Chelsea v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[richard moore]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

[garyshawsknee]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

Because the chances of getting a pen away at the Champions are slim,even if it is a nailed on pen. NRC was probably fearing the worse. It was a blatant penalty.

[CJ]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

My interpretation of NRC throwing his arms up was he felt he had a stonewall penalty and that the knobhead ref wouldn't give it

[richard moore]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

My interpretation of NRC throwing his arms up was he felt he had a stonewall penalty and that the knobhead ref wouldn't give it

As I said, watch it again carefully. You will see quite clearly that NRC thinks a foul has been given against him and almost doesn't know what to do when he sees it is, in fact, a pen his way

[richard moore]

Oh, and lest we lose sight of things, all I am contesting is that it was not the most obvious penalty one has seen in a long time. Unless, perhaps, one only watches Villa games as we often seem to win quite dodgy pens in my opinion and can hardly have any complaints on that front. It may well have been a pen, but it doesn't deserve that description! And not everyone (i.e. NRC himself) knew 100% that it was a pen. I may well be wrong in this assertion, but I don't think I saw one Villa player appeal...

[Matt Collins]

Very pleased with the result of course. From the highlights the game looked to be quite error strewn on all sides, not helped by the pitch. We clearly defended much better; but made errors for all 3 goals. Albrightons in particular was pretty unforgivable I thought.

I've stood up for petrov in the past, and we will be better with him and NRC in the middle. But I'm a bit worried that he's knacked.

[villa1]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

My interpretation of NRC throwing his arms up was he felt he had a stonewall penalty and that the knobhead ref wouldn't give it

As I said, watch it again carefully. You will see quite clearly that NRC thinks a foul has been given against him and almost doesn't know what to do when he sees it is, in fact, a pen his way

Maybe he threw his arms thinking the ref wasn't going to give the penalty?

[citizenDJ]

I think centre-midfield is a bit of a thorny one for us to deal with in some ways, although I suppose the easy answer is 'buy someone better'!
I had originally thought that Delph would be a replacement for NRC, but on reflection I think he's more a candidate to replace Petrov. He is hard-working and can keep posession well, like Petrov, but he has a lot more energy and, I think, a more creative element to his passing. Alongside NRC (or a possible upgrade, although I still think Reo-Coker can be a very good player in the right role), I think Delph might just add something to our midfield in the same way as Milner did.

[richard moore]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

My interpretation of NRC throwing his arms up was he felt he had a stonewall penalty and that the knobhead ref wouldn't give it

As I said, watch it again carefully. You will see quite clearly that NRC thinks a foul has been given against him and almost doesn't know what to do when he sees it is, in fact, a pen his way

Maybe he threw his arms thinking the ref wasn't going to give the penalty?

Watch it carefully. Including the look on his face when the whistle goes. He throws his hands up in the air and grimaces after the whistle is blown and there is a pause before he realises he has won the pen at which point he looks vaguely sheepish...

[old man villa fan]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

My interpretation of NRC throwing his arms up was he felt he had a stonewall penalty and that the knobhead ref wouldn't give it

As I said, watch it again carefully. You will see quite clearly that NRC thinks a foul has been given against him and almost doesn't know what to do when he sees it is, in fact, a pen his way

Richard, it was a split second situation as Mason did blow very quickly for the penalty.  Reo Coker's reaction was equally as quick and, yes he did think the whistle was for a foul against him but as others have said it was because he naturally thought that Villa wouldn't get a penalty based on the way the referee had been performing up until then.  All of the players were getting very wound up by the way the referee was booking Villa players but letting Chelsea players get away with fouls that were, in some cases, no less than things that Villa players were being booked for.

[richard moore]

Anyway, let's move on, I am very glad a pen was given obviously!
 
I did think all the Villa bookings were deserved, much as it pains me to say it, the problem being that Essien should also have gone in the book and Terry perhaps should even have been shown a red for his two footed lunge second half and was not even booked...

[pablopicasso_10]

better...

still concerns about the defending, but its a start...

hopefully, some match fitness and some incoming players can now act as a springboard for a strong second half of the season...

[Chris Smith]

Our penalty was the most obvious penalty award I have seen in a long time. There was no need to appeal as everyone knew it was 100% nailed on. Very surprised that Essien did not get booked.

Watch it again then, carefully, and explain to me why NRC throws his arms up in frustration and very evidently thinks the ref has blown for a foul against him? It was so obvious that even the player fouled didn't realise it was a pen? Hmmmm......

As the ref had been so poor all day I guess NRC reckoned he'd cocked up again. It was an absolute, 100% penalty. Their's was debatable.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

That was a MON team performance if ever I saw one, but comes as no surprise given that only Ciaran Clark was the only difference in the team (though maybe NRC as well).

We play like that, we'll be fine, but that much was clear from the last three seasons.

I suggest GH keeps this style up until we're clear of any relegation worries, then he must try and get the team playing how he wants them to, ready for next season.

[JUAN PABLO]

I think centre-midfield is a bit of a thorny one for us to deal with in some ways, although I suppose the easy answer is 'buy someone better'!
I had originally thought that Delph would be a replacement for NRC, but on reflection I think he's more a candidate to replace Petrov. He is hard-working and can keep posession well, like Petrov, but he has a lot more energy and, I think, a more creative element to his passing. Alongside NRC (or a possible upgrade, although I still think Reo-Coker can be a very good player in the right role), I think Delph might just add something to our midfield in the same way as Milner did.

I think Jean Makoun would be a great addition to the midfield.