07 Jan 2022 10:36:39
Was at the Bridge on Wednesday night and though I'd do a quic late post on this. Was recovering yesterday!
I thought the atmosphere in the ground was pretty good, certainly much above average, a result of who was the opposition. I am not a season ticket holder, just CFC member, so have to get tickets where I can so foudn myself in row 9, seat 190 of East Stand Upper for this one . ie horribly close to the Spuds fans who were in loud and vocally provocative mood from the off. Perhaps the result of scuffles with the police in the Fulham Rd beforehand. Some nasty chant about Marcus Alonso, and the usual nonsense about Sit Down Chelsea Rent Boys - we must get a chant going of When did you Last win a Trophy, or Why do you Never Win at the Bridge - when we celebrated our early goal.
In fact pace, accuracy and ferocity of CFC attack in early stages, happening just below me, was truly impressive after all the energy expended in LFC game by many also in this one. Will admit that having all but written of Saul I had to rethink after his more than decent and heartening performance. Am also like Tom an Alonso doubter as his level too often drops off against 'lesser' teams to my mind, but he was certainly up for the battle perthaps because of the Spurs' taunts.
Anyway, it was a great performance again overall, even if energy diminished a tad second half, and as changes - tactical and in tems of personnel - made by both teams.
07 Jan 2022 12:07:54
JBS, my son would said Saul was possibly the worst player ever to put on a Chelsea shirt was looking very sheepish on Wednesday evening.
As I said after the game I thought Alonso played well but how good was Dave in a four? What a proper defender that bloke is.
07 Jan 2022 13:49:01
Tom, your son and me! Expect we were both delighted to feel that way though.
Dave was excellent, he is certaibnly a defender's defender. Also still able from time to time to deliver a telling cross for an assist going forward.
Would also add that though Mount may not be having quite the impact of last season, his energy around the pitch and pressing opponents into errors remains hugely important to the side, was key in forcing Spurs back in first half. And he still has I think most assists and goals for us this season thus far.
07 Jan 2022 14:46:40
JBS, I remember last season when some fans described Mount as nothing more than an over hyped championship player and a lot worse.
The lad went onto become our player of the year as some predicted.
I thought Italy did a proper job in him in the Euro final and that in itself was a compliment to his increasing ability to change games.
I also believed he would find it harder after a really long season and the extra attention who would now get from opposing teams and yet he has still found ways to influence games.
We are fortunate to have such a talent in our team and it’s made all the better because he is home grown.
07 Jan 2022 18:43:31
I don't know where people are getting MM is not having the impact he had last season? In PL alone he had 6 goals and 5 assists last season, this season he's on 7 and 5? MM has by far been our best player again this season fact. I said last year when people were saying he was over hyped that he'd outperformed lamps in his first season at the club whilst being younger. I said he'd be getting double digits in the PL this season, this kid by next season will be seen by all as world class. He's a top top player and would get in to any side in the world. Fact.
08 Jan 2022 09:52:40
Hi JBS, re your earlier post on the atmosphere comment, in the east stand next to the away fans, it always seems quiet there because the level of singing from the east lower family section is naturally lower. Also the away fan section for the carabao cup game filled the whole of shed end so the away voices would have been more.
My son and I were also at the game in the MH lower stand (the noisy end) and it was one of the best atmospheres from home fans we’d experienced, in full voice throughout the match with every song berating Tottenham.
The game was one of the few where it seemed the whole stadium was in full voice in unison and tbh from where we were the Spurs fans couldn’t be heard at all.
Just goes to show how different a match experience can be depending on where you sit. We are back in the family lower section today so will expect a much quieter Chelsea fan atmosphere but will get a closer view of the play which I like too.
I am really baffled why cfc gave the away fans next to the family section, cos it gives the away fans more voice. Just imagine if the stadium seating was replanned to sit the away fans section shoehorned in between the shed end and MH fans so their voices would be drowned out :-) .
On the performance, I thought the players all seemed fired up after the Liverpool comeback, which I think is what we needed to get some desire and belief back into the players (although lukaku’s body language understandably looked a little sheepish to me) .
Thought playing the back 4 with Dave RB then changing shape to CB when without the ball worked really well, especially in the first half when Spurs played with a back 5. When they changed to a back 4 in the second half it gave them that extra man in midfield which we ourselves have often been lacking in games.
To my surprise, I thought Zyech had a superb game with his role in defence switch from attacking right into rwb to make a back 5.
I am unsure of whether this was an intentional tactical change by TT or forced by the late C.V. results for silva and Kante but either way it gave us a new dimension which I think will help us when teams that try to match our system to sit and counter. I thought the extra man in midfield and attach gave as so much more.
I still have a worry of us not taking our chances, as the early giveaway goal and then the calamity own goal feom Spurs covered our cracks with not finishing.
At times in the second half, when we’re we’re pinning them in their box, it seemed as though our more confident goal scorers (lukaku, mount, pulisic) were out wide with players in the middle that are frightened to shoot and contonuslly pass sideways (Zyech, kova, Saul) .
Hopefully, we will confuse to build in work rate, self belief and confidence in front of goal. You never know with the PL games this month against MC, Spurs, etc we may be able to get some decent results and push on in the second half of the season to try and close the gap on MC. If we manage to do that through all then winter set backs with injuries, C.V. and loss of firm/ confidence m, I think TT will have shown his true qualities as a manager and that he longer lacks empathy with his players, as he has been accused of in his previous managerial appointments.
IMHO, I think TT has the full package and once he starts acquiring some of his own players m, we will see his true tactical abilities between games.
Sorry for the long list guys (and gals) but I don’t get many chances to post so when I do I try to cover all what’s in my head :-)
Come on you blues. Will be interesting to see who he puts out today. I really want to see some more of Vale m, as I think he could be another MM in the making.
08 Jan 2022 12:00:33
A really enjoyable post TruBlu.
Unfortunately for health reasons I haven’t been able to take advantage of my season ticket now in the Mathew Harding upper after many years in the Shed upper.
Every season I raise the issue of away fans in our ancestral home The Shed. It gets me nowhere but it makes an old man happy that he can at least still moan.
08 Jan 2022 15:53:06
Thanks Tom. My daughter and I are on our way to today’s game. Sorry to hear you are unable to get there these days. I purchase our tickets as members game by game.
I’m still struggling to work out how anyone is able to get enough loyalty points to buy season tickets, as after going to every home game, I’ll still have nowhere near enough points to get anywhere near it.
At the start of the season, I did phone the ticket office to enquire how many points you need and the advice I got was pretty much that you need to go to all hone and away matches. But the trouble is the away matches sell out fast to season ticket holders, not that I would get time to get to the away matches as well.
I am thinking that fir new season tickers, syndicates must group together to get to every game, with most season ticket holders having had theirs for many years and they are passed down to family and friends.
Any tips though would be gratefully received :-)
08 Jan 2022 16:14:47
Agree with you dadubliner. Much enjoyed your posts TruBlu, and would agree about East Stand generally not being the recommended place for atmosphere. As it was, though it was impossible not to hear the Spurs fans when they were in full voice, the East Stand was far more vocal than usual and agree that there were many times when the stadium felt in union with one voice. And you can rest assured we did our best where I was to respond to the Spuds lot in predictable ways! But I like your idea of where the away fans should be placed!
Also agree about ongoing concern about our finishing, chances to goals ratio. An ongoing problem for several post-Costa seasons now. Can only hope that we will have a good run for once without injuries that might allow TT to work out the attacking combos to at least lessen the problem. Of course losing our flying wingbacks has been a big blow in this respect, but the full-time forwards should be offering far more in terms of combined goals.
If there any updated tips about how to get a season ticket I'd be interested too.
08 Jan 2022 18:26:53
I have to say getting any away ticket is almost impossible as we have a very strong and good away season ticket holder base.
The problem is this almost creates a closed shop for anyone wanting to get a season ticket via loyalty membership loyalty points.
I do think it’s time that the club released more season tickets. The last time I looked we only had about 29,000. The theory was by selling tickets via membership the club increased its fan base.
I have found, when the box office was open, it was always good to have a chat with someone on a non match day for advice. If that helps.
08 Jan 2022 23:04:45
Thanks Tom.
09 Jan 2022 00:45:36
When I called the ticket office earlier in the season, the lady suggested 130 points is the kind of level you need to stand any kind of chance in a normal season. To hit that level u will need a good number of away games, which as you say Tom are almost impossible to get.
09 Jan 2022 15:56:07
That’s a crazy amount of points TruBlu.
I don’t think I’ve ever been near that amount.
09 Jan 2022 15:58:28
I just had a thought. Maybe apply for a concession season ticket for a child in the family section. I think they are allowed an accompanying adult.
Good luck lads.