mrfahaji

Agree with all this. Funnily enough I think our best performance of the season might have been against Man Utd, where we were genuinely a bit unlucky not to equalise. But other than that it's been largely woeful.

Even though the football was pretty dire at times last year (though also some good games), I do recall Puel sometimes saying things like "we don't move the ball fast enough" etc, even if we hadn't lost. Of course, that doesn't excuse poor performances, but it at least hints that he wasn't satisfied with our turgid displays, just that he was struggling to address it. Pellegrino's team is worse and yet he always seems to be happy with it!

Watford at home? They're probably on a par I guess. Watford came with a plan and we were hopeless. Once our plan against Liverpool fell apart (i.e. they scored), we were hopeless. Hopeless is actually the perfect word, because in the second half in both games I didn't even have hope that we would turn the game we were that inept.

True, but I can't help but feel the way we play, particularly the way we attack, doesn't help our players. The reason why Allardyce is successful is because he finds ways to best utilise his players, or he finds players to best fit how he wants to play. Allardyce is an example, but Silva has done that at Watford, Dyche has done it at Burnley, Hodgson seems to be gradually improve Palace too. I think our lack of pace does restrict our options somewhat, but I still think there are ways to get our forward line working at least better than it is now.

A tricky one for me. I think the general strategy of the club is sound, and he must be at least partly responsible for that. Even this season, the signing of Lemina has been an astute one. But I worry about his influence on the playing side of things - he talks about having the whole club playing a certain way at all age groups. But what way is that? Does he decide? Why is Les Reed the one to know the best way to play the game? Then there's the appointment of managers and coaches. Do any of our players improve? How many promising young players are now not as young and not as promising? Our lack of pace in the first team is killing us, but it feels like pace is not something the club value at all. It's all about technique. Does that ring true for our signings too? Is that why we didn't find an alternative to Redmond or Tadic? Because attacking with speed is not part of Les Reed's checklist of how football should be played?

Out. There are a host of familiar names who "wouldn't do any worse", but I'm not sure how many of them would do significantly better either, and I don't want us to embrace Allardyce-football. People suggesting Adkins, Strachan and Koeman. Get a grip, you're allowed to employ people who haven't already been manager! There must be managers out there who play the way we ought to be playing. Pellegrino was friends with Pochettino and presumably, given what Reed said after his appointment, said he liked intensive football (i.e. pressing and attacking). Maybe next time we appoint someone with a track record of that rather than someone who just says it in an interview. That does bring me on to another question though - is Reed looking for the right coaches? If Puel and Pellegrino are anything to go by, he doesn't get it. I'm not convinced Reed is as great as some like to make out - and certainly not as good as he likes to make out - but am prepared to give him some credit (or at least the benefit of the doubt) for the general strategy of the club. But I do have to question whether he is implementing the correct football 'philosophy' - "from top to bottom" no less. Worrying.

But why wait until that could happen? He's shown he's not up to it. Keeping him on the basis that he's done just enough to avoid being in a relegation scrap is not good enough. And if we end up losing those games, then the new manager has got his work cut out to keep us up.

I wouldn't want Allardyce. But I think it's a fair argument that at least in terms of results, he has a better record than Adkins, even allowing for West Ham finishing below us in the Championship. People need to stop all this nonsense with comparing Pellegrino to a handful of names that everyone knows. Just because Adkins and Allardyce don't fit the bill doesn't mean there isn't anyone. If it was my job to find a manager I'm pretty sure I could find a number of good candidates.

While that may be true, unless they are deliberately not trying or deliberately not following instructions, whose fault is that? If they are not motivated, that's the manager. If they are clueless, that's the manager. If they simply aren't good enough but are still picked, that's the manager. If they haven't been good enough for a while but haven't been replaced with someone better, that's the board.

Exactly. The fact that it is so easy to use Puel's tenure as positive comparisons demonstrates how dreadful we are now.

I just hope we score to show everyone that we have character, and hopefully play well for a 5 minute spell so Pellegrino can say how happy he was with that 5 minutes and how we are therefore the unluckiest team in the league.

Maybe not, but it once again fits the description of Forster not doing as well as he might have done. He always seems to find that spot of not being to blame but also not doing anything good.

I don't think anyone will be surprised by that stat...! Unless they're surprised it's so many!

Does that mean Romeu is suspended? Great... Don't understand why he chases so close behind though, gets his angles wrong at times.

I'm starting to wonder if Redmond wears a blinker on his left eye. Not only does he never run down the wing but he refuses to look for a pass that side either. We've had a few attacks where we've looked decent (emphasis on 'few') but they have all been of similar ilk - full backs getting behind.

Didn’t see the replay enough to be sure, but surely as a CB you need to be aware of the strikers around you and get goalside of them? I would agree with you if Horst was marking someone else or being distracted by someone else, but he wasn’t.

Don’t recall your insight at the time of the appointment, would have been interesting to hear as I couldn’t find much on his management time in Argentina.

I don’t think that’s true though. They have 3 excellent players, 2 or 3 decent ones and the rest are average. Mignolet Arnold Klavan Lovren Moreno as a back five. Would you want any of them? (Ok anyone is better than FF...) Game over. Taxi for Pellegrino please.

Well done Tadic. Another long range shot that Unlucky Fraser couldn’t get to.

Oh, just seen this after I posted...!

I'm all for Hoedt and Yoshida rotating, but I'd have thought Hoedt would have been better against a side like Burnley, who are more of an aerial threat, while Yoshida would be better against a pacey Liverpool attack. But then, who am I to assume the coaching staff think about things like that...

The last sentence of the OP sounds like a tongue-in-cheek comment. I hope it is, else it is utterly embarrassing. I'd be prepared to give him a chance as manager, but only if we can't get Koeman, Adkins, Strachan, Redknapp, Allardyce, Peter Reid or Mick Wadsworth.

This is the first game of the season where Pellegrino can show he has another string to his bow (albeit what appears a fairly limited bow atm). Although Puel's record against the top 6 wasn't exactly stellar, we at least put in a few good performances away from home, not least at Anfield. If Pellegrino can demonstrate some tactical nous he might yet give us reason for optimism. If it's another incoherent performance then the writing is probably on the wall for our season.

The bit I took umbrage at was the idea that Hughton 'blew his chance' at a Premier League club, even though he's now back in the Premier League with a different team, and doing quite well with them. I don't disagree with all the other stuff about his approach being too defensive.

Member counts on Monday 20th November. I will also be hoping to get a couple as I live a 10 minute walk from Stamford Bridge... in recent seasons I haven't been able to go for one reason or another!