Look, it's not Sarri, it's not Conte.  We have no competent center striker for every day play to compete for top 4.  We may have to buy 2, one in January, and another this summer.   Giroud is 3 years off being a full time starter.  The biggest difference between us and City right now is Morata / Aguero.  A lot of the other concerns would disappear if our opponents had someone to fear on the final ball.

12 minutes ago, Del-85 said:

poor showing from all players last night, starting to look like Arsenal used to for a few seasons.  All nice passing but no killer final pass / touch.  Although even then we've no one to put it away. Desperate need of a 20+ goal a season striker.  Still hoping Morata can be that.. 

I think we have a lot of options in the players we have behind the striker, and Sarri needs to adjust his plans for certain games and change tactics / formations to suit, even if it means changing mid way through depending how the games going,  not just stick to 1 formation.  Sometimes a slight change in tactics throws the opponent.   Def think Kante needs to play where he is best, Jorginho is class, but could he not also play beside Kante or further up?

 

Just my humble Opinion.   

Still like ''Sarriball'' and Sarri, just needs to adapt, and lose the stubbornness.  Im no expert but you can see when the games crying out for a change.

 

Both goals we gave up, were when Cesc was further up the field than Jorginho plays.  

Goal 1) Cesc was high up the field and not screen Christensen, so entry was available.

Goal 2) Willian gets the ball Cesc steps high, so Willian tries to dribble out instead of just playing Jorginho.

 

Those clamoring for Sarri to change more... the game against Wolves was the change... his build up features Luiz, Rudiger, Jorginho, Kante, and Kovacic.... three of those were different against the Wolves.   

BTW I would love to see RLC start against City as the 9,  he's comfortable in the MF, so if he needs to play as a false 9 he can, he's also comfortable with his back to the goal, and strong enough to hold defenders off, which is where Morata kills the game.

Well, that was the first game I've watched for a while, and turned it straight off as soon as they equalised. Won't be tuning in for City either after that sh*t showing. I'm unfortunate falling out of love with football (for many reasons, not just our poor showing this season), and watching us get pulled from pillar to post by City does not strike me as entertainment.

5 minutes ago, Wearyourblue said:

BTW I would love to see RLC start against City as the 9,  he's comfortable in the MF, so if he needs to play as a false 9 he can, he's also comfortable with his back to the goal, and strong enough to hold defenders off, which is where Morata kills the game.

Giroud will start I think. He at least holds up the play well and can bring Hazard into the game.

.

Edited December 6, 20187 yr by yorkleyblue

4 minutes ago, Old Shaggy said:

Well, that was the first game I've watched for a while, and turned it straight off as soon as they equalised. Won't be tuning in for City either after that sh*t showing. I'm unfortunate falling out of love with football (for many reasons, not just our poor showing this season), and watching us get pulled from pillar to post by City does not strike me as entertainment.

Good to see we still have SOME die-hard supporters.

Just now, yorkleyblue said:

Good to see we still have SOME die-hard supporters.

Lol, I had a feeling you'd be the first to quote my post Yorkley. I have never professed to being a die-hard supporter! I learnt a long time ago not to let football rule my emotions, so my enjoyment of football comes purely from being entertained. Something that Chelsea rarely do at the moment.

1 minute ago, Old Shaggy said:

Lol, I had a feeling you'd be the first to quote my post Yorkley. I have never professed to being a die-hard supporter! I learnt a long time ago not to let football rule my emotions, so my enjoyment of football comes purely from being entertained. Something that Chelsea rarely do at the moment.

fair enough.  I can't argue with that, mate.

2 hours ago, wallosh said:

18 hours ago, Bloo said:

Dross of the first order.
Not one player stood out for me.  Same problem re striker.  Same old same old pass left pass right pass back pass every direction except towards the frigging goal.
Is Kepa really a £70m keeper? - he doesn't look top dollar to me.
Hazard is a joke, usual running around looking great but when did he last score. RM can have him for all I care.
Losing faith in Sarri too.
Glad I never went tonight too. 

You expect Hazard to score in every game right??

No, but 0.5 which is his current average (although it drops to zero over the last couple of months) is hardly stellar for someone alleged to be up there with the gods of European Football.

I'm tired tbh of his mazey runs that have no end product and simply slow down any attacking move

Similar to pep style not working? Granted he had an unlimited check book?

I won't moan. I can't see his attacking pattern of play working for a top team with ambitions in the EPL. You sometimes need to know how to defend a goal to win a game.

 
What is so impressive with those stats?
17 shots and only 3 on target?
678 passes that gave us nothing?
Believe your eyes, not stats. If we deserved something from the game with this performance, then we are simply mid-table team.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not revelling in the stats but the point I was making was to say we didn’t deserve a point wasn’t right either.

has the FA issued an apology yet? I just remember one match vs CFC The FA did such a thing 

Watched the highlights on MOTD, both ‘penalty’ incidents unsurprisingly got little to no attention or slow-no replays but William one looked 50/50 on first (and only) glance.

Morata one looked two footed and like he went through him to get the ball. I don’t see why Morata would go down, even he can put the ball in from there. 

For me we should have killed it in the first half and only have ourselves to blame. Willian needs to play to the whistle not just stop because he thinks he was fouled although he’s not the only one. 

Pedro, Jorgi-boy and Luiz back in for City please.

1 hour ago, Munkworth said:

Watched the highlights on MOTD, both ‘penalty’ incidents unsurprisingly got little to no attention or slow-no replays but William one looked 50/50 on first (and only) glance.

Morata one looked two footed and like he went through him to get the ball. I don’t see why Morata would go down, even he can put the ball in from there. 

For me we should have killed it in the first half and only have ourselves to blame. Willian needs to play to the whistle not just stop because he thinks he was fouled although he’s not the only one. 

Pedro, Jorgi-boy and Luiz back in for City please.

Morata's looked a penalty all day long or it was one of the best dives ever.

1 hour ago, Petworth Chelsea Fan said:

 

Don’t get me wrong I’m not revelling in the stats but the point I was making was to say we didn’t deserve a point wasn’t right either.

 

I think if you took the game overall he probably should have got at least a point having really dominated . Score a second and we win this easy but our reaction in the final 30 mins was very poor which really denied us getting our deserved point.

7 hours ago, coco said:

Love Dave, but since he gone back to RB we have lost a central captain, how the hell can Alonso hear him? We need a CB captain again.

There was a time when we had 5 captains on the pitch all prepared to put a shift in and gee the rest up when needed. Today there are no obvious candidates. When you look at the spine of the team Kepa(young and inexperienced) Luiz/Christensen, Jorginho/Fabregas, Morata its hardly Cech,Terry, Lampard, Drogba.

4 minutes ago, charierre said:

There was a time when we had 5 captains on the pitch all prepared to put a shift in and gee the rest up when needed. Today there are no obvious candidates. When you look at the spine of the team Kepa(young and inexperienced) Luiz/Christensen, Jorginho/Fabregas, Morata its hardly Cech,Terry, Lampard, Drogba.

Agree.

Just watched this game.

 

Poor goalkeeping to allow that first one in. A top keeper should not be beaten like that. Poor defending on their winner.

But far more to point out offensively. Again when eden is off colour we dont win. And not only dont win but lose to a side that lost at home to huddersfield. Let that settle in. Eden wasted a couple of good half chances, twice we put Willian in, twice he had a poor first touch and gave the defender a chance. Twice morata was in a good position, one a header, wasted. 

Yes talk pen at the start of first half but he should be launching himself at that. Any part of his body puts that one away, how does he miss the ball completely?

We should have been at least 3 or 4 up before the kepa cockup. No one to blame but ourselves. And not good enough.

Hard luck on Ruben who looked classy and kante and cesc who played well, bar the latters late miss. The rest? Poor.

Oh and I will add our response to them equalizing was poor. Shows a weak mentality in our squad and a lack of leaders.

18 hours ago, Wearyourblue said:

Both goals we gave up, were when Cesc was further up the field than Jorginho plays.  

Goal 1) Cesc was high up the field and not screen Christensen, so entry was available.  

Goal 2) Willian gets the ball Cesc steps high, so Willian tries to dribble out instead of just playing Jorginho.

 

Those clamoring for Sarri to change more... the game against Wolves was the change... his build up features Luiz, Rudiger, Jorginho, Kante, and Kovacic.... three of those were different against the Wolves.   

I'm not sure if your agreeing or disagreeing with me here???     As im saying this may not have been the case if Kante was in his natural position covering behind the midfield..

As for the change, different line up granted, but same formation and tactics,  which does work and sometimes we play well.  But if its found out and they play to stifle us, then more changes needed.  Part of Conte's problem in 2nd season was that teams had figured out how to stop the wing backs, and he didn't change it.

12 hours ago, charierre said:

Morata's looked a penalty all day long or it was one of the best dives ever.

The problem with Morata's was that the ref would have had to have sent the defender off, and he didn't want to make that decision.

He might not have scored as much as we want, but even Messi will eventually get tired if we rely on him alone to create the chances and at the same time score all the goals.
In all the matches he has played for us this season, he has been the standout player for me followed by Rudiger.

No, but 0.5 which is his current average (although it drops to zero over the last couple of months) is hardly stellar for someone alleged to be up there with the gods of European Football.
I'm tired tbh of his mazey runs that have no end product and simply slow down any attacking move

We are playing City tomorrow. Watch carefully how City players fiercely try to get the ball back when they lose possession and compare it with that of our team under Sarri. The same thing when Pep managed Barcelona, once they lose possession of the ball, about three players fiercely mark the player with ball and it is working so well for him even here in England. And pep has learned to sometimes hold on to a goal lead unlike when he was managing Barcelona where he believes he always needs to continue scoring in order to win games. I have seen him substitute Aguero many times this season to bring in a defensive player to maintain a one goal lead.

Similar to pep style not working? Granted he had an unlimited check book?

Watched the highlights on MOTD, both ‘penalty’ incidents unsurprisingly got little to no attention or slow-no replays but William one looked 50/50 on first (and only) glance.
Morata one looked two footed and like he went through him to get the ball. I don’t see why Morata would go down, even he can put the ball in from there. 
For me we should have killed it in the first half and only have ourselves to blame. Willian needs to play to the whistle not just stop because he thinks he was fouled although he’s not the only one. 
Pedro, Jorgi-boy and Luiz back in for City please.

Regarding Morata, one thing I have learned in this life is when someone is used to acting FAKE all the time, the very time he is being REAL people will still take him for a joke.
The officials have studied Morata and they know he likes to fall for the faintest of tackles, and this referees ain't perfect, sometimes they rely on their instinct when making decisions. So am never surprised whenever I see Morata being given a real tackle and the referee waves "play on" because everyone already know he likes to cheat.