Chelsea International Banter 3

14 Mar 2026 17:56:54
Without commenting on the first 25 minutes and whatever just happened, glad to say I'm in a win win situation tonight. Wife has made me promise if we lose tonight (another 1:30am kick off) I won't watch another live match past 1am for the rest of the season.

Gotta be honest, not 100% sure who I'm cheering on.

14 Mar 2026 18:33:36
Our first-half performance was nightmarish. Melbourne, so as Newcastle completed the win, I am not watching CFC for a while. May bring you the blessing of peaceful sleep!

14 Mar 2026 19:20:37
Hope you didn't make it past half time, mate... Utterly dismal.

14 Mar 2026 19:43:40
I have to say, with the defenders and GKs we have, I wrote the season off last August.

Until we bring in a decent GK and CB, we will do nothing.

Our defence reminds me of the parting of the Red Sea, although, with the Red Sea, there was not so much of a gap between both sides of the sea.



Surely, at the end of the season, a review must be focused on our SDs.

14 Mar 2026 20:04:56
Bill, a review will take place about every aspect of the club. The review apparently happens every season.

14 Mar 2026 20:27:28
But nothing changes, Tom.

14 Mar 2026 20:40:01
Bill, there won't be a review of the SDs. They have recently had their contracts renewed. The first person who should be shown the door is Ben Roberts, the so-called head of global goalkeeping. This is the guy we got in a job lot with Potter. He brought in his mate Sanchez, despite him being relegated to second and sometimes third-choice keeper at Brighton under De Zebri.

We paid the same fee for Sanchez that Arsenal paid for Raya. Then he brings in Jorgensen. The owners are ultimately responsible for employing these eejits.

14 Mar 2026 20:43:18
Melbourne, you should be thankful to Newcastle. Not getting up in the early hours of the morning to watch Chelsea will improve your physical and mental health. Enjoy the rest.

14 Mar 2026 21:21:34
A review doesn't mean people will lose their job. I would hope it would be a squad/player review. I can't see anyone losing their job.

14 Mar 2026 21:59:24
Tom, obviously coaches and players are reviewed. Where do you get the idea that the hierarchy are subject to reviews? Also, what is the point of the supposed reviews if incompetence doesn't lead to removal and replacement like coaches.

14 Mar 2026 22:20:12
Jimbo, because as I said, a review doesn't mean a person is going to be sacked. As an example, it could result in a change to our recruitment policy.

I never mentioned "the hierarchy" being reviewed, but my guess is, like most companies, all aspects have an end of term/season review, including senior management/hierarchy.



I also believe the club need to review the positioning of the away supporters within the ground. The atmosphere for home games is woeful, and I believe that atmosphere is mainly generated at "ends of the ground".

14 Mar 2026 21:01:50
Bill, you are 100% correct, they should be fired for binning off Maresca and appointing Liam. Maresca asked for a centre back which all of us agree we needed and was pushed out for this bloke who is so out of his depth it is cringeworthy. We have some brilliant young players but now need a top level coach and a sporting director to work with him.

I would like Todd to buy out egg head and clearlake and I would go with Dave Fallows to head it all up. He is already at the club and worked wonders at Liverpool as I understand. ED01, can you back that up for me?

{Ed001's Note - not sure he worked miracles, it is hard to be sure what was him and what was others.}

15 Mar 2026 10:07:33
I'm not sure why a section of fans would prefer TB to Clearlake. I personally have no idea if one is better than the other.

Maresca? Who? We ain't changing what's happened. If we could, Carlo would still be our manager.

15 Mar 2026 11:47:19
Thanks ED01, I was hoping Dave Fallows takes the lead and that was why we recruited him but I'm clutching at straws. Tom, I'm very much in the Todd corner as he has a history of being successful in sport and is also keen on success in the here and now.

Egghead and Clearlake are a major part of our demise as they are only after a fat profit when they eventually flip the club.

{Ed001's Note - it was Klopp who took the lead on recruitment until he left. Richard Hughes then took over. It is the SD who takes overall charge mate.}

15 Mar 2026 13:21:57
Greenaway, I have no idea if TB would be a good owner, but as I've said many times before, he does have a history of owning/managing successful sports franchises.
I have zero idea about the other owners, as sports franchise investors/owners, but not having a sporting background surely does not exclude anyone from being a so-called good owner.

A lot of fans considered RA to be a good owner, and as far as I know, he had zero sports ownership experience.

14 Mar 2026 17:53:47
Same story different game, bad goalkeeping or bad defending. No problems though, Liam, their learning now, the booing starting.

14 Mar 2026 21:27:29
I was at the game and I can't remember Sanchez doing much wrong.

For me, James was at fault for their goal.

14 Mar 2026 22:21:18
Tom, you don't remember Sanchez palming away a weak shot that any competent keeper would have caught with ease. He does this frequently; he over-dramatises saves, and every goal that we concede he blames everyone else. He is an absolute fraud of a keeper.

14 Mar 2026 22:30:22
Jimbo, I do remember him palming away a shot that went out for a throw. Martinez would have palmed it to an opposing player. I personally don't think he did anything wrong today.

I think James was at fault for their goal. Gusto and Fofana were awful.

I will be critical of all players when I think they deserve it, and that includes fans' favourites.

14 Mar 2026 22:39:29
Tom, what has Martinez got to do with it: he is just another fraud. Yes, James was at fault, but generally our defence is woeful: doesn't excuse Sanchez.

14 Mar 2026 23:04:24
FGS, calling out any player is fine when they make a mistake. I repeat, I can't remember Sanchez making a mistake today; that's not an excuse, it's my opinion.

My point about Martinez is he often parries the ball into dangerous positions.

I had no problem with Sanchez parrying a ball out for a throw.

Blame a player who makes a mistake, fans' favourites or not, it's my view. I don't criticise players just because I personally don't rate them.

15 Mar 2026 12:30:43
I said either defending was the problem this week, but Sanchez is, and always will be, a poor keeper.

15 Mar 2026 13:28:02
I desperately try not to label players' abilities, preferring to judge them game by game. I also have zero interest in 'I told you so' observations.

My point remains, Sanchez didn't do anything wrong 'yesterday'.

His abilities as a keeper are something I will look at towards the end of the season.

James was half asleep for their goal, and both Gusto and Fofana had, in my opinion, games to forget.

11 Mar 2026 22:08:19.
Not watched the game yet but my mates tell me Jorgensen made a costly error and our two Ch's didn't cover themselves in glory. Also, apparently our performance was ok and the score line isn't a reflection of how we played. The score is the only thing that matters to me.

12 Mar 2026 08:56:22
Agreed, Tom

What gets me, and Maresca was just as bad, is the fact that we constantly swap around our backline, and I'm just wondering how relationships and communication can be built using this method.

12 Mar 2026 16:03:54
I've slept on it, and sat with the result today.

Apart from a ridiculous last 15/20 minutes, Chelsea were very much still in the tie.

Rosenior has admitted that Jorgensen was probably the wrong choice, but hindsight and all that! If it goes the opposite way, we're calling him a genius, like!

I see loads of people saying we were battered! I didn't get that from the game at all.

Mistakes from the keeper, and centre-halves cost us.

The Delap/Lavia changes at 3-2 probably didn't help, but it's not like our bench has been electric for the whole season!

Yeah, the result is woeful, but I do think reactionary takes are too much also. PSG weren't brilliant last night, Chelsea really beat themselves.

I think there could be another Napoli result in us next week.

12 Mar 2026 18:25:33
Dihanio, I agree with your post, but I have to admit I'm all about the result, so I'm bitterly disappointed.

11 Mar 2026 21:54:34
Two deflections, and three give aways. Otherwise we played really well.

Keeper mistake was just a matter of time. So many risky passes, but that's the way we play.

Paris are a top side; how we lost 5-2 I don't know.

11 Mar 2026 21:48:43
And now a 4th for PSG. Our goalkeeping woes hurting us. Though slightly strange that Sanchez didn't start this one given hero8csbin New York plus PSG hardly Arsenal wrestlers at set pieces.

11 Mar 2026 21:39:28
Yet another really stupid and unnecessary goalkeeping error this time by Jorgensen costing us a goal when we were playing well. Incredible.

07 Mar 2026 19:32:17
2-2 right now, Men vs boys thus far. And we are the boys. So obviously crying out for some experience and leadership, but then again we have been for 2 years.

07 Mar 2026 20:39:32
Well, we got through eventually, but were fortunate. Very few of our players deserved more than about 4 out of 10. Our whole defense was dreadful. Josh's goal was a good one, but otherwise he was poor at right wing-back, as was Hato at left wing-back. Neto had his moments, and Santos was ok.

Delap had a few first-half moments. But Joao Pedro looked a different class when on. Garnacho, for looking focused throughout and being quite dangerous, plus scoring the winner, was probably my MoM. Nice to see Essugo back, though wayward with many passes.

07 Mar 2026 18:47:22
First half performance B team incohesive level. We're quite lucky to be 1-1. Central defense predictably shaky given who started. Nobody impressed though perhaps Garnacho better than many and Delap and Santos ok. But team will have to up focus and intensity in second half.

07 Mar 2026 19:11:36
Hope Melbourne didn't wake up early for this. I'm half asleep at 7pm lol.

07 Mar 2026 19:52:39
Fortunate enough to sleep through my 1:45am alarm, only to wake up at 2:45.

Nice to see Dario on the pitch, I guess.

05 Mar 2026 03:17:08
Another 3:30am kick off and I was very close to not setting an alarm, as work began at 8. 3 minutes in and I was silently cursing the world. Really good recovery and bar a few chances, we dominated.

We were very lucky Watkins was offside and Pedro wasn't, but small margins can have big outcomes.

Thought Enzo, Moises and Cole were excellent. Moises really doesn't get the credit for the range of passing he has, however, I think it's becoming one of his strongest assets. Keeping my eye on a 1/1 auction for one of his cards tomorrow evening.

Really pleased that Hato didn't get taken off for Cucu, as I think he deserved a full 90 minutes and was excellent after a shaky start.

Jorgensen did well, without being hugely tested. His previous performances have worried me but hopefully he can build on this.

Overall, glad to have woken up and even got to see the end of the United game. A very big week of results for us with Liverpool, United and Villa losing. Big 9 weeks remaining with a lot of huge 6 pointers.

05 Mar 2026 09:50:27
We're all v glad, I'm sure, that your waking up was well worth it this time, Melbourne! Your comments spot on. Some of Caicedo's spots of movement and passes to find the player were fantastic. Enzo was also wonderful.



Villa's openness and willingness to attack were helpful compared to us playing a low block, and so too was our deeper squad in terms of the quality of subs we could bring on in the second half, like Cucu, Santos and Lavia.

04 Mar 2026 19:56:41
TC our best not injured CB by far.

05 Mar 2026 10:37:46
He's not always perfect, but always gives everything. I'm so glad we've seemingly finally given up trying to push him out the door (though who knows what the summer will bring).