Chelsea 6 - 0 Wolves: A Perfect Debut Night

26 September 2012 09.00 GMT+8



          Many expected a win from Chelsea, but on a night with 3 debuts, and all summer signings  being part of the squad with so many young players, surely nobody expected such a perfect game, where we thrashed the visitors with an immense 6 - 0 scoreline. Apparently the positives aren't only that. All 6 goals came from 6 different goalscorers, meaning that we have the ability to score from wherever we want. And that tonight, the youngsters, the new signings showed amazing skill, ability, pace, and commitment. And they also showed that they can be integrated into the team, adding some extra dimension for the team.

          The squad was pretty much as expected, with new players Azpilicueta and Moses, and young players Piazon, Romeu, and Bertrand too. Playing alongside them are senior players, most with something to prove, like Torres, Cahill, even Ramires too.

          Nobody expected the players to be playing in one mind already. Early goals from Cahill and Bertrand surely is a wonderful start to a wonderful night. Quickly followed by another by Juan Mata, we coasted the first half looking like champions, creating chances after chances. It did look as if the goals would have kept on coming. The second half went even better as we did not stop for anything, an additional 3 goals, by Romeu, Torres, and Moses brings the fans some fashionable entertainment of the night.

          But tonight is simply the night of the debutants and young players. With an average age of 24.4 amongst the starting eleven, and 23.3 in the final quarter of an hour, it was a simply stunning night. I have particular praise to Azpilicueta, who performed every inch of a full back I always expected. So did Bertrand, the runs he made, and the link-up he got with Piazon. And then there's Piazon himself, who played as if he's played with this team for long now. Minding his 18 years age, he did simply marvelous and he played freely and wonderfully too.

          Several first team players did prove themselves. Mata performed as he always does, and he never seem to run out of ideas. Torres got a goal. Cahill got a goal, and was simply convincing in the back. And some other youngster deserve praise too. Romeu was excellent, and his penalty even more. Moses is simply amazing, he deserved the goal minding his performance for the night. Marin also showed what he is capable of, and linking up with Oscar, who also played well with a beautiful cross to set up Moses.

          Every players seem to be able to link up with each other marvelously, and each individual put in massive contribution and commitment. It was a different looking Chelsea than it was last year. It certainly looked the team we are aiming to build, with less physicality and more tricks and skills, being more like Barcelona in a way. And it is all these young players that did that, so we can expect great things from them in the future, and expect a great prospect ahead of Chelsea. The team tonight, certainly looks to be a preview of what Chelsea will be in the future. With all these players just playing together, and being capable of winning 6 - 0, I can't imagine how they will play in a few years time. RDM surely couldn't have expected for a better game. Heck, neither can any of us! It was surely a perfect, perfect performance, perfect debuts for the boys, and I certainly want to see more of these in the upcoming games. #CFC

Links:
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2930032/title/match-report-chelsea-6-wolverhampton-wanderers-0
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2930091/title/final-whistle-verdict-perfect-professionalism
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/92193/chelsea-fc-vs-wolves/player-ratings
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/92193/chelsea-fc-vs-wolves/report

Chelsea 2 - 2 Juventus: A Good Game

20 September 2012 04.40 GMT+8



          It was not a great start in the UEFA Champions League, but it was a good game overall. We fought against a tough opponent in the first match, and although we played at home, and we could have won it, it was a great game and a fair result in the end. Oscar made it 2 - 0 with two first half strikes on his UCL debut, however Juventus cancelled out both goals on either side of the interval.

          There was only one change in the squad compared to the one that played QPR. That change perhaps being the most significant one, as debutant Oscar scored both goals for Chelsea, one a very spectacular one indeed.

          I didn't manage to watch most of the first half, however I noticed the goals from the highlights. The game was pretty much even, and according to statistics Juventus had more possession. But by statistics too, Chelsea had more shots on target. Oscar opened the scoring with a shot deflected by an opponent player, before getting his second goal 2 minutes later, a wonder goal of pure class. A swift turn and a skillful curve shot by the young Brazilian. It was just class. However in the 38th minute Juventus managed to pull one back with a goal by Vidal.

          The second half was not as intense as I expected it to be, but the tightness of the scoreline was just as expected, just not what I hoped. It was a very tight game in the second half, with both sides taking turns in attacking and defending. Until the 80th minute when Juventus equalised by a goal from Quagliarella. It doesn't feel good at all, especially when the blame goes to a sloppy mistake by the defense. Nevertheless, overall it was a good match, and we have to take positives we can, and fix our mistakes.

          Oscar was just spectacular tonight, and he certainly showed what he is capable of. And when Juan Mata came on, he linked up well with Hazard with a string of one-two passes. This is my other favorite moment besides Oscar's second goal. Just looking at Mata & Hazard linking up well and exchanging passes is just so gratifying. Some individual efforts are to be commended today. However some did not perform well, and collectively we could have improved more.

          At half-time my friend (a fan of Juve) told me that their team have always made comebacks and have not lost for 42 matches up till today, and I thought that maybe we can break that streak. But, oh well. Today's game was good, and although the result could have been better, there are positives to take, and we just have to improve for the next game!! #CFC

Links:
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/91742/chelsea-fc-vs-juventus/player-ratings
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2923979/title/match-report-chelsea-2-juventus-2
http://www.goal.com/en-sg/news/3907/champions-league/2012/09/20/3388913/chelsea-2-2-juventus-oscar-sparkles-but-holders-stunned-by

Chelsea 1 - 4 Atletico Madrid: Second Silverware Lost

Saturday, 01-09-2012 04.41 GMT+8



          Our second chance of silverware for the season...gone. And not in a fashionable or spectacular way, but in an embarrassing 1 - 4 scoreline to Atletico Madrid. It was not a night to remember for all associated with Chelsea. We may have hoped that the QPR game comes closer so we can quickly bounce back, but well, a defeat is a defeat, and we have to face the truth, accept losses, learn from it, move on, improve.

          The squad that started is as strong as it can be, in the absence of JT. And I thought we have a good chance in this. However, the first half, was horrendous. I can't imagine a worse start than this game. In just 6 minutes, we concede a goal, after several scares too (smart flick by Falcao). And then, when I thought we can pull another comeback with us pushing on, the opposition smartly implies their counter attack and managed to score another one (this time, an excellent chip by Falcao). I began to lose confidence as the game grows, with our defence continuously harassed, with low defensive organisation. Then it seemed like game over when the 3rd one went in. And again, by Falcao.

          The second half was better, however it was not worth the title 'European Champions'. I watched the second half, with nearly no emotions. Not knowing what to expect and what to hope for. When the fourth goal went in, I was like, "Okay". It is seemingly embarrassing for a European Champion to concede 4 goals with nearly no fightback at all. I was so downed. We had a consolation goal in the 75th minute by Gary Cahill. Although it seemed useless, it felt better though. The game ended 1 - 4 in favour of the opposition.

          I was so downed, I was so speechless, I can't even think of what had just happened. But by the end of the game, I started to realize. We weren't able to fight of tricky Spanish sides like this one. If you observe, their goals all came, nearly by trickery and counter attacks. These fast-paced counters, and tricky and skillful players are just the typical spanish side, who we always have a hard time of playing against.

          The difference of this match, with the one against Barca, is that in the latter, besides us having much more luck, we played with more physicality, and honestly, we parked the bus too. With this new squad, we can't play that type of play, we have no bus to park, we only got a van. So we had to play the attacking play. However, our offensive play isn't as great as the Spanish sides' game, and with that, and our defence seemingly less organised, they keep mounting smart, fast counter-attacks, which proved to hit the net several times, dooming us to a defeat once again.

          We have to play the Spanish sides with much more physicality, however we don't have much of those left in our squad. Even our goal tonight was with what physicality we have, namely our defenders. However, I believe that the offensive play we have, is enough to unsettle premier league teams' defenses, as they rarely play these type of games. So I have enough reason to believe that we can win the BPL, however retaining the UCL will be another story entirely.

It was not a great night at all. Congratulations to Atletico for being the better team all night. We had to bounce back, and since this is only our second chance of silverware, we have many many more chance to win ahead of us. Next game is against QPR, but it is quite a long wait to that game. So for now, we can only wait, accept defeat, learn from it, improve, win the next game, win the league! #CFC

Links:
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2906764/title/super-cup-report-chelsea-1-atletico-madrid-4
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/87440/chelsea-fc-vs-atl%C3%A9tico-de-madrid/report
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/87440/chelsea-fc-vs-atl%C3%A9tico-de-madrid/player-ratings

Chelsea 2 - 0 Newcastle United: A Casual Win

Sunday, 26-08-2012 22.42 GMT+8

           It was looking more and more like a casual win, after what had happened in previous games. Emphasised in this game, is the fact that this win is against a much tougher opposition, and our attacking play have grown to be more ‘beautiful’ than last season. Add to that, the combination of trio Hazard, Mata, and Torres is marvelous. Those three may be the key to winning silverware this season. And Hazard seemingly got ‘Man of the Match’ again, at least according to goal.com.

          The match seemed an intense game before it started. But the first half was totally ours, and the second half went smoothly with no intense threat from Newcastle. A great play by Torres to set up our third penalty in as many games, to be taken well by Hazard who scored his first Chelsea goal. Then by the 44^th minute, Hazard repaid his (Torres’) effort by flicking a smart back heel, for Torres to shoot well towards the top corner. They both combined well and are looking sharp.

          The second half was not so intense, with our team set for another win, and Newcastle not giving much of a fight. It also took Cech another excellent save in the final minutes to earn himself another clean sheet.

           The game looked more like a casual win, but things to see clearly in this game, is as I had stated earlier. We had turned more to a possession, flick, smart pass play, compared to last season’s direct, physical play. Yet we also managed to keep our defence organised and strong as well. So far I had seen, the key players that may be our stars for this season, is the trio Hazard, Mata, and Torres, who all have performed very well in our opening games, and managed to link-up with one another very well.

         Here is a link to what Ashley Cole had said, it is a great perception to how Chelsea is now:

"http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/08/25/3330913/ashley-cole-hails-torres-phenomenal-hazard-after-chelsea"

          Next game for us is not in the BPL, it is another one of those silverware to win, the European Super Cup, against Atletico Madrid. So, let’s see if we can win our first silverware this season. Hope the trio can perform well next game. #CFC

Chelsea 4 - 2 Reading: First Win Back at The Bridge

Thursday, 23-08-2012 04.58 GMT+8



          A match between the champions of Europe against the champions of the Championship. Should have been an easy win, but no. Once again, the new promoted sides showed that they can be troublesome, just as what happened with Manchester City last Sunday. We managed though, in the end, with a scoreline of 4 - 2, giving us another important win, back at The Bridge, this time, in front of our very own supporters.

          I only managed to watch just past the half hour mark until the end. When I first saw, I was heartbroken looking at a scoreline of 1 - 2 in favour of the away side. It is not an ideal scoreline for a first home game. However, as the game goes on, I noticed that we kept attacking, looking for a win. At one time, I saw the number of goal attempts on the second half being 10 - 0 in favour of the home side. 

          As I didn't watch the first half, I can't give many comments. Although I did take note, that our penalty goal, taken well by Lampard, was again created by Eden Hazard. However, soon after it was a turn for the worse, with the away side scoring 2 goals, and we are unable to find another until the interval.

          As I watched the second half, and perhaps from the start of it, we kept attacking wave after wave to find the equalising goal. And it came, with a marvellous long-range strike by Gary Cahill. I was totally impressed and joyful. We kept on attacking to find the winner, and a good link-up play by the players up front too, passing to one another, until we managed to find a 3rd goal, netted in by our number 9, Fernando Torres. In the final minutes, Reading tried to find an equaliser, with their goalkeeper also attacking for a last minute corner. However, they are punished, as our great counter-attacking move, ended with a goal by Branislav Ivanovic.

          Great performance by Hazard again, with 3 assists this time. He certainly earned the man of the match. And it was great to see that the link-up play between the players up front, namely Hazard, Mata, Torres, Oscar, Lampard, even Sturridge, and to realise that most of them are bright young players with a whole future ahead of them. And it's just their first home game of the season. It was honestly very pleasing to see. The way they play their passes, creative play to find the equalising and winning goal.

          It was definitely a big, big thing to win our first home game of the season. A big morale bonus, and we certainly hope it will carry on to the games ahead, the next one being another home game, this time against rising force, Newcastle United. Hopefully our players can show another remarkable link-up plays and with our defence pulling off a solid performance. It will be great to win our next home game. #CFC

Quote:

Hazard: The catalyst for nearly all of Chelsea's most incisive attacks produced another delighful contribution that oozed star quality. Won the early penalty when he twisted past Gunter in a carbon copy of the spot-kick he won against Wigan at the weekend. Set up Cahill for the second and showed great selflessness to tee up Ivanovic for the late fourth.

(Source: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80828/chelsea-fc-vs-reading/player-ratings)

Link:
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2897383/title/match-report%3A-chelsea-4-reading-2
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80828/chelsea-fc-vs-reading/player-ratings
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80828/chelsea-fc-vs-reading/report

Wigan 0 - 2 Chelsea: A Good Start After All (In the BPL)

Sunday, 19-08-2012 22.49 GMT+8
           


          We may have a not so good start of the season with a loss in the Community Shield game last week. But the start of the BPL turns out to be good after all. The scoreline was probably as anyone would have expected. Although, I have to admit, the game, after the first two goals, certainly looked quite boring and passive, with no intensity, determination, and passion to score more goals. However, positives can be seen in the performances of our new signings, and also several others too.

          The squad that was chosen is also, pretty much, as expected. With only Bertrand replacing the injured Ramires, the less obvious of the starting XI. The alternative kit, was, admittedly, pretty cool. A win was necessary for this match, as a loss would certainly crush our spirits and morale for the upcoming games to come. It was great to win this, although not so convincingly.

          The 10 minutes of the game was lively and intense. Hazard prove a great summer signing, creating both goals of the game. He supplied the through pass for Ivanovic to score a 2nd minute goal, followed by a penalty given by Hazard, for Lampard to take and slot it home as he always does. However, after that, the game looked less lively and passive, with Chelsea probably feeling more comfortable, with no determination to add more goals to the tally.

          The second half was pretty much the same, only Wigan had more and more chances, and  requiring our defence to be more concentrated. To be fair, we got lucky most of the time too, Wigan had lots of chances, however they are unable to find a clinical finish. Oscar was introduced to replace Hazard, and he certainly showed great energy and determination, as well as some tricky skills, showing what he is capable of. Torres also had a great chance. He looked lively and played better, only to find luck is not yet on his side. Hopefully that will change.

          A win for a start of the season is definitely great. And although it wasn't a convincing win, there were many positives to take. Namely, Hazard proved his worth, also earning the 'Man of the Match' on his BPL game debut. Oscar also showed what he is capable of. Torres seemingly looks hungry on for goals. And although there were several untidiness in the passes, it was overall a good performance, for a side who looks to add a new dimension to their style of play. We play against Reading next in midweek, and hopefully we can also win our first home game of the season. #CFC

Links:
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80817/wigan-athletic-vs-chelsea-fc/player-ratings
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/80817/wigan-athletic-vs-chelsea-fc/report
http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2891383/title/match-report%3A-wigan-athletic-0-chelsea-2

Chelsea 2 - 3 Manchester City: Not a Good Start

Monday, 13-08-2012 12.07 GMT+8



          I didn't manage to watch this match, which I was actually so enthusiastic about, looking at a nearly brand new Chelsea playing our first competitive game. I came back and saw on Facebook that Fernando Torres scored, so I managed a big smile, thinking, "This is it. This is the moment Torres will take the stage and bring victory to Chelsea". But when I opened chelseafc.com, my smile suddenly turned into a frown looking at an unwanted scoreline saying: Chelsea 2 - 3 Manchester City.

          I managed to watch the highlights, and also read the match report from CFC website. Well I guess I can formulate some theories of my own, and imagined what had happened. We started well, with Torres scoring a classy finish from a good play by Ramires. But then the turning point came soon after, with Ivanovic receiving a red card from what looks like a two-footed tackle. Can't blame him really, but unfortunately that seemed to work Man City's way. Guess everybody has his bad days too, unfortunately for Ivanovic and Chelsea, it came today.

          With only ten men left, and no proper right-back playing, City managed to pull three back in the second half with goals from Yaya Toure, Tevez, and Nasri. Our consolation goal came from youngster Ryan Bertrand who rebounded Sturridge's shot which was blocked by City goalkeeper Pantilimon.

         To be fair, I guess City did play better than Chelsea. This is nearly a new Chelsea trying to play a different style than the physicality of Drogba and co. last season. We are still trying to find the rythm of playing which we must ASAP if we are to challenge for the title in the upcoming season ahead. City had no new players, and with a squad who have been together for quite some time, they managed to find their rythm easily and the BPL champions finished us off, winning their first silverware this season.

          On the Chelsea side, I guess Hazard is still new to the BPL, and needs to be given some time. Torres has proven well, as he will be our main striker for the season, but Sturridge showed that he is capable of something too. The old guard of Terry, Cole, Lampard must be stronger and make less mistakes, and provide inspiration for the new boys. Bertrand performed well, which is also another good sign.

          Hopefully, in out opening BPL match against Wigan, we can play better. A win in that game will be a morale bonus, losing will surely be psychologically bad. And with our youngsters performing well, coach RDM will have a good enough squad to challenge for, just needed to make the right decisions for the games. Can't wait for next week though. #CFC

Links:
http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2879166,00.html
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/82878/chelsea-fc-vs-manchester-city/player-ratings
http://footyroom.com/chelsea-2-3-manchester-city-2012-08/