chara

Thanks Hm....leaning towards your take....not too confident Chelsea can go much further although think there should be enough in the tank to get past Dortmund..but not cruise.

As ever not sure this is the right topic area. Am I the only one with a nasty suspicion that maybe Chelsea as a Club this season has written off every avenue of success and is concentrating on a rebuild ? Any forward momentum accepted but not as a priority....pain before gain and keep the powder dry for next season? This game and the use of the squad should give us some idea of the mindset. We as supporters are looking for victory every game but hard headed businessmen are looking for long term financial profitability especially from game income..I don't mean the turnstiles (do they still exist?) and I feel although both fans and management want success in the game there are different criteria in the wind.

@xceleryxThanks for the response....worth thinking about..the "situation" as a factor certainly makes sense. As ever who would/will be the "strong man? should the scenario work out.

Got me thinking...a yes man...but yes to whom ?....I don't buy the Media version (vision!) ToddB as The Every Face of Chelsea and the Controller of EVERYTHING. So..with so many new titles I'm a bit confused as to who does what..anyone?

At first reading the opening lines of your response I thought maybe you were having a (taken as friendly, no issue) dig at my thoughts but of course as I read on I realised you were expressing what I was puzzling over in a far clearer way. TFSW was detested and disliked by most here without regard for his coaching ability so it's not unreasonable to see the other end of the spectrum with GP.

Tend to agree with you about Conor...also, good coaching utilises the strengths of a player so hopefully his strengths can be emphasised (and improved) on the pitch to the benefit of team performance.

Matters not whether I agree or disagree with Hm (or anyone) I would rather see opinions and viewpoints I emphatically disagree with (or not) than keep clicking on a 404 error day after day! We are all here because of our Chelsea loyalty.... and guys...just keep those handbags swinging! No passion no real interest!

Follow on....some puzzlement that GP seems to be getting a far easier ride from all of us than any new coach, or established for that matter, I can recall. A possible reason that crossed my cynical OG mind is that he doesn't actually say or do anything to really annoy or upset anyone let alone us fans. Same with the football presented to us....lot of dissatisfaction expressed but no real ire at GP...a 0-0 result doesn't please any of us but it's a case of "Well it could have been a loss" "One point better than none"..."Defence is ok"..and so on...a slow descent into an acceptable mediocracy ? COGM 2... the more senior players are less likely to listen to what they might consider coaching bs...not for me to judge the coaching acumen,whereas a bunch of younger players might be more inclined to listen..at least at first...shrewd planning? Just thoughts garbled as they may be.

When humour lurked on the terraces...me and my mate Pete would make a point of standing near two older really funny guys and along with similar minded fans enjoy the banter...a Spurs game...guy one//"I knew they were poor" guy two.."Poor but honest"...the sublety of the praise not lost on the "audience"!!! Great topic chrisB...Thanks.

I believe that thought is at the back of the mind for a lot of us.

My sweet old granny ruled me as a kid with a rod of iron hidden behind her back!! You are a brave man ChrisB!!!

Casually watching Villa/Leicester....mildly interesting game with no emotional involvement but even watching casually two average teams it is possible to see training pitch coaching being followed by both sides...something I struggle to see from Chelsea. Maybe it's just me but week in week out lack of structure not excused by injury or selection issues is a missing factor. Will the real GP stand up..wherever you are or are we observing a modern Spartacus moment?

Took the words off my typing finger!!!

Love the avatar Maam....

Ah yeah...I always partner him with Danny Boy in my head...two great players who should have stuck to being just great ex players! The Bridge....will never forget climbing the steep steps..for the first time...potential deathtrap...and reaching the top looking down at such a green wonder.

Crux of the matter? There are couple of things I have a modest ability at....I listen to views on them but unless I think the :experts" have anything to offer I do not listen to them....it takes little to work out if someone knows what they are talking about!

Good post..but the quoted part above?...rinse and repeat,,,game after game a similar post (s) appears..with justification.

@kev61....good to see you here late...you never sugar coat a point and I do agree here although being me I would be slightly less to the point! Watching today I saw good players to my mind making it up on the fly..oversimplification but a good coach coaches a good team...a top coach coaches a top side .....I see no real sign that GP is a star coach...(or any real system) Added.. a few seasons ago I watched a preseason game featuring Citeh..it was pretty much a young non EPL side BUT the side were easily recognisable as a Citeh side. Do we see any identity so far this season?

As you say MT..This.

Quick follow up to the tears thread. Short very understated dignified farewell today at Fort Logan National Cemetary. They played Taps...I cried. Back to the silver screen...Seinfeld....Kramer and Newman in the Post Office vehicle and soda cans.

Regardless of the game it's just great to see the Forum up and running and such terrific freewheeling debate .....we know what we missed!

I watch with the sound off so missed that factor although it did look as if the Chelsea crowd gave Willian applause as he went off..was that so?

Only saw second half...couldn't quite get a grip on what was going on. Overall impression was GP using the game as a sort of "advanced" preseason game and "trying" things....totally an impression and the best as I can describe what I was watching. Long term a lot of positive signs somewhat lost in the overall view of the game. Usual licence to kick the s*** out of Chelsea but don't you dare as a Chelsea player glare at an oppo. VAR red card check...'aving a larff....perhaps they got the colours mixed up but soon settled that. Sad day when,for whatever reason. Chelsea can't beat a good 'ish Fulham (or any) side at SB.

yep

Of course it does.....you only need to want it to...I ask you,,hands?..(working chaps) touching?...Caroline one gender reference only? Come on Ham,,,wake up (smile)