Should we have appealed for the Sagbo goal bound volley that looked like it came off an arm? We need to get wise to appealing even 50/50s as that's how games are won and lost. I also thought in the first half a shot ricocheted off Terry's arm.
I was thinking about the shout's that we had for penalties? We rarely did it last season either, appeal that is.
Look at Holloway, it's no wonder they got so many decisions last season when he reacts like he did today to the tiniest perceived injustice against his team. He's clearly been watching Pulis.
The Sagbo one hit 2 arms - Terry's then Lampard's. I thought their penalty was soft - in real time McGregor basically brushed Torres and he went down like it was a KO punch from Mike Tyson. My first thoughts was 'That would never have been given in the Championship (unless it was Leeds or Palace we were playing). Second thought was - that wouldn't have been given up the other end. I think a lot of our players were frustrated with the ref today, he was bowing down to the big name 'stars' of Chelsea who he kept giving freekicks to for diving... if the ref wasn't conned by the dives and yellows were actually given for dives outside the area, Hazard, Torres and Ramires would all have been off. I think it was quite telling that Chelsea were diving throughout the game, yet Brady was hacked at 3 or 4 times and stayed on his feet.
The free kick that lead to the goal was definatly not a free kick. Chester never touched Torres and where has this barging the wall out the way and not awarding a free kick come from. It happened to us last year against Brighton. If it had happened in a one on one player situation it would of been a free kick plus a yellow for the offending player, barging the wall out the way is no different and should of resulted in the same punishment.
It needs to be utilised by the club, I don't like it at all. But if it's good enough for the title favourites, then it's got to be good enough for us. There were 2 incidents which we had a decent shout for penalties. What looked to me like Terry hand allying a cross and the shot from Sagbo. We are too honest.
We're too naive...We just need to get a little more streetwise...Sagbo was the only one that appealed.
For me, stone wall penalty at the start. Although I can't believe that none of the pundits or the papers have made anything of Torres blatantly diving for the free kick. Although the Brady push was a stone waller for me so it worked out as it should, but still!
The referee had a good game on the whole. Our penalty shouts were dubious at best. He gave Chelsea a soft penalty but didn't give them an obvious penalty so that balances out. With regards to them going down easily and buying free kicks, that's the premier league I'm afraid, our players need to wise up to it or we'll be on the wrong end of a lot of decisions this season.
I thought Sagbos effort hit Lampards chest, and even if it hit his arm it shouldn't have been a penalty, he had it tucked in tightly at his side out the way so the ref would have said ball to hand, and I'd of agreed.
McGregor on Torres was 100% a penalty. So was Bradys push on Ivanovic but we got lucky with that one. The free kick for the 2nd goal was laughable as it was clear for all to see that Torres fell over Chesters leg. Except of course for the referee. 2-0 was fine and the overall performance very encouraging.
Torres could either dive over Chester's leg or run into it, both would have ended with a free kick, Chester shouldn't have made such a clumsy attempt at a challenge in a dangerous area.
I understand there doesn't have to be contact for a free kick to be given as long as it affects the man with the ball - but Torrest didn't have to go down. I totally agree with the barging players out of the wall. The referee should have punished the TWO players for doing that and ordered the free kick to be retaken.
Like I said in an earlier post, our players need to wise up, players will go down easily and buy free-kicks in this league, its not right but that's just how it is. Chester made a lazy challenge and presented an opportunity to Torres, he took it, they scored, a lesson hopefully learned.
