What We Learned: Can Mou’s Chelsea ever beat Basel?

Hazard vs Salah in UCL

After the disappointing loss to Basel in the Champions league game on Tuesday, Let’s look at some important points we learned. Even though we advanced as a result of Schalke’s draw against Bucharesti away, our spot in the last 16 of the Champions league is now fully insured. Mourinho was still angry as every fan after the game since we had the chance to score or still get a draw in Switzerland.

We couldn’t avenge for our opening day defeat at Stamford Bridge since Mohamed Salah yet again scored to put us in a losing position late on in the game.

Does this signal the Blues’ wickedness in matches vs Basel?  

It’s 2 losses to the Swiss champions in as many games in this year’s champions league campaign. We barely eliminated them from the semi-finals of the Europa league even though they were surely not in the same mentality as they played us this year especially in this game. But, this in no way means we are unable to totally get a result against Basel. In the first match at the Bridge, we failed to convert our chances and kill of the game early before they hit us in the break and won the game from behind. In this game, it was do-or-die for them since they have no chance of qualifying unless they beat us in this game while Jose’s men looked like settling to kill the game of rather than beating them to revenge the first match defeat at the Bridge.

Willian worked incredibly well with pace and energy

The Brazilian samba boy gave Mourinho what he wanted to see our on the wings as he pressed high up against the Swiss team. He also run his heart out on the pitch from one side to the other giving every sweat for the team. His dribbling has been world class but, was unlikely today to spark results against a well drilled, strong Basel side that had nothing to lose. This performance surely won’t go unnoticed in Mourinho’s eyes and watch out for Willian to get good run of games for the following 9 upcoming matches in December.

Petr Cech was clear Man of the Match despite defeat

The Czech international was the best player on the field just narrowing Mohamed Salah for the honor who was mostly ousted by Azpilicueta before he capitalized on Ivanovic’s napping to get the winner. Cech though saved the Blues from a further worse scoreline since the Swiss champs had lots of chances in the first half by itself to kill the game off. Thanks to Cech, we at least were saved from further embarrassing scoreline like that of a 3-0 against Juventus a year ago.

Mohamed Salah is the real deal when coming up against the Blues

We might have said it was a fluke luckiness first times Salah got to score against us in the first match. But, after his complete 100% display in both games against us, we should give him the props he deserves since the Egyptian outshone any winger of ours in both games. He was a threat driving through our half and also delivering in crosses to the 6’5” Marko Streller. Even though, his late winner was resulted by Ivanovic’s slow reaction to the long ball (or napping as Jose signaled to his staff  afterwards), Salah is a bright prospect and one of the underrated star wingers to watch for in Europe.

Here are some of the points I accumulated mainly from the disappointing loss. Please comment and let us know of your opinions about the game. Thanks for reading and follow me on twitter (@FahmiCFC)! Win or loss, Chelsea till we die. Never give up!

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44 thoughts on “What We Learned: Can Mou’s Chelsea ever beat Basel?

  1. Mourinho and Oscar are in love or some shit, and Mourinho is blinded because Mata is a much better no.10 than oscar. I didn’t see oscar play anything this game. Mourinho says the players weren’t fresh. Mata was fresh, ready, energized, everything and yet he didn’t even sub on. Chelsea won’t win if Mourinho keeps doing this.

    • Also, Frank lampard isn’t in his 20’s anymore, he doesn’t have that same stamina, and ramires is not a winger. Chelea has 6 attacking midfielders, and out of that 3 were used, 1 being an ineffective Oscar, an okay willian, hazard played well, but where was mata, why didn’t schurrle play? Bad tactical choices. If benitez had done this sort of shit, imagine how much all the Chelsea fans would give him shit.

      • don’t know where to comment since Admin rolled out 2 write ups about the match so myt end up writing same thing for both or just copy and paste….
        I mentioned here that we have to avoid burnout cos it affected RDM and thats why Benitez rotation worked so well secondly Mou dint seem to have a game plan and let me reiterate here that Lampard is our weakest link.. We just ran around the pitch, no shot on goal the whole first half, no coordination, losing balls, slipping and Ivanovic sleeping…no bite..
        Maybe Hazard should be converted to a striker to allow Mata in the squad just saying cos eto was crap,oscar tired, Lamps was crap crap crap crappier, ramirez was tired…
        The game was so awful I celebrated basel’s goal

  2. Jose insisting of playing Lampard cost chelsea, made Cfc play z worest football. Lampard couldn’t deserve even bench comparing other stars. I don’t why not Mour afraid to drop him… Bad bad bad continue . CFC fan but hate current Jose playing style…

  3. What do u expect from a coach that sets up his team to a play negative style of footie, trying to soak up the pressure then hit on counter.. If we had played well n lost, I wouldnt complain..is time mourinho dropped sentiment n pick players based on merit..typically, cfc under the sad one aint creatively doing anything, then why bench our most creative player all in the name of not tracking bck…..IF IT WERE BENITEZ THAT’S HAVING THIS TOPSY-TURVY SEASON, WE WOULD HV KILLED HIM..WHY CANT WE CRITICISE MOURINHO IF THE NEED BE..WE’RE HYPOCRITS BLINDED BY LUV FOR MOURINHO*****

  4. Augustine

    Am starting to hate mourinhnos playing style we no longer hav to kip experimenting players..he has kept on benching MATA for apparently no reason he has also stretched his hatred to De bruyne..I love the fact he is a good coach bt I just can’t stand what he’s doing..Demba ba as well has also continued to receive mou’s cold shoulder…w need some change please before we go trophieless this season

  5. Augustine

    What the hell has happened to our trusted TRIO combination “MaZaCar” the one benitez used although we heavily criticized him it really worked mata,oscar,hazard was a good pair up bt mou pride will break us coz he can’t learn from benitez player rotation,mazacar impact and De bruyne is super talented bt he ain’t getting enough play time…Even Luiz I just can’t get it all where we heading to we might end up performing worse than man u

  6. Vaakmeisster

    WHAT I LEARNT: MOU IS A FUCKING CUNT!
    Like I said after the West Ham game, what formation was this? He chose to kill off the left wing this time as Oscar was still central, like the west Ham game. As for Lamps, that guy doesn’t do shit. What did he do apart from the 2 goals he scored on Saturday? If he was a striker, it would be ok as his role is to score, but he offers nothing to Chelsea right and it showed yesterday.
    Going to the game; Defensively, Azpilicueta struggled all night. Ivanovic was decent until the mistake. Terry & Cahill were solid as ever. In the midfield, only Mikel had a good game. Ramires was utter shit. Not one complete pass and so many bad decisions. Lampard was nothing as usual. Willian/Oscar/Hazard were ok. Eto/Torres too. They couldn’t influence the game much as the central midfielders couldn’t pass to save their lives.

    • Anonymous

      This savage language (fucking cant) must be avoid here.

      • Its encouraged here and we have every rights to use it…. Unless Mata plays….

    • Vaibhav Kumble

      Vaka.. u r a fucking cunt and an idiot. Yoy are a disease that puts negativity everywhere. Prasanna.. likewise.. empty vessels make most noise.

      • @kumble…thank you full bucket bullshit…watch football b4 commenting…negetive futbol is getting developed around stamfrd bridge…u no that…everyone knows that…it cant be eliminated unless mata plays…dont talk like a +ve careless cunt…

  7. Neri Abayomi

    @Fahmi is this all you learnt?

    1- Mou is biased in selection of players. Making just a change in a team that played barely 48 hours and flew to switzerland (Jet Lag). Eto’o might v gotten injured bcos of dis.
    2- Must Lampard finish consecutive matches, week in, week out. Lampard is not adding much quality against top sides(Liability)
    3- We now know Mou doesn’t have Mata in his plans. Mou style of play and usage of Mata can never get the best out of him. Can you tell CR7 to stop running @ defenders and shooting @ every chance, why play Mata out of position?
    4- Schurrle has fallen down the pecking order to rub shoulders with other players not currently used (Mata, De Bruyne, Luiz, Bertrand, Essien, Schwazer,Ba)
    5- Mou is not running a squad rotation.

    • Vaakmeisster

      Correction: Lampard doesn’t play shit against top teams only, he always plays shit! Don’t let the West Ham game fool you, he did Nothing except score, which is pointless as he isn’t a striker. If Cech concedes 8 goals and scores 2 goals, he wont get man of the match

  8. Buck stops with the manager. I can not accept the excuses JM has come up with because his players due to international break were tired. A manager should have known about the fitness of individual players well before hand. I am sorry Mr JM, your excuse does not stack up!

  9. Vaakmeisster

    Anyone who knows football (except Jose Cuntinho of course) knows Chelsea’s problems in dealing with weak deep defending opponents is our inability to create chances. This is because our more creative players are too far from the rest of the midfielders an we don’t really have a deep playmaker. Mikel is the closest we have, but while he’s a world class anchor man, he isn’t a world class playmaker. Because of this, 4-2-3-1 cant work for Chelsea, especially against weak opposition. As the -3-1 will rarely get the ball from the 4-2- (especially when the 2 are Ramires and Lampard who cant pass to save their lives).
    Solution is simple: 4-3-3.
    Same back four, pull 2 of our creative players deeper ands add one more creative player (or a winger if we want direct running).
    Same back four
    Mikel
    Mata – Oscar
    KdB(or Willian or Schurle) – Hazard
    Torres ( or Eto)
    That way our creative forces get the ball a lot and can do their job: create chances. Another benefit is that Mata and Oscar wont be selfish as they will be too far from the 18 yard box tht passing to the striker (or wingers) would be an easier option.
    I hope whatever Cuntinho does, he stops playing Lampard who is at best a fringe player now and maybe Ramires should only be played against big teams or when small teams have been killed off. But knowing Mou for the cunt he is, I am sure Lampard and Ramires will still play Soton.

    • Anonymous

      This plastic fans are disgusting. They cry like baby when we win (they were crying even when we won against west ham). Mata will play Sunday and we will see.

      • Hi Anonymous. I don’t think it’s a problem of plastic fans. I am not a plastic fan but I try to be honest and look at the performances of my team with objective consideration. Yesterday we played so bad, last saturday in spite of the good result vs West Ham we didn’t play good football. Normally we don’t play well. So slow, so boring. And the squad has very good players. Maybe the only team in Europe with 20 top players. So who is the responsible of this situation? Why do you think so many supporters (and not plastic fans) criticize the manager? Of course I hope the situation will change and JM find the solution. But so far he’s very confused and has got no idea about how his team shoud play.

      • Matt are trying to tell us that this guy who called Mou a cunt isn’t a m*f**ker glory hanter? Last game against Shalke04 he was one of the fans who were happy for the team and the manager. Now we lose then his calling Mou a cunt. Anyway how can a really football fan take off Ramires from the best Chelsea XI?? Because of one bad game in this season! Another thing is please you guys are crying for every player. Mata I can understand because I’m crying for him too. But seriously KdB??? The guy isn’t better than anyone in our AMFs. Mou can’t play 14 at the same time. Bros be realist and tell me where u can put Kevin in the team? I bet if he put him in XI and lost a game all of you guys will jump on him and ask why he didn’t play this or that player. Just if you don’t have something important to say…shut the f*** up and enjoy football. Some fans don’t really know shit about football. U can see that on the dream selections. This is the really football not fantasy football

    • Vaibhav Kumble

      Mr. VAKAMISTER WHATEVER IDIOT. mou has more trophies than you have cells in your brain. U r making a fool out of yourself. Go suck a popsicle.

  10. top performers are cech,terry,cahil,azpi,mikel,willian,hazard.ivanovic tried though he was caught out of position 4 d goal.ramirez was ok,but when he was needed 2 stand on his feet he slipped & that cost us.lamp was a passenger.oscar flopped.jose was biase & finaly we lost.up chelsea.

    • Vaakmeisster

      Azpi? Azpi struggled! Although Salah’s goal eventually came from Ivanovic’s side, Azpi was the reason Salah’s had a great game

  11. I never supported this man second mission to Chelsea. Mata is better than Oscar. Oscar as number 10 role, how many goal assists has he provided for our strikers this season? He scores one, out of every fiften shorts he aimed at the post. He is selfish. Mourinho is too proud and pride goes before a fall. He don’t want to bury his inflected ego, accept that he got it wrong in benching Mata. Look at what Gaurdiola is doing at Bayern. Take a look at how Ancelloti has kept the team he messed up with at Madrid. He benched Mata simply because Mata is fans favourite and where ever he goes, he is affraid of that. Mourinho has lost it all, what is Lampard doing on that blue jersy? Let him follow the foot step of Drogba who never gave us trouble. Roman should hasten up and salvage his club, this proud and arrogant couch is bent on destroying it.

  12. Admin, I think you’re being insincere. Mou, team selection…the constant inclusion of Lamps isn’t good for the team. What I learnt: Lamps should be relegated to the bench and used as a sub, just like Queer Ryan Giggs at ManU. Yesterday, did u count the number of incomplete passes, bad ball control and unable to recover quickly. If you tell me he is a our then we should sell all and every player. Mou is getting it wrong big time!

  13. the problem was Lampard full stop. most of blue fans can’t agree with me because he scored 2goals against Ham…believe me anyone can score from the penalty spot and then Lampard isn’t a striker anyway.he should play his role simple as that. he is the weakest link in our team right now. for Oscar and Ramires they are really tired for sure. they didn’t miss a single match since the beginning of the season. for those who are screaming KDB sorry but the guy isn’t better than anyone in our attacking mids. yes Shurlle should have started on the wing. thanks Admin for recognizing the effort of Willian…the guy is a hard working player..he is there when you need him defensively and attack too. and the guy who is calling Mou a cunt…i don’t know what to say but it seems like you are 12 years old. you heavily need displine and respect.. all just switch the team.any chelsea fan should respect Mou even he is doing so bad. hope you are not coming with heavy insult on me. love you Chelsea and all of you blue bros

    • @ emilo u are a real soccer fan.there is no need 2 use such a degrading word on a living legend like jose.we should criticise him politely.cfc 4 life.

  14. what i learn iz…… (1)Congesting the middle of e park made us stagnent.. We were so slow with no urgance at all…. We couldnt even out run those basel players on counter attack..(2) mou iz no longer e same… Losin to the same team home and away… Thats not the mou i know… Lets hope he hadnt lost his touch….. (3) i wonder if the team rotation exist in mourinho’s dictinary.. With the world class players we have in our squad he cant give some players a rest…. U could see that their legs couldnt carry them (4)mata need to start games if we are to be an attacking team. We dont attack goal. (5) mou need to swallow his pride and bemch lamps than let lamps cost e team all because he want to see him in england squad….

  15. Anonymous

    By this time last year you were relegated to the Europe League, no you’re finishing top of the group so Shut the Fuck UP you ungrateful basterds.

    • Anonymous

      By this time last year you were relegated to the Europe League, now you’re finishing top of the group so Shut the Fuck UP you ungrateful basterds.

      • Anonymous

        Thank you man, this plastic fans are disgusting. They cry like baby when we win (they were crying even when we won against west ham). Mata will play Sunday and we will see.

    • By this time last year it wasn’t the man who came to take over’s fault that we found ourselves in Europa. The team wad already out of the group. And what did the man do? He gave us the Europa league as a compensation!!!!

  16. azpis recovery rate was awesome 4 a player playing out of position.iva did ok,but lost concentration when it matterd most.i tink he wouldve brought sallah down outside the penalty area.d worst game so far.

  17. Anonymous

    This plastic fans are disgusting. They cry like baby when we win (they were crying even when we won against west ham). Mata will play Sunday and we will see.

    • I am really finding it hard to understand what plastic fans means @ anonymous, is it to accept our team was good when they weren’t??
      when you mention Mata, I wana point out here that if a player is good, he plays and when not good he is benched, but seeing a not good Lampard play when we got a good bench is unrealistic and if mata plays and is bad I would say the same but would also add that he would do good if given the support Lamps enjoys ryt now…..Super Frank

    • You’re a real deep thnirek. Thanks for sharing.

  18. I don’t understand this man. Why was he angry with players why he knew that right thing. it really angers mer when he sometimes try to blame the players whilst he did a very bad job. He should know how to choose the players rather than making such errors. I neva supported his coming back. Is this not the same Basel team that we trashed them last season to win the Europa league?

    • Anonymous

      LOL no, this was the Basel team that CUT YOU OUT of the champions league… jesus no so bright are you ?

  19. Cfc faithfuls should be bold to criticize Mourinho as they would any other coach. I would be very happy one to read Cfc supporters bashing Mourinho when he goes. As for those whose who brand others as plastic when they criticize Mou should come again cause they real plastic fan cause they only look at things in one way!!!!!

    • Criticizing Mou it’s ok but not insulting him. Imagine a manager who bring a smile in Chelsea fans after 50years and a keyboard m*f**ker warrior call him a cunt. Sorry to say but that’s painful

  20. Anonymous

    Oh my god so many top quality coaches here… Maybe you retards should leave your PC and Football Manager and get life.

    Seriously, Mourinho is the best coach in the world, but SOMEHOW you know more about football than everyone and have a million different starting 11!

  21. If Oscar is best in defens then y not play him at pivot along with Mikel? Mata is our cam mourinho! Understand it…. I think we should’ve retired lamps last ses itself at his career high… This year he’s shit…. Mou came here coz we all loved him and he loved us… But this is a negative football at the bridge…. I think Iva at rb is useless… His crosses are bullshit….azpi is our rb…. If mou wants a good defending team then why don’t he play 10-0-0 formation? At least our youth academy defenders will get a chance…. One more match without Mata then I’ll kill Oscar and not mou… Coz he’s the one spoiling Mata s chances…. Pm Mou play Mata….

  22. When he used 4-3-3 against Westham, i knew is test for the next game. CR7 cant play like Messi or in reverse. Not playing Mata cos he cant defend is wrong.

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