Leicester v Chelsea (PL) Sat 1st Feb 12:30 GMT

[Zeta]

Eh. Standard pattern of play first half. Good first 10-15 minutes, don't take our chances, other team comes back into it and causes lots of problems. Second half we were lucky to get a point, some awful defending as per usual. First goal was 2 simple passes, one through the midfield, one through the defence. 2nd goal poor all round. Barnes sjhould have made it 3, awful tracking by James.

We just gave the ball away so much, we can't seem to handle any pressing at all.

Good: James (1st half), Rudiger, Hudson-Odoi (1st half)
Poor: Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante (awful)

At least we didn't lose.

[Guest Sindre]

7 minutes ago, Chelsbear said:

Our board have screwed Frank and us. 

For some reason, some are desperate to defend the board.

But you are absolutely right. Our attackers can't score to save their lives.
If they could we would have been out of sight before Leicester got a hold in this game.

 

[dansubrosa]

Let Caballero keep his place, IMO we would have lost if Kepa was in goal. (Made a few saves)

Overall an average performance. Not much Frank could have done, we made loads of chances in first half. The defence is shocking though.

[Dean]

4 minutes ago, CFCCAN said:

A game that could have gone either way, but poor finishing in the first half and sh*te defending in the second cost us 3 points today.  Crying out for a centre forward and more quality in other positions, but that's water under the bridge now.  All we can do is cross our fingers and hope we hang onto 4th, if we can beat Utd and Spurs at home we have a chance...

I think that’s discrediting Leicester tbh. They missed those sitters too. Their counters were / are pretty impressive. 

[mojo]

Leicester played midweek semifinal and lost, but it was Chelsea who looked fatigged as the game was in final stage. It's f**king mental that Leicester pressed all 99 minutes for the win (except maybe first 15-20 minutes). It's all the heads and not in the legs. Our subs today looked like they entered some late training season.

[Jezz]

10 minutes ago, enigma said:

Shows how far behind Liverpool we are, when they go there and smash them 0-4. 

Name me any other team who's smashed Leicester away from home by a similar margin?

Liverpool are just on another planet at the moment, not just in England but across Europe.

[Davey Baby]

We got away with one. We were so lucky second-half. They could have scored loads, while we didn't create a chance from open play, and didn't even look like doing so. Leicester were finding pockets all game, between our lines, in front of our defence, and Frank couldn't do anything to stop it. Unbelievably set pieces saved us today.

 

We started well, creating chances, easily the better side, but after the initial spell they just looked a far more assured side, even though they're not in the best of form. Very happy with a point today. I'll take that.

 

The keeper's a clown. Christensen is nowhere near good enough. James is going to be a beast. Kante put in a shift but there's precious little quality on the ball. A pivot of him and Jorginho just doesn't do it for me, and I've no idea why Frank is persisting with it.

 

Pedro was completely anonymous second-half and not much better first-half. Lastly, the decision to bring on Barkley at the end instead of Batshuayi? I wouldn't try that one again Frank if I were you.

 

This can only be viewed as a good away point.

[Malcolm9]

12 minutes ago, charierre said:

No real complaints today at the result. Good point in the end, we both had chances and didn't take them. Wind caused a few mistakes. Mount is getting some stick but he is the only player comfortable in pressing from the front for 90mins , compare that to Barkley who gives a good impression of a 'lazy scouse git'

The problem is we are bringing players on whilst we are performing poorly and confidence just looks sapped across the squad.

James' crossing alone should have given us at least 2 goals from open play and Tammy just wasn't good enough today. Bats & Giroud are finished with Frank going by that last substitute, and even at the end we were just passing it around rather than going direct.

The potential is there at times when you look at the chances we created in the first half, but you have to take them otherwise they don't mean a thing. It is so hard to watch us at times, I really hope we come into some form soon because if the teams below us step up we won't finish 4th.

 

 

[EdinburghBlue]

15 minutes ago, enigma said:

Shows how far behind Liverpool we are, when they go there and smash them 0-4. 

Is that seriously a surprise? Liverpool are certainly not the bar for us this season.

[Argo]

Hard one to analyse, should have walked it and lost it in equal measure if that makes sense.

Aslong as Spurs lose with one of United/Wolves minimum dropping points it will make for a good weekend all told.

[Jezz]

Just realised it was Rudiger's 100th appearance for the club.

Good time to score a double ?

[Argo]

23 minutes ago, Sindre said:

For some reason, some are desperate to defend the board.

But you are absolutely right. Our attackers can't score to save their lives.
If they could we would have been out of sight before Leicester got a hold in this game.

 

And by equal measure some damm the club no matter what.

Buy anyone "why did we rush in the market stupid board"

Don't just buy anyone and wait for the right player "why didn't we just sign someone stupid board".

Some board critisism is legit, but far too often people drift into FIFA career mode territory.

Edited February 1, 2020 by Argo

[Guest Sindre]

6 minutes ago, Argo said:

And by equal measure some damm the club no matter what.

Buy anyone "why did we rush in the market stupid board"

Don't just buy anyone and wait for the right player "why didn't we just sign someone stupid board".

Some board critisism is legit, but far too often people drift into FIFA career mode territory.

No one in the world have claimed we should sign "anyone".

The club had eight bloody months to plan this transfer window. Eight months!
Still couldn't come up with anything resembling a plan and left a manager and the entire club incredibly frustrated by doing so.

You can't defend it in my book. Just pure incompetence.

This Gary Neville-tweet from 2012 sums it up for me:

 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by Sindre

[charierre]

5 minutes ago, Argo said:

And by equal measure some damm the club no matter what.

Buy anyone "why did we rush in the market stupid board"

Don't just buy anyone and wait for the right player "why didn't we just sign someone stupid board".

Some board critisism is legit, but far too often people drift into FIFA career mode territory.

I'm amazed we didn't source a left back. This is a known weakness for 18 mths. Finding a striker I will say is hard In January but there is no guarantees that it will be any easier in July.

[The Don Antonio]

7 minutes ago, Argo said:

And by equal measure some damm the club no matter what.

Buy anyone "why did we rush in the market stupid board"

Don't just buy anyone and wait for the right player "why didn't we just sign someone stupid board".

Some board critisism is legit, but far too often people drift into FIFA career mode territory.

Totally agree. I think the blame should go to the scouting department. We cant just buy dead players like dembele and mertens to add to our Giroud,pedro,bakayoko,drinkwater,barkley,morata,emerson,Zappacosta...   Did i miss any BUM?

[Argo]

5 minutes ago, charierre said:

I'm amazed we didn't source a left back. This is a known weakness for 18 mths. Finding a striker I will say is hard In January but there is no guarantees that it will be any easier in July.

I agree we should have signed a left back, however it's hard to blame anyone for a lack of striker signing given the scarce options this window. United ultimately having a pick between Ighalo, Josh King and Slimani says it all.

11 minutes ago, Sindre said:

No one in the world have claimed we should sign "anyone".

The club had eight bloody months to plan this transfer window. Eight months!
Still couldn't come up with anything resembling a plan and left a manager and the entire club incredibly frustrated by doing so.

You can't defend it in my book. Just pure incompetence.

This Gary Neville-tweet from 2012 sums it up for me:

 

 

You can plan all you want but if the best attainable striker is Ighalo then the best attainable striker is Ighalo.

No amount of preparation will get Cavani to relax his wage demands or ADL to drop his obscene price tag on Mertens.

I think a left back should have been gone after as I think Grimaldo, Gosens and Telles could have all been had at the right price but the striker market this January were slimmer than slim pickings.

[forbzy]

I noted a couple of things in the second highlighted our defensive issues:

1. Jonny Evans has a free header from corner because he outmuscles Christensen. Once again highlights Christensen's lack of physicality despite being a big guy 

2. Every time they attacked down our left side we looked vulnerable and wide ipen. Once again we really need a goid option at Left back. We were very luck that Harvey Barnes missed that chance bear the end.

I still prefer Tomori over Christensen. Tomori and Rudiger would be my first choice. Probably Alonsi at LB although that means dropping Dave I'm afraid.

[Ballack & Blu]

29 minutes ago, Davey Baby said:

We got away with one. We were so lucky second-half. They could have scored loads, while we didn't create a chance from open play, and didn't even look like doing so. Leicester were finding pockets all game, between our lines, in front of our defence, and Frank couldn't do anything to stop it. Unbelievably set pieces saved us today.

 

We started well, creating chances, easily the better side, but after the initial spell they just looked a far more assured side, even though they're not in the best of form. Very happy with a point today. I'll take that.

 

The keeper's a clown. Christensen is nowhere near good enough. James is going to be a beast. Kante put in a shift but there's precious little quality on the ball. A pivot of him and Jorginho just doesn't do it for me, and I've no idea why Frank is persisting with it.

 

Pedro was completely anonymous second-half and not much better first-half. Lastly, the decision to bring on Barkley at the end instead of Batshuayi? I wouldn't try that one again Frank if I were you.

 

This can only be viewed as a good away point.

Blimey, some critique, Keeper made a mistake, looks a safer bet than Kepa, so don't know what you want, Christensen a better option than Zouma, agree with Pedro, but we should of won it in the first half, Tammy aint prolific enough..

[Ballack & Blu]

3 minutes ago, Argo said:

I agree we should have signed a left back, however it's hard to blame anyone for a lack of striker signing given the scarce options this window. United ultimately having a pick between Ighalo, Josh King and Slimani says it all.

You can plan all you want but if the best attainable striker is Ighalo then the best attainable striker is Ighalo.

No amount of preparation will get Cavani to relax his wage demands or ADL to drop his obscene price tag on Mertens.

I think a left back should have been gone after as I think Grimaldo, Gosens and Telles could have all been had at the right price but the striker market this January were slimmer than slim pickings.

I struggle to get my head round people like that prize prick at Napoli, anything for a striker that is walking for nothing in the summer, what sort of economic buffoonery is that?

[Jezz]

I have mixed feelings about the board.

On the one hand, I feel sorry for Frank who was looking to bring in some additions in this window and the board has let him down in this instance. This isn't the first time we've seen a Chelsea manager feel let down by the board's actions (or lack of) in the transfer market. In addition, if the lack of signings costs us a top 4 spot it will be very frustrating for all concerned.

On the other hand, there's a small sense of relief that we didn't panic buy and bring in someone who would not enhance our squad significantly. The January market is always a difficult one as most clubs are not willing to sell their players except in certain circumstances.

We will be one of the busiest clubs in the summer period. Expect to see some big name signings (i.e. Sancho, Werner and etc.) considering we haven't been active in the market since January 2019 and we've obtained big money from the sale of Hazard so we will have money to burn.

I understand the viewpoints of both sides who are arguing in defence of or against the board.

[Guest Sindre]

5 minutes ago, Argo said:

You can plan all you want but if the best attainable striker is Ighalo then the best attainable striker is Ighalo.

No amount of preparation will get Cavani to relax his wage demands or ADL to drop his obscene price tag on Mertens.

I think a left back should have been gone after as I think Grimaldo, Gosens and Telles could have all been had at the right price but the striker market this January were slimmer than slim pickings.

Ighalo was the best attainble striker on deadline-day. Which proves mine and Neville's point about the badly run football clubs.

Several good strikers moved earlier in the window. Like Haaland and Mandzukic for example.

Not to mention Daniel Olmo, Bruno Fernandes who's attackers with goals in them who also moved.

There was no plan behind the window at all and in the end we were as usual left scrambling around deadline-day to find the anyone who could help us out but by then it was too late obviously.

Because there was no plan going into the window!! Despite having eight months to plan it!

Now who's fault is that?

[Stim]

1 minute ago, Sindre said:

There was no plan behind the window at all and in the end we were as usual left scrambling around deadline-day to find the anyone who could help us out but by then it was too late obviously.

Absolutely no chance the club works like that. 0. Incredibly over the top negativity to even consider it.

[Argo]

3 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Ighalo was the best attainble striker on deadline-day. Which proves mine and Neville's point about the badly run football clubs.

Several good strikers moved earlier in the window. Like Haaland and Mandzukic for example.

Not to mention Daniel Olmo, Bruno Fernandes who's attackers with goals in them who also moved.

There was no plan behind the window at all and in the end we were as usual left scrambling around deadline-day to find the anyone who could help us out but by then it was too late obviously.

Because there was no plan going into the window!! Despite having eight months to plan it!

Now who's fault is that?

There's no way of knowing if Haaland would have joined (by all reports he turned down United and may well have done for us) and as for Mandzukic, it would have been a pointless move to swap Giroud with a player of similar ilk who would need time to settle.

Regarding Olmo and Bruno CAM should be the last place we look at in the market unless a bonafide world class option becomes available. We have three highly talented academy lads who deserve their opportunity, waste of resources when we ultimately are much more in need elsewhere.

[Guest Sindre]

5 minutes ago, Stim said:

Absolutely no chance the club works like that. 0. Incredibly over the top negativity to even consider it.

We have a track-record of doing just that.

[robdog]

16 minutes ago, forbzy said:

I noted a couple of things in the second highlighted our defensive issues:

2. Every time they attacked down our left side we looked vulnerable and wide ipen. Once again we really need a goid option at Left back. We were very luck that Harvey Barnes missed that chance bear the end.

IMO it was the right side that was the most deficient. One of the reasons why was the fact that CHO didn't help James when Chillwell came forward. In fact both Leicester goals came from overloads on the right side. CHO needs to help a bit more or improve in his positioning.

Edited February 1, 2020 by robdog