Ratings v Chelsea

[Spurs_Bear]

Rob told me he's SpursBear.

Can't believe you've outed me, I'd never do that to you Michael...

 

[Shea]

We set up to be strong and rigid so as not to make it easy for them to score - at the expense of our own creativity. Possibly thinking of avoiding defeat first and foremost and snatching a win if we get an opportunity against the run of play and can capatalise on it.

For the most part it was working pretty well - aside from indivdual errors Chelsea weren't able to create much against us.

Obviously we started off poorly and presented them a couple of clear cut chances straight off the bat which the ref saved us from with an incorrect offisde decision and then Hazard let us off the hook with a poor finish.

After that and probably right up until the Vertonghen mishap that you really cannot legislate for the game plan (a very AVB sort of game plan) was working well - not pretty to look at but seemingly effective against a top team away from home.

Its possible indeed that we could have held out or even snatched a win - we had already had two moments (the Sandro volley and Kaboul's header) which on another day could have given us the lead.

What was most disappointing was the way we just collopsed as soon as things started going against us - fair enough we were wrongly down to ten and wrongly 2-0 down but the way we just gave up and let them have the freedom of the park after that was nothing short of embarrassing.

I'm not gonna bother given a break down of the ratings

I'll give Ade the MOTM simply for his work rate - even though he was very isolated and had next to nothing to work with.

I'll say I was pleased to see the coaching staff applying a game plan that looked like it could/should have been effective in a big game away from home even though the personel let them down.

Lloris could have done better for the first goal - maybe that's harsh

The Dawson and Kaboul pairing is useless - neither can marshall the line and both lack the ability to antisipate the movement of a top class striker like Eto'o who left them for dead gambling on how events would unfold several times while both were sat back on their heels and trying to react to his movement after he'd already established a yard head start.

Lennon and walker as wingers was a nice idea but didn't work

Sig - well just like the Man City home game I didn't even realise he was playing. He should be sold in my opinion in the best interests of the club and his own career.

Bad day at the office - need a positive responce in the week against Benfica

 

[TEESSIDE1]

Don't know why you feel so pessimistic. Granted he lacks basic technique/brain but he has more than enough physicality to compensate. He tries hard. So he's learning and willing to take on more. He has been consistent this season and probably our best defender.

I think he is someone we can develop more in terms of challenging him to do different things.

Note on the other hand i dont think the same on Lennon. Some people earn this, i think Walker has. I think Lennon hasn't.

Loads of players have strength and pace but unless they have a natural talent as a defender, midfielder, striker etc ... they ain't going to magically develop into one.

Bale as a left back, had skill, could cross, pass and shoot ... Walker has none of that.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

I feel that with 4 players back from injury, it was just a matter of time before Chelsea's superior organisation would have been decisive. It's almost inevitable that we would have tired late on.
Chelsea's entire strategy seems to involve being the perfect hunters: Do what you like & we'll contain you, the second we smell blood we'll attack & kill.

Ironically, it's likely that no strategy was gonna get us out of there with any more than a point and few of us truly believed we could get more than that anyway. That it became a farce compounded by Tim's meltdown has turned what was already a zero pointer into what seems like worse.

People seem to be getting too caught up in saying how we "matched" Chelsea for 56 minutes. Even with 11 men Chelsea would have scored late on if we just tried to defend for 90 mins. Im convinced that we wouldn't have held on for the 0-0. Even while watching the game pan out it had Chelsea late winner written all over it for me.

We had the possession but it was just like under AVB we never looked like threatening them.

I still cant believe we had an attacking trio of Lennon, Walker and Siggurdson. I'd definitely agree with Tim that we're miles away from the top 4 if thats us bringing our 'A' game to Chelsea at Stamord Bridge... Yikes....