boratsbrother

We also played well against Villa so they have put together a couple of good performances. Made better by them being two teams we will be looking to catch or overtake next season. I'm already prepared to stick my neck out and say we'll finish 4th next season. Providing we keep Gallagher that is.

Problem is we would have to take huge losses on Enzo and Mudryk right at a time when we cannot afford to take such losses.

All the media spotlight and stick has been on us this season, but even when we've had a difficult season, we've still been to a cup final a semi final and done the spuds twice and they end up with their usual bag of hype and nothing else.

Doesn't matter what his price was. What matters is that he's improved so much that he's become our first choice LB. Even when he was terrible I loved his energy and enthusiasm. I thought his biggest problem was that he was actually so enthusiastic it resulted in him being a ball chaser and not thinking about his position. He's still hot bags of energy but is more calm and thinking better these days. No Ashley Cole by any means, but now worth a place in the team and getting better and better.

Poch is bang right for having a go about the relentless scrutiny he's under one game fron the next. Imho, it's time TB came out and stopped the speculation and tell the media that Poch will be seeing out his contract.

Yes they are, but everyone needs to stand firm with them (and Poch) when they have their bad days because there will be more bad days along the way back to where we want to be. It's blatantly obvious they can and will only get better and better over the next couple of seasons. Great win but almost as important was the clean sheet. Hopefully that'll be the start of better things to come for our defence.

Not in disarray? We finished just 10 points above relegation. Below the likes of Fulham, Brentford and Palace. We are 23 points above the relegation zone this season.

Youre saying these players should be playing better than what they have done. What is that based on when hardly any of then have proved thenselves at a top tier EPL team? Furthermore, let's look at the facts of these so called run down players. Palmer is contending for the golden boot and has been one of the players of the season. Gusto has played so consistently well that even a fit James might struggle fo get his place back. Cucu was appallingly bad last season and on most fans get rid of lists, but is probably now the first choice LB. Gallagher has had the best season of his career. Colwill was holding his own despite having to play out of position. Jackson has done pretty well overall. Petrovich started very well but his form has fallen off s cliff the last coupld of months. Silva has been Silva, though obviously age has caught up with him a bit. Mudueke has done ok. It would be beyond ridiculous for anyone to say Poch has had a negative effect on any of those players! Flops. Sterling was very average last season and looked past his best and been the same this season. Mudryk started to look better but has gone backwards again. Caicedo is taking a time to settle but has shown improvement over the past few months. Disasi doesn't look more than a squad player. Badiashile has been woeful. Enzo has been playing with an injury all season. That's it. That's your list of players made rubbish by Poch.

Most of those attributes will be all well and good but will also only take you so far in today's EPL. What you ask for there is a built for 8-6th place but nothing more than that. Not being clinical in the box is not the fault of a manager it is the fault of the indibidual missing those hood chances, just as it's not the fault of the managed for our keepers making basic errors and costing us lots of points. Could do with a bit of shithhousery though. Caicedo is our man for that. Liking him more the more I see of him. 🙂 Jackson has openly admitted that he has missed too many chances this season. I must add that it's very refreshing to see a young player being so open and honest and not blaming anyone else for his mistakes. Makes me root for him to do well even more

No argument that we haven't been rubbish as well. But imho, it's a lot harder to start being consistently competetive against the top teams (which we have been this season) than it is to fix the problems we've had against the teams we should be beating. As for the poor results against the top teams. We were awful against Newcastle away. Liverpool just hit their absolute top form and were simply too good for us. Their fans say it was the best they played this season, so a top of the table team on peak form being far too good for a midtabld team isn't something unexpected or unacceptable. As for the recent Arsenal game. I thought we recovrted very well after a bad start in the first half. Even the commentators were giving us credit for our play after that bad start and going a goal down. We crumbled after the second which was obviously disappointing. Wolves were the better team both games. We were just very flat against Burnley, Sheff Utd and Everton. Awful against Brentford. As I keep saying. There is progress but also still a lot to improve on and given another year I am more than hopeful we'll be at least top 6 next season. I'd be very surprised if we didn't finish top 6 and Poch would fully deserve to be sacked if we fail to get that top 6. My question is this. Poch tookover with the club in a mess both on and off the pitch. Did anyone expect him or any manager to come in and sort all the problems out in one season and in that season not once be able to field his best team?

The expected points total is just a number plucked out of the air. How can we say with any degree of accuracy what a unproven squad of players should be hitting, especially when it's had so many injuries and not been able to field it's best starting line up once this season. Just look at our entire squad and see who's proven themselves as top quality premiership players - retiring Silva. Past it Sterling. Constantly injured Chilwell and James who's injured even more often. That's it! The rest are an unproven bunch of random young players thrown together in a mad rush. All we can say is that the squad has the potential to grow into a quality team in the coming seasons.

How did we outclass 4th place Villa twice at their own ground this season? Get two draws against City and push them to the wire in a third game. Be 20 goals up against Arsenal and be clearly the better team for 75 minuets. Thrssh Newcastle. Beat Utd for the first time in years. Draw against Liverpool and should have beat them in the Cup final. No team can get those results and performances against the top teams without being set up properly.

Whats more important to you. Holding grudges or supporting the manager of your team? I'll admit that I didn't want Rafa here, or Poch for that matter and for obvious reasons. But once they become the Chelsea manager I disgard my objections to their appointment and support the manager while they are here. I'm firmly against Jose returning, but again, if he returns then I'll be rooting for him to do well.

He did a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances! Also held himself together with great dignity.

Spurs, Utd, Villa and Newcastle are the teams we have fo try to catch up with before we can think of competing with the top teams. Those stats are factual proof that we are closing the gap that was there at the start of this season. Close that gap and some good cup runs were what fans were asking for at the start of the season. Regardless of the score tomorrow, that has been achieved, but the goal posts have been moved since the goals were set.

The big problem with Jose is his method of playing is seriously outdated in this era of the Premiership. The top ckubs have managers that send their teams out to play without fear home and away against every team, to score goals and win. Jose would not send a team out to attack City, Liverpool, Arsenal and others home and away. He would send his team out to try not to lose, hopefully get a goal a hang on for dear life. Not only would it be horrendous to watch, it simply wouldn't get us very far in the long run. He'd also ruin Palmer the same way he ruined Mata.

Dont know where else to put this , so i hope the mods don't mind me posting it here? Brighton are interested in McKenna, who would be my first choice if Poch is sacked. Personally, I think moving from Ipswich to Brighton would be a very bad mistake and could set his career back years. Ipswich have the greater history and are on the up over a club that's looking like it's peaked and on the decline. That said, he'd be equally bonkers to come and join us on a shit or bust one year contract. Could well become the next great British manager if he plays his cards right and chooses the right club.

Until Klopp signed a great centre back and keeper, his team were also chaotic, playing what their fans called "heavy metal football' with all out attack and little defence. Not even Klopp could sort everything out in one season. There's an agenda against Poch just as there was against Rafa, and you know it!

Popped over to a Spuds forum to see what they think of the game and came across this stat. One manager is getting praise for doing a good job with a settled team at a club with no real issues, on or off the pitch and nobody wanting him sacked. The other gets nothing but stick and everyone wanting him sacked. Last 5 games - Chelsea have 8 points, Spurs have 7. Last 10 games - Chelsea 17, Spurs 16. Last 15 - Chelsea 26, Spurs 24. Last 20 - Chelsea 32, Sours 34. Last 25 - Chelsea 37, Spurs 40. Hmmmm.

Before I get stuck into your post, I must stress that I think you're one of the nicest, most reasonable posters on here, but imho, this post typifies the unfairness on here towards the current manager. Any manager should be sacked when he is not doing a good enough job. Fair enough. But if that manager only gets one year, then isnt only fair for the next to get the one year as well? Then you go onto talk about the squad being top four or top 5-8. Covering a lot of basis there without saying what you think the quality of this squad is. We are currently 9th with a hand in hand and could easily finish in that 5-8 bracket, but if we did we should still sack the manager but keep the next one if he did the same. Is this a top four squad right now? Is it a top 5-8 right now? What about domestic cups, which we haven't won one for 6 years. To better the current manager he'd need to win a cup or get to two finals. Sack the next one if he doesn't get too 4 or win a cup?; All this achieved with two shit keepers who've cost dear. Individual brain farts that have cost us dear An injury crisis of the like we've never seen resulting in us never being able to play a settled, first choice back four. No quality CF. I won't bother listing the undeniable facts of the progress being shown as that's been done to death but always discarded. 2 options here. Play safe and sensible and see how Poch can do with a fit squad. Bit more experience. A settled defence. We'll be challenging for top four if those three happen! Or get rid and start all over again with yet another new manager who'll probably want to play a different style of football. If it's a pragmatic, defensive one, then we can kiss good bye to seeing Palmer flourish. Time wasted with the new manager having to get to know the players, who'll fit his system etc. Imho, if we get a new manager, unless we are extremely lucky, it's highly more likely we'll at best tread water next season and then watch the calls for another sacking.

Poch isn't "my man" he's our clubs man. I never rated him as an elite level manager who could get us back to challenging for the league. I never even wanted him to come here. it's just that I want our managers to be given a couple of seasons, that's all. I'd ask for the same if we appoint De Zerbi.

I go for an extremely boring 0-0 draw. 🤪

The Telegraph is saying they lacked soul and motivation. That's about as bad as it gets in terms of criticism for a manager of a football team and ties in very well with my comment before their latest drubbing that his players have downed tools. I know our club does some strange and mad things at times, but appointing Dr Zerbi would top them all. That said, i'm no longer worried that he'll be in the frame if Poch is sacked.

Then maybe we should learn a lesson about not giving up on players too soon.

I agree with nearly all of that. I think it's a mentality issue at the moment. Getting them right to be as up for the games against a Burnley as they are against a City. Getting them right to play their best under the pressure of having to beat the teams the should be beating 9 times out of 10.