Chelsea 0 - 1 Leicester Post Match

[Dahnsouff]

Indeed, this is true. Then again Ndidi could have scored except for worldie save from Kepa.

Do people really think that during the title season we were always in complete control?

 

Chilwell and Perreira today were stupendous, and show the clearest sign yet of the direction Puel is trying to move.

Hamza was good. Ship out Silva and Iborra, as is expected. Find one more creative mid. Good to go.

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, Crispin LA said:

Lucky to get away with a win yesterday, better finishing and Chelsea could of netted 1 or 2 goals towards the end. 

As daft as it sounds Kepa did more work than Kasper - Vardy had a tap in which he cocked up

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

Hats off to @Ric Flair who somehow predicted a 1-0 City win!

God knows where he pulled that one from?....

I've sussed him - he's Sean from Enderby...

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, Crispin LA said:

Lucky to get away with a win yesterday, better finishing and Chelsea could of netted 1 or 2 goals towards the end. 

You're right - even when we win, we actually lose.

[Babylon]

29 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

You're right - even when we win, we actually lose.

Funny isn't it, when we don't get the rub of the green in games there is no such thing as bad luck, just poor play and if we can't take our chances we deserve to lose because we are shit. 

 

The other team misses a chance and we are lucky, should have lost and we are still crap, despite taking our chances.

 

I know me standing up for players and managers gets boring, but is it any wonder I end up doing it daily when so much plop gets posted.

[Oldblueyes]

2 hours ago, Crispin LA said:

Lucky to get away with a win yesterday, better finishing and Chelsea could of netted 1 or 2 goals towards the end. 

Good job our goal difference is not effected by near misses then. 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

We were boss yesterday. Gave me a long lasting joy. Havent been on here much but i imagine its brought the fans together and everyone is appreciative of what a fantastic deserved win it was and hats off to the much maligned manager for winning away at Chelsea whilst playing one of the kids in CM

 

 

[Bunyip]

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

[VLC86]

3 hours ago, Crispin LA said:

Lucky to get away with a win yesterday, better finishing and Chelsea could of netted 1 or 2 goals towards the end. 

? Listen, Claude is our saviour, always has been and the quicker you accept this (Like i did long ago) the easier it will be.

[SouthStandUpperTier]

10 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

So you're trying to tell me that the players were just 45 minutes away from being rid of a manager they hate, but all of a sudden decided to save his ass by implementing their own tactics? That just doesn't make sense.

[VLC86]

14 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

This, much like when’s Cambiasso led us to glory while Nigel just sat there taking all the glory. It’s a complete Disk Race.

[Lesta blue]

13 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

Baa humbug! Love the Christmas spirit. It seems that there is no way of pleasing some people. Team lose Puel out! Win - it had nothing to do with him. 

[CosbehFox]

17 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

3 days before Christmas. 

 

Last three wins at Chelsea were 2000, 1983 and 1964. Cheer up 

[st albans fox]

3 hours ago, Dahnsouff said:

Indeed, this is true. Then again Ndidi could have scored except for worldie save from Kepa.

Do people really think that during the title season we were always in complete control?

 

Chilwell and Perreira today were stupendous, and show the clearest sign yet of the direction Puel is trying to move.

Hamza was good. Ship out Silva and Iborra, as is expected. Find one more creative mid. Good to go.

I can give you a list where we weren’t ......

[murphy]

18 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

It seems we set up for this the same way as we did against Man City, an extra defensive mid and a cautious defensive first half and more adventurous second.  Definite tactical instructions from the manager.

[Voll Blau]

21 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

Christ mate I reckon a visit from three ghosts tomorrow night might be in order...

[Matt]

I've gotta say i'm surprised though, especially being successful playing in that style, I mean I thought we'd been found out and couldn't play that way anymore..

[GingerrrFox]

29 minutes ago, Bunyip said:

I remember all this optimistic ballyhoo after we beat Arsenal last season. Curb your enthusiasm. The reason we won this match is because the players dropped his silly tactics and went for it. It had nothing to do with mastermind Puel.

If you can’t see that yesterday’s victory was down to a team performance that did exactly as the manager wanted then quite frankly you don’t know football.

 

That defensive shape in the 4-3-3 didn’t just happen. The fact the shape was designed to compensate for Maddison drifting inside from the left is completely lost on you. Puel had a tactical game plan, the players performed it perfectly and we won the game.

 

Merry Christmas. 

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

1 minute ago, Matt said:

I've gotta say i'm surprised though, especially being successful playing in that style, I mean I thought we'd been found out and couldn't play that way anymore..

We can, but what we are also seeing is an evolving style too that allows us to play in other ways too. Still a way to go, no doubt but it was necessary.

[Bunyip]

6 minutes ago, Voll Blau said:

Christ mate I reckon a visit from three ghosts tomorrow night might be in order...

I'm happy enough with the win, it's just that I'm too much of a realist to think one game is a real reflection on how things are going. Posters on here bend whichever way the wind blows on any particular day, one day it's Puel out and the next it's oh wait a minute we just won away at Chelsea maybe I was wrong and it's the start of the master plan unfolding in front of my eyes. Believe me, I hope it is the start of a period when we play to our full potential I'm just saying don't get to carried away.

[Corky]

Let's just agree that when we win it is the players, when we lose it is the manager and then we can actually enjoy an excellent victory away at a top four club.

[siraaj_lcfc]

16 hours ago, NewEnglandFox said:

Play Vardy. Play Albrighton. Don't play Iheanacho. Get the ball forward with actual intensity and good things happen. Who knew.

 

 

intensitee*

[Bunyip]

7 minutes ago, GingerrrFox said:

If you can’t see that yesterday’s victory was down to a team performance that did exactly as the manager wanted then quite frankly you don’t know football.

 

That defensive shape in the 4-3-3 didn’t just happen. The fact the shape was designed to compensate for Maddison drifting inside from the left is completely lost on you. Puel had a tactical game plan, the players performed it perfectly and we won the game.

 

Merry Christmas. 

Yes let's forget we were very fortunate with Hazard smashing it against the crossbar and the last gasp shot that beat Kasper and hit the upright and rolled across the goal mouth.

[Corky]

1 minute ago, Bunyip said:

Yes let's forget we were very fortunate with Hazard smashing it against the crossbar and the last gasp shot that beat Kasper and hit the upright and rolled across the goal mouth.

Why were we fortunate? The post and bar don't move, the finishes weren't good enough.

[MC Prussian]

That was a pleasant surprise. Who'd have thought we'd beat a Chelsea side, in particular one that had won three out of their last four, and that away from home?

 

What I liked about yesterday's game more than anything was the compactness of our squad, I can't recall a single player making many or outstanding mistakes, everybody performed as part of a unit. And that unit, that solidity and that gameplan ultimately were too much for Chelsea to break us down, we wouldn't budge a bit. Apart from a few chances, we pretty much managed to contain and frustrate the opposition form start to finish, which is a great feat.

 

Still, in this well-oiled machine, where everybody chipped in, a few players stood out: Pereira and Chilwell on the flanks, Choudhury did well alongside Ndidi and Mendy. And Maddison linked up perfectly with Vardy this time. Albrighton my unsung hero and unfortunate not to have scored our second. Schmeichel with a handful of crucial saves.

 

I was mourning the lack of clinical finishing at half-time, my prayers were answered.

 

Now, this match and the result lead me to a few important questions:

Why don't we see this kind of performance on a more regular basis? I pray to god this wasn't a match where manager and players alike felt as if they had to save face for once.

Can we take this feeling, the good vibe and high into the next few games? I just hope this isn't a false dawn, and regular service with dull football isn't resumed on Wednesday (and beyond).

 

However, one negative point I still have: I'm not a big fan of this 4-2-3-1 and probably never will be. It may work well against better teams, where we need to sit back and be patient, using two, if not three defensive midfielders (today it were Ndidi, Mendy and Choudhury). I'd like to see a more attacking variation against "weaker" teams that aren't that prolific in front of goal themselves. Vardy needs more support from midfield, be it from the middle or on each flank. Or the system needs to change to two up front.