P302Rivals Football - Chelsea FC
So....
by riazorblue, 03/03, 16:00

...back to the same dross. Lucky to win in the end, I honestly can’t take to this mans brand of football.

So....
by Kingkerry2, 03/03, 18:25 @ riazorblue

What more do we actually want??!!

So....
by cfcswa @, 04/03, 08:53 @ Kingkerry2

I thought we were a bit fortunate overall yesterday. We bossed most of the first half but did t create enough. Should have been 2 or 3 clear goals ahead going into the break. Higuain took his goal well but seems a bit laboured.

Fulham adjusted sad came back into it second half. Yes it’s a derby but we should have done enough to bury them.

My main issue is possession doesn’t equal incision. We’re not clinical enough.

Jorginho first goal /assist from open play in league. Our midfield is pedestrian at times and lots of sideways /backwards passing.

Top sides probe forwards more regularly and have blistering options on counter attack. We usually have a sole player who has to go backwards or hold the ball up for too long.

In short, I don’t think we’re dynamic enough with the ball. We don’t get it forward quickly enough at times but a welcome 3 points. It was really important after the North London stalemate. Gave in hand win puts us 4th.

So....
by Famous, 04/03, 10:05 @ cfcswa

I think you have to give credit to the opponent at times as well, this was not the same Fulham most teams have had the privilege of playing all season. They were very well drilled and up for it, and it does make it more difficult to do what we want to do when you’re playing sides like that. Even teams as good as City’s and Liverpool’s have been finding that a fair bit of late.

So....
by cfcswa @, 04/03, 17:34 @ Famous

I’m not saying for one minute that Fulham didn’t raise their game. I just feel we let teams off the hook a bit with a lack of intensity and directness. A number of times this season we’ve got to half Tim having dominated and then cling on or get pegged back.

I know we’re in transition but I worry we don’t put teams away who are poorer than us. It’s happeed in the league and in the Europa league.

Malmo, Newcastle and Leicester at home spring to mind and Vidi away (even Malmo too)

So....
by Famous, 04/03, 18:05 @ cfcswa

I don’t disagree with everything you’re saying, I suppose I’m just less glass-half-empty about it, because we are in transition with a squad not put together with any real plan in place and a manager who is still very much adapting to this League and this club.
From the games you mentioned, we beat Malmo home and away, we beat Newcastle, we drew against Vidi with a second string side in a dead rubber and if we’d had Higuain in the Leicester game then I think we would have got something. He was a layer of paint and a bobble in the pitch away from a hat trick yesterday, and I still don’t think he’s quite at 100% match fitness.

So....
by cfcswa @, 04/03, 19:14 @ Famous

I love the debate and don’t differ wildly in my view. I just wish we could put teams away. We have got results but my nerves are shot!!!

It’s costing me a fortune in just for men!!!!

So....
by riazorblue, 04/03, 15:41 @ cfcswa

Honestly, Fulham are heading straight out the trapdoor and it was only difficult at the end because we were only one goal up which gave them hope. We play slow ponderous football and create very little danger, as you say we play it mainly sideways and backwards and it's all so predictable that even Fulham run us close.

I understand that this isn't what I've heard Sarri's teams have played like in the past, and maybe it is a question of him not having the squad he would like, but if he doesn't have the players to quite pull it off he could at least try and get the best out of these players. Yes the attitude was great against City and Spurs but basically they are teams that actually come at us and we have less possession but they can leave spaces, against average teams they can just sit back and we end up with a boring game and the feeling we were lucky.

So....
by Famous, 04/03, 17:32 @ riazorblue

A Fulham with a new manager and different team selection, who looked more like the promotion winning team than at any point since they came up, in what is their biggest game of the season. You could tell the whole place has been lifted with Ranieri gone.

I don’t mean this to be funny, but did you watch the full 90 minutes? I saw plenty of good, quick, purposeful passing; ok, not consistently, but for much of the first hour of the game.

We seemed to ride the storm they were bound to have midway through the 2nd half (every home team in the PL will have at least a few minutes on top) and then got sloppy again which led to an avoidably nervous end of the game.

So....
by cfcswa @, 04/03, 17:40 @ Famous

I know that’s not directed at me and I don’t disagree with your summary but I suppose I thought at h/t we were worthy of a bigger cushion. That 15/20 min spell they had could have and nearly changed the outcome of the game. They made chances, forced saves and had a goal chalked off when we should have been home and dry.

That’s my point about us not capitalising.

Don’t get me wrong I want stability but I think we’ve become too predictable. Sarri has been too stubborn although slightly less predictable over the past 3 games.

We have no football people or real leadership at Board level and we haemorrhage money on transfers that are bungled and don’t work our leaving no ROI.

I hope we get this transfer ban in a way and it may mean we have to reset and be more prudent and thought through with talent.

So....
by cfcww, 04/03, 12:10 @ Kingkerry2

No complaints from me, was always going to be a tough game, played some good stuff and took the goals well, kept the ball. At some stage we will naturally become more clinical in front of goal and that will help keep the pressure off what is unfortunately the worst set of defenders we’ve had for twenty years.

Fulham were always going to be difficult at home, West London Derby, new manager etc

So....
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 04/03, 07:00 @ riazorblue

It says a lot when your goalkeeper is MOTM against Fulham.
However, at this stage of the season, it’s the 3pts that are vital.
That’s 6 of them in two London Derbies, this week, without having too many shots on target.

So....
by upthechels @, 04/03, 08:28 @ riazorblue

I quite enjoyed some of our first-half football yesterday. Parker made tactical changes and they came back into it - I'd expect that in a local derby where above all else Fulham fight relegation.

I thought we were worthy winners but rode lady luck because we weren't clinical enough during the first 45 minutes. Kepa made the saves I'd expect him to make, only one was of the spectacular variety where he did very well to tip it over. Their goal was shocking from a defensive point of view...we're vulnerable even when we don't look under any sort of pressure. Kante looks like a spare man, I hope he wasn't the player marking Chambers. As bad as we can be, that goal should not be happening.

All in all, delighted.

So....
by Famous, 04/03, 10:02 @ upthechels

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Coming off the tough week we had, and them with a new manager and the team selection their fans have been waiting for, in their biggest game of the season, it was never going to be an easy one. We made it harder than it had to be and parts of the second half weren’t pretty viewing at times but it was a good three points, ultimately.

So....
by Droy263, 04/03, 12:30 @ Famous

Still looking shaky across the back. Emerson more direct but not getting in enough crosses for me. Has great pace.

So....
by OSGOODWASGOOD, 04/03, 17:44 @ Droy263

No point putting crosses in, just in the hope that we might actually have something one in the box.