Chelsea 0 Real Madrid 2 (0 - 4 on aggregate)

[Mark Kelly]

1 minute ago, paulw66 said:

You don't have to go guns blazing, but you can't start with 5 defenders, and 4 largely defensive midfielders. We had to score at least twice to stand a chance. 

And those chances we didn't take might have fallen to attackers, if we'd had any on the pitch.

We then bring on Felix, Sterling, Mudryk........then 5 minutes later take off the one CF we did have!

I honestly think Frank just didn't want to get absolutely tanked and destroy the morale even more than it has been already .

He's already being portrayed as an idiot in the media and whilst none of us believe him to be a good manager he's not really got much to answer for in regards to where we find ourselves at this moment in time. 

[ROTG]

26 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

I honestly think Frank just didn't want to get absolutely tanked

 I can understand that when you consider what BM did to him in his last CL adventure. Probably another data point TB missed when bringing him back. 

[paulw66]

52 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

I honestly think Frank just didn't want to get absolutely tanked and destroy the morale even more than it has been already .

He's already being portrayed as an idiot in the media and whilst none of us believe him to be a good manager he's not really got much to answer for in regards to where we find ourselves at this moment in time. 

I don't really agree, or see the point if that is the case. It's a cup competition. We needed to score twice. We did the worst of all worlds; lost comfortably and rolled the dice when it was too late. Morale is at all time low anyway. Do you really think losing 2-0 has improved morale? 

Remember Liverpool losing 3-0 in Barca.........what did they do in the second leg? They went for it. 

Give it a go, for goodness sake. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

Sorry if this has already been posted, but just seen what Silva said after the game:

"I think the first step has been made. An incorrect step, but it has been made.

"We can't be blaming managers if we don't take responsibility. It's a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision - change of ownership, new players arriving...

"We had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn't fit the size of the squad.

"A positive point is that there are amazing players within the squad but on the other hand there is always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from 30 something.

"That's tough. Some can't make the squad. We signed eight in January.

"We need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.

He is spot on, we need to make sure we keep him around for as long as possible, even after he stops playing.

[boratsbrother]

The lap of embarrassment at the end of the final game of the season will be David Brent level of cringe.

[Mark Kelly]

6 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

I don't really agree, or see the point if that is the case. It's a cup competition. We needed to score twice. We did the worst of all worlds; lost comfortably and rolled the dice when it was too late. Morale is at all time low anyway. Do you really think losing 2-0 has improved morale? 

Remember Liverpool losing 3-0 in Barca.........what did they do in the second leg? They went for it. 

Give it a go, for goodness sake. 

Oh I agree but that's what I think Frank was in fear of regardless of what we agree the best strategy would be .

I don't think he wanted to be the guy who lost 8-0 over two legs !

[johnnybozo]

12 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Sorry if this has already been posted, but just seen what Silva said after the game:

"I think the first step has been made. An incorrect step, but it has been made.

"We can't be blaming managers if we don't take responsibility. It's a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision - change of ownership, new players arriving...

"We had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn't fit the size of the squad.

"A positive point is that there are amazing players within the squad but on the other hand there is always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from 30 something.

"That's tough. Some can't make the squad. We signed eight in January.

"We need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.

He is spot on, we need to make sure we keep him around for as long as possible, even after he stops playing.

Been saying for a while - Silva needs to be tied down to a player-coach contract and groomed for management. If we get someone like Nagelsman or Enrique in then Silva should be a core part of that training group.

I can see him being a hell of a manager one day.

[Bones]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22084333/chelsea-fans-ashley-cole-flops/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=sunfootballfacebook180423&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3_1tddfOn75-AiAg44CoIn5tKFi-57TDWlU3NXRTGEjfPawyIwxEPS_HE#Echobox=1681847793

[Bones]

Drogba :

"I don’t recognise my club. It’s no longer the same club. There is a new owner and a new vision. Of course, we try to compare it with what happened during the Abramovich era where a lot of players were brought in, but the decisions were very intelligent."

"Bringing in players like Cech, Shevchenko, Crespo, Essien, Drogba, Malouda. It was done to win titles. They are players with a certain experience. The strategy is now different; we bet on young players. But a dressing room of over 30 players is difficult for a manager."

"They lack charismatic leaders. You need players that take on the game, that assume their responsibilities. You need a player that brings a bit of madness to the stadium."

[JaneB]

55 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Sorry if this has already been posted, but just seen what Silva said after the game:

"I think the first step has been made. An incorrect step, but it has been made.

"We can't be blaming managers if we don't take responsibility. It's a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision - change of ownership, new players arriving...

"We had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn't fit the size of the squad.

"A positive point is that there are amazing players within the squad but on the other hand there is always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from 30 something.

"That's tough. Some can't make the squad. We signed eight in January.

"We need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.

He is spot on, we need to make sure we keep him around for as long as possible, even after he stops playing.

I was going to post about this.  What a player and what a man.  A proper grown up not afraid to tell it like it is.

And Mason Mount one of the last to leave the pitch I think.  I don't care what anyone says, he needs to stay.

[Michael Tucker]

28 minutes ago, Bones said:

Drogba :

But a dressing room of over 30 players is difficult for a manager."

 

Impossible is the word I'd have used!

 

 

 

 

"They lack charismatic leaders. You need players that take on the game, that assume their responsibilities. You need a player that brings a bit of madness to the stadium."

 

And we don't have any of those atm.

 

[Michael Tucker]

3 minutes ago, JaneB said:

What a player and what a man.  A proper grown up not afraid to tell it like it is.

With you here, Jane.

3 minutes ago, JaneB said:

And Mason Mount one of the last to leave the pitch I think.  I don't care what anyone says, he needs to stay.

Let's all hope that he does!

[Mark Kelly]

The Daily Mail are reporting that many of the Chelsea players are contractually obliged to take a 30 percent pay cut next season to compensate for the lack of Champions League football.

Best news I've heard since Potter was offed.

[JaneB]

And as the old cliche goes, sometimes you need to reach rock bottom to rise again.

💙 Chelsea 💙

[johnnybozo]

28 minutes ago, JaneB said:

I was going to post about this.  What a player and what a man.  A proper grown up not afraid to tell it like it is.

And Mason Mount one of the last to leave the pitch I think.  I don't care what anyone says, he needs to stay.

Absolutely. And if we look at the players who are trying desperately to drag this husk of a team forward it's our academy graduates - Mount, James and Conor. Kepa for all his faults bleeds for the club and has done even from the bench. It's ironic that one our most passionate players is the world's most expensive goalkeeper who was essentially discarded for two years.

And Silva is a colossus as we all know.

I honestly feel we need an absolute bulldog to martial the other players. Someone like Wisey or Terry on the pitch. I can see Conor developing into more of a leader if he focuses on more than just pressing but we need someone now who's going to hold his teammates accountable during matches.

[Original 21]

While this has been a real downer of a season, I’m more inclined to think of it as a blip rather than a sign of long term decline. The fundamentals are there on the playing side: the defence looks sorted. Colwill and Gusto will be good additions to Fofana and Badashiele. Chilwell and James are superb players. A new world class DM to play alongside Enzo with Kante coming back from injury and Santos also joining. Keep Mount as a priority. Upfront, we need to get rid of the deadwood forwards: Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi, Ziyech, Aubameyang. Bring in a proven finisher alongside Nkunku as a priority. We’ve got the makings of a decent squad there. Any competent manager should see us challenging for top four next season. Honestly, the only way is up.

[boratsbrother]

2 hours ago, Mark Kelly said:

The Daily Mail are reporting that many of the Chelsea players are contractually obliged to take a 30 percent pay cut next season to compensate for the lack of Champions League football.

Best news I've heard since Potter was offed.

If true? It's another awful mistake by the owners!

All players should be treated the same, regardless of ability and importance to the team. This can only cause friction and a divide amongst players, especially bad  at a time when we need everyone pulling in the same direction.

 

[Blue Moon]

On occasion, Private Eye - with a few amendments - hits it right on the button ....

[paulw66]

17 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

If true? It's another awful mistake by the owners!

All players should be treated the same, regardless of ability and importance to the team. This can only cause friction and a divide amongst players, especially bad  at a time when we need everyone pulling in the same direction.

 

What?

Surely having incentivized contracts is sensible? 

The reason it is some players and not all, is because some were signed by the previous regime. All the new signings have a pay structure depending on CL qualification or not. Overtime, they will all have the same but you cannot retrospectively amend old deals. 

[Bison]

12 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Been trying to make this point for years now. 

While there's ways around this by changing the footballing style employed, when we've tried to be a possession based side that builds from the back it's basically imperative to have technically astute players in each third. We've got a decent mix of it in defence, but out side of Enzo the midfield has been stunted for years on end now, much like in attack. 

We have some technically skilled defenders but there are still weaknesses in that regard.

We are set at RB. Reece is as technically skilled as you can wish for a fullback to be. And from what I've seen, Gusto is another really good footballer. It's a  real shame we don't have that level of ability at LB.

Chilwell is terrible with the ball and regularly destroys our build up play. He is a pressing trigger for the opposition, it happens near enough every game. Cucurella is a little better than Chilwell as a passer but he's slow and can't defend so there's very little upside there. We already have a solution at LB in Lewis Hall but the optics of an academy kid playing ahead of 50m Chilwell and 60m Cucurella simply won't allow it to happen any time soon.  Hall is comfortably better than both with the ball and that isn't an exaggeration. He was brilliant when he played earlier in the season (the only poor game he had was at Anfield where he played CM).

CBs are largely fine. Badiashile is a progressive passer and is calm in possession. Colwill is brilliant with the ball. Fofana is probably the weakest passer but he's capable of driving with the ball which offsets that a little. I see those three as the future of our CB positions.

As for goalkeeper: Kepa has undeserved reputation as a ball-playing keeper. It is truly bizarre. In fact just last night, he very nearly cost us a goal with an awful pass. No point discussing Mendy because he seems to be heading out.

12 hours ago, xceleryx said:

I know we've had our differences of opinions on someone like Kante, but it's a big part on why we really do need to move on from players like him at the end of this season. It's utterly criminal that such a technically limited player plays as high as he does, and with the amount of influence in our attacking phases. 

A team can carry maybe 1-2 players who aren't quite up to snuff technically IF they bring some other high tier quality to the table that can be impactful, if they don't then they become more of a hinderance than anything else. 

The reason I push back so much in support of Kante is for two reasons:

1) I don't believe he is as technically limited as he's made out to be. No need to rehash this point but it's key to the debate for me.

2) We have a lot of players who fit the description 'aren't up to snuff technically' that provide none of things Kante does off the ball.  Kante is a far more useful player than anybody in our midfield not named Enzo. There are 10+ players who need removal from this squad before we should even consider thinking about Kante's role.

But to go back to the main point: our squad is what it is for a number of reasons. Nobody in charge really knows what they're doing, they're not working towards an overall plan and the recruitment has been outrageously bad. I hate to use this term and I'm sure many are going to roll there eyes but here it goes....there is no identity here.

[boratsbrother]

11 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

What?

Surely having incentivized contracts is sensible? 

The reason it is some players and not all, is because some were signed by the previous regime. All the new signings have a pay structure depending on CL qualification or not. Overtime, they will all have the same but you cannot retrospectively amend old deals. 

Take Chuka. He is almost certainly one of the lowest paid but has hardly had a kick and therefor cannot be blamed for this shambles of a season. A 30% reduction in his salary is a going to be a big hit in his pocket.

Then we have the likes of Sterling, who is a top earner on over £300k a week. He is significantly more responsible for our woes this season and a 30% hit to a already extremely wealthy man is not going to effect him one bit.

You think this is the way to build team spirit?

 

[Mark Kelly]

Some new boots for our super players 

[Chelsea_Matt]

4 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Some new boots for our super players 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Chelsea_Matt]

Poch with Thiago as assistant. 👀

[JaneB]

29 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

Poch with Thiago as assistant. 👀

Interesting.

And I was thinking they spoke the same language but they actually don’t.