Very much as expected following a summer of woeful pre-season performances and bizarre squad weakening. You get what you pay for.

Fair result.

 

We had a shorter pre-season than anyone else. Week of work on the training ground.

Oscar and Willian looked impressive. Costa too.

 

Bodes well. 

I thought Costa was very poor today. I don't think he even had a shot on target. His touch and passing was erratic. It could be that he's still injured. 

Mid week game vs fiorentina, then this game, I think we will be fine as we're having a bad patch but we'll be okay.

At least we didn't lose.

I think we played well and were in control of the game until the sending off. A bizarre AVB-esque high line and offside trap led to the penalty and from that point it was always going to be an uphill struggle.

 

On the plus side, Oscar and Willian played well, Costa didn't get injured and Begovic was really good when coming down.

 

Down side, 2 points lost and no Courtois for City, although I think Begovic based upon todays performance will do fine.

 

My take on the major talking points - Courtois red was deserved, it was on the line which apparently counts as in the box so in that case he was correct to award the peno too. But Williams should have been off for shoving Costa in the back as the last man at the end of the game there, that was a definite f**k up by Oliver.

 

Oh well, 37 games to go.

What else could or should he have done?

Turned into a half ghost so it wouldn't hit the other dude

Wasn't the triple punishment rule challenged last season? Had it changed?

 

(Red Card, Penalty and Suspension)

Angry would be an understatement right now. With City next, I can't see us winning that.

What else could or should he have done?

let that goal in and still go on with 11 players. we maybe take the lead again if oscar still play.

LoL. Are you seriously blaming the ref for this? You cannot be serious

Absolutely not.

I said before the game started and all well that we will struggle this season whilst others improve. Unless we address the obvious issues pronto, we could be at least 5/6 points behind after 4/5 games which is not good enough.

Costa's hamstring is worth more than 3 points to me. Am I the only one thrilled to see him playing like normal and not having to go off. League is a marathon, not a sprint.

LoL. Are you seriously blaming the ref for this? You cannot be serious

 

I dunno what match you were watching.  I have no idea how you can defend the ref.  You can't be serious.

At least we didn't lose.

Yup.   And Begovic was great when he came on.

 

Interesting start to the season  

Well, that was sh*t all round. 2 fortunate goals...

 

We were the second best team (in terms of creating anything). I was hoping the worrying signs from preseason would magically fix themselves here, but no such luck.

I think our first half was encouraging, attacking wise and recycling the ball we looked sharp, our problem was defence, horrible..jose wont stand for that for long though 

Not the best if starts but a decent result considering how long we were down to ten.

Looked much better than any point during pre season.

not bothered too much as we were doing fine up until the sending off and way too early in the season to be ranting about too much

 

but i will say ivanovic got slaughtered - hes so slow,,,,

Willian falling adleep on the second goal/penalty ruined the game for us. Courtois also needs to let Gomis go there, fouling him is the wirst possible scenario there

Wasn't the triple punishment rule challenged last season? Had it changed?

 

(Red Card, Penalty and Suspension)

I remember there was talk of it, I'm not sure they actually decided to change it though!

let that goal in and still go on with 11 players. we maybe take the lead again if oscar still play.

The goalkeeper should have let a goal in?

Okay.

Ultimately, it was that moment in the 52nd minute cost us the game,. Say what you want about Oliver's interpetation - and I disagree with the red card and possibly with the penalty - but it should have never happened and it is entirely on Willian, whose lazy defending was criminal. We tried our darnest after to get back, but we are not at our best and it showed. Too many individual mistakes and two strange substitutions and that's that.

 

Ivanovic had a horrible game, both defensively and offensively. Fabregas didn't look good either and should have been subbed instead of Oscar, who is my MOTM.

 

We need a result now at City and preferably, we need 3 points to offset this draw.

Willian played Gomis onside and was nowhere to be found on the first goal either, leaving Ivanovic to defend two with Matic having to be pulled over.  Offensively, he wasn't very good either - he's got a proper engine in midfield and is much better in the middle of the park, but out wide he's not very good.

 

On the plus side, Begovic seemed comfortable.

I dunno what match you were watching. I have no idea how you can defend the ref. You can't be serious.

What did he get wrong? We were awful, the ref did a fine job in a difficult game

Courtois was completely stupid. Worst case scenario, a goal and 2-2. It would have taken a really good finish as he took it really wide and Cahill was covering and may have been able to block it. Wasn't a guaranteed goal but was a goal scoring opportunity.

Man it's the life out of me when the keeper decides to take the man out taking the red card leaving the team a man down. Idiotic.

Utter w**k........

 

 

Jose knows he's f**ked this season, but he doesn't care, as Roman has f**ked us over big time with the selling of Cech, Jose will be proved correct come May.

 

 

 

Roman Never learns............ Leave football to the ones in the know.

Edited August 8, 201510 yr by Seven Times

Ivanovic got massacred today, I actually enjoyed the game and not worried by the draw at all.