2 minutes ago, OTL said:

I think we set out to contain Arsenal and that was achieved comfortably because we were already a goal down at the Kick Off. We created few chances. i think we were happy to be there ....2026 League cup semi finalists✔️ ☹️

Yeah... another day could have come off - they defended well - we didn't cause them too many problems...

But wtf Delap was doing on the wing I don't know... maybe LR's still trying to find his best position.

19 minutes ago, chelseablueboy said:

Pushed them all the way ??????

We did f**k all for 85 minutes, and even those last 5 we refused to put them under pressure in the box.

That was as gutless and negative for a semi that I think it could possibly have been, and I know that cowardly c**t is going to come out and say it all went well until they pinched one.

Wake up. Have you seen the quality in this squad?

Yes we need to be positive but Rosenior has just arrived and he's got Delap up front.

The Abramovich era ended 5 years ago and this is the new reality.

Just now, Andy North said:

Wake up. Have you seen the quality in this squad?

Yes we need to be positive but Rosenior has just arrived and he's got Delap up front.

The Abramovich era ended 5 years ago and this is the new reality.

This squad properly dominated and should have beaten Arsenal with 10 men this season. This team is capable of moving the ball faster and with more intent than what we’ve seen the first half. Ok, we’re not a great team but we’re definitely capable of playing better than the walking football served by Maresca most of the time and now Rosenior in the first half of most games.

6 minutes ago, Andy North said:

They have Mbuemo, we have Delap. Arsenal were very relieved to score at the end.

We clearly have defensive frailties and I was pleased to see Badiashile was nowhere to be seen tonight but a more gung-ho approach could easily have ended in a heavy defeat. This squad is very young and a heavy defeat that that has no impact on Champions league could have seriously damaged moral.

Rosenior has had to make some big calls early in his tenure and he needs to keep this young squad positive. I have seen too many games this season where we have conceded early and heads drop. We needed to stay close to Arsenal and we did that tonight.

I'm a realist. With this squad I really don't think we could have done any better tonight.

"They have Mbeumo, we have Delap"

Then don't play him, he's sh*t. Even when he went off, nothing changed, we still played the same tempo.

"That side was very young"

It's such a piss poor excuse and fans won't be able to get away with much longer. That side is barely any younger than our title winning side in 04-05, they're a lot sh*tter, but barely any younger. And maybe if we actually started our best players instead of having the outside influences select them, we would give ourselves a better chance.

6 minutes ago, RMH said:

This squad properly dominated and should have beaten Arsenal with 10 men this season. This team is capable of moving the ball faster and with more intent than what we’ve seen the first half. Ok, we’re not a great team but we’re definitely capable of playing better than the walking football served by Maresca most of the time and now Rosenior in the first half of most games.

Maresca's gone and Rosenior has been here 3 weeks.

A little more reality is required

Have they finished warming up yet?

7 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

"They have Mbeumo, we have Delap"

Then don't play him, he's sh*t. Even when he went off, nothing changed, we still played the same tempo.

"That side was very young"

It's such a piss poor excuse and fans won't be able to get away with much longer. That side is barely any younger than our title winning side in 04-05, they're a lot sh*tter, but barely any younger. And maybe if we actually started our best players instead of having the outside influences select them, we would give ourselves a better chance.

Seriously Scott, do you not think Rosenior would have played somebody as good as Mbuemo if he had one in the squad. Perhaps you thought Neto would have done better?

I agree the inexperience in the squad excuse won't last for ever.

8 minutes ago, Andy North said:

Wake up. Have you seen the quality in this squad?

Yes we need to be positive but Rosenior has just arrived and he's got Delap up front.

The Abramovich era ended 5 years ago and this is the new reality.

Quality of the squad? 7 of the starting 11 started the Club World Cup final, you're severely underestimating what they are capable of. Even a Championship side would have given it more of a go tonight.

Also, if we are going to keep bringing up how young they are, then shouldn't they be playing with less fear? All this brand of football is doing is make them question their own ability. They should be encouraged to be more courageous with their attacking play, try and open Arsenal up instead of turn around play it back to the CB's. We did it with 10 men, so why not today?

Just because the Abramovich era ended 5 years ago, it doesn't mean we have to play this brand of football. All this is going to do is make fans stop watching.

Just now, Andy North said:

Seriously Scott, do you not think Rosenior would have played somebody as good as Mbuemo if he had one in the squad. Perhaps you thought Neto would have done better?

I agree the inexperience in the squad excuse won't last for ever.

Literally had Palmer on the bench. Oh but of course, he's under strict instruction to only play him for a certain amount of minutes, the perfect little yes man that he is.

37 minutes ago, Bebe1980 said:

Just a thought...

Maybe LR should try Delap at CB

Have you seen him trying to win a header?

1 minute ago, Scott Harris said:

Just because the Abramovich era ended 5 years ago, it doesn't mean we have to play this brand of football. All this is going to do is make fans stop watching.

I think many did a long time ago! This board are making things difficult to even support your own club in the same way now!

5 minutes ago, Andy North said:

I agree the inexperience in the squad excuse won't last for ever.

On that specifically, the age of the squad should not be a factor at all anymore.

We're in year 4 of the youth project. The squad should all be in their prime now.

The fact that we consistently and deliberately lower the age of the squad every year means that the squad will never grow.

If they insist on having a perpetual squad of 20 year olds, then I expect the 20 year olds to win the league after all the money spent.

1 minute ago, yaz said:

On that specifically, the age of the squad should not be a factor at all anymore.

We're in year 4 of the youth project. The squad should all be in their prime now.

The fact that we consistently and deliberately lower the age of the squad every year means that the squad will never grow.

If they insist on having a perpetual squad of 20 year olds, then I expect the 20 year olds to win the league after all the money spent.

I would say from Clearlake's point of year they will want to harvest some of the players and make some profit in the next couple of years. That is what they care about.

3 minutes ago, yaz said:

X

On that specifically, the age of the squad should not be a factor at all anymore.

We're in year 4 of the youth project. The squad should all be in their prime now.

The fact that we consistently and deliberately lower the age of the squad every year means that the squad will never grow.

If they insist on having a perpetual squad of 20 year olds, then I expect the 20 year olds to win the league after all the money spent.

Well it's never been done before.

I fear you expect too much.

(Yes the recruitment policy needs some experienced players to be included. Can't remember the blind ever leading the blind)

5 minutes ago, forbzy said:

I would say from Clearlake's point of year they will want to harvest some of the players and make some profit in the next couple of years. That is what they care about.

Ahem. . there is no money in football from buying and selling players. That is not what clearlake are up to. That is a bit of a myth. They may only care about profit, but the profit is clearly not in the buying and selling of players - they are after all not very good at that.

Ho-Hum. It was a long shot after the first leg. But it was a gameplan and he almost got it to work. Nice to see him try something different. Fair play to the manager.

14 minutes ago, Mod said:

I think many did a long time ago! This board are making things difficult to even support your own club in the same way now!

Yes. You have to watch them in a different way now. Sad as it is you really have to manage your expectations now.

5 minutes ago, TheCeleryKing said:

Ahem. . there is no money in football from buying and selling players. That is not what clearlake are up to. That is a bit of a myth. They may only care about profit, but the profit is clearly not in the buying and selling of players - they are after all not very good at that.

So what are they good at, if anything? And what are they really up to?

1 minute ago, Andy North said:

Yes. You have to watch them in a different way now. Sad as it is you really have to manage your expectations now.

I was really meaning a different angle entirely, not just in our play. The club hasn't a soul anymore, and the board give no sh*ts whatsoever about the fans! The things they said at the start were enough to put many off. It's like supporting a business now, with the Chelsea badge on it, rather than supporting a football club!

37 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

"They have Mbeumo, we have Delap"

Then don't play him, he's sh*t. Even when he went off, nothing changed, we still played the same tempo.

"That side was very young"

It's such a piss poor excuse and fans won't be able to get away with much longer. That side is barely any younger than our title winning side in 04-05, they're a lot sh*tter, but barely any younger. And maybe if we actually started our best players instead of having the outside influences select them, we would give ourselves a better chance.

While quality obviously matters, it’s not entirely about the first XI. In a 38-game league you live and die by your depth.

In 04-05 our rotation players were seasoned internationals. Today, a big chunk of the bench is teenagers or early-20s players. That’s not normal for a title-challenging side

Edited February 3Feb 3 by acaeus

4 minutes ago, Mod said:

I was really meaning a different angle entirely, not just in our play. The club hasn't a soul anymore, and the board give no sh*ts whatsoever about the fans! The things they said at the start were enough to put many off. It's like supporting a business now, with the Chelsea badge on it, rather than supporting a football club!

Yup!

So I manage my expectations.

No edge of the seat excitement was generated in the whole of the match, I feel disconnected. 🥴

Thought we did okay to still be in the tie with 30 mins to go. Apparently, James and Neto were both injured and there was no way Palmer and Estevao could start. So it made sense to bring them on with the tie still in the balance. The fact it didn’t work out doesn’t mean it was bad tactics.

We gave it our best shot under the circumstances and we just didn’t get a break. Damage was done in the first leg. Tough to go out at this stage, but it wasn’t humiliating and I thought we showed character.

Edited February 3Feb 3 by Dr. Socrates

48 minutes ago, Dr. Socrates said:

Thought we did okay to still be in the tie with 30 mins to go. Apparently, James and Neto were both injured and there was no way Palmer and Estevao could start. So it made sense to bring them on with the tie still in the balance. The fact it didn’t work out doesn’t mean it was bad tactics.

We gave it our best shot under the circumstances and we just didn’t get a break. Damage was done in the first leg. Tough to go out at this stage, but it wasn’t humiliating and I thought we showed character.

James was rested, not injured. Rested against one of our biggest rivals in a semi final, laughable really

Why couldn't Palmer play? is he injured or not? because I am getting sick and tired of going season after season where we are chopping and changing our team in every single game. We can never pick a consistent 11. It's constantly "managing minutes". I'm sick of the bullsh*t at this club, it's all lies. No other club is like this.

Results like this have become the standard, and to some worthy of praise.

We are what Arsenal used to be. Top 4 money making machine, who cares about trophies. Rest our captain, keep him at home for our true trophy, the top 4 cup.

Ah we can take moral victories from performances, getting more shots on goal or winning the possession battle. So great are arsenal to perform like we did against arsenal we are the true winners guys and gals!

It has dripped down like a virus from mother blueco. And many like tamed dogs lap the crap off their masters fingers and think it is steak.

Shameful.