Chelsea International Banter 3

17 Jan 2026 18:15:33
On my way home. Not a very good performance but happy with the result.

Sanchez my MOM with Caicedo and Pedro both playing OK. Fernandez had a good second half and Delap was ok.

The performance itself wasn't good. They went man for man and had the better if the game. When we had the ball we were static and without the ball we were passive.

Palmer was awful first 45 mins but looked slightly better when Santos came in and Enzo came on as the ten.

Our manager has lots to work on.

17 Jan 2026 18:58:25
Agreed Tom but he has just started the job with no pre-season.

17 Jan 2026 19:29:48
Let me make it clear, I’m not criticising the manager. He has a tough gig coming in mid-season.

17 Jan 2026 20:15:12
He certainly has Tom.

18 Jan 2026 21:48:35
Who knows how LR will work out. He has been given a great opportunity despite having no record of achievements and he knew what he was taking on. He is the head coach of Chelsea so no leeway from me.

19 Jan 2026 12:16:49
Success or failure will decide his Chelsea future that’s for sure. He certainly knows what he signed up for but in my opinion he will be given a period of time by the owners and I personally will not judge for a while yet.

17 Jan 2026 17:20:53
not best display but win is a win in race for top 4. livedpool drew with bottom 3 club. man city lose. tottenham lose. great goal from pedro, he need that and palmer goal but where is stevo.

17 Jan 2026 18:27:18
It was a pretty dire performance and not sure that we deserved three points but yes will take them. A win desperately needed. Sanchez after awful performance v Arsenal. possibly MoM match today but same could argued for Pedro. v good goal. Palmer got better in second half imho. Garnacho terrible miss after two good goals v AFC.

17 Jan 2026 19:02:04
JBS

I agree it wasn't our best performance by far but how many games have dropped points this season when we were by far the better team.

17 Jan 2026 21:14:56
Very true Bill so. perhaps fate owed us this one!

17 Jan 2026 17:09:39
Didn't see the game listened to it on the radio, sounds like a tight struggle but a win is a win.

Some strange results today at Utd Liverpool and Spurs no easy games in this league.

17 Jan 2026 18:03:47
seymns, like you didn’t see the game today. Looks almost certain Arsenal will win the title, however, I really don’t rate them- I accept that they are effective and consistent but the other so called “ big clubs”have been bang average.

There are 5 points between 4th and 10th place: win two; lose two and the league table goes on its head. I guess for those who are neutral it is entertaining.

17 Jan 2026 16:33:52
A reminder that chelsea bought a set piece coach for 1m a couple years ago. Nearly every set piece today went short before getting countered.

Im also so sick of the diving, softness and ill discipline from our players. Our players go over like a sack of potatoes and then get carded for dissent. Completely embarrassing.

17 Jan 2026 17:17:56
You seem quite agitated standard. a look at goals from set pieces this season shows that we do ok but not as good as aresnal which is benchmark.

17 Jan 2026 22:15:11
Agree, Standard. Getting booked for arguing with a ref's decision when the player has thrown themselves to the floor in the first place is the height of stupidity.

18 Jan 2026 08:44:22
I was agitated king Frank. I can't understand how and why the governing bodies are so slow to fix issues with the sport. The NBA sorts it out the same season.

18 Jan 2026 10:08:20
Standard, I may well be wrong but I believe our regulators including refs don’t make changes mid-season. I think the inconsistency from game to game is the major problem.

18 Jan 2026 15:18:02
100% agree. Its really infuriating.

17 Jan 2026 16:13:27
Im not quite sure how we're winning this. Weve been pretty terrible. Huge save from Bob sanchez though.

17 Jan 2026 16:58:24
Ended the game much better once Andrey Santos xane on. Great sub.

17 Jan 2026 18:30:43
Agree Standard and think Santos is an excellrnt player.

17 Jan 2026 16:02:18
At the match and although we have gone in leading I'm not happy at all.

Pedro having his best game in a while and Sanchez keeping us in the game. God knows what we would do without Caicedo.

Palmer has been a passenger for that first 45mins and Tosin is a concern.

17 Jan 2026 16:51:38
Enjoy. Glad you're able to get to games again and (presumably) health has improved.

17 Jan 2026 17:31:19
and someone thought caicedo was a donkey tom.

17 Jan 2026 18:10:15
Sadly my health has not improved, hence the reason I rarely get to use my ST anymore.

17 Jan 2026 21:21:50
Sorry to hear that Tom, keep your chin up, hopefully our team will help you.

17 Jan 2026 22:17:43
Thanks Bill but I’m afraid this time I’m finding it difficult to keep all my chins up. Just constantly tired.

18 Jan 2026 20:20:31
You must not have watched caicedos first 5-10 games for us king Frank.

18 Jan 2026 23:45:45
Standard, you made the remarks about Caicedo before he had kicked a ball for the club. We all make mistakes in our judgment of players. It’s no big deal.

17 Jan 2026 14:56:07
Estevao not starting or on the bench. or have i got this wrong? If i habent is he injured or rested?

14 Jan 2026 22:14:57
I take a lot of positives from that one. Missing a bunch of starters. Bar errors from Sanchez it's tight. Good changes from Rosenior, again changed the flow of a game – though Tosin's aimless passing around the back (in added time as well! ) takes my blood pressure to dangerous places. Still too many passengers in this squad, though Arteta whining about injuries before the game is hilarious. A few of ours have a level of selfishness in the final third that isn't backed by their goalscoring records, and don't get key passes right. But Garnacho finally arrived today – hope that becomes more of a regular sight and not just a flash in the pan like so many of the wingers we've bought.

It's a shame none of the players are the same from when Kepa was at the club – surely they'd have been relating the fact that he's got crisp packet hands, and to be raining shots at him from distance. I haven't seen a lot of him recently, perhaps he's cut that out of his game.

14 Jan 2026 22:00:28
I'm told that we should be happy to going to there place just return leg just one goal down.

I'm also told that Sanchez was at fault for the second goal but also made a fantastic save. Shame he has had a poor game because he has generally been good this season.

Just one more thing and this is a bit of a shock, I'm also told that Cucarella had a game to forget.

Anyway, I will watch the game tomorrow.

14 Jan 2026 22:26:49
100% at fault for the 1st one too.

If you leaving goal to punch the ball out, gou have to connect otherwise you are 100% at fault as goalkeeper.

15 Jan 2026 08:04:36
Yes Sanchez at fault for 2 of the goals. He has though generally been more reliable this season compared to previous ones.

15 Jan 2026 10:39:30
Lets see gow the boy from Strasbourg develops.

As we need upgrade on Sanchez.

15 Jan 2026 18:34:51
Ltdit will fervently hope Penders proves to the real deal. like Estevao.

14 Jan 2026 21:15:56
Nothing changed same sh! t different game how some of these players get in a shirt I don’t no. out classed everywhere your getting sacked in the morning chants made me laugh lol.
Why are we not getting rid of players and dipping in the market now.

14 Jan 2026 22:03:55
POSITIVES

Good going forward Estevao fab, Garnacho took his goals well. Neto looked good to me.
With so many missing our attitude was first rate.


NEGATIVES
Appalling defending corners Arsenal caused absolute chaos with them .

The keeper oh dear worst game of the season

We need a dominant centre half Chalaboh Fofana Badiashille don't dominate the box.

Pedro poor game again.

14 Jan 2026 22:23:56
Seymns, as I previously mentioned, I’m told Cucarella was poor but I forgot to mention that my son also said Pedro had a shocker.

14 Jan 2026 22:44:12
Cucarella was up against Saka and didn't handle him that well.

15 Jan 2026 08:06:13
Cucurella looking a tad tired imho. just too many games catchimg up with him?

14 Jan 2026 21:11:13
Sadly 2 mistakes from Sanchez.

Still time to recover though, but who will be the one to lift this team up?