4 minutes ago, evissy said:

Can't stop laughing mate. Such a comedian.

Thank you 😂👍🏆🏆🏆

1 minute ago, The Rising Sun said:

Players are the ones playing the game. Maresca isn't exactly telling them what to do or think in every situation. Young sides need more guiding though, a smaller sandbox if you will.

So, you don't like " end to end football. that's why you are excited about European football? You're hoping for what ? Dull games ?

Did you watch any Champions League games last season ? You'll hate them , they were very exciting mate.

Dull? Never said that. End to end headless chicken football is something that I don't enjoy the most. And I am not saying Prem is that but it is kind of more that if that makes sense. Running speed is and athletism is a preferred trait to intelligence and skill. That is basically what I mean.

The football that I enjoy doesn't have to have 8 goals, end to end action all the time. I enjoy the tactical part of it as well.

1 minute ago, evissy said:

Dull? Never said that. End to end headless chicken football is something that I don't enjoy the most. And I am not saying Prem is that but it is kind of more that if that makes sense. Running speed is and athletism is a preferred trait to intelligence and skill. That is basically what I mean.

The football that I enjoy doesn't have to have 8 goals, end to end action all the time. I enjoy the tactical part of it as well.

You must have been furious watching our comeback game at Tottenham last year !

And the CWC final must have been excruciating.!

7 minutes ago, evissy said:

Dull? Never said that. End to end headless chicken football is something that I don't enjoy the most. And I am not saying Prem is that but it is kind of more that if that makes sense. Running speed is and athletism is a preferred trait to intelligence and skill. That is basically what I mean.

The football that I enjoy doesn't have to have 8 goals, end to end action all the time. I enjoy the tactical part of it as well.

Actually I don't entirely disagree with you. I'm probably the only one on here who loved watching that Barcelona and Spanish teams mesmerising short passing football. Extraordinary stuff .

35 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

How Clownlake thinks a Chelsea fan looks when trying to buy a beer at halftime.

As a fan, spectator, paying customer and lover of the game I want entertainment.

Have you ever thought of watching chess, or paint dry?

I said in a previous post maybe it’s a generational thing but thats bo**ocks, my kids think it’s boring as well.

I have spoken to fans of all ages, from many different clubs and given the option of fast free flowing attacking football or slow possession based keep ball nobody but you 2 has chosen the latter.

If your honestly saying you prefer this style of play then each to their own but if your just defending Maresca, unless your related I have to ask why.

I don’t want Maresca sacked, I think with a few tweaks we could have a really good season which as spectators we might enjoy watching much more and actually be more effective.

Maybe we should reduce the playing time because we don’t need 70mins of pointless 10yrd square passes with only 20 mins of actual action.

5 hours ago, nonotnowjim said:

But then you have our best creative plyer (palmer) saying he was sick of playing the managers way, and took it upon himself to change it and start taking chances. Which turned the game around in the conf leGue final and won us the cup.

Perhaps the manager should take note....

He didn't say that though. At no point did he say "playing the managers way". He made no reference to Maresca

And so you are just reinforcing my point.

When players do bad things, it's the managers way. When they do good things, they are going against the manager.

Edited August 24, 2025Aug 24 by bisright1

2 hours ago, Victor90 said:

So just ignore the part where I clearly he said he won us two cups? Yeah nice one.

And as @nonotnowjim pointed out, Palmer even said the players took the game into his own hands and started playing their way.

Maresca was very unhappy with the way we were winning games earlier in the season, he didn't like how direct we were. None of this is unfounded, it's right there from the horses mouth.

Or maybe Maresca didn't like how we were losing games in December and January so he turned us into the second best team in england since Feb 1st. Only Liverpool have more points than us. And we won two cups to boot like you say.

I'm just picking out one thing you said, that the bad football was Marescas way. I'm tired of it being assumed knowledge that Maresca wants us to play badly.

So many Chelsea fans like to attach themselves to the manager when things are bad. Sometimes it's correct. But it's not always correct and I don't think it is now.

Palmer said he was sick of passing backwards and sideways. He made no reference to Maresca. That was just assumed by fans who think he has some big dream of Chelsea playing sh*t football.

I’m pretty certain that the walking starts to both Palace and West Ham wasn’t the players deciding to ignore the manager who’s team talk had just pumped them right up and told them to go out there and get at them.

Did you see that game last night, it was a blinder. End to end 4-3 last minute winner, great goals. It was a classic.

Or

Did you see that game last night, 25,000 passes. Both teams only lost possession once neither keeper had an save to make. Finished 0-0. It was a classic.

I know which conversation is being had in pubs, offices etc all over the world and I know which game I’m watching.

30 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

He didn't say that though. At no point did he say "playing the managers way". He made no reference to Maresca

And so you are just reinforcing my point.

When players do bad things, it's the managers way. When they do good things, they are going against the manager.

Or if its coming from members of the forum that are in love with Maresca then every win is down to us playing his way and every loss is that we didn't follow the game plan.

Pretty weak argument really.

26 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

Or maybe Maresca didn't like how we were losing games in December and January so he turned us into the second best team in england since Feb 1st. Only Liverpool have more points than us. And we won two cups to boot like you say.

I'm just picking out one thing you said, that the bad football was Marescas way. I'm tired of it being assumed knowledge that Maresca wants us to play badly.

So many Chelsea fans like to attach themselves to the manager when things are bad. Sometimes it's correct. But it's not always correct and I don't think it is now.

Palmer said he was sick of passing backwards and sideways. He made no reference to Maresca. That was just assumed by fans who think he has some big dream of Chelsea playing sh*t football.

From matchweek 19 (03/02/2025) against West Ham until the end of the season we would have been 8th in the league based on just those games. Where have you got the 2n best team from?

You must be thinking of the football we played from matchweek 1 until matchweek 17, when we were actually 2nd in the league, before Maresca started f**king about.

Premier League - Form table

For reference

1 hour ago, Clown Lake said:

How Clownlake thinks Chelsea fans greet each other at the first game of the season

16 minutes ago, C3blue said:

Did you see that game last night, it was a blinder. End to end 4-3 last minute winner, great goals. It was a classic.

Or

Did you see that game last night, 25,000 passes. Both teams only lost possession once neither keeper had an save to make. Finished 0-0. It was a classic.

I know which conversation is being had in pubs, offices etc all over the world and I know which game I’m watching.

Lets face it, if we were playing 100mph uncontrolled football under Maresca, then THAT would be the style of football that Evissy/Clownlake and others would absolutely adore and be in favour of !😂

8 minutes ago, Ukraine Bolt said:

Premier League - Form table

For reference

Pointless to go back and forth on this, but the 3rd Feb onwards was the last 15 games. And in those 15 games we got 29 points, villa got 29 points, Liverpool and city got 30.

Not 2nd best because we actually played a game more which was my error when looking at dates. (but for the last 15 we were a hair width from top...some might say we were a Nico jackson meltdown away)

But it's not relegation form

My point, which might be too nuanced for the polarized nature of this forum. Is that not everything bad is Maresca and not everything good is the players. Sometimes Maresca makes bad decisions, sometimes Cole Palmer goes into his shell. Sometimes Bob Sanchez kicks the ball to the other team. Sometimes Enzo Fernandez digs us out of a hole. Sometimes Nico jackson kicks a player and we lose a game. And sometimes Maresca coaches a win.

Since the 3rd Feb we have solidified ourselves for the first time since clearlake took over as a top 4 side. That's as much on Maresca as everyone else.

Edited August 24, 2025Aug 24 by bisright1

1 minute ago, bisright1 said:

Pointless to go back and forth on this, but the 3rd Feb onwards was the last 15 games. And in those 15 games we got 29 points, villa got 29 points, Liverpool and city got 30.

Not 2nd best because we actually played a game more which was my error when looking at dates

But it's not relegation from.

My point, which might be too nuanced for the polarized nature of this forum. Is that not everything bad is Maresca and not everything good is the players. Sometimes Maresca makes bad decisions, sometimes Cole Palmer goes into his shell. Sometimes Bob Sanchez kicks the ball to the other team. Sometimes Enzo Fernandez digs us out of a hole. Sometimes Nico jackson kicks a player and we lose a game. And sometimes Maresca coaches a win.

Since the 3rd Feb we have solidified ourselves for the first time since clearlake took over as a top 4 side. That's as much on Maresca as everyone else.

In the last 15 games we would have finished 6th, the same as where Poch had us. City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa and Brighton (lol) would have been above us. Maresca's top 4 hopes were reliant on the early season form.

Maresca has done some good, the players have done some bad. This is football though, the responsibility lies at the managers door.

Just now, Ukraine Bolt said:

In the last 15 games we would have finished 6th, the same as where Poch had us. City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa and Brighton (lol) would have been above us. Maresca's top 4 hopes were reliant on the early season form.

Maresca has done some good, the players have done some bad. This is football though, the responsibility lies at the managers door.

Shall we do the for reference jibe again?

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/formtabelle/wettbewerb/GB1?saison_id=2024&min=24&max=38

Edited August 24, 2025Aug 24 by bisright1

1 minute ago, bisright1 said:

Shall we do the for reference jibe again?

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/formtabelle/wettbewerb/GB1?saison_id=2024&min=24&max=38

To be clear as well I’m not anti Meresca, I’m anti tedious football.

He hit all his targets last season in my eyes, and the CWC final was excellent…. I just want more of that and less side ways backwards bore fests and am amazed when others don’t feel the same. COYB.

10 minutes ago, C3blue said:

To be clear as well I’m not anti Meresca, I’m anti tedious football.

He hit all his targets last season in my eyes, and the CWC final was excellent…. I just want more of that and less side ways backwards bore fests and am amazed when others don’t feel the same. COYB.

I'm the same. The only difference I have is that I think Maresca wants that too and that by the end of the season (I'd say by Christmas) we will see it.

39 minutes ago, Clown Lake said:

That is a great hoop dunk in. He must have won "Superior Player Of The Match" for that.

27 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

I'm the same. The only difference I have is that I think Maresca wants that too and that by the end of the season (I'd say by Christmas) we will see it.

I think you're right. Maresca has fined Fernandez and Caicedo two weeks wages for the 20 5 yard passes they played backwards and forwards to each other at the halfway line against Wet Spam. Eye-catching passage of play.

He said...... "We'er donna wanna see'er that Sarriball sideaways sh*ter here no more'er"

11 minutes ago, just said:

I think you're right. Maresca has fined Fernandez and Caicedo two weeks wages for the 20 5 yard passes they played backwards and forwards to each other at the halfway line against Wet Spam. Eye-catching passage of play.

He said...... "We'er donna wanna see'er that Sarriball sideaways sh*ter here no more'er"

Got to let them get their passing % stats up!