Maybe this will embolden Maresca to make changes to the starting 11. He has kept faith with a few players for too long. Jackson should have been phased out before Xmas and Sancho isn't making enough happen. 

I accept this Maybe harsh but Maresca is too rigid in his team selection and hasn't been using the depth of squad to his advantage. So much so that it looks like Nkunku has lost his confidence. He should have been in the team a long time ago. A decent manager would have found a way to play with Nkunku in attack. 

I also thought we got lucky tonight. 

A surprising number of positives considering where we were at half-time:

- Back in the top four
- We came from behind to win (rather than the opposite which has been more common recently)
- The gaffer made attacking subs in the 50th minute (admittedly as a result of fitness/injuries but still)
- Jörgensen/Jørgensen looked competent
- Guiu looked competent
- Neto actually had a shot and it actually went in
- We paid fitting tribute to our two previous managers with one half of appalling, dour, and depressing football that looked like it would lead to a humiliating home defeat against a rival, and a second half of hilarious chaosball which led to an improbable win
- I had the pleasure of turning off my stream as soon as I heard the words 'and we'll hear from Michael Owen'

10 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

You build this team around Palmer. Let him do what he wants. 

The mistake Maresca has made up to now is to put too much focus on trying to make Fernandez the main man and worth the money. 

Palmer stuck in the 10 position makes him easier to mark out the game.  Him drifting in from the right makes it a lot harder.

So was Jackson taken off because he was rubbish or injured? 

Was that Guiu lying prone in their penalty box at the end?

Have we got any other centre forwards on our books?

Think its clear we need a goal scoring winger. 

 

Sancho creates the chances. 

Neto is an impact player at best. 

Madueke is, meh. 

Estevao is too young. 

3 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Think its clear we need a goal scoring winger. 

 

Sancho creates the chances. 

Neto is an impact player at best. 

Madueke is, meh. 

Estevao is too young. 

Don’t say that I’ve got my hopes on Estevao scoring 25 goals next season.

A win is a win.

Not great but a very handy 3 points with everyone else around us slipping up.

These next 2 matches against Brighton could well shape or re-shape our season.

2 wins out of 2. Important to get the wins but we really need to see the performances improve. We look very flat and uninspired. 

19 minutes ago, Dr. Socrates said:

So was Jackson taken off because he was rubbish or injured? 

Was that Guiu lying prone in their penalty box at the end?

Have we got any other centre forwards on our books?

Nkunku

After that it's the likes of Dujuan Richards.

19 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

No, I disagree,  but it was the mandatory requirement. As a minimum we should be winning this game, but if we have any aspirations (and I wonder about that) our football should be more dynamic,  more forceful.  We shouldn't be clawing our way back into a lead and then trying to squeeze the life out of the game rather than putting them to the sword.

I agree with most of that any other time but tonight, especially with our form over the last 6 or 7 weeks, the points were all that mattered.

We are out of form bar 2 or 3 individuals and will have to play our way back into form. Nothing helps as much as 3 or 4 wins on the bounce. 
 

Was it a good performance? I don’t think so but we got the win and that’s all that matters when you take into account the above points.

3 Points

1. Changed the GK
2. Changed Wacko Jacko early
3. Changed Noni early

Also changed Sancho which makes 4!

All that money spent but no striker?

Well done to Maresca for finally changing it around a bit.

24 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Think its clear we need a goal scoring winger. 

 

Sancho creates the chances. 

Neto is an impact player at best. 

Madueke is, meh. 

Estevao is too young. 

We should move Cole our wide where he looked much more of a threat last season. Then try Nkunku in the middle behind either Jackson or Guiu.

10 minutes ago, JM7 said:

2 wins out of 2. Important to get the wins but we really need to see the performances improve. We look very flat and uninspired. 

You just completely blanked the City loss from memory eh?

11 minutes ago, forbzy said:

We should move Cole our wide where he looked much more of a threat last season. Then try Nkunku in the middle behind either Jackson or Guiu.

It's something we could do. Have James at LB with Gusto at RB. 

Just a matter of if Maresca will ever try it out. 

 

Jorgensen

Chalobah Tosin James

Caicedo Enzo

Gusto Palmer Nkunku Sancho

Jackson

Awful game and exactly why we moved Potter on. They were absolute dross and we made them look good. However, we got 3 points somehow and move on. 

https://amp.sportsmole.co.uk/football/chelsea/injury-news/news/chelsea-transfer-failings-could-be-exposed-again-as-blues-suffer-new-injury-blow_564767.html?newsnow

So we signed no one

Got very lucky there. Guiu injury at the end looks bad, and no other striker to replace him, the board have been a joke this transfer window

56 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Think its clear we need a goal scoring winger. 

 

Sancho creates the chances. 

Neto is an impact player at best. 

Madueke is, meh. 

Estevao is too young. 

We already have a goal scoring winger. He scored 25 goals last season.

28 minutes ago, POCH OUT said:

So we signed no one

Some 19-year old French kid as back up to Lavia. 

Quote

"this was the first time since 2013 that Chelsea had won a home game after trailing at half-time"

Mad stat:

 

Does anyone else find Tosins defending on the goal strange?

He catches up to Bowen, and right when he is about to shoot Tosin just stops, instead of blocking like he did so superbly later on.

Why did he just stop and let him have a shot?

Carrier Pigeon just arrived with these pictures!

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 20251 yr by erskblue

6 hours ago, POCH OUT said:

So we signed no one

Just an Ampadu lookalike from the French equivalent of Leicester. Of course that won't stop them from full, overblown, PR mode about someone nobody has ever heard of. You'll note that we rarely fend off real, actual, competition when we sign these players.

Edited February 4, 20251 yr by WhiteWall

God we were poor for so long last night. But no surprise we looked a whole lot better when Jackson and Madueke left the pitch. We actually looked like we had an idea and started playing some football. Boy we could do with a player who shows a bit of hunger like Bowen. Oh yeah, we had one but sold him to Athletico Madrid.

Edited February 4, 20251 yr by Nibs