Chelsea International Banter 2

04 Apr 2026 17:12:06
No Acheampong in the starting line up.

It's a lineup that screams of a coach under pressure.

04 Apr 2026 18:22:39
J, yes it does, but I think that's understandable. It also gives a chance for one or two players to get mins. I would have played Delap and Josh.

04 Apr 2026 16:20:36
Seems I had found a predicted line up and not the real one. ?‍♂️

04 Apr 2026 15:47:19
Happy with the line up.

Hopefully Liam can get into some form as we end the season. Very excited to see Estevao in the 10 and to see Lavia and Essugo holding and creating. Would have preferred Josh central instead of Wes but you can't have it all I guess.

21 Mar 2026 19:30:05
That’s the Biggest win over us since 1987. Like I say, the process isn’t working; never has been or looked like it was. The manager is awful. My hey players have no fight. The keeper is the I’ve seen, and that shows you the brains of the manager; he keeps picking him. Let’s see what crap Liam comes out with tonight.

21 Mar 2026 19:49:38
Nib, FGS, the manager has little choice but to pick Sanchez, Jorgensen is injured.

21 Mar 2026 20:46:51
For God's sake, Tom, there's more keepers. This isn't about tonight, brains, it's about the season. He keeps picking him, he shouldn't be in the squad. Forget the team.

21 Mar 2026 21:18:06
Just one further small point. Sanchez was having a good ish season under Maresca and was showing signs of marked improvement.

21 Mar 2026 20:58:03
Let me know what alternative he had then "brains" and he did pick the alternative who also made mistakes and then got injured.

Be critical but let's try to look at the facts and the alternatives.

22 Mar 2026 08:27:24
Tom

Let's just say Sanchez and Jorgensen got injured, would we have no other GK to call upon?

22 Mar 2026 08:39:09
Yes, we would. We would have a player who, as far as I can remember, hasn't ever played a game in any first team competition for Chelsea. On top of that, it would almost be borderline career cruel to put that person into a team that is struggling with confidence.



I personally would have stuck with Jorgensen, but he has picked up an injury. So there is only one realistic alternative.

22 Mar 2026 09:26:35
Donnarumma at Milan was 15. I think, sometimes you just got to be given a go.

22 Mar 2026 13:49:09
Let's gamble in a young lad's career to satisfy fans. Not for me, thanks. I'm a little better than that.

22 Mar 2026 17:12:13
Tom, "I'm a little better than that". Wow. Sanchez has always been an awful keeper, and nothing is going to change. The worst thing about him is that he is always looking for someone else to blame. Yesterday, when he let the ball through his legs, he was scanning to see if he could find someone to berate, and then realised he had run out of scapegoats.

As for Sharman-Rowe, he is 22, and I'm sure he would relish getting a first team appearance. If we can't beat Port Vale with a rookie keeper, we may as well give up.

22 Mar 2026 18:14:56
I certainly wouldn't put a keeper in our team that, to my recollection, hasn't played a single competitive game for us. I don't care about his age. I think it would be totally wrong.

If you and other fans would play him, that's up to you, but I think it will do zero for the lad.

22 Mar 2026 19:00:35
Age is relevant; footballers of that age want an opportunity. imo he has nothing to lose, he certainly won't be blamed by our fans if things go wrong, considering the ineptitude of our other keepers and our woeful defence. Even stranger, as we are expecting salvation from a 21-year keeper who is playing in a Farmers League and most of us have never seen play.

22 Mar 2026 19:08:43
He will be blamed if he makes a mistake because that's what fans do. If he has a poor game, some fans will label him useless, clown, donkey, or worse, tell him he is another Sanchez or, even worse, the Spuds keeper, but that's ok because it's passion.



If he had played in any games beforehand, then fair enough, but I repeat, as far as I can remember, he hasn't.

If the manager picks him, I repeat, in my opinion it would be cruel.

23 Mar 2026 20:11:52
I don't see how picking a 22 year old against Port Vale is cruel. I think the lad would relish the opportunity whether he plays well or badly. He's a professional, I'm sure he wants opportunities. Hardly cruel.

23 Mar 2026 20:46:34
If it stopped at Port Vale.

Playing a new keeper with virtually no first exposure behind a defence and a team with zero confidence, and a fan base turning toxic, isn't, in my opinion, a good idea for a player's career.

03 Apr 2026 22:10:28
So then, how do you get experience if you don't get game time? There's no risk, as the two keepers we have are both totally useless.

03 Apr 2026 22:15:35
Our third choice keeper, as far as I know, has never played a single game for Chelsea. If you think putting a goalkeeper with zero Chelsea exposure in a team that is playing with zero confidence is entirely up to
you.

I personally wouldn't.

21 Mar 2026 19:17:34.
80 mins gone and so poor in so many areas. Why our manager continues with this high line is beyond me. I have no idea why you wouldn't put Josh on for Gusto. There will be loud calls from some who want LR sacked tonight and some of those calls will be from fans who wanted Maresca sacked.

I have a very short list of managers who I would want, so there is little chance of the club making me happy. Estavou, Lavia cameo and Hato my only small pluses.

21 Mar 2026 19:36:10
I would have had Josh on for Fofana, who was generally appalling today. Unless Tosin comes on for Fofana and Josh for Gusto. What do we do about GK for rest of season.

21 Mar 2026 19:39:17
I'm not sure why Josh isn't in the side more often. Fofana hasn't been good for a while and Sanchez is our only choice as goalkeeper because Jorgensen has just had an operation.

21 Mar 2026 22:17:39
I didn't know about FJ op, Tom, so it seems it will have to be Sanchez unless we gamble on England Under-21 goalie Teddy Sharman-Lowe or our Under-21 goalie Gabriel Slonina. Has anyone seen them in action, and if so, are they any good?

I do agree that Sanchez improved under Maresca, and now seems to be deteriorating under LR, or perhaps a replacement GK coach to the one employed under EM?

This season is in great danger of descending into Lampard's second stint fiasco here, given defensive woes.

Next games v United and City must see us getting at least 4 points now.

21 Mar 2026 22:29:13
Also, agree that apart from one bad misplaced pass that led to danger, Lavia's cameo was a good one, as was Esteves. Hato was far better than Fofana today, and does look v promising and more at home now in EPL.

22 Mar 2026 08:29:54
Fifana has been terrible, and maybe he is saving himself for the World Cup, to avoid getting injured.

21 Mar 2026 18:58:10
How many more times he’s got to be the worse keeper in the league? I expect Liam to be emptying his desk by 1930. Why he thinks Caicedo moving to right back was a good idea I don’t know. The fact we’re losing and we still playing with two defensive midfielders, Palmer, Enzo, both awful.

If you don’t want to be here f*** off. Your really not that special. The club from top to bottom is embarrassing.

21 Mar 2026 19:42:51
Wouldn't disagree on the keeper and Enzo. I thought Palmer was our best player, and I also thought Pedro was awful. We all see it differently with regards individual players, but as a team we are poor.

Hopefully Penders is much better.

Also, I thought it was the manager's worst set-up since he has been here.

22 Mar 2026 08:32:08
But again, Seymns, we are relying on another youngster, Penders, being good, and if not, that's it, we struggle in that position for at least up to January.

21 Mar 2026 18:21:22
I’m not sure why we are continuing to play such a high line. Last week it was James asleep. This week it’s Fofana.

Pleased with Hato, Lavia and Palmer performances so far.

21 Mar 2026 18:54:17
And Sanchez's appalling blunder again. What do we do about gk for rest of season?

21 Mar 2026 19:09:43
Palmer, our best player by a mile. God knows what we do with the keeper. Dewsbury Hall is showing why we never should have sold him.

As an optimistic fan, I am starting to have serious doubts.



If I was the manager, I would have mixed this 11 up, would have started Delap and Estevao. It may not have made any difference if our keeper can't do the basics.

21 Mar 2026 19:27:29
Seymns, I like to be an optimist about all things in life, including Chelsea, but there is nothing to suggest we can be confident about anything. It is all very poor at the club at the moment.

21 Mar 2026 19:34:48
Sadly, Tom, you are right.

Whoever each individual poster thinks played well or badly, we are just poor as a team.

21 Mar 2026 22:47:12
Seymns, absolutely, but the problems at the club go far beyond the players and the coach.

22 Mar 2026 08:46:34
Very much agree, Jimbo.

21 Mar 2026 17:44:21
Ten minutes in and I don't think I've ever witnessed a poorer first ten mimutes by a Chelsea side. And there's been quite some competition down the years. Fofana appalling. Sanchez looking as shaky as San Francisco during a v bad earthquake. Misplaced passes all through the team.

21 Mar 2026 18:08:03
And Fofana, ball-watching and dreadful positional sense, gives Everton a deserved lead. And the comparison between Sanchez and Pickford in goal is chalk and cheese... stubby bit of chalk and wonderful Wensleydale!

21 Mar 2026 18:19:23
I'm not a fan of Pickford, and yes, he did make a good stop, but no mention was made of his poor attempt to clear the corner. He gets away with it, we wouldn't.

21 Mar 2026 18:20:59
My god, we need a keeper.

21 Mar 2026 18:21:07
Needs to show some type of change at half time. Or I'm turning this rubbish off.

Absolutely awful. I would always try to give a new manager time, but in all honesty it looks like the lads have downed tools for Liam.

21 Mar 2026 18:33:48
We need an old-school manager that plays a style of football that lets players express themselves. This style is garbage.
How have they not got their heads together, and realised this new look isn't working. If we lose today, I expect Liam to be sacked in the morning.

He's had a go, he's out of his depth, and in the summer we get rid of at least half.
I'm almost positive Estevao plays for Brazil ?? on the international break, yet can't get in here.

21 Mar 2026 18:34:06
Fofana, imho, was our poorest player, but Sanchez looks just so nervous, and that ridiculous moment when he dwelled on the ball and almost gave a goal away was circus-clown dreadful. He can be a wonderful shot-stopper, but other areas of his game are much below required standard.

21 Mar 2026 18:56:10
Certainly, Sanchez is no wonderful shot-stopper today, though. Dreadful error.

21 Mar 2026 19:05:41
I think you could be right, Nib. I think he may be gone in the morning.

21 Mar 2026 19:14:44
I hope you are right, Nib, and he gets sacked tonight. He is living proof that the grass is not always greener.

21 Mar 2026 19:25:18
Nib, Estavao is coming back from injury, so was always only going to play a cameo.

21 Mar 2026 19:31:02
True, Greenaway, and something Tom has wisely said quite often in the past, but Maresca - perhaps wisely?! - wanted out and hadn't done well for us in the EPL, sadly. But yes, I wanted him to see out the season, and none of us were calling for LR to replace him. But the players, especially defenders, must take major blame for recent results, I'd think.

21 Mar 2026 19:41:35
JBS, the manager always has to take responsibility for a performance and results above the players.

21 Mar 2026 20:51:51
Bet he doesn't get rest by Brazil.

21 Mar 2026 20:59:39
He wasn't injured or been injured when picked for the Brazilian team.

14 Mar 2026 19:43:01
On my way home from the bridge and not happy like all Chelsea fans. Teams just come to the bridge, drop deep at narrow and then hit us on the break. Individual performances poor, with for me only Enzo getting only a small amount of credit.

Fofana and Gusto were truly awful. The only player we have who can break a line by going by a player is Estavao. Huffing and puffing isn't good enough and our fans are borderline no existent and toxic. I guess it's difficult to blame them.

14 Mar 2026 21:29:41
Tom,

It's been like that for a few seasons now. We have nobody, either coaches or players, who knows how to break a low block.

14 Mar 2026 22:24:55
Well three wide players out for today's game didn't help. One suspended and two injured.

15 Mar 2026 09:37:07
And there you have it, Tom. Indiscipline and injuries, a constant amongst our players this season.

14 Mar 2026 19:23:47
Have given up watching with ten minutes to go. Worse performance going forward for ages.