3 hours ago, Imran_CFC said:

Liverpool so far have been carried by Salah, 70% + overall Goal contributions so far and I dont think that is sustainable for the whole season. If those numbers were to drop whether that is due to form or injury I can see Liverpool dropping a lot of points. Plus with Andy Robertson starting to show signs of slowing down and TAA having 1 eye on the exit door I can see teams starting to find ways to negate Liverpool.

We are in a similar boat with Caicedo as I don't see us winning the league if Caicedo is side-lined for a extended period of time but than again who exactly thought we'll be in a title race, I know fans who would've taken Europa League finish at the start of the season.

Mo Salah is super fit. Not really an injury prone player. He can keep this up all season especially as he's playing for a new contract.

1 hour ago, KonaKai Blue said:

Mo Salah is super fit. Not really an injury prone player. He can keep this up all season especially as he's playing for a new contract.

Yep. If anything, I thought Klopp was badly managing him in recent seasons. There were games where he was a bit of a passenger because he couldn't keep up with the constant high intensity that Klopp demanded anymore. Slot has them playing a different way, which is now getting the best out of Salah again.

I have a feeling he will sign a new contract, but I wish he would leave, I don't think they would be where they are without him 🤣

1 hour ago, KonaKai Blue said:

Mo Salah is super fit. Not really an injury prone player. He can keep this up all season especially as he's playing for a new contract.

He may not be injury prone but all it takes is a bad challenge or him pulling up with a hamstring etc. that's the risk of being overly reliant on 1 player

Unfortunately we have to deal with the following

 

Sanchez inability to play with the ball at his feet, great shot stopper, terrible footballer.

Fofanas lack of availability and the drop off in the depth behind him.

We don’t have a complete Striker. Jackson is far too inconsistent and Nkunku hasn’t shown it in the league. 
 

The Scouse have far too complete a squad I’m afraid this season for us to be seriously considered. 

In with a chance even if Liverpool are very warm favourites right now. They probably do have a more balanced team but I don’t think they’re amazing. Think we are neck and neck with arsenal right now as 2nd favourites, maybe they are slightly ahead. 

1 hour ago, Dubair said:

In with a chance even if Liverpool are very warm favourites right now. They probably do have a more balanced team but I don’t think they’re amazing. Think we are neck and neck with arsenal right now as 2nd favourites, maybe they are slightly ahead. 

The latest PL "outright" odds from Sky Bet have Arsenal as 2nd favourites, very marginally ahead of us.

Interestingly, the 14-1 on City was what you could get us for only a few weeks ago ... amazing where 5 straight wins can take you !

Thought Sky still including the odds for Spurs and Man United was quite amusing 🙂 

Repost from maresca thread:

Iirc, the "heated" discussion at the beginning of the season on here was between top 4, top 6 and mid-table, and outside that then the manager is sh*t. Lol

Tbh, I think we will be top 4 but yes I'll admit, I've dreamt of overtaking, winning and imagining the look on the dippers faces as it happens.

Fkn PRICELESS 🤣 

* I really hope the owners have learnt from the recent past mistakes and dont mess about too much in January. 🤞

I don't understand the medias obsession with us being in the race. How can we be in the race when we haven't even guaranteed top 4.

 

37 minutes ago, The Don Antonio said:

I don't understand the medias obsession with us being in the race. How can we be in the race when we haven't even guaranteed top 4.

 

Because there's a fun narrative of a "race" going on. Arsenal are bottlejobs and City is facing allegations so the media can't favor City too much.

We also have England's star boy so they want to be like "We knew Cole could do it" narrative and all that

1 hour ago, The Don Antonio said:

I don't understand the medias obsession with us being in the race. How can we be in the race when we haven't even guaranteed top 4.

 

?Why are we even playing? At this moment we are in a title race, and we are in the top 4. We may not have either at the end of the season, or ever again.Savour the moment, it may be all you ever get.

What's interesting is Liverpool and media noting the spend of the underdogs Chelsea being in the title race.  While many of us think that is premature, it got me thinking about Liverpool spend.  We all know they assembled their team for free with every single player coming through the youth side, or superbly negotiated; however, I thought inflation adjusted facts would be interesting.  Sure they could swap Nunez for Jota, or we could swap Gusto for James, but doesn't change the story.  Would agree our bench is superior vs. my starting XI (Lavia, Medueke, Nkunku, Felix, Gusto, Viega, Badiashile, Tosin, Jorgensen) 

17 hours ago, PhilH930 said:

What's interesting is Liverpool and media noting the spend of the underdogs Chelsea being in the title race.  While many of us think that is premature, it got me thinking about Liverpool spend.  We all know they assembled their team for free with every single player coming through the youth side, or superbly negotiated; however, I thought inflation adjusted facts would be interesting.  Sure they could swap Nunez for Jota, or we could swap Gusto for James, but doesn't change the story.  Would agree our bench is superior vs. my starting XI (Lavia, Medueke, Nkunku, Felix, Gusto, Viega, Badiashile, Tosin, Jorgensen) 

Was in a rush. In closing, I meant to say our bench is superior to the Liverpool bench (inferring that would get brought into a transfer fee discussion). 

On 18/12/2024 at 13:06, TheBeard said:

?Why are we even playing? At this moment we are in a title race, and we are in the top 4. We may not have either at the end of the season, or ever again.Savour the moment, it may be all you ever get.

No we aren't. The manager specifically pointed it out.

A majority of fans are finally enjoying watching the team play. Proclaiming we are in a title race takes away that enjoyment

43 minutes ago, Deino said:

No we aren't. The manager specifically pointed it out.

A majority of fans are finally enjoying watching the team play. Proclaiming we are in a title race takes away that enjoyment

Put all that on a white on a white flag where it belongs.....................

"The manager specifically pointed it out."  Oh, dear. I was gonna, but I just can't even................................AARRGGGHHHHHH! 

 

 

7 minutes ago, TheBeard said:

Put all that on a white on a white flag where it belongs.....................

"The manager specifically pointed it out."  Oh, dear. I was gonna, but I just can't even................................AARRGGGHHHHHH! 

 

 

You're just pressuring yourselves needlessly. The players aren't saying it, the manager isn't saying it, a majority of the fanbase aren't saying it.

If we're top in May after beating Liverpool, I'd take that back and say that we are. Until then, we're not

48 minutes ago, Deino said:

You're just pressuring yourselves needlessly. The players aren't saying it, the manager isn't saying it, a majority of the fanbase aren't saying it.

If we're top in May after beating Liverpool, I'd take that back and say that we are. Until then, we're not

Err, "Yourselves" That would be whom, actual Chelsea fans?

So, you don't enjoy watching Chelsea because the pressure that comes from My club competing for top honours spoils it for you????? I hear West Ham, and Tottenham are looking for fans like you.

I am absolutely certain that every other title contender doesn't give a damn when a canny manager or player of a team that is second in the table, and which can absorb one loss and still be second, tries to tell them they aren't really there at all, and they are just mucking around, and really only playing for the fun of it............... 

Read again what I wrote that caused you to react,  but this time try to involve logical semantics. It's a part of linguistics that will help you to avoid a great many pratfalls in the future......... 

 

Edited December 19, 20241 yr by TheBeard

7 hours ago, TheBeard said:

Err, "Yourselves" That would be whom, actual Chelsea fans?

So, you don't enjoy watching Chelsea because the pressure that comes from My club competing for top honours spoils it for you????? I hear West Ham, and Tottenham are looking for fans like you.

I am absolutely certain that every other title contender doesn't give a damn when a canny manager or player of a team that is second in the table, and which can absorb one loss and still be second, tries to tell them they aren't really there at all, and they are just mucking around, and really only playing for the fun of it............... 

Read again what I wrote that caused you to react,  but this time try to involve logical semantics. It's a part of linguistics that will help you to avoid a great many pratfalls in the future......... 

 

Why do you always fall back on the "you're not a real fan" crap every time somebody's opinion is slightly different from your own? It's like you're constantly looking for a reason to say "I'm a bigger Chelsea fan than you", it's childish.

4 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Why do you always fall back on the "you're not a real fan" crap every time somebody's opinion is slightly different from your own? It's like you're constantly looking for a reason to say "I'm a bigger Chelsea fan than you", it's childish.

Because I am an intolerant and irritating, die hard Chelsea fan. Why else? I am also subtle. I only make an indication of the fact that there is clearly a lot of 'plastic' in these forums without saying 'You're not a real Chelsea fan'. 😉

Edited December 19, 20241 yr by TheBeard

7 hours ago, TheBeard said:

Err, "Yourselves" That would be whom, actual Chelsea fans?

So, you don't enjoy watching Chelsea because the pressure that comes from My club competing for top honours spoils it for you????? I hear West Ham, and Tottenham are looking for fans like you.

I am absolutely certain that every other title contender doesn't give a damn when a canny manager or player of a team that is second in the table, and which can absorb one loss and still be second, tries to tell them they aren't really there at all, and they are just mucking around, and really only playing for the fun of it............... 

Read again what I wrote that caused you to react,  but this time try to involve logical semantics. It's a part of linguistics that will help you to avoid a great many pratfalls in the future......... 

 

84 posts in, are you here for much longer as you really are a pretentious prat at times. All you ever seem to want to do is pick at the posts of other posters.

I personally don't think that there is such a thing as a title race when we are not even half way through the season. What i am enjoying is that we are at the right end of the table and we are playing entertaining football.

Once we get into February and we are down to 10 - 12 games to go then it should be hotting up into a race for title. hopefully we will still be in and around it then.

Forget the title race talk. Just enjoying every moment of this team right now. We’ve had a rotten few years but this level of play and results is right up there with second year Jose, Carlo and Conte purple patch! Still a small sample though. 

Edited December 19, 20241 yr by PhilH930

6 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

84 posts in, are you here for much longer as you really are a pretentious prat at times. All you ever seem to want to do is pick at the posts of other posters.

I personally don't think that there is such a thing as a title race when we are not even half way through the season. What i am enjoying is that we are at the right end of the table and we are playing entertaining football.

Once we get into February and we are down to 10 - 12 games to go then it should be hotting up into a race for title. hopefully we will still be in and around it then.

Go back, read the original post again In full, THEN check Deino's reaction, and my retort. 

You don't read the posts I make that are not in reply to another post, so I shall ignore your confirmation bias. 😉

Edited December 19, 20241 yr by TheBeard

1 minute ago, TheBeard said:

Go back, read the original post again In full, THEN check Deino's reaction, and my retort. 

You don't read the posts I make that are not in reply to another post, so I shall ignore your confirmation bias. 😉

Wow, you're sat here with me are you. You can actually see what I am reading. Ah, that's why you're so supercilious with us all, you're entitled to be. You're omnipresent. 

1 minute ago, WhiteWall said:

 You're omnipresent. 

Correct. Isn't everyone after a great match and a few beers?

9 hours ago, TheBeard said:

Err, "Yourselves" That would be whom, actual Chelsea fans?

So, you don't enjoy watching Chelsea because the pressure that comes from My club competing for top honours spoils it for you????? I hear West Ham, and Tottenham are looking for fans like you.

I am absolutely certain that every other title contender doesn't give a damn when a canny manager or player of a team that is second in the table, and which can absorb one loss and still be second, tries to tell them they aren't really there at all, and they are just mucking around, and really only playing for the fun of it............... 

Read again what I wrote that caused you to react,  but this time try to involve logical semantics. It's a part of linguistics that will help you to avoid a great many pratfalls in the future......... 

 

Are you mentally well? You are way too excited and way too aggravated that you can't even understand basic English. A large portion of the Chelsea fanbase know we're not in a title race yet. You are pressuring yourselves, yourselves here referring to the fans that are calling for a title race this early. You can get sucked in to the media narrative and pressure yourself all you want game by game, I just want to enjoy watching us play after years of poor managerial appointments.

The players and managers are obviously competing for every wins and until the team reaches the point where they can legitimately win the title, then we can say we're in the title race. 

The 21/22 PL season we were top by Christmas and fell off in January against some really poor teams whilst City went on stupid winning streak. Still a lot of football left to be played, still a lot of twists and turns.

Calling people out about being fans and whatnot when you just joined this year? Come off the high horse 

2 minutes ago, Deino said:

Are you mentally well? You are way too excited and way too aggravated that you can't even understand basic English. A large portion of the Chelsea fanbase know we're not in a title race yet. You are pressuring yourselves, yourselves here referring to the fans that are calling for a title race this early. You can get sucked in to the media narrative and pressure yourself all you want game by game, I just want to enjoy watching us play after years of poor managerial appointments.

The players and managers are obviously competing for every wins and until the team reaches the point where they can legitimately win the title, then we can say we're in the title race. 

The 21/22 PL season we were top by Christmas and fell off in January against some really poor teams whilst City went on stupid winning streak. Still a lot of football left to be played, still a lot of twists and turns.

Calling people out about being fans and whatnot when you just joined this year? Come off the high horse 

Our solidity/defence fell off a cliff as far as I remember, did T Silva get injured? He wasn't the same after that. And then of course the situation in Donbass escalated, just to remind everyone a war has been going on there since 2014.