Chelsea fans name biggest reason for keeping Sarri; true captain emerges in Arsenal win

Granit Xhaka; Mesut Ozil TEAMtalk

Arsenal fans picked out who their true captain is as they were disappointed with their win over Watford, Manchester United supporters assess the chances of a comeback against Barcelona tonight, and our Chelsea readers suggest the main reason for keeping Maurizio Sarri on as coach – all in Your Says of the Day.

Got something to get off your chest? Join in the debate here.

 

ARSENAL DISAPPOINT IN WATFORD WIN

Ok,There’s no denying that watford are a good side,and indeed have been very good to watch this season but that was as unconvincing and worrying performance we could’ve given considering the circumstances.

The circumstances being our cojones man deeney was stupid enough to raise his hand off the ball so early on in the game,and we being lucky enough that the ref spotted it and we for once actually appealed to get justice for the decision.Torreira is poor in his appeals,we got that decsion because our true captain xhaka cared enough to bring it to the attention of the ref.
It was so unsatisfactory for the rest of the game though.Playing over 75 minutes against ten men and it seemed like they actually played better.We gave them attempts that they didn’t take.I just don’t get this team,everytime we come up against an aggressive side apart from the odd one or two players are players are simply not up for the challenge.Not enough desire,not enough appeals.The ref after that sending off gave literally every 50/50 decision to watford.And we didn’t fight enough again apart from Xhaka.Our desire is nowhere near where it should be if we are to ever challenge for the title.I’ll take the result,because it was an important one.

I just want to praise one player and that’s Xhaka.Purely as a captain.He’s as good a captain we’ve had in years.Fights for every decision,communicates with players,shows desire.I know emery has some five captains but it’s certain it should be Xhaka someone who’s actually willing to fight for his team.If it were’nt for his appealing today(the only one actually) we might not have seen that red card.Another player who was brilliant today was Monreal.

Nervy game,could have been very different had they not have a player sent off so early on.

the specialone

 

That was another sh*te away performance. With 10 men they should not have had a sniff but we conceded chance after chance and again our shooting boots were not on again. Miki has been sh*t last two games, Ozil came on and strolled around. Pointless sub I f**king hate when he keeps looking to the sky because he did not get the ball to feet and he has to do some work to get the ball back. Leno did well again and mustafi defended well as did kosch but the rest were rubbish. I know it’s about results at this stage so I will take crap performances and a win for the next month but we keep playing like this away and we won’t make it! Anyway rant over and I suppose i should be happy our first clean sheet and three points and a win away even with all that still not feeling great!

stev2bath1

Very poor performance. Deeney was stupid to throw his arm, no ball present, was a red card.
There seems to be a bogey when we play Watford, especially away. Mind you our big girl panties go missing as soon as we leave home.
Iwobi needs to be farmed out, he has potential but so jittery in last quarter. You can see his hesitation, time and time again. Mkhitaryan is poor, sorry sell him now, he gets worse every game.
The whole team were poor, but Xhaka and Leno stood out. Kos too, took it on the chin.
I normally am not happy with M/Nials, but saved our bacon. Well done.
Three points i’ll take them.
A better team must show up on Thursday, it’s going to be a very, very hard game.

GFL.

Gooner54

 

Gooner54 – Maitland niles dosen’t know how to defend.That position is a real worry for us until the end of the season atleast.People will say oh look he got that block in,but if people actually analyse AMN was actually the one marking gray and then lost his marker to give him a chance but then recovered.Had he not lost his marker he never would’ve made that block in the first place.Either ways,that incident aside he’s good technical player but a poor defender and certainly not a right back.
Also,there’s this cool but clusmy attitude when he’s on the ball and he loses the ball quite often in certain situations that removes your confidence on him.

Also,Emery said yesterday that he removed Torreira because the atmosphere was against him,apparently.Is that a joke?It’s no wonder we have a laughable away record because the players are not even mentally prepared to handle so many siuations espescially the atmosphere.

I just realised that our next PL game is at home and then we have all 3 away at Wolves,Leicester and then Burnley.Although none are in the top 6 they are still very tough places to go to.So god help us if this team is not prepared to be aggressive and fight for top 4 in those matches.I still think the PL is an easier route to a CL qualifying spot.Europa league is tougher than most people think.We’ll have to beat a touch napoli side who’ll certainly play differently then they did,then we’ll probably have Valencia who have been fantastic this season and are a tough team anyways.They drew at Nou camp and won against Real and have a strong team on paper.If we go through we’ll probably meet chelsea in the finals who have a much stronger team on paper.They’ll be massive favourites should we actually reach there.

the specialone

 

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MAN UTD FANS ASSESS CHANCES OF BARCELONA TURNAROUND

After the PSG game I don’t think any result is beyond us at this stage – Barcelona won’t play defensive against us and will go for the jugular so it might free up some space on the counter for our forwards. Once thing is for sure – Rashford, Martial, Lukaku and Lingard will need to be sharp and take their chances (even if they’re half chances) for us to make it through.

Odds are extremely low but we might as well go out without fear and just go for it – no one is expecting us to go through anyway.

Sympathy for the Devils

 

We have been riding the Lady Luck to extreme. We need her again to get through,no doubt about that.

Zico

 

Barcelona are a much better team than us and should win comfortably
That said, anything is possible.
Keep it tight at the back and break with purpose and pace. If Martial and Rashford are fully fit we’ll have a chance

homerjay540

Lukaku Rakitic TEAMtalk

Anything is possible but I doubt we’ll be given 2 more gifts and a dodgy penalty lol! We should concentrate on the Everton/Chelski/City games imo.

yorkshireman200

 

Can see us getting chinned 3-0. Was offered cracking tickets by a mate but couldn’t put myself through it. Wouldn’t trust myself either sitting amongst a bunch of Barca fans. If anyone thinks our lot at OT are a prawn sandwich brigade you should go to a few games over here. Pathetic support at times.

Anyways, just want to get this game and season over now. We look like we’re going to limp to a 5th or 6th placed finish. Too many things up in the air at the club. Player contracts and futures, new DOF to be appointed and summer signings etc. Don’t expect miracles overnight but hoping for a bit of structure and stability next season. Hopefully a few good signings will see a bit of progress on the pitch. Will be another couple of seasons at least before we can think about winning the league.

N1xer

 

The one problem we won’t have against Barca is motivation. Hopefully the adrenaline and occassion will bring some players back into form.

Barca will need to fluff their lines big time like PSG did, and our players will need to put in an epic performance.

In a way, it feels like our season hinges on this result. Lose and motivation will be at the lowest point since Solskjaer arrived. The players will struggle to get up for Everton away and there’ll be nothing left to play for but a tough slog for 4th place.

Win and it will be euphoria again. Talk will be about winning the champions league and how Solskjaer has brought back our clubs DNA.

Mike2005

 

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LIVERPOOL FANS THINK TEAMS TRY HARDER AGAINST THEM THAN MAN CITY

Think we’ll win all our remaining matches. I wanted the Ox to be fit for the run in but Hendo’s redeployment is even more beneficial imo because he brings more power and aggressivity in the opposition’s half.

As for Utd, their fans and ex players want City to win the league but sponsors might not take too kindly to Europa League next season so they might reluctantly hand us a helping hand.

captkirk

 

Just imagine us throwing a game against Everton to stop man utd winning the league. We just wouldn’t do it, no matter how badly we didn’t want them as champions, we would never throw a game against the toffees, and I can’t see them doing it against city.

We even beat Blackburn on the final day the year they won the PL, which could have resulted in Man Utd being crowned champions.

D1rtyH4rry

 

They wont throw it. Some fans will no doubt say they want City to beat them but not the team with so much at stake. It’s worked out brilliantly for liverpool, with both spurs and utd fighting desperately for top 4 going into their games with city. Even the champs league match went well for us as City must take Wednesday very seriously and hopefully it takes its toll.

I expect us to win our last 4 games, if city can do the same given how hard it appears to be then fair play they’ll be worthy champions. But let’s hope they dont eh!

threeps

 

No way will utd roll over. The problem is they aren’t playing well now after a decent spell and ciry will walk all over them.

I think both teams will win all their Games.

Sean the sailor

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Fortunately, I can’t see that Man Utd are in a position to throw this one; and it’s not even as if it’s the final definitive game of the season, so they can comfort themselves with the thought that it won’t be them that could be handing us the title (if, of course, everything else goes according to plan). The Solskjaer appointment has actually done us a favour as he’s at least got them into a position where they still have things to play for instead of the previous mini-competition with Wolves, Leicester, Watford and Everton for the ‘best of the rest’ award. Mind you, he always was a Liverpool fan.

Red Herring

 

Ya, I just don’t understand why some people think Utd will happily roll over. What Threeps said basically and also this point. Utd will be motivated to beat City, in order to have an influence/say on where the title goes. On the day, their rivals are City and they’ll want to stop them.

As the personal battles/duels go on within the game, each player will want to take the title off his marker. If they even thought about Liverpool before kick off, they will forget all about us very quickly and work hard to take the points away from City. I even think the fans will get behind this, for similar reasons.

Every team and it’s set of fans want to be relevant and I’m not knocking Utd by saying that they have been irrelevant this season, in terms of trying to win the league but it’s true. They did however take points of us and they will be fired up to do the same against City. IF they then lose, they have a consolation of “well at least we didn’t help Liverpool” but that feeling happens only after the game is essentially over.

Now, of course City might utterly batter Utd, as Sean said above. It’s apparent that the honeymoon period is over and so this is definitely possible. City have done it to them before. If this happens, I think most of us agree that it’ll have little to do with motivation though.

MrMakaveli

 

The theory is teams try harder against us then they do against City (I am not sure)
The problem with the current narrative is somehow we are joint favs to win the league this may take the pressure of city & we still need to win our games so getting 97 points is not guaranteed by a long stretch. One game at a time please!!!

AK

 

Ya, there is definitely something to be wary of here. We’ve overcome our last top 6 game but we’re not home and dry just waiting on City to slip up. We might do it ourselves just yet.

As for any theory of teams trying harder against us, I can’t see any rational angle and would put it down to an issue of perspective and bias.

MrMakaveli

 

I agree AK is does seem try harder against us than City.
Perhaps it’s a fear factor with them scoring so many goals.
Take City’s opening goal at the weekend there.
KDB picks up ball in his own half, not a Palace midfielder/player within 10/15yrds of him, he waltzes forward 20yrds with no one near him and then picks a pass out for Sterling to finish. Who in their right mind gives KDB that much time and space on the ball? Of course he’s gonna hurt ya if ya allow him time to do it.
I was watching it live perplexed as to why no one was closing him down or evening near him.

gingerlfc

 

We must also take into account that Liverpool’s games have likely a bigger world wide audience than City’sand it serves as extra motivation. As for the fear factor the next stage would be for us to emulate City in that department next season and for the seasons to come? That might also explain why they struggle in the CL where teams like Lyon do not have any fear of having a go at them.

captkirk

 

…and it’s a shame that we are playing Cardiff at a stage when they are still in with a mathematical chance of survival. Tonight’s game at BHA, however, could have some influence on the weekend. If Cardiff can snatch a win (on their nearest rivals for relegation); then it will give them real belief of achieving the ‘impossible’ and they’ll be stoked-up to Max. against us on Sunday. If, however, they lose tonight, whilst they are not mathematically down, to all intents and purposes they are and Warnock will have a more difficult job to motivate them. Seagulls…..Seagulls !

Red Herring

 

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CAN CHELSEA STILL MAKE TOP FOUR AFTER ARSENAL RESULT?

No gift from Arsenal to us. Already 0-1 up against Watford with Watford playing 10 men. Our top 4 chances are as slim as ever now

aindro

 

How many twists and turns have we seen to date and who would rule out more to come…?

Everyone says that Arsenal have an easy run in but most of their games are away and they just about scrapped home last night so who is to say they will not drop points again. Spurs are hit and miss and look like they have lost Kane as well. If they manage to progress past City in the CL then they could also be easily distracted. ManU are also not playing well and should have at least drawn with Wham at the weekend and have stuttered since they made Ole manager

Our loss at the weekend could easily be seen as understandable as most would agree that City and Liverpool are playing the best football this season and Liverpool are unbeaten at home. Anything for us would have been a bonus

We have some decent games to play and it is looking like the ManU game could have a lot riding on it but until the defeat at the weekend we have not done too badly recently and potentially we could even have got something out of that game as well (38 times this season we have hit the woodwork…!!)

We can still achieve our target of CL football by 2 routes so I would not give up hope of either just yet. KTBFFH

CFC1905

 

Arsenal were so lucky again but thats what you need to qualify, our luck has not been great this season so for me the only route will be via the Europa.

Blueowner

Europa League trophy TEAMtalk

Imagine if we played Arsenal n the Europa League Final and the two teams finished 5th and 6th in the league. Everything hinging on the one match. Everything for the winner, entry to the Champions League and Europa League Champions and nothing for the loser but another season of Thursday night footie.

chelsea1967

 

Arsenal made hard work of it against 10 men last night but a wins a win. Spurs and Arsenal look favourites to finish in the top 4 now and probably in that order.

nine nine nine

 

Arsenal were absolute dog sh*te last night. A bit annoyed they got the three points, but if they keep playing like that they will drop points, for sure.
There’s an argument to say that neither Spurs, Arsenal, or ManU are playing particular well at the moment so its all still to play for, but the reality is we are in 5th spot, and all three other teams have a game in hand on us. So it’s highly unlikely we can do enough with the amount of games left to make the top 4.

Blue Lion

 

HAZARD-REAL MADRID LINKS RESURFACE

I’m not surprised by this.

Losing Hazard for nothing in the following summer if he’s prepared to commit himself to the Club for another season and try and get us in the CL might be the better option if he could help us do that as the money difference between what we receive from the CL all things considered would make a hole in that £78m.

But would Hazard be content to stay another season especially as Real have suggested to him it’s now or never?

Another big call for the Club to make and we’ll have to take Hazards feelings on it all into account.

nine nine nine

 

So far I have seen nothing official from Real at all. Lots of ifs and buts and maybes and many journalists making claims that they believe this or that will happen. Just paper talk for me

Hazard has been very clear he is totally focussed on Chelsea until the end of the season when he will make a decision

Real are linked with all and sundry and for me the big European clubs tend to do deals during the season rather than wait for the transfer window as they like to be seen as the big guns flexing their muscles. Maybe I am just an optimist but I honestly believe that Hazard is torn as he loves Chelsea, his family are settled and it would appear that he actually likes Sarri and his approach to the game so even retaining Sarri is another option in order to keep Hazard

I know and understand all the arguments about the lure of Real and to be fair it is not beyond the realms of possibility that a deal is already done and all parties have to remain quiet about it but have to say, not convinced on that one…? KTBFFH

CFC1905

Eden Hazard TEAMtalk

i think hazard has to go if he is going to he is already 28, another season and he will be close to 30 and powers already on the wane….if its truly hi dream and the chance is there he has to take it…..

steveosnakeeye

 

SSE I also think once you hit the 30 years you not going to become any better though he can still maintain his current form for a couple of years, we probably had Hazard at his best and great if he stays but if not as seems likely cash up. Time catches up with everyone.

Blueowner

 

Have to say as much as it hurts I agree with Stevo it’s Hazards dream to play for Real and if he wants to fulfil that and he has the opportunity I don’t think we should begrudge him that.

nine nine nine

CHELSEA LOOK AHEAD TO SLAVIA PRAGUE RETURN LEG

Can only see victory here and, as was suggested by 999 on a previous thread, there is plenty of time between Thursday night and Monday night’s league match at home to Burnley to enable us to put out the full strength side which means we should have a reasonably comfortable night out and transit through to the semi final.

chelsea1967

 

With the injury to Rudiger we are fortunate to still have Cahill in the squad I’m not sure why he’s been so isolated by Sarri.

nine nine nine

Azpi can play CB too. Ampadu too. I think we’re blessed in that sector. I am not that worried. Rudiger’s injury seems to be quite bad as he wasn’t able to walk yesterday without help.

We need to win this match. Only 1-0 margin, we cannot be careless. I expect Pedro, Kovacic to start, Giroud to start. But it would be an opportunity to start Higuain too to give him some confidence if he is able to score. Hazard and Kanté should be rested.

aindro

 

I don’t think we should underestimate Prague they are no mugs and the EL is probably the best chance we have of claiming a CL place.

I would select a strong team given we don’t play again until next Monday at home to Burnley.

nine nine nine

 

Personally I would approach this game in the same way as most EL games. We can afford to rest a few of our stars but maybe not make so many changes as usual

We need to be able to retain the ball and use it better than we did out there but we should have enough quality in our locker to beat them

Even if they go 1-0 down nothing really changes as they need 2 goals to either win or just to draw level. To be comfortable we need to score twice and if we do that then I could see us romp home at a canter but what’s the odds on us making it an uncomfortable evening for the fans…? KTBFFH

CFC1905

 

The key here will be to score quickly. They will have to score 2. Chelsea this season, we don’t know which one will turn up. Probably the rampant side that won against West Ham. Or the weak side who lost against Everton and who won luckily against Cardiff. We have done pretty well though in EL. With our away win, I surely expect we should qualify for the semi. We have to avoid disaster by losing at home against Slavia. With possibly Benfica as our opponent, that one will be a tough one.

aindro

 

HOW LONG DOES SARRI HAVE LEFT?

We have seen a few blips but must admit that Sarri seems to have got over them. He has been instrumental in bring the likes of RLC and Barkley into the squad, giving them regular games and basically see them improve and grow over the season

Not so sure he was instrumental when it comes to CHO but regardless he has integrated him as well and between CHO and RLC I feel we look a lot more balanced team. There are always going to be bad games where sometimes these 2 have little to no impact but unless they get the games they are not going to improve

Of course Sarri is bound to say we are improving and heading in the right direction but if Hazard comes out and says he like the style and philosophy then maybe we should be looking to retain Sarri and look to expect a lot more from next season…? KTBFFH

CFC1905

 

Big call 1905 for Roman and the Board as Bort has suggested elsewhere we can’t afford any more poor transfer windows if we get to buy in this Summer’s windows we have to get those buys right and both Higuain and Jorginho haven’t been great buys/ loans.

I don’t think qualifying or not for the CL or winning the EL will come into it if Roman and the Board think they’ve made a mistake appointing Sarri he will be gone otherwise he will get next season.

Be tough though to get a decent Manager in with a transfer ban and we’re running out of credible options now too.

nine nine nine

 

I actually do not think Jorginho has been as bad as people make out. Poor in terms of creating chances but he certainly is working hard in the middle to break things up and get the ball moving quickly

Agreed a big call but if we do change the manager again then we start from scratch again, so by retaining Sarri there would be a degree of continuity and you would expect Sarri to buy a couple more players that he feels would benefit the squad in his way/style

Defensively we are poor this season and so changes need to be made but I still think a lot is down to them not getting the same kind of cover that Kante provides. However, what Chelsea need most and have done for a couple of seasons now is an out and out goal scorer who will get us 25+ goals per season but that is going to be the main requirement regardless of who the manager is

As always, only time will tell but I do worry about some of the names being bandied about as potential replacements though…KTBFFH

CFC1905

 

We need a young courageous manager who also knows how to win games and if you add our resources it should be easier than current other teams they may be managing.

Blueowner

 

An chance of Didier Deschamps?

chelsea1967

There’s truth in that 1905 re continuity and the names currently in the frame don’t inspire and are perhaps a reflection of where we now find ourselves.

Giving a new Manager just a season doesn’t reflect well on the Club and it’s decision making but I still wouldn’t rule out Sarri going even if he achieve a CL place.

nine nine nine

 

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