Bournemouth 0 Chelsea 1

[My Blood Is Blue]

39 minutes ago, Original 21 said:

Reflecting on the game a bit, it’s actually grim how many players we had out injured or unfit to start: James, Gusto, Lavia, Enzo, Dewsbury Hall. That’s both right-backs and practically our entire midfield. Unsurprisingly that’s where we had most issues in the game.

I have no idea what made Maresca think Disasi was the solution. We could practically play anyone else at right-back and been better. No surprise we improved once he went off.

Credit to Caicedo who held the midfield together all on his own, protected the defence and linked with the forwards. Veiga looked all at sea so Palmer was forced to play deep and was less effective again. Sanchez was great though and looked like a proper keeper for the first time.

Sancho and Nkunku were the game changers which makes you wonder why they didn’t start in the first place. We missed out on an elite striker again and it’s depressing to think we have to watch Jackson play upfront for another season.

We were playing not just the opposition but trying to cope with a ref who was having some kind of mental breakdown. Looked to me that half the bookings he gave were trivial. 

A great result overall in a game where we played poorly, hung in, and managed to turn one point into three.

He had lost the plot, giving cards out constantly any time anybody dared talk to him or even look at him. Both managers booked as well. Bizarre and needs looking at, but they won’t as it’s Anthony Taylor.

[Blue Kratos]

18 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

He had lost the plot, giving cards out constantly any time anybody dared talk to him or even look at him. Both managers booked as well. Bizarre and needs looking at, but they won’t as it’s Anthony Taylor.

One of 2 things will happen.

He'll either get demoted to the conference league for a while for dishing out so many cards.

Or He'll receive the Martin Bodenham award for most hated and crotch punchable referee.

Clattenburg has 6.

Edited Sunday at 08:30 by Blue Kratos

[east lower]

It was way too late to post on the game last night by the time we got home, but thoughts from the stands.

As suspected and commented on in the lead-up to the game, Bournemouth swarmed all over us in the first 15-20 minutes. They gave us no time at all to get any sort of composure or control of the football. For those wishing for Fernandez, that was exactly the sort of game where he’d have been more of a disaster than Veiga was. The bloke on the pitch masquerading as a referee should have booked two of theirs before he actually did and then did his usual one of ours for one of theirs. Foul count at that time felt like 10-1. He lost his composure and should be investigated and subsequently stood down for that effort. There was barely a bad foul in the game, niggly ones but not bad.

Up to the penalty I thought Fofana did ok. Madueke was back to his maddening persona and offered very little, was lucky to stay on at half-time, I’d have switched them both.

Full credit to Sanchez, very good performance yesterday. But the penalty was partly down to him, he got too close to Fofana.

The coach got things way wrong with the starting selection and system. Jackson was isolated and was trying to pick off scraps, but that wasn’t one of his better games. Palmer had to play too deep to cover our right hand side, but still wonderful bits of class within that game by him.

Caicedo was fantastic, aside from the first 15 minutes, when he was simply overwhelmed and wasn’t getting much help from Veiga. The latter improved as the game went on, I suppose you’d expect that as firstly Bournemouth were fantastic in their press and efforts to minimise any time we had on the ball and secondly it didn’t look a natural position for him, but credit to him he didn’t hide and always wanted the ball.

Cucurella was the best of the defenders and became an attacking in the second half, our better chances coming from his interplay with Sancho, the latter doing everything that Madueke did not. Very influential and intelligent player on yesterday’s performance. 
 

Credit to the coach, I thought that all his substitutions worked, even Felix who at least received and retained the ball a bit. Bits of interplay that he was involved in that kept the ball in the Bournemouth half. But the Tosin sub and switch of Fofana to the right back (ish) position was the one that nullified that attacking outlet for the opponent.

One we didn’t deserve to win but did.

Bournemouth 30 years ago was a lovely place to visit (the town) it’s an absolute dump now. Those that went or have visited will see why. Such a shame.

[Ham]

6 hours ago, xceleryx said:

Pretty terrible performance for the most part and quite fortunate to walk away with three points. That said, I'll take it.

Sancho, Sanchez and Cucurella probably the three standouts. Nkunku with a bit of quality as well right when it was needed. 

Also a perfect example of why Enzo is important. Sure, he has limitations, but his ability to receive the ball and then move it forward is unmatched by anyone else we have. We really struggled with that for virtually the entire game until things opened up and we went a bit more direct.

Special mention for Caicedo too.  

Broke up so many dangerous attacks.  

[Ham]

 

[NoblyBobly]

It’s nice to see Jackson sign a two year extension of his contract to  ( wait for it)……2033! Can someone explain the reasoning behind this?  Glimpsing ahead to 2033 , we will either all be forced  to drive electric cars or maybe we will be living in post nuclear war hellscape. But Jackson will still be under contract to Chelsea after having had a poor 2032 season.  This is Jackson who has so far proved nothing. But Gallagher…off you pop son. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

50 minutes ago, Ham said:

 

Most of our yellow cards were given for looking at Taylor I believe.

[Mark Kelly]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

 

He really is a wanker.

[east lower]

6 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

He really is a wanker.

I think the fans songs to him are entirely appropriate.

Unless it was muted by the TV company's,  they should leave no one in doubt about what he is.

Edited Sunday at 09:51 by east lower

[jasonb]

Penalty aside Sanchez had a good game.

What a goal from Nkunku are they worried about injury recurrence as he looks a better finisher than our other front man.

Sancho looks motivated.

[Miguelito07]

1 minute ago, jasonb said:

What a goal from Nkunku are they worried about injury recurrence

maybe Maresca doesnt think he's a good fit. He's barely played and when he does its for the last 10 mins of a game. He also had two weeks training as he wasnt called up for international duty. Seems a bit odd

[jasonb]

Perhaps also thinks Jacksons pace keeps stops thier backs on edge.

[Michael Tucker]

3 minutes ago, Miguelito07 said:

maybe Maresca doesnt think he's a good fit. He's barely played and when he does its for the last 10 mins of a game. He also had two weeks training as he wasnt called up for international duty. Seems a bit odd

Of course, he could just be recovering from injury...........

[thevelourfog]

By the time Fofana was booked, Bournemouth had committed 4 times as many fouls as us. They'd had a booking a few minutes earlier, it was textbook even-ing things out stuff. A dreadful ref who induced resentment from both sides equally with awful decisions, but still somehow dished out more bookings to the team who overwhelmingly had the ball. Taylor is a proper, proper dickhead.

A brilliant result in context, but for me a very concerning overall performance with some real worries about both individuals and how we're being set up to play. 

Kinda mad to me anyone thinks we missed Fernandez. He would have been eaten alive, and indeed has been in every game for the nearly two years he's been here when the oppo press so aggressively.

Edited Sunday at 10:40 by thevelourfog

[NoblyBobly]

I seriously think Antony Taylor has mental health issues. He’s not right. I’m not joking , he needs help. 

[Siidi]

34 minutes ago, Miguelito07 said:

maybe Maresca doesnt think he's a good fit. He's barely played and when he does its for the last 10 mins of a game. He also had two weeks training as he wasnt called up for international duty. Seems a bit odd

I hope there are good reasons Nkunku ha snit been starting. I suspect Maresca has bought into the Nicolas Jackson project - the give him a few more games and he'll conquer the world for you thing. It seems the club is happy to sacrifice everything to prove it. 

The difference in class between Nkunku and Jackson is like Earth and Mars. And with all due respect, I see nothing to convince me  Nicolas Jackson will  become a top finisher if you gave him 1000 games. I see no improvement in his game  from last season. 

Last night a ball came to him with the only option to put his foot through,and he instead  decided to take an extra touch completely unaware of the pace of the game. Other times he runs with the ball till he runs out of angle to beat the keeper. Good strikers get their shots out as soon as they're within shooting range. 

[east lower]

13 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

By the time Fofana was booked, Bournemouth had committed 4 times as many fouls as us. They'd had a booking a few minutes earlier, it was textbook even-ing things out stuff. A dreadful ref who induced resentment from both sides equally with awful decisions, but still somehow dished out more bookings to the team who overwhelmingly had the ball. Taylor is a proper, proper dickhead.

Cook should have been booked for a foul on Palmer, before he was. Bournemouth were rotating fouls on Palmer. How he managed to book so many was truly remarkable, but not in a good way.

 

16 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

A brilliant result in context, but for me a very concerning overall performance with some real worries about both individuals and how we're being set up to play. 

Indeed, the result was great - Performance not. There’s so much space to attack us down our wide areas, opposition coaches will have already spotted this and will/are exploiting it. Still don’t move the ball forwards fast enough or with confidence and control. The coach did react and his subs were effective on the flip side.

 

20 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

Kinda mad to me anyone thinks we missed Fernandez. He would have been eaten alive, and indeed has been in every game for the nearly two years he's been here when the oppo press so aggressively.

See my posts earlier in the thread, 100% agree. But a few have laid themselves open as regards his ability and can’t face the facts.

[Ham]

9 minutes ago, Siidi said:

I hope there are good reasons Nkunku ha snit been starting. I suspect Maresca has bought into the Nicolas Jackson project - the give him a few more games and he'll conquer the world for you thing. It seems the club is happy to sacrifice everything to prove it. 

The difference in class between Nkunku and Jackson is like Earth and Mars. And with all due respect, I see nothing to convince me  Nicolas Jackson will  become a top finisher if you gave him 1000 games. I see no improvement in his game  from last season. 

Last night a ball came to him with the only option to put his foot through,and he instead  decided to take an extra touch completely unaware of the pace of the game. Other times he runs with the ball till he runs out of angle to beat the keeper. Good strikers get their shots out as soon as they're within shooting range. 

Par for the course, he would have been offside if he'd hit that first time and scored. 

I'd love to see Nkunku given a go as a 9.  

[east lower]

1 hour ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Most of our yellow cards were given for looking at Taylor I believe.

It must have been quite taxing for Taylor - having to do a re-set and not just book everything in blue. 

[JaneB]

Chelsea and Bournemouth to be fined £25,000 for unwanted Premier League record - as Andoni Iraola refuses to comment on Anthony Taylor's performance after the game | Daily Mail Online

[JaneB]

52 minutes ago, NoblyBobly said:

I seriously think Antony Taylor has mental health issues. He’s not right. I’m not joking , he needs help. 

I think he's just power mad and hates Chelsea.

[NoblyBobly]

10 minutes ago, JaneB said:

I think he's just power mad and hates Chelsea.

But why the hate?  It’s not normal. Check out all his terrible decisions against us. Why would any highly paid ref put himself on public trial for bias? I know it’s us but a serious backlash has begun , not least because we all knew in advance how he could fck this game over. More yellows than any other PL game in history. 
I don’t think he right. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

12 minutes ago, NoblyBobly said:

But why the hate?  It’s not normal. Check out all his terrible decisions against us. Why would any highly paid ref put himself on public trial for bias? I know it’s us but a serious backlash has begun , not least because we all knew in advance how he could fck this game over. More yellows than any other PL game in history. 
I don’t think he right. 

He was everything a ref shouldn’t be last night. The best refs go unnoticed unless something nasty happens and need sorting out.

I actually think both sets of players and coaching staff deserve credit for not reacting more than they did to the situation. Instead, both teams now get fined!

[Original 21]

34 minutes ago, JaneB said:

I think he's just power mad and hates Chelsea.

I think he totally lost the plot.  Once he started booking players for trivial fouls then players complained for which he booked them. Then he let clear fouls against us go and players complained and also got booked. He got caught up in a spiral of bookings and he couldn’t stop himself once he set a precedent. But it was because his decisions were so poor in the first place. Terrible refereeing performance. 

[Miguelito07]

Re: Taylor’s performance. Nothing will come of it. HOWEVER, if this happened to Liverpool and Klopp was still manager, Taylor would be banned from reffing any Liverpool matches.