13 Sep 2015 15:59:03
Its obvious that a number of players are "off form" and suffering from a subsequent loss of confidence.
However, I am at a loss to understand how the champions can fall so far so quickly.
What does everyone else think?
Jose stating that he is pleased with performances and not with results. is complete baloney!
We only created one on target effort yesterday.
I am starting to suspect that there is something very wrong going on behind the scenes?
13 Sep 2015 16:20:34
Not sure about behind the scenes. The trouble is with the supporters getting disalusioned with Jose failing to drop under performing players. I mean ivanovic, fabregas, costa and even possibly hazard.
Also due to our ineffect forward play, would we consider adebayor on a free. Not my normal choice but I think things up front are dire and offers something different
13 Sep 2015 16:30:53
Jose's body language and comments throughout the Summer were certainly not of a 'happy one'. He continually kept saying the players we have are champions and need to improve to challenge again. Translated that meant 'I'm not getting the boards backing in the market'. The season then starts and after the City game it was plainly obvious that we did need new players and the board reacted by going for Stones, pogba et al. This was to late and hence why we are off the pace. Jose is saying the right things in public by supporting the players but behind the scenes he is very agitated. We must dig in now and stay in touch of the top 4 and ensure qualification to the Champions league KO stage and reinforce in January. Make no mistake about it next weeks games against Tel aviv and Arsenal are huge.
13 Sep 2015 17:40:57
I hope you speak of Adebayor in jest! That bloke has been trouble wherever he has been, hope the guy goes abroad personally. Think he would be suited to a Turkish team, that way he can get a good wage for playing bog standard football.
{Ed002's Note - Adebayor is not available to join Chelsea.}
13 Sep 2015 17:49:45
But question is why performances of so many are so poor. Makes some of us wonder whether there is a motivational problem among some of the players and why this should be. Mourinho usually so great at motivation, getting players to risk life and limb for cause, yet particularly some of the defenders are looking far too casual, not closing opponents down nearly fast enough. Terry and Zouma also struggling with positioning, suppose they haven't had too many games together.
But is it me or doesn't JM himself look out of sorts, even depressed! Body language pretty negative, far from the Happy One.
Anyway, we've got to get some results this week. win against Arsenal could well get us going again in EPL, and nothing short of victor v Maccabi Tel-Aviv would be acceptable.
13 Sep 2015 19:27:29
Performances under mourinho have mainly always been poor. Results good but performances poor if that makes sense. Most of the time our defence has been solid so we only needed one or two goals but poor defensive performances highlight the attacking problems we are having. A win v the arsenal would be huge and could hopefully turn around our poor form.
13 Sep 2015 21:01:33
Interesting comments by Martin Samuel on Sky's journalist forum today. He thinks JM's the man for the job but feels he laid out what he needed to improve the squad and was let down. He commented that as clever as they were with their business of loaning out players for fees, it is getting in the way of day to day business. Worth listening to and he said Chelsea had stagnated when everyone else had upped their game.
13 Sep 2015 23:41:24
I fail to understand what any of the above has to do with the fact that Jose keeps starting a player in Ivan that is costing us results/points. Even if Fab and Hazard were at their best to start the season, and we'd signed Griezman and Stones, at best we'd be drawing some of these matches because we are leaking goals on the right side of our defence due primarily to one player. I'm putting this 100% on Jose until he plays Caesar at rb and plays Rahman or anyone else he wants to replace Ivan with along with not playing Fab at dm in the 4-2-3-1 and the results are the same. That's the only time I will even consider the possibility that the answers are not in our current sqaud because how in the world can Jose expect a different result when he keeps doing the same thing.
14 Sep 2015 09:17:04
Jose commands the respect and loyalty of his players and in return they get his loyalty. Unfortunately what I feel has happened is that(at this point in time)loyalty has overtaken pragmatism. Terry (a legend, whether you like him or not)is getting(got) to the "use by" date, Ivanovich the same at right back.
Personally I'd love to see Ivanovich play his true position of CB(in place of Terry)alongside Zouma, then we could play a higher line. I keep reading/hearing how Jose is/has never been more than 3 seasons at a club, so if he wants to(and I hope he does at ours) have a legacy at a club he needs also to adapt and learn to make the harsh decisions re moving players on, or dropping them if their form dictates.
I love Jose, I think he could/can be our Sir Alex for years to come if he is willing to adapt his own mindset in regards to the players. It's about money to the players in the end, it is what buys the loyalty (ala Mikel who could be a star elsewhere but is happy to sit on a bench for a larger pay packet and who is actually not good/hungry enough to be at Chelsea).
Ed 002 has stated on many occasions that players are "transient employees". Maybe this is the thing Jose needs to learn and adapt to moving forward as I feel Jose's loyalty and the players loyalty are not in the same place at the present time.
Sorry, a rather long rant but the players who knew when to go(Zola, Makalele, Lampard to name 3)will always be remembered as true legends and with fondness and appreciation for their efforts for our club without trying to milk the cow past their use by date.
14 Sep 2015 09:49:28
Kiwi Pete, I have to disagree on a few points. Mourinho is certainly ruthless enough - just look at the example of Casillas at Real. Also, playing Ivan at CB would leave us in the same place, of not being able to play a high line because of Ivan's lack of pace.
15 Sep 2015 03:10:07
Good shout Kiwi and I agree with Mrs Costa that Jose is ruthless enough when he wants to be (Courtois and Chech another example) which is why I hold him 100% responsible for what's happening. I do agree with Kiwi that Ivan can play high line cb because he has more pace than Terry and Cahill although I wouldn't want to see him there now in his current form.
15 Sep 2015 09:19:55
Good point Bluelab, a bit of time on the bench may reignite his desire to "perform" for the team. As per my post above Ivan is a great CB I feel but certainly not an EPL RB the way the game is played these days.