Chelsea (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

[chickaroon]

Yep, me too ....

It does.

 

[chickaroon]

Honestly, I'm not sure about game management. We've not really gone to the corner flag, this season, so it's been standard, so far.

All I know, is if Cherki was in Foden's position and vice versa, that ball would gone out to the right and all this game management talk would be academic.

Does Foden have the footballing IQ of an actual AM we need? I don't know, but someone clear minded would see the whole picture of a pivotal moment and play the right pass.

Game done.

This was the moment we lost 2 points. Haaland had taken 2 defenders out of the picture. Cherki was in acres of space

 

[chickaroon]

Looking at the highlights on the way home at Stratfird Services, Delap pushing Dias into the advertising hording should have been a red - not just a yellow.
A deliberate foul designed to take Dias out of the game.

It wasn't Dias , it was khus.

 

[chickaroon]

Marmoush and RAN have to be given meaningful playing time on their return from AFCON. It's ludicrous how little playing time Marmoush has had this season. RAN has to be given starts to allow him to get his City career going.

I have watched the African games. Both are playing well and getting fitter.

 

[jimmygrumble]

Probably been mentioned, Palmer is a ****. I’m South stand 314, watching him after chelsea scored kissing his badge then turning to the kippax/East stand corner and celebrating to the City fans before clearly telling them to eff off, he is one classless nugget.
Compare that to Reece James helping Josko off the pitch. That is class.

 

[chickaroon]

Not for the first time players have either tried a pass to Haaland that either, had little chance of reaching him (defenders anticipate the pass) or ignored another teammate in a better position (Foden not spotting Cherki's run). This overriding imperative to pass to EH is sometimes not always the best option, but I wonder if players are perhaps just following a Pep directive?

A huge part of Haaland job is to take defenders away to create space for others. You can see that he enjoys others scoring as much as scoring himself. Pep woukd never give that instruction.

 

[chickaroon]

To be fair, a lot of fans are of the belief that Guardiola has say over what happens in the final third.

This is not true.

What I do think, though, is the pressure to feed Haaland because he's not scored in a couple of games.

As I've said, in a following post, Cherki would have picked a better pass in the same position.

Is Cherki wasted on the wing. Would he be better playing in the hole behind Haaland. I think so.

 

[Bigga]

Is Cherki wasted on the wing. Would he be better playing in the hole behind Haaland. I think so.

The question is; if you want to see Cherki exert more decision making control in the middle do you put Foden out on the wing or drop all together and for whom to come in?

I say this as the early success happened when Cherki and Foden played more in the middle than they have, lately. Now, Cherki comes into the middle when there seems to be no effect, so why doesn't he play there, full stop?

I would say Doku to come in as the team was on fire before his injury and with Rodri back, I think we'll get back on course, meaning we may be able to afford dropping Bernardo and being a bit more direct.

 

[HypnoticBlue]

We didn't play that bad but the creativity up front was lacking from a couple of players. That late equaliser was a real kick in the goolies though. We were nearly there but with 1 goal in it there's always peril. Grrr....

Plus we were kicked from pillar to post with no protection or yellow cards yet again by the bent officiating.

 

[chickaroon]

The question is; if you want to see Cherki exert more decision making control in the middle do you put Foden out on the wing or drop all together and for whom to come in?

I say this as the early success happened when Cherki and Foden played more in the middle than they have, lately. Now, Cherki comes into the middle when there seems to be no effect, so why doesn't he play there, full stop?

I would say Doku to come in as the team was on fire before his injury and with Rodri back, I think we'll get back on course, meaning we may be able to afford dropping Bernardo and being a bit more direct.

Until Rodri gets up to full fitness, if fit, I would play Nico G with him. My front three would be Doku Haaland and the new lad from Bournemouth ( can't spell his name) with Cherki playing off Haaland. That would leave Reinders and Foden as attacking options from the bench.
We will miss Gvardiol, he was starting to look the business.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Just seen the 8 minute highlights as not available till this evening. Haaland desperately unlucky with a brilliant shot, laid off a good header from a long ball later on too...great goal by Reijnders & good team play...Bernardo unlucky with a shot early on after creating good space for himself, Khusanov looks very solid, Rodri playing is great to see, Nunes superb long ball set off Cherki?...can't be too downbeat really as Chelski are top 4 challengers & spending 1.5 billion they are bound to have bought 1 or 2 good ones...it just might be a great point come May...someone said the champs league final is on a day when it's a blue moon...now wouldn't that be a nice omen if we get there. Keep smiling blues with football you just never know.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Until Rodri gets up to full fitness, if fit, I would play Nico G with him. My front three would be Doku Haaland and the new lad from Bournemouth ( can't spell his name) with Cherki playing off Haaland. That would leave Reinders and Foden as attacking options from the bench.
We will miss Gvardiol, he was starting to look the business.

Antione Semenyo. That'd be a bonus if he can play Wednesday but I'm not hopeful this late in the day.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Marmoush and RAN have to be given meaningful playing time on their return from AFCON. It's ludicrous how little playing time Marmoush has had this season. RAN has to be given starts to allow him to get his City career going.

I have watched the African games. Both are playing well and getting fitter.

The afcon final is the 18th but I can't see them being ready for bodo glimt on the 20th even if they don't make the final. I'm hoping they will be back for the game on the 24th versus Wolves.

 

[stan bowles]

The afcon final is the 18th but I can't see them being ready for bodo glimt on the 20th even if they don't make the final. I'm hoping they will be back for the game on the 24th versus Wolves.

Pep normally gives players 2 weeks rest after major tournament football is over so I can't see them back before February unless he deems it a crisis and we need both back sooner.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Pep normally gives players 2 weeks rest after major tournament football is over so I can't see them back before February unless he deems it a crisis and we need both back sooner.

O'reilly has been brilliant but Alt-Nouri has to play a few matches to keep his eye in i think.

 

[stan bowles]

O'reilly has been brilliant but Alt-Nouri has to play a few matches to keep his eye in i think.

O'Reilly needs a rest and RAN needs to be starting to give himself a proper chance to show what he can do.

 

[Bill Walker]

Just seen the 8 minute highlights as not available till this evening. Haaland desperately unlucky with a brilliant shot, laid off a good header from a long ball later on too...great goal by Reijnders & good team play...Bernardo unlucky with a shot early on after creating good space for himself, Khusanov looks very solid, Rodri playing is great to see, Nunes superb long ball set off Cherki?...can't be too downbeat really as Chelski are top 4 challengers & spending 1.5 billion they are bound to have bought 1 or 2 good ones...it just might be a great point come May...someone said the champs league final is on a day when it's a blue moon...now wouldn't that be a nice omen if we get there. Keep smiling blues with football you just never know.

I just persuaded myself to watch the whole match, I didn't watch live due to time difference here in Oz. And haven't watched since due to being down about the score. I predicted 3 - 1.
I've felt very pissed off at the result to say the least.
We weren't as bad as I'd read from comments on here. But very unfortunate that we shot ourselves in the foot at the death.
We fannied about in those last minutes too much. And the subs :/
Sometimes (a football genius though he is) Pep completely baffles me.
2 points needlessly dropped, sorry Pep.

 

[Father Paul]

O'reilly has been brilliant but Alt-Nouri has to play a few matches to keep his eye in i think.

O'Reilly might be getting a game at CB the way things are going so he might get a chance to keep his eye in.