Chelsea 4 Manchester City 4

[Chelsea_Matt]

28 minutes ago, east lower said:

A few takeaways from yesterday’s match - Stirling was immense, absolutely so and for someone as ordinary a player and manager as  Southgate to ignore him whilst picking players who can’t get games for their club sides is staggering. 
 

Palmer is looking like THE buy of the lot. I was underwhelmed at the time but the fella is a player, bit one-legged but what a leg. That mazy he went on in the second half was Hazard like. Has balls the size of coal-sacks too.

Gallagher gets better and is beginning to outshine his 2 x £100m colleagues.

Once again it surprises me how few times Haaland actually touches the ball, but by-Jesus when he does it has an effect - monster of a player.

The strength and size of Haaland as well. Absolute beast. 

[chara]

1 hour ago, east lower said:

Once again it surprises me how few times Haaland actually touches the ball, but by-Jesus when he does it has an effect - monster of a player.

Big H...I watch a lot of Citeh games without the emotional component of watching Chelsea and his movement is so good and must be a nightmare to play against.....obviously watching a non Chelsea game it's possible to look at many different aspects rather than willing Chelsea on and basically following the flow of the game and the ball.

Palmer...the penalty...I have never really liked "arry" but do appreciate his ability especially his spot kicks..with THAT exception!..and I thought the penalty looked like a Kane pen..a scoring one of course!

 

[east lower]

24 minutes ago, chara said:

Big H...I watch a lot of Citeh games without the emotional component of watching Chelsea and his movement is so good and must be a nightmare to play against.....obviously watching a non Chelsea game it's possible to look at many different aspects rather than willing Chelsea on and basically following the flow of the game and the ball.

Palmer...the penalty...I have never really liked "arry" but do appreciate his ability especially his spot kicks..with THAT exception!..and I thought the penalty looked like a Kane pen..a scoring one of course!

 

Haaland’s touch and strength for the chance that Sanchez did well to save was a good example of that movement and his ability. There was a very similar example in last year’s game against them at our place.

He is an absolute monster, freakish actually - I know you know that, but for others who might doubt his abilities, don’t. 
 

Bellingham is another, he was absolutely different class when we played Dortmund and I recall saying so in the post-match discussion. Both still so young but just brilliant.

On Herr Kane, when you watch him live you can spot his little tricks that win him free kicks, or unsettle the centre-backs-such as the little knock he gives them just before they make their jump to challenge him. Gets away with it, as referees aren’t savvy enough to spot him at it., but for all his goals has won nowt. Kalou’s won far more than he has!!

Edited November 13, 2023 by east lower

[east lower]

8 hours ago, Original 21 said:

Chelsea versus Manchester City referee Anthony Taylor was 'STITCHED UP' by his VAR, says former refs chief Keith Hackett 

Perhaps they hate the ******\**** (insert favourite insult) as much as most of us do!!

Edited November 13, 2023 by east lower

[ROTG]

9 hours ago, paulw66 said:

because drawing with City

Sums up nicely where the club is, with people thinking a draw with Chitty at home is a positive.

Can you imagine the hysteria if the club should beat one of the top teams.    

[ROTG]

9 hours ago, SideshowLuiz said:

Out of curiosity, what did you take from yesterday's performance? Has it changed your assessment of the team in its current state / progress to date? Not having a go, genuinely curious how you remain so despondent after such a game (maybe I will too, once the emotions die down more!)

Nothing apart from the game showed where the club is at this point in time, including Chitty having a mid week game Vs a week off. 

I wonder if the wolves supporters went into such hysteria when they beat Chitty at home this season. 

[xceleryx]

15 hours ago, martin1905 said:

My 15 year old asked a really good question during the game yesterday.

Has there ever been a more influential player on a team that plays full back than Reece James?

I know I have a habit of over rating some of our players but he is, when fit, the best right back I have ever seen, anywhere. 

Lahm, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Zanetti, Zambrotta, and more.

Not sure I'd consider him the best right back I've ever seen, his body of work still requires more to be had, but he has the ability to be right up there if fitness and form permit in the coming years.

[xceleryx]

9 hours ago, SideshowLuiz said:

Out of curiosity, what did you take from yesterday's performance? Has it changed your assessment of the team in its current state / progress to date? Not having a go, genuinely curious how you remain so despondent after such a game (maybe I will too, once the emotions die down more!)

You're barking up the wrong tree here, you'll never get a proper answer on this - if one at all. 

[Floyd25]

Think I saw more heart and desire than I have in a long while to be fair, some flashes of brilliant play. Ten goals against top sides recently shows we have turned the corner from an attacking stand point.

Defensive side of our game is now concerning me, but no one on here seems to share that concern, guess I’m blind. Encouraging signs though, but I wouldn’t throw a party and claim Boehly is a genius until we can actually string some wins together and learn how to break down low blocks, gotta follow this up by beating Newcastle. 

Edited November 14, 2023 by Floyd25

[kev61]

Well well - I couldn't have watched even the highlights until tonight.Mark Kelly said Poch was a coward and I wholeheartedly  agreed.Poch himself said we needed to be brave and that is exactly what happened.

I hope Poch has realised that the best form of defense is attack.I admit I only saw the highlights but wowser - end to end exciting play.

All over the sporting media  they are saying it was one of the best contests they have seen in quite a while.

Palmer is getting into the hearts of fans and rightly so.His first instincts are to receive  the ball and move forward at speed.It is a fundamental  requirement in today's game and that's why Jorginho drove me nuts.

I love a 4-4 draw - both teams slugging it out like two hungry boxers hoping for a knock out.

I hope Poch's 'plan'is starting to pay dividends or is it a lucky one off?

 

 

[kev61]

4 minutes ago, kev61 said:

Well well - I couldn't have watched even the highlights until tonight.Mark Kelly said Poch was a coward and I wholeheartedly  agreed.Poch himself said we needed to be brave and that is exactly what happened.

I hope Poch has realised that the best form of defense is attack.I admit I only saw the highlights but wowser - end to end exciting play.

All over the sporting media  they are saying it was one of the best contests they have seen in quite a while.

Palmer is getting into the hearts of fans and rightly so.His first instincts are to receive  the ball and move forward at speed.It is a fundamental  requirement in today's game and that's why Jorginho drove me nuts.

I love a 4-4 draw - both teams slugging it out like two hungry boxers hoping for a knock out.

I hope Poch's 'plan'is starting to pay dividends or is it a lucky one off?

 

 

I forgot to say the players reaction to our goals was very telling.There is fight in this team that has been lacking for the longest time.

[chara]

1 hour ago, Floyd25 said:

Think I saw more heart and desire than I have in a long while to be fair, some flashes of brilliant play. Ten goals against top sides recently shows we have turned the corner from an attacking stand point.

Defensive side of our game is now concerning me, but no one on here seems to share that concern, guess I’m blind. Encouraging signs though, but I wouldn’t throw a party and claim Boehly is a genius until we can actually string some wins together and learn how to break down low blocks, gotta follow this up by beating Newcastle. 

 

11 minutes ago, kev61 said:

I forgot to say the players reaction to our goals was very telling.There is fight in this team that has been lacking for the longest time.

My after game reflection take....Fitness....last season the squad would not have kept going until the final minute,,,with ..what?..15 minutes added over both halfs?

When Citeh get ahead the way they did they usually take control of a game as opponents tend to go back on defence to minimise the damage..as ever over simplification but Chelsea just went at them and matched them in desire and I think shook them a bit...as I pointed out elsewhere..Mudryk took out three Citeh players who tripled up on him to..I presume ..push him to use his speed and shuffle him to the corner flag or by line...he didn't and laid the ball off which got to Conor with space to take the shot..the ball wasn't "killed" by the keeper and Jackson did what many keep calling him to do...pick up the loose balls around the goal.( I had a comment about such things in the penalty area related to young Mr Palmer ! but....😁)

Onward......

 

 

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, xceleryx said:

You're barking up the wrong tree here, you'll never get a proper answer on this - if one at all. 

Always answer directly without going into war and peace to disguise the strawman within.

next.

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, Floyd25 said:

Think I saw more heart and desire than I have in a long while to be fair, some flashes of brilliant play. Ten goals against top sides recently shows we have turned the corner from an attacking stand point.

Defensive side of our game is now concerning me, but no one on here seems to share that concern, guess I’m blind. Encouraging signs though, but I wouldn’t throw a party and claim Boehly is a genius until we can actually string some wins together and learn how to break down low blocks, gotta follow this up by beating Newcastle. 

Maybe the team has become 2023 version of king Kev's Newcastle the entertainers allegedly

Edited November 14, 2023 by ROTG

[NoblyBobly]

21 hours ago, Sleeping Dave said:

I came on here to mention exactly this. LOL 😂 He better hope Pep doesn’t get to see that video!

Extraordinary! 
so we had agent Palmer earwigging City’s secret player meeting and Kova giving a cheeky fist pump when we scored.  Dark blue is clearly the colour! 😉
 

Watching that pen again something struck me. We often moan about players earning an absolute fortune for running around kicking a ball. But nothing makes me admire them more than when they step up to take a pressure pen like that. I feel sick just watching it…in fact I remember a player once  throwing up before taking a pen ( that he scored). The pressure must be intense. 
 

And as for Palmer. I think we can all see the potential greatness in his young bones. What a player we have nicked. 
 

And please God keep Reece fit. He makes such a huge difference to our team. 

[NoblyBobly]

5 hours ago, Floyd25 said:

Think I saw more heart and desire than I have in a long while to be fair, some flashes of brilliant play. Ten goals against top sides recently shows we have turned the corner from an attacking stand point.

Defensive side of our game is now concerning me, but no one on here seems to share that concern, guess I’m blind. Encouraging signs though, but I wouldn’t throw a party and claim Boehly is a genius until we can actually string some wins together and learn how to break down low blocks, gotta follow this up by beating Newcastle. 

The defensive issue is quite an obvious which is why not many are highlighting it. I don’t think we have played the same defensive line up in consecutive games. Injuries have played a big part in that. We really should take snaps for the photo album when James and Chilly are on the pitch together, both fully fit.  The back line is always unfamiliar to each other. And of course how long can Silva go on ? He’s 40 next year!!! We will leak silly goals all season and I’m kind of resigned to it.  
 

But btw, Sanchez was brilliant on Sunday. He could do nothing about the 4 goals. Particularly his distribution was good. No farting around in his own area. Humped it when he needed to. In fact our second goal stemmed from a long Sanchez punt.  More of that please . Let’s give the defensive a breather now and again.  

[Sciatika]

27 minutes ago, NoblyBobly said:

But btw, Sanchez was brilliant on Sunday. He could do nothing about the 4 goals. 

The second goal was annoying. We have had a problem for years with the edge of the pitch being 'slippery' in blades. It is terrible off the main pitch surface but also causes problems on the edge of the pitch itself. I remember Pat Nevin moaning about it in commentary years ago. So, for instance, we see players slipping when taking corners or in tackles on the touchline. In the goals, the pitch ends just behind the goal line. I think, in the second goal, Sanchez slips on the goal line making it impossible to reach the header. That isn't the cause of the goal, which was a failure to mark Akanji properly, but it doesn't help.

[Miguelito07]

1 hour ago, NoblyBobly said:

…in fact I remember a player once  throwing up before taking a pen ( that he scored). The pressure must be intense. 

That was the great Zidane in a World Cup

Edited November 14, 2023 by Miguelito07

[paulw66]

8 hours ago, ROTG said:

Sums up nicely where the club is, with people thinking a draw with Chitty at home is a positive.

 

Not just the result but the performance. 

Going toe to toe with the best club side around is a positive.

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, NoblyBobly said:

Extraordinary! 
so we had agent Palmer earwigging City’s secret player meeting and Kova giving a cheeky fist pump when we scored.  Dark blue is clearly the colour! 😉
 

Watching that pen again something struck me. We often moan about players earning an absolute fortune for running around kicking a ball. But nothing makes me admire them more than when they step up to take a pressure pen like that. I feel sick just watching it…in fact I remember a player once  throwing up before taking a pen ( that he scored). The pressure must be intense. 
 

And as for Palmer. I think we can all see the potential greatness in his young bones. What a player we have nicked. 
 

And please God keep Reece fit. He makes such a huge difference to our team. 

Having taken a penalty during a shootout of a knockout tournament many years ago, when you step up to that penalty spot it feels a lot further away than it normally does. 

And yes, I hit the penalty straight down the guts, with it subsequently being pushed onto the underside of the crossbar and bouncing away. Ended up being knocked out and it was the first and last penalty I took. 

For someone of Palmers age and experience level to look so composed, at the elite level, shows you the size of the stones he carries around with him.

[Miguelito07]

5 hours ago, ROTG said:

Maybe the team has become 2023 version of king Kev's Newcastle the entertainers allegedly

I hope not

[boratsbrother]

8 hours ago, Floyd25 said:

 

Defensive side of our game is now concerning me, but no one on here seems to share that concern, guess I’m blind. 

You're not the only one to think that.  These problems should be able to be fixed on the training ground and when we finally settle on a best starting defence when we have a fully fit one available.

For me the biggest concerns at the moment are our two most expensive signings. Caicedo has been extremely average at best and Enzo is becoming more and more irrelevant with every passing game. I can see both losing their place as starters once we have a fully fit squad. 

 

[boratsbrother]

39 minutes ago, Miguelito07 said:

I hope not

Why not? They were a wonderful team to watch!

The only thing lacking was KK's ability to fix their one obvious fault which would have taken them to the next level to go on and win the title. 

[Miguelito07]

7 minutes ago, boratsbrother said:

Why not? They were a wonderful team to watch!

Definitely a wonderful team to watch - but did they win anything?

[Mark Kelly]

8 hours ago, Floyd25 said:

 

Defensive side of our game is now concerning me, but no one on here seems to share that concern, guess I’m blind.

I think we defend poorly from set pieces as they are marking zonally which despite being the "modern" marvel I hate 

As a wise man once said " Space never scored a goal"