Chelsea International Banter 3

30 Dec 2025 21:38:32
More points dropped. Conference league again next season. if we're lucky!

Results don't go our way over the next few days we could be 8 points off the top 4 or 11 points a week tomorrow. I'd call that season over in terms of the league.

30 Dec 2025 21:46:02
Im sure we'll come into stronger form to end the season. December is never good for us.

But it does have to be said. How many years into this regime are we? It has not been good after the amount spent.

30 Dec 2025 21:46:32
I will stick with 2nd-4th. I know I’m bonkers but I stood my ground last season and we eventually came good.

30 Dec 2025 21:59:00
Tom

I hate to say it but I agree with you, not the 2nd to 4th spot though.

30 Dec 2025 22:20:42
I m also bonkers Tom think we will make champions league but if we don't so be it,

Think City and Arsenal will be top 2 now am unsure about Villa Utd dropped points against Wolves .

Assuming it's top five, three out of Chelsea Villa Man Utd Liverpool or Newcastle.

30 Dec 2025 22:28:58
Bonkers is one of my very few strengths.

I got called the same last season.

30 Dec 2025 22:47:19
Seymns, I seem to remember that you kept the faith last season. ?we are right for this season.

30 Dec 2025 23:19:02
TomB I am not as convinced as I was mainly because i can't put my finger on what has gone wrong we seem so open when we lose the ball, maybe we should try Palmer out wide and have another body in midfield . it's the goals we concede that concern me, often when we are in control of the game.

Last year I blamed Sanchez but that is not true this year.

30 Dec 2025 23:30:44
Seymns, I would stop this inverted FB plan and play Santos as a third midfielder at least until Lavia returns.

As you say, the problem then is what position does Palmer play? Playing him on the right could well be a solution.

31 Dec 2025 09:17:24
Seymns I agree about another mobile tackling player with a pass in them in midfield. A fit and on form Lavia would do nicely but have said almost since he joined that after his bad injury even before he joined us his fitness a huge concern and will he ever get back to what he looked to be in early Southampton days.

30 Dec 2025 21:38:21
Thr players at the end looked totally fed up and dejected, how long do our owners let this continue.

30 Dec 2025 21:48:06
If the players had come off happy and smiling, I would be seriously pi@@ed off.

Of course they came off fed up and dejected.

30 Dec 2025 22:02:02
Tom

I'm pi@@ed off that our young players confidence are being drained game by game with Maresca and his team selections, substitutions and tactics.

30 Dec 2025 22:30:56
I doubt anyone associated with the club is anything but pi@@ed off.

As far as I’m concerned, we go again!

30 Dec 2025 21:36:29
Very, very poor first 45mins. Maybe the worst half of football I’ve seen from a Chelsea team in a long while.

Far more control in the second half but that’s about all I can say about a team that looks totally lacking in any confidence.

Obviously James was class when he came on and Delap had his best game so far in a Chelsea shirt.
Estavao looks like he is going to be a class act and I’m hopeful he will get us Chelsea fans out of our seats on a regular basis.

Caicedo missing for the City game is not good news but he hasn’t looked at his beat since his sending off against the gooners.

30 Dec 2025 21:46:29
James is absolutely incredible. What a player.

30 Dec 2025 21:07:05
I know its all negative at the minute.

But just how good is stevo wow.

30 Dec 2025 21:32:02
he won't stay around looking at window lickers like garnacho starting, he's streaks ahead of every winger at the club.

30 Dec 2025 21:37:11
Looks a talent in the making.

30 Dec 2025 21:47:10
Estevao is quality i do agree.

30 Dec 2025 22:00:05
If he doesn't start more. Surely that's grounds for merasca to go anyway.

In all honesty although it wasnt the end result we wanted at least the second half was entertaining. Namely due to estawow.

Trevor chalobah great flick on at the front post for the second goal was quality. Wait sorry that was their goal ? absolute shambles at the back again in the first half. But am sure we. "Will have to analyse. And see why we are conceding" again.
Yet the answer is 60% of our players melt under pressure/chaos

Fofana played well.

30 Dec 2025 23:02:56
I wasn’t impressed with Fofana.

30 Dec 2025 20:35:58
the candle is burning low of this maresca error, this team doesn't feel together anymore, something feels off, maresca looks distracted, the team is playing absoloute rubbish, palmer just doesn't look like he enjoys football under maresca, enzo is terrible in midfield next to caicedo we just get run through like there is no in midfield, garnacho ? who ever signed that circus clown should be fired on the spot no wonder amorin hated his guts he's absoloutely woefull.

30 Dec 2025 21:32:32
Team looks really disjointed the gaps in midfield are alarming .

Palmer doesn't loook 100 per cent fit

But Estevao what a player.

30 Dec 2025 21:38:17
Who enjoys watching us would you imagine being told to play that way, especially when you have the talent palmer does the sooner we change managers the better it’s quite simple to the eye he also doesn’t look interested. The club just need to take there time in appointing someone and don’t jump in.

30 Dec 2025 21:55:05
I always enjoy watching the club I support. I’m not very happy when we drop points but over the years I’ve learned to live with it.

30 Dec 2025 20:30:25
We are so open again in my eyes lucky to be going in level.

The back 4 look awful so much space we need to learn how to defend long throws because everyone will try that from now on .

Caicado after that early booking is walking a thin line from getting a red.

Look quite dangerous going forward.

Really need some experience heads I would bring James and Neto on . May well win but based on that 45 mins it's more in hope than expectation.

30 Dec 2025 20:27:30
Defensively all over the place but not helped by a midfield continually caught out of position. Not even close to winning any second ball.
Also, not sure why we have crowded our box from long throws when the tactic of leaving three up front has been working well.

Some pluses, Palmer and Estavao both doing well. Also, best 45 min performance from Delap.

30 Dec 2025 20:34:21
Agree with all of that Tom.

30 Dec 2025 19:13:47
Whats everyone's opinion on the team selection.

31 Dec 2025 10:27:00
web een absoloutely rubbish and its been painfull to watch, the players look off and so does maresca cracks are showing.

27 Dec 2025 19:31:33
There manager won the game and ours lost it.

I can only assume Cucarella has an injury because that was a very strange substitution.

27 Dec 2025 19:56:42
Tom

That's all we are getting now strange team selections and then to compound the matter absolutely stupid substitutions.

This is why I beleive this so called coach should go in the summer, he is holding the club back.

27 Dec 2025 20:41:23
Bill, maybe the owners will agree with you. I have no idea what they consider progress or success.

Some of the things being said are strange and some are understandable.

For 60 mins plus today, who was the better manager? The Villa tactics were passive and truly awful for that period of the game. There manager then does something positive and the game changes. Our manager just made bizarre changes.

27 Dec 2025 21:01:19
Poor Cucu does need some rest but not in that game against a rival for ECL place. Pity we have let so many LBs go.

27 Dec 2025 21:16:59
Hato can play there but he needs games and confidence. He is a top signing.

27 Dec 2025 21:29:47
You. may be right Tom but in small game time he has had he has only shown flashes if ability alongside some errors . to challenge for EPL we need tested EPL quality and Maresca doesn't seem to trust him?

27 Dec 2025 21:46:18
JBS, I can’t remember if he 19 or maybe just 20 and it’s his first season in a much more physical league than he is used to. I see him as a slow burner but he is very talented.

27 Dec 2025 22:19:16
It now looks as if it’s confirmed that Cucarella has an injury. Let’s hope he will not be out for long but maybe this an opportunity for Hato.

27 Dec 2025 19:29:18
The Christmas period curse strikes again all over a team and let it slip. Jamie Gittens should never play for Chelsea ever again.

27 Dec 2025 19:54:51
Whitey, don’t write him off. We have done it before. Give him time.

27 Dec 2025 19:57:28
And maresca should never coach the team again.

27 Dec 2025 21:17:49
Bill, I hope you change your mind at the end of the season.

27 Dec 2025 21:49:13
Bill careful you will get done for trolling if anything negative is said.

27 Dec 2025 23:17:51
Nib, you are making yourself sound pathetic or maybe some sort of victim.

Your quiet entitled to come out with your continuous negativity but other fans can positively support there team.

28 Dec 2025 03:01:17
Calling someone a troll for being negative isn't supporting your team tomb. It is attacking an individual for an opinion. So he is a victim.

Please don't bother replying to me either as I know you just like an argument.

28 Dec 2025 07:35:05
I will reply to any post I like. I haven’t said Nib is a Troll, whatever that is.

My point is, people shouldn’t feel like a victim (troll) for being negative, it’s just an opinion. Likewise people shouldn’t feel like a victim (blue tinted glasses) for being positive, again it’s just an opinion.

28 Dec 2025 10:42:10
You called him pathetic. Am sure he has the right to feel a victim.

You come across as a bully on here in all honesty.

28 Dec 2025 11:53:54
If that is the case, I will always apologise.

My point remains you can’t moan about being classified as a troll/ negative and then say people have blue tinted glasses/positive. For me that argument is pathetic.

I will always defend the views of any poster positive or negative.

28 Dec 2025 12:08:34
Maybe he needs time Tom but he seems so far off the pace at the minute, Id try and put him on a loan somewhere.

28 Dec 2025 12:40:53
Whitey, when we signed him I gave my opinions about his attributes and his issues and although he was my first choice (thankfully we didn’t sign him) he is a lot better than we are seeing.

My other issue is more about giving up on players to soon. I did it with Cucarella and that came back to bite me. The club did it with KDB and Salah.

28 Dec 2025 13:09:36
That should be he “wasn’t” my first choice. My first choice now plays for the spuds and he hasn’t started well.

28 Dec 2025 13:54:14
I think we can all agree that we gave up on Cucurella too early, confidence is so important in any elite sport we need players with strong heads.

27 Dec 2025 19:26:14
Been saying all year gusto is awful, fault for 2nd said why is he playing BB he’s not good enough fault for 1st but I’m a troll lol
Said meresca isn’t good enough he’s not good enough never has been never will be, taking palmer off what for, even he’s getting pis! ed off?
Bringing gittens and gusto on before Estavao?
Its ok am a troll this team is awful take your blue tinted glasses off.

27 Dec 2025 19:57:57
Nib, as I’ve said our managers calls lost the game and there’s won it.

You will have plenty of people who agree with your opinion.

27 Dec 2025 20:27:07
I would day 100% will agree Tom.