Chelsea v City

Must win game

Ederson
Walker, Stones, Laporte, Delph
Fernandinho
Bernardo, Silva
Sterling, Jesus, Sane

Thought about playing Mahrez on the right and Sterling up top, but Jesus works hard and Sterling is more effective out wide.

I can’t see past this lineup Ray (also Citywatch’s) although Pep may surprise us as he often does. Also completely agree about Jesus, his lack of goals would be a serious problem for most teams, but not for us as they come from all over the team. As you say he works really hard for the team and his movement forces the opposition out of position helping other players to score

A few weeks back I’d have had Mahrez in for Sane but Leroy’s right on it at the moment, particularly when it comes to tracking back and regaining possession. Really hope Jesus starts, it’ll be a strong show of faith from Pep. So basically, same team for me!

Must win game now that we see the officials at the Bournemouth game a rolling over for the dippers.

Is that the end of Jesus? Wow

bit knee jerk to say the end for him.

I think without his shooting boots he maybe needs a rest out of the side.. we can't just cart-blanche say if Aguero is injured he plays every game? if so where's his pressure to perform?

Shame for the lad but I expect he’ll get on the pitch at some point, just hope it’s not because we need a goal.

I'm a big fan of Jesus, but on current form who deserves to play more?

The pace and energy we are showing in the 1st is something else, but Chelsea are a very good side despite their recent dip in form.

Look at Sane running back I almost cant recognize him this season, his work rate is immense

never offside for f**ks sake

Well that was a kick in the teeth. Not sure Mahrez through the middle and Sterling wide right is a good idea, but 45 mins to go to turn this around.

Was never going to be an easy game. We edged it last with a fully fit squad. Still time to turn this around, but a point would not be a terrible result IMHO.

Anybody but that f***ing clown.

Not gonna moan too much, it’s the first genuinely poor performance this season, and even so, the first half was ok until we conceded. We’ll have more options with Sergio and KDB before long. I expect the Dippers have already organised their victory parade.

We didn't havea clue how to breakdown that Chelsea defense. With all our injuries thta is not surprising. But why is it we are suffering more than any other team, now it looks like Merlin is the next on the treatment table

Is the someting wrong with the way we train

1. Semi-glad the invincible monkey is off the back again..
2. Kepa saved 2 shots all game, free kick and Jesus in injury time, we don't deserve to win if we their goalkeeper doesn't have to stop  shots,
3. never a fucking corner, commentators having a laugh trying to say it deflected off Mahrez's studs...

4. Mahrez wide right to begin game we are good
5. Mahrez through middle we are not good.
6. We kept Mahrez through the middle for about the last 30 minutes of the first half and into the second....................????????

7. Sane was playing pretty good and causing more problems than Sterling did/could down the left..

8. Fans singing Raheem Sterling, He's top of the league... when he isn't is bad omens.

quick summary, we dominated the game, made no chances at all... too safe in our possession and passing, Chelsea scored 2 almost against the run of play if you like, and defended very well.

I'll clarify number 8, mid-way first half, we're second in the table after dippers earlier win....
.....

I can hear from Huntingdon the banging of knuckles on the underside of the desk of all the scouse loving journalists across the country, who are ready to crown the dippers 2018/19 champions.

Meh, take it on the chin and move on. That's us played the top 5 away already. Long way to go.

blisteringblue wrote:Meh, take it on the chin and move on.  That's us played the top 5 away already.   Long way to go.

Since when did the dipper press ever pay attention to facts

I'm not disheartened, we dominated but didn't make any proper chances.
rather that any day over getting battered every week.
crikey, 1 loss in the league this season, 1 point off the top.

For what it's worth, the morning after, here's my spin on it.

Called it before the game - Gabby has been poor in front of goal for us lately, but to go away to CFC and play Sterling and Mahrez as a 9, was simply baffling. Neither have the strikers awareness of when to drag CB's around and out of position, play on the shoulder etc - and neither one them are any good in the air (at least Gabby can jump and is willing to go in the air with a CB). 

I think Pep gets a bit too clever at times in important games. LFC last season, messing around with the team - and he did it again yesterday.

Mahrez - as technically gifted as he is, he reminds me of Bernardo in his first season, never takes a player on, always cuts back and plays a simple pass. He was up against a very slow LB in Alonso for large parts of the game and never once took him on.

Sterling is no striker, he isn't clinical enough - but he's had a brilliant season so can't really put blame on him playing out of position. Should have been playing as a winger, up against Alonso. Alonso had a cake-walk yesterday and shouldn't have had. One time Sterling went near him, he took the piss out of him.

*I know Sterling and Mahrez swapped around all the time - but without a proper striker to make intelligent runs to create space for the wingers - it doesn't work.*

Thought Walker got caught out too many times trying to get up the pitch. Out of position for the build up to Kante's goal.

David had a poor, poor game....and that's rare. But was he injured? Didn't look fit and was pretty non-existent for him.

We were good on the ball for large parts of the game, but looked unbalanced when we got to the final 3rd....far too narrow because Mahrez goes inside every single time....Bernardo naturally wants to go inside as well.

It's one of them....hopefully, that'll be another rocket up the arse of some players. Aguero and KDB back for EFC....Ferna needs a rest soon, but was probably our best player yesterday.

At least Pep won't be asked at every press conference "will you go unbeaten?....got to be the most inane question ever. I'm hoping LFC go unbeaten and we win the PL.....that'll boil some piss! 

As with the Liverpool game, the 1st goal proved oh so important....they got that bit of luck, we didn't.

I thought we dominated the 1st half but were too wasteful in front of goal and it hurt us when Chelsea scored from the only attempt...and even that shouldn't have happened if Sane hadn't have been ball watching.
The second half was a far more even half, but in truth I can't really remember us looking threatening enough to equalise.

As regards the line up, Jesus should have started with Raheem n Sane out wide....as Andy said, Pep missed s trick on their left. Alonso was there for the taking and we never exposed him anywhere enough.

That said, 1 defeat isn't the end of the world...let's see how the Dippers cope with being the unbeaten leaders now.

When I saw the team sheets, I knew this wasn't going to be a goal-fest.  22 players on the pitch and not a striker between them.  It was definitely going to be down to who blinked first and for 40 minutes Chelsea were defending as resolutely as possible.  But then we blinked and conceded completely against the run of play.  It shouldn't have been a dead loss at that point, but we seemed to completely forget how to play football after that point and, from then on, it looked like there was only one team who were going to score again.

Dino played okay for me, but he wasn't our best and I thought he had an uncharacteristic day off.  That said, I noted several times in the first half that he looked laboured, like he was struggling with a tight hamstring or something. Not surprising since he's played more minutes than everyone else and it highlights that we don't have anyone who is adequate cover.

As others have said, Alonso was their weak link, so to send left footed players in against him only played in his favour.  Sterling should've been there all afternoon, running past him and creating more trouble for them at the back.

Still, I can't complain.  We've lost one game in the league in what, 8 months?  We used to lose more games than that in 8 days!

Every dipper fan I know are shitting it now, they said it's easy chasing, the hard bit starts now.   I think Gerrards slip is burned in deep