Liquidator71

Very decent result following on from a frustrating first half. We looked noticeably nervous during the time between the first and second goals, but once we were 2-0 up there was never going to be any way back for Bolton. Wolves also did us a big favour, coming back from 2-0 down to snatch a point at Newcastle.

No Bosingwa or Meireles is good news. I'd have liked to see Ryan Bertrand start, and maybe Torres. Otherwise I think we're looking pretty good.

Whichever way I look at it, there is so much wrong with the merest suggestion that Benitez might one day manage Chelsea. No I'm sorry, it's just wrong.

I would add to that 1967 and 1994, both finals that we lost, and both times losing left a bitter taste in our mouths. However, both these occasions would have been the first time that different generations of Chelsea supporters would have seen Chelsea at Wembley for a major cup final. At the time, that in itself was a massive deal. I suppose the sad fact is that for new fans, this sense of achievement in merely getting to a major final doesn't exist. But just think back to '94, the sense of excitement, the anticipation of the build-up to the final.. our first FA Cup Final for 24 years. Truth be told, losing in '94 ultimately made the '97 win all the sweeter. It's not their fault, how could it be? - but those newer fans are never going to have a clue what it felt like in either '94 or '97. Not unless we go another quarter century with next to nothing to add to the trophy cabinet. That's if they're still with us, of course. Oh yes I care about the FA Cup. And I can't help but feel sorry for anyone that doesn't.

I was one of those who would generally never get a membership if I could avoid it, but as luck would have it, this is something I came across just the other day:

I think we're almost on the same page here - I wasn't saying AVB was right to play Mereiles, just that I can't think of any other reason for continuing to play him. I think I'll leave it to someone else to attempt to justify the selection of Bosingwa though.

I'm sure you are. Unfortunately you're asking the wrong question. It's not a matter of being pro or anti-AVB, it's about being pro-Chelsea. Last night you asked where I'd been, following my comment on some of the inevitable knee-jerk reactions to the result, including your "Avb out avb out avb out". My suspicion is that you didn't even read my post, and that your criticism was just another knee-jerk reaction to my criticisms of previous knee-jerk reactions. So for the benefit of yourself and anyone else who failed to understand what I was getting it, here is the post again, minus the remarks about the knee-jerks: I think the players are underperforming. Stating the obvious? If you like. Call it lack of confidence, lack of motivation, lack of organisation. It's when you're lacking confidence that you tend to make basic errors. It's the manager's job to instil confidence, to get the players playing to the best of their ability, which is something our players aren't doing, either individually or collectively. The question is why? These aren't a bad bunch of players. Put Torres in any number of other sides and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him banging in goals for fun. Have we been over-reliant on Drogba and Lampard too long? I think that's part of it. if there's any truth to the stories about player power then that certainly isn't helping either. If player power is the problem, then it needs to be identified as such, and those players, no matter how big a part they may have played in our past successes, need to be banished to the sidelines and shipped out at the earliest opportunity. Listening to Gary Neville tonight, you'd think we were unlucky to end up losing 3-1. Maybe we were. However, if not for Ashley Cole's goal line clearance, it could have been even worse. In football I think you make a lot of your own luck. And that's why Man U have been so successful for so long. We need to stop looking for someone to blame and start making our own luck, and that goes for the players and the manager alike. See what I'm saying? I'm not holding AVB entirely to blame, neither am I letting the players get off scot free. Both players and managers need to take their share of responsibility for recent performances. If, and I know this is a big IF, the rumours of player revolt are true, then AVB needs to have the balls to get rid a.s.a.p. Player revolt is in fact the only reason I can think of for his continual selection of Mereiles. Put yourself in AVB's position. Faced with the option of a more talented player who has made quite clear that he has no faith in your ability, or an average, journeyman type player who you think is at least on your side, who would you pick for the starting lineup? I'm going to say it again IF there is any truth to the stories of player revolt. Because otherwise I can think of no reasonable excuse for continuing to play Mereiles. So no, I'm not saying AVB is the best thing since sliced bread, but to put the blame for the current situation entirely on his shoulders is something of an over-simplification.

I think you need to go back and read my entire post again, about the players and the manager. Rather than blaming either one or the other, the problem appears to be that they're not working well together. I would add to what I've already written that Ancelotti was having similar problems last season with what were largely the same group of players. What I'm trying to get across is that it's a little more complicated than simply holding the manager to blame.

Knee jerking as in screaming for the manager's head half way through a Champions League tie. I've even seen people who are supposedly Chelsea fans calling for Benitez to come in for the rest of the season. And if that's not a knee jerk reaction, then I don't know what the hell is.

Lots of knees jerking tonight. Fair enough, Napoli don't look that good a side and the result was a disappointment. However, we've got an away goal and we are more than capable of doing them at the Bridge. Unfortunately we're just as capable of blowing it. Right. Hang on to those knees. Sit on them if you must, and I'll tell you what I think. I think the players are underperforming. Stating the obvious? If you like. Call it lack of confidence, lack of motivation, lack of organisation. It's when you're lacking confidence that you tend to make basic errors. It's the manager's job to instil confidence, to get the players playing to the best of their ability, which is something our players aren't doing, either individually or collectively. The question is why? These aren't a bad bunch of players. Put Torres in any number of other sides and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him banging in goals for fun. Have we been over-reliant on Drogba and Lampard too long? I think that's part of it. if there's any truth to the stories about player power then that certainly isn't helping either. If player power is the problem, then it needs to be identified as such, and those players, no matter how big a part they may have played in our past successes, need to be banished to the sidelines and shipped out at the earliest opportunity. Listening to Gary Neville tonight, you'd think we were unlucky to end up losing 3-1. Maybe we were. However, if not for Ashley Cole's goal line clearance, it could have been even worse. In football I think you make a lot of your own luck. And that's why Man U have been so successful for so long. We need to stop looking for someone to blame and start making our own luck, and that goes for the players and the manager alike.

Not going to happen. The media would love nothing more than for Abramovich to sack AVB. They could then regurgitate the "Chelsea have had xx managers in yy" years, naturally including Ray Wilkins (caretaker manager for a single game) and Guus Hiddink (who was only ever here on a temporary basis) in the ever increasing grand total of Chelsea managers whose services have been ruthlessly dispensed with by the Russian. We've already had the Mail's Benitez "Exclusive", any number of rags with their Capello "Exclusives", and now we have the Mirror with yet another "Exclusive", the name they're pushing being Marcelo Bielsa of Real Betis. The Mirror appear to have a strong case. But then they go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like Pep Guardiola.

I would add to that the perpetual myth of this ageing squad of ours. Looking at the team that started on Saturday, there wasn't a single player over the age of 30. Of those who did start, the biggest question marks, I believe were against Mikel and Meireles. Mikel having just returned from injury can be excused up to a point, but only up to a point, because for the life of me I couldn't think of one good reason for his inclusion in the starting lineup. That Meireles is continually selected is down to AVB and AVB alone, as was the decision to take off Mata, a decision which seems more than any other, to have caused questions to be asked about AVB's management ability.

And in the land of the one eyed men, the pointy stick is the weapon of choice.

Thankyou so much for sharing, and thankyou so much for passing on the good news about Bobby. I'm finding it difficult to explain exactly how I feel here, but you really have made my day.

And Tottenham aren't? It's a rare Chelsea fan who will wish for Spurs to beat any team by any score, let alone 7-0.