Chelsea Thread

[glazza]

Chelsea very poor in and around the box and if not for Cech saving the penalty(which i have to be honest it was a generous decision)would have been a total blowout from your lot smurfy.

[abigsmurf]

Down the middle, every time, just what a team with 9 men in the box want, they can put 2-3 players on every attacker. We've got players who can cross, we get in the positions for crosses yet more often than not we play it back for an attempt down the middle.

I'm getting increasingly convinced this isn't players under performing, this is the tactics being uninspired and predictable. I don't know how many shots there were in the end... 24? How many on target? 3? How many that were unlucky not to go in? 0.

[rmoxon]

I think it was a penalty, Dempsy didnt dive he just looked really tired so whet down pretty easily, but Luiz didnt get the ball, he got the player, so theres not much argument really.

Has to be said that Chelsea probabaly should have had a penalty too though. But then at the end of the day, with all the possesion they had they shouldnt have needed a penalty to win it.

[nakamura]

I don't think it was a dive, he went down I think out of exhaustion. However, I don't think it was a foul either, just enough contact to send him over at that late stage.
Glad the pen was saved as Fulham didn't deserve to win, justice.

Poor display again by Chelsea though, no width or pace in the side. Torres can't finish my dinner at the moment let alone his. Positioning though is excellent.

[abigsmurf]

As soon as Torres went off, all our creativity died. His finishing was appauling but everything else from him was top draw. I only hope he was taken off for fitness reasons.

The more I think about the game, the more incredibly frustrating it was.

Luiz looks to be an amazing buy that's his typical form, Ramieres is proving me wrong (although he needs to pass more instead of shooting).

The worst performances were the players you wouldn't expect: Essien and Lampard. Although Lampard put a few good balls to Torres, he personally offered nothing attacking wise.

[abigsmurf]

The Arsenal and Spurs games both had cringe worthingly gushing commentaries.

I'm fully expecting "wouldn't it be amazing if FC Copenhagen could get through?" type commentary. Wish we got half the enthusiasm that other teams get, instead we get commentators who are happy that we undeservedly go out due to one of the worst UEFA officiating performances ever because it means they got their 'dream final'.

Still, more and more former Chelsea linked pundits are moving through the ranks at Sky which is slowly improving things.

Hopefully that monkey spanker Phil Thompson will be sent to the carousel by Sky in their current refresh of the line up. It annoys me that they have him watching Liverpool games on SS as a neutral, god knows how angry he makes supporters of the opposition with the way he gloats and cheers when Liverpool score.

[hudson]

Aaah poor Chelsea. Dry your eyes.

You should sail through.

[abigsmurf]

"should" sail through.

[SharkSkin-Man]

I don't think they ever try and serisouly make out Thommo is a neutral do they?
He's the only really successful ex-player on the current Soccer Saturday line up, maybe they keep him on just for that.

[nakamura]

I feel sorry for Chelsea. Spurs and Arsenal were not expected to win, Chelsea are.

[abigsmurf]

I don't think they ever try and serisouly make out Thommo is a neutral do they?
He's the only really successful ex-player on the current Soccer Saturday line up, maybe they keep him on just for that.

No problem with non-neutral pundits. You just shouldn't have pundits covering games on soccer Saturday where they have a vested interest.

If you're watching to catch up on your team's score, you don't, for example, really want to hear your team has gone behind like this:

YEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH TEVEZ YOU BEAUTY GET IN THERE!!!!!!

[Flabio]

I gave up on Soccer Saturday even before it disappeared from Freeview. Tend to just have radio 5 on on a Saturday afternoon now. Can't get by without my weekly dose of Alan Green hating everything...

[EJG1980]

I gave up on Soccer Saturday even before it disappeared from Freeview. Tend to just have radio 5 on on a Saturday afternoon now. Can't get by without my weekly dose of Alan Green hating everything...

I used to really like Soccer Saturday, but now I can't watch it once the games have started. Pre-game it's not too bad but I think all the pundits have been told to go as deliberately over the top to try and out do each other with their goal "celebrations". It really gets annoying.

Used to be much better when they had older pundits on too, like Frank McLintock and Alan Mullery. Funny, more civilised, and less OTT trying to sell everything as though it's the most amazing thing evaaahhhhh.

[Kongster]

Saint and Greavsie...now that was a a show.

[abigsmurf]

Poor first half.

Everton kicking us all over the place and somehow we're the only ones with yellow cards. Didn't look a dive to me, Ramieres had his feet clipped by Howard and you can see that destroying his balance.