Chelsea v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[eastie]

The thing is with Mourinho coming out with all of this tripe means that you can tell that we gave him a scare. If they'd have steamrollered over us again he'd be very complimentary. I like to hear that Lambert was allegedly contesting every decision, it shows he wants to win regardless of who we are playing.

Mourinho said in his post match interview we deserved a draw and was very complimentary - he knows we gave his team a real fight .
His comments regarding the referee I'd take with a pinch of salt - i noticed him shaking the refs hand and laughing with him just before the 2nd half kicked off.

[Matt Collins]

We know from last season that we can pass the ball well against most sides, that we can score plenty of goals and keep going till the end.

I'm very encouraged that we've shown more solidity, defensive shape - aided by narrower full backs when we don't have the ball - and that we've been a lot tougher to play against.

The question is now whether we can translate that form both into home games and particularly games against our main competitors. Can we be creative enough with that midfield three? If we play 4231 can we be solid enough? Worth remembering that even on our excellent spell last year we never kept a clean sheet and relied on a lot of very late winners. We now need to improve on that form of we're going to push for top half. I definitely think we're capable.

[rob_bridge]

We're back.

For the first time since the start of 2009-10 we can go to the so called big teams and scare the shit out of all of them by the looks of it.

Not roll over and die like we did at Man Ure and Cit-eh all too often over the last 3 seasons.

We need to put the bindippers to the sword on Saturday.

[eastie]

We know from last season that we can pass the ball well against most sides, that we can score plenty of goals and keep going till the end.

I'm very encouraged that we've shown more solidity, defensive shape - aided by narrower full backs when we don't have the ball - and that we've been a lot tougher to play against.

The question is now whether we can translate that form both into home games and particularly games against our main competitors. Can we be creative enough with that midfield three? If we play 4231 can we be solid enough? Worth remembering that even on our excellent spell last year we never kept a clean sheet and relied on a lot of very late winners. We now need to improve on that form of we're going to push for top half. I definitely think we're capable.

Good point , we have the ability to play well away from home and hit teams on the counter attack, it will be important to improve our home form and get the results at villa park against teams that come here and sit back - Liverpool and newcastle will both be interesting games and if we can win both we will be well on our way .

[Jimbo]

The thing is with Mourinho coming out with all of this tripe means that you can tell that we gave him a scare. If they'd have steamrollered over us again he'd be very complimentary. I like to hear that Lambert was allegedly contesting every decision, it shows he wants to win regardless of who we are playing.

Mourinho said in his post match interview we deserved a draw and was very complimentary - he knows we gave his team a real fight .
His comments regarding the referee I'd take with a pinch of salt - i noticed him shaking the refs hand and laughing with him just before the 2nd half kicked off.

He also criticised the way we play, saying it was all route one stuff from Guzan to Benteke. He might have forgotten about Gabby's precision pass to Benteke for our goal. The bloke's a wind-up merchant and the media should know better than to crawl up his arse.

[eastie]

The thing is with Mourinho coming out with all of this tripe means that you can tell that we gave him a scare. If they'd have steamrollered over us again he'd be very complimentary. I like to hear that Lambert was allegedly contesting every decision, it shows he wants to win regardless of who we are playing.

Mourinho said in his post match interview we deserved a draw and was very complimentary - he knows we gave his team a real fight .
His comments regarding the referee I'd take with a pinch of salt - i noticed him shaking the refs hand and laughing with him just before the 2nd half kicked off.

He also criticised the way we play, saying it was all route one stuff from Guzan to Benteke. He might have forgotten about Gabby's precision pass to Benteke for our goal. The bloke's a wind-up merchant and the media should know better than to crawl up his arse.

He is a wind up merchant and an expert at it - dont take his comments too seriously , a lot of it is tongue in cheek to provoke a reaction .

[Jimbo]

The thing is with Mourinho coming out with all of this tripe means that you can tell that we gave him a scare. If they'd have steamrollered over us again he'd be very complimentary. I like to hear that Lambert was allegedly contesting every decision, it shows he wants to win regardless of who we are playing.

Mourinho said in his post match interview we deserved a draw and was very complimentary - he knows we gave his team a real fight .
His comments regarding the referee I'd take with a pinch of salt - i noticed him shaking the refs hand and laughing with him just before the 2nd half kicked off.

He also criticised the way we play, saying it was all route one stuff from Guzan to Benteke. He might have forgotten about Gabby's precision pass to Benteke for our goal. The bloke's a wind-up merchant and the media should know better than to crawl up his arse.

He is a wind up merchant and an expert at it - dont take his comments too seriously , a lot of it is tongue in cheek to provoke a reaction .

Absolutely right. So when he's complimentary about us, I disregard that too.

I'm looking forward to him being on the receiving end of a few dodgy decisions, but with no Fergie to intimidate referees, we may have to wait a while for that.

[Ads]

I eagerly await something going wrong for Chelsea at Yanited and to hear what he has to say about it. His disingenuous comments last night are laughable.

We are not taking about 50/50s or rub of the green, we are talking about a complete and utter failure by the referee to do his job. There can be no explanation as to why he did not send Ivanovich off. He saw it because he booked him. You cannot book a player for elbowing, its either a total accident or a red. His failure to send him off, never mind giving a free kick that was not a free kick, cost us a point.

To then repeat the trick by not giving us a penalty for the most blatant handball since 1986 when stairing straight at the incident is staggering.

Kevin Friend you are a cheating ******.

[eastie]

I wouldn't say he intimidated the ref last night , the ref was 5 yards from the elbowing offence - as he saw the incident i cannot believe how he could deem it as a yellow card , the elbow was used and made contact and as violent conduct must surely be a red .

Regarding the penalty the ball hit terry who had his arm raised and clearly was a penalty - a referee who made 2 shocking decisions which are hard to understand - i am sure had that been at the other end he would have given Chelsea a penalty.

[Villafirst]

That performance augers very well for the future. Forgetting the injustices Lambert has to look at the contribution of Weimann in particular.He missed an easy chance (at this level) to put us in the lead and a scoreable chance when Benteke headed it on to him.

Im starting to have doubts about how good he will be. The effort,belief and aggression are there but he needs to move up a level or two.

Hold on, Weimann is still very young and will have dips in form from time to time. He still managed two excellent volleys which Cech made two great saves from - if those had gone in everyone would be saying Weimann is a world-beater; such are the fine margins in this game. Once Weiman gets off the mark he'll be much better for it.

[SamTheMouse]

That performance augers very well for the future. Forgetting the injustices Lambert has to look at the contribution of Weimann in particular.He missed an easy chance (at this level) to put us in the lead and a scoreable chance when Benteke headed it on to him.

Im starting to have doubts about how good he will be. The effort,belief and aggression are there but he needs to move up a level or two.

Hold on, Weimann is still very young and will have dips in form from time to time. He still managed two excellent volleys which Cech made two great saves from - if those had gone in everyone would be saying Weimann is a world-beater; such are the fine margins in this game. Once Weiman gets off the mark he'll be much better for it.

Quite right. The thing I really like about Weimann is that he's quite a cerebral player. When he's off the ball, you can see him thinking where and when to run, and he gets into some really good positions. His finishing sometimes lets him down, although the chances he had last night were tricky ones and he showed good technique - just hit em too close to the keeper. Like Percy says, once he hits the back of the net - hopefully against the dippers - he'll be on his way again.

[Clampy]

Regarding the penalty claim, the ref either did'nt think it was deliberate handball or he did'nt like the idea of 10 Chelsea players chasing him round the pitch at such a late stage in the game. I reckon it was the latter. Anyway, I don't think it should overshadow how bloody well we played. Bearing in mind how many goalscorers they had in their midfield, I can't really remember Guzan making that many saves. We made them look very ordinary at times and we could have won it.

[john e]

my thoughts on last night

second half, as proud of a Villa team than I can remember for many a year

Delph, outstanding

Chelsea, the club, Stadium, fans a more soulless football club you will not find

Ref- homer

song of the night - 'weve got the special one' to P Lambert

[Mazrim]

I'm convinced we'd have took all the points if that ugly bent twat would have done his job. I can take losing but not being robbed. It really does boil my piss.

The worst thing is, nothing will be done about it. Even if Ivanovic gets a retrospective ban, we don't get any points back. And that useless ****** will ref again and face no inquiry into his dubious and possibly corrupt decision making.

[martyn ellis]

Alistair Bruce Ball on Radio Five Live this morning very positive about us. Compared us to last season and felt there was real promise, not least because of our ability to restrict Chelsea to virtually no shots on goal all match. Analysed the whole Ivanovic forearm smash and felt it was thoroughly premeditated; to paraphrase from memory - 'he looked at the ball then looked at Benteke and cynically through his arm at B's head and neck, definite sending off'. Not so sure about the penalty decision but said there was a clear handball in there. Felt that Mourinho was unfair when he described Villa's strategy as simply 'lumping the ball up to Benteke'. Even my wife was impressed, seeing as she only ever seems to hear bad news about the Villa.