Chelsea 2-2 Watford FC - 26/12/2015

Malteser · Dec 27, 2015

In some breaking news this morning, Tim Peake has just caught Oscar's penalty.

UEA_Hornet · Dec 27, 2015

Squibba said: ↑

Lol if we beat a very good Spurs side we could actually be 4th depending on Palace's result because United aren't beating Chelsea.

How bloody bonkers!
Click to expand...

How could we end up 4th on Monday evening?

wfcSinatra · Dec 27, 2015

UEA_Hornet said: ↑

How could we end up 4th on Monday evening?
Click to expand...

By beating Spurs 12-0.

Hornet23 · Dec 27, 2015

Squibba said: ↑

I saw that quick delete Hornet!

My bad though, didn't realise the window didn't open till midnight January 2nd!
Click to expand...

Not sure what I pressed on my phone but it deleted my post!

Malteser · Dec 27, 2015

RussWatford said: ↑

I was sat in the home end (West Stand), surrounded by tourists. No atmosphere at all! I didn't think our fans were massively loud though! Split tiers never helps.

Managed to sit on my hands for our goals but couldn't help but jump and cheer when the penalty was missed!
Click to expand...

You probably had to jump to avoid being hit by the ball

jon_e_lee · Dec 27, 2015

Squibba said: ↑

By beating Spurs 12-0.
Click to expand...

7-0 would be enough mate!

wfcSinatra · Dec 27, 2015

jon_e_lee said: ↑

7-0 would be enough mate!
Click to expand...

I give up.

jon_e_lee · Dec 27, 2015

Squibba said: ↑

I give up.
Click to expand...

????

wfcSinatra · Dec 27, 2015

jon_e_lee said: ↑

????
Click to expand...

Had 3 'mares out of one comment haha I'm losing it slowly.

wfcmoog · Dec 27, 2015

LondonOrn said: ↑

Anyway - impressions of my first trip to Chelski FC and some random observations here and there regarding the game...

I did enjoy the journey to the ground and the location is not bad compared to most London football stadia but the bad reputation this club has earned in treating the away fans with contempt in more ways than one is certainly not unwarranted - unless I can get a decent ticket for £40 max in the upper tier or somewhere round the right hand corner of the lower section, it's definitely not a matchday experience I'd want to repeat in a hurry. Ground is poorly signposted (probably would've found our stand quicker if I'd been blindfolded) and in trying to locate my seat in row 15 of the (Cow)Shed End when wandering round the monochrome labyrinthine corridors I felt like I was transported to one of the more complex levels in a Sonic the Hedgehog game. The problems in that stand are multifold, especially for a 6'4''er like me - stand up and you can't see the pitch unless you want to give yourself permanent neck ache, and people behind you can't see what's going on, yet if you sit down you can't see with people ahead of you standing! The only chance of getting a half-decent view from that section is if you're lucky to be right in the centre and able to stand throughout without obstructing anyone's view, as any further down you're too close to the pitch. I'm not sure why everyone needed to be stood up when we were defending a corner our end when stats show we have a 1 in 20 to 30 chance of conceding from them (OK, we did concede this time round, but still) but as a compromise I dutifully sat on my upturned seat so most people behind me and myself (just about) could see the action.

Stamford Bridge still looks a pretty impressive stadium from what we could see of the remaining three quarters of it and no doubt like any club they have their fair percentage of decent and genuine fans, but they still represent to me, and I daresay most of us right-minded football fans everything that's wrong with football - the outrageous ticket prices, fans seemingly treated as a cash cow rather than the life and blood of the club, a bunch of overpaid mercenaries who have no real passion for the club and were instrumental towards Jose's sacking (the boos when the home team sheet was read out were richly deserved), a largely apathetic home crowd who apart from the last 30 minutes (and pretty much all from the Matthew Harding Stand) made next to no noise apart from after their first goal and when booing Deeney for his penalty. So needless to say, this trip would've been pretty miserable were it not for another great performance from the Golden Boys as opposed to the customary heavy scoreless defeat, even in once again unusually warm weather that felt closer to the end of the footy season than mid-winter.

Enough has already been said about the impressiveness of our display in more than holding our own against a team who are slowly but surely beginning to look more like defending champions (the fact that some of their own fans thought their team put on a good performance second half alone shows how proud we should be of our team) and as I wasn't paying full attention to the match throughout as I got caught up in some of the chants round me, I'll just add some mostly glowing comments on some of our players, with just the tiny bit of constructive criticism here and there:

Holebas - simply outstanding performance, and second/third only to Ighalo and Deeney in the potential MotM stakes. It really is a pleasure to behold the strength in depth we have in defence, with so many players who have the perfect combination of physique, height (all of our key players being at least 5'10''), awareness and skill on the ball - amazing to think not so long ago we could count ourselves lucky to have even one decent fullback! Great in the air, on the ball (both in his dribbling and passing) being a vital link between Jurado and the front players, and his last-ditch interceptions (including a wonderful sliding block in the first half) were a joy to watch. Who'd have thought a few years back we'd have a nice selection dilemma in the left back position? If he hadn't been out for so long, Ake could have a real fight on his hand to get his place back for Spurs (could still do).
Britos - quite apart from his natural ball skills, this guy seems made for his position. Tall (meaning great heading ability), the right build and weight with long legs making him swift and athletic with abundant mobility and alertness to every situation. Again, Prodl will have to work bloody hard for his place in the starting XI if such form continues.
Cathcart - covered the danger of Costas well despite him scoring twice, but seemed to be running dry towards the end of the game, an uncharacteristic long punt to Anya not helping matters.
Nyom - strong in the tackle and good link-up play though distribution was a bit shaky at the start when he seemed to be channelling Lloydinho (nothing against the guy but it's agreed that passing wasn't his strongest point).
Jurado - whoever the idiot was calling for him to be subbed clearly isn't a regular on here. Yes, maybe he was a bit hesitant in possession when Chelsea robbed him of the ball and broke for their second (hardly surprising though given he isn't the biggest and therefore paciest and strongest) but who could he have passed to other than Deeney? Still no reason to make him a scapegoat for conceding an equaliser against the title holders in a game most of us would've have been over the moon with a low score draw, let alone what we actually got - might as well blame half the team for Chelsea's first if that's the case! Unfortunately for some fans certain players for reasons best known to them will never redeem themselves in their eyes. Anyway, a great display from a player who may not be a natural winger but worked hard to keep in position, only going more central when needed to help out our forwards, did a good job of closing down their offensive players and showed variety and adaptability in his passes (far more than just short ones played sideways/backwards) and supporting runs, always trying to make something happen no matter how awkward the situation.
Capoue - the classic understated yet masterful team performance - he may not have the best pass completion rate or play many killer balls, but the work he does off the ball, and his skill in picking up 50/50s, stopping the ball and getting it under control to resume play/keep it going and knack at being in the right place at the right time is what has made him undroppable. If he keeps up this standard, Spurs should be a cracker.
Abdi - is arguably our midfield engine, was a ******* for Oscar to play against - just imagine what he'll be like if/when he gets back into a more conducive central position.
Deeney & Ighalo - do these two need any further commentary? I'd just add that Troy's workrate was phenomenal as always but that's certainly not at the expense of his skill and constant threat in the oppo half, which are part and parcel of the same glorious package. Every positive thing he does enhances the other, whether it's his leadership, teamwork, defensive play, movement, driving the team forward. As for Iggy, he's become the master of making the unpredictable look easy and defenders look foolish with dazzling footwork and twists and turns, quite apart from the clinical precision of his finishing.
Anya - don't want to single any player out as a weak link, as all our boys have played an important part, but like Jurado coming off I didn't quite see the point of bringing him on in a tiring team. Good at receiving the ball to feet and worked hard going forward, but seemed a bit lightweight and not very convincing defensively, though good enough in helping us see the game out.

Anyway, I'm certainly not disappointed in the result from a very entertaining game which was pretty fair given Chelsea looked quite dangerous at times, mainly the first 10-15 minutes and after they made it 2-2 and brought Hazard on (should have been playing at the start, but hey I'm not complaining). We'd have more than settled for it before kick-off and it keeps our unbeaten run with two games already into this so-called tough period nicely ticking. Two goals away from home at the champions, our front two remaining on fire, one point from a European slot - what more could you want?
Click to expand...

Anyone got the reader's digest version?

UEA_Hornet · Dec 27, 2015

wfcmoog said: ↑

Anyone got the reader's digest version?
Click to expand...

Yeah. Basically you've won £100,000 in their raffle.

Douglas Rinaldi · Dec 27, 2015

wfcmoog said: ↑

Anyone got the reader's digest version?
Click to expand...

In 2015 this is called TL; DR

wfc4ever · Dec 27, 2015

The fact there seems to have been no great surprise that we drew at Chelsea says something about how we are doing...

Nnnn · Dec 27, 2015

wfcmoog said: ↑

Anyone got the reader's digest version?
Click to expand...

Anyone got the reader's wives version?

Nnnn · Dec 27, 2015

Malteser said: ↑

In some breaking news this morning, Tim Peake has just caught Oscar's penalty.
Click to expand...

Oscar calling · Dec 27, 2015

wfc4ever said: ↑

The fact there seems to have been no great surprise that we drew at Chelsea says something about how we are doing...
Click to expand...

Probably more about how **** Chelsea have been this season.

neraksarrab · Dec 27, 2015

LondonOrn said: ↑

Anyway - impressions of my first trip to Chelski FC and some random observations here and there regarding the game...

I did enjoy the journey to the ground and the location is not bad compared to most London football stadia but the bad reputation this club has earned in treating the away fans with contempt in more ways than one is certainly not unwarranted - unless I can get a decent ticket for £40 max in the upper tier or somewhere round the right hand corner of the lower section, it's definitely not a matchday experience I'd want to repeat in a hurry. Ground is poorly signposted (probably would've found our stand quicker if I'd been blindfolded) and in trying to locate my seat in row 15 of the (Cow)Shed End when wandering round the monochrome labyrinthine corridors I felt like I was transported to one of the more complex levels in a Sonic the Hedgehog game. The problems in that stand are multifold, especially for a 6'4''er like me - stand up and you can't see the pitch unless you want to give yourself permanent neck ache, and people behind you can't see what's going on, yet if you sit down you can't see with people ahead of you standing! The only chance of getting a half-decent view from that section is if you're lucky to be right in the centre and able to stand throughout without obstructing anyone's view, as any further down you're too close to the pitch. I'm not sure why everyone needed to be stood up when we were defending a corner our end when stats show we have a 1 in 20 to 30 chance of conceding from them (OK, we did concede this time round, but still) but as a compromise I dutifully sat on my upturned seat so most people behind me and myself (just about) could see the action.

Stamford Bridge still looks a pretty impressive stadium from what we could see of the remaining three quarters of it and no doubt like any club they have their fair percentage of decent and genuine fans, but they still represent to me, and I daresay most of us right-minded football fans everything that's wrong with football - the outrageous ticket prices, fans seemingly treated as a cash cow rather than the life and blood of the club, a bunch of overpaid mercenaries who have no real passion for the club and were instrumental towards Jose's sacking (the boos when the home team sheet was read out were richly deserved), a largely apathetic home crowd who apart from the last 30 minutes (and pretty much all from the Matthew Harding Stand) made next to no noise apart from after their first goal and when booing Deeney for his penalty. So needless to say, this trip would've been pretty miserable were it not for another great performance from the Golden Boys as opposed to the customary heavy scoreless defeat, even in once again unusually warm weather that felt closer to the end of the footy season than mid-winter.

Enough has already been said about the impressiveness of our display in more than holding our own against a team who are slowly but surely beginning to look more like defending champions (the fact that some of their own fans thought their team put on a good performance second half alone shows how proud we should be of our team) and as I wasn't paying full attention to the match throughout as I got caught up in some of the chants round me, I'll just add some mostly glowing comments on some of our players, with just the tiny bit of constructive criticism here and there:

Holebas - simply outstanding performance, and second/third only to Ighalo and Deeney in the potential MotM stakes. It really is a pleasure to behold the strength in depth we have in defence, with so many players who have the perfect combination of physique, height (all of our key players being at least 5'10''), awareness and skill on the ball - amazing to think not so long ago we could count ourselves lucky to have even one decent fullback! Great in the air, on the ball (both in his dribbling and passing) being a vital link between Jurado and the front players, and his last-ditch interceptions (including a wonderful sliding block in the first half) were a joy to watch. Who'd have thought a few years back we'd have a nice selection dilemma in the left back position? If he hadn't been out for so long, Ake could have a real fight on his hand to get his place back for Spurs (could still do).
Britos - quite apart from his natural ball skills, this guy seems made for his position. Tall (meaning great heading ability), the right build and weight with long legs making him swift and athletic with abundant mobility and alertness to every situation. Again, Prodl will have to work bloody hard for his place in the starting XI if such form continues.
Cathcart - covered the danger of Costas well despite him scoring twice, but seemed to be running dry towards the end of the game, an uncharacteristic long punt to Anya not helping matters.
Nyom - strong in the tackle and good link-up play though distribution was a bit shaky at the start when he seemed to be channelling Lloydinho (nothing against the guy but it's agreed that passing wasn't his strongest point).
Jurado - whoever the idiot was calling for him to be subbed clearly isn't a regular on here. Yes, maybe he was a bit hesitant in possession when Chelsea robbed him of the ball and broke for their second (hardly surprising though given he isn't the biggest and therefore paciest and strongest) but who could he have passed to other than Deeney? Still no reason to make him a scapegoat for conceding an equaliser against the title holders in a game most of us would've have been over the moon with a low score draw, let alone what we actually got - might as well blame half the team for Chelsea's first if that's the case! Unfortunately for some fans certain players for reasons best known to them will never redeem themselves in their eyes. Anyway, a great display from a player who may not be a natural winger but worked hard to keep in position, only going more central when needed to help out our forwards, did a good job of closing down their offensive players and showed variety and adaptability in his passes (far more than just short ones played sideways/backwards) and supporting runs, always trying to make something happen no matter how awkward the situation.
Capoue - the classic understated yet masterful team performance - he may not have the best pass completion rate or play many killer balls, but the work he does off the ball, and his skill in picking up 50/50s, stopping the ball and getting it under control to resume play/keep it going and knack at being in the right place at the right time is what has made him undroppable. If he keeps up this standard, Spurs should be a cracker.
Abdi - is arguably our midfield engine, was a ******* for Oscar to play against - just imagine what he'll be like if/when he gets back into a more conducive central position.
Deeney & Ighalo - do these two need any further commentary? I'd just add that Troy's workrate was phenomenal as always but that's certainly not at the expense of his skill and constant threat in the oppo half, which are part and parcel of the same glorious package. Every positive thing he does enhances the other, whether it's his leadership, teamwork, defensive play, movement, driving the team forward. As for Iggy, he's become the master of making the unpredictable look easy and defenders look foolish with dazzling footwork and twists and turns, quite apart from the clinical precision of his finishing.
Anya - don't want to single any player out as a weak link, as all our boys have played an important part, but like Jurado coming off I didn't quite see the point of bringing him on in a tiring team. Good at receiving the ball to feet and worked hard going forward, but seemed a bit lightweight and not very convincing defensively, though good enough in helping us see the game out.

Anyway, I'm certainly not disappointed in the result from a very entertaining game which was pretty fair given Chelsea looked quite dangerous at times, mainly the first 10-15 minutes and after they made it 2-2 and brought Hazard on (should have been playing at the start, but hey I'm not complaining). We'd have more than settled for it before kick-off and it keeps our unbeaten run with two games already into this so-called tough period nicely ticking. Two goals away from home at the champions, our front two remaining on fire, one point from a European slot - what more could you want?
Click to expand...

I didn't have time to write a short review, so I wrote a long one instead!

Johnny Todd Sings · Dec 27, 2015

I watched this on an American stream. For Iggy's goal the commentator said that Cahill was standing back from Ighalo because he didn't want to be caught out by his tricks, so instead of doing a trick ighalo shot and scored.

Sahorn · Dec 27, 2015

wfcmoog said: ↑

Anyone got the reader's digest version?
Click to expand...

It IS the Reader's Digest version. The full report had another 2 pages on Gomes ...

Log in or Sign up

Chelsea 2-2 Watford FC - 26/12/2015

Malteser Squad Player

UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

Hornet23 First Team

Malteser Squad Player

jon_e_lee Old Git!

wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

jon_e_lee Old Git!

wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

wfcmoog Tinpot

UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

Douglas Rinaldi Reservist

wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

Nnnn First Team

Nnnn First Team

Oscar calling Squad Player

neraksarrab Making Professor Brian Cox look thick

Johnny Todd Sings First Year Pro

Sahorn Reservist

Share This Page