Last three PL away games 2-0, 4-1, 4-1.

Now let's see some of that at home please Poch !

28 minutes ago, Victor90 said:

Has to be one of the most bizarre games of football I've ever watched.

This was the most frustrated I've ever been with the team all season, the game was wide open for a good hour, after the 2nd red it was just too easy and we still couldn't do it. Delighted with the points and the scoreline, but this does go to show how fragile our mentality is. 

All I can hope is Jackson and the rest of them pick up a lot of confidence from this game and stop sh*tting themselves. 

Sometimes scrappy games like these build character, can't remember who it was or when, since we've had so many seasons in the last five years where we sh*t ourselves in November, but I remember we lost a scrappy game to a team and they went on a strong run while our season went downhill (Think it might have been arsenal). Hopefully something similar happens here with spurs' season going for the worse and ours for the better.

Got the much deserved result, I think it will be heart broken if the players somehow messed it the 2:1 against 9. I thought he blow it when Sterling came off for another defensive player, but fortunately we got the much needed break.

Poch's biggest tactical decision this game was taking off Colwill. 100% believe if Colwill stayed on he would have got another yellow and then red. Ange did the opposite and kept on his player who ended getting a second yellow and then a red. Kudos to Poch

Edited November 6, 20232 yr by Frankie8Lampard

He’s earned a sh*t performance which has given us a result. Far too many times it’s been the opposite. 

9 minutes ago, Frankie8Lampard said:

Poch's biggest tactical decision this game was taking off Colwill. 100% believe if Colwill stayed on he would have got another yellow and then red. Ange did the opposite and kept on his player who ended getting a second yellow and then a red. Kudos to Poch

He's seen this fixture on the opposite side which has aided us big time tonight.

There were a lot of things I didn’t like tonight but I’m going to cut him some slack. We’re a very young team with not much experience and games like tonight will help the team grow. Hopefully we’ll get another win against a big team and keep building up confidence.

Confidence really is all we need imo, we are so starved of it at the moment. Clearly we have a very talented team, I hope Nkunku coming back will give us a big boost.

Poch got more right than wrong in this game in my book. It's important to remember that the reason we got the penalty is because we were getting on top, when they had 11 players. Giving up the early goal and looking hopeless at the start, although not an act, really had the desired effect in giving us space to counter attack. 

We can still do it a lot better. I don't like Palmer on the wing he just doesn't have the pace and clearly showed that in this game where on one occasion he had a 5 metre start and was still easily caught. And Colwill is wasted at left back, now that he has his confidence back Cucu is better in that position and Colwill will have to fight it out with Baddy.

On Poch's plus side he did start Jackson, I would not have, and Jackson did what he is paid to do, put the ball in the net.

9 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

He’s earned a sh*t performance which has given us a result. Far too many times it’s been the opposite. 

I think calling it a sh*t performance is a bit harsh as up until the red we had played really well with the ball, we had created chances against the league leaders and definitely deserved to be level.

It all went to sh*t when the cards started flying, and Spurs just had a flat back 7 as a high line, and our players are mostly too thick to stay onside.

Few other bits I took from the game about the players and positions.

Enzo is useless at goal scoring but Caicedo has goals in him. That was an excellent shot today, one of the best pieces of football in the entire game. I think there is a case for Enzo, despite lack of speed, playing deeper still and using Caicedo more advanced. It is arguably even more useful to have a destroyer at the top end of the park where if you regain possession you are immediately at the pointy end of attack, that it is in the defensive half. Especially when your destroyer can score from outside the box, something the team has been crying out for since Lampard retired.

Secondly as good as Palmer is he has so far shown two weaknesses. His outside shooting has so far been no better than Enzo's. Also he doesn't have the pace to be a proper or traditional winger. So for me there is a case to play him in the No 10. But maybe that doesn't matter, maybe the left wing is the best position, its just that I feel that the attack lacks pace down that side.

1 hour ago, ozboy said:

Few other bits I took from the game about the players and positions.

Enzo is useless at goal scoring but Caicedo has goals in him. That was an excellent shot today, one of the best pieces of football in the entire game. I think there is a case for Enzo, despite lack of speed, playing deeper still and using Caicedo more advanced. It is arguably even more useful to have a destroyer at the top end of the park where if you regain possession you are immediately at the pointy end of attack, that it is in the defensive half. Especially when your destroyer can score from outside the box, something the team has been crying out for since Lampard retired.

Secondly as good as Palmer is he has so far shown two weaknesses. His outside shooting has so far been no better than Enzo's. Also he doesn't have the pace to be a proper or traditional winger. So for me there is a case to play him in the No 10. But maybe that doesn't matter, maybe the left wing is the best position, its just that I feel that the attack lacks pace down that side.

Agree with most of that Caicedo is a good finisher that shot was one of the cleanest I have seen from a Chelsea player in a long time actually I would have to go back to Alonso or Matic goals against Tottenham to fine such a clean controlled strike.

Enzo seem to can’t score for sh*t and looks like more of dictator, a player who sets the tempo and dropping him back might help his game but I trust Poch to make the right decision.

If you'd have told me we'd get 4 points from Arsenal, Brentford and Spurs going into them i'd have taken it given how things have been going. If you told me in those 4 points we threw away 2 in the last 10 mins against Arsenal and lost to Brentford then maybe less so but lets get what we can from City and then we have;

Newcastle

Brighton

United

Theres points there to be won from those, Newcastle look good but not unbeatable. Brighton and United are as inconsistent as us.

 

Newcastle have 16 injuries as well. 

On 12/10/2023 at 10:28, El regreso said:

I wouldn’t be surprised Chelsea being Chelsea we win these so called “hard” games.

Quoting myself again but I said this so call hard fixtures Chelsea being Chelsea we win then and lose to the lower teams and that’s exactly what’s happening. Should have beaten Arsenal, lost to Brentford which I expected and beaten Tottenham.

Don’t be surprised if we beat City, Newcastle, Brighton and United  and go and lose to Everton. That would be the most Chelsea thing to do.

38 minutes ago, El regreso said:

Quoting myself again but I said this so call hard fixtures Chelsea being Chelsea we win then and lose to the lower teams and that’s exactly what’s happening. Should have beaten Arsenal, lost to Brentford which I expected and beaten Tottenham.

Don’t be surprised if we beat City, Newcastle, Brighton and United  and go and lose to Everton. That would be the most Chelsea thing to do.

Our record at Newcastle is awful. Winning there would be as big a shock as beating this stacked city side.

Just about results now. Had someone told me we'd get 4 points from Arsenal, Brentford, and Spurs, I'd take it then. 

 

Anyone else notice that if we go behind early on we seem to be fine and carry on playing our football but if we go behind in the second half we totally lose the plot.

45 minutes ago, Argo said:

Anyone else notice that if we go behind early on we seem to be fine and carry on playing our football but if we go behind in the second half we totally lose the plot.

I think that brings to fore the inexperience of the side. Conceding later on means pressure and inexperienced players can cope less with such pressures in football.

That's why I've always felt we need more experience in the team,no matter how bad the players are. It's the difference in such situation, knowing that you've seen it before and if you just stick to your game plan as long as you're doing the right things, you could still get back in . As opposed to what we have. It will come though....in time.

Let's just hope we can remain attractive, financially competitive and in line with the FFP before these players get to that level.

The ST and CB we are looking to bring in need to have that. Far too many kids in the team as it is. 

37 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

The ST and CB we are looking to bring in need to have that. Far too many kids in the team as it is. 

If we're insisting on the no over 25 policy bringing back Guehi would be my preference.

Pretty experienced for his age and leader material.

Unless we are going to play 3 at the back we don’t need another CB. Silva, Disasi, Colwill and Bada. Fofana to replace Silva next season.

Goalkeeper a must and if I had the choice it would be Oblak.

Striker also needed and Toney would be my first choice. He’d fit into our system perfectly and he takes great pens and free kicks..

Next season we could line up like this.

GK Oblak

Rb Reece

CB Diasisi or Fofana

CB Levi or Bada

LB Chilwell

DM Caicedo

DM Enzo

RW Sterling 

No 10 Palmer

LW Nkunku

CF Toney.

 

 

What’s pretty clear is we will be selling far more than we will be buying.

Players at risk imo;

Santos, Maatsen, Gallagher, Carney, Caseidi, David Fofana, Madueke, Chalaboah and Broja 

Selling most of the above would more than pay for Oblak and Toney for instance and would leave us with a really strong squad.

2 hours ago, 19seventyone said:

What’s pretty clear is we will be selling far more than we will be buying.

Players at risk imo;

Santos, Maatsen, Gallagher, Carney, Caseidi, David Fofana, Madueke, Chalaboah and Broja 

Selling most of the above would more than pay for Oblak and Toney for instance and would leave us with a really strong squad.

Doubt Gallagher is sold. Poch likes him and even though he’s not special at anything he is our most energetic midfielder and helps lead the press.

22 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

He’s earned a sh*t performance which has given us a result. Far too many times it’s been the opposite. 

Context is important I believe. It was sh*t because it became the easiest game we'll get all season and you could tell the players felt the pressure of the game once it got that way. Before the red and a poor 15 minutes we really got back into the game and were making it extremely difficult for Tottenham. There was no assistance from VAR really, Tottenham were extremely lucky to not have Doku and Romero sent off before a red card was even shown. 

I think we were the better team over the course of the game, but it was laughably bad after we went 2-1 up, Tottenham could've easily equalised and that is something this team really needs to work on. 

9 hours ago, Victor90 said:

Context is important I believe. It was sh*t because it became the easiest game we'll get all season and you could tell the players felt the pressure of the game once it got that way. Before the red and a poor 15 minutes we really got back into the game and were making it extremely difficult for Tottenham. There was no assistance from VAR really, Tottenham were extremely lucky to not have Doku and Romero sent off before a red card was even shown. 

I think we were the better team over the course of the game, but it was laughably bad after we went 2-1 up, Tottenham could've easily equalised and that is something this team really needs to work on. 

The assistance came from Romero, Udogie, Ange and their in game injuries really. Zero sympathy for Spuds obv but we were lucky they collectively lost their heads.

The 3 points were really important but when every other manager in the Premier League watched it I bet the main takeaway was  that we are a team thats incredibly frail and incredibly beatable.
So now its down to us to prove to them and everyone else that we are a serious team that intend to compete, at least for Top 4.
It's still not outside the realm of possibility that we can be in or very close to Top 4 if we kick on and do well in our fixtures until Christmas or so but we need to improve a lot for that to happen.