After a lackluster first half which ended at 1-1 after a late tying goal by Aguero, Pellegrini sent the message to be more aggressive. City has now started the second half with 3 goals in 5 minutes of time, with Aguero completing a natural hat trick and now de Bruyne on a magnificant bicycle volley. City spent much of the first half playing tentatively and nibbling. There's been a clear shift to decisive play both offensively and defensively here in the second.
Can't wait for Everton/Liverpool tomorrow morning.
heh, heh, Mourinho, when asked why Terry was starting, declined to answer, even when pressed several times. "You asked me last week why he wasn't starting. So I knew this would be the first question. This week, he is starting and you ask me why. So, I'm not going to answer this." (not verbatim, but close enough)
Color guy says an attacker has no obligation to get out of the way or leap an "out of control keeper", and it was a clear penalty. It's not unreasonable on its face, but like all close calls, you have to see it in front of you and the ref had good position. For me, I agree, Falcão put his feet together like an Olympic 3 meter diver to ensure both feet were "caught" in the keeper's arm instead of staying in stride, this is what made the call "right" for me.
In any event, moments later, Cahill coughs the ball up five yards outside his 18 toward its corner, Madé, marked by marked man Terry, takes a short pass toward the center that catches Terry off balance and finishes low and hard, off the keeper and into the net, putting Southampton up 2 - 1.
What a turnaround, leaving Mourinho muttering to his assistant on the bench.
B in ALB or I mind), and the announcers have mentioned it's odd to see a championship club with so many players out of form.
Oh absolutely. But Abramovich has sacked managers for far less than this crap on display right now
Commentators pondering your question: do certain players who are Chelsea standards no longer warrant first 11 status, change in personnel, or is it Mourinho who must go, as suggested above. I think I'm with Jon, it's very difficult to consider at this point, still very early in the season, a change of manager who just last year led you to the Championship. Yet, for the color guy to say, "It looks to me as if the team are just not playing for [Mourinho]", is damning. I don't watch enough of the team to form an opinion. Certainly, they are not imposing their will on their opponents as is usually the case.
Chelsea won possession 69% and lost 3 -1. They looked lax in midfield, slow to organize on counters, and had too many individual lapses. Is there malaise in the team room? What was the benching of team captain and long-time CB Terry all about? As I posted above, Mourinho is defensive about the subject, as Terry's status is probably the focus of discussion in pubs up and down King's Road, from Mondays right through Match Days.
Your guess is as good as mine, but I don't see how he will be forced out this early. It would be more in keeping with his character if he were to resign first, if he decides he's done or he's lost the team.
Look at his last year at Madrid. He had the locker room completely divided. Some fans to this day still hate a guy who was their since he was a kid.
I think they have to move on. No way this many players got this bad so quickly. Mourinho said before the season Hazard is better then Ronaldo. Which was a joke then, but he played awesome last year. This year Hazard doesn't deserve to be spoke of in the same sentence as Cristiano's left boot.
Not to mention the Chelsea D is absolutely fucking terrible. They are pathetic. An absolute joke.
Postgame Chelsea 1 Southampton 3 - ( New Window )
The save on the Naismith header was beautiful.