnson, etc I would love to see at Chelsea. We can't match up to a lot if clubs these days. We have good players but nobody seems to care enough to play hard! There is a lack of heart, we saw it last year and now without a big name manger like Carlo we are seeing it far worse. AVB must get these guys motivated and instill confidence in the squad but I don't see him doing that... Perhaps we should give him time to build his own squad but I don't think RA is going to wait. We miss that 4th spot and there is not a doubt in my mind he's gone. In fact I would not be surprised to see it happen after Napoli eliminates us. No way we can keep up unless we play a full match for 90 minutes with heart and intensity. Both have been lacking for quite some time. I hope we overcome and it buys AVB time, even though I was calling for his head the first time all season after yesterday match. He need to motivate this club if he is going to stay... It's a tough job with the primadonas we have now... Maybe Drogba and Torres can do something together and prove everyone wrong?

Nice one!

jI agree and tbh I am just hoping to get a point with Everton... I think AVB not only lost confidence in himself but more importantly the squad does not have any confidence in him either. The players get excited for the big matches and then seem to be motivated but I don't think it has anything to do with AVB. I wish things were different and I have been a staunch defender of him all season but my confidence in him is now gone. Really there are two options, let this ride out and see if things improve or sack him and bring in somebody else. I don't want to see yet another coach come in but I also don't want to see Chelsea struggle so badly! And I am not sold on the Jose only theory like some.

They play Spurs tomorrow. Hate to say it but Come on you Spurs!

No evissy, because its week in and week out... We were lucky for the point today. Don't act like we were some club shining today... We were outclassed in just about every aspect of the match. That's what I and pretty much everybody else is on about.

Well my thinking is they both did... He was between both of them but had a 5ft buffer... It was horrible and it cost us. Difficult to say but my thinking is no way JT would've let that happen that late in the match. I could be wrong though

Good question tbh, no idea! That is the problem. We are no linger a solid defending team and make a lot of mental errors but what magnifies that is the lack of scoring. Torres, Drogba, Sturridge, all of them really! Club is running on fumes and AVB seems to not have any solutions

And what about all of those 1-1 draws this season... Are we just choosing not to score?

Questions have been there all season, now we need solutions! No doubt squad will be decimated this summer, as it should but I would also include AVB. I've defended him a lot this season but today substitutions showed me he is clueless and is in way over his head! Jose or not, we need a more experienced manager. We all knew the risks going in with this guy and unfortunately it has not worked in our favor

He needs to go, PERIOD! Sure Webb may have influenced or Torres not shoot but it comes down to having no heart and lack of caring. A good manager does not let this happen! He is too young and way to inexperienced! This is going to be the norm as long as he is here.

A 3-0 lead at home no less!

Absolutely correct! We can whine about Webb and Torres or Malouda but the reality is we have a coach who has no clue and is clearly in over his head! Not sure if AVB gets rattled with nerves or simply not that good of a coach but it doesn't matter anyway! He is not Chelsea caliber and looks like a lost little boy in the coaches box! Should've never given this job to him and he should have been wise enough to know he wasn't ready for it. I always supported him but I've realized he is just in over his head!