On Drogba and Ferguson...

[JRC]

I was slightly concerned when Drogba came on yesterday. He's better at working as a lone striker than Anelka, could help them out defensively when we went all hands to the pump, and may have still had something to prove to Rafa - and maybe Scolari as well. We all have to admit that he can bully the best defender on his day.

 

Then the first time the ball comes near him, Jamie just eases him off it, the shoulders go up, the outstretched palms, the outraged glare at some other blameless colleague.....yes, it was THAT Drogba out there, and I knew I could rest easy.

 

Especially as they also had Ballack, Malouda, Kalou, Mikel, Anelka and, tbh, Lampard before he went in pretty much the same kind of form. I could well understand why most Chelsea fans calling into the phone-ins were not really blaming Riley or having a pop at us but bemoaning their own team.

 

Say what you like about Ferguson, but he's clearly qualified to judge the overall, ongoing quality of a squad required to challenge at the top level, and his pre-season call about them plateauing looks right on the money.

[Flight]

With Drogba I think its more that his head isn't in it. I thought exactly the same about how Carra pushed him off the ball. He's never done that before.

 

Drogba has always been essential to the way Chelsea play. They are much poorer not playing to his strengths and the midfield get brought into the attack much less.

[Smith]

Interesting points. Perhaps this is to oversimplify things, but I believe much of Chelsea's swagger went with Mourinho.

[sean]

Chelsea are a gutless shell of what they were. No spirit and absolutely toothless. Lampard was, as ever anonymous, whilst Gerrard was excellent. Anelka never worries me and Deco simply isn't cut out for this league.

[Swipe]

Have a mate who supports the Chavs, who reckons their problem is Scolari wants them to play like Brazil, when they have a squad of players build to play direct, physical football.

 

Think he's underestimating just how blunt and toothless pretty much every attacking player they have has looked this season.

 

They'll need to replace more than half their team, i reckon

[Falconhoof]

Malouda, Mikel and Kalou aren't anywhere near the quality they had in the likes of Robben, Makelele and J. Cole.

Drogba is a shadow of what he was, as is Cech. The Carvalho-Terry partnership was once rock solid. Now they each have their injury problems and haven't looked the same.

 

Will be interesting to see if Abramovich backs Scolari to have a clearout and build the squad he wants.

[JRC]

Forgot to add Cech, he now looks a liability. Punched every cross even when not under pressure; even the shot-stopping Pearce claimed he was still brilliant at looked laboured, and twice put the ball straight back in the danger zone

[charlie clown]

The 'Ferguson was right' is a mostly correct but it has to be said that earlier in the season they were playing some great football and looked like Scolari may have done something special with them so I don't buy in to Mr.Ferguson's view entirely - (although he is right about them being an ageing squad past their best). I think one of their major problems currently is that when they had that purple patch ealier in the season it was because Boswinga was doing teh business for them ass an attacking full back and giving them width they didn't previously have down the right. I think as soon as most of their opponets latched on to that he staretd to be shut downd and it has cut their effectiveness by aabout 50%.

[Raj]

Chelsea are really missing Essien.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Forgot to add Cech, he now looks a liability. Punched every cross even when not under pressure; even the shot-stopping Pearce claimed he was still brilliant at looked laboured, and twice put the ball straight back in the danger zone

Still the best goalkeeper in the world, of course.

[JRC]

The 'Ferguson was right' is a mostly correct but it has to be said that earlier in the season they were playing some great football and looked like Scolari may have done something special with them so I don't buy in to Mr.Ferguson's view entirely - (although he is right about them being an ageing squad past their best). I think one of their major problems currently is that when they had that purple patch ealier in the season it was because Boswinga was doing teh business for them ass an attacking full back and giving them width they didn't previously have down the right. I think as soon as most of their opponets latched on to that he staretd to be shut downd and it has cut their effectiveness by aabout 50%.

 

That's true - and I don't think it unfair to say that Rafa was the first manager to really put that plan into effect and show the rest how to do it.

[aka Dus]

Fact is, Mr Invisible is the best guy Chelsea could have had sent off yesterday. didn't make much difference, except reduced their chance of a jammy deflected goal from 2% to 1%.

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

Their squad is packed with top players who can fill the central midfield berth - Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Mikel, Deco - and they have one of the best lone strikers in the league in Drogba so it makes sense for them to play 4-3-3. It's just a shame for them with Joe Cole out that their wide players are distinctly average, if they're serious about being the best they'd consider big bids for dynamic pacy wide players like Ashley Young and Valencia.

 

Don't fully understand Anelka over Drogba in a 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 especially in the big games where chances are at a premium and are easier to come by if you can press and bully the opposition defence. Can't remember Anelka shining in a big game and it's not really a surprise - despite being a great finisher he doesn't have the work-rate nor the guts to take these games by storm.

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

Forgot to add Cech, he now looks a liability. Punched every cross even when not under pressure; even the shot-stopping Pearce claimed he was still brilliant at looked laboured, and twice put the ball straight back in the danger zone

 

Only now, what 2 years from the start of his decline, are the mainstream media cottoning on that he's not the best keeper in the league let alone the world. Jonathan Pearce slated him throughout the MOTD2 highlights and Gray and Hansen seem to have also taken note now. Who knows, maybe this is step 1 in Reina finally getting the recognition he deserves.

[Stevie H]

Fact is, Mr Invisible is the best guy Chelsea could have had sent off yesterday. didn't make much difference, except reduced their chance of a jammy deflected goal from 2% to 1%.

dead f***ing right. from a dead ball or from open play, i was glad he was out of it.

 

on drogba, i reckon mourinho used to brush his ego no end, tell him he was the best in the world and the most important player in the squad. scolari isn't that sort, he's used to getting results out of a bunch of players he only sees every few months.

[ManxRed]

Still the best goalkeeper in the world, of course.

 

[skysportspropoganda] Van der Saar shurely? [/skysportspropoganda]

Edited February 2, 2009 by ManxRed

[Rimbeux]

Chelsea are really missing Essien.

 

 

Mourinho, these are his boys, he made them into that force, they have lost their belief in what they do and what they're about

[Bootle Buck]

We are finally seeing the end product of Abramovich's buy everything in sight mentality of 2/3 years ago coming to fruition. A bunch of mercenaries who went there solely for the dough and nothing else.

There is lots of talent but little bottle or teamwork. Mourinho did better because at the time he had two quality players for every position. He also had a goalkeeper in Cech who was flawless, he isn't the same keeper this season.

[Billy Talbot]

Have a mate who supports the Chavs, who reckons their problem is Scolari wants them to play like Brazil, when they have a squad of players build to play direct, physical football.

 

Think he's underestimating just how blunt and toothless pretty much every attacking player they have has looked this season.

 

They'll need to replace more than half their team, i reckon

 

 

Funny that when Scolari became manager of Brazil, they moaned that he'd turn them into a direct and physical team.

 

Not that he did that in the end.

[stressederic]

I was concerned when Drogba came on yesterday as well, but bloody hell he's a complete f***ing coward.

 

Chelsea are hollow now they've got absolutely nothing in them.

[Toni]

inmho mourinho has a major part in chelsea s downfall. he elimianted their most potent attacking threat when he sold robben (bought by ranieri) and never replaced duff. joe cole was quality couple of seasons ago, but his injuries mean chelsea have no real outlet.

 

ballack, shevchenko, malouda - all bought by maureen and are all s**** and expensive buys. maureen toyed with the idea of having a midfiled full of solid midfielders and width was to be provided only by the full- backs.

[Reds4Life]

I agree that the loss of Essien has contributed to the downfall of Chelski. Probably throw Makelele into the mixer as well there.

 

Mikel just can't handle Gerrard and we've seen it in both games they have played this season. He can't take the physicality side of the game that Essien had improved on dramatically and then is very blunt when it comes to the attacking side of things.

 

There is no real danger from the wide guys anymore. Couldn't remember once when our lads were attacked down the flanks.

 

The attack is a one out forward who I don't think suits the role (Anelka).

 

DogBreath can't be arsed and it's visible.

 

Deco is past his best.

 

Cech is suffering a terible case of no confidence.

 

No Carvalho leaves their defence looking shaky at best. Although Alex did play well yesterday.

 

Happy f***ing days!

Edited February 3, 2009 by Reds4Life

[Farmer's Tan]

when we played chelsea earlier this season and beat them comfortably(as comfortable as a 1-0 can be)i said on here that scolari looked like he was lost just doesn't have any answers and i think thats still the case now,neither him or his team look like they have what it takes to win the league and they wont while he's in charge.i wouldn't bet against mourinho being back at chelsea next season.