Chelsea Banter Archive December 14 2019

14 Dec 2019 21:58:51
We seem to have lost our way over the last month or so. There's no tempo or fluidity to our passing and movement. Everything has just become so slow, there's no pace or directness to anything we do. Which was the main problem last season.

The amount of times Zouma and Rudiger hit cross field balls straight out of play today was ridiculous. Our midfield without Kovacic has no real creativity or drive whatsoever. Jorginho when the game isn't going our, or the opponents are defending deep/ tightly has no impact whatsoever. Kante does what he does, but when he ventures forward, you're never exactly confident anything will come of it.

And once again our set piece delivery was woeful, I know we scored from a corner midweek, but that was a rarity. Our delivery from corners is just so bad, we could have 100 corners a game and I still wouldn't be confident of us scoring from one.

Opposite end of the pitch, and any set piece played into our box you're expecting the worst. It's like ping ball in our box from set pieces, no one takes control and just clears the ball away.

All in all a very disappointing day, the youngsters have done brilliantly so far this season. But we're now beginning to see we need a few more solid/ world class players around them. Nothing drastic but our squad currently just isn't good enough. Onwards and upwards.

C'mon Chelsea!

14 Dec 2019 22:32:20
Bobby, while I don’t agree with all of your post, it is very constructive.

15 Dec 2019 00:34:25
Who do you think you are on here Tom?

15 Dec 2019 08:04:35
It’s not a popularity contest it’s a banter site.

I will continue in my own way, trying to be constructive and I will try NEVER to use offensive comments to describe our players.

14 Dec 2019 19:33:01
Awful, if we don't score first or early we look absolutely clueless. I don't want to go at Lampard cause it'll look to many as overreacting but he has been soo poor this season with his in game management as well as his line ups. Some players obviously aren't good enough either and i fully expect to be out of the top 4 by January, we desperately need a couple of attackers to stand any chance of getting top 4 this season.

If it means overpaying for a couple of players then do it, it's not like we don't have the money. That's now 4 losses out of 5 with three coming against teams that are struggling and two being at home, it's unacceptable.

14 Dec 2019 19:56:38
tbh I think we massively over achieved the first couple of months of the season. our squad have some unbelievable talent but we are no where near what we use to be. Lampard is still learning and some decisions have been poor but he has also transformed a lot of elements of our game that I haven't seen since Joses first stint.

14 Dec 2019 20:04:07
Lamps and Jodie get paid to find and work on solutions. Let’s hope they manage to do it soon.

14 Dec 2019 20:30:48
Having said that i didn't go into this season with high expectations and with this squad for me we are overachieving to an extent. I didn't predict we'd get top 4, many people didn't. I knew it'd be a rollercoaster season but it's still very disappointing to see performances like today.

14 Dec 2019 21:00:02
JCFC i agree, we have a lot of bright young talent that'll need a season or two. It's just unfortunate they're having to be our bright spark in our team rather than them just adding a little extra.

Our experienced forwards aren't good enough and relying on our youth players to create and score our goals isn't a good thing so early on in their careers especially for a club like Chelsea.

As for Lamps i'll have to accept it's only his 2nd season in management and he's still learning so mistakes will happen. I just hope he learns from them quickly.

14 Dec 2019 21:46:54
absolutely. we don't have a perfect blend of youth and experience yet. we have unbelievable youth but aging and underperforming experienced players. the next 2 windows will be extremely telling in where we want to be as a club. we have, imo probably one world class payer and about 3/ 4 potential. how many do liverpool and city have? says it all.

14 Dec 2019 22:37:16
I go into every season saying and believing we can and will win the Premiership and that pre-season hope that I think the majority of fans have will never leave me.

I’m not happy with the latest results or the way we have played over the last few games and I repeat the international break came at a bad time for us.

This season is a season of transition, let’s just try and remain realistic and positive.

14 Dec 2019 23:17:17
What were people thinking was going to happen this season?

I think Lampard and the squad are victims of Chelsea playing beyond themselves and other teams, such as Spurs and United, having below par seasons. This left us in a position that doesn't accurately reflect where we are as a club and built up inrealistic expectations within parts of the fan base.

14 Dec 2019 18:46:13
I'm really angry tonight and trying not to over react but I've got to sum the squad up. James IMO is our best full back and should have started. But what we lack most is creativity. None of our squad could pick a pass like Cesc. Kovacic is box to box quality same as Kante, Mount has an engine and comes up with a goal here and there but has no creativity (I like Mason but he's a squad player at best at Chelsea) . Jorginho I'm not a fan off who does a lot of pointless balls over the top which only one has been successful vs Watford to Tammy. He offers zero protection and runs likes he's got cement in his boots. Loftus-Cheek would make a huge difference but I've no idea when he'll come back whether he'll be the same is another question.

Our wingers are few more with no creativity. Pulisic will be very good but he's more direct than anything and it'll take him a full season to settle but I think he'll be quality for us. Willian needs to go people need to realise he ain't good enough and never has been his purple patch is over and CHO is the most worrying because his confidence seems rock bottom. A lot of us were hoping he could have cemented his place by now but he's gone the opposite direction.

The massive hole left by Hazard leaving needs filling desperately. We need a goal scoring winger who creates too and we need to move heaven and earth for Sancho the boy is outstanding. He's worth 100 million the years we'll get out of him not this Zaha rubbish with 2 goals all season he won't change nothing. Aouar is another we should target. A creative central midfielder who gets about the pitch as well none of this Jorginho nonsense.

I really felt for Tammy today he had no service whatsoever. He has 11 goals in this team with no creativity it just goes to show we have a fantastic striker on our hands doing that in this team. Especially from the full backs cause Emerson isn't much better. I'd ship him to Juve if they want him and i'd ask them for Demiral seen as he's not happy.

This squad needs a massive overhaul and today's loss is on Frank. He needs to change it up I'd like to see us go 3-4-3 again and I'd even bring Alonso back for that setup.

14 Dec 2019 20:02:39
“Massive overhaul” don’t think so!

14 Dec 2019 17:47:39
can i just say matt i do find your posts very hot tempered and in the moment after a game u should cool it down relax for a bit an then post maybe u can reflect on the game a little better. im not dissagreeing u have some great points but your posts seem so angry am negative even do we no u mite not want to cone across that way.

14 Dec 2019 18:13:28
I am angry mate. The result was bad but it’s what we deserved, we’ve lost to teams we shouldn’t and players when u look over a season and the loses and the wins you think, would we of won without them. yeah probably. would we of lost if XXXX was bought in, . no we wouldn’t, And I hate spurs and top 4 would be huge in franks first year and with hazard gone and blooding young players I got, I do expect more from some, and what I will say is, dean frank to terry to mount and Jorginho, praise when deserve and be critical when deserved, I don’t want frank gone, Mount is good squad player, but we can strengthen in quality. Hope your in a better mood than me mate lol enjoy rest of weekend.

14 Dec 2019 19:26:20
Why do you hate spurs so much matt, we are the nicest bunch of fans you could meet.

14 Dec 2019 17:01:52
Shambolic. No fight, no energy. Lampard showing very little tactical intelligence when it comes to games like these. Really concerning. Only player who gets a shred of credit is Zouma. We have no plan B, no formation changes, no tactics. All teams need to do is be compact, sit deep and let us pass it about, whilst we hit the first man at every corner and are afraid to shoot. Then wait till we tire, grab a goal on the break or from a set piece and then watch us huff and puff. Seen it three games in a row now- West Ham, Everton, Bournemouth- at no point did we look like winning any of them.
I was criticised a few weeks ago after West Ham saying that was the start of us falling out of the top four. Mourinho will be the one to it next week. I want Lampard to succeed, but he needs to stop being so blinkered. Mount was very poor again, why wasn't he hooked earlier. Why was Kovacic dropped. Why did James not start.
The best performance we've had this year was 5-2 against Wolves and we used 3-4-3. Did the same second half against Ajax and we looked fantastic. So why aren't we still using it?
Make no mistake, there is a lot of good stuff at the club right now, but there is an awful lot that needs fixing and fast or we're going to end up mired in midtable.

14 Dec 2019 18:13:36
Some very interesting points RJ28P.

14 Dec 2019 16:12:06
And people say Sancho is overrated. It's about time we ahead some creativity from the wing again because Pulisic is direct and Willian is just plain awful. If anyone rates him or Zaha you deserve performances like this.

14 Dec 2019 16:54:54
Another poor result. We have struggled all over the park since the international break.

I think I will give myself some time before I make any comments about the performance but I fully expect some posters to make very negative comments about the usual players.

14 Dec 2019 16:56:58
the defence is the worry we look so vunreble ass usual. josh king picking the ball up every time in space d whole game while the 2 centre backs watch him and our sitting midfielder an kepa as usual doesn't cpver himself in glory. i said it after 60 minutes the result was going to be a 1 nil away win u could sense the inevitable happening.

14 Dec 2019 17:00:48
Is it negative to point out who wasn’t good today. Lampard for one, and this isn’t a frank out etc but he was naive today, he can’t get them performing v teams bottom of league, William again offering nothing. Jorginho. first time chipped passes which are a nightmare to bring down and do anything with because closes down, Tammy had no service, honeymoons overs and I think the transfer ban being lifted has made few players heads drop,

14 Dec 2019 17:01:14
Are you at the game Tom? What is the crowd reaction towards Frank?

14 Dec 2019 17:07:40
Are you still suggesting your lovechild Jorginho as Player of the Season, TomB? Lol lol lol.

14 Dec 2019 17:08:28
i just think the overall performance of the whole team today was terrible from the man between the sticks to the cbs giving the ball away time an time again kova an jorgi must of lost the ball 15 times in a 15 minute period in 2nd half mount looks bang out of form the highs an lows of a young team therel be many more lows before we get to a consistant level of highs and im ok with that personally these guys need to keep playing an growing and developing maybe add 1 or 2 top players in january 1 attacker to inject goals an creativity and 1 defender to steady the ship maybe all in all come on the blues we will support ye through thick an thin.

14 Dec 2019 17:17:07
Give it a rest I told you not to comment on my posts before.

14 Dec 2019 17:36:51
We have no creativity at all besides Pulisic and since he's only 21 he'll have up and down performances. You could also even argue our most creative player is Reece James and he doesn't even start because somehow Azpi is ahead of him. For me Zaha walks into this team and becomes our best winger, although it doesn't say much but we need either Sancho or Ziyech desperately. May be others out there that can work but can't think of any that we've been linked with.

14 Dec 2019 17:45:22
who do u mean when u say give it a rest king frank.

14 Dec 2019 17:46:46
Yes Tom poor result, lack lustre Performance we’ve got to learn to break teams down that set up defensively. Bournemouth had the better chances we need to start back to basics keep clean sheets and start building on that. Think some new faces are needed in jan but got to be better than what we have if they’re not attainable then wait until the summer make do with what we have then a rebuild. This season was always going to be a rollercoaster still happy with how things are going. Spurs next big performance and result need there.

14 Dec 2019 17:57:57
G8, no I wasn’t at the game today, I’m recovering from yet another operation. My guess is Lamps will be given more of a chance by the fans because of his relationship with the fans but the owner isn’t always the most patient man.

MDW, I will continue to think Jorginho my “love child” will get over his poor run of form. As I’ve already mentioned in previous posts, it was about this time last year that his form dropped but he came back very strong.

Matt, as long as people are happy with being negative that’s their call. I will always try and be positive. I hate personal attacks on any player or manager but I have to except that’s how some people express themselves.

14 Dec 2019 19:34:44
Geez that was bad! Don't think we had more than two good opportunities throughout the whole match. I think that's 1 win in 4 or 5 in the prem now for us, not on good form at all.

I feel like in games like today, where the oppo just sits back and gives you possession, that we need to be much braver on the ball, no one really took a risk with the ball by trying to take on their man, it was just side ways passing, until we dinked a cross to the back post to a 5ft Pulisic who just can't out jump a CB naturally.

In other news, Sancho is back to his best form, and looking sharp. Would be a big ask for us to spend that sort of money on him though. One can dream.

Away to Spurs next, big, big game!

14 Dec 2019 15:35:57
Baffled as to why James isn't starting today. His crossing is needed against teams like this who just defend.

14 Dec 2019 17:45:40
his crossing was certainly missed today.