DaRick

Yeah, it's definitely him. The announcer referred to him as "Boz" (Bosnich's nickname), and referred to him recently having had surgery (which he needed after injuring his knee while playing goalkeeper). Plus, the announcer referred to him winning the Premier League beforehand (which he did with Man U). I was honestly surprised that he of all people showed up, given his history with the club.

Saving the best for last... 😁

(Apologies for uploading these in fragments due to file size issues, and for the less-than-ideal quality)

Have attached various pics of the game. The man on the left needs no introduction; the man on the right (Mark Bosnich) surprised me, given that his time at Chelsea ended acrimoniously. He clearly doesn't really hold it against the club.

Privileged to say that I flew down from Brisbane to watch this game - the first CFC game I've gotten to see in the flesh (I couldn't attend in 2015 for personal reasons). Glad it ended in a win, although our defence played like they'd only just met. Acheampong looks like he might need a loan TBH - he lost his man at the post for WSW's first goal, and contributed to the second goal by getting beaten, though being partnered with Tosin, who showed why he's not been a consistent first-team.starter since his signing, admittedly didn't help. Good thing Colwill is back and Lacroix is coming, because Fofana IMO didn't have his best game. Delap ran around aimlessly, Gittens looked sharp, Palmer/Palestra constantly made things happen, and Joao Pedro's finishing was exemplary. Robert Sanchez's game encapsulated the man - decent shot-stopping, inconsistent judgement and unreliable passing from the back. Wonder how much pressure Penders can put on him. The Aussie-born MNJ was promising - made those driving runs from midfield like RLC used to. Kellyman was good value for his 16 minutes, and Essugo & Satpaev took their goals well. Watson and Anselmino gave a decent account of themselves, though I wouldn't mind shoring up LB. The vertical passing forward was refreshing, after watching our players strangle their own attacks with predictable side passing for too long. I can see why Alonso started conservatively - he probably didn't want to risk injuries to our first XI players on a dodgy pitch. And things worked out anyway. If we can beat Crotchenham (I won't be attending that game), that'll represent a good start to our pre-season. COYB! And I hope to see Chelsea in AUS sometime soon!

All the pace, directness and flair married with none of the decision-making ability or consistency. I have nothing against him personally, but I think we've done pretty well out of this deal.

What a twat.

WE'RE THE UNTOUCHABLES! THE INVINCIBLES! THE BEST IN TFE WORLD, BABY! Shows you need more than hype to win games!

Well, looks like this our Super Cup final. The UECL winner vs the UCL winner. Not expecting much, but bring it on!

1) Crotchenham (well, duh) 2) Arse-nil (well, duh) 3) Manure (much more so during SAF years, what with the whole Clattenburg controversy and their general hold over refs - would happily go another decade without seeing them win a title) Don't really hate Liverpool as much as many on here - Slot isn't Benitez, and I guess living far, far away from Anfield means that I don't get exposed to their toxic, life-destroying aura as much as many on here. Also, it’s bad taste to hate them right now given the Jota tragedy. Leeds have been irrelevant for too long to earn my personal hatred. Although they're not in the EPL, I'd love QPR to get wiped off the map.

There is no evidence that they were speeding, and any car can blow tyres.

Horrific for his widow, his children, Liverpool, and for football in general. He was a talented poacher, was also pretty good aerially. Shows that you can never take your life, or other people's lives for granted, including those of your loved ones. His brother dying makes this twice as tragic. RIP.

THREE OHT OF THREE, BABY! I don't care if this is the ECL or the UCL, but this group of young players needed to win something to believe in themselves. From Munich to Wroclaw, we've conquered 'em all.

Betis having more preparation time is annoying. Fiorentina (whom I would have liked to see make another final) wouldn't have had that advantage.

I wish. Sarri won the EL, and what he did with Napoli was quite remarkable. At his best, Maresca is better at in-game substitutions, but he became more stubborn as the season progressed. Still, this season's a clear improvement over the last, so I'm not complaining too much. But it looked like being much better than it turned out to be six months ago.

Chelsea's back in the CL, baby! Blue is the colour! Solid performance against a gritty opponent.

There aren't enough superlatives to describe Cole Palmer right now. Dear god. Also Sanchez doing his best to prove that the last few games were an aberration. Dire stuff under pressure.

You shouldn't take anything for granted, but I expect City to get up for that one, given Pep's cup record and how they're playing against their arch enemies.

I'm in favour of him staying, with some caveats. If you look at Tottenham's first season, it's very similar to ours. Both sides started badly, yet ended up with a point tally in the low 60s after a late-season surge. Pochettino has a track record of developing youth, and there have been signs of progress. The side certainly looks much more coherent than it has for much of the season, and our 2024 has been good. I think, assuming the board don't sabotage him and he doesn't have to deal with too many injuries, he will make this side competitive. Top 4 competitive. He's not unproven at the top level like Ole was (Molde doesn't count), and he's not coming back from a decade-plus layoff like Dalglish was, either (we are where Liverpool were in the early 2010s, in terms of trying to find our feet under new ownership). I don't think he's the guy to win us trophies, though. Tactically he's a bit inflexible (especially during games), and his record with PSG wasn't that impressive. I also question the ability of some of our personnel (Disasi/Badiashile) to adapt, as well. Neither are particularly quick, and Disasi isn't a great passer. But as it stands, there's no one available who's obviously better equipped to get us back into the CL. That said, it we start dreadfully next season, questions must be asked.

This is truly awful news. I liked him in general - he was willing to banter and explain things when necessary, he was a diehard Chelsea fan through thick and thin, and he liked his cricket, too. The forum, CFC and the UK itself is poorer for his loss. RIP, and condolences to his family. May he watch Chelsea from heaven.

He must have forgotten the season before? Or 2015/16? Anyway, we have displayed clear improvement as the season's progressed. While other members here would know more regarding why, it seems that Pochettino has them playing as a more cohesive unit. Liverpool were in the same boat in 2015, and while Poch is no Klopp, he's a very good (not great) manager, and professional enough to oversee the game against his old club without looking like a traitor. The only downside are the FFP ghosts. I can't see how points aren't declined from us right now, and that will discourage some players. The more ambitious ones won't want to stay outside of European football for long, even if Chelsea is a big name. The bright side of having a young team, is that young team grows old together and becomes more loyal to each other and the club. Career considerations become secondary for many of them.

The Peter Principle in full effect, unfortunately.

I watched Vlahovic at Fiorentina and wasn't convinced that he was really the guy for a PL side contending for titles. I thought that he could keep the ball well in tight spaces, but he simply didn't do enough off the ball, whether that be tracking back or pressing defenders who had the ball. He's strong and finishes very well, but he's not as dangerous in the air as someone with his height should be.