I went to the game today and well.... it wasn't good. We lack grit. We lack determination. We lack desire. And we lack passion. When you have a team that hasn't any of these, you need a manager who can install this into your side. Unfortunately we have a clown in charge who has no respect from us fans or the players. Why oh why did he take off Hazard today instead of Ramires!? We all know that Hazard can really run at defenders and he can provide a bit of skill out of nowhere that can change a game. Ramires was bad today and we could all see this from the away end... If we carry on in the manner that we are then I fear for our top 4 status. With this mug in charge it can only go downhill. I'm going to Boro on Wednesday and I'm not confident at all. City fans were surprised by how woeful we were today and they were right. Apart from a couple of chances in the second half today we conjured up nothing. Why didn't we go there and attack like Liverpool did or like Southampton did? Because we have a manager who was happy to sit back all game and try and get a point. His tactics are terrible. Unfortunately he will be here until the end of the season and because of this, I'm not confident about a top 4 place at all.
Miserable times. Not a good outlook. Massive own goal by the board this season - hopefully prompting and overhaul for next season.
Bucks, you are spot on. Ramires, for all his work ethic, has no touch and can't pass. Today he was a liability . Our midfield continues to be our biggest problem. After 15 mins I would have hauled off Ramires, put Luiz alongside Lamps and brought on JT or Apzi. In fact , that's how I would have started. Again no balance. That said, Man City were vasty better than us. More direct, stronger, in fact too strong, they gave away heaps of fouls. Yaya is a fabulous player who over ran our midfield with ease. The more I see of Ba the less I like him, though I will reserve judgement because of his nose injury, but unimpressive when we needed him. Frankly, I don't think we have the personnel to match either of the Manchester sides, and with the Clown in charge, he is unlikely to ever select the Team that can consolidate 4th place. I hold grave fears for 4th place, which is what I have said from the day Coco arrived. We have failed every hard test since then.
Mikel = Ramires without Speed, which is DIRE. No word about him. Frank + Mikel can't start any match together that is just catastrophic. City didn't sweat today to beat this team - that worries me.
It's easy to only look at the flaws in a players game when the team does badly, but really, the flaws in Ramires' game above all others are just appalling. Failed to score first for us and lost posession for their second, and yet he was picked.
I feel sorry for Petr Cech! He's fighting a lone battle! Without him today ,God knows what the result would have been! Apart from him only Gary Cahill came out with credit! The rest should donate a months salary to a deserving charity ( e,g. The Tearful Chelsea Fan Club)
Actually I don't recall too many on here claiming we are particularly good this year, in fact mostly the opposite. We all know our limitations, but we also know yours. You have had an armchair ride this year, not because you're particularly good , but mainly because you are not rebuilding. When you were, Man City rolled you. Lets see how you go when you have to replace at least 3 or maybe even 4 of your VERY old guard !!!! May well be a very different story next year, so enjoy it. There's nowhere to go from top spot except down.
Give it a couple of years and you'll have no fergie, giggs, scholes or Rio. Then we'll see if you can maintain the consistency of the last 20 years.
What has happend to this guy? He is a top player imo and I would love him in our team over any of your players but he is not playing well at the moment. With regards to the touch and pass comment this used to be a strong point.
It is becoming increasingly clear that he's not the saviour some seemed to think he would be when he joined. Torres misses chance but we aren't even seeing chances for Ba. Who would have thought we'd be wishing we had Lukaku up front
Chelsea fans always seem to forget the inconvenient truth that they finished 6th last year... you don't have a 'top 4 status'. And before you start blaming 'clown' AVB, you were higher and closer to 4th when you sacked him than you were at the end of the season.
Ba, Torres, blah blah. I don't think its a coincidence that both strikers are suffering from lack of form. Look NOT at the strikers, and but look at our midfielders.
The problem is more than just Rafa. Like it or not, he's not a bad manager. Not the best (like some might say), but by no means bad. The fans, owner and playing staff are also responsible. The owner perhaps the most - why did he not stick with AVB or go for Harry, for instance? Di Matteo was always a lame duck, just like Rafa.
I'd agree that it is far from just Rafa's fault but the manager has to take some blame for not being able to get players of the quality we have to perform better and more consistently. Looks at some of the games we've lost/drawn under his tenure; West Ham QPR at home Corinthians Southampton at home from 2-0 up Brentford Swansea at home Prague at home You can't win them all but we should have won 4-5 if not all those games.
Chelsea had 2 good managers last season,and their mad dog owner sacked them both before they had time to do anything,now they are paying the price
