Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1

[chara]

40 minutes ago, Ham said:

In recent weeks I called for Aubameyang to replace Havertz going forward.

My bad. Soz. 

Well Ham..you've not been well!😁(Hope feeling better)

[Original 21]

For the rest of the season Frank should just start all the players who are leaving. Just not to traumatise those who are staying any more than is necessary. 

I’d like to see a starting line up of:

Kepa

Azpi Chalobah Cucurella Loftus Cheek

Kovacic Sterling  Zakaria

Aubameyang Ziyech Pulisic

[Miguelito07]

6 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Lampard postatch interview was scathing,

Lampard has been scathing since the very first post match interview AND nothing seems to happen on the pitch.  WTF is he doing on the training pitch?!

[Super Kenny Monkou]

2 minutes ago, Miguelito07 said:

Lampard has been scathing since the very first post match interview AND nothing seems to happen on the pitch.  WTF is he doing on the training pitch?!

Sometimes you cannot motivate people who don’t want to be motivated no matter what you do.

[Proud-Blue]

At least Lampard doesn't say "the lads gave everything."

[chara]

35 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Lampard postatch interview was scathing,

If I've read this correctly he's blaming the nicey nicey training regime where they like to play their little triangles but don't want to work hard. I felt sorry for him, trying to be professional and not absolutely go for them. 

It's evident it's the players lack of responsibility that is the main issue they like it easy. 

Where can I find the interview?...or can anyone print it here?

[Original 21]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

In recent weeks I called for Aubameyang to replace Havertz going forward.

My bad. Soz. 

Yep. I thought he was the answer too. Clearly it’s David Fofana. Anyone know where he is?

[Mark Kelly]

41 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Why - was he a game changer, did out perform any of the Arsenal players?

maybe you have just accepted the mid table syndrome and six losses on the trot are part and parcel of the new Chelsea under TB

Yeah , that'll be it .

[Original 21]

It’s not fun to watch Frank’s managerial career go down the toilet. He could conceivably lose every game left. Can’t blame him for taking the job but who at the club thought it was a good idea to put him in charge? Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse we now have to endure this humiliation. What a bloody shambles.

[chara]

Drogba...remember how incensed he was after the cheated result in the Champions League?

Got banned as I recall but he CARED! Seems a generational sea change?

[Michael Tucker]

21 minutes ago, chara said:

Where can I find the interview?...or can anyone print it here?

www.chelseafc.com

[Ham]

10 minutes ago, Original 21 said:

It’s not fun to watch Frank’s managerial career go down the toilet. He could conceivably lose every game left. Can’t blame him for taking the job but who at the club thought it was a good idea to put him in charge? Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse we now have to endure this humiliation. What a bloody shambles.

I genuinely believe that if Frank picks the right players, with hunger, we win the next two before losing at City.  I think we might also get something at United and Newcastle, assuming the Geordies have already secured top 4 by then. 

I don't want to see Sterling or the current version of Kova again this season. 

Noni and Mudryk to start every game either side of Havertz who proved tonight that he had the required level of hunger and pride, despite his shortcomings.  Fofana2 head to be given a chance too. 

 

[Sleeping Dave]

2 hours ago, Flinkers said:

Congratulations Noni! Someone who still wants to play for us.

Did no one really go to congratulate him on his debut goal?

Sounds right, none of them nmbwnefita from him scoring apparently. 

[east lower]

Just got home at midnight. 
 

Absolute shambles of a line-up and first half performance. If people still try and tell me Kante’s best position is in the opposition half, then they’re stark raving mad. Lampard should know this by now, but what does he do - he bloody well plays him upside and leaves the Norwegian the freedom of the midfield to operate in and we were outnumbered. 
 

He should have packed the midfield, stuck Kante to man-mark him. Let the other two worry about the other two advanced midfielders. 
 

Don’t get me wrong, there was a few out there tonight that should be sent out to train on their lonesome for the rest of the season, but FL messed it up from the start.

[kev61]

12 minutes ago, east lower said:

 

If people still try and tell me Kante’s best position is in the opposition half, then they’re stark raving mad. Lampard should know this by now, but what does he do - he bloody well plays him upside and leaves the Norwegian the freedom of the midfield to operate in and we were outnumbered. 
 

 

 

Apparently  he's a "destroyer"... playing in a team that's destroyed!.

[Original 21]

35 minutes ago, east lower said:

Just got home at midnight. 
 

Absolute shambles of a line-up and first half performance. If people still try and tell me Kante’s best position is in the opposition half, then they’re stark raving mad. Lampard should know this by now, but what does he do - he bloody well plays him upside and leaves the Norwegian the freedom of the midfield to operate in and we were outnumbered. 
 

He should have packed the midfield, stuck Kante to man-mark him. Let the other two worry about the other two advanced midfielders. 
 

Don’t get me wrong, there was a few out there tonight that should be sent out to train on their lonesome for the rest of the season, but FL messed it up from the start.

You see, this is the problem I have with those who say this isn’t Frank’s fault. He gets to choose the players, the formation, and the tactics. He plays players out of position, or picks them on reputation, while his tactics are questionable to non existent. I get that Frank’s only been here a few weeks. But I don’t think I’ve seen a manager so completely out of his depth. The defending is shocking. His team selections are like he’s not watched us all season.  What is he doing between games? We look like a team that hasn’t been coached. We go into games without an effective game plan with players not knowing what they are supposed to be doing. It’s embarrassing. We’re actually worse than we were when Potter was in meltdown. We’re being outplayed in every game. We made Brighton look like peak Brazil. 

Of course the problems at the club run deeper than Frank and go back to the chaos emanating from the Board. But Frank is not a great coach. He never has been. He’ll be lucky to get a top flight job again. I don’t know if he can change. He doesn’t show any sign  of having learned anything from game to game never mind since he was fired by the club last time around. It’s just sad really.

 

[Michael Tucker]

Is there a 'game plan'? From what I've been watching, I have to doubt that there is. That was, once again, simply awful.

[Original 21]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

I genuinely believe that if Frank picks the right players, with hunger, we win the next two before losing at City.  I think we might also get something at United and Newcastle, assuming the Geordies have already secured top 4 by then. 

I don't want to see Sterling or the current version of Kova again this season. 

Noni and Mudryk to start every game either side of Havertz who proved tonight that he had the required level of hunger and pride, despite his shortcomings.  Fofana2 head to be given a chance too. 

 

I hope you’re right. I’ve actually been more depressed at our performances under Frank than under Potter. I thought he’d at least changed since he was last manager here. I’m a bit worried about the effect this string of results is having on the younger players who must be wondering what the hell is going on. Hopefully Pochettino can turn things around quickly in preseason. 

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, east lower said:

Just got home at midnight. 
 

Absolute shambles of a line-up and first half performance. If people still try and tell me Kante’s best position is in the opposition half, then they’re stark raving mad. Lampard should know this by now, but what does he do - he bloody well plays him upside and leaves the Norwegian the freedom of the midfield to operate in and we were outnumbered. 
 

He should have packed the midfield, stuck Kante to man-mark him. Let the other two worry about the other two advanced midfielders. 
 

Don’t get me wrong, there was a few out there tonight that should be sent out to train on their lonesome for the rest of the season, but FL messed it up from the start.

Kante isn't going to man mark anyone. He's not some defensive lynch-pin that's going to track players and deny space, and this right here is the big problem when it comes to trying to fit him into the current day side. He's become a cumbersome fit. Can't play him higher up the pitch like we've seen because he's awful technically and in possession, can't play him as a pure defensive presence because his whole game has been based around his ability to roam and win the ball around the pitch. 

We rue selling Jorginho in the January window, since then the midfield has been complete cack outside of Enzo - who is no like-for-like replacement and is having to plug a gap that doesn't make the best of what he does. Jorginho was the sole individual who could actually sit and be disciplined tactically. Of course, he had his limitations in terms of mobility if left isolated but he provided far more to the balance of the side than some like to acknowledge.

Not much Frank can really do in the middle of the pitch with the options on hand, it's a complete unbalanced mess whether he sticks or twists. The sole solution is a complete rebuild around Enzo, and if Kova or Kante were to remain they're rotational figures at absolute best. 

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, Original 21 said:

You see, this is the problem I have with those who say this isn’t Frank’s fault. He gets to choose the players, the formation, and the tactics. He plays players out of position, or picks them on reputation, while his tactics are questionable to non existent. I get that Frank’s only been here a few weeks. But I don’t think I’ve seen a manager so completely out of his depth. The defending is shocking. His team selections are like he’s not watched us all season.  What is he doing between games? We look like a team that hasn’t been coached. We go into games without an effective game plan with players not knowing what they are supposed to be doing. It’s embarrassing. We’re actually worse than we were when Potter was in meltdown. We’re being outplayed in every game. We made Brighton look like peak Brazil. 

Of course the problems at the club run deeper than Frank and go back to the chaos emanating from the Board. But Frank is not a great coach. He never has been. He’ll be lucky to get a top flight job again. I don’t know if he can change. He doesn’t show any sign  of having learned anything from game to game never mind since he was fired by the club last time around. It’s just sad really.

 

Not that it likely changes much because at his core Frank isn't a good manager, but he has spoken about just how little time he's had on the training park to work on actual tactics or things of that nature in any sort of depth. 

Also, the midfield is shot as a whole. It's a completely unbalanced mess that's devoid of intelligence, defensive nuance, technical quality and leadership. No manager in world football right now makes this lot functional because it's flawed at its core. This is big part of why we're so shite, teams get into those half spaces between midfield and defence with absolute ease. This puts additional pressure on the defence, which eventually cracks and we ship goals with little resistance. All of which gets compounded further by the inept nature of our attack and being able to create.

[Original 21]

12 minutes ago, xceleryx said:

Not that it likely changes much because at his core Frank isn't a good manager, but he has spoken about just how little time he's had on the training park to work on actual tactics or things of that nature in any sort of depth. 

Also, the midfield is shot as a whole. It's a completely unbalanced mess that's devoid of intelligence, defensive nuance, technical quality and leadership. No manager in world football right now makes this lot functional because it's flawed at its core. This is big part of why we're so shite, teams get into those half spaces between midfield and defence with absolute ease. This puts additional pressure on the defence, which eventually cracks and we ship goals with little resistance. All of which gets compounded further by the inept nature of our attack and being able to create.

 There was never going to be much time for Frank on the training ground. The expectation was to stabilise things and make the best of what he has. I’m sure we were supposed to put a few results together and end up in a respectable top half of the table. From his perspective it was to regain some credibility. Despite all my misgivings about him as a coach I never thought he would make such a terrible hash of it and we would go into total freefall. We’re not in good shape, but we’re not as bad as Frank is making us look. We actually looked half decent in the game against Liverpool before Frank took over. It’s been downhill all the way since then. His impact can only be described as a complete disaster. 

[xceleryx]

1 hour ago, Original 21 said:

 There was never going to be much time for Frank on the training ground. The expectation was to stabilise things and make the best of what he has. I’m sure we were supposed to put a few results together and end up in a respectable top half of the table. From his perspective it was to regain some credibility. Despite all my misgivings about him as a coach I never thought he would make such a terrible hash of it and we would go into total freefall. We’re not in good shape, but we’re not as bad as Frank is making us look. We actually looked half decent in the game against Liverpool before Frank took over. It’s been downhill all the way since then. His impact can only be described as a complete disaster. 

I'm not going to pretend I agree with all of the decisions Frank has made, but we could also have Pep at the helm right now and little would ultimately change because a lot of the issues stem at a player level and not just at a coaching one. If you then consider the limited time he'll have had on the training track to really alter much in that regard, the form of the players on hand, the shot confidence levels inherited, and whatever else the real opportunity for change was always going to be slim - or at the very least limited to trying to build a bit of confidence and belief into an already defeated side. It hasn't worked, obviously. But hell, this group make it virtually impossible. 

Edited May 3, 2023 by xceleryx

[thevelourfog]

Well, I went to bed at 3-0 (in a spell of terrible sleep with the one year old, so more about that than the score!) so I'm pleasantly surprised!

[My Blood Is Blue]

Some of those players are truly pathetic and clearly have no personal pride in their performances. Shockingly bad last night, even by our recent standards.

I honestly hope Sterling never plays for us again, I don’t rate hime as a player, but also his attitude absolutely stinks.. it’s so clear he does not want to be here, in which case, why pick him?! Send him to train with the kids.

Kovacic… what’s happened to him? He‘a another one who appears to have given up, just doesn’t want to be here and so bench him, play Gallagher or Chukwuemeka instead, at least they want to play.

Ziyech, doesn’t need words from me.

Then you have Azpi who’s decline is horrible to see and I feel bad for him, he just cannot impact the match in any way now.

I want to see Badishile partnering Fofana for the rest of the season, they’re our future and so the more game time together, the better.

Mudryk deserves to start, he at least makes an impact when he’s on and same goes for Madueke. Play them either side of Havertz and see if they can build up some sort of understanding.

I just want the season over so the clear out can begin. What a pathetic bunch of players.

Yes, Lampard needs to take some blame as well, he keeps picking these same players.

[xceleryx]

20 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I honestly hope Sterling never plays for us again, I don’t rate hime as a player, but also his attitude absolutely stinks.. it’s so clear he does not want to be here, in which case, why pick him?! Send him to train with the kids.

He'll get a second season, and as bad as he's been since Tuchel left his initial start to the season showed some promise. Under a better manager with a more defined plan on how to utilise him, much like what Tuchel had, might generate more usefulness out of him. 

23 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Kovacic… what’s happened to him? He‘a another one who appears to have given up, just doesn’t want to be here and so bench him, play Gallagher or Chukwuemeka instead, at least they want to play.

I presume he's still playing with injury, the one he had early into the season and put surgery off to play in the World Cup. His role has also massively changed in the second half of the season once we sold Jorginho, he's playing far more defensively and deeper and that's reflected in his heat maps. No Jorginho has meant no real disciplined option to sit, and Enzo isn't that player despite plugging that hole, so Kova's had to help. 

27 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Mudryk deserves to start, he at least makes an impact when he’s on and same goes for Madueke. Play them either side of Havertz and see if they can build up some sort of understanding.

Agreed. Mudryk created more chance (3) than any other Chelsea or Arsenal player despite only playing 19 minutes. He's shown glimpses of what's there in recent weeks, just needs both the fitness and games. Similar with Madueke, just gotta keep getting reps into him. 

30 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I just want the season over so the clear out can begin. What a pathetic bunch of players.

Yes, Lampard needs to take some blame as well, he keeps picking these same players.

I think we're all well and truly ready for the summer to roll around.