I see people are panicking and knee jerking

[Mr Makaveli]

Stop it ffs.

 

Most of the team were poor today.. Chelsea are a tough team to play at stamford bridge but 2-0 was unfair to us I think.

 

we lacked any cutting edge and that changed when Benayoun came on. Big mistake by Rafa to not play him but he'll surely have learned by now that benayoun is one of our best players?

 

anyway don;t get all panicky people, we've a great team who will murder all around them when they kick into gear.

[lawrie]

I dont think we were poor to be honest

Edited October 4, 2009 by lawrie

[Coyler]

Yeah, we started well and probably shaded the first half. Chelsea weren't up to much either and the two goals were gifts really.

[Gunga Din]

i dont really see anyone "kneejerking". i dont think having a moan after 3 league defeats in 8 games would be kneejerking anyway. we have conceded 2 goals in every away game we have played this season bar at Leeds, which is a cause for concern no matter how rose tinted your specs are

 

its not a crisis at the minute, but we need to start getting results against good teams or else we will be out of the league by the end of October.

[muleskinner]

The Utd game is going to be pivotal. Win it and we are right amongst it, lose it and Rafa will be under huge media pressure to be sacked.

[Gunga Din]

The Utd game is going to be pivotal. Win it and we are right amongst it, lose it and Rafa will be under huge media pressure to be sacked.

 

the only way Rafa will get sacked is if he loses the crowd. that wont happen if we lose to the mancs. we do need to go on a good run though, we need to start stringing a lot of wins together.

[CarraLegend]

Rafa wont get sacked whatever happens this whole season let alone month or so. We cant afford summer transfers let alone paying off the managers massive new contract and his staff.

[D.Boon]

i dont really see anyone "kneejerking".

 

Me neither. Surprisingly restrained in here tonight.

[allez les rouges]

Stop it ffs.

 

Most of the team were poor today.. Chelsea are a tough team to play at stamford bridge but 2-0 was unfair to us I think.

 

we lacked any cutting edge and that changed when Benayoun came on. Big mistake by Rafa to not play him but he'll surely have learned by now that benayoun is one of our best players?

 

anyway don;t get all panicky people, we've a great team who will murder all around them when they kick into gear.

 

I thought for 60 mins we were the better team. I was very worried before the match that we would be steamrollered in midfield like the champs league game at anfied last year. I was also very worried about chelseas set pieces after watching our team this season. However generally the midfield and the Defence looked a lot better for me.

 

As for yossi, albert had a poor game today, but one of the reasons yossie looked good when he came on is because he was fresh against a tiring team. If he had started with yossie, he may not have influenced the game as much.

[muleskinner]

I'm not saying it will happen, just that the press will go on and on about it citing him forcing Alonso out of the club as the point it all went wrong.

 

I'm imagining a devastatingly victorious Aquilani debut v the Mancs.

[madaboutlfc]

The Utd game is going to be pivotal. Win it and we are right amongst it, lose it and Rafa will be under huge media pressure to be sacked.

but he wont be sacked..

[D.Boon]

One thing is for certain. The pressure on Aquilani is huge, i hope it doesnt crush him.

[Maldini]

I can understand the logic of playing Riera. Wigan beat them by pinning in the full backs. Yossi wouldn't do that because he cuts inside. Riera was s**** though, has been all season.

[Sion]

One thing is for certain. The pressure on Aquilani is huge

 

That's not really certain is it?

[Cam]

i dont think having a moan after 3 league defeats in 8 games would be kneejerking anyway. we have conceded 2 goals in every away game we have played this season bar at Leeds, which is a cause for concern no matter how rose tinted your specs are

Is right.

 

The rose-tinted brigade will say "we'll still win - no more defeats and we'll walk it; we used to win it with 6 defeats!". The uber-miserable will say "we're on target to lose 3 in every 8 games - that's 15 games by May!".

 

We're a long way from last season. The squad hasn't been strengthened. The first team hasn't been strengthened. Feck, the all-conquering 'best spine in the world' has been weakened. And before anyone brings up the Aquilani-factor... the gamble has backfired already. We bought him knowing he'd be unfit for 2 months and we've lost 3 in 8 in that time. He may turn out great but are we always building a team "for next year" in a GH-stylee?

[Benzo-13]

Stop it ffs.

 

Most of the team were poor today.. Chelsea are a tough team to play at stamford bridge but 2-0 was unfair to us I think.

 

we lacked any cutting edge and that changed when Benayoun came on. Big mistake by Rafa to not play him but he'll surely have learned by now that benayoun is one of our best players?

 

anyway don;t get all panicky people, we've a great team who will murder all around them when they kick into gear.

According to Liverpool's channel Yossi wasn't fit to start. Had a knock.

[D.Boon]

Riera was s**** though, has been all season.

 

I think in a couple of seasons we will look back on Riera like Crouch. Decent player but ultimately not good enough.

[Maldini]

f*** that! I wish we had Crouch now!

[Tones]

Yeah would love to have Crouch here now. Didnt want him to leave.

[Nebraska Red]

we were the better side for 2 thirds of the game until 1 screw up cost us a goal, after that we struggled for 10-15 minutes and then we could not break down their defence.

 

we were not going to get anything from today once we saw the decisions being made in the first half by a s*** bag of a referee, plus we never seemed to be prepared to commit that little bit extra up front to score a goal before half time.

 

not too much knee jerking from most , just a realisation that we are short of ideas up front when it comes to scoring in games like this, and a certain amount of gloom over the current refereeing shortcomings.

[aka Dus]

That's not really certain is it?

 

I reckon it is. The amount of expectation that he can step into Xabi's shoes and do what Xabi did for the team was big at the start and only getting bigger with every passing dysfunctional midfield display.

[New York Red]

Riera was poor. Gave the ball away on numerous occasions, and just wasn't vert creative. GloJo wasn'[t his usual brilliant self either.

 

On the bright side I thought Skrtel and Carra were better today though the current limts to Carra's game were exposed on the second goal.

[Hassony]

Yeah would love to have Crouch here now. Didnt want him to leave.

 

Crouch, Momo, Bellamy, robbie Keane and leto all could have been decent squad players for us, none are good enough to be first choice

 

Reira is probably the same

[Earl Hafler]

Crouch, Momo, Bellamy, robbie Keane and leto all could have been decent squad players for us, none are good enough to be first choice

 

Reira is probably the same

 

They're all capable of better performances, though. And Crouch as a foil for Torres would be a nice option / variation to have.

[Nebraska Red]

Riera was poor. Gave the ball away on numerous occasions, and just wasn't vert creative. GloJo wasn'[t his usual brilliant self either.

 

On the bright side I thought Skrtel and Carra were better today though the current limts to Carra's game were exposed on the second goal.

 

I think that by the end of the game, both Carra and Skrtel were running on fumes, they had worked like trojans for the whole game and did a good job.

 

A bit unfair to single out Riera as he was not given much of the ball in a spot where he could be useful, and on the times he did get a cross in, we had 1 player surrounded by 3 or 4 defenders.

 

What surprised me was the way mascherano seemed to fal lapart for 10-15 minutes after their 1 st goal. a player of his stature should be able to shrug tha toff anf get on with the game.

 

Reina must be wondering what he has to do to keep a clean sheet, no chance with either goal for him today.

 

for me, our whole midfield effort to day was below par. we never gave Torres enough support , or, gave him a clear chance on goal until near the end of the game. plus, our midfield was at fault for both goals.

 

not a single positive from today as I see it, other than our usual wonderful support that did its level best to spur on the team.