No Silva, no Sterling, no problem. Bit too simple, but finally a Team effort with more pace, more commitment and far more effort. Given no one has acquired more skill or experience since the last game, I guess it's down to Poch who has done something to wake everyone up. Whatever he said or did, hats off to him and the players who looked as if they actually enjoyed playing, and all of them did their jobs really well.The centre backs defended as a pair, the wide backs attacked like they meant it and the underperforming midfielders all performed up to the level we need. The two young wide men were just excellent, and the out of position Palmer was able to watch someone else do the things he's had to do alone. Now the question is, can we do it again?? This should really lift everyone so, fingers crossed we give Liverpool plenty to worry about.
Was a very good performance. Am just too wary of false dawns now with this team. Two or three times they have strung a good couple of performances together and I start to think we've turned a corner, then they pull a performance like the Wolves' one out the bag. After Palace on Monday we have City, Spurs and then Liverpool in the cup final! If we get through those without embarrassing ourselves, not necessarily winning them all, but without looking like mugs, then I may begin to believe.
Guess we will soon see if Poch has learned about selections and positions or returns to his normal ways. I'm all for dropping Silva, I think his influence is overrated and his contribution is lessening. He is too slow in his movement and too slow getting the play moving forward. He has become a problem, not a solution.The rest of the team can up the pace, and we saw against Villa what that can do. Silva puts the brakes on the whole team. I'm equally for dropping Sterling, who is without doubt past his best and now more of a hindrance than a help. His on good performance every 10 games is helping no one, Bad buy among a load of other bad buys. Sell in the summer and take the loss, he's not going to get better.
Poor first half against Palace, thought the Silva handbrake was being applied. Second half we sparked up quite a bit but didn't match our flair or speed of the Villa game. Gallagher then did his impression of a scoring midfielder, and although it was very late in the game before we hit the front all our goals including Enzos' were very well taken.Gallagher was really good yet again. We'll need another big step up to worry City, Spurs or Liverpool. Hope we can keep improving.
Against City we played maybe our best all year. First half we were probably better than City and second half ,we faded with plenty of very tired legs. The back 4 were particularly impressive, with Disasi and Colwill looking the kind of pairing for the future and Gusto and Chilwell in great form . Jackson had a very good game and his off the ball running had City a bit flustered.Everyone played much much Most impressive, even with City more and more dominant , was our determination to keep them out. With the Team showing balance, we did so fo some time while still giving them a few anxious moments as well. Why on earth the manager, after a season of out of position players, did it again with his subs is a mystery. Like for like was the way to go ,but he didn't and City took advantage. Let's hope with a weeks rest we see the same starting Team also start against Liverpool and play the same game against them.
Was a good performance. The back four had their best game of the season for me so far. Still need to be more clinical up front, still missed a lot of chances, but like I keep saying, I am willing to give Jackson time, he is young and its his first season in this league, and not everyone can be like Haaland and hit the ground running in the PL. And I have noticed that since Silva has been left out of the defence, our performances have improved. As good as he was, he really should not be starting for us anymore, unless we are hit with injuries. Agree about Disasi and Colwill looking good as a pairing. Colwill is not a wing back and we need to stop using him as one, because when he plays in his preferred position, he looks the real deal.
On Sunday we may see how far we have come. The last three games gives us hope but I strongly hope I'm wrong but I cannot see anything other than a win for the bin dipper's.
Can we play again like we did against City?? Who knows? I hope my confidence isn't misplaced, but I think we might push Liverpool pretty hard. Can't really see a win, but a hard fought, go- for- it game from our Team would be a great step up again. Just hope it doesn't end up 0-0 and go to Penalties !!
Yep it is what Poch is known for gung ho throw your balls at it football, it may work on Sunday and we will win you, heard it here first. Gusto shuts down Diaz, Enzo does a number on Macalister or whatever his name is, Palmer scores and assists for Jackson cloud cukooland. KTBFF.
No excuses, we threw this away with lousy finishing (as usual) and then a gutless capitulation to a bunch of schoolkids led by a proper Captain and professional player. We have no character. After being the better side for 90 mins, in extra time it is obvious we settled on 0-0 and hoped for a penalty shoot out. Absolutely disgraceful and Pochettino should be ashamed and embarrassed at the collective decision. Fight for it , run till you bloody drop, NEVER give up. But we have no leader and no guts as a team. Gallagher is no Captain and Chilwell even less so. If we are ever to regain any reputation or respect we need to start with a proper blood, guts and glory Captain. We've showed the folly of not buying a striker in every game this season, and last, which makes it far more difficult for the players we did get. And there are no signs that Enzo or Caicedo is worth the crazy money we had to pay for them. At best they are reasonably talented, but neither look to be in the same league as DeBruyne or even McAllister, who run rings around both of them. So does Maddison at Spurs and Rice at Arsenal. Neither look to have the potential to be as good as either of those. Sterling is the great deceiver, good for one game invisible for the next 5. Jackson looks a much better bet for a left wing spot than as a striker. Pity, he has great off the ball play, but just can't hit the target, a pretty big flaw for any striker.This is not the fault of any player, they do their best, but it is a disgrace that Chelsea have been reduced to such mediocracy and lack of fight by hopelessly inept owners, whose only success is to have made us a laughing stock. There are some good youngsters coming through, Gusto, Palmer, Disasi included, but Pochettino just can't get a tune out of them.He looks more and more like a serial loser. I don't see him as winning anything after that performance, just rumbling along mid table with an occasional false hope thrown in.Trophy was there for the taking ,we were too dumb and too lacking in courage to get it.
I dont even want to provide an analysis, its too exhausting. Poch isnt our biggest problem at the club, but he is definitely not getting the best out of this team. We have no one who can find the target, no leaders in the team, and we were never going to be up against a more beatable Liverpool team, and they completely bottled it. We need a new director of football and a new manager. New owners would be nice too, but dont see that happening any time soon.
Poch has definitely got us playing SOME good football, but always seems to go defensive last 20 mins. If it's not him doing this deliberately, then the team is just fading out, which is itself not great. That said, I think he's not progressed us enough. Much has to be his fault, plenty is the Owners fault. Yet I can't help thinking, if we had one really good experienced player in each 1/3 of the pitch, ie, one defender, one midfielder and one forward ( I exclude Sterling from this description) then we would be much better driven, organised, balanced and composed. We are getting better in some respects, but the basics are miles off.
Yeah Sterling is an experienced player but he is no leader on the pitch. I didnt expect us to challenge for the title this year, but I expected a top 6 push, maybe top 4! I thought we would at least be where Spurs or Man United are ffs.
Man Utd are definitely no better than us but get way less grief over their form. I love what Spurs are doing ( have to admit I plugged for Ange for Chelsea, but I've seen him do great work with no big names for years) Not a bit surprised that the bloody Spuds are going well with him. His players love him and play for him. We might do better bit by bit with Poch, but he's got no personality and is too conservative for the job that needs doing with us. Klopp plays Academy kids, ours watch from the bench while bludgers like Sterling stroll around counting their 300 grand a week. Best we'll do, I think is 7th, and maybe semis of FA. We really need a courageous , tactical man manager for our next Manager, and call a taxi for Poch end of season.
Sorry CP, have to disagree. Klopp has played his academy kids in the last few games because of injuries. Also, i think we would be mad to get rid of Poch and start the merry-go-round again. He's trying to stitch a completely new set of players together and given that most of them are 24 or less, that is a very tough ask. I feel he will eventually get it right but he certainly needs more than 1 season ! Even Klopp took 3 or 4 seasons before he sorted out Liverpool.
Disagreeing is the point of the site, glad you post !! Liverpool under Klopp during those early years improved as Klopp added players he needed. Poch has had all the players, maybe too many, since day 1, but some are going backwards, some standing still and some getting better. Problem is most going backwards are the big buys, and he has just not been able to get them playing as a team. As you say it would be good to avoid another manager fest, but I just think Poch is not a winner and not the tactician I hoped he would be. Let's see how he goes rest of season now he is finally getting 60mins or so of good play out of them each game.
