Newspaper reports
The Guardian, Dominic Fifield: “Chelsea’s conviction continues to wilt. This may have been the least significant of the four defeats suffered in their past eight matches, with the result long since meaningless in the context of qualification, but the sense that this season is veering away from them has been maintained. Confidence has taken another pounding.”
Daily Telegraph, Jason Burt: “Against the Marseillais, the Chelsea malaise continued. In this famous old port they had hoped to find the haven of a victory to re-launch their season, but the Champions League is not a refuge. This team has lost its way, even if they had already surged into the last 16, winning Group F prior to this match.”
The Independent, Mark Fleming: “Roman Abramovich has been preoccupied of late, busy helping out Russia’s successful bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Sooner rather than later, however, the ruthless Russian oligarch is going to decide the time has come to act as Chelsea’s season limps from one disaster to another.”
Official Chelsea FC Website: “Chelsea’s poor form continued with a narrow defeat in the south of France on Wednesday evening. A late goal from Marseille forward Brandao proved enough to end our five-game winning streak in the Champions League, and although we progress from Group F in first place, we have claimed victory in just one of our last six matches.”
The goal
Carlo’s reaction
“This was not 100% the performance I wanted. The first half was good for us, defensively we were good… but overall, we can do better. Defensively there was tactical discipline, but in attack we have to do better – we didn’t have many chances and we needed to be better with our final pass and our shooting. We have to improve, obviously, especially with Tottenham, Man Utd and Arsenal coming up. Really, we have lost confidence.”
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tony Glover, Chelsea FC Blog. Chelsea FC Blog said: Champions League: Marseille 1-0 Chelsea – Newspaper Reports, Goal Video, Carlo’s Reaction http://goo.gl/fb/9imZu […]
“we didn’t have many chances…”. Nonsense. We did a fair bit going forward, just lacked someone with the nous and conviction to do something with the ball other than run into a defender or try to score from forty yards.
I mentioned a while ago after yet another awful performance that there’s too much complacency in the squad. Players know they’re selected and seemingly deciding there’s no point in excelling or over exertion, I’ll just enjoy a few nights on the South coast if France.
Richard Keys asked last night if Carlos plan backfired (pick a full strength team and cross your fingers for the season-correcting performance). The answer is ‘spectacularly’. Should have given more of the kids a chance. It’s been proven in this slump that some of the older heads can’t be relied on when the going gets tough, so see what the kids do. No disgrace in that. But no, we pick the usual suspects and they disappoint again.
Despite it all, was really impressed by Josh. A Marseille midfield full of internationals, including the tricky Valbuena who did for England recently (that’s not saying much, I know), he was our best midfielder. Calm and collected on the ball, hugely successful with 99% of his passing (one hospital ball to JT in the first half, and mis-communication with Essien over a quick freekick in tge second aside). All his short passing showed the rest in blue how it’s done. All his long range passing showed the same. And he had a trick or two – the dropped shoulder on Valbuena in the second half had me guffawing at the TV.
We’ve got something special on our hands there. What would help more would be him getting regular cameos in a team that’s playing well regularly, not outshining players twice his age earning infinitely more money than him. They should be ashamed.
The team are just lacking confidence. This rut started before Ray was sacked, though that must have had an affect. What they need is a decent result against spurs and all will be back on track. Lamps coming back would be a boost too, and hopefully will lift everone’s spirits.
David.
http://www.keelbyunited.co.uk
Respect to Nick for setting up this match posting even though all he really wanted to do was have a cosy evening around his Cornish fire-place.
I thought Carlo’s pre-match comments were beginning to sound as though they were infused with discursive significance but, on the repeat shambles I saw last night, they are just whistling in the wind. He MUST know that Drogba, Essien, Kalou and Bosingwa are not fit to play so WHY does he keep playing them? You really are beginning to sound like the con-man over at Upton Park at the moment, Carlo.
The side needs a complete revamp, not comforting little chats back at the training ground.
And Josh needs to be involved in every game now. Any doubts that he is too slight to stand up to the pitch bullies would have been dispelled by the crunching, sliding, tackles he executed in defence last night.
should Carlo be turning Josh into a DM rather then a CM or even an AM? I really thought Josh could be our lamps replacement.
Starting to know how relegation candidates feel – when times are tough, everything seems to go tits up. Quite how we didn’t get the two penalties that were richly deserved with extra officials overseeing things will remain one of life’s great mysteries. Add the jammy deflection for their goal and you have to feel that however poor our form is, our current scenario is rather like a burnt steak; dark, tough and the chips are always stacked against you.*
Current form was illustrated in microcosm when Malouda broke with Kalou and Drogs in support – second half, I think – three against two; he hesitated, cut inside, dithered and the chance went begging – a couple of months ago he’d have stuck a ball into the box and you’d take a reasonable bet on someone being on the end of it.
Very difficult to know what to do with the likes of Drogs and those who are out of form; on the one hand, you almost have to keep playing them as dropping them might make things worse and put additional pressure on us, but hoping that they will play themselves back into form is equally risky. I don’t think Carlo is coping too well with the conundrum, either.
Josh was the bright spot – moves and uses the ball quickly and incredibly well for a youngster; reminds me a bit of (and this is in no way a Barclay-esque “he’s the best in the world / the new …” piece of hyperbole) the likes of Ruud and Zidane in that sense. One wonders whether he can be risked week in, week out, albeit that we’re starting to run out of options now.
And without wishing to reopen the Kalou can of worms, whilst he was frustrating at times last night, did anyone else actually cause their defence any kind of concern or indeed get themselves into anything like a scoring position? I’m struggling to recall one.
Paulo’s positioning for the goal wasn’t good; I can only add my name to the list of those very concerned about what Bale will do to him on Sunday if he comes up against him – already having visions of the Franco / Julian Dicks style mauling. Ivan (performed well last night) at right back would be preferable, albeit that I can’t see it happening.
Small consolation – top of the group and hopefully we’ll be in better form come February when the Euro fun starts again.
* May as well throw a ‘Young Ones’ quote in for good measure.
Awful team selection. Carlo has made a right rod for his own back since picking Paolo over Bruma v Sunderland and has now put himself into a position where he feel he can’t risk the kids because morale is so low even though they are patently more suited to playing then the oldies. He has really screwed up recently and the next month could be shocking. Could do with a spot of luck as well, as Kaiser points out. We’ve had a load of penalties denied in the last three games – and given that is the only way we are looking to create, we need every pen we can get. Can’t JT start bawling out refs again?
Have never gone into a Spurs game with such low expectations.
And to make matters worse Alan Pardew is no longer available 🙂
Butchered and bastardised from my comments on previous thread re last night…..basically I’m being lazy.
What have we learnt from last night?
1.) Whatever the question is, the answer is not Kalou.
2.) Drogs is having a continuing mare and thinks he’s better than he actually is. But we’ll need him against Spuds
3.) Our best passer is 17 and very probably still a virgin – well he looks like one
4.) Ferreira is no left back
5.) Bosingwa is way off our best right back, which sadly is Ivan or even Ferreira
6.) Lampard is missed. So is Ballack
7.) The impostor is back in place for Essien. Whoever is pretending to be him is utter shite
8.) Carlo looks lost, bereft, confused and daft
9.) He needs a decent assistant so if not Ray then fucking Leonardo, Maldini, Clarke, Zola, Hughton is a good ‘players’ man….anyone but Emenalo and an ‘out of his depth’ Clement
10.) Anelka is the best ball player we have
11.) SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG!
Lastly, CA said the result wasn’t important but the performance was. So why, why, fucking why risk the senior players on this game and why not start Kakuta, PvA, Studge, Josh, Sala, Turnbull and even Mellis? Why not? If the defeat was acceptable then why not gain some valuable top line game time for the kids?
Why? Because he doesn’t trust them. I fear CA thinks he can do what he did at Milan and take a bunch of players into the mid-late 30’s, but we do have to look at the fucking crock of shite he left behind. If CA is the future then he needs to rapidly rethink his attitude towards the youngsters or make it clear they can all go. The logic of his team selection tonight was unfathomable.
Spurs will be rubbing their hands with glee, especially with a days extra rest.
An allegorical tale….
I remember when Buster Douglas knocked out the seemingly invincible Mike Tyson. Tyson sort of semi recovered but was never the same again and from that point onwards the decline started and once it set in there was no coming back. He didn’t change his style and his opponents lost their fear and worked out his game. Had he had the foresight to change from ‘fighter’ to ‘boxer’ then he could have gone on longer.
Just saying like…..
Felt like a re-run of Saturday: just about adequate first half followed by increasingly awful and ineffective display and conceding another late goal. Only plus points I can think of are it was a meaningless game and at least Josh, van Aanholt and Bruma [at last] got varying amounts of game time.
I’m currently wavering between having nightmares thinking about Bale v Ferreira on Sunday and wondering if it’s all part of Carlo’s cunning plan – is there anything more likely to take a pratfall than an over-confident Spuds side? They certainly can’t be quaking in their boots about facing us.
Perhaps the plus side for Sunday (if there is one) going into the game as underdogs might take some of the pressure off us.
I can’t think of anything else positive to say, I’m already a jibbering wreck, so I think I’ll be watching behind the sofa, that might help me get through the 90mins.
Sunday is unlikely to be pleasant. Only caveat to that is that Spurs are getting a little over confident at the moment and can’t defend; someone will eventually take them down a peg or two – just can’t see it being us, unfortunately.
*clutches at minute, almost invisible straw*
We are undoubtedly in a deep trough and this is in no way to try and distract from the general shiteness hanging over us, but fuck me I’m fed up with fucking referees and particularly in this fuckpot competition. How do we not get either of those two obvious decisions? Two or even one up at half time and I’ll lay money the result and discussion afterwards are different. As JD says, when it’s against you it’s against you. No excuses and something is clearly badly wrong but I am so fed up with the gobshites who run/ruin this game…..
Does anyone think about giving Bruma a run on sunday and put Brannes in the right back. I understand it might be risky but youngsters will sometime thrive on more responsibility. Also they have Brannes & John to guide him in the game….
Kelly played very well against Ashley for Liverpool. Jones played really well last season for Rovers against us.. why can’t we just try that.. We can have ferriera against fast wingers.. it will just too much for him..
I’d vote for that. Put Ivanovic on Bale and hope for the best at centre-back. It’s only Crouch or Pavlywhotsits after all.
Quelle fucking surprise!
Lampards not fit for Spurs game. Ancelotti is really strting to annoy me now. every week he says Lamps will be fit and every week he dashes those hopes. Why fucking say it last week that he’ll be back for this game? He’s getting more and more like a Tory politician, promising something and delivering nothing. Jam tomorrow!
I agree.
If he simply told us at the start that it was a 3 month injury and not the “couple of weeks” he predicted in September, then the fans and most importantly players would have been ready to weather the storm until 2011. I remember under Avram when a midfield 3 of Makelele, Sidwell and SWP carried us for weeks as everyone knew we were in the shit injury wise and a siege mentality built up meaning the injuries didn’t really hurt us. At the moment the form, injuries, penalty decisions and board room stupidity are all adding up to a perfect storm of a disaster but I just don’t feel that same siege mentality which has got us through in the past. Perhaps Carlo is too relaxed as the players simply brush off every terrible result and look forward to getting home whilst the rest of us struggle to find something to do. I sometimes wonder if they realise how frustrating it is not being able to watch MOTD or read any papers for months on end as we lose or draw every game we play.
Anyway, I’d like to change my prediction for Sunday now Lamps is out. 3-0 for me. Bale, Defoe and Keane (he always scores against us).
from the first day CA come to SB i already said, owh my god, we have to prepare for de oldies player to play for chelsea,
im know im rite, we have a bunch of player young and telented player, why didnt he use them,
why when he has gone, milan are looked better, i dont know, but the thing that i know, he`ll be sack after this spurs game
bye bye mr anceloti…
Just seen Skys preview of the game. Forgot how much Bale destroyed Ferreira last season. Bales now in better form, Paulo a year older and probably even slower. Someone make sure the Met are at WHL, there’s going to be a massacre on Sunday.
We may as well write Lamps off for the season. Going to take him a month of regular football to get somewhere near the Lamps we remember. I’d pencil that in for February then. Too late. Carlo’s bullshitted us and everyone else for too long. Now he’s saying they’ll arrange a game for Thursday for him, so at least another week away. Utter shit. More Ramires. Oh joy.
Either he’s completely shit at mind games, or there’s deep rooted problems with Lamps injury and recovery. Either way, we’re fucked in the short term. Too little too late for me.
Of course annoyed by Lamps delay – but if CA has one iota of doubt it’s better not to risk him. He’s been out for months and he isn’t the magical answer to our stunning decline.
A bit pessimistic Habs … 3 – 0 ?? sure they are in form and we, well nuff said. But still it’s spurs and I the eternal optimist think this is just the catalyst game we need to get season back on track.
There’s little for me to add here.
Play the youngsters and keep the old guys ready to come on if needed and when the pace of the game slackens.
It’s just not working doing it the other way round – what’s the Italian for ‘When you’re in a hole…?’
F*ck me……….
Some people need to grow a backbone on here! Either that or get a job writing for the Daily Mail.
Sure we are in awful form, and sure Spurs have had the wood over us in recent encounters, but for Christ sake…… It’s only Tottenham!
We may well lose tomorrow, but we won’t get spanked 3-0……. Personally I think tomorrow will be the turning point.
And let’s show a little perspective….. If we win tomorrow and Utd and Arse draw, we will be top of the league again.
Positive stuff in the press tomorrow morning.
The headlines are that Carlo has Roman’s backing and Roman is going to spend in January. Finally, some investment. Phew.
I don’t understand the bashing on Carlo for not getting lampard back into the fold for tomorrow’s game.. instead I am happy that he doesn’t want to take risk and he has the balls to do it considering we are not well.
I personally pray and hope tomorrow is the turning point for our season and we go on to win the game handsomely.
Thought Frank was only ever 50/50 for Spurs anyway? United was always the target – anything else was purely speculative, surely?
Ah, the promise of money in January, when there is pretty much fark all to spend it on anyway…
Indeed, January transfer window is seldom the time to buy. Isn’t this just the Daily Wail hyping up fairly bland comments from Carlo :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1337607/Chelsea-set-buying-blitz-Carlo-Ancelotti-Roman-Abramovich-make-up.html
The relevant bit reads:
‘Now’s not the time to think about the transfer window because we have to play with these players against Tottenham on Sunday,’ he said. ‘But if we need to improve our squad in January, we’ll be able to do this. The owner is available for us to do this.”
Carlo has said several times already he’d only look to buy then to cover for new injuries. I’d predict right now we’ll buy no one, no matter how bad our results are over the next few weeks.
Would tend to agree with that; and even if we spent cash on new blood in the window, a fair chunk of in no way fickle support would be slagging them off as slow, useless Zahavi plants after half a dozen games and complaining that the kids’ development is being stifled anyway… 😉
Write 100 times – I must try not be a world-weary, miserable and deeply cynical old git…
I’ve written that more than a hundred times JD, but it hasn’t worked for me.
On a positive note for tomorrow, the last two league games at the Lane, Spuds have been the underdogs and won.
Let’s hope that with us being underdogs tomorrow, the result will work in our favour.
PS Why have I got straw under my fingernails??
Just like it was only Sunderland, Birmingham everton, Newcastle …..
Anyway the odd January buy turns out Ok, ivanovic and anelka aren’t too shabby ….. How about Spotty Parker and Ashley young?
I’m not one to argue with a man when his head’s still pounding from over-indulgence, but I think we’ve discussed this one before – Ivanovic didn’t kick a ball for us till the following August and Anelka made little impact [ 2 goals in half a season] till his first full season too.
Panic buying is not the answer to turning our slump around.
The point was they were bought in January and both were good buys, that’s all I’m saying. Not all January players are poor. Parker can be a bit impetuous in the tackle but would slot in nicely, I was sorry we let him go but he could make a Le Saux like comeback. I’m actually very pro using the youth
Oh and I got utterly trashed on some beer called Staropramen last night for which the price was a very drum laden headache. A blogger of note introduced me to it and he ought to be ashamed the deeply cynical world weary git. You know who you are….
That beer sounds like a name of an antibiotic, have you caught something?
Nectar of the angels… in moderation!
As I recall from my travels, Tony, that nectar comes from Czech Republic. I have been to their brewery there and it was costing something like 5p a pint.
Down to forth in the league. Surely this is adding to our crisis? It’ll be all over the papers tomorrow, we will have to qualify for next seasons CL now. Come what may tomorrow, it can’t get any worse than forth.
Small mercies and all that…
In some ways the nightmare scenario is buying a couple of ageing established upper-mid-level players in January, with the result that Bruma and Kakuta decide that their futures are elsewhere.
Of course it’s quite possible that neither of them will make the grade — but given the way the wind’s blowing with Abramovich and also at UEFA, it seems like it would be worth finding out.
So then, a point at St James’ wasn’t that bad then? I mean, if Liverpool and all their history go there and get a mullering, was 1-1 really that bad?
January has to mean Aguero, Pato and / or the Brazilian kid at Santos or no deal Noel. Although I’m most definitely in the use ‘the kids more’ camp. Like I was 4 weeks ago….
Just saw Frank in the tunnel. Obviously Carlo has read Fiftee’s criticism and decided to include Frank, ready or not.
what is kalou’s problem?
Terry cocked up, we are just going from bad to worse.
why!!! We started so well and we have to chase the game again … at spurs!! Bollocks.
It’s a problem playing Anelka as the lone striker if he keeps dropping deep. Terry’s having to keep running forward to make up the numbers.
whats sad is that Kalou has had all of our chances and is the only player getting into goalscoring positions.
Whats with this constant long ball?? What a sad decline.
Also – we need more pace and players that like to run at other players with the ball. I think that all our main players are 30+ so on a sub concscience level they are removing that part from their game and turning into more “intelligent” type players i.e. less mobile on the ball. This is fine if you have a good balance between experience and youth on the pitch. We do not.
I need to think hard in order to remember the game with worse passing.
65 mins in same problems as usual.
Concede a good but early unfortunate goal, other team sits back and hits on the break.
Dominate possession up to the penalty box, then nothing. We have no invention, no guile, no creativity.
We must buy a playmaker, support striker, magician at Christmas. That or build a machine to create a 25 year old Zola!!
All on you Frank!!
Also we must have the highest number of passes to the other team by mistake in the premiership ;/
Also go Drogba 🙂
If we play like that for the rest of the season we’ll be ok.
Bit disappointed with Malouda and Anelka. Thought they both showed as much effort as the French resistance.
Fereirra didn’t let anyone down.
I’ve decided Bales isn’t World class but Welsh class.
Aye, much better overall and quite heartening – bit jittery in places but a massive improvement on recent weeks. Bit of snarling at the ref too, which is good to see. Fairly unmoved by the penalty miss – having gone a goal down, expected the worst, so a point will do nicely for now even though it should have been three.
Bale is developing a serious case of ‘do you know who I am?’ syndrome; hands outstretched for every decision, lots of moaning – talented, but becoming a bit of a twat. The way he went from ‘career over’ rolling around to actually alright, thanks in the space of about 30 seconds after Essien’s tackle was a bit much too.
Something to build on for the Mancs next week.
ahhhh, drogba…from hero to zero…still, a good game. we did ok.
amazing game!!
The passion is back – but we have forgotten how to pass.
Ramires was shit all game and then when spurs were knackered his stamina was incredible. He is clearly an olympic long distance runner earning a few quid before 2012 passing himself off as a footballer.
Why did Drog not start? Lampard for Malouda?
So unlucky on the Pen 🙁
FUCK!!
Yeah lots of passion was great to see 🙂
I would have liked Malouda to have stayed on and Ramires off, then again Ramires has the pace and ^stamina to keep up with Spurs counter-attacking which Lamps may not have been able to handle.
Sturridge for me has earned his place in the team next week, Drogba/Anelka/Sturridge Lamps/Ramires/Essien.
Lets get 6/6 in next two games!!!!!
not so much does sturridge deserve it then kalou threw it away
I’m doing the lottery on Wednesday.
I called that penalty miss as soon as Drogs stepped up. What a shit shit shit shit shit attempt at a penalty. Performance getting better, but another slip up and we’re done. He got lucky with his first, though Defoe was offside in the build up to theirs.
Must do better.
A lot happier today, match report being constructed sporadically through the evening, but generally upbeat, which tends to happen when you expect the worst.
No need to be hard on Drogs Fiftee, no-ones infallible and he looked a lot sharper today. My one let down was Kalou again. If he remained a winger then I might just leave him on the bench but seriously think Studge deserves a start in front of him. Paolo…..well done….a few were ready to write him off (including me from time to time) – no centre back he, but solid right back for sure. I also thought RAMIRES DID RATHER WELL today!!! A big game for him but he acquitted himself just fine.
Report due midnight-ish ……
I can appreciate the sentiments where we have improved in recent weeks, but that penalty miss irked me, two points lost in my opinion. Not blaming Drogs at all, but just felt that when we got it, please give it to Frank for a fairytale return winner.
Anyway I reckon we can do the Mancs next week, providing we have the same attitude and performance levels.
Feel the same CP. All things considered, dropped points missing a penalty that late in a game. And it was an awful pen.
Should have been Lamps, I don’t accept what Carlo said about him not having trained for pens, it’s 12 yards FFS. Disappointed. Which sums us CFC fans up. Never happy ;-)…
While we’re (not really) on it, what the hell happened for their goal? Too much space afforded by JT but where the fuck was Mikel off to? The away fans section?