No but saying the midfield isn’t good enough against better teams is false and that’s why I disagreed. Of the three “better” teams we’ve faced this season we’ve won two and drawn one, all with the same starting midfield. I think the CM have done just fine so far and disputes your claims they’re not good enough.
What would people rather we play a really expansive game and lose? I’m fed up of losing to chelsea at their place and so I don’t really care that it was a **** game. Take a good point and move on. 4 points out of 6 in this really hard run of games is a great start. And we are still top of the league.
I would have taken the draw before we started, it was an awful game for the purist, but a well drilled hard working performance that said much about the change in attitude that Jose has bought. Rodon had a couple of dodgy moments and it would have been terrible if he gifted Giroud of all people the winner, but he didn't and considering the opposition it was a decent full debut for the lad. I watched a different match to some as their fabulous midfield did very little in the match I watched, they kept the ball well and were neat and tidy, but James crosses were the only really dangerous balls played into our box other than that they played where we wanted them to, in front of us. Disappointed that Harry and Sonny chose today to go a little awol, but hopefully that means they will both turn up next week for the biggest match in most of our calendars.
Jose knows how to play the odds and that's how he wins so many trophies. Poch and Harry would probably both have tried to win and lost. .
Rodon seems a bit disappointed with his performance, which could be a good thing. No complacency because his mistake at the end wasn't punished.
Putting in a performance has nothing to do with "really expansive" . When I see a team that has put a shift in, played well, and yet lost, I will not think ill of them. Chelsky were not massively threatening in MF today, yet the pace and incisiveness of their passing was way above Spurs. Do you think ti is too much to ask professional players paid obscene weekly wages to be able to make a fast forward pass to a colleague at a pace that the receiver can control ?? And do it all game, not just once a game ??
A lot of cynical fouls by Chelski, certainly they got lots of yellows but could have had more. Thought the one by Silva on Ndomble was particularly bad, as it seemed he knew the ball had gone when he went through the back of him. Would call it reckless but that implies it was partly accidental, which I don't think it was. It was actually potentially dangerous.
Do you not think we put a shift in then? And both teams earn obscene amounts of money so I don’t really think that has anything to do with it. All I saw was two teams more interested in avoiding defeat than anything else. I don’t think the players weren’t trying. On another day we may well have nicked it at the end. I’m not saying I like the football that we are playing under Mourinho but it is effective and I’m not going to criticise when we are top of the league and unbeaten in 9 league games
If only Sissoko had some technical and passing ability, he does a lot of vital defensive work / covering / shutting down space and passing lines etc, particularly in these games against the better teams, but his lack of ability setting off and being part of quick attacks etc has a negative affect on the team.
Will take that and move on...a solid point. it was the game plan against our rivals away Lo Celso should have done better at the end...the system would have been perfect
I love the football we play...it’s a trap...waiting for the opposition to over commit. It’s not how we always play...it’s a strategy against certain teams, teams who like to show off their beautiful football. I expect us to smash Leeds for example, they are too arrogant to change their game as well. Chelsea didn’t press high...kept it central...that made it a game of chess. top of the league for another week...can only be good
Sacking Pochettino was gutting and Jose was not who I wanted to replace him. But I am surprised by some of the negative comments on here (not a dig at anyone). This season are league record is: P10 W6 D3 L1 F21 A9 Pts 21GD+12 We have kept 3 clean sheets in a row and the only goal we have conceded in the past 5 league games was the result of a foul against Brighton. Our lack of attacks today were due to Chelsea doing what they needed to to negate Kane and Son. If we had not done the same thing we'd have lost as Chelsea have serious attacking options...and z very good defence. I have no idea if we'll win a title in my lifetime but imho Jose’s tactics could well win us a trophy. Including our 8 cup games we have scored: 7 once, 6 once, 5 once, 4 once, 3 four times , 2 three times, 1 four times and 0 three times. So that's 44 goals in 18 games. I think that today's performance, while boring, was mature and a positive. Jose has impressed me this season. Free flowing football when appropriate and pragmatism when needed. Ask the gooners how they feel at the moment with their one philosophy for every game!
The players let Jose down today too and that's the reason it was boring in my opinion. The tactics were spot on - just as they were against City - but our passing was atrocious and whilst I haven't watched Jose's interview yet and whether he's said it or not, I think he'd be disappointed inside at how bad it was. Lo Celso right at the death summed it all up but Dier for me was the worst culprit alongside the attacking players, I think three or four of his passes went straight to a Chelsea player and resulted in an attack, as a defender you really can't be gifting the ball away like that. That's the worst I've seen Kane in months though whereas Son was also poor. Bergwijn was the best of the front three but he's got to get that confidence boosting goal because he could - in fact should - have scored early on when he blazed over. If only the players had been as good with the ball as they were when they had it against City, there's every chance we'd have gotten more than a point today. Still a very good point for us though at a place we generally crumble at.
