Chelsea's Oscar winning performance spoiled by Juventus

Chelsea vs Juventus was very good European match to watch, filled with moments of highs and absolute amazement which was then later equalled with utter frustration.

The game finished 2-2 after Chelsea had taken a 2-0 lead, first through a deflected effort from Oscar to open his Chelsea scoring account on his starting debut, which was then doubled moments later with what can only be described as first, a magnificent bit of skill to lose his man and then a fabulous curling strike which flew into the net leaving Buffon completely helpless. But even though Chelsea had managed to take a 2 goal lead the result never looked like a foregone conclusion as Juventus had up to the point of the first goal been right in the game, creating many chances themselves, mainly from Marchisio being able to run off of Ivanovic and get behind the Chelsea defence. So it wasn't much of a surprise when Arturo Vidal pulled a goal back for the Italian Champions just four minutes later with a great left footed finish from just outside the box which brought the game to 2-1 at half time. From a Chelsea perspective it was a poor goal to concede as he wasn't closed down well and found himself in a lot of space which is something you just can't allow for a player of his quality.

At half time there was a sense that the game was still any ones to win, so it would have been a great relief when Chelsea made a great start to the second half, controlling the possession well, pinning Juventus in their own half and creating some decent opportunities. But as the game started to go one Juventus started to find themselves more and more in the game becoming a constant threat on the break.  In the 70th minute Oscar was replaced by Mata who received a standing ovation after such a great performance and Bertrand was introduced for Ramires yet again to play in midfield. Juventus were also making changes themselves, bringing on Quagliarella to devastating effect. A mistake from Obi Mikel, where he gifted the ball to Juventus in the Chelsea half under very little pressure, lead to Quagliarella being played through on goal as Terry tried to play offside. Quagliarella went on to finish his chance well, placing the ball through an onrushing Cech to tie up the match at 2-2. It was a deeply frustrating moment for any Chelsea fan to endure as they had seen a 2 goal lead at home disappear through unnecessary mistakes and even though Juventus had been piling on the pressure it seemed like we would be able to hold on for the victory.

The unnecessary mistakes made by Mikel raise the question yet again as to whether he is good enough to play in the defensive role as however well he plays, there is always the sense he is going to make an error. It also highlights the lack of depth in his position after letting Michael Essien and Raul Meireles leave as there isn't really much competition for his place other then Ramires as I don't think Romeu is ready yet. With that said even though Mikel did lose the ball cheaply when he really shouldn't have the defences inability to react to the situation was more worrying in my opinion as there was still plenty of time for them rectify the situation.

On the whole it was a great game to watch and even though the result was disappointing there was many parts of the performance from Chelsea that we can take positives from. We just need to cut out the silly mistakes and I think we are looking good. Bring on Stoke this weekend!!

What do you guys think? Did I get it wrong? Leave a comment below to share your view.

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QPR vs Chelsea - LetsTalks Matchday Preview

So far this season Chelsea's league form has been magnificent, with the team picking up 3 wins from their first 3 games making them the only team in the English leagues to still have a 100% record and they head off to Loftus Road this weekend to take on their fierce London rivals, which is bound to be filled with incidents not least  the Anton Ferdinand and Terry 'handshake'.


Unlike Chelsea, QPR haven't had the most glamorous start to this year campaign. In their first 3 games they have only managed to pick up 1 point from a possible 9, losing the first game 5-0 to Swansea, drawing 1-1 on the road to Norwich and then inevitably losing 3-1 to Manchester City a week later. QPR have made a lot of new interesting signings this summer bringing in the likes of former blue Jose Bosingwa, Esteban Granero from Real Madrid and Ji- Sung Park from Manchester United who have quality in their own right however you can expect that its going to take a little while for all their new signings to gel so I think this tie could have come to soon for QPR in that respect.

Even though Chelsea have made a great start this season in the league they haven't been short of their own defeats in the two cup competitions so far this season. Firstly losing in the Community Shield 3-2 to Manchester City and then suffering an embarrassingly heavy defeat to Atlectico Madrid 4-1 in the European Super Cup shows that it is very possible to get at Chelsea as we still look a vulnerable at back at times. The only real problem I see Chelsea having against QPR this weekend would be if Ashley Cole and John Terry were unavailable as even though there is cover with Cahill and Ryan Bertrand the back line without them two especially Terry doesn't fill me with the greatest confidence as whenever Luiz and Cahill play alongside each other Chelsea tend to concede a lot of goals.
With that said I still can't look past a Chelsea victory as I think that Chelsea's attacking line of Torres, Hazard, potentially Moses as I hear Mata could be rested and Oscar seems just way to strong and bit of miss match against the likes of Bosingwa, Nelson, Ferdinand and Fabio.

I predict a 3-1 victory for Chelsea from a very action packed game and hopefully Torres can chip in with a couple of goals.


What do you guys think? Have I got it wrong? Leave a comment below

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What is Ramires' best position in Chelsea's 4-2-3-1 formation?

When  I think of Ramires I think of a player making bursting runs on the counter, a player with a great work rate and someone who isn't afraid to stick his foot in. With these attributes you can see why he has become a favourite with the Chelsea fans and deserves a place in the starting line up, but where?

I personally think he is more suited to playing in a 3 man midfield like in the 4-3-3 we used to play as even though he is good at both going forward and defending he isn't exceptional at either so in a 3 man midfield being supported by Mikel and Lampard he would be covered perfectly in both departments and give him the platform to show his best attributes.

However as Di Matteo's preferred formation is the 4-2-3-1 this seems very unlucky to happen any time soon so if he is to start, there are only two positions where he could play. One would be the defensive midfield role in the double pivot alongside Lampard in the middle and the other would have to be on the right wing where he has already started this season and had great success there last year. But for me neither position to me screams out Ramires. In the defensive midfield role even though he can tackle he does have the tendency to jump into challenges recklessly and lose his head when there doesn't seem to be the need to which could be really costly in the centre of are midfield. Also his passing isn't sharp enough for that role and I could see him misplacing his passes in situations which he really shouldn't however I think if he was to play in this role he would eventually get better at both these things so it is still a decent option for him.

On the right wing I think would be his best position. He is blessed with so much pace and his high work rate makes him a great option, especially in the games against the top teams where you can find yourself on the back foot a lot of the match. On these occasions he could be employed as a defensive winger and help track back the opposing winger while still being a threat going forward himself. However the drawbacks on playing Ramires on the wing would have to be his dribbling, which can be erratic at the best of times. There are times when the ball seems glued to his feet and you wonder ' Wow! How has he just done that?' but then there a more times where his running at speed and he loses control of the ball and it leaves you frustrated as there was a possible chance on. Also his crossing leaves much to be desired but he has so much energy that it is hard to not see him in the team.

For me I would definitely say he is best suited to playing on the right wing in the 4-2-3-1 formation, but with the introduction of Hazard, Marin and Moses he may not be guaranteed a starting position in are team any more which seems crazy, considering he was one out best players last year.

What do you guys think? Leave a comment a below.

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Is Marko Marin really as good as everyone seems to think?

When I first heard about Marko Marin a few seasons ago he was dubbed the new 'German Messi' and was playing some great football alongside the like of Mesut Ozil in an attacking Werder Bremen team. Since then Marin has kinda disappeared off the radar,whereas Ozil has gone on to be one the major stars of world football at Real Madrid leaving Marin far behind. Previously seen as one on the 'best talents' in German football, he has seen that label given to more exciting players like Mario Goetze, Marco Reus, Andre Schurrle and Thomas Muller.

So I ask what is it that people see in Marko Marin that makes him a great acquistion for Chelsea? I know that he is a good dribbler with a good eye for a killer pass, so initially that makes him sound like he is exactly what we need because that type of player is what Chelsea has been missing since Robben left. However from what I've seen of him myself he seems very predictable and extremely weak physical on the ball. I know that there is quality there for sure but I'm not sure whether he will be able to reach the potential that he should and become a major player for us at Chelsea. In my own opinion Victor Moses is a much better option then Marin as I feel he is more suitable to the premier league with his pace and strength to go along with his dribbling abilities.

People may have also forgotten than Marin wasn't one of Di Matteo's signings he was signed by the club before the Champions League final, which was before he got offered the role as permanent manager so may not be held in as high regard by Di Matteo himself. And for all you that disagree with me and then point to his glamorised YouTube videos and say that I am chatting nonsense look at the dates of the videos and when he was actually playing well. You will find NO videos from recent seasons like all the other top stars or starlets in football.

All that said I would love him to prove me wrong and help lead us to loads of success in the future, especially as he was such a cheap signing but at this moment in time I just don't see it.

What do you guys think? Leave a Comment Below.

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Does Michael Essien still have a role to play at Chelsea?

How can I put this as simply as possible.... YES!! I personally don't understand how his ability and place in the team is being challenged so greatly buy Chelsea fans and even Di Matteo who seems to even favour Raul Merieles over him at the moment.

I get that he has had a lot of injuries in the past and when he came back for us last season he didn't seem to be as great as he was before but I still can't recall him playing bad for us at any time. Take the Manchester United game where we drew 3-3 last season. This was Essien's first start after coming back from injury and for me he controlled the midfield for the majority of the game and it was only in the last 20 minutes of the game he started to fade which was down to lack of match fitness.

I know that Obi Mikel seems to be Di Matteo's first choice defensive midfielder along side Frank Lampard in the double pivot but I still don't think that he is a better option then the Bison at the moment. Mikel has definitely improved over the years and his performances in our Champions League campaign last year was nothing short of exceptional however I always have the feeling that there is a mistake in him and  I still question whether he can keep such high level over a long period of time. He also doesn't offer enough going forward for me compared to Essien. I don't buy into the claims that he just plays simple passes side to side however I still think he needs to improve on his link up play in the same way Alex Song did last year for Arsenal and dramatically improve his shooting which is just woeful at the moment.

I think that know Essien has had a whole pre season this summer he definitely has a role to play for Chelsea this season whether it be in rotation with Mikel or as his deputy I still believe he has a lot to offer and would without doubt return to being the engine room in our midfield if given the chance this year.

What do you guys think? Leave a comment below

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Is It Time to Change from 4-3-3

I've been watching Chelsea this season and I' starting to feel that maybe the 4-3-3 formation is just not right for us anymore. When we first introduced it under Jose Mourinho we had quick wingers like Robben and Duff and are midfield was solid and could control the game but now I dont really see any of those qualities.

At the moment we play Mata and Sturridge on the wings which I thought at first would be great but I dont think that this is eithers best or natural position and its not quite working. Mata to me is more of an attacking central midfielder just behind the striker and on the wing doesnt quite  have the pace to be a constant threat and Sturridge for me should be given the chance to play upfront cause to be honest  he looks the most lively of all are strikers.

I dunno maybe a change to 4-4-2 or maybe a 4-2-3-1 would be better suited to the players we have. Playing two up front would be what I prefer. We have Didier, Torres, Sturridge, Lukaku and Anelka I think that we need to start trying to get a partnership going upfront as the only point of having 3 in the middle is to try to dominate the middle of the park and we dont do that at all,so we might aswell just have 2 in there and try to get more goals. Man United are the perfect example. There central midlfield is nothing to shout out about. I dont think that I would take any of their players in the middle but the power of their strike force and good use of width gets them the results.

Lets talk, let me know what you think, am I just talkin kaka or I am I on the right track.