Chelsea 2-0 West Ham Utd (08/04/19)

[flysohigh]

This is a team of losers. None of them have won anything and unlikely many ever will except DR.

Massive shuffle required in the summer. Youth plus quality required.

[Colours never run]

The players are in beach holiday mode and have been for a while now. Sooner the season ends and we get another clear out the better.

[HammerPDC]

Pedro Obiang is a dreadful player

I’d also love to know who Ogbonna’s agent is?! Surely only a magician could have gotten him a gig playing Centre Back for Juve

I like how we play when Snodgrass is in the middle of the park gives us more balance there was just one to many forwards on the pitch in the first half and we lost all control very quickly

[Ironing Board]

Hazard was unplayable tonight, and we might have battled a draw out of it without his brilliance.

Having said that, we look a very ordinary side at the moment. Not terrible, but not decent either.

It’s interesting that Chelsea seemed much more dangerous with Giroud up front instead of the Argentinian.

[Universidad-de-Chile]

That second half was the best half of football we've played in a couple of months.

+ 2


And I agree with some here, the Obiang substitution killed the game... Although, I really think also, the first sub was wrong,,, It has to be Arnie for Snodgrass...


MotM Balbuena. Anderson, Rice, Ogbonna, Noble and Frederiks played really well too, imho.

[Hammer.CA]

Spineless, toothless ****. Cresswell was awful. Arnautovic is back to his Stoke worst.

I think I owe myself an apology, I said on here after about 10-15 games that I couldn't see anything in Arnoutovic then he showed me what he could be capable of if he felt like it and I took it back. It turns out I was right in the first place. It also looks like he's the kid in the school team that no one likes so the others only pass to him when they have to.
Chelsea bought on Barklay and Girould, we bring on Obiang and Snodgrass. Anybody that doesn't realise that our biggest problem is the midfield year in year out, other teams are strolling through it, past it or around it, defenders are constantly under pressure and poor players like Cresswell look even worse.

[Vienna]

Our best player was Ogbonna best distribution and defending.

[Hammer.CA]

The players are in beach holiday mode and have been for a while now. Sooner the season ends and we get another clear out the better.

You post this every year......and every year it's correct.

[Gsbgsb]

Sorry Cresswell was not that poor. Arthur would not have covered to get the block in that meant he had run off Hazard for the second. You must defend as a team and that is where we are failing, people blame the back 4 when we concede but tonight, as has often been the case, the goals are more down to the 6 in front of them.

[Crouchend_Hammer]

Our best player was Ogbonna best distribution and defending.

I agree. he is managing to keep his head above water at the moment IMHO

[prophet:marginal]

Balbuena is back. That, for me, is the biggest plus point.

Can't knock the lads for effort tonight, in the main. We were undone by an utterly world class opener, and then a goal at the death.

Balbuena - what a return; plays football, from the back.

[OohAahButler]

Anderson...played really well too, imho.

Huh?

[Ingwe]

TBH, can't see where we'll get another point this season. We don't look like scoring ever again. We may have to pray for own goals.

[WorcesterWHU]

Fabianski, Fredericks and Balbuena (especially first game back) were decent. Cresswell was caught napping multiple times and looked better in the opposing half than he did in our own. It doesn't always work out for Anderson but he's always trying to do something, and Lanzini just looks like he's feeling his way back each game, very anonymous. Saw a bit more effort from Arnautovic.

Often overlooked is how many injuries we've had to overcome this season and I'm wondering if we're just running out of steam now. Whatever you think of them, we're missing Yarmolenko, Sanchez, Carroll, Reid and Wilshere, with Balbuena and Lanzini having just come back. These were / are all long term injuries alongside all of the typical knocks for 1-2 games to the rest of the squad.

We do need a reasonable adjustment in the summer and it'd be good if a player's injury record could be a consideration for once.

[BondsoBob]

Exactly as I predicted, 2-0 to them. And there we have it.
Yet another rubbish season almost over.
Well there's always next season, and the season after, and the season after that.....I honestly don't think it will ever change.
We are probably right where GSB want us to be. Just about too good to get relegated but with absolutely no chance of winning anything or qualifying for europe.

[Beavis Danzig]

thought both centre backs did their jobs for the most part and rice had an uncharacteristic off game. couldn't get near kante.

[simon1982]

Pedro Obiang is a dreadful player

I’d also love to know who Ogbonna’s agent is?! Surely only a magician could have gotten him a gig playing Centre Back for Juve

I like how we play when Snodgrass is in the middle of the park gives us more balance there was just one to many forwards on the pitch in the first half and we lost all control very quickly

Agree with you on obiang but we could do a lot worse than ogbonna.

[hammernsickle]

Really, really looks like the season ended a couple of weeks ago. And it probably ended in December.

The team morale was shattered. Certain players disassociated with the club. They are mentally already gone, and just going through the motions physically.

I'm honestly surprised at Pells, as I thought he would be a little more pragmatic and try to get a few more points. But it may simply be the case of having to make due with what you have, and figuring that you play your way and prove to the owners that their perennial under-investment has left him a team unable to play his system.

Regardless, I'm happy I was unable to watch this match due to work. I feel like that a lot now.

[S-H]

Is it my imagination, or does Ogbonna seem to play a lot better in the second half of the season, compared to the first.

[Faithless]

Well, the conclusion I've come to it's that it doesn't matter what formation we play. We just don't have the players.

Have to agree. The commentary tonight kept saying look how much more effective it is with Arnautovic leading the line. It is, if he can be bothered to do it. Hernandez can't lead the line, it's not his game but you can't rely on Arnie to be bothered since the Chinese bs, add to that Lanzini not really being the player he was (yet) Anderson's lack of form and Noble's lack of pace and we're already starting on the backfoot. 2nd half showed some fight and passion but it was mainly us huffing and puffing.

We need solid pro's in the summer that give 7/10 performances no matter what. It's always puzzled me that we can't scout a couple of players that can run about a bit at pace in central midfield.

having said all that without Hazard they look ordinary