[Archived] Chelsea Vs ROVERS

[jim mk2]

Jim = the most pathetic poster on this board.

We got tubbed 5-0 there under your mate Big Sam, losing 2-0 is hardly a disgrace.

Get your head out of your arse please

Good points, well argued.

It's already been pointed out that Chelsea were firing on all cylinders last season against a depleted Rovers team. This Chelsea team is a shadow of that side. They also hit the woodwork twice.

Kean should be giving his press conference round about now - will be interesting to hear his excuses, sorry explanation, for the defeat.

[Mattyblue]

Certainly encouraging. Until they scored, I felt we were comfortable and could still hit them on the break. Felt we fell away after their goal but with a bit more bite in midfield (J Jones?) we can have a decent run till May

All the above is said as a defender of Sam, no agendas here, I just see the perfomances as they are.

[BuckyRover]

Goods points, well argued.

It's already been pointed out that Chelsea were firing on all cylinders last season against a depleted Rovers team. This Chelsea team is a shadow of that side.

With the second best home record in the league.

[Valois]

Supine performance from Rovers - weak defending and no attacking threat.

That's 7 points out of 18 for Kean including a a very fortunate victory at West Brom.

Rovers held their shape in the 1st half but looked disjointed in the second period after poor substituions by the manager .

Kean has it all to prove and justify the decision to replace Sam.

As for Santa Cruz, he wandered around to no effect but will be happy with another £90,000 in his back pocket.

I understand, and respect the fact you are Sam's biggest fan, but he is gone, and Steve Kean has put in to replace him. Did Steve Kean ask to be in this posistion? No. Has he done ok so far, given the circumstances, I would have to yes. Would he be my first choice? No, but he is the manager of our club, is it not right that we should all get behind him, and the team? Forget the owners, and the problems off the pitch when it comes to match day.

The first 45 we gave a good account of ourselves, and look fairly solid at the back, and Hoilett had a good chance. Second half two sloppy errors cost us. Once they got one, you always felt they could go on and get another. We didnt offer much going forward, but you would have to give Chelsea credit for they way they handled anything we tried to throw at them.

Lets not forget last time out Chelsea won 7-0 against an Ipswich side, who beat Arsenal mid week 1-0 and it could easily have been more.

As for the West Brom game, we took our chances, West Brom didn't, if that is a fortunate win, so be it. I would just put it down down to the perfect away performance, taking your chances when they come.

[sambo]

Goods points, well argued.

It's already been pointed out that Chelsea were firing on all cylinders last season against a depleted Rovers team. This Chelsea team is a shadow of that side.

I don't think we would have got anything under Big Sam, which is a pointless argument anyway as there's no way to tell.

This Chelsea team still banged in 7 last week and have the 2nd best home record in the league, whereas we're missing key players.

At least it seemed like we tried today, saw none of that effort under Sam at Old Trafford/most other big teams away.

Go and follow Big Sam to wherever he goes next, you're clearly not a Rovers fan, as you come on here gleeful when we lose, and are notably absent should we win.

The similarities to the 'Election' thread are astounding

[tony gale's mic]

I take on board what you're saying about it being completely different circumstances from both camps today compared to last time out, but to say that we can't learn/have learnt something from today's game simply isn't true.

a ) RSC is so much better on the ball than ANY of our other players.

b ) Kalinic is much better up front with a partner.

c ) MB Diouf is a fantastic player and gets through so much work all over the field.

d ) We need a CM who can break up play.

e ) Samba isn't worth £15m+.

f ) Personally, I think we're a much better side under Kean than Sam.

I didn't say we can't learn something from this game; we learn something about our team after every game, but I don't think today can be seen as a positive or a negative really.

And the bit I bolded - there is absolutely no way you can say that after a few games, some of which we've looked good in, some of which we've looked poor in.

Sam's success was judged over the course of multiple seasons, and until Kean proves himself in terms of league position over a sustained period of time then he's still got a lot to prove.

[Mozzer]

chelsea will soon be due to beat a team a good 5 , 6 or even score 7 goals - i thought that would be us today ..

we got beat 2-0 - not a disgrace ....games like this wont define our season its teams like west brom that will ...next week is very very important .

[jim mk2]

....games like this wont define our season its teams like west brom that will ...next week is very very important .

Exactly, which was always the former manager's mantra for which he was roundly condemned.

[sambo]

Exactly, which was always the former manager's mantra for which he was roundly condemned.

Because his team always performed in a way insulting to the fans who paid the money to go, at least we gave it a go today rather than rolling over and having our bellies tickled

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

My paper says Grella will be back next so we'll be OK there. No seriously- It's the centre midfield stupid ! It is now and has been for a long, long while. We desperately need a fire fighter in there, somebody who can around the pitch in front of the back four and give them some respite, get the ball and give it to a blue and white shirt. I can't blame Kean today, he picked the only midfield he could. I'm praying this Jones is fit enough to start against the Baggies. My other worry is if he's the only one prepared to put a foot in in the midfield he'll soon be isolated and victimised by the officials.

[tony gale's mic]

Because his team always performed in a way insulting to the fans who paid the money to go, at least we gave it a go today rather than rolling over and having our bellies tickled

What happened when we played at Eastlands earlier this season?

[JMillZz]

Good points, well argued.

It's already been pointed out that Chelsea were firing on all cylinders last season against a depleted Rovers team. This Chelsea team is a shadow of that side. They also hit the woodwork twice.

Kean should be giving his press conference round about now - will be interesting to hear his excuses, sorry explanation, for the defeat.

We were against a team tipped for the title with a squad of some world class players. Did you go to the game and witness the horror show you profess it to have been? I sincerely doubt it.

To compare to what we would have done under Big Sam is ridiculous. Maybe you are Big Sam? Because a negative approach would have seen similar consequences. Going to assume how Sam would have approached the game and how it would have gone... Hoofing it up to Kalinic/Roberts would have got us nowhere and playing EH Diouf instead of Hoilett would have offered no pace. Also I doubt Olsson would have started.

Only thing I'd personally fault Kean for were the timing of and selection of substitutions. But that's me.

Chelsea were attacking from the off and had to prove a point. The better team won. End of.

[Gav]

Are you sure about that?

He pretty much contradicts everything you say re Big Sam, and all he does is berate Kean, before doing a disappearing act when we play well.

He is the new Waggy, as in he's dull, predictable and offers little in the way of meaningful debate.

I really don't care that he contradicts what I say, his opinion is always welcome on this site.

But I’ve now changed my mind, he does talk some right cr@p then again many thought I did regarding Allardyce, wouldn't do for us all to agree now would it

[AHoyle90]

Thought Santa Cruz won a hell of a lot in the air and held the ball up well, ten times better than Kalinic.

We gave a decent account of ourselves, much much better to watch our team now than under Sam. At least we try and build some play up and create chances, under Sam we just relied on a ball falling in the box every now and then, pretty one dimensional from a so called tactical genius.

Either way, before Sam was gone everybody on here constantly moaned about his tactics and style of play, and now some people seem to want it back. This for me is much more entertaining, Kean is trying to get us playing the right way and is not afraid to field an attacking side.

Just got to beat West Brom again hopefully and keep Keanos solid start going.

[sambo]

I really don't care that he contradicts what I say, his opinion is always welcome on this site.

But I’ve now changed my mind, he does talk some right cr@p then again many thought I did regarding Allardyce, wouldn't do for us all to agree now would it

Aye, but it's the way he expresses it, acting better than everyone else and being insulting to those who don't share his view.

Used to find his posts quite interesting, but now they're bordering on obsessive

[jim mk2]

Because his team always performed in a way insulting to the fans who paid the money to go, at least we gave it a go today rather than rolling over and having our bellies tickled

Really ? Does one threat on goal count as "giving it a go" ?

We were well organised in the 1st half albeit lucky still to be level after they hit the woodwork twice but I thought the overall performance was ineffectual.

[Gav]

Because his team always performed in a way insulting to the fans who paid the money to go, at least we gave it a go today rather than rolling over and having our bellies tickled

Great point, couldn't agree more.

[LeChuck]

Weak defending and no attacking threat was probably one of the reasons Allardyce was sacked.

Kean is trying to mould the team into playing a more passing style, which isn’t going to happen overnight, and probably isn’t possible with the current crop on the books.

Even with those supposed weaknesses under Allardyce, he had a far better points ratio than 7 in 18.

I completely agree with what Kean is trying to do, and I think in time it will come good. I just think people are a little bit deluded if they think today's showing was any better than under Sam. As I said already, I don't blame Kean as he was forced into playing a weak midfield.

By the way I've spotted a trend in this thread. Anyone mentioning Allardyce in vaguely positive manner seems to end up with negative rep. This should be fun, especially for Jim as he'll get to count how many people take his bait.

[sambo]

What happened when we played at Eastlands earlier this season?

One game.

What happened at Eastlands the two seasons before? What about the Emirates year on year, Old Trafford this year, last year's horror show at Stamford Bridge, that 4-0 reverse at Liverpool...

[RoverMad86]

If it's the same team as against Liverpool with the exception of Robinson and Kalinic coming on for Bunn and Benjani, where do you get Roberts from?

My bad. Forgot that Diouf started against Liverpool, duh!

Anyway, we got outplayed but still created some chances. Positive in defeat.

[Gav]

Used to find his posts quite interesting, but now they're bordering on obsessive

He’s been in Oakdale nursing home since 2003 that I know of, does that not ring any bells with you

Cut the bloke some slack

[JMillZz]

What happened when we played at Eastlands earlier this season?

Kalinic got an early goal and we held a good draw.

Our mentality and play at Old Trafford was an insult though.

[ultrablue]

Under Sam, we could have avoided this as Samba would have hacked the ball way up the field. But we are still learning to play football, not hoofball. I guess we will learn from this.

Seem to remember Chimbonda giving away a goal at Old Trafford - that was under Sam

Samba got in a similar mess at home to Sunderland and got sent off - also under Sam

Nothing to do with style. Just poor football.

[LeChuck]

Seem to remember Chimbonda giving away a goal at Old Trafford - that was under Sam

Samba got in a similar mess at home to Sunderland and got sent off - also under Sam

Nothing to do with style. Just poor football.

Agree with that.

At least that'll probably guarantee Samba stays with us. He'll never play for a top team because he can't rid himself of those mistakes, meaning that the only interested clubs will be a sideways step, and I don't think that's what he is after.

[tony gale's mic]

One game.

What happened at Eastlands the two seasons before? What about the Emirates year on year, Old Trafford this year, last year's horror show at Stamford Bridge, that 4-0 reverse at Liverpool...

Actually at the Emirates last season we had a great first half (2-2 at HT if I recall) and got overran by their quality in the second half. Certainly didn't just "roll over".

Last years' horror show at Chelsea was partly down to our side being struck down by flu.

Yes there was a terrible result at OT and I agree that our away record against top teams was Sam's biggest weak point.

But if this performance/result had come under Sam no one would be surprised either way.