The performance of the referee was indeed laughable pete. He didnt let the game run and flow, and was too quick with the cards for time wasting and complaining. In trying to be a diciplinarian, he just wound everyone up, got Betis diving becuase he would heed their calls and got our own boys progressively more frustrated.
But as far as their diving goes, we played right into their hands with it. They kept going down so we went into challenges harder and harder until we ended up looking like the thugs by the end of the night. The boys too often lose their cool when a team plays so disjointedly like that
$teauA said:
Cole has no place in the Chelsea squad. Robben's problem at Chelsea is that the formation that they play in with one striker up top does not favor his style of play which is to run down balls get passed defenders and cross them in the box where others can score. If you pay attention to Chelsea games you will realize that whenver he chases down a ball like that he is forced to do more because he can't cross it cas Drogba/Crespo/Gudjohnsen (depending on who starts) is the only Chelsea player in the box. You can't tell me that Holland play the same because they don't, when Holland attacks the whole midfield goes near the box, with Chelsea it's very different.
About the game yesterday:
That was disastrous, they played like they knew they would win and when you think like that you NEVER win.
Alex, everything but your first sentence made some sense
JOE COLE HAS NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE TO BE A STARTE AT CHELSEA
.
He changes positions, fights into the 11 off the bench, gives everything for the team, plays his heart out, tracks back and yet some people still arent convinced. The reason he doesnt look comfortable all the time out on the wings is that he isnt a winger, but plays there for the team benefit. I dont know what else to say in his defense. He is only gonna get better, and one day, mark my words, he will be as good as Frank is now.
In regards to Robben, I agree completely. Crossing high isnt his strong suit at all, and finding the loan player in the box is tough because he must wind it through to them. However, I think I have a vague solution. When Robben starts, in my opinion, it should be Crespo up front, and Robben should be allowed, as he did in Holland, to drift towards the center allowing Bridge or Del to come up and supplaint him on the left. He and Crespo show good linkup, and the latter is both a deadly finisher to finish off robben's passes and runs diagnally into the box, and is good in the air to pull crosses and longballs down and let Robben finish off of him. It might crowd the middle alot, especially if Frank or Guddy push up from midfield, but I think it could work.
Rob said:
I am sick of Arjen Robben. Puts in no effort for Chelsea, I was saying this before the start of the year and during the start.
Once again I am proven right and whats worse is, the moment he plays for Holland he rips it apart. He is too scared to get injured at Chelsea.
We have to play Duff and Cole, I am convinced.
Now its the flipside of the coin. All I can say is that he does look scared of contact since that Mokoena injury, and that all he can do is get stronger and work through it. But to do that, he needs games. Robben is only slightly younger than Joe, but I see him very much as our Christiano Ronaldo: tempermental, runs hot cold, gets humphy when he doesnt play. He needs to learn that he is part of the squad, and as such, be a team player. But when he gets going (and damnit, he will when he can just make that breakthrough game this year) he will set it off like he did last year
Moreira_Benfica said:
Reaction: Angry Mourinho wants answers
Tuesday, Nov 01, 2005
THAT RIGHT THERE is exactly why this loss was excellent. Jose doesnt like losing, but unlike some teams, he has the quality to turn it around at his disposal. He will kick ass in training this week, and he will make sure they know what it means to play the full 90 with passion and heart.
The mancs are in the same position, but their team unity is at an ebb, and thanks to injury they are bereft of class all over the pitch: that is why they, ordinarily, would worry me, but for the sake of the weekend, dont. We must win, and Jose will make sure that we do, and that the players leave it all out there.
treble41 said:
Some newspapers are repoting that Robben has been involved in a bust up with Mourinho. If it's true, it was only a matter of time.
Supposedly he went down the tunnel in a humph and Jose sent an assistant to talk to him. I doubt he was mad at being removed, though, as he was the second winger to change and he was really not effective in his hour out there. I'm willing to bet the frustration of his inability to break through got the best of him.
Robben is our bloody player, damnit. Lets get behind him, in a non sexual way.
Now, my thoughts on the backline:
Many people were saying Carvalho was expressly to blame for that goal. The orientation of players before the movement was something like
----B----Essien--Mak------A
--------------------------Paulo (level with the top of the 18)
-------Carvalho--------Joe/mark (level with the pen spot)
--WG-----Dani--JT
...............Cech
1. A was Paulo's mark, and he cut back inside on him
2. as he did, Mak and Essien floated in the box, but Essien, though told by Mak, didnt mark B
2. Carvalho closes down A's shot who, after leaving Paulo for a half second, steams into the box, and fires straight at goal
4. B dummies it as JT moves to mark him, and it goes straight to Dani who Billy cant close to in time
5. They scored
For some reason, the concensus is that Carvalho shouldve had the man who drifted, and who JT had to leave Dani for. I dont agree, but its exceedingly clear that Terry and Gallas works better than Terry and Carvalho with Gallas on the wing. We made that adjustment to him on the right for Liverpool and it silenced them and put a big body on crouch. Everton had guys like Ferguson, so having WG as a 3rd big body back there was equally important. In this one, he switched wings because Jose was clearly not happy with how free Joaquin got in the first game.
However, the honeymoon is over. Put Rob's backline in, with Ferreira and Del-Horno or Bridge, and the defense will be more solid, end of discussion. We have conceeded 5 in the last 4 games, and with our quality and organization that is simply unacceptable
[/RANT]
