34 minutes ago, SydneyChelsea said:

Given the fixture list we have had, we should be either level or clear of Arsenal at the top. These "well, actually" hot takes only make sense if you allow standards to drop.

100% and I'm getting a bit irritated at the insinuation that the team is just a bunch of kids that have been plucked from an academy this season and Maresca is just navigating his way through.

Sanchez - 27

Cucurella - 27

Tosin - 28

Fofana - 24

James - 25

Chalobah - 26

Caicedo - 24

Enzo - 24

Joao Pedro - 24

Neto - 25

All of these players were in the squad on Saturday, we had a few like Josh, Santos, Guiu and Estevao who are inexperienced for sure but pundits need to stop acting like we don't have experience, even the players that are 24 that I mentioned have 4/5 seasons playing top flight football.

36 minutes ago, timetowaste said:

100% and I'm getting a bit irritated at the insinuation that the team is just a bunch of kids that have been plucked from an academy this season and Maresca is just navigating his way through.

Sanchez - 27

Cucurella - 27

Tosin - 28

Fofana - 24

James - 25

Chalobah - 26

Caicedo - 24

Enzo - 24

Joao Pedro - 24

Neto - 25

All of these players were in the squad on Saturday, we had a few like Josh, Santos, Guiu and Estevao who are inexperienced for sure but pundits need to stop acting like we don't have experience, even the players that are 24 that I mentioned have 4/5 seasons playing top flight football.

Not the team, but the roster. All managers and teams (big ones playing a lot) rotate, so if you have a 18yo as the first option for any position, he will play. I don't think this is an opinion or insinuation, but just stating a fact. We can go back to the roman era, and point out that this is VERY far from the situation back then -- also a fact.

"Chelsea FC currently has the youngest team in the Premier League, with an average squad age of approximately 23.6 years."

And I only wish the drawback of players like Sanchez were age.... I don't see what the next manager can do with that backline + goalie, but it ain't much.
I just hope Colwill's development isn't hindered by the injury... afraid it's been at least delayed quite a bit.

Edited November 12, 2025Nov 12 by acaeus

1 hour ago, timetowaste said:

100% and I'm getting a bit irritated at the insinuation that the team is just a bunch of kids that have been plucked from an academy this season and Maresca is just navigating his way through.

Sanchez - 27

Cucurella - 27

Tosin - 28

Fofana - 24

James - 25

Chalobah - 26

Caicedo - 24

Enzo - 24

Joao Pedro - 24

Neto - 25

All of these players were in the squad on Saturday, we had a few like Josh, Santos, Guiu and Estevao who are inexperienced for sure but pundits need to stop acting like we don't have experience, even the players that are 24 that I mentioned have 4/5 seasons playing top flight football.

The age profile of the key players is similar to that of our 2004/05 squad, with the difference being that squad could rely on the experience of Makelele and Cuducini as well

18 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Don't see it mentioned but any of you lot notice Maresca's plan to combat the long throw ins? He had all 3 attackers near the halfway line which resulted in the opposition having to bring some players in the box back.

Yes, saw it, seemed to go unnoticed. Simple, sensible way to declutter the box. Interesting to see if anyone else tries it.

14 hours ago, SydneyChelsea said:

The age profile of the key players is similar to that of our 2004/05 squad, with the difference being that squad could rely on the experience of Makelele and Cuducini as well

And the fact that they were actually good.

56 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

And the fact that they were actually good.

That's no small fact either and if they didn't perform they were out Jose knew what he was doing.

How long would Sanchez have lasted playing like that with Jose running things? 1 match?

3 minutes ago, Scott said:

That's no small fact either and if they didn't perform they were out Jose knew what he was doing.

How long would Sanchez have lasted playing like that with Jose running things? 1 match?

Peak Jose would’ve dropped Enzo immediately and send Sanchez+Tosin to the reserves.

On 02/09/2025 at 16:02, Bob stark said:

Right now our attacker is

Pedro, Neto, Estevao, Gittens, George, Bouna, Guiu 

I don't know anything about Bouna so I can't say anything. But we are basically one Pedro injury away from 23/24 repeat. 

On 03/09/2025 at 14:18, Bob stark said:

Hopefully he can come back soon.I totally forget we signed Garnacho. I think we will be fine. He has two weeks to get fit.

I said this a while ago. I was worried this season will be a mess until I remember we signed Garnacho.

Is it because Garnacho elite? Nope, it is because Garnacho is a pl level winger and more importantly it mean you don't have to play gittens.

Ask Maresca to give Guiu, Gittens and Hato 2000 min each this season and we probably will finish in mid table.

On 02/09/2025 at 16:02, Bob stark said:

He got super lucky. Gambled with the subs and Guiu repaid the faith

Edited November 22, 2025Nov 22 by Deino

2 minutes ago, Deino said:

He got super lucky. Gambled with the subs and Guiu repaid the faith

He and the SDs are gambling with the subs/rotation for the festive period.

Let’s see if they will be right and it proves beneficial for us.

4 hours ago, Deino said:

He got super lucky. Gambled with the subs and Guiu repaid the faith

"Everything manager does is bad. Everything player does is good"

So tired of seeing these takes.

Maresca put out the right team, made the right subs, we won away from home in a game everyone said we'd find sticky.

30 minutes ago, bisright1 said:

"Everything manager does is bad. Everything player does is good"

So tired of seeing these takes.

Maresca put out the right team, made the right subs, we won away from home in a game everyone said we'd find sticky.

Agree with this. I’m far from his biggest fan, but maybe his selection and decisions will pay off over a long season. Credit where it’s due - a good win today away from home, early kick off, after international break. Follow it up with two more wins next week please!

I refuse to believe we are 2nd in the league, how is that possible

14 hours ago, bisright1 said:

"Everything manager does is bad. Everything player does is good"

So tired of seeing these takes.

Maresca put out the right team, made the right subs, we won away from home in a game everyone said we'd find sticky.

How did he put out the right tram when we had zero shots on target and gad to make 4 last ditch blocks on our goal against the worst team in the league defensively and in attack?

We created absolutely nothing with his "right team" until Gittens finally got a decent cross in, we then continued to create absolutely nothing with his "right team", he then made some ridiculous subs and we completely lost any semblance of control of the game.

You might be sick of these takes but your refusal to even question the manager is equally as sickening.

31 minutes ago, dkw said:

How did he put out the right tram when we had zero shots on target and gad to make 4 last ditch blocks on our goal against the worst team in the league defensively and in attack?

We created absolutely nothing with his "right team" until Gittens finally got a decent cross in, we then continued to create absolutely nothing with his "right team", he then made some ridiculous subs and we completely lost any semblance of control of the game.

You might be sick of these takes but your refusal to even question the manager is equally as sickening.

These same people would have stayed silent if that turned into another Sunderland game, which it would have if we were playing a team better than 19th placed Burnley!

6 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

These same people would have stayed silent if that turned into another Sunderland game, which it would have if we were playing a team better than 19th placed Burnley!

2 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

These same people would have stayed silent if that turned into another Sunderland game, which it would have if we were playing a team better than 19th placed Burnley!

I've no idea how anyone can think he got it right in that first half, even less idea how anyone thinks his subs were right, we were all over the place after them

Edited November 23, 2025Nov 23 by dkw

For a team with as much attacking talent as ours we are extremely boring to watch.

Another dreadful performance against a side that will be back in the Championship next season.

Looking at the positives though, we lost & drew to Burnley’s equivalent last season (Ipswich) so there’s definitely some progress 😂

Well we should be doing better yet too many managers have done a lot worse, I don't think anyone could agree on a manager to come in now and get us results.

It seems Maresca is building a squad, I had a bet on Garnacho pre-match yet he didn't even come on yet neither did Estevao.

Edited November 23, 2025Nov 23 by strider6004

19 hours ago, bisright1 said:

"Everything manager does is bad. Everything player does is good"

So tired of seeing these takes.

Maresca put out the right team, made the right subs, we won away from home in a game everyone said we'd find sticky.

Idk how you can say in good faith that he made the right subs. Team selection at the start is 50/50 at best due to players who played at internationals and injuries.

That's the last on the easy fixtures from round 1 against the other pl 19 teams.

Still to play:

Arsenal

City

Newcastle

Bournemouth

Leeds

Everton

Traditional rivals, traditional hard to face opposition, not one easy match there. Let's see how Maresca and the team deal with these matches because we won't get away with poor line ups, crap performance, laziness or boring football against any of those teams.

1 hour ago, strider6004 said:

Well we should be doing better yet too many managers have done a lot worse, I don't think anyone could agree on a manager to come in now and get us results.

It seems Maresca is building a squad, I had a bet on Garnacho pre-match yet he didn't even come on yet neither did Estevao.

It's not like we expect him to be the best manager in the world every game but putting Badiashile on after taking a RB off then Gusto to midfield is jarring.

39 minutes ago, Deino said:

It's not like we expect him to be the best manager in the world every game but putting Badiashile on after taking a RB off then Gusto to midfield is jarring.

Ah but we have it on good authority that these were the right subs LOL

Ah I also forgot we have not played Villa yet. Another good team with a good manager.

On 23/11/2025 at 05:44, bisright1 said:

Maresca put out the right team, made the right subs, we won away from home in a game everyone said we'd find sticky.

There is nothing 'sticky' about a game against a club whose best home result against us was a 1-1 draw in 2017. People only thought it to be sticky because standards have so dramatically dropped from when we were a proper football club.

Neither Maresca nor the team need credit for a routine 0-2 against Burnley, it should be the bare, expected minimum.

Edited November 23, 2025Nov 23 by SydneyChelsea

It was a routine win that was expected, nothing more nothing less.