Have to win this game guys. I wouldn't have mikel anywhere near the team.

Woops. Great win today, I had to work but with us scoring 3, commentary with Stan was bearable.

Edited January 3, 201610 yr by Floyd25

3 goals in this. 1-2, 0-3 to us. Nope, had only a pint all day.

 

Gotta give someone their dues when they call it. 

today should leave noone in any doubt that Mourinho was the primary cause of the disaster at Chelsea. It's all verywell blaming players for not performing under him but the manager's primary role is as a conductor of the team and a motivator of men. Mourinho was an utter failure at this and it's clear that the players absolutely hated him.

Well no actually. Today's performance doesn't prove anything of the sort.

 

What it does indicate strongly is that Mourinho had become over-cautious in his approach to the game, something i've been saying since losing to Liverpool at home. Remember that one? Having taken an early lead against a poor Liverpool side, we were well on top, came close to scoring a second, but suddenly sat back inviting Liverpool on to us, presumably following Mourinho's instructions if his actions (or lack thereof) on the touchline were anything to go by.

 

From where I was sitting, a Liverpool equaliser was inevitable, and when they went 2-1 up early in the second half we were left chasing the game, with the end result that what should, have been a comfortable victory ended in ignominious defeat.

 

You can trace the roots of this over-caution to last season's defeat at Tottenham on New Year's day. From then on in, gone was the swashbuckling approach of the first half of the season, the football that had been a joy to watch, to be replaced by the cynicism and the ultra defensiveness that looked to be a dip in form, but which I believe was rooted in this self-same over-caution, which was in turn initially motivated by fear of blowing the title.

 

Had Jose still been the manager, would we have gone on to win 3-0 today? Somehow I doubt it. I fear that the match would have taken the same course as the Liverpool game. But Mourinho's failure, in my opinion, wasn't one of motivation, but of employing the wrong tactics for the wrong group of players.

Outstanding result, that was the team back in September 2014. It's true Palace missed a few players, but only a month ago we couldn't score more than 1 goal in 3 games, let alone 3 in 1. We just have that swagger and attack instinct again, early balls, players making runs, midfielders track back, it's almost too good to be true for my low expectation. Costa found his mojo and purpose again, Willian is enjoying being the main man of the team, and Mikel did a great job tidying up and doing the Maka thing. What ever Hiddink has done, it's working right now. I thought Hazard was injured for real, I mean if he didn't want to play, he could have pulled out during warm up and have a night off. With Pedro more like a Spanish Kalou, we definitely need Hazard in matches to come.

Sitting down to ENJOY Match of the Day.  A rare occurrence this season.  Will make the most of it while I can.

 

#unbeatenin2016

https://youtu.be/K0LZrrEiYac

Love this guy.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it. I apologise if someone has but did anyone realise that Costa set up Oscar, Oscar set up Willian (Essentially) and Willian set up Costa (Also essentially)

Like a positive-what goes around comes around.

Match of the Day c**ts looking at Mikel challenge.

He is great at tackling, but his downside was passing. He won many tackles but he lost the ball in the same process.

If he can maintain his composure like today's game, he is golden.

 

He had 95% pass completion rate - not exactly shabby.

Gotta give someone their dues when they call it.

Haha. Thanks mate. Onward and Upward! COYB

Match of the Day c**ts looking at Mikel challenge.

They just can't help themselves can they? Finally have something positive to talk about, but can't let it go without highlighting a negative...palace players fouled throughout, enough to get two yellows...nothing said...but like dirty Utd the other day...

Anyway good to see players turn up...Costa looks like the player of last season...but of course he got on well with Jose and that wasn't the reason behind his lack of interest in the shirt

OK. Time to cement the lead: Take off Ivan for Baba and Costa or Pedro for Traore.

 

Oscar has been so poor but somehow has an assist and a goal :)

 

 

Mate, we get it, you really like our African Internationals.  I agree that they are good, but to think that Pedro is better than Moses, and that every substitutions should be for one of the African players is getting a little tiresome.

I also found 'cementing' a lead by putting on 2 players who have barely any mins in the PL a funny concept. Bringing on Matic cemented the lead. Bringing them on would risk conceding to give experience which is not something Hiddink is here for.

Edited January 4, 201610 yr by Stim

Match of the Day c**ts looking at Mikel challenge.

Very odd narrative to take from the game.

To suggest he could have been sent off for two tackles he wasn't booked for.

Normally when a player is cautioned they show a lot more restraint in future challenges so to simplify it and say well if he was booked for the first he'd be sent off for the second is odd.

Considering it wasn't a controversial match it's a shame that MotD focused on an officiating negative rather than putting all the focus on the football itself.

Hallelujah!!  We won! 

 

Great performance all around really! Cant stop smiling   Feels Grrrrrreat!

 

My thoughts  / Comments of the game:

 

- Mikel, Cesc (albeit one VERY dodgy pass!), Willian, Zouma, Costa = OUTSTANDING

- Honourable mention to Oscar, Pedro, Azpi!

- Did i see a 4-4-2 formation (Oscar and Costa upfront) in the second half?! Was it a mirage... Hope to see this more often!!!

 

 Not getting carried away, but with Sc**thorpe (funny how the forum ** their name! ha!) next, confidence for our players and 'interim' should be oozing out of every orifice!

 

Onward and upwards boys

 

#FTBFFH

Edited January 4, 201610 yr by ButchersHook

Well what a match...

Set it to record this morning, but was abit unsure how this would turn out.

All i could think of all today was ***Chelsea*** wanting to watch the match in the afternoon.

 

Cracking pace and smooth movement of the ball by all the players, it was as if they could read each others minds, an assist on each goal is a massive + to the team.

Willians strike F*.*/ing Net Buster has been comming for weeks now, he has been having a crack from outside the 18 yard box many times.

 

The guys should be fully primed and ready to run through brick walls again.

Carry on fellas. 

More performances like this with defensive improvements, I'd fancy us against PSG.

Well no actually. Today's performance doesn't prove anything of the sort.

What it does indicate strongly is that Mourinho had become over-cautious in his approach to the game, something i've been saying since losing to Liverpool at home. Remember that one? Having taken an early lead against a poor Liverpool side, we were well on top, came close to scoring a second, but suddenly sat back inviting Liverpool on to us, presumably following Mourinho's instructions if his actions (or lack thereof) on the touchline were anything to go by.

From where I was sitting, a Liverpool equaliser was inevitable, and when they went 2-1 up early in the second half we were left chasing the game, with the end result that what should, have been a comfortable victory ended in ignominious defeat.

You can trace the roots of this over-caution to last season's defeat at Tottenham on New Year's day. From then on in, gone was the swashbuckling approach of the first half of the season, the football that had been a joy to watch, to be replaced by the cynicism and the ultra defensiveness that looked to be a dip in form, but which I believe was rooted in this self-same over-caution, which was in turn initially motivated by fear of blowing the title.

Had Jose still been the manager, would we have gone on to win 3-0 today? Somehow I doubt it. I fear that the match would have taken the same course as the Liverpool game. But Mourinho's failure, in my opinion, wasn't one of motivation, but of employing the wrong tactics for the wrong group of players.

I think someone mentioned it in the Fabregas thread, but our passing also lopk a lot quicker. Theres very little time wasted on the ball and lots of 1- 2 touch and go passes. Even Willian almost seems to habe dropped his routine of standibg completely still on the ball for 10 seconds allowing the opposition to get back into position. This HAS to be coaching and is hopefully a sign that Hidding focuaes more on team build up in attack

Very odd narrative to take from the game.

To suggest he could have been sent off for two tackles he wasn't booked for.

Normally when a player is cautioned they show a lot more restraint in future challenges so to simplify it and say well if he was booked for the first he'd be sent off for the second is odd.

Considering it wasn't a controversial match it's a shame that MotD focused on an officiating negative rather than putting all the focus on the football itself.

To myself it was like they were throwing something into the public domain to see if someone at the FA bites. Johnathon Pearce said in his commentary 'well if the referee doesn't see it he can't act', even though he had given the foul. Why was it in the edited highlights in the first place. Hartson then brought it up in pundits comments , adding that it could have been a sending off, his only comment on the match. Are they fishing for a retrospective perhaps? Bunch of twats the lot of them.

Edited January 4, 201610 yr by charierre

https://youtu.be/K0LZrrEiYac

 

Mikel has been here for so long now that he has almost lost his Nigerian accent

We need to shoog outside the box more. WILLian, oscar, pedri, haxard, fabregas all capable, but far too often look fid a difficult pass instead

I know Fabregas had one great opportunity to shoot in the first half from about 25.

Ref had a good match, allowed for the wet conditions.

Mourinho turned the champions into relegation fodder. His reign was a total disaster and hopefully he will now disappear into obscurity in the Turkish league or somewhere

 

If that's your opinion Talk Chelsea might be a better place for you. 

Mourinho turned the champions into relegation fodder. His reign was a total disaster and hopefully he will now disappear into obscurity in the Turkish league or somewhere

 

His reign won us a League title and League cup, if you think that is a disaster then you are one very ungrateful fan.