West Ham United 1 Chelsea 1

[chara]

What is it?..9 wins 7 draws 7 losses?...(think that's right but will accept any error point out)that's just about safe mid table level and NOT acceptable at Chelsea, from fans and hopefully the Board, under any circumstances.

Reasons galore but a leader does that ..leads and grafts to improve...any competent top level coach can lead a steady side through mediocracy but a TOP coach drags a side upwards........

[thevelourfog]

7 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

A draw at West Ham is generally OK in isolation. And if var does its job, we likely win the game. 

Not in isolation though, is it. It is another poor result. And I don't agree that a draw against the 16th placed team is okay.

Awful VAR decision, agreed. It's just one in a long list that doesn't do its job today, though. If this result and performance genuinely was in isolation, I might feel more aggrieved by it.

[ROTG]

5 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

s this a new record? Two players written off after 3 starts between them. 

 

Overall, first half was positive, second half we lost our way. Screwed by Var, as usual, but what do people honestly expect when a starting XI has 5 new players in it? This isn't a game of Fifa. 

Thats the problem GP thinks it is. Hence the criticism of two of the new starters. They might well walking into potters Brightons team, however they do not have the experience of players like Ziych, Mount, Gallagher and should be used as subs. 

The only player two players the west spam supporters surrounding me, were giving compliments to were silva and Felix
 

[Mark Kelly]

As I've mentioned before , I don't have BT and I'm not paying twice for the football.

So , I just saw the highlights on YouTube and once again the PGMOL have given us a "homer" ref at a game with a partizan atmosphere on purpose.

Secondly , if they in this day and age with all the replays and technology at their disposal not see immediately West Ham were clearly offside and that the West Ham player dived like a keeper and saved a shot on goal with their arm then the game as a a spectacle is dead , that at as it's very best is rank incompetence at worst it's crooked by design , I'm always saying on here how our games are refereed differently to anyone else's and this agenda led festival of cheating proves my point. The powers that be , don't want us to be successful.

I still don't know if Potter has a clue but one thing the club should be ensuring is whoever is the coach going forward they need to buy Felix , a forward player at Chelsea who actually knows where the goal is , refreshing.

[ROTG]

1 hour ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I’ll be honest, when I start reading stuff like that from people, I switch off to it. Ridiculous statement been made about two of our new signings on here.

 In normal circumstances with a top class coach, those two who are raw and for the future would be slowly introduced into the squad.  Not throw into the deep in in a London Darby when the club are desperate for points and leave senior players are on the bench.  
 

you could play those two in every pl game until the end of the season and they will not change the current position of the club.  
 

As someone said it not FIFA, However GP thinks it is. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by ROTG

[Mark Kelly]

3 minutes ago, ROTG said:

 In normal circumstances with a top class coach, those two who are raw and for the future would be slowly introduced into the squad.  Not throw into the deep in in a London Darby when the club are desperate for points and more senior players are on the bench.  
 

you could play those two in every pl game until the end of the season and they will not change the current position of the club.  
 

As someone said it not FIFA, However GP thinks it is. 

So , you'd play Ziyech a player with both feet out of the door and more one footed than long John Silver and Mount who's a great player, suffering from being over played , rather than give minutes to players who desperately need time to attain full match fitness .

Got it.

Imma gonna go with Potter.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Mark Kelly

[Trini_Blue]

47 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

Not in isolation though, is it. It is another poor result. And I don't agree that a draw against the 16th placed team is okay.

Awful VAR decision, agreed. It's just one in a long list that doesn't do its job today, though. If this result and performance genuinely was in isolation, I might feel more aggrieved by it.

Agreed but firing Potter after making a bunch of new signings 2 weeks ago may not go down too well either I feel. 

The structure of the team, IMO, was much improved today. Intensity is the real issue though.

[Holymoly]

1 hour ago, paulw66 said:

Took 2 starts. One of which he was ill 

After one start he was god's gift.

[paulw66]

Just now, Holymoly said:

After one start he was god's gift.

Don't understand that. 

His first start was against Fulham and he was ill 

[My Blood Is Blue]

42 minutes ago, ROTG said:

 In normal circumstances with a top class coach, those two who are raw and for the future would be slowly introduced into the squad.  Not throw into the deep in in a London Darby when the club are desperate for points and leave senior players are on the bench.  
 

you could play those two in every pl game until the end of the season and they will not change the current position of the club.  
 

As someone said it not FIFA, However GP thinks it is. 

That explanation makes more sense than the original post you made, when you were on the bumpy underground train. 

That said Mudryk is an upgrade on Ziyech, Pulisic and Mount in that wide position, so I can completely understand why he’s been thrown straight in.

Madueke did struggle a bit today. He didn’t get a lot of the ball, but he was a bit too erratic for me, needs to calm it down and get the simple things right first.

[thevelourfog]

1 minute ago, Trini_Blue said:

Agreed but firing Potter after making a bunch of new signings 2 weeks ago may not go down too well either I feel. 

The structure of the team, IMO, was much improved today. Intensity is the real issue though.

I agree with this, too.

I think we've really cornered ourselves with two very poor decisions on coaching staff this season, and there's not really any way through it but ... Well, through it. Not firing Potter is much less of a mistake than hiring him in the first place, and that is on a par with even having the vacancy. 

He's here until the owners feel it doesn't reflect badly on them to sack him, imo. So in that sense he'll get time. I just don't think he has the ability to do anything with that time. 

[Holymoly]

43 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Secondly , if they in this day and age with all the replays and technology at their disposal not see immediately West Ham were clearly offside and that the West Ham player dived like a keeper and saved a shot on goal with their arm then the game as a a spectacle is dead , that at as it's very best is rank incompetence at worst it's crooked by design , I'm always saying on here how our games are refereed differently to anyone else's and this agenda led festival of cheating proves my point. The powers that be , don't want us to be successful.

Human nature I suppose. I don't think I'd have a problem refereeing a game fairly that we were playing. However reffing a game Liverpool were involved would be a stretch.

[Mark Kelly]

5 minutes ago, Holymoly said:

Human nature I suppose. I don't think I'd have a problem refereeing a game fairly that we were playing. However reffing a game Liverpool were involved would be a stretch.

I think there's a culture of not liking Chelsea at the PGMOL instigated by the head Mike Riley who's never forgiven us for him nearly murdering Cech because of his own cowardice. Want to get on? Make sure Chelsea suffer.

[martin1905]

I feel for Mudryk and Madueke, you don't pick those type of players and then play a thousand passes, all through the middle. They both need the ball played out to them quickly to give them the best opportunity to be in space and not be surrounded by players. Even our full backs, when they receive the ball out wide, instantly cut inside and pass sideways.

Giving them the ball on the edge of the opponent's area, when they have 10 men inside their own box is utterly pointless. They are the type of players that would thrive under Klopp but Pep wouldn't look twice at.

It's like we've given Potter all the ingredients for a Michelin star meal and he went and ordered a kebab.

[east lower]

Just got back and I’ve had a pint or three but in summary:

Felix - Best player on the pitch

James - Looks like he’s at 75%, hope he can trust his body again soon

Cucurella - How can a player look so poor, when he looked at least decent for his last side, WH targeted his side

RLC - What’s the point?

Mudrych - Get him the ball earlier and we’ll see great things

Enzo - Looking good, needs a competent partner

Potter - Tick, tock…………………

[Mark Kelly]

Much has been said about instructions to James not to overlap , personally I think it makes his effectiveness null and void but I would imagine the last thing Potter wants at this juncture is for James and Chilwell to break down again so as toothless as it makes us look it has to be sensible at this juncture.

[CarefreeMuratcan]

3 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Silver lining? Spurs getting smashed at Leicester.

The funny thing is, teams above do keep dropping points. If we could just get a run of 4 or 5 games going, we will be right back in the mix of Top 4. And with the direction our performances are going, I think it will come.

[Holymoly]

3 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Silver lining? Spurs getting smashed at Leicester.

Mate, there's no silver lining. Wales got tonked by the Jocks in the 6 Nations.

[My Blood Is Blue]

Just now, Holymoly said:

Mate, there's no silver lining. Wales got tonked by the Jocks in the 6 Nations.

That was one hell of a beating.

[chara]

53 minutes ago, east lower said:

Just got back and I’ve had a pint or three but in summary:

Felix - Best player on the pitch

James - Looks like he’s at 75%, hope he can trust his body again soon

Cucurella - How can a player look so poor, when he looked at least decent for his last side, WH targeted his side

RLC - What’s the point?

Mudrych - Get him the ball earlier and we’ll see great things

Enzo - Looking good, needs a competent partner

Potter - Tick, tock…………………

Always enlightening to read what member who were at a game have to say.

Tick,Tock indeed...

I think (humble opinion only) that GP is less still here because it would embarrass ToddB and Co to move him on than it is pointless to remove him without a TOP replacement in place or line.

We are controlled by Business heads not the whims of a benign billionaire!

[Original 21]

Helpful from Declan Rice:

"Chelsea had some really good players on show. It took us a while to get going and adapt to their system. But once we found out their weakness, getting the ball down the sides of them and realised their wingers weren’t tracking back. We managed to exploit that."

[chara]

11 minutes ago, Original 21 said:

Helpful from Declan Rice:

"Chelsea had some really good players on show. It took us a while to get going and adapt to their system. But once we found out their weakness, getting the ball down the sides of them and realised their wingers weren’t tracking back. We managed to exploit that."

This from a side still in the danger zone and 7 places below Chelsea... 

[Bison]

13 minutes ago, Original 21 said:

Helpful from Declan Rice:

"Chelsea had some really good players on show. It took us a while to get going and adapt to their system. But once we found out their weakness, getting the ball down the sides of them and realised their wingers weren’t tracking back. We managed to exploit that."

Good summary. We played well for 20 minutes but West Ham weren't pressing then so it was football on easy mode.

We are a badly coached team and I don't know how much clearer it can be.

[Holymoly]

It's noticeable, during these early days of the new forum when there aren't a huge number of people posting, the favourite players each member tends to defend (and also those they dislike and tend to attack) as the same "culprits" tend to crop up when criticising our performance. Cucurella and Mount are regular faces on this list. Mudryk was hailed as a world beater after 30 minutes against Liverpool, and then a donkey after Fulham, then today he was fairly ineffective again (whether or not this was due to those around him). In short in these early days of the Clearlake takeover we give the players zero latitude. One poor game and they're out. Get rid and buy a replacement. We've got to stop with these knee jerk reactions. The truth is good players only get you so far (unless you're the Harlem Globetrotters), you have to develop a team that through time becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Today we saw an improvement in that team and that will only improve once James and Chilwell become confident enough to begin overlapping the wingers again. It will improve when Kovacic comes back to partner Enzo in midfield. Give the squad a chance to settle down before you lay into them and attribute every bad result to poor old Cucurella.

Same goes for the manager to be honest. The most valid criticism I hear about him is that he doesn't or isn't able to react to the opponent when they change things. Maybe he isn't sufficiently confident in the team or certain players in the team to change on the fly. Today, clearly he sent out James and Chilwell not to over exert their bodies in case they injured themselves again. Hopefully this will change. Perhaps another reason for his lack of reaction in games though is that he is not used having the plethora of talent on hand to change. If this is the case and he can't change then this is a problem. We will know more about this by the end of the season. Until then he has my backing.

Remember that Clearlake's stated policy is to make use of the Academy and develop the players it produces. A firebrand manager isn't going to do this. They will demand expensive signings that will come and go depending on their performance. That is why we have Potter. I'm crossing my fingers that he, together with the new psychology consultant, can begin to produce results with the squad and that over time the younger players will be fed in. If the owners lose their nerve and Potter does lose his job then this policy goes up in flames and we will be back to the old formula of sacking the manager every 18 months although this time there is no Terry/Lampard/Cech/Drogba spine to provide continuity and we risk losing identity with the club.

[thevelourfog]

4 minutes ago, Holymoly said:

It's noticeable, during these early days of the new forum when there aren't a huge number of people posting, the favourite players each member tends to defend (and also those they dislike and tend to attack) as the same "culprits" tend to crop up when criticising our performance. Cucurella and Mount are regular faces on this list. Mudryk was hailed as a world beater after 30 minutes against Liverpool, and then a donkey after Fulham, then today he was fairly ineffective again (whether or not this was due to those around him). In short in these early days of the Clearlake takeover we give the players zero latitude. One poor game and they're out. Get rid and buy a replacement. We've got to stop with these knee jerk reactions.

lol, I think one poster has criticised any of the new players. And even they didn't say get rid of them. I certainly don't remember anyone laying into Mudryk after Fulham, more wondering why he played if he was unwell.

Weird when people invent posts to disagree with.