Match Ratings Ratings vs Chelsea

[Bulletspur]

Conte - Poor.
I didnt think Conte had a good game today. Slow with his changes, which let's be honest could have been made at the first half drinks break. Their second goal had been on the cards for a good 10 minutes before it happened where they were getting overloads on our left. I don't think it was actually necessary to go to a 4-4-2. Straight swaps of Perisic for Sess, Richarlison for Son and Bissouma for Bentnacur could have achieved the same results without leaving us horribly exposed on the flanks. We were completely overrun in midfield all game and surprised he didnt do something to sure up the centre of the park. Not criticising him obviously unbelievable manager but not his best day at the office today.

Spot on. They scored the 2nd goal because there was no one covering the left after we went 4-4-2. I was crying out for a straight swap between Sess and Perisic. Although we were out played, that tactic caused us 2 points. Good assessment on Conte

 

[C0YS]

mate we would all go berserk if we conceded those goals the first one clearly offside and the second one after the Romero stupidity - Chelsea had other chances notably Havertz and Sterling misses we had chances especially Kane's but we were fortunate today and on another would have walked away with nothing. It should serve as a wake up call that there is still a long way to go


mom for us was Dier over Royal - Conte got a little out manoeuvred by Tuchel today

I mean many fans would. But fans like to use external factors as an excuse for their teams failings. I wouldn't personally.

First one was never offside. It was a foul, (bentacur does get the ball but a tackle from that angle is always going to get the player too.) Richarlison wasn't in the goalkeepers line of sight. Being near the ball in an offside position isn't automatically offside. The goalkeeper has to be judged to have been impeded from seeing the ball by the player in the offside position. Looking at the angles it's very hard to make that case. If it was given offside, which can happen, that could be considered lucky because it would be a goal being chalked off for a technicality that didn't directly impact on the goal.

I actually think Kane's was the hardest out of the Son and Sess ones. Those two while on initial viewing look like they were hit right at Mendy they were actually very smart saves and Mendy got himself in a very good position to deal with them. But I think people are underplaying how clear cut those two chances were. Certainly not less clear cut than Sterling's chance.

The point though is, yes we were lucky some fouls weren't called correctly. But the only reason people care is a goal happened closely after those fouls were missed. This is the silly football fans idea of controversy. Those missed fouls are no different than all the other missed fouls that happen throughout a game, the impact on the game is exactly the same as, say, when Kane gets dragged down and nothing is given, it's just in one case a team happens to score at some point shortly afterwards, so suddenly now they are such outrageous decisions.

Decisions go against teams all the time, in a single game we are probably talking about a dozen miscalled incidents for both teams. Rarely is it that these decisions prevent your team, or any team, from defending against an attack. Chelsea weren't unlucky to be unable to defend a corner. Arguably, they would be lucky if a free kick was given to them for an incident that was completely unrelated to their ability to defend a corner.

 

[HodisGawd]

Very odd game. We looked knackered. Nothing like we've been playing recently. I was beginning to think it was a dodgy lasagne situation or maybe a punch up on the team bus to the ground. We didn't seem up for it at all. And then, at the end... we were.

Still, despite what's on paper a great result, I'm struggling to think of our MoM as no-one looked good. Kulu was really bad, after looking like a world beater for months. Davies, so solid and reliable this year, was so shaky. Maybe Dier was the best early on, but we were lethargic all over the pitch. Then Richarlison came on. I actually thought what he did with the ball was generally poor, but his energy and work rate asked questions and we, somehow, equalised. Wow.

But my MoM has to go to our old friend Karma. For years, I'm convinced Roman was nobbling refs when we played them. Not now. The American isn't a gangster and finally we got some decisions go our way. FU Chelsea.

 

[C0YS]

Very odd game. We looked knackered. Nothing like we've been playing recently. I was beginning to think it was a dodgy lasagne situation or maybe a punch up on the team bus to the ground. We didn't seem up for it at all. And then, at the end... we were.

Still, despite what's on paper a great result, I'm struggling to think of our MoM as no-one looked good. Kulu was really bad, after looking like a world beater for months. Davies, so solid and reliable this year, was so shaky. Maybe Dier was the best early on, but we were lethargic all over the pitch. Then Richarlison came on. I actually thought what he did with the ball was generally poor, but his energy and work rate asked questions and we, somehow, equalised. Wow.

But my MoM has to go to our old friend Karma. For years, I'm convinced Roman was nobbling refs when we played them. Not now. The American isn't a gangster and finally we got some decisions go our way. FU Chelsea.

We were knackered. It was 35 degrees outside. That's a massive factor. If you play with the ball it's much easier. But the heat certainly played a part in this game.

 

[isaac94]

Thought Sess looked out of his depth today.

lovely time to see Perisic in the role

 

[SUIYHA]

Lloris and a couple of the defenders did ok. Kane had a few flashes including the goal. Richarlison and Perisic both contributed when they came on.

Everyone else - unacceptably poor. Including Conte.

What matters now is how we react from this. If the players get a kick up the arse, go on a long unbeaten run and Conte realises that he can't play the same tactics and formation in big away games as he does at home to Southampton - this will be a good result. But if anyone in that dressing room is under the impression that this was in any way a good performance, then this will happen again and next time we will lose, simple as.

 

[SUIYHA]

I am going to give some leeway to these things though based on the weather - although Conte should have factored this in to some degree. Watching Arsenal yesterday - the likes of Jesus and Martinelli coped well with the heat because they come from a tropical country and will have played in conditions like that on a regular basis while growing up. Our play was noticeably slower than it usually is. Easy to say with hindsight but can't help but think we'd have seen a different tempo to our play if Richarlison, Bissouma and/or Moura had started or at least come on a bit earlier...

 

[FinnYid]

I still disagree, though. Their chances were much better than ours and more numerous. IMO.

Still, it's not like we didn't have good chances outside our goals. Sessegnon, Son, Kane and that corner before equaliser for example.

 

[piedpiper]

Feel like today was more about systems rather than individual performances. Or at least showed how systems can cause players to have bad individual performances.

Chelsea were set up to nullify our system - tightly marking the forwards and pressing the wing backs. When we did pass it between the lines, Kane and Son were notably poor and neither of them were sharp enough to make their usual rehearsed flicks and touches to get the Conte system whirring and the team up the pitch. Chelsea didn't make it easy for them, though, and basically made it a nightmare to get into the game.

Overall feel like our poor performance was a combination of Conte getting a few things wrong, our best players not being at it and a fired up Chelsea team with a strong game plan.

We need to come up with a way to deal with teams that do this to us, going forward. We had the exact same problem against Saints and Brighton last season so whether it's a change to the system or the personnel, Conte needs to figure that out.

He needed a 3 man midfield.... it cried out for that.... Deki wasn't his usual best and I'd have brought on Bissouma and gone 5-3-2 in the 2nd half.... playing 4 at the back only helps if you offer them proper protection via DM.

 

[SpursSince1980]

Outclassed and outplayed and outmaneuvered all day long. Glad we stuck to it. But eyes don’t lie. They were the better team by some distance. Hopefully it will be a lesson learned. And we will be better for it.

 

[McFlash]

I think we were almost too hyped up for it.
Some of the passing was shocking and seemed rushed, like the team just needed to calm down a bit.

Royal looked good again though and I was impressed with what Richarlison brought into the game.

A good point in the end.

 

[walworthyid]

Outclassed and outplayed and outmaneuvered all day long. Glad we stuck to it. But eyes don’t lie. They were the better team by some distance. Hopefully it will be a lesson learned. And we will be better for it.

We were awful. There is simply no getting away from it. Even the promoted teams will go there and compete physically but we just melted. It was clear from very early on that tuchel had set them up to nullify our out balls and conte should have acted much sooner before the rot set in. If you can't pass out then work the channels and bring the team up the pitch. We then turn their wingbacks around and can start to press when they try to come forward. Essentially do to them what they did to us. But conte refused for an hour. Kulu, bentancur and sess should all have gone at half time as they were clearly struggling.

Yes we got a point but it doesn't take away from the fact that we were embarrassingly bad for the vast majority of that game. The players know it, conte knows it and the rest of the league know it. We can be got at if we are pressed in the right areas, Brighton did it to us last season.

It also highlights our need for a press-resistant player in the middle and better wingbacks. Loftus cheek, reece james and cucurella looked levels above what we have and it made a huge difference.

It was a very chastening match for us and I hope that lessons will be learned!

 

[Spurs 1961]

We were knackered. It was 35 degrees outside. That's a massive factor. If you play with the ball it's much easier. But the heat certainly played a part in this game.

So Chelsea players don’t feel the heat but super, super fit, can run all day Spurs wilt? Just an excuse for what was an embarrassing performance. I was of course smirking at the end as we stole a point

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

So Chelsea players don’t feel the heat but super, super fit, can run all day Spurs wilt? Just an excuse for what was an embarrassing performance. I was of course smirking at the end as we stole a point

He never said that at all, he said it's easier if you can play WITH THE BALL.

 

[DannyNZ]

Left hand side with Sess, Davies and Son was especially poor and easily exposed, Davies and Son were equally poor after Sess went off. Midfield overrun in first half and not helped with Hojberg dropping into backline when defending deep. This type of opposition that presses hard is exactly why we need to upgrade Davies, and for Perisic and Bissouma to start. Bit of work for the set piece coach as it was too easy for Koulibaly for the goal.

 

[ralvy]

Left hand side with Sess, Davies and Son was especially poor and easily exposed, Davies and Son were equally poor after Sess went off. Midfield overrun in first half and not helped with Hojberg dropping into backline when defending deep. This type of opposition that presses hard is exactly why we need to upgrade Davies, and for Perisic and Bissouma to start. Bit of work for the set piece coach as it was too easy for Koulibaly for the goal.

Yeah, but those two are not so easy to replace, whereas both Perisic and Doherty would be far better options that Sessegnon. I hope after this weekend Sessegnon won't be starting any matches outside the early rounds of the Carabao and FA cups.

 

[danielneeds]

Chelsea had Conte’s favourite two build-up automatisms totally read. The one where the CBs play to the WB, they swarmed them, and the one where a CB or CM snaps a ball into one of the front three to control or play it round the corner, they stopped it from happening.

We need the players to react better on the pitch and solve problems. It will probably come as they grow together and Conte trusts them more as a collective.

For instance, instead of the ball rapt into Kane where James was charging out to him every time, if we’d have made them think we were doing that and then hit the ball over tne top there would have been a massive gap for Sonny to run into.

 

[double0]

We were awful. There is simply no getting away from it. Even the promoted teams will go there and compete physically but we just melted. It was clear from very early on that tuchel had set them up to nullify our out balls and conte should have acted much sooner before the rot set in. If you can't pass out then work the channels and bring the team up the pitch. We then turn their wingbacks around and can start to press when they try to come forward. Essentially do to them what they did to us. But conte refused for an hour. Kulu, bentancur and sess should all have gone at half time as they were clearly struggling.

Yes we got a point but it doesn't take away from the fact that we were embarrassingly bad for the vast majority of that game. The players know it, conte knows it and the rest of the league know it. We can be got at if we are pressed in the right areas, Brighton did it to us last season.

It also highlights our need for a press-resistant player in the middle and better wingbacks. Loftus cheek, reece james and cucurella looked levels above what we have and it made a huge difference.

It was a very chastening match for us and I hope that lessons will be learned!

We did well to salvage a point in the 96 mins of time added on. We played to the final whistle and showed a desire to get the result. No doubt though our performance wasn't good enough and should be addressed. We have players within the squad not found form yet and coming back from injuries plus a manager that can remedy this performance and more importantly won't stand for it...a perfect wake up call .

Happy with the result we played poorly and got the result is as good as a win playing great.

 

[AtoubaToothpaste]

Still, it's not like we didn't have good chances outside our goals. Sessegnon, Son, Kane and that corner before equaliser for example.

I never said we didn't have chances. They just had more and totally dominated us. There's no hiding that.

 

[AtoubaToothpaste]

Chelsea had Conte’s favourite two build-up automatisms totally read. The one where the CBs play to the WB, they swarmed them, and the one where a CB or CM snaps a ball into one of the front three to control or play it round the corner, they stopped it from happening.

We need the players to react better on the pitch and solve problems. It will probably come as they grow together and Conte trusts them more as a collective.

For instance, instead of the ball rapt into Kane where James was charging out to him every time, if we’d have made them think we were doing that and then hit the ball over tne top there would have been a massive gap for Sonny to run into.

This. We totally lacked any kind of independent thought out there or creativity. We were doing the same things repeatedly, watching them fail every time. I lost count of how many times Son and Kulu couldn't accept the ball and were easily bullied into the turnover. They were playing a high line; it would have made sense for Son and Kulu to play on the last shoulder and make runs to stretch them. Or have our WBs be braver, but unfortunately, the gulf in class between the two team's WBs was evident. Instead we made it incredibly easy for them to squeeze us and press our front three and midfield.