4 hours ago, Zeta said:

What does the data/stats driven approach say about this, Blueco?

4 hours ago, Zeta said:

What does the data/stats driven approach say about this, Blueco?

Had we even won just the first 5 (as expected), we'd be cruising for 3rd or 4th.

6 minutes ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Had we even won just the first 5 (as expected), we'd be cruising for 3rd or 4th.

Eh you cannot really say we ever expect to win at Goodison Park. Up there with st. James and OT.

However another 8 points should have been got, putting us 1pt off second.

Bag of sh*t manager get him gone

If and when he does go, don't expect the owners to bring in an experienced manager. It will be more of the same. Maybe different tactics but another manager that fits with the project and doesn't challenge the status quo. Some rumours that they are considering replacing Maresca with Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg.

Yeah, I was willing to give him time but this is god damn awful to watch. Possession with no attacking intent. Did we have what, one shot on target or so which was a weak effort which Raya nearly messed up.

There was one part in second half where Cucurella had a chance to whip a cross in and then he just went back and passed to KDH who recycled it back to defence and I was just pulling my hair out.

All the fans who were giving it to Poch as the earlier stages of the season and saying Maresca has proven he was the right choice, I would love to hear there opinions now, because they surely cannot be impressed with this style of play.

As another poster(s) pointed out, when you the manners of victories earlier in the season such as the Wolves and Brighton games, this was counter attacking football. Maresca had not stamped his style of play on the team, however now he has, the team looks lost, hopeless and today I had no faith in getting a result or even scoring a goal, that is how bad our attacking play is.

We had an identity under Poch and was a lot more entertaining. I understand we had injuries today, however so did Arsenal and to muster up what we did today was embarrassing and just awful to watch and that is completely on the manager.

8 hours ago, JM7 said:

It’s depressing that WinStewart really think that Maresca is the man to take us to the top and all he needs is “time”. Remember he’s less than one season into a two season review.

They need to realise that elite managers are very rare. There’s a lot of very average/semi decent managers out there - but if you want an elite team, you need to have an elite manager.

What would they know about getting to the top though? They came from Brighton and Monaco, two clubs not exactly known for winning trophies and competing at the top. Those clubs are great at scouting some unknowns, signing them for little and selling them some time later for a huge profit. Neither of this pair has ever built a successful team. Which makes it even more bafflng as to why they were hired in the first place.

Unless, of course, success on the picth is not very high on the owners' list of priorities. I'm probably naive but isn't competing for and winning trophies vitally important to being commercially successful?

My prediction is that we’ll fall down the table in the next few games. We will maybe get a draw from spurs and lose at Brentford.

8 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Enzo Maresca makes peace in the family and saves marriages

Maresca IN

I expect my situation is being mirrored across the CFC fanbase. So many wives getting their husbands back after all these years. Those wives will want Maresca to stay forever!!

At this rate I might have to consider taking up golf or fishing.

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Nibs

11 hours ago, forbzy said:

I think the only reason we are 4th is because Maresca initially inherited some confidence from the way we ended last season. We've been in freefall since mid-December. The games we've managed to win have been struggles. And the football has become harder and harder to watch.

i think that's very obvious to anyone watching us, except for the Maresca apologists who seem to cling on to it. At the end of the season they will have nothing left to defend him with.

After watching that dire, limp, pathetic effort from both teams and equally from both sets of supporters, i looked back to the days when a London derby was like this. Never going to get that back but i'll have it as great memories, was in the clock end that day, magic days out.

2 hours ago, Nibs said:

Those wives will want Maresca to stay forever!!

I'm sure the novelty will wear off by April, they'll be Maresca Out too when they're sick of it

One or two players can transform a team from a losing side to a winning one. Look at how far Arsenal are from Liverpool and how close they are to us. If they had a decent striker they'd be up there. Much of their team is in place. We are not that far either. Arsenal is 6 years in with Arteta and most of the core. We are first year in with Maresca and 2,5 years in with the core.

Our spine is so inexperienced. Look at Newcastles team. Very experienced and with a brilliant striker. They have a chance to win something and they did.

And you can't really say which team will be 9th or 4th this season. It is so close. We can't force things. We need to go step by step.

Done a pretty favourable prediction on our remaining games, has us finishing as follows;

We beat: Spurs, Brentford, Ipswich, Fulham, Everton

We draw: Man Utd

We lose: Liverpool, Newcastle, Forest

2 points above last seasons total with less harsh injuries and spending another 250M. Where is the progress? I also don't see us picking up all 5 of those wins.

If anyone wants to do their own predication for the remaining matches: https://www.worldfootball.net/table_calculator/eng-premier-league/

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Ukraine Bolt

10 minutes ago, evissy said:

One or two players can transform a team from a losing side to a winning one. Look at how far Arsenal are from Liverpool and how close they are to us. If they had a decent striker they'd be up there. Much of their team is in place. We are not that far either. Arsenal is 6 years in with Arteta and most of the core. We are first year in with Maresca and 2,5 years in with the core.

Our spine is so inexperienced. Look at Newcastles team. Very experienced and with a brilliant striker. They have a chance to win something and they did.

And you can't really say which team will be 9th or 4th this season. It is so close. We can't force things. We need to go step by step.

And as we have painfully seen, a manager can transform a winning team (with an inexperienced spine and no elite striker) into a losing one 😎

18 minutes ago, evissy said:

And you can't really say which team will be 9th or 4th this season. It is so close. We can't force things. We need to go step by step.

This has to be Maresca's burner

21 minutes ago, evissy said:

One or two players can transform a team from a losing side to a winning one. Look at how far Arsenal are from Liverpool and how close they are to us. If they had a decent striker they'd be up there. Much of their team is in place. We are not that far either. Arsenal is 6 years in with Arteta and most of the core. We are first year in with Maresca and 2,5 years in with the core.

Our spine is so inexperienced. Look at Newcastles team. Very experienced and with a brilliant striker. They have a chance to win something and they did.

And you can't really say which team will be 9th or 4th this season. It is so close. We can't force things. We need to go step by step.

If Maresca had been their coach, rather than Eddie Howe, I expect they would still be waiting for that first trophy in 70 years.

You don't get it @evissy , we've all been Chelsea supporters long enough to put up with disappointment and not win trophies. But what we are experiencing now is Maresca-Ball and the totally joyless style of football he insists on dishing up. The sheer dullness of the football we are playing is a step too far and something HAS to change.

Edited March 17, 20251 yr by Nibs

2 minutes ago, Nibs said:

If Maresca had been their coach, rather than Eddie Howe, I expect they would still be waiting for that first trophy in 70 years.

If Maresca and Howe had swapped jobs, we'd have probably beaten Newcastle in the 4th round LOL

4 hours ago, STATS said:

Yeah, I was willing to give him time but this is god damn awful to watch. Possession with no attacking intent. Did we have what, one shot on target or so which was a weak effort which Raya nearly messed up.

There was one part in second half where Cucurella had a chance to whip a cross in and then he just went back and passed to KDH who recycled it back to defence and I was just pulling my hair out.

All the fans who were giving it to Poch as the earlier stages of the season and saying Maresca has proven he was the right choice, I would love to hear there opinions now, because they surely cannot be impressed with this style of play.

As another poster(s) pointed out, when you the manners of victories earlier in the season such as the Wolves and Brighton games, this was counter attacking football. Maresca had not stamped his style of play on the team, however now he has, the team looks lost, hopeless and today I had no faith in getting a result or even scoring a goal, that is how bad our attacking play is.

We had an identity under Poch and was a lot more entertaining. I understand we had injuries today, however so did Arsenal and to muster up what we did today was embarrassing and just awful to watch and that is completely on the manager.

Maresca has us playing terrible stuff. Poch also had us playing terrible stuff. Lamps also had us playing terrible stuff. and Potter...and Tuchel...and Sarri....and Conte towards the end. It isnt exclusive.

The issue is the same as it has been for years. We continue to play slow, stagnant football - that is unimaginitve and easy to defend against.

None of the managers over the recent past have looked to move us away from this. It is a really odd thing. Other teams (Liverpool, City, Forest, Bournemouth, Brighton) are able to play possession football, playing out from the back - but with a pace that we simply do not see at Chelsea.

These other teams move the ball fast. Progress relatively quickly, and probe for openings. We on the other hand knock it around between defenders for an eternity, before hoofing it forward, getting a nose bleed, and going back again.

Premier League form table for last 11 matches since match-week 19

- simply not good enough

13 minutes ago, Nibs said:

If Maresca had been their coach, rather than Eddie Howe, I expect they would still be waiting for that first trophy in 70 years.

You don't get it @evissy , we've all been Chelsea supporters long enough to put up with disappointment and not win trophies. But what we are experiencing now is Maresca-Ball and the totally joyless style of football he insists on dishing up. The sheer dullness of the football we are playing is a step too far and something HAS to change.

Yep - have said for years (usually whilst defending other managers). I am happy to accept not winning anything, or even challenging, for a while, assuming that we are seeing progress.

Progress needs to be an evolution away from the slow and stagnant rubbish, and man city lite, into a team with our our style and system. But we feel further away from it with Maresca that we were with Potter or Poch (even though Poch was also useless).

46 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Done a pretty favourable prediction on our remaining games, has us finishing as follows;

We beat: Spurs, Brentford, Ipswich, Fulham, Everton

We draw: Man Utd

We lose: Liverpool, Newcastle, Forest

2 points above last seasons total with less harsh injuries and spending another 250M. Where is the progress? I also don't see us picking up all 5 of those wins.

If anyone wants to do their own predication for the remaining matches: https://www.worldfootball.net/table_calculator/eng-premier-league/

13 hours ago, JM7 said:

It’s depressing that WinStewart really think that Maresca is the man to take us to the top and all he needs is “time”. Remember he’s less than one season into a two season review.

They need to realise that elite managers are very rare. There’s a lot of very average/semi decent managers out there - but if you want an elite team, you need to have an elite manager.

Maresca's and the SDs' futures are inextricably linked. They scouted him, they will obviously support him. There is one circuit breaker available: SDs out. Which will require an admission on the owners' part that they got it wrong. So, sadly, we are stuck with what we have.

41 minutes ago, JM7 said:

Premier League form table for last 11 matches since match-week 19

- simply not good enough

Lets not forget that the wins are against Leicester (19th), Southampton (20th), West Ham (16th) and Wolves (17th).

Outside of those games we've scored scored 5 and conceded 14.

The two games before this 11 streak was also a draw with Everton and a loss to Fulham.

Given the sh*te that the 'big 6' teams have lost to this season, it's a disgrace that we've got 1 win against them so far. Yesterday was just cowardly tactics and over complicating things for the sake of it. Maresca is really really out of his depth and I can't see anything other than a free fall in the league table over the rest of the season. Out of the prem games left I can't see us losing at least 5 of them.