Match Thread Chelsea 2-0 Everton. Sat Dec 13th. 3pm

[Titus Shambles]

Europe would be a big overachievement with the squad the way it is now. We’d need Branthwaite back and fit for the rest of the season, not have any more major injuries and a good January to have a real chance.

We'd also need most of the likes of Brighton and Newcastle and Villa and Bournemouth and Spurs and United and Sunderland and Palace not to do any improving so we can kindly stroll past them into the Euro places, and I'd wager most of them will be confident of finishing above us.

 

[everton1953]

The hatchets are out already.

 

[woodsyni]

Disappointed, of course but there are some very short memories on here.

Before Dyche we were absolutely on a death spiral. We crumbled like polystyrene. He put a bit of backbone in, took us as far as he could then Moyes came in and has us looking up. People are actually talking about Europe (no chance, in my opinion but still...)

Yes, we need a couple of positions filled but if you can't see progress, I don't know what to say. I enjoy watching us again. Onwards and upwards!

 

[Ring master]

You listen to all the so called experts in Press/Radio etc, and you think we were hammered from start to finish, and we had no chances. When we could have had at least 2

 

[banno]

When playing against quality with good movement then this is when we find that the likes of Keane at CB and JOB at RB are found wanting and the need of a better LB becomes obvious. We are miles behind the top teams but I believe we are much better than the lower teams. Jan window hopefully should see us plug a few positions

 

[jceverton]

I think most of this is fair. The last bit, not so much. We have spent over 120m since he came in. We should be better than what we were - and just because some of the fanbase suffer from PTSD does not mean we cannot improve.

New manager in the summer, please.

Didn't want him back, but last season's performance was good by any reasonable standards. If he replicated that over a season, we'd get 62 points, so 65/66 points seems a decent target this season if we spent £100m in the summer. Can't see it happening but if it does then you could understand the owners sticking with him. Moyes insisted on being in charge of recruitment, TFG agreed but I think the summer's recruitment generally was poor and without excellent recruitment you're going nowhere. New manager in the summer - agreed.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Injuries might be a big big issue next few weeks

 

[Kayj]

Yeah I agree, the “I play Football Manager” brigade when we lose a game can be insufferable.

Sacking managers left right and centre landed us in deep do do, I’d stick with Moyes myself.

One thing about modern football I detest is shouts to sack a manager after a defeat.

Who the heck was shouting to sack the manager?

That guy got upset for absolutely no reason.

Glad you are feeding him.

 

[Eggs]

This is the phrase Harrison Armstrong used about his manager at Preston, at no time has Moyes or KDH said this unless you can direct me to it please?

….yeh, ok fella

 

[Foxache]

The game was a lot closer than the scores suggest. We do look really vulnerable to pace in behind on both wings. Felt that this one was down to Moyes as we know that Chelsea have good wingers and Neto / Palmer on Myko was a mismatch from the off and Keane doesn’t have recovery pace

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

No, no, no. This week we're blaming luck. Next week we'll be back to blaming the officials.

Why blame anyone? It's a completely predictable result based on the disparity of money spent on the respective squads. We've had some hammerings at Chelsea down the years but we held are own in this game and created chances. We are definitely progressing.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Disappointed, of course but there are some very short memories on here.

Before Dyche we were absolutely on a death spiral. We crumbled like polystyrene. He put a bit of backbone in, took us as far as he could then Moyes came in and has us looking up. People are actually talking about Europe (no chance, in my opinion but still...)

Yes, we need a couple of positions filled but if you can't see progress, I don't know what to say. I enjoy watching us again. Onwards and upwards!

This. We have some really good players now and are generally playing good football. For some reason people think a squad which is probably around 12/13 in terms of cost should be winning every game and every defeat is down to the manager's mistakes.

 

[terryefc]

Just back.
Thought we more than held our own really bar 2 clinical finishes. We missed more opportunities than they did.
JOB struggled today - Keane looked wobbly - and JAck wasn't really on it.
Once KDH went off on 14 it was always gonna be a case of trying to nick it - but we came up short against a good team who are world champions.
Grealish had 2 glorious chances though - and Barry should have scored at least 1.
Disappointed but not devastated.

 

[Preki]

Why blame anyone? It's a completely predictable result based on the disparity of money spent on the respective squads. We've had some hammerings at Chelsea down the years but we held are own in this game and created chances. We are definitely progressing.

Absolutely right. They have better players basically. For us to win they need to be awful and us to take our chances.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Didn't want him back, but last season's performance was good by any reasonable standards. If he replicated that over a season, we'd get 62 points, so 65/66 points seems a decent target this season if we spent £100m in the summer. Can't see it happening but if it does then you could understand the owners sticking with him. Moyes insisted on being in charge of recruitment, TFG agreed but I think the summer's recruitment generally was poor and without excellent recruitment you're going nowhere. New manager in the summer - agreed.

Not happening.