hahahaha

Wow first pl goal for him, our true playmaker

"John Obi Mikel, he scores when he wants" now being sung by the home crowd

MIKELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

FT: Chelsea 2-0 Fulham


Much better second half. Chelsea go top of the table, at least for the evening.

Like the commentator said, it wasn't about performance tonight, it was about results. Now to stat pad against Swindon before we play against Spurs

Oscar
7 tackles

ANIMAL

Stat: Mikel has scored more goals this season that all 3 Chelsea strikers combined.

Mourinho's full-length post-match interview on Saturday Night Football on Sky Sports.

Didn't watch the game just espn gamecast, analysis on the game? Any improvement, besides getting the win?

Uncanny wrote:Didn't watch the game just espn gamecast, analysis on the game?  Any improvement, besides getting the win?

Very poor in the first half. Sleep-inducing even. Reminiscent of this fixture last year, actually. Second half much better, but still something just doesn't seem quite right...

We're still lacking something, for much of the game, Mikel/Ramires partnership was killing us as neither tried to pass the ball forwards, we needed either MVG or Lampard there.
I'd say that was our biggest issue today.

Start Torres already. Much better performance with him on the pitch.

Are you insane? We've spent years starting Torres.

Let's not go back down that road.

Pretty dire match but we got the 3 points so happy.

Ramires/Mikel was a disaster, Ramires's passing made Mikel look like Xavi and was very very lucky to not have given away a goal.

Kick your point doesn't really stand, drogba on his last season only scored 6 goals, Ba barely did much, and eto will more or less follow the same suit. Even though Torres is crap, he scored 9 in his last half season at Liverpool. The problem is with the entire Chelsea team and how they are playing that's affecting our strikers and so far Torres has been the only one that scored among our strikers. The team doesn't pass the ball forward much and can't string passes together, and therefore none of our strikers can produce anything or even get the damn ball.

Eto'o may not score much but he'll be more threatening than Torres, who we've tried and tried, he hasn't worked, let's give up on him already, at least Eto'o brings a goal threat.

I'm not defending Torres here he isn't that great but atleast he has been scoring a few goals for us, but your just saying eto is a goal threat because he is a new blue, just like Ba before that. The problem is not our strikers but our passing and chances given to them. I would love to see eto shine for us but it's hasn't been happening, maybe he needs more time, but we are missing a major spark. Maybe we need some kind of deep lying playmaker to gel midfield to pass and support the front line, until then eto or Ba or Torres will be useless in attack.

I'm not saying it because Eto'o is new, Eto'o has shown that he can threaten, Torres barely manages to get a shot off in most games, you really want to play a CF who has spent numerous games playing 90 minutes without taking a single shot at goal?

Or would you prefer a hungry Eto'o, who will shoot when he has the chance?

Well time will tell, I think your misunderstanding me... I feel all our strikers don't get the service. Eto may be a goal threat but its minuscule unless he is fed more.

No, I understand, I just think, with the service our CF's are given, Eto'o will do more with it than Torres.

Compared to the Drogba days, it's not about individual brilliance or hoof balls anymore.

IMO, the strikers in this new system are expected to have a lot of off the ball movements, involvement in passing and build up rather than just a finish

Evident against the Fulham match we saw Eto'o a lot of time receiving the ball with his back on goal suggesting this is the case.

A lot of EPL teams use the 4-4-2 with a deep CB line so we can't really counter attack them most of the time. The ideal scenario would be for the team to get used to fluid passing so they can create chances together.

The thing about Torres is that.. well.. he just builds you up to let you down. I feel that when he's coming off the bench gives him that extra motivation to prove Mourinho wrong for starting Eto'o which explains his aggressive (but mindless) hunger for the ball.

Comparatively Eto'o does a better job of keeping possession of the ball which is vital for this to work IMO.

Good points, I'm just being too critical i guess