Chelsea Banter Archive December 26 2019

26 Dec 2019 22:03:24
I'll keep on banging this drum!

We were one nill, then two nill, down for a while today. For the whole of that time we had two naturally deep lying midfielders on the pitch - no wonder we lacked creativity.

We need to take more chances!

26 Dec 2019 22:11:47
We started with 5 defenders and 2 defensive midfielders at home v bottom 4 team . but shhhhh don’t be negative frank got it right.

26 Dec 2019 22:16:08
There were so many issues all over the pitch J. Disappointed we lost so many 50/ 50 challenges, disappointed NO midfield player supported Tammy.

I am a great admirer of Dave but he can’t cross and Emerson today wasn’t much better.

We are still in fourth so let’s try and be positive but we were second best today and that’s not good enough!

26 Dec 2019 22:31:15
100% agree Matt. I had a feeling Lamps would pick a similar setup to the one that beat Spurs. Unfortunately for Frank he may have mistakened Southampton for Barcelona today.

Putting thenjokes aside and on a serious note, the lineup up was poor. 5 defenders, 2 deep lying mids, out of form CHO and Willian/ Abraham was a tough ask breaking down 2 Southampton buses.

26 Dec 2019 23:48:10
Werner is a must, can play wide, up top alone and in a two, gives us so many options, Tammy w/ Werner them two would cause problems, sancho is a 1 v 1 specialist and has end product, these two would cost a fortune but it’s the step up in quality we need, add James who can deliver a range of crosses ( our own TAA ) and when we have teams camped in there half waiting to counter we can get and this wouldn’t be a sacrifice to youngster but a Pedro / Giroud / replacements,

27 Dec 2019 12:21:58
As a whole Tom I'll be very positive about this season, i'd have bitten your hand off for fourth at this point of the season.

But there simply wasn't a single positive from yesterday's performance. It's therefore very difficult to mention it without being negative.

I didn't mind the 3-4-3, I wanted us to be set up that way. But James is injured, and Azpilicueta is not an attacking wing-back, plus Emerson was just woeful. Alonso, who was also injured, and James may have made a big difference.

I also didn't mind that Hudson-Odoi got a start, he needed it and on paper this was the perfect opportunity. But him, Willian and Abraham were all isolated too often when they had the ball. This improved in the second half when Mount came on. But when we did change formation, we reverted to a formation that hadn't been able to break down West Ham, Bournemouth or Everton during recent, similar, losses. We needed another advanced player with the skill to break them down - Kante and Jorginho offered nothing in this department.

Like I say, as a whole the season has been positive, but it was poor yesterday; from both those in the dugout and those on the pitch. There's no point in looking at it any other way.

26 Dec 2019 21:49:41
Really disappointing result and performance today. Our home form really is diabolical. When teams sit back we lack the creativity and more importantly the accurate crosses to threaten.

Dave’s crossing was absolutely shocking again and Reece James needs a run in the side now. Mount did well when he came on but without him, Pulisic and Kovacic, Tammy was absolutely starved.

Lampard rested our key players and paid the price, formation was wrong too for the first half. The weird thing is, I’m confident we will beat Arsenal. We’re being gifted top 4 at the moment but the gap is slowly closing.

We need to drag ourselves out of this poor form as soon as possible and put a few wins together. It will take a lot for me to be Lampard out and I’m certainly not there yet but I just hope he isn’t too naive tactically to work out how to beat these teams that just park the bus because it will end up costing us even more than it already has. COYB.

26 Dec 2019 19:20:01
You are all correct everyone is entitled to their opinion of course. however I'm in no bubble at the beginning of the season someone would say with a ban only young players frank as manager who is very inexperienced we would be near or in top 4vat Christmas I'm sure like u all we would take that.

Matt I've been here a long time and prob longer than you your comments are very negative you praise once or twice yet as soon as a bad run or result you call for managers head. stick. to fifa mate

Shake. what can I say keep trying pal I'm sure you will get it right one day.

26 Dec 2019 19:36:48
Keep trying but the problem is at this rate we will fall off the pace and lose any hope of top 4 football. May be we need some players in january to reinforce our team.

26 Dec 2019 20:12:51
Ok, I understand Shak, but what is to be reasonably expected from a team with a transfer ban who lost their best player of about 7 years.

Frank probably overachieved in the first 3 months and is now just regressing to the mean. I’m sure it will be, in the end a successful season. We just have to remember what our expectations were at the beginning of the season.

26 Dec 2019 20:34:18
I just can't accept the recent defeats to the opposition teams who have been in the relegation zone. Regardless of the situation, I expect wins against them at home.

26 Dec 2019 21:10:16
i guess we always expect to beat lesser teams at home an when we drop so many points at the bridge its frustrating of course regardless if how many young players we have etc were so spoiled with the trophies wev won the last 15 years wev come to expect so much me included. i said start if season 6th or 7th potentially and we are still in 4th and last 16 cl. do i think we can stay 4th potentially depends if lamps can add 1 or 2 in january that can help with much needed quality up front to open up teams that park the bus at the bridge. kepa tomori rudi all can improve i beleive an keep saying although patience with kepa is low at d minute but all in all its been a joy to see the club reward talent from our youth system an turn abraham mount tomori etc into 40 or 50 mill players. an we hope reece james will continue to improve an eventually take azpis spot. cho who knows how hel turn out at this rate he's certainly not showing us why he deserved 100k a week.

26 Dec 2019 21:24:59
Call for the managers head? I didn’t want Sarri sacked when our football was predictable and repetitive, I certainly don’t want frank gone, but I will say it as it is, so I’ll ask you then, opinion on willian today? The whole world knew Southampton were going to defend and try and catch us in the break. And did you think frank got it right tactically. Maybe Alonso / James wingback, jorginho picked himself as kovecic suspended, I praised willian and Lampard for the spurs result and today I think my opinion was pretty accurate, I didn’t actually think anyone done very well today, everything I’ve seen on line and pundits is franks the right man but his got a lot to learn, but when I say it as a fan I’m negative, give me a break, we’ve lost to West Ham Everton Bournemouth Southampton al when they were in bottom 4/ 5 and struggling for form, we’ve gone there expecting them to open up and let us score a few,

26 Dec 2019 23:16:32
I've noticed quite a few regulars posters have changed their tone due to today's diabolical defeat and look it's good to be annoyed/ angry because it goes to show you care about the team and how they perform.

Frank should be annoyed/ angry after today's loss. In my opinion he got the formation and lineup wrong, I mean we had 7 defensively minded players on the pitch vs Southampton at home? Also the players should be dissappointed because they performed well below par today and did not execute any team orders today regardless.

There is nothing wrong in dishing out constructive criticism, nobody is perfect and we all live and learn every day. Frank will learn from this we hope and he needs to show that to the fans by addressing this alarming dip in form.

Nobody is calling for Frank's head. This is all a learning curve for him, he has shown inexperience in multiple occasions recently which is hurting Chelsea and he needs to learn from some of these mistakes. let's not fool ourselves, should this form continue then I'm sure Chelsea will act on it pretty quick and pile more pressure on him regardless of what we think as it is a results based game. For now we need to avoid a defeat at Arsenal and stop this rot from continuing. Confidence in the camp must be really low right now.

It's easy to say that we are 4th and in the next round of the champions league. Yes that spells success for the short term, however, the dip in form is massively alarming. We were so far ahead of our riavls, however we are now looking over our shoulders constantly. The worrying part is that our form is pretty bad and our rivals have had pretty healthy results of late so if I was to have a guess then I'd say we will slip down pretty quick unless we somehow can drag ourselves out from this predicament.

26 Dec 2019 18:30:39
Not joking but Sancho seen shopping in Chelsea today. This must mean he is joining, otherwise why go shopping at Christmas time!

26 Dec 2019 18:56:52
I mean even if you aren't joking London is a popular place to visit and shop! . Isn't Sancho's family in London too? . It's nice of you to try and cheer us up though Tom.

26 Dec 2019 19:04:31
Not joking LondonBlue. He was wearing a grey hoody.

27 Dec 2019 10:00:12
TomB, are you sure it wasn't a blue hoody?

26 Dec 2019 17:10:02
Cant believe how many plastics are commenting unbelievable, even asking can we start to skate Frank. go back to your arm chair rock from where you crawled from.

Yes it was not a great game, we were playing well just cannot score.
Frank prob had arsenal game in mind and put a different system and players out that should have done the job. they never but he will learn

We are still 4th had a ban and using youngsters no other manager did.

Take the rough with the smooth

1 or 2 additions in Jan and we can cement 4th place at least.

About time just get behind the team. win or lose.

Criticise Frank . lol REALLY!

26 Dec 2019 17:53:10
Why not criticise him. he got it wrong, got loads wrong in fact, we can be critical, doesn’t make us arm chair fans because we bury our head in the sand and only have biased positive views, nobody’s calling for frank to go or saying he is out his depth. it today he got it wrong tactically as opposed to the game v spurs he got it spot
On, it’s called having an opinion, playing well? Haha we we poor, we created absolutely nothing, but if think we played well then maybe footballs not the game for you, blinkered,

26 Dec 2019 18:03:02
Nobody is immune to criticism. You need to get out of your bubble and appreciate that everybody has opinions. Just because we don't share your opinion doesn't make you a better fan than the rest. Such a stupid thing to say.

Nobody is calling for Frank's head but as a fan I am very concerned by our recent form which includes 5 losses in 7 games. I think every fan should be worried by that form, if you ain't then something's not right.

26 Dec 2019 18:07:17
Shak, couldn’t of said it better,

26 Dec 2019 18:33:07
I know this wouldn’t apply to Shak or you Matt.
As I always say, criticism is fine and can be useful, as long as it’s not offensive and constructive IMO.

26 Dec 2019 19:25:47
No worries Matt, your post was very sensible.

I agree Tom, offensive criticism is not good. I am very concerned by recent results. Tom what are the views of our fans at the stadium?

26 Dec 2019 19:44:26
Shak the home fans for the last few years unless it’s a big Champs league game or against a so called big team are so far up their own ar#e, it’s frightening.

The home fans have become so spoilt IMO. It’s now as if we think we are above cheering are team on.

26 Dec 2019 16:34:35
Frank got this horribly wrong front the start, we all sang his praises for the spurs tactics, now been humbled by a manager at a team bottom 4 of the league, why does frank expect these teams to attack us.

26 Dec 2019 16:43:27
We look like a team that doesn't belong in the pl every time we play at home matt how long before learn his to play at home the only thing keeping pressure off frank is the transfer ban in the summer. big pressure on january transfer window now an signing the right players something which we failed miserably with the last 4 or 5 seasons.

26 Dec 2019 16:54:48
I’ll get slated for being negative but frank doesn’t know how to set up v teams who sit. Was he honestly expecting Southampton to come at us today? Everything he got right v spurs he got wrong today. Jorginho slowed everything and doesn’t ever look like creating a chance, Azpi a wing back when we we are the attacking team doesn’t work, Tammy for zero service, CHO looks to weak and Willian was his usual self, Southampton looks so comfortable, I’d play 442 v these teams who want to sit, it’s embarrassing. Pathetic performance and takes everything away from spurs win, 3 points from spurs / Southampton. We never looked like scoring,

26 Dec 2019 16:59:53
I am getting very concerned with our current form. N

5 losses from 7 is absolutely disgusting and is worse than relegation form. We all thought our team can't play any worse than when we lost to West Ham but since then Its been topped by the defeats to Everton, Bournemouth and now Southampton.

Lampard will become a good manager but whether it's at Chelsea or not remains unseen.

Big January transfer window needed. Need to invest some money because we ain't good enough.

26 Dec 2019 17:02:17
I just don't believe we have the quality its as simple as that since hazard left we no longer have that star player to break down teams that park the bus . u mite aswell play with 10 men with jorginho he offers nothing. and our keeper a backline are as shaky as bambee on ice.

26 Dec 2019 17:16:16
CHO has had enough chances and is yet to impress. All hype.

26 Dec 2019 17:56:13
cho hasn't got his form back since his injury.

26 Dec 2019 21:22:03
ur right he hasn't but he needs to start guvin back to the club an show some form and a reason for then handing him 100k a week.

26 Dec 2019 15:53:09
Not looking great at the half but it is hard to break down 7 men behind the ball. Hopefully they lose concentration in the second half

26 Dec 2019 16:31:04
It was too be expected though, we set up like we did b spurs like we thought they’d come onto us,

26 Dec 2019 16:34:37
We have no one to drag us through games like this CHO shocking performance and people thought this guy was ready big signings requires this January, terrible at home again.

26 Dec 2019 16:38:41
Jorginho offers absoloutely nothing either an hasn't done since he arrived people just stroll past him.

26 Dec 2019 11:46:41
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 26th December 2019