Out of the Red into the...

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26 September 2015



Road to Redemption



A daunting trip to the City of Manchester Stadium to take on Man City was next on the agenda. City a sitting a little lower on the table then they would ideally like so it may not have quite the same feeling of foreboding this time around but we still knew it would be tough.


So it proved with the game turning out to be quite a tight affair with both sides not willing to concede any ground. In the end we had the referee to thank for our first goal as he pointed to the spot after Oscar felled Traore after a jinking run. I thought the former Chelsea man may have got a piece of the ball though so he can consider himself unlucky.


Nevermind though, given what we’ve been put through recent I’m not handing and decisions that go our way back and up stepped Patty Bamford to score from the spot 5 or so minutes before halftime.
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After the goal City tried to get back into the game but our defense, with Chalobah playing inspired football just in front of them, held firm and really limited City to just speculative efforts from distance that caused Delac no problems. Great away win!!
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1 October 2015



Selection headaches…



I must admit I’m pretty settled on a first choice 11 but if my backups keep playing the way they did today in our Europa League match away in Portugal against Braga I may have to consider some of them more closely!


I thought we were going to do it tough today and, although the stats show the game was pretty close, in reality it was anything but. We had, by far, the better chances and took full advantage of them. Our first goal came via Christian Atsu, he didn’t have the best of times away on loan at Everton last season, but he’s been very good for us and if Boga wasn't in the form of his life Atsu would be starting most Premiership games. Here he reacted quickest to a rebound from a Musonda free kick and turned home.
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Our final 2 goals came from guys who is has been a delight to watch grow before our very eyes. The first came from IZZY, he found a yard of space in the box and hit a low drive that arrowed into the bottom corner. The Dom Solanke got in on the action, hitting a shot that should have been a regulation save, but somehow squirmed in under the Braga ‘keeper Matheus.
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Another solid away win.
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After the match we got the added good news that Boga’s fine form had seen him rewarded with the Premier League player of the Month award for September. Traore has picked up the Young Player of the Month award and I’d placed 3rd in the Manager of the Month polling.
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4 October 2015



Throwin’ away points…



Despite the FA’s best efforts our recent win against City and the draw against Tottenham had already seen us climb back out of the relegation zone. Today last placed Burnley were our opponents but they are always a different proposition away at Turf Moor.


We started off well and “Super” Mario Pasalic got us on the board in 12th minute when he took a corner first time on the volley and smashed home – wonder strike!
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We seemed to be cruising just after the break when Traore doubled our advantage. After breaking onto a through ball he feigned and sent Heaton down before rolling it in to the other side of the Burnley custodian. Wonderful composure.
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We were having all the run and the ball but were caught 2 minutes later from a corner. A deep cross that Chalobah failed to deal with was nodded back across to Arfield who then had the relatively easy job of passing into an empty net with Delac all at sea.
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Wallace then picked up a knock that caused a reshuffle in the backline and Burnley, again from a set piece, took advantage of the confusion in the ranks, with Jordan Ayew breaking through unmarked to head home from a free kick.
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Try as we might we then couldn’t break down Burnley’s stubborn defense as they held on for a well-earned point. We need to be more clinical, particularly on wet days like this in the North-West, but it is a good learning experience for the boys.
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17 October 2015


Let down


During the international break we had some good news when Mario Pasalic was rewarded for his recent good form with his first Croatia cap.
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We also had some good news when the recent international caps for Courtois and Oscar lead to significant trail income for the club.
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Next up was 2nd placed Everton who came to visit Stamford Bridge. Despite outshooting Everton 2 to 1 we ended up going down here. The first goal was scored by Phil Jagielka who reacted quickest to a rebound from a Kevin Miralles free kick.
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The Romelu Lukaku was the beneficiary of an extremely favorable offside decision getting on the end of a long ball the looped in and heading beyond Delac.
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A game we can take some positives from but one that, later in the season, I expect to be getting wins from.
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22 October 2015


Español de vacaciones


On only a few days rest we then took on Rayo away in the Europa League. With a fully rotated squad again we had, I feel, the better of the game but were beaten.

Christian Atsu was our star with two goals whilst Jozabed, Bangoura and Diaz were the scorers for Rayo.
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Good performance even if the result wasn't there. Our guys will be better for the experience.
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Only on Page 2 at the moment, cant wait until I have a few hours free sometime this week to catch up on all of this.

So much research and detail has went into this, I'm impressed.

Keep it up, I'll catch up as soon as I can! :)
 
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25 October 2015


Does beating the Villains make us Heroes?


Given we are Chelsea and are the ones usually being portrayed, rather laughably, by the national media as the villains of English football I'm going to go with no. In any case, this was a good game where we had to overcome some adversity to get the 'W'.

Villa actually got on the board first here. Former Blue Scott Sinclair tucked away his own penalty after only 11 minutes.
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3 minutes later though and we were back on even terms. Patrick Bamford has been playing well this season without scoring prolifically but he was on form here scoring with a nice low shot.
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We took control of the game from that point but we had to wait until just after half time to take the lead. Boga has been irresistible this season and today was no exception as he finished nicely from close range.
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Our final goal came from the big man up front Patty "Bam-Bam" Bamford. He's grown into the complete forward role we've asked him to play this season well and showed good strength to hold off and then roll his marker before smashing in his shot.
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Another good game where we dominated the stats. Considering this was away at Villa Park makes it all the more special.
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1 November 2015


One for the purists


Stoke were the visitors today and the clash of styles was on full display. Chelsea, fast break, counter attack focusing on high tempo passing on the ground versus Stoke's more traditional long ball focused game.

Bamford continued right from where he left off against Villa, opening the scoring after Traore was felled in the box.
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Next up was Van Ginkel who finished nicely across the goalkeeper when played through.
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Diouf dragged one back on the hour mark for Stoke when he got on the end of a long ball and finished past Delac.
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Van Ginkel restored our two goal lead shortly after though when Boga squared one up for him.
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Atsu, who had come on for Boga after he picked up a knock, scored the 4th and final goal of the game. Good result against some tough opposition.
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The result means we have already climbed back up into 10th spot. Considering without the points deduction we would be sitting equal 4th I am very happy with what the squad is achieving at the moment.
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5 November 2015


Spanish Revenge



Next up was Rayo in our next Europa League match. I’d thought we played pretty well over there and were unlucky not to win that game so I was pretty confident in the boy’s ability to get all 3 points here.


Despite dominating in all facets of the game it took until the 58th minute, and even then the method was rather unlikely, for us to break the deadlock. Musonda unloaded from just inside the area a shot that appeared to be going wide, unfortunately for Rayo though it struck IZZY on its way and was diverted into the goal. A bit lucky but we’ll take it.
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With 10 minutes to play it seemed we were in for a nervy finish but a long ball found Atsu on the break. He then crossed over to that man IZZY again to give us the 2 goal cushion and seal the deal.
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I guess the only disappointment is that we didn’t put Rayo well and truly in their places here as we could have won by many more.
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Andreas Christensen, who has played every Europa match so far at right back, picked himself up an injury in training midweek so we gave a debut to 16 year old Anthony Bentley. The young defender came through our youth intake last season and looks like he could be one for the future.
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8 November 2015



Wut?



How we didn’t win this I will never know. We dominated from first whistle to last, struck the post multiple times, restricted our opponents to shots from range but just couldn’t get the decisive goal. Again, fair play to our opposition, they came with a gameplan and executed it. Chelsea did exactly the same thing to win a Champions League so no knocking them – just saying on another day this could have been a cricket score.
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After this match came an international break. I was delighted to see another two of our young brigade win their first caps and I was especially proud when they choose to thank me in the media.
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There was some bad news too though with the International Break. Traore’s done himself a mischief whilst weight training and will miss some extended time…
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22 November 2015



A concerning streak



We’d played West Ham just before the break and outshot them 1,000,000 to 1 (all amounts approximate) but only come away with a draw and today was worryingly the same. 18 to 4 we outshot Southampton but couldn’t get the breakthrough. Patty Bamford is going to be some striker one day but unfortunately at this stage of his career he perhaps isn’t quite as clinical as we need when teams come to the bridge to defend.
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We also picked up 2 injuries today. Boga’s doesn’t seem like the kind that will keep him out long thankfully but King Kenny Omerou might be out of action a while longer with what looks like a badly torn hammy.
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26 November 2015



Confidence Booster



Sometimes a gimme game comes along as exactly the right time. Today was such a time. Poor Karpaty. They’ve done really well to get to this stage of the Europa League but it’s probably a step or two too far for them. We travelled all the way to Lviv but with the support in the ground it was almost like a home match just proving the global appeal of a side like Chelsea.


We played like it was a home match too. Creating all the chances of note and running out 4 nil victors. Terry, Atsu, Kiwomya and Brown were the goalscorers with IZZY deservedly picking up the man of the match award after being involved in pretty much everything.
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After the game we got the great news that Boga is considered one of the front runners for the upcoming Golden Boy award. I think they would be hard pressed to find a more deserving winner.
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1 December 2015



Well we tried



Next up was the toughest trip of the season. A visit to Old Trafford to take on first placed Manchester United. We’ve been far more adventurous in our play this season as I sought to unshackle my young lions and let them play with freedom and I sent them out to win today, even making attacking substitutions until the final whistle – a decision that likely ended up costing us a point.

We started off really well here and matched United punch for punch for the entire first half. At the break some rather inspired words (if I do say so myself) had the guys absolutely raring once we got back on the field. United didn’t seem capable of withstanding our onslaught and we subsequently took the lead when Atsu, getting the start in a league game with Boga injured, struck a very nice shot from just inside the area on 63 minutes.
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That was the catalyst though for United to regroup and then launch their own attack and only 10 minutes later Falcao managed to nip in and toe-poke home a rebound from a Van Persie shot that had cannoned back out after hitting the underside of the bar.
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At this point I was faced with a couple of options. I chose to throw on Chelsea legends Gudjohnsen and Droga and go for it. It unfortunately didn’t work and in the final minute of regulation time Daley Blind (depicted here just outside the ‘D”) unleashed a screamer from distance that Delac had no chance of keeping out.
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Sometimes you just have to stand and applaud when you get beaten by a strike like that. Great goal
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After the match I was having a little chat with Steve. The financial situation isn’t getting any worse, but we are having a hard time attracting an investor with the debt levels we still have. As such I was searching for a way to get some quick money and noticed 2 sale clauses that we were ages away from ever collecting that I could buy out. Some simple negotiations with the respective clubs later and, cha-ching, we were 3 million pounds richer.
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5 December 2015



Wow, just wow



As I grow as a manager and become even more attuned to the ebbs and flows within the squad this team will push on to even greater heights. Today, taking on another high flying side in Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, I started the team off a little more cautiously after being stung at the end of the Manchester United game and it ended up costing us early.


I should have known that sitting off Arsenal isn’t a good idea and they took full advantage of the extra space we afforded them, picking us apart with ease twice in the first 11 minutes with Giroud getting on the end of both moves and both times finishing with aplomb.
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When the second goal went in the full extent of my folly was revealed and I immediately signaled the change back to our high pressing, counter attacking game. It was night and day. Barely 10 minutes later we started our fight back. Atsu, giving me confidence that if we have to lose Boga in the upcoming January window (a.k.a the in-game administrators sell him without asking!!), scored after collecting a long through ball on the chest and taking his first touch in such a way that it took him past his defender and opened up the angle for the shot. Great first touch from the Ghanaian.
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Our equalizer came just before the break is somewhat bizarre fashion. A deep corner fell to Van Ginkel who took a touch to control it before rifling in a shot that Courtois did well to get a hand on frankly. Unfortunately for him and Arsenal all he could do was deflect the shot into Santi Carzola who was guarding the post next to him and the ball caromed in off Carzola’s back.
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At halftime I could sense that the boys smelt blood in the water. Marco Van Ginkel (MVG), our MVP on the day, particularly had the glint in his eye - obviously disappointed, although we’d scored anyway, that Courtois had denied him. Upon retaking the field he put to rectifying that. A short corner was played into Traore’s feet, he rolled his marker and found a surging MVG who struck a first time shot that arrowed in across Courtois. Stamford Bridge was rocking!
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After that we actually even had further chances to extend our lead. It didn’t matter though as the 3 goals would be enough to seal a famous comeback!
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10 December 2015



Smooth Sailing



Our final Europa League group match was at home against Braga, having already qualified we took the opportunity to again give you Betley a start along with a number of others.


IZZY had himself a day with two goals that sandwiched a Kiwomya effort.
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It was a fitting end to a Europa group that we qualified with consummate ease from – the away loss at Rayo (that I still maintain we should have won) being the only blemish on the record.
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13 December 2015



Oooh – apply cold water to that (Black)burn



Travelled up to Ewood today to take on Blackburn Rovers. They’ve been going ok, holding down a mid/lower half spot on the table in this their first season after being promoted. We dominated here though and quickly were ahead through Bamford. He’s been working hard on rounding out his game and becoming more proficient in the air is a big part of that so to see him power a header in here was satisfying.
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3 minutes later and we doubled our advantage. Terry, with poaching instincts that Filippo Inzaghi would have been proud of, reacted quickest to a ball that fell in his vicinity in the area from a corner and prodded home.
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Bertrand Traore then got in on the action, rising highest to head in an Atsu cross he had clipped across.
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At 3 nil up we were coasting but we went to sleep for a moment a minute from time and allowed Barry Bannan to nip in and score what amounted to a consolation goal.
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A solid 3-1 away win that see us climb even further up the table.
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After the game we found out that we will be travelling to Ukraine again, albeit this time for a significantly harder proposition, taking on Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa 1st knockout round.
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19 December 2015



Early Christmas Pressie



Liverpool came to visit and with just 6 days until Christmas the squad decided to serve me up one of our best all round performances yet. Things were quite tense until just after the hour mark when John Terry turned back the years whilst turning on the jets to leap above the pack and head in at the far post from a chipped Van Ginkel cross.
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A minute later and Bamford showed that last week was no fluke when he again scored a nice header from an Atsu cross.
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From there the game opened right up we began to run over the top of them. A minute from time a lung busting Traore run was paid by Van Ginkel and he guided his finish into the bottom corner to break Brendan Rodgers' and Liverpool’s hearts.
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I would be hard pressed to identify a better all round performance since I took over. We were clinical going forward and resolute at the back. Great Stuff.
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23 December 2015



We own West London



We faced QPR again today, this time for a match I actually give a stuff about, and duly pulled their pants down before departing with all 3 points.


We skipped out to a 3 nil lead thanks to goals from Atsu, Bamford and Terry.
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QPR got 2 back late from substitute Jordan Rhodes to make things respectable but frankly by that stage the game had long left them behind.
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Solid away performance, was good fun hearing the QPR fan's vitriol whilst dominating them all over the park. Seriously they were lucky we subbed our better players early to keep them fresh for the upcoming matches over the festive period.
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