6 games undefeated!!! Improvement!

One other thing that bothers me in all our games is that we never throw in any surprises for the opposition. Even if we change up the AM trio they are still going to interchange and play the same way game after game. Just every now and again go for a 433 or a 442 or even a diamond with a DM at the back, a Playmaker/B2B in the middle and an AM behind either Costa/Remy or perhaps Costa/Hazard having a free role. Whilst no-one is happy with these results, I think the vitriol would be lessened if we at least looked like we were doing something to amend it rather than persist with the same tactics game after game.

What really saddened me tonight coming away from the game is that we clearly now have refs in the premiership who just can't read the game. I am not blaming him for our draw but his performance was just terrible and pathetic. Has the standard really fallen to this level.

I think he was probably the most irritating ref I've encountered and I've lost my voice in the amount of abuse I shouted at him.

A point a game from here on in should just keep us up..

 

 

Just can't wait for this nightmare of a season to end.

Our players need to wake up and put a shift in

Just finished Swans match. Ref was as poor if not worse

than thst bald C Taylor but both sets of players gave it their all.

There is no consistent work effort from Chelsea, when they do buck up their ideas and move the ball around faster it seems to yield results (chances even goals) but then all too quickly the effort abates and invites opposition teams to attack. Also the lineups, tactics etc employed by the new manager appear almost identical to the sacked manager, even shutting up shop after the OG - that may work when you can trust your holding mids & back 4 to form an inpenetrable wall (as in previous seasons) but now imo its asking to concede.

hmmmm.....so a bit of a reality check for a few on here that wanted Jose gone or, if not, belatedly agreed to his dispatch.

 

I like Guus and am glad that after making such an abysmal decision of sacking Jose that the Board was able to get him & that he was available at short notice to take the reins albeit, and as he said, even he didn't know what he was doing here.

 

Since he's taken over results have been somewhat more helpful to our predicament but let's face facts: the opposition we've played in those games has been ordinary & the Palace result, albeit heartening, was against a side that were w/out there two top playmakers who were injured & it is not in doubt that they were extremely lame in shutting down our midfield - they gave us oodles of space & time on the ball - so much so that even Mikel looked great. Other teams coming up such as the toffees & Arse will not be nearly as forgiving in that regard. 

Two teams in the bottom half of the table battle it out for a 2-2 draw. Nothing to see here.

 

Game just about summed up our season. A lot of false hope then brought down to earth with the reality that we're just not good enough.

 

WBA are an average side but we still conceded two which is pretty worrying.

 

At least we're not losing under Hiddink so if we carry on we'll be good enough to get into mid-table

 

Nothing is going to really change without a serious overhaul of the squad. And that's going to have to happen without the prospects of Champions League football.

 

No wonder Abramovich looked depressed at the end. I think the reality has just hit him.

 

Good post.

 

If the 'reality' of the squad not being good enough has only just hit the owner then that is indeed depressing.

 

I'd like to think that that is not the case though & that he already knew that; otherwise why would he say to the team as he did that he had not wanted to get rid of Jose?

 

I bet all of us wished we could have been provided with a transcript of the board's discussions prior to the dispatch of Jose so as to see which 'individuals' wanted him gone but, more importantly, what was aired concerning the abilities of the 1st team squad. 

Good post.

 

If the 'reality' of the squad not being good enough has only just hit the owner then that is indeed depressing.

 

I'd like to think that that is not the case though & that he already knew that; otherwise why would he say to the team as he did that he had not wanted to get rid of Jose?

 

I bet all of us wished we could have been provided with a transcript of the board's discussions prior to the dispatch of Jose so as to see which 'individuals' wanted him gone but, more importantly, what was aired concerning the abilities of the 1st team squad. 

 

I think that at start of the season the Board thought the squad was good enough to compete for a top four place. Personally I think they got complacent over the Summer and we're now paying the consequences. But I don't think anyone anticipated we would be nearer the relegation zone than the European places.

 

I think the Board sacking Mourinho was designed to be a wake up call to the players. I also believe the Board really thought that by getting rid of Mourinho we might go on a run and give ourselves a chance to qualify for Europe. Well that seems a long way off now. All Hiddink can do is steer us into midtable safety and maybe give us a shot at the FA Cup. 

 

Unfortunately, no Champions League football is a disaster for us. Not as bad as getting relegated. But the next worse thing. Both in terms of revenue, global appeal and in attracting the players to make us competitive. Never mind getting the manager that Abramovich thinks we deserve. 

 

Some might think a season or two out of the Champions League to rebuild, bring academy players through etc is no bad thing. But you can bet the Board are scared sh*tless at the thought. I don't blame them.

Agree with your 1st para Soc & have said so numerous times on here over the last few months.

 

I agree with your further thoughts as well.

Just one of those games...they should have had a red card...and how many games are you going to have that sort of opposition hit not one,but two, perfect fizzers into the bottom corner of the net.

I am surprised the West Brom fans didn't boo McClean, only anti Irish Catholic when it suits them, though he irritates me more than them as he is happy to represent a club who treated him so badly, if I was James I would move to the US league or somewhere, have some self respect.

I doubt they are anti Irish Catholic. Just anti that McLean prick who won't respect war dead and is anti English, though he is happy to take the Queen's pound. Hypocrite for want of a more apt description of him.

We still haven't won a back-to-back league games this season, last doing so in May 2015.

The Blues have conceded two or more goals in 12 fixtures this season, twice as many as in the whole of last season.

The Blues scored with their only shot on target in the first half and had just two in the whole game.

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by Zola

Do people on here really think Courtois was responsible for either goal ffs.Watch again and you will see he has gone full length and has had no chance.

I doubt they are anti Irish Catholic. Just anti that McLean prick who won't respect war dead and is anti English, though he is happy to take the Queen's pound. Hypocrite for want of a more apt description of him.

 

It's his right not to wear a poppy. Read this http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34720464

 

He still shouldn't have scored against us of course

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by Valerie

Honestly losing interest with the premier league now. The league has lost its quality that it once had. The Spanish sides are constantly snapping up the best players and the clubs here are left with the scraps. No youth being produced and short term success is always the main focus. I have no problem with short term success if quality players are being brought in, but the problem is its always the average/above average players being signed up. Come summer time we'll likely lose hazard and maybe more. Depressing tbh.

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by enigma

Do people on here really think Courtois was responsible for either goal ffs.Watch again and you will see he has gone full length and has had no chance.

They shouldn't have even been able to get those shots off in the first place. Our players don't close down fast enough

I think Courtois should have saved the second one, definitely.

 

All well and good saving the players should have been shut down faster, and I fully agree, but Courtois has to be saving that.

It's his right not to wear a poppy. Read this http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34720464

 

He still shouldn't have scored against us of course

He's still a c*nt

Have to say the Leicester result cheered me up a bit. Another old boy of ours doing the business.

I think it will do us good if some of our "star" players push off in the summer. If Claudio can top the table halfway through January with zero stars, it really is time for a rethink. Barring accidents they will be in CL and, who knows, they might spring a surprise or two

They shouldn't have even been able to get those shots off in the first place. Our players don't close down fast enough

 

which is another way of saying they've become sloppy and complacent. I don't know how you stop that happening the season after you've won PL. Ship 'em out I think

Anthony Taylor was horrible, but think about poor Citeh, with John Stones, the "great" Everton defender, making a clear foul on Aguero in the penalty box in second half injury time, with no penalty given.  I would be livid if that happened to us (oh wait, it happens to us all the time).

As each of these winnable home games pass and we dont get 3 points, the more convinced I am it's a completely lost season.

 

There is no way we make top 4 now, and I really can't see us getting past PSG. FA Cup? Maybe, but then mid table premier league clubs give us so many problems, how can we be confident of winning that either?

 

Positives are we wont go down, and we would have lost this game two months ago.

 

I'd rather we finish mid table too rather than the hindrance that is the Europa league.

 

Just need to hope and pray Arsenal dont win the league....

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by Blue Exile

This is still a good result considering where we were last couple of months. The team is player better overall in all aspects both WBA goals came from our individual mistakes especially Pedro he gave the ball away trying to do way too much so many times. We badly need Hazard back until then start with Kenedy/RLC until Hazard is fit. Pedro should be used as sub with his energy to run teams down in last 15 to 20 minutes. We played well yesterday Cesc was just pinging balls all over he is getting back to where he was Costa was a menace in a good way running the channels moving around. If you watch the movement it’s so much better than before. People overacting about the result TP teams are always hard to play against and the way the season has been going this is a good result. We need to forget about CL or top four just try and win as many games as we can come summer dust ourselves off and start again. If we keep our top players we will win the league next season with I believe will most likely be Diego Simeone.

 

#BringBackJoseAgain!

I find it a little bit embarrassing that a club in our position have even been talking about the top 4, we should be focussing on picking up points in our next game - do that and we'll avoid an end of season relegation fight, after that if some of the teams above us falter we should be able to pick up a few places in the league.

I think we've improved under Gus but nowhere near to the extent that the press and some fans have been saying recently.  I hope under Gus the improvement continues to the end of the season and if it does then we'll be in a much better position going into next year, but there are no guarantees.  A couple of bad results could see us right in the sh*te again.  You've got to remember we're in the position we're in on merit, nothing else.