What you got to realize is we played a team today that is expected to challenge for the top spot- this is a team that can be the best club in the world and rightly so and we gave them a hell of of a game mainly in the first half and we should have scored 2 goals but we didn't..Fair play to Chelsea who are a to team with a top manager who never panic's and he got his team to rip us apart in the second half........now i admire that and Chelsea deserved the win but i tell you one thing that to day we rightly lost against the best team in the premiership and Chelsea will win easier games than what we gave them...congratulations Chelsea yo thoroughly deserved the win....
What I think the coaching staff need to realise is our game pattern has been the same since pre-season. For some reason we are dropping off (sometimes very badly) in the second half of every game. Shelvey needs time out - definitely not worth his starting place. Both Gomis and Bony need to start putting chances away. How to avoid yellow cards, especially the usual suspects.
Come on accept that we were beaten by a superior side on their own pitch....they are title contenders. We were brilliant for most of the first half but the quality took over and fair play to Chelsea they took us apart and never looked like losing......Just admire a team that is light years ahead and admire what a fantastic team they are under one of the best managers in the world of football......there is no shame at losing against a team of chelsea's caliber....
I've written this many times but got called a Laudrup lover, anti Swansea, anti Monk and basically abused. It is 'official' on here that Chico was an embarrassment and a liability. Today was a classic where Ash had to cover left back, his own position and right CB with the inevitable results. Same over criticism of Taylor and Jonjo. Fernadez needs game time with our squad but he seemed to be able to fit into the Argentine camp very easily.
Laudrup would be out of his depth in the premiership like he proved....fair play he had a go but everyone knows now he is not of the standard to ever manage a premiership or higher team.....we all know it that's why he is where he is..
Oh dear! Not again. Why bring Laudrup into this thread? OK here goes, he was awful, how we stayed in the league is anyone's guess, he wasted millions on players like Michu, Chico etc and it's only by doing the opposite of what he was told that Routledge survived, Jenkins brought in the decent players and ordered Laudrup to play Ben Davies, the other 11 teams below us in the Prem had very bad seasons and we only beat Bradford to win a Mickey Mouse Cup.
We lost to top teams during the"Christmas" melee, with vast injuries last season dai . You werent so understanding then when we lost , why now ?
Amat suffered a knee injury , getting a scan .Thought he was doing ok but a few questional tackles after his yellow card made me squirm and want him replaced . We were better than Chelsea for 50 % of the game . Unfortunately they were vastly better during their 50 % of the game . Our next 3 games are a fork in the road imo , hope we get on the right road .
Today has nothing to do with Laudrup, so let's quit the anti-Laudrup bs. Today has to do with this match, this team, and the current manager. Chelsea is this, Chelsea is that ... blah, blah, blah. I say so what. We're a Prem team too and at 3:00 pm this afternoon we were joint top of the league. Clearly there are differences between the squads but we don't need to grovel, we need to compete. There are lessons to be learned from today. Questions to be asked, answers to be found. We have two players that are having a struggle - Taylor and Shelvey. One way or another we (i.e. Monk) needs to resolve this challenge because they cause other players to make adjustments and cover that introduce degrees of difficulty for other players that they'd be better off not having to deal with. It detracts from an otherwise pretty solid team. Shelvey - to me today - too often appeared to be thinking and running at half speed - almost from the start and that's before we get to his lapses of focus, stupid fouls and his passing. It's been two seasons now and he's not adapted very much to our tiki-taka style of short passing game, working to be in position to receive a pass, making it simple, accurate and retaining possession - given half a chance he'll hit a long ball. It's not going to get better - Rogers let him go for a reason and it wasn't just a numbers game. Leon is back in a few weeks. For me, Leon/Ki/Sig is a no-brainer unless Shelvey starts to play his role better than he is now. Taylor .... I have no idea what to do here. Tiendalli and Jazz are apparently not considered his replacement, which means Taylor is the LB until the Jan transfer window opens up. I hope he makes the adjustments necessary long before then.
Thought we had much more of the game than I expected going into it. We literally ran the show for 25 minutes. We created chances at will and got the ball off them at will. I don't remember who said it up the thread somewhere, but we were never going to be able to keep up that intensity. But it really was impressive to see our Swansea side with the limiters and shackles off, giving one of the best teams in the world a kick up the arse. If Routledge gets a bit more bend on his strike or keeps his impressive volley down and we go 2-0 up, their fans would have got on their team's back. It wasn't to be, but it was a valid gameplan and valiant effort to attempt to blow them off the park and be out of sight before they could blink. You could see and feel that their fans were thinking, "Bloody hell, these guys are actually good", when we were pulverizing them early doors. Then, when the foot was released from the accelerator only one goal to the good, Chelsea, like any top side, sensed blood and ramped up the pressure. I felt comfortable watching it though and really thought we'd get the half time with a lead. We didn't, and that really hurt our players, to concede so close to half time. The second half was a write-off. They came at us like a train and, quite simply, we couldn't live with it. Costa, Hazard, Oscar and Fabregas were finding so much space. We'd have lost this game heavily even with tight-marking on Costa. I found the second half hard and frustrating to watch. Energy levels fading and Chelsea getting more and more in the mood. We'd done so well to not let Chelsea into the game during the first half, but like a dam bursting, once you let them into the game, it's difficult, maybe impossible, to shut them back out again. Players worth a mention: Gomis - needed to take his one on one. That changes the game at 2-2 and gives us something to hang on to again. That miss was a good as a Chelsea goal, our players deflated completely after that miss. The strikers need to start scoring. Routledge - looks a real goal threat this season from anywhere in and around the box. Good to see! Shelvey - really looked poor today. Highlighted through his action, or non-action, during the Remy goal. He's stood on the penalty spot. Literally. Just stood there. If he reads the pass and gets across to Remy, he could get a block in. But he's stood there. Idle. We can't afford to carry players. Bony - looks sharp and strong when we came on. I just wish we could have started him. While Gomis played really well for the most part, I felt Bony's superior strength to hold the ball up and really dominate defenders would have given us even more of an advantage in that area. Montero - still gliding past players even at the highest level. If we're going to go for the smash-and-grab 30 minutes against any other of the top teams, Montero should be playing. Against cold centre-backs, he'll pick up the assists and goals we need. Overall, 7/10 for today. The positives are there, but Chelsea showed their class in the end. It was still frustrating to lose the lead in the manner we did though, no matter who we were playing.
Just watched a recorded MOTD - no sour grapes from me as we didn't deserve anything yesterday but should Costa have been on the pitch? He swung an arm and made contact with Siggy's head on a free kick. If the ref saw it he would have been off imo. Shearer just said "if you want a fight he'll give you a fight" Sorry but I've just watched it again and he should have had a red - and he'll get more than one this season imo. Great player but very aggressive.
Another poisonous post from arguably the most poisonous poster on this forum. Which is quite an achievement when you consider the numerous other like minded individuals. "We all know it that's why he is where he is" So,where is he exactly? He's gainfully employed,doing what he wants to do,and earning a vast fortune for his efforts. In fact,he is probably earning more money in one year than you managed in your entire miserable life. Therein probably lies the hidden truth behind your mindless,hate filled outpourings - ENVY!!!
Well I have to agree Lib. It's disappointing to see Laudrup mentioned again but I doubt that poster's reaction would have been so magnanimous if Monk wasn't the Manager yesterday. More faces than Big Ben. I actually don't think we should point too many fingers. Man for man we're are not as good as them and it showed. Sometimes you can pull out a result but usually not. That's the way it is, unfortunately.
Oscar made a very dangerous challenge on Fabianski too, made contact with his head. Personally think the ref was right to not take any action but very doubtful that he would have made the same decision had the roles been reversed.
The keeper narrowed the angle perfectly on Gomis and Gomis had little to shoot at, thought maYbe he should have attempted to go around the keeper if he had any fault . Thought Gomis had a great game. Keep in mind that Fernandez hasnt even had a league start yet but he did let players pass by him quite easily .Otherwise, like bigkidders , was fairly happy with the performance . Chelsea may be the best Premier league team for years
I was at the match yesterday. Poor viewing position in Lower Shed,seat in line with the pitch near corner flag. So saw from afar the second half capitulation with all the goals the other end.Watched the highlights on MOTD this morning and Costa had the freedom of the pitch very poor marking.Taylor had a mare,midfield faded badly,Fed looked lost.The subs were too late coming on,great pass by Bony for Shelvey's goal. Bony is our best defender as well as our best forward and should have played the whole of the second half. The subbing of Amat turned the game,didn't realise he was injured. Highest price paid for a beer so far in an away ground,£4.40 for (Thai) Singha draught beer,no other choice. No wonder Chelsea can spend £32m on Costa charging those prices! Mind you it cost us £3.90 for a pint of Carling in the White Horse at Parson's Green near the ground,before the match.
Costa is pure class and the number one reason why they won the game. If he was not playing then we could easily have got a point as we matched them player for player. It took a special player with exceptional talent like Costa who looked dangerous every time he got the ball and i hope our strikers have took note of the level they must reach if they aspire to be called a great striker. There was loads of positives to take away from the match that we lost that we can work on in training to continue our progress of improvement.....
