Chelsea's starting lineup

Every contender so far has drawn thier opening games....

Competitive

Good match, Torres showed some fine form and supreme confidence today and was a constant torment to the Stoke defence, he is looking more and more like his old form.

I think Chelsea played quite well today, any team would struggle to create against this hard tackling Stoke side.

We always knew Stoke away first game would be mega tough and not a massive chance to win, but 2 or 3 stone wall pens and Shawcross is such a thug how did he not manage to get sent off the dirty leg breaker.

Immaculate_Mole wrote:Every contender so far has drawn thier opening games....

Competitive

United hasn't played Brum
City hasn't played Swansea

No way in hell is that holding up

Give them time: there's still a few weeks left in the transfer window. Also, you can't go from grindfest football to pretty attacking football in a few months. That will also take time.

Assuming Villa-Boas is going for effective but pretty attacking football.

I watched the second half, I didn't like Chelsea's positioning and game. I think McEachran should have started, I was very impressed by the lad in pre-season and I think he could have added more than one of the other midfielders, not sure which of them though.

Kalou was quite bad too.

No home wins yet so far

bhends wrote:

Immaculate_Mole wrote:Every contender so far has drawn thier opening games....

Competitive

United hasn't played Brum
City hasn't played Swansea

No way in hell is that holding up

United are away to West Brom, who drew with them at OT last year.... not exactly impossible...

City will probably demolish Swansea tho lol.

Chelsea deserves praise for getting a draw tbh. It was at the Britannia after all.

If they sign a quality midfielder, pretty much any position but DM, they'll be very very good.

Sepi wrote:a draw at Britannia is a decent result

And this is true as well.

McEachran is terrific but I'm not sure he would cope against Stoke's over-physical style of play. He's still yet to develop physically.

I'm sure he'll get game time against the aesthetically pleasing teams.

Think we have a terrific side. Wide options are an obvious problem and the main weakness in our side although it will definitely improve once Sturridge returns from his suspension as he's much better than anyone else in our squad out there.

Modric + another wide option and we'll have a better side than United.

free_cat wrote:I watched the second half, I didn't like Chelsea's positioning and game. I think McEachran should have started, I was very impressed by the lad in pre-season and I think he could have added more than one of the other midfielders, not sure which of them though.

Kalou was quite bad too.

I agree McEachran needs to be on the pitch, one of Ramires or Lampard needs to be dropped for the next game.

11 goals in 7 games so far

“I need a midfield player as a priority, also a winger.

“These are important to this club and I see business being done but it will not be at the expense of players like Josh.”

Like I said wait till the window shuts before judging.

I'm really really hoping that McEahran will get a start rather sooner than later, because I'm in the belief that pro coaches like Ancelotti, Villa Boas, di Matteo... are really quite good at telling when a player is ready to perform at a certain level.

So what I believe that if McEahran gets a BPL start against a mid-table-to-top-table team, he will not be quite as good yet (like, no better than Lampard) as many (Chelsea fans) on here seem to think.

Gil wrote:

“I need a midfield player as a priority, also a winger.

“These are important to this club and I see business being done but it will not be at the expense of players like Josh.”

Like I said wait till the window shuts before judging.

People have a knack of doing that on the interwebz quite like at Newcastle people are judging us already we got a draw against Arsenal with No LB, No Carroll replacement and Ben Arfa, Williamson and Marveuax not fit....

Wait until Ben Arfa and Williamson is back and Enrique and Carroll is replaced before you judge us ffs....

Sorry for intruding the thread like this but i have to get this off my chest lol.

Crazy how Torres from one day to another turned to shit. That guy used to be an animal

windkick wrote:Crazy how Torres from one day to another turned to shit. That guy used to be an animal

You obviously didn't watch the match today, Torres was easily the man of the match and was unlucky not to have scored a goal today, most inform Spanish striker in my opinion.

buddytaller wrote:

windkick wrote:Crazy how Torres from one day to another turned to shit. That guy used to be an animal

You obviously didn't watch the match today, Torres was easily the man of the match and was unlucky not to have scored a goal today, most inform Spanish striker in my opinion.

Not hard when La Liga has'nt started yet

No, Torres looked better than he used, he performed well, and had some nice moves, but he was still nowhere close to what he used to be like at his best, and i doubt he will ever get back there. HIs body betrayed him, and for an uber athlete as he used to be, it's halfway to game over.

I thought he was crap as usual tbh all he did was run and run and fall over and give ball away....

If Torres deserves MOTM for that then heskey deserves it everyweek.....

Woodgate was easily MOTM imo.

He had a great game tonight, he kept turning the Stoke defenders inside out and creating chances for himself and his team mates.

He played with a smile throughout the game, and seem to have his confidence back. I won't write him off just yet, I actually expect him to have a very good season.

buddytaller wrote:

windkick wrote:Crazy how Torres from one day to another turned to shit. That guy used to be an animal

You obviously didn't watch the match today, Torres was easily the man of the match and was unlucky not to have scored a goal today, most inform Spanish striker in my opinion.

I watched it, I just feel he still doesn't look the "same" as he did a few years ago when he was killing the league.

I read that Harry was after Fernando Llorente (which I know won't happen), but considering how big he is (6"5) I wonder how he would do in the PL

Well, compared to how shit Torres has been these past few years...

Yeah, he looked like the lovechild of Mueller and Batistuta today.