Chelsea 3-2 Newcastle United (11/03/24) | Reaction: pg 45

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We’ll be very good next season, I’ve got no doubt about it at all. Assuming we don’t see a repeat of the unprecedented injuries and impossible fixtures we had this season. 

[Infatuation Junkie]

Can someone lend me some fingers and toes so I can keep track against city next

[St1pe]

It feels like we’ve had momentum killers pretty much all season and have never really got started for a whole host of reasons - proper mid-table obscurity season. 
 

I totally get why people are frustrated but don’t see any solution with changing manager. As a fan base I think to a certain extent we’ve got to bite the bullet and accept this season is a write off and back them as much as possible. 
 

With a summer window and a less injuries we’ll be right back up there. 

[Stottie]

Disappointing and vexing game. When we've had a strong team out and not been knackered this season, Plan A has worked well as before, but when key players are missing, our tactics have left us as open as the goals against column suggests. Chelsea being there for the taking merely adds to the frustration.

[Mahoneys Tache]

A comfortable mid table finish would have been a luxury three years ago. I can tolerate this. 

[Cronky]

The difference between the teams was the quality of the players, particularly in the case of Palmer. He must be nailed on for the England squad.

 

Chelsea are still a bit incoherent but their passing and touch on the ball gave them crucial advantages. No need to panic. 

[ExiledGeordie]

1 hour ago, St1pe said:

It feels like we’ve had momentum killers pretty much all season and have never really got started for a whole host of reasons - proper mid-table obscurity season. 
 

I totally get why people are frustrated but don’t see any solution with changing manager. As a fan base I think to a certain extent we’ve got to bite the bullet and accept this season is a write off and back them as much as possible. 
 

With a summer window and a less injuries we’ll be right back up there. 

Yeah this summer is huge. Time

to move on the deadwood (top lads but thanks there’s the door) and bring in some real quality. With the likes of Tonali returning and a fresh start with signings I’m confident things will be far more upbeat and positive next season. 
 

This season is almost like what we should’ve had last season in terms of league position after the 11th place finishing. I think the club will be looking at a lot of things they could’ve done better this season too and that includes Howe and the medical team.

 

 

Edited March 12 by ExiledGeordie

[andycap]

10 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

Not good enough. The worst thing about it for me is that aside from Gusto and Palmer, they were and are absolutely shite. I can't put it down to injuries and fatigue here, we just weren't good enough and didn't compete where it mattered against a team I consider a soft touch.

 

We've thrashed better teams who've put in 10x the performance and effort that Chelsea put in tonight. I know football is not that simple but it stuck in my mind and felt relevant tonight.

 

A couple of really standout abject performances for me. I'm sure it's a bit of a knee-jerk but I'm sick of Longstaff now. He grafts his arse off and covers well but he's been woeful on the ball for a while now. Dubravka has been in good form but had one of those Dubravka performances where some of the conceded goals just don't look right.

 

Dubravka: 3

Livramento: 7

Schär: 5

Botman: 4

Burn: 5.5

Longstaff: 3

Bruno: 5

Willock: 6.5

Almiron: 4

Isak: 7

Gordon: 4 Murphy: 7

 

 

 

You've come over to the darkside young jedi 😂 

[andycap]

I think any good manager should be able to implement different tactics and formations to suit what we have available. Howe doesn't seem to be able to adapt a new style for our players to plug the dam so to speak. three a game except from the wolves game is piss poor and our defence isn't that bad. 

[jackyboy]

Dubs is very slow in coming off his line. Pope is just the opposite and I think it's unsettling for the defence 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 hour ago, Cronky said:

The difference between the teams was the quality of the players, particularly in the case of Palmer. He must be nailed on for the England squad.

 

Chelsea are still a bit incoherent but their passing and touch on the ball gave them crucial advantages. No need to panic. 

Often been the case for us, the problem is the contrast between our best and worst players. 
 

With our best lineup there is one philosophy that will work, with the second tier of players you want something more like the Rafa defend and protect approach to limit their weaknesses. But of course if you’re building towards the former you can’t really suddenly switch to the latter. 
 

It’s just been a season where everything went wrong and circumstances were impossible. Finish as high as we can, work on the squad again in summer and start again. 

[ExiledGeordie]

12 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Often been the case for us, the problem is the contrast between our best and worst players. 
 

With our best lineup there is one philosophy that will work, with the second tier of players you want something more like the Rafa defend and protect approach to limit their weaknesses. But of course if you’re building towards the former you can’t really suddenly switch to the latter. 
 

It’s just been a season where everything went wrong and circumstances were impossible. Finish as high as we can, work on the squad again in summer and start again. 

Yeah Rafa is as able to adapt in terms of the cards he was dealt. Howe is brilliant with everything at his disposal but I’m not sure he has that plan B when it’s not going well or lack of options. That’s fine to a point with horrific injuries but it could be his eventual undoing.

 

 

Edited March 12 by ExiledGeordie

[AyeDubbleYoo]

2 minutes ago, ExiledGeordie said:

Yeah Rafa is as able to adapt in terms of the cards he was dealt. Howe is brilliant with everything at his disposal but I’m not sure he has that plan B when it’s not going well or lack of options. That’s fine to a point with horrific injuries but it could be his eventual undoing.

 

 

 

I don’t know if Rafa really adapted though, he was playing quite conservatively even in the championship because he knew how poor our players were. His job was clearly to limit the weaknesses of the team. 
 

Howe is in a different situation, he’s working on a long term vision but he hasn’t had the players in the short term to make it work. 

 

 

Edited March 12 by AyeDubbleYoo

[Gallowgate Toon]

We executed plan b last weekend, tbh, and it worked well. I really hope we didn't abandon it and it was gamestate that changed things up last night as it feels like a much better plan for our current lack of personnel and physicality. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think last night we decided (a) Chelsea are vulnerable to the press and (b) they wouldn’t be expecting it. TBH it was working really well until we let an incredibly soft goal in. 

[joeyt]

Apart from Sheffield United and Sunderland I can't think of an away game this season where we've played well for the whole game.

 

I can't think of many where I felt we were hard done by because we lost or drew. 

[The Prophet]

36 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Apart from Sheffield United and Sunderland I can't think of an away game this season where we've played well for the whole game.

 

I can't think of many where I felt we were hard done by because we lost or drew. 

 

Other than a ten minute wobble, we were very good at Villa.

[ExiledGeordie]

1 hour ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don’t know if Rafa really adapted though, he was playing quite conservatively even in the championship because he knew how poor our players were. His job was clearly to limit the weaknesses of the team. 
 

Howe is in a different situation, he’s working on a long term vision but he hasn’t had the players in the short term to make it work. 

 

 

 

Too many players still in the squad and starting who were there in the championship. Loads need moving on, thanks and goodbye. We still lack genuine quality and its painfully obvious when key starters are out

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, ExiledGeordie said:

Too many players still in the squad and starting who were there in the championship. Loads need moving on, thanks and goodbye. We still lack genuine quality and its painfully obvious when key starters are out

 

I'm not sure there's ever been such an unbalanced squad in the PL. Maybe when Boro had Juninho/Ravanelli or just after the Man City or Chelsea spending started. But certainly not very often. Half championship, half champions league. 

 

 

Edited March 12 by AyeDubbleYoo

[gjohnson]

So many basic mistakes....passes straight out of play, players being caught on the ball, headers going everywhere. Embarrassing.

 

And I think it's completely obvious that Burn is being targeted as the weak link. I don't understand why EH can't or won't see this

[TRC]

3 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

I'm not sure there's ever been such an unbalanced squad in the PL. Maybe when Boro had Juninho/Ravanelli or just after the Man City or Chelsea spending started. But certainly not very often. Half championship, half champions league. 

 

 

 

In all fairness, last year were saying Longstaff and Burn should play for England.

[Holmesy]

6 hours ago, Cronky said:

The difference between the teams was the quality of the players, particularly in the case of Palmer. He must be nailed on for the England squad.

 

Chelsea are still a bit incoherent but their passing and touch on the ball gave them crucial advantages. No need to panic. 

Having someone like Mudryk breaking from midfield onto our pedestrian defence was pretty soul destroying as well. Pace is such an effective weapon, especially late on in games, and especially against us. I don't think our defenders even saw him until he was running past them 

[Erikse]

17 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Having someone like Mudryk breaking from midfield onto our pedestrian defence was pretty soul destroying as well. Pace is such an effective weapon, especially late on in games, and especially against us. I don't think our defenders even saw him until he was running past them 

 

I just watched that goal back, and couldn't help to notice.. Kind of looks like most of our players just gave up as soon as he went past Schär? They all just stopped and looked resigned. Mudryk still had to get past Dubravka and the defender running towards the line, there might be a rebound..

[LFEE]

5 hours ago, joeyt said:

Apart from Sheffield United and Sunderland I can't think of an away game this season where we've played well for the whole game.

 

I can't think of many where I felt we were hard done by because we lost or drew. 

 I was at both. Sheffield United actually started quite well and could’ve been in front first 10-15mins. Sunderland had a 10-15min spell second half also after losing Joelinton. You are right though ultimately both games we were on top for the best part. Struggling to remember a dominant 90mins like you say. Even PSG at home had long spells despite the score line. Maybe Man Utd away one of our best in the cup but they had chances too. Feel like we’ve never recovered from those 71min substitutions against Liverpool at home mentally. Fans also. 

[80]

7 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I think last night we decided (a) Chelsea are vulnerable to the press and (b) they wouldn’t be expecting it. TBH it was working really well until we let an incredibly soft goal in.