Chelsea (H) - FA Cup | Post Match Thread

[Bobby the blue]

Laporte was very good. Don’t really get the hate he generates here. Very accomplished centre half.
Ortega is very very good on the ball. Like him a lot.

Walker is Walker. Best right back in the country.
Alvarez gives us a different option. Great player and is exciting times watching him develop.

Phillips looked good in possession of the ball but needs time to adapt to his positioning on the field

Gomez is nice and neat and tidy in the final third but still not convinced about him at left back. Hopefully it’s just bedding in etc.

Bit disappointed with palmer. Needs to take a game by the scruff of the neck. Not doing enough for me when he gets his chance. Feel like he’s either holding back or not wishing to make a mistake but he needs to drive at the full back a few times and take people on. Very important few months for him coming up I feel.

 

[BertTrautmann'sParachute]

Perfect!

Turns out there's nothing seriously wrong with the team.

Mahrez's been superb after the WC break. He's going to start vs United.

He always seems to wake up after Christmas. I'm hoping for a strong remainder of the season from him.

 

[PragueBlue]

Don't know if people will understand this, but the second half was far more humiliating for Chelsea than the first. First half we played with purpose and speed, and blew them away. Second half we played it like a hungover training session, with cones for the opposition. Albeit scoring a couple of goals, sort of to break the monotony of keeping the ball at will.

Only scored one 2nd half if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[chesterbells]

Gomez is great going forward but a liability at the back. He was nearly in danger of being sent off in the first half for running into their man

Yes, both those I’ve named are much better going forwards aren’t they?
There still seemed fewer gaps defensively on our left when Gomez was playing though

 

[Tricky_Trev]

As much as I love Ake and despite him playing really well, I still prefer us with Laporte. Just think we’re in a better rhythm when he plays in that left centre back role in the back 3. Best back 3 in my opinion would be Laporte-Stones-Walker, but we can only play that if our left back inverts, which means Cancelo actually getting back into form. Until he does, we can’t really play that back 3. That’s why Ake has been having to play left back, as we’ve needed our right back to invert due to Cancelo being almost un-selectable.

 

[Raskolnikov.]

Don't get me wrong..I would love to win the Champions League but if I had to choose between the Premier League and Champions League it the Prem for me.
Winning a cup can be down to a fair amount of luck..winning the league it's more of a slog and usually the best team wins it.

Agreed and to all those who trot out the old nonsensical cliche “it’ll take us to the next level as a club” - well it hasn’t done much for Chelsea has it ?

The CL is just another cup like the FA or the League Cup - great to win and a fun day out on final day but nowhere near as important as winning the league

 

[PragueBlue]

As much as I love Ake and despite him playing really well, I still prefer us with Laporte. Just think we’re in a better rhythm when he plays in that left centre back role in the back 3.

Ake has been excellent but Laporte has a much wider passing range.

 

[chesterbells]

He always seems to wake up after Christmas. I'm hoping for a strong remainder of the season from him.

He’s a real asset isn’t he? He can do things and score the kind of goal that other wide players like Grealish or Palmer aren’t capable of (not that they aren’t valuable players too, in case anyone thinks this is a roundabout way of having a dig at them).

 

[waspish]

Not seen us press like that all season that’s what we have to do now till the end of the season smother teams when play like that teams don’t get a sniff!

 

[kunaguero10]

How refreshing to see fullbacks playing as traditional fullbacks

I know they have injuries but dear me Chelsea look a mess