A rare red and transfer reports
TRANSFER TALK
Three clubs from England, two from Spain and Germany all watched Beşiktaş play Konyaspor recently to keep track of striker Cenk Tosun. The link below has the Turkish report.GZT
Chelsea are under investigation once again by FIFA for breaching regulations on youth players. This is the second FIFA investigation into Chelsea in eight years, not a surprise given revelations that have come out over the years like Ashley Cole shooting.someone. They had a transfer ban in 2007, we wait to see the outcome this time. Read the sory at the Daily Mail link below.
Daily Mail
Serge Aurier receiving a red card was our first since Romanian Vlad Chiriches was sent off in May of the 2014/15 season, 83 games ago.
It didn't stop us beating the Hammers which Paul Merson felt was essential if we wer to catch Manchester United or Manchester City in the dwindling 32 game run-in! This is the same Manchester City who were unbeatable and going to go the whole season undefeated last season.
COYS
7 comments
Otherwise a very strong performance for most of the game by our boys. Sissoko is not writing his name in lights but he's certainly improving. A pretty decent game overall today. He made fewer errors than Dele, which was unfortunately not hard.
I was really hoping Kane would get a perfect hattrick today after starting with a brace from head and left foot. While Dele didn't impress greatly today, let's not forget he provided assists for the first two goals. I guess it's true…
The slide tackle from the side used to be an acceptable skill…it’s not dangerous… it’s not going through the player from behind…probably the worst that can happen is the player in possession gets tripped.
Aurier used that skill on a number of occasions yesterday, until the last one of course.
It’s a great shame that referees feel obliged to reach for a yellow card for every mis-timed tackle but fail miserably to punish all the holding offences that occur in the box from set pieces.
I also noticed yesterday that the Wet Spam players surrounded the referee constantly to protest his decision making and forced him to give ground.
A referee must not be obliged to give ground…a simple rule would be that once a referee awards a free kick it becomes a yellow card offence for an opposition player(s) t…
I hope you're wrong about Dele. I suspect that there are other causes for his showing a lack of his usual levels. The timing seems wrong for it to be related to moving on. Obviously that's just my interpretation and I may be awry.
Serge's tackles were mostly innocuous I felt. Many not even fouls. The first yellow I find very hard to accept as he was the victim of a very clumsy foul from Carroll. That it should even be considered as being Serge's fault is simply bizarre. The second, OTOH, was from behind and he broght the player down before almost making contact with the ball. An easy yellow for me.
Holding offenses in the box could well have seen penalties awarded against us. I noticed a couple we got away with. They did too, obviously, but we certainly wouldn't have got away scot free.
Something should be done about players behaviour. I was appalled that the ref awarded two of our players yellows in the late scramble which involved only two players …
Aurier was caught wrong side on numerous occasions and was pretty lucky to be still on the field for as long as he was. He does look like he can play a bit though.
Jan was terrific today, Sanchez is freeing him a Toby to come out and play and they can. He ( Sanchez ) is giving us a new dimension with his pace covering the middle.
Sissoko doesn't have the best touch but he brings power and thrust to the midfield and we have more than enough touch players, it's only taken a year for him to be played in his right position. Maybe his attitude might have been better if he was used correctly from the start ?
Much as I like Poch I do always feel there is a power play thing going on. ( crush you first, build you up but I can bring you down again, if you challenge me ) Maybe or maybe not , it's just an observation from afar, lets see how Rose is…
Wrong side for most doesn't always seem to apply to Aurier. His slide tackles were (generally) perfect examples of great tackling. He missed one or two. Certainly the one for his second yellow, and one or two less critical ones earlier. I didn't and don't believe he should have been sent off, even though I accept he was at fault to make such a challenge when he was, rightly or wrongly, already on a yellow.
I agree about Sanchez. Allows the two Dutchmen to show so much more of their capabilities.
I believe it's up to Sissoko to show that he can do what's required of him. I very much doubt he would have been bought simply to play to his strengths in the middle of the park where we already have great competence and depth. Yes he played a much better game in the mi…
It's great to talk positives though and all is looking good in my opinion. I said before I'm glad we kept Sissoko. It takes ages for most players to get to grips in a new side and he didn't get the best of starts last year. We forget they are only young men and confidence and self belief are two different things and can clash with your pride.
I managed for 15 years but only at the amateur level and as i've got older I realise I could have got far more from the players if I had been a bit more sympathetic to individual needs, rather than get over it when your dropped.
I have to say I fully appreciate the rest of your comment too. I certainly believe that, though it's a very competitive environment, it's far better if we remember that they're only relative youngsters.
COYS!!