Premiership preview: Chelsea v. Reading

Just got in after a painful drive back down the A3 from ChelseaLand to PompeyLand. I didn't think we could perform as badly as we did against Wigan but we damn well tried to come close again today. If I had time I'd write an article, in fact I might make time, but here's a nutshell review of the game.

Rubbish
Piss-poor
Amateurish
Spiritless
Marginally above pub team.

One shining diamond in the midst of this footballing malaise is Didier Drogba who looks worth twice the £24 million we paid, mainly in part because his goals are digging us out of the shite, and his ability at centre half is as good as Carvalho's. How many times did he head the ball out of danger for us today?

So, in further controversy, here's my ratings

Hilario - rubbish. A marginal shot stopper who seems rooted to his line and takes forever to kick the ball into play and this he does badly. It is obvious the defence has no confidence in him. Give Hedman a go, God knows he could hardly be worse: 3/10

Geremi - OK but not the full article, good long throws today but a short term fix for the return of a brimming Glen Johnson - 5/10

Ferreira - where have you gone Paulo, where have you gone? Does not seem to be anywhere on the planet at the moment. 2/10

Carvalho - the only good thing at the back today until Ashley Cole came on. Got pulled out of position a lot but without Terry this is a problem. 7/10

Bridge - shocking today. The difference when Ashley came on was astonishing - learn to be a right back Bridgey and you'll shine. 4/10

Cole - sharp, mazy dribbles, looked pissed off to be left out and is without doubt a good buy for us. 7/10

Lampard - has been good lately but the captaincy seems to be taking a toll. Not an inspirational person and a bad choice for Captain. Less than good today, bullied off to easily. 5/10

Essien - subdued today but started to look a bit annoyed at his team mates ineptitude today. 6/10

Ballack - Can I swear? OK, if not then here goes...a complete and utter passenger who should be got rid of in January. Harsh? Maybe but in general he has been a big let down, lazy, unconvincing, dirty lumbering prick. He'd be great at Liverpool. 1/10 (only coz he wore the right shirt)

Kalou - Tricky, good feet but a lousy shot even worse than Essien's wayward efforts. Faded badly today 5/10

Sheva - Oh dear, it really isn't running for him. Flashes of OK-ness today. Looks a beaten man. 5/10

Drogba - Fantastic. Had one "donkey" moment which I forgive for everything else he does. The only real "team" player I see at the moment and worth EVERY penny we paid. Without him we'd be competing with Newcastle and Everton. If he gets injured then forget winning anything. 9/10.

SWP - not good enough for us, a good cross for the second but poor the rest of the time 5/10

Mikel - Who? £16 million. No wonder Fergie's happy. We've been mugged here. Anonymous but at least he didn't get his obligatory early booking . 4/10

And lastly my friends - why no Robben? Not even on the bloody bench today. Who'd be surprised if he chucked in a transfer request after this season. Kalou is nowhere near a fit replacement. Bad news about JT as well so hopefully we'll buy in the January window, letting Huth go doesn't seem quite so clever now does it? I'll be there on Saturday Row V, seat 89...but my money is on another draw, or a narrow win with yet another poor performance. Anybody who thinks this PL is in our hands is living in cloud cuckoo land. Maybe we need to get used to the phrase "transition season". Sorry it's so downbeat peeps, but we look anything but Champions at the moment and truth be told haven't done so since the Villa game in the Carling Cup. Happy New Year, I'm off to abuse my liver and talk about anything but football. Tony

I didn't even manage to watch the game on TV today, Tony. I had the radio on in the background and we sounded less than convincing.

As the minutes ticked by I was thinking: We're not going to get away with it for a third game in a row.

It's going to be an interesting few months, that's for sure.

Though i may sound pesimistic,with the way Man U are playing,we dont have any chances of retaining title.They are beating rivals with 3-4 goals and we have finally started struggling at even home games aganist teams like reading which have been promoted from championship.
ballack is really of no use.People always focus on sheva but ballack is another underperformer.I remember sky commentator telling someone playing for reading today that reading got him for 25000 pounds in transfer window.And some of our players are on 140000 per week wage deal.
With this back 4[apart from carvalho and cole],we will be hammered half a dozen goals in champions league from now onwards.Everytime opposition is on break,we look like conceding.

If it hurts so much for a person who is sitting in home and watching it on tele,how about those fans who travel to bridge in these cold days and how about the person who has spent millions on the club.

Looks like some of our players needs to be told something special by Jose.

Nick, it was worse than any radio could make it sound. We look lost and devoid of ideas and confidence. DD aside. Something is wrong and we need to look at a good centre half to replace JT whilst he's out and a 'keeper with some "presence". I think my ratings were spot on.

Surman, the crowd would try and lift the team when they concede normally, such as against Arsenal, but such was the abject display today the crowd became silent and no amount of patronising "get behind them" type singing would have got us going. The fans gave them backing from the start, but for the second half the sense of disappointment was overwhelming. Champions may be something we need to aspire to again.

Sounds like the players ruined your Boxing Day, T.

I probably would have been as angry if I had made the trip to the Bridge.

A few glasses of wine quelled my disappointment.

There's no doubt that a result like this was inevitable given our performances in recent weeks.

Jose'll sort it.

I have to agree with Tony's assessment, we were shocking. If this continues we might even lose to Maccesfield or Wycombe in the upcoming cup games.

It's amazing how a football game and result can ruin your day. But on a plus note we're only 4 points adrift, and surely we can't get any worse, can we?

Clive, I really hope so, I really hope so. I do wonder about JM's post match excuses about a small squad, injuries etc...isn't he the guy that put us in that situation originally?

Despite fears of starting an argument, I don't actually think we played all that badly today. In contrast, we played a lot better today (in my eyes) all game than we did in the second half at Wigan.

Our attacking potential today was definitely shown as the two goals we got cut Reading apart. If it wasn't for the own goal to marr the day, we would have won 2-1 and nobody would be too bothered. Reading did deserve their goal, though I don't think we played any worse today than any average day of last season. However, after our recent performances, we do deserve it.

I still have absolute faith in us keeping the title again this season. The home game against United is turning into a must-win. Get ourselves two points behind before then and then it's all in our hands.

The draw with Reading totally ruined my day. Where's the Chelsea from the previous two seasons?

Only Drogba played well today.Call me pesimistic, but what with Chelsea playing the way they do now -- compared to the way Man U is performing -- I can't see JT lifting the trophy at the end of the season.

Okay so we did throw the game away... these things happen...but alot of the posting here if not being over cooked seem to forget that we conceeded an own goal that was abit unfortunate...

Without passing the blame around as some of us have started, I think we really did play a good match. We should not sing about spilt milk...Reading did not have a prayer in this game and they sure are lucky to have gotten the draw.

Hillario...well people he is our third keeper and he sure is not Cech...

Ferreira had a bad game? Depends on which match you were watching... He was playing number 4 for us just incase you did not notice...

Ballack had a bad game is another joke... He is not playing his role for sure but I think he did well in the middle. Please look at the stats and lets leave our own impressions out of it.... I think Lamps is why we got scored the first goal anyway what was he trying out in his own half? Did he track back after losing the ball? FACTS!

Obi Mikel 19 years and playing in the Chelsea midfield... Honestly... I think he played well holding the middle well and all he needs is match time...

SWP is better when playing with the rest of the team. Simple things like pass the ball and run into space will help his game. Great pass though...it was a beautiful pass something Ashley should work on...

Essien impressive...

Carlvalho worked his heart out...No complaints

I will not talk about Drogs and Kalou because these guys were outstanding...

The second goal conceeded well really unfortunate...just bad luck but hey this is football those things actually do happen...

I am not the Manager but I think that leaving Robben off the team after a great game was erroneous but no blame to the coach because I know what he was planning...there are just too many matches...

I watched the Liverpool Arsenal and ManU matches as well. The toll of these matches is sure to catch up with the players... I think we played better than all of them. Wigan was all out after their game against us and for those that have ventured into any team sport a loss like that does not build your morale rather it works very much against you. Reading has a better chance against ManU. Liverpool lost to Blackburn now that hurts after Arsenal whitewashed them and Watford was out done by Arsenal due to fatigue.

We are going to retain the cup...It is just a matter of time because it is not over until it is over...

Sorry I forgot to mentio that we have amassed 46 points todate 3 short at this time in our first season. We can still make 90 so keep watching...

So come on you lot
Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea

Just found out Robben was out injured

We didnt lost because we played badly but because we played against 12 men. Although it doesnt seem very clear but if you watch the match clearly you would have found referee has given the belated christmas gift to reading rather than Cole-Essien
we are in sorry state in term of the kind of biasness referee's are showing against us...looks like a Juv scenario is boiling behind the scene in england and Man U is England's Juv...

And Ya....
Holario is hilarious (0/10)
and Khalid and Ferrira who conceded almost all the goals against us in last 10 matches are (-100/10)

Just watched the game and it looked dreadful. And clearly clearly the worst two players are Sheva and Ballack. I have no idea what the theory of playing Ballack and Lampard together is, but it isn't working. But what's worse is that both of them have first touches that make Kerry Dixon look like Diego Maradona. Most of the time that Sheva got the ball, it ended up 5 yards way from him on a Reading player's foot...so he then lunged in and lost it. Ditto Ballack, who at this stage looks an incredible waste of money, and half the player Eidur Gudjonsen was last season.

Agreed that JT and Cech are huge losses, but our best player last season -- and improving through out all if it -- was Joe Cole. Playing that meaningless AllStar game in the US last August doesn't look half so clever now that it's cost us Joe's services for at least half the season.

The game wasn't on here in Australia, so on the upside I didn't sit getting paraletic on the couch at 2 in the morning.

A terrible result to drop 2 at home to Reading, but unfortunately we have had a poor result coming to us for about a month.

We desperately need the Arse to do us a favour when they take on Utd at the end of the month.

Sorry Chris, not after a row, but you couldn't have been there or had Chelsea beer Goggles on. I would have been bothered with 2-1 because it was so against the run of play. JM seems to have acknowledged a problem at the back, but it is at his own making. He slimmed the squad down and now he's being bitten for it. He seems to be rather egotistically bent on trying to challenge his own capabilities by seeing how small his squad can bve to win the PL. Great coach, but whilst we're RA's plaything we shouldn't be his.

We're short of a good right back, a central defender and a keeper. In his whole career JM has never managed a team that has let 2 goals in on 3 consecutive games but that's what's just happened. We need to buy or promote but either way ne need to ensure better cover than we have now and Hilario, Ferreira and Boulahrouz are a long way short of Premiership Champions standard, as are Ballack, SWP, Makalele, Bridge and Sheva to name but 8.

Generally Tony I think you are spot on.

I was absolutely gutted yesterday but I think some of you criticisms are over the top.

First half we looked perfectly solid, dominated the game, and Drogba could have had a hat trick. Kalou should also have scored.

Second half we were appalling. Absolutly abject, and even though conceded a comical own goal, deserved to drop points. The hesitance of the defence at set pieces was deeply alarming, as was our tendency to give away rash free kicks around the box - we must have conceded at least ten.

Hilario is an absolute joke - not even Championship third choice standard. Geremi is dreadful when being attacked, and Bridgey, bless him, is pedestrian.

I still don't feel Shevchenko did much wrong. Kalou looked lively - he is great at beating his man but his final ball woeful. This, I imagine, can be worked on. Ballack's case is an interesting one. I am starting to lose my patience with him though I don't think he played badly, and of course is playing at he expense of a winger (though we only have one fit at the moment anyway) He just doesn't do enough. Lamps, having looked back on form recently, I thought was anonymous yesterday. Mikel doesn't look up to it and has serious attitude problems. Time is on his side though.

We really missed Maka I thought, although Essien gave his all.

The loss of Cech was bad enough but to lose Terry as well has completely crippled us defensively. No longer can we go one up and play as if the game is over.

I have heard it on very good authority that as well as having a back problem Terry also has a hernia. The result is that he might have a double operation and be out for some time - at least a month. Cudicini's injury was apparently mistreated and they made it worse - he is apparently out for at least another month. Plus Cole was also misdiagnosed - they did not spot he had a broken foot for two weeks, and will also be out for a while.

All rather depressing at the moment.

I have a feeling we will not win the league this year because by the time our top players are back the gap between us and United might be too large. However Cech, Terry and J Cole will hopefully be back for the Champions League (thank God we had a relatively soft draw also), and I think we might win it this year, which would be some consolation.

Up the Chels!

Andy - weekend of January 20 (if we can win all our games until then) might be pivotal. If we win at Anfield and United lose to Arsenal then it might be wide open.

After the scrambled & unimpressive late wins against Everton & Wigan, yesterday's result was on the cards. It's time for JM to earn his £5m pa. I was horrified & amazed to hear him say after the Wigan game that he knew the players had lost concentration after 30 minutes. Well what did he do & say to them at half time? Is he saying that he is unable to motivate them any longer?

Reading made us pay for our arrogance in thinking that we can sit on a slender lead. We should kill games off when we are so on top by scoring 3 or 4.

Kalou looks a great prospect but we are carrying too many underperforming passengers e.g. Ballack & SWP. As for Obi1, well I'm lost for words! I've been watching Chelsea for over 40 years & rarely have I seen such a waste of a shirt & he's petulent too. He needs to go out on loan somewhere (anywhere) asap.

Tony G, I think you have it about right: "JM seems to have acknowledged a problem at the back, but it is at his own making. He slimmed the squad down and now he’s being bitten for it." It's bad luck to have three world class players out for a key period (Czech, Joe, JT) and Robben for a match or two, but it was always a gamble to go for the smaller squad. It's a bet we have lost. Especially having sold WG and Huth. Boula may be a Dutch international, but that isn't saying much nowadays is it? He's a squad player having to play regularly. As for Kalou and Mikel, these are boys having to step up to do jobs they should not have been expected to. SWP? Well, an enigma inside a paradox inside a riddle about sums him up. I'd heard Madonna was looking to rescue another lost child. She need not travel to Africa next time.

On the plus side: Roy Bentley was paraded before the game on Boxing Day, captain of the 1955 League champion's side and manager of Reading in the 60s. I am not old enough to have seen him play, but saw all the other great centre forwards that followed him, from Bridges, through Osgood to Dixon etc. But I aint seen nothing as good as Drogba on current form. We are privileged to have such a talent with such a huge heart wear our shirt. Ditto Carvallo. Ditto Lamps.

Final thought: give credit to Reading, as Jose did. I thought they were magnificent. We must never allow ourselves to get like Man Utd and Arsenal fans. Boringly dependent on winning the League every year as a conditon of support. Like spoiled brats. (I know you are not Tony G...but some of the postings here are pathetic). As recent comments from Roman have made clear (I'd like to write a seperate contribution on the recent interview in the Observer when time allows) we are likely to be enjoying title-challenging football for a long time to come. Let's not get carried away by the potential loss of three in a row. Nice as that sounds.

All in all, the posts I've read convey my thoughts - we've supposedly got a bottomless pit of cash and yet anyone beyond our starting 11 is a complete donkey. Any team in any league is going to suffer badly by missing both their first choice keepers; their captain and best CB and their most creative player. ManUSA wold be the same without Van der Sar, Ferdinand and Ronaldo missing. There is simply no strength to the squad. Mikel is an absolute donkey, Shevchenko and Ballack simply appear to be here to line their pockets. Like others I was willing to give them time to bed in, but they're both past it.

Based on summer signings, is it worth wasting hundreds of grand a week on some past it has been in January ?? Why not give some of the youngsters a chance. Mancienne and Jimmy Smith seem to have done well out on loan, and while the Championship certainly isn't the Premiership, they'd have to play extremely poorly to look as bad as some of the muppets on show yesterday.

Come on people this thing about lacking cover at the back is very interesting and even more when we begin throwing it on JM's head.

There is no chance in hell that a world class defender will come to Chelsea merely to warm the bench. Talk of WG and Huth... we all know what happened...WG did not want to play for us again complaining about this and that...Huth for me was big and strong but is worse than Khalid...

Khalid has had nightmares in the premiership not disputed but he is a dutch international willing to keep bench. Come the open season we sure will see new faces at the bridge but lets not begin showing accussing fingers now...It is just too soon... a little patience

Methinks that the obvious buy is on the Barca bench. One Monsieur L. Thuram is a back up at Barca (behind Puyol and Marquez), right at the end of his career, who might want to play a little more? And not exactly a bad player?