Well there we go, our first premier league game of the season has ended and we played arguably one of the best sides in the league, if not the best. We came out very nervous indeed in front of a packed Stamford bridge and we did show them a little to much respect. Chelsea smelt blood and turned it on and did enough to win the game in the first 30 mins. Towards the end of the second half we got a little more of the ball and look more composed. We looked far to light in the midfield with Meyler and Koren in there, in fact both of them was very poor and I think it shows what many of us thought that they do not have what it takes to be a premier league player. For example; every time meyler got the ball under pressure he acted as if he had all the time in the world and lost possession way to easily, yet when he did have time on the ball and was involved in a build up of one of our attacks he turned the ball over very easily under no pressure at all. I think we need to start with Livermore and huddlestone as our two main midfielder's. Aluko for me was wasted today and should have started up front and ideally a 4-4-2 formation would have been best. We can take a lot of encouragement out of our second half performance and if we had made better decisions at times we may have got a goal. Sagbo not to sure about at the moment, he got a lot of the ball in the wrong places so it's unfair for any of us to comment, the balls made to him always had pace and power to him and most of the time it just bounced off him and ended up going to a Chelsea player. Chelsea are a very good team and that could of easily been 2-0 against Manchester united, city or Liverpool/arsenal and I am certain superior opposition will get turned over at Stamford bridge many times this season. Today was a massive learning curve for many of our players especially the younger ones that they are now in the premier league, in fact it will give them a much needed shock. I think we will be just fine this season. We need to get behind the boys and give them all of our support starting next week at home! We just got the hardest game of the season out of the way. HOLD YOUR HEADS UP HIGH HULL! COME ON YOU HULL!!!!
Definitely agree on formation, think we should be playing 4-4-1-1: ------------McGregor------------- -Rosenior-Chester-Davies-Figueroa- -Elmo-Huddlestone-Livermore-Brady- --------------Aluko---------------- --------------Sagbo---------------
With Huddlestone and Livermore in CMF we looked a different team. Meyler was very poor and Koren largely anonymous. Brady and Elmo looked very energetic on the wings. Agree Aluko needs to be up front with Sagbo. Graham was slow and did little. Very positive performance for the rest of the season in the second half. Would like to see Dudgeon get some playing time on the wing with Koren on the bench.
Agree with this, Meyler was poor. We started very poor and once we were loosing it was a bit of a pointless exercise. Absolutely hated listening to the sky team spout crap afterwards.
I was waiting for the 'Koren largely anonymous' comments. I thought he actually did okay, nothing special but he had a shot and most of his passes found our players. Huddlestone and Livermore should be nailed on our midfield with one other, either Koren or Meyler. Graham and Aluko were disappointing, Sagbo looked okay, Brady definitely better on the left wing. Elmo did well !
Great post, agree with all of it. We conceded two goals to the back-to-back Champion's League/Europa League winners on our first game back in the top flight, and their first league match since the return of their messiah. The first 35 minutes looked like we might lose 6 or 7 nil but Thud and Livermore brought some much needed ability to the midfield. As the title of the post says, we've gotten what I think will be the toughest fixture out of the way at the start. We should have played Thud and Livermore from the start, but against lesser teams I can see Meyler and Quinn (once he's fit) being useful. It might be a bit difficult to say how well we did in the second half given that Chelsea seemed content to sit back with their two goal cushion, but that's all academic at this point. Let's see how we fare against Norwich. On a side note, I thought Sagbo did well. He's a bruiser (loved watching him clatter Ramires) and he looks hungry - I'd take him over the likes of Daniel Cousin any day. Overall - optimistic. This will give Bruce a fair bit of intel to inform his approach going forward. Front two aside, the team pretty much picks itself. If we can equal Norwich's midfield engines of Howson and Johnson, and if Sagbo or Graham perform well, I think we can scrape out a win next weekend. UTT
Aluko was one of our better players today. Meyler wasn't that good but bear in mind he's 23, he will imprive as the season goes on. Koren shouldn't play as he doesn't have any effect whatsoever. Tom Huddlestone and Livermore should easily be our 2 midfielders. It was criminal that they started on the bench
I think we'll have more chances vs Norwich but I think it's psychological. I don't know why we were scared to attack today. Of course chelsea are ****ing good but we shouldn't play differently just because it's chelsea.
LOL He is rubbish & if you are relining on him to score the goals then you will struggle to stay up. all the best anyway.
He had 3 or 4 touches. You can't fault him at all you prat. He won't be our main striker anyways, based on Sagbo's performance.
FFS Graham was playing largely on his own up front against 2 of the best centre backs in european football, he was feeding off scrappy long balls played from our own half. Van Persi would have struggled with that service. Im just waiting for the first Bruce out comment.
This is spot on. With Huddlestone and Livermore's service, Danny Graham will score goals. Also, thought Elmo was 10x better when he beat players. Had Ashley Cole all ends up at some points. 2nd half was very promising!
But what kind of player is Graham. He is too slow to beat the defenders, he doesn't seem that strong, struggles to hold the ball or head it on. So I'm not sure how he's gonna score goals. Swansea were playing incredible free flowing football, running into the box at speed, crossing from the byline or playing one 2's in the box... Not sure if we can provide the service he needs.
Don't think Elmo should be playing full back, would much rather see him in midfield with Rosenior to cover him as then he can cross from further up the pitch instead of doing an early cross every time. I also thought he was weak defensively at times, leaving too much room between himself and Chester.
He was quiet, but he played most of the game with his back to goal and completely isolated. I hate it when teams play like that, I know we were playing a surperior side but the best way to stop them scoring is for us to have the ball. Sitting 10 men in our box and leaving Graham on his own was never going to work. It just invited them to do their thing. I'd give Graham time. I'm more underwhelmed by Sagbo to be honest, I hope I turn out to be wrong but he just strikes me as a typical African player: fast and strong but 0 technical ability or football brain, just random passes with no obvious target... Elmo's crossing didn't seem good enough today but got better as the game went on and provided our best chance of the game.
