Lot of knee jerk reactions. He is a fine manager having a rough time in his in game management and the choice of starting line-ups lately. But not tactics. We're in a poor run of form but in none of the matches we looked clueless in terms of tactics. We actually were the better team in all of the matches, but poor decisions in front of the goal and lousy mistakes cost us the games.

Everton away we controlled the game and if Jackson taps that easy ball in, we get the three points. Palace today we should have put at least four past them and of course we then concede late in the game after Palmer had a brainfart and Jackson could not score to save his life. Ipswich away we dominate the full match, miss lots of chances, we hit the post twice, yet we concede from a penalty that is not a penalty in a millions years and another goal in a dead moment of the match when Ipswich were not touching the ball for minutes. Fulham at home we were not at our best, but that Sanchez brainless pass for their second goal is one of the highlights for the dumbest moment of the season.

We're ok given how incredibly young and inexperienced this squad is. Give him at least two or three very good, experienced starters as well and then we can judge him. We simply can't do with young players and inexperience in every single position.

Had this team had Van Dijk for Gusto and Salah on the right wing for this run of games, we'd win four out of four, I have no doubts about it. Not a single doubt. It does not even matter who the striker was. It is how much of a difference class and experienced players makes.

Marasca needs to make a real option in attack soon. Our defense is terrible but when we used to score goals it didn't matter, now it does so a new striker is really needed, sell Nkunku and buy a real striker now in January.

Without a new option in attack it's not possible to finish top 4. The whole club should be able to see after the recent matches.

All the goals we conceded are transition goals every single one in the last four games.

We haven’t conceded a corner or a goal where we got cut through by patient build up.

What does that tell you?? 

3 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Marasca needs to make a real option in attack soon. Our defense is terrible but when we used to score goals it didn't matter, now it does so a new striker is really needed, sell Nkunku and buy a real striker now in January.

Without a new option in attack it's not possible to finish top 4. The whole club should be able to see after the recent matches.

I'm sure he's expressed that. Up to the directors now. 

Need a ST and another CM body. 

10 minutes ago, petre ispirescu said:

Lot of knee jerk reactions. He is a fine manager having a rough time in his in game management and the choice of starting line-ups lately. But not tactics. We're in a poor run of form but in none of the matches we looked clueless in terms of tactics. We actually were the better team in all of the matches, but poor decisions in front of the goal and lousy mistakes cost us the games.

Everton away we controlled the game and if Jackson taps that easy ball in, we get the three points. Palace today we should have put at least four past them and of course we then concede late in the game after Palmer had a brainfart and Jackson could not score to save his life. Ipswich away we dominate the full match, miss lots of chances, we hit the post twice, yet we concede from a penalty that is not a penalty in a millions years and another goal in a dead moment of the match when Ipswich were not touching the ball for minutes. Fulham at home we were not at our best, but that Sanchez brainless pass for their second goal is one of the highlights for the dumbest moment of the season.

We're ok given how incredibly young and inexperienced this squad is. Give him at least two or three very good, experienced starters as well and then we can judge him. We simply can't do with young players and inexperience in every single position.

Had this team had Van Dijk for Gusto and Salah on the right wing for this run of games, we'd win four out of four, I have no doubts about it. Not a single doubt. It does not even matter who the striker was. It is how much of a difference class and experienced players makes.

I don't know if we are watching the same games but we competly don't know how to slow games down and it's on the manager.

The second half when Palace were on us, every time Sanchez got the ball, he imeddiately looked to start a counter when we were leading. Just stop for a second, let the team take a breath, compsoe themselves.

A lot of great managers quickly figured out this gung-ho football the whole 90 minutes is not gonna cut in the Prem.

No wins against anyone of note yet. Now we are struggling to beat teams we should be winning. 

2 points from these 4 fixtures is terrible. 

Next 4, we have Bournemouth h, wolves h, city a, west ham h. 

Needs to repair the damage done with 10 points from 12. 

Club need to help him out too by recalling Andrey Santos from Strasbourg. Caicedo looks run into th ground, Lavia can't stay fit, makes no sense to have Santos out on loan. Then at some point whether that's January or summer we need a top striker.

 

Emotions are high, and no doubting our form is simply not acceptable.  2 of 12 points from last four matches, with all due respect to opposition, is a problem.  But you have to break down the manner in which we are dropping points, and the warning signs have been there too long.  I think Maresca is a good manager, but want to see improvement in the following:

• Inability to keep clean sheets.  Is it 4 in 20 PL games?  Struggled to maintain a consistent backline thru injury and suspension, but you have to question if any of them are really good enough
• Not taking chances.  A pattern for quite some time, but we miss far too many chances.  Today was shocking in how little we worked the keeper.  We are too reliant on Palmer, and do not get enough goals from striker, wide players and midfield.  Simple as
• Mistakes, mistakes mistakes.  You can tell the outcome of a Chelsea scenario 5+ seconds before it happens.  The aggressive way we play football does leave us exposed, but we are making stupid mistakes.  Goals against Fulham, Ipswich and Palace were all from mistakes.  We invite pressure
• Game management, or lack thereof.  Young players who simply can't see a game out.  How many times have we been on cruise control yet only won by one goal.  Brentford, Spurs, Leicester, Newcastle to name a few. Beyond the players, Maresca needs greater accountability here for game management.  We introduce chaos too often, as @Scott Harris just commented in the match thread (Sanchez twice today hurried to clear and gave it straight away)

Solutions:

• Buy or recall a DM ASAP.  Been saying this since Nov.  We do not have enough coverage in middle, and I do not have faith in Lavia being the solution as he has played 9 matches in 18 months (rarely seeing out 90 mins in that as well).  We need this option off the bench at a minimum to stabilize the midfield and give Caicedo and CBs better coverage
• Squad hunger.  Earlier this season the rotation was driving great competition.  Now it looks increasingly apparent Maresca does not trust his bench
• Get back to basics.  We are going to have to show more hunger, desire and work rate than the opposition and simplify things a little

A young team that can turn it around.  Tactically and mentally they've just been exposed.  They can either grow beyond it, or sink.  I think they'll grow, but it is painful to watch.  Maresca needs to get this under control. 

 

6 minutes ago, Ledgerson said:

I don't know if we are watching the same games but we competly don't know how to slow games down and it's on the manager.

The second half when Palace were on us, every time Sanchez got the ball, he imeddiately looked to start a counter when we were leading. Just stop for a second, let the team take a breath, compsoe themselves.

A lot of great managers quickly figured out this gung-ho football the whole 90 minutes is not gonna cut in the Prem.

My point is we should not even have to talk about tactics that late in the game had we been 4 nil up already at that point. It's still his tactics, too, that put Jackson in easy positions to score, yet he did not...

54 minutes ago, Deino said:

2pts out of 12 against 4 really bad teams(points-wise)

This is us falling apart

Get a grip.

2 minutes ago, petre ispirescu said:

My point is we should not even have to talk about tactics that late in the game had we been 4 nil up already at that point. It's still his tactics, too, that put Jackson in easy positions to score, yet he did not...

We should've but we weren't and that's where managers get theirs money worth.

He's a Prem manager and we are not, and we know it's not realistic you will lead every game 3,4-0 and be in cruise control. Everyone wants that to happen but rarely does.

Some adjustments need to happen when you are narrowly leading and that's where the issue come for me.

24 minutes ago, El regreso said:

All the goals we conceded are transition goals every single one in the last four games.

We haven’t conceded a corner or a goal where we got cut through by patient build up.

What does that tell you?? 

We are losing the ball quite a lot in dangerous areas in our own half, when we recover the ball.

25 minutes ago, petre ispirescu said:

Lot of knee jerk reactions. He is a fine manager having a rough time in his in game management and the choice of starting line-ups lately.

if Jackson taps that easy ball in, we get the three points.

Jackson could not score to save his life. 

You keep telling yourself that,

common denominator?

29 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

Marasca needs to make a real option in attack soon. Our defense is terrible but when we used to score goals it didn't matter, now it does so a new striker is really needed, sell Nkunku and buy a real striker now in January.

Without a new option in attack it's not possible to finish top 4. The whole club should be able to see after the recent matches.

I just can't see it happening. Getting a striker in January and getting him settled almost never works. I remember when we signed Anelka from Bolton, he was in great scoring form, scored 10 in 18 games, then he only scored 1 in 14 for us. It was only the season after that we saw the best of him. These types of moves don't work instantly.

19 minutes ago, RMH said:

We are losing the ball quite a lot in dangerous areas in our own half, when we recover the ball.

Exactly the back 4 has no protection 

13 minutes ago, Ledgerson said:

We should've but we weren't and that's where managers get theirs money worth.

He's a Prem manager and we are not, and we know it's not realistic you will lead every game 3,4-0 and be in cruise control. Everyone wants that to happen but rarely does.

Some adjustments need to happen when you are narrowly leading and that's where the issue come for me.

I agree with you, but I keep my faith in him as long as we create chances and look fluid in possession. I personally think he has all it takes to become a top manager. Just like the squad, he is not really somebody with bags of experience and is still kind of new in the game. Just because he was one of Guardiola's assistants does not automatically mean he'll become a Guardiola regen in no time. It's actually very rare an assistant that stayed around a truly great manager, to become a top one himself, too. Remember how Lijnders was considered to actually be the brain behind Klopp's Liverpool, the unsug hero. Just recently he was sacked by Salzburg in Austria, a league that Salzburg used to win before the season even started.

Being a manager early in your career managing the youngest squad in the league, it's not an easy job if you ask me. Let's wait and see if the board gives him a few world class players, too. Let's judge him then when he'll have learned from his first season's mistakes, too.

Enzo is on a 5 year contract, a poor run of results when we actually were the better team and made more chances than the opposition in a couple of those games , and he's got to go, he's sh*t etc etc. ?? What were Chelsea fans expecting from the youngest side in the division before the season started ? 

I'm happy with the change to a better , more enjoyable style of football, I said during the untold praise from fans during the excellent run, that there will be bumps in the road, it was obviously bound to happen, now's the time to support our young players and manager.

Come on you BLUES !

 

 

18 minutes ago, El regreso said:

Exactly the back 4 has no protection 

Agree, in the last few games it’s been individual mistakes from players when we are coming out that have led to the opposition to score or create a dangerous chance. It’s annoying but I don’t think that it is entirely down to Maresca.

1 hour ago, petre ispirescu said:

Lot of knee jerk reactions. He is a fine manager having a rough time in his in game management and the choice of starting line-ups lately. But not tactics. We're in a poor run of form but in none of the matches we looked clueless in terms of tactics. We actually were the better team in all of the matches, but poor decisions in front of the goal and lousy mistakes cost us the games.

Everton away we controlled the game and if Jackson taps that easy ball in, we get the three points. Palace today we should have put at least four past them and of course we then concede late in the game after Palmer had a brainfart and Jackson could not score to save his life. Ipswich away we dominate the full match, miss lots of chances, we hit the post twice, yet we concede from a penalty that is not a penalty in a millions years and another goal in a dead moment of the match when Ipswich were not touching the ball for minutes. Fulham at home we were not at our best, but that Sanchez brainless pass for their second goal is one of the highlights for the dumbest moment of the season.

We're ok given how incredibly young and inexperienced this squad is. Give him at least two or three very good, experienced starters as well and then we can judge him. We simply can't do with young players and inexperience in every single position.

Had this team had Van Dijk for Gusto and Salah on the right wing for this run of games, we'd win four out of four, I have no doubts about it. Not a single doubt. It does not even matter who the striker was. It is how much of a difference class and experienced players makes.

Fine manager? Ask Leicester fans when it went pear-shaped there last winter..

We are on pace to finish the season with 68 points.

By no means am i a Poch advocate but this is only 5 points improvement after adding 200m worth of talent to the squad and having Fofana and Nkunku fit for the majority of the season. Its not good enough and the last 4 results fall solely on the manager. 

Felix is the last player I want on the pitch when defending a one goal lead or chasing to win the match. Nkunku was quite bad against Ipswich and did not put much effort in. If he plays, it’s in Palmer’s place, which means subbing the only player capable of a magic moment. I think Madueke should have come on earlier and James for Gusto, but I’m unsure about the fitness level of James and whether it would have broken him again.

8 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

 

This is a huge problem if he thinks all those on the pitch were good.

Also - the "for who" bit is appalling. Felix and Chris have not been integrated properly into the squad. Thats on him.

7 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Enzo is on a 5 year contract, a poor run of results when we actually were the better team and made more chances than the opposition in a couple of those games , and he's got to go, he's sh*t etc etc. ?? What were Chelsea fans expecting from the youngest side in the division before the season started ? 

I'm happy with the change to a better , more enjoyable style of football, I said during the untold praise from fans during the excellent run, that there will be bumps in the road, it was obviously bound to happen, now's the time to support our young players and manager.

Come on you BLUES !

 

Top 5. If we don't get that, then he's failed. We finished 6th last season, and with City and Arsenal's drop off this season, we should be comfortably in the top 4, but we have now found ourselves desperately clinging on to it.

8 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

 

If that's his reasons, then he really is sh*t.

He basically said he doesn't make any changes to a team to change the shape tactically. It's all like for like.

26 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

 

"I dunno" what a moron reporter.

 

EM: Let me ask you who you change today?

Reporter: well you said Reece James can manage some minutes, so him for Gusto for 15 to 20 minutes. Adds leadership to a young back line.

EM: I think Malo was playing very well but ok, that's it?

Reporter: No, you moved Palmer in to a role he was playing not in a affective way. You have Veiga to help defend a lead. Sub off Enzo, who is tiring after many games, and replace Palmer with a fresh Felix in his 10 position. 

You also have Neto and Jackson not delivering their best displays, and Madueke and Guiu fresh and ready to press.

EM: no no, team did fine.

End of conversation.

 

That's how the Reporter could do his job better.

 

Fulham now Palace, 1-0 up only 1 change as the opponent clearly was better than us in the second half and all he did was a late striker swap. We dont win either game.

19 minutes ago, Frankfurter said:

Fine manager? Ask Leicester fans when it went pear-shaped there last winter..

It's my opinion mate, you don't have to be all on the same page. We seem to be back to the pre season type of discussions when everything was doom and gloom and then things changed when real football kicked in and the glorified training matches were over. A blip in form is a blip in form, happens to every club no matter how big or small that is. If you expect such a young squad to be like a Swiss watch, never switch off and be constant every week, then I guess you are entitled to think the manager should get the sack after a poor run of results. I simply do not think like that, they are young, they are still learing, it's a tough and demanding league, it's normal they have a blip in form, it's normal they switch off during games. It's ok for me, I am realistic. Just because some players cost a certain amount of money it does not mean they instantly must win all the trophies. The board payed the talent, not the finished product. That will take time and experience.

Look at Arteta in his fifth season and a settled squad. Brighton are going through a very rough patch, winless in their last 7 and only 2 wins in their last 12 matches. Completely outplaying an Arsenal side that is supposedly fighting for the league title. PL is the toughest of leagues and with all the money invested the lesser sides are now way more competitive than before. I personally think we are just fine. I have no worries.