What We Learned: Crystal Palace 1-0 Chelsea FC; Title gone?

Hazard disappointment

Chelsea disappointed yet again in another away trip in the premier league as we lost to Crystal Palace for the first time since 1990 in the league at their home. Poor finishing up top was the theme of the game as we registered only 2 shots on goal compared to the home sides’ 4 shots on Petr Cech. Our Czech stopper saved us more than a couple of times in the second after Crystal Palace had opened the scoring.

Now, we are forced to relinquish our lead at the top of the table unless Arsenal and Tottenham beat Manchester City and Liverpool in London this weekend. John Terry’s own goal cost his side a valuable game and a chance for us to lift the epl trophy but, we must now look forward to the next important task in hand against PSG in the champions league this midweek away.

Crystal Palace vs CFC score-line

 

But, first let’s take an important look at FIVE things we can get out of this game especially moments that lead us to lose this game that should have been won..

Poor finishing from Fernando Torres plus not enough chances created.

We are surely tired of hearing this points as Samuel Eto’o delivers big performances in big games but, while he is out and injured, Fernando Torres has been wasteful in front of goal in a lot of games this season. Against Crystal Palace, he failed miserably to equalize by capitalizing on a mistaken back pass from the opposition defense. His touches in the game were poor to speak of and hardly even a shadow of the beast Liverpool striker we knew years ago. Jose Mourinho surely knows that and will make a whole sale of changes this summer in the striker spot including the sale of Torres and Demba Ba.

Ivanovic isn’t the long term option for the right back spot. 

As we saw many times this season and especially this after noon while players with the height of Ba and Torres were waiting in the box, the Serbian international fired lots of crosses that weren’t close to a white shirt of Chelsea to be nodded home. Ivanovic isn’t comfortable at crossing balls even though he has the right amount of composure and speed to move up and down as a full back combined with his sheer athleticism in defense. We cannot take away his aerial ability too but, the fact is that we need Azpilicueta to be doing what he has been doing fantastically in the left back spot on his natural position starting from next season possibly so Ivanovic might be rotated in the center back role and right back spot as well.

A signing of a top left back will solve the above aforementioned problem.

For Cesar Azpilicueta to play in his natural right back role, we need to find a long term option in the left back position so we can have a balanced back line in defensive approach as well as attacking and CROSSING. Luke Shaw will be the best option as he is English and knows the premier league so well already after impressing with Southampton since his inclusion to the first team by the age of 17. Now approaching his 19th birthday, the left back who is a Chelsea fan can solve this problem if we manage to snatch him up before the World Cup as veteran Ashley Cole is set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

The need for a striker to bang in goals costing us the premier league trophy..

Some fans blame Luis Suarez for scoring bunch of goals and killing off small teams while he hardly scores against big teams as he does against lowly opposition. But, that is exactly the type of strikers you need at times while it is also important to have an experienced big game winner like Samuel Eto’o to do just that against top teams. Fernando Torres though isn’t that type of player anymore as he struggled to even trouble many small oppositions goal keepers in a lot of games this season. And this game is a prime example of that as he neither tried to create a chance nor did he take them for himself.

Is the title bid over for the Blues?…not really

The question on every Chelsea fans lip right now, is the title chances over for Chelsea? well in football anything can happen and you cannot rule out anything yet since we are leading at the moment until Liverpool play Spurs away while Manchester City travel to Arsenal who are looking to stay in the title race as well with 6 points behind us. We still play Liverpool away so the task of Brendan Rodgers’ team succeeding in lifting the trophy can be stopped by Jose’s team at Anfield in a title decider match. Manchester City are the only challengers that have a game in hand and we can only win our remaining games and hope the citizens of Manchester lose some games on the way to lifting the trophy.

Here are the main points of the match in my views and we should not blame or cast doubt on Terry’s ability to lead and perform well at the back for Chelsea. We have to accept this defeat as it’s a result of a bad performance and a great tactic set up by Tony Pulis’ men to deny us a chance to march on to the trophy. Now, it’s time to look forward to the next important game against PSG in an away first leg trip to Paris and we must hope for a comfortable win and advantage ahead of the second leg at the Bridge.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought of the performance in comment below. Keep your chin up always and KTBFFH to the next game!! Paris awaits..#CFC

 

 

 

CFC360

46 thoughts on “What We Learned: Crystal Palace 1-0 Chelsea FC; Title gone?

  1. akinwumi steven

    What u people learnt is quite different from my own cos u guys were very biased and ure busy beating around the bush!
    All blames should go to Mou for his selection for today’s match.
    1.What’s the essence of starting Matic,Luiz and Lampard together at the same time?
    2.Since Salah is cup-tied for Ucl,he should have started the match instead of coming as a subs.
    3.If it was Mikel who committed Terry’s blunder today,u guys would have saying bad things about him.
    4.Although Hazard is our main guy but he overdoing it today cos he couldn’t release pass on time.
    5Only God knows the nature of contract which Torres signed that even when he’s playing rubbish,he will still complete the full 90mins.
    6.By the time the season ends,u guys will realise that we were wrong not to sign a striker in January.
    Ktbffh always!

  2. Anonymous

    What l learned is that chelsea assumes small teams, their game was poor from the first whistle, they were playing like they had already won the game. Even after conceding they didn’t improve that much

  3. @ akinwunmi.J.t is always the man,so i wont lay blame on him cos we had al the time in the world 2 bounc back.though mikel was singled out as the scape goat,but against a.villa no mikel,we pointd at the ref,now no mikel & the ref did okay,whos fault?
    Dis season reminds me of cfc of old that beats big teams,but loose or draw aganst weaker teams.afterall mikel isnt our problem.dis team needs a decent striker.

  4. Yu guys are right. Yu can’t blame mou for not getting a striker in january. He lrdy had 3 striker fighting for one position. Having a 4th cld bring disharmony to the team. Am I the only one dat was extremely disappointed with hazard? D guy was my flop of d match. He and matic wld share that position. I won’t give torres cos we are all used to torres playing crap so nth expected. @ akinwumi saying salah shd have started, are yu kidding me? Yu guys shd be more analytical. Is it in this period that we shd be giving run out to ppl. If yu had said oscar shd strt or willian, I wld understand. Salah? He was impressive when he came on but yu can’t blame mou for not risking him. Y does liverpool not start moses? Or aspas? Or teixera? Or man city jovetic? Or rodwell? Cos at this stage of the season, yu can’t risk such ppl. It is not that they are not good enough for the team, but play them when there is less pressure on the team not now that every point is crucial. I fault mou’s selection simply cos it was too defensive. I bliv oscar or willian shd have started. Anyway, let’s look fforward to paris. Ktbffh

  5. Ur now given flop of d match to hazard n matic,because they failed to do what torres is sopposed to do..ur funny..its hazard that is d reason ur @ dis stage dis season

  6. We are paying the price for keeping Torres on the pitch. We cannot keep play at men because it is like we are playing with ten men. Shame.

  7. have u guys notice that we hardly beat teams that are compact at the back, we are always clueless whenever we meet such teams hence mourinho should take the blame…… blueforever

  8. Neri Abayomi

    “Every a game is a final for us”, empty words, I didn’t see that on display against a relegation battler, Crystal Palace.

    What I learnt
    1. Jose made a tactical blunder by changing a team that impressively dismantle Arsenal- Oscar should v started, Lampard’s presence slowed our play.
    2. Is it just me or we seem to v lesser number of players that can influence a game from the bench.
    3. Bringing Out Schurrle was a no-no for me, Torres should v made way instead with Andre moving up top.
    4. Hazard is overplaying the ball.
    5. We v bin having so many so start against smaller teams who are compact @ d back.
    6. Jose doesn’t v a plan B- it is either we counter or nothing goes. Can’t break down a compact team.
    7. Title Charge is over. Time to focus on the big ears.

  9. “The need for a striker to bang in goals costing us the premier league trophy”: torres is useless

  10. Football is not only about winning and blaming players d best thing to do is talk about how can we improve and wat we need to change

  11. Anonymous

    I can’t believe the comments on this page. Mourinho to blame? I saw 11 players on the pitch not pushing themselves like they should at this stage of the season. If anyone is more dissapointed than every fan is mourinho. The selection was good, i just think chelsea grows against bigger teams which shouldnt be the case. Also i understand not using oscar, willian taking into considerarion we have a CL match in 3 days. Overall, lets support our manager our team and think this is a transition phase and we must be patient! Ktbffh!

  12. Mourihno go burry ur head in shame,U talk 2 much. PSG wil disgrace chelsea.i cant c any beta performance frm dis guyz.hazard disappeared.oscar 2 me is a useless n selfish player.mancity,Liverpool beta teams tru out d season n any of both deserve d title mo dan chelsea.

    • @Ateyi u kol urself a fan? well I don’t see the blue spirit in u, u are jax a Chelsea follower u are not a fan, u the same person were jumping up and down lyk a kangeroo last week now u are saying shit. u don’t even knew football.

  13. Alexx Annda

    What’s a very very bad day for chelsea…so dissapointed results….
    Who to blame? For me, first is the selection and second chelsea player who let them down while not taking an a chance while there is clearly a chance to score.
    What i learn from this match?

    1.Why started the midfield with 3? Lampard,Luiz and Matic? Lampard clearly slow down the game when we should be counter them…poor selection. Why dont just use Matic & Luiz only?

    2.Clearly Jerome exposed the slow pace of John terry when them counter us. Terry can’t afford to make a high defensive line.

    3. Sorry Eden, you’re hold to much ball without looking enough to the other player. Whenever he hold the ball to long, the Palace player already cover back all their defensive line and we can’t do anything when their park the bus.

    4.Palace tactic is quite bored and antic of football. 10 men defend vs us. Park the bus and their didnt allow us to making any shoot.Shame for them and also frustated for us.

    5.Matic worse game i think since he come back to chelsea.That can happen to everyone and we can’t blame it.Everybody is not perfect.

    6.Mou to be blame for the selection of the player. Oscar should be first eleven ahead of Lampard.Poor selection

    7.Mou and the player should be thinking of how to tackle and handle of the team which only fight for draw and park the bus again attacking team like us.For the relegation team like Palace is they only thinking of draw when facing big team. If they win it will be the bonus for them.

    **That all about my opinion, true or false it only us can decide. Neway, win or lose we are Chelsea and we never surrender untill the last drop…KTBFFH

  14. i learnt that torres have to try another sport because hez not a footballer at all….. I wonder who wil buy him even for a dollar????? He lost is e game against villa and now palace…. Mou shld know better

  15. Anonymous

    From now to the end of the season torres should be a third choice

  16. Cfc_obsessed

    U guys re all right. If u blame mou, any of d players, ure right. D fact is we could ve been defeated by 3 0 or 4 0 margin cos they ve d chance. I dont care who u blame, all i knw is those who start d game should be ashamed of themselves. This is the first time dis season am going to be hurt so much. Maybe cos i expected the team to show up after last game demolition. Cant belief i still woke up in d night still thinking about it. I dont want to mention player name but i dont like schurrle as a player. He scored goals atimes, honestly am happy. He s a way too inconsistent. A professional player dat doesnt knw how to take a corner, its certainly ridiculous. Dont blame me for not being his fan. Everyone of us has a player we like and d one we dislike. Am single handedly blaming him alone for d loss but at least, he should be professional. Pls can somebody say sorry to me? Am not happy

    • Cfc_obsessed

      *** am not single handedly blaming him for d loss***

  17. @Anonymous u see some people I HV always been tlkin about they are always the quickest to blame a coach, when we loose But when it comes to praising him for good work they are nowhere to be found, I see one of them pointing out Mikel, hahahaha seriously did snyone miss his absence yesterday?, clearly Etoo was the missing tool we had no striker on the pitch. Torres at Chelsea next season, I will go sopport Qpr.But for ur player eeh start searching for a team for him.ktbffh.

  18. well it all over now for the boys in
    blues. the good side is they have
    gotten the experience of being in the
    business of challenging for the title.
    costa in Torres out and the title is
    ours.we missed this title challenge for some yes buy now we are feeling it back. tym for the biggest match PSG come boys u can do it.

  19. The title left us from the Aston Villa since we never won. What I learnt was Hazard is a good player but sometimes he holds on the ball too much he should release the more quicker. I think we should add Torres and Lampard for sale this summer. Mourinho is a smart man to say earlier in the season that City are the favourites. I think the need for a potent striker has been costly for us this season we need to address that problem this summer. Torres is a flop and has been a flop ever since he started playing for Chelsea, the earlier we sell him the better for us. Infact he is not developing as a striker rather retarding.

  20. It may not be over but it is safe to agree with Mourinho when he says we are not favourites, truth be told. I just hope that after today, he would realise that Ivanovic, currently, is not our best right back. Rest Ivanovic, move Azpi to his natural right-back position and bring back Cole to the left-back in some matches for heaven’s sake arghhhh!!!! I must say though that i love the passion and dedication of Azpi… He was almost in tears as if we lost a cup match… IT DOESN’T MATTER I SHALL KTBFFH!!!

  21. I saw Torres was a flop! he isnt el-nino i knew from liverpool…players should improve their mentality when playing lowly teams! thats all…blue we are,chelsea our name,KTBFFH!

  22. DHEERAJ K

    Very disappointing result! But blaming or pointing on hazard is wrong, why because it is premier league and the people who know it’s physical demand will have to understand that it gets more harder match by match to eden sort of talented younger players and iam sure he will learn from such experiences and reach top level. I don’t even blame jose or our legend,leader terry or the great lampard. I only blame torres because our mid-fielders and defenders are not feeling confident when he is on the pitch and unable to create chances. So torres please leave chelsea

  23. The loss yesterday was Jose fault, wrong tactics and wrong starting 11.

  24. we barely create chances at d opposition back 4 since mata left,oscar isn’t living up to dat hype.i feel we need a very creative mid fielder..willian also isn’t helping matters

  25. 1.Mou selection was poor…
    2.Lampard should start from the bench
    3.Hazard missed the best chance of the game for both sides
    4.Lack of services to strikers upfront in CFC
    5.Ivanovic needs competition for the right back spot,since he can’t cross the ball
    6.Salah whom is cup tied in the UCL need to play more PL games
    7.Its time Chelsea fans stop blaming Torres when clearly everyone else is at 7.Its time Chelsea fans stop blaming Torres when clearly everyone else is at 7.Its time Chelsea fans stop blaming Torres when clearly everyone else is at 7.Its time Chelsea fans stop blaming Torres when clearly everyone else is at fault
    8.Cech should learn to stay in his post and only come off line when relevant….if he was stand

  26. Aliyu Mohammed

    playing the blame game again, that’s what I don’t do. in times like this I choose to remember the good time which are so so many.

  27. Aliyu Mohammed

    also always try to post ur match preview a day before the match because most matches that its preview is posted on match day we end up loosing the match. superstitious you say?

  28. @ gabby i raised mikel issue b/cos he was singld out as the reason why we hav lost any game he playd in.i ve made that mistak also by pickn out willian,somebdy here is also pickn out schurrle,others jose.pls let all these hatred end cos no player is perfect.we need 2 get behind this team & push them 2 ucl title.if any of them isnt good cfc wouldnt hav spent much on them.lets stop singling out a player as the scape goat.blue forever winin or loosn,blue i wil remain,i hav no choice.ktbffh.

    • Cfc_obsessed

      This kind of words always give hope. Thanks

    • did I singlle player out? @zyte I didn’t do dat. check my words well OK.

  29. HERE IS WHAT I LEARNED

    After dropping most of our points against average teams in the premier league, the same thing still happenned against Crystal Palace who were brillant throughout the match. Chelsea Fc came into the match hoping to extend their lead on the league log, despite the fact that Man City still has two games to play. With Jose Mourinho dodging the title favourite tag right from the start, it is all but over( only if Man City loses or draws their outstanding matches and Liverpool does the same thing against Spurs ), concentration now switches to Champions League.

    HERE ARE WHAT WE LEARNED AFTER THE PAINFUL FINAL SCORE

    LOSING POINTS AGAINST MID-TABLE AND RELEGATION BATTLING TEAMS IS NOT PART OF IT : Points dropped against the like of Aston villa, West brom, Crystal Palace is a big blow to our title hope. With us having most of our games left with clubs related to those I have mentioned, I just pray they don’t frustrate us with champions league spot still to fight for.

    MATIC NEEDS TO PICK UP HIS GAME AGAINST SMALL TEAMS : Introducing himself as the missing player in his position, Matic was sensational against Man city, but was poor today and against Aston Villa, Matic needs to be consistent with is performance, a type shown to us against Man city in the premier league is what we want.

    STRIKING POSITION STILL ONE OF OUR MAJOR PROBLEM : I am sick of talking and writing about this same issue, but it needs to be sort out as soon as the transfer window opens. Right from the start of the season, we have been having the problem of a consistent striker, with Eto’o scoring his goals at our home turf, Torres has not been consistent with his form. Ba has been out of choice. Today’s match saw Torres featured as the top nine, with Eto’o still sidelined through injury. Torres has been wasteful in front of goals this season and same thing still happened today, with Torres failing to capitise on a mistaken back pass by the opposition defenders.

    CTID!!!

  30. Let’s look forward to psg match. I hope we can get a good result. Psg is not a small team o. I saw them play, they are really good. Up Blues.

  31. @miles our team is built 4 big teams.psg must fall.i believe in my team.ctid!!!

  32. Torres is the most foolish striker i ever saw , wen he git d back pas why did he went d other way he’s such a stupid

  33. Maybe the team underestimate their opponent that is why they lose the game. That is one thing they should always keep in mind that they should not underestimate their opponents. I just want to wish them luck for their next match.

  34. •we cant win with 10 players on the pitch(with no real striker) myb if etoo he will get back at the ryt time.
    •we need ashley cole for sure,iva need a rest and azp in rb.

    • It is what i say for 5 months now: with torres, we are playing at 10 men

  35. Anonymous

    the problem is not just down to our striker nightmare but it also seems like we expect smaller teams to basically rollover nicely and hand us the three points. luiz, lampard, matic all at the same time! really? we need to get a LB ASAP (not necessarily buy) why not give Ake a shot at LB Azip back to RB. We often criticise Lukaku but one thing you cant take away from him is his hunger to score goals. We should also know that DD became the player he was for us because of the belief and confidence Jose had in him Lukaku deserves the same. Except we sign a typical no. 10 we need a CF who can do it himself. We don’t have a plan B once teams choke the middle we start hoofing the ball all over the place so either hazard and any other wide man is instructed to go on the outside as well on the inside other wise we need a typical winger to stretch teams. Finally lets stop this Jose worship ; when the team wins we say ‘that was a Jose Master-class’ but if the team loses we say ‘this player or that player was awful’ and we crucify anyone who dares to apportion any blame to Jose whatsoever

  36. i wil forgive tores if he scores at anfield 2 deny riverfools the cup

  37. touchstone

    we jus hope

  38. Anonymous

    infact , it pains alot to see a darling team losing a match at this critical period. i observed that Mikel’s accuracy is far better than Matic’s. he alwys gives faulty passes in the midfield which in most cases lead to goals against us. see what Mikel did against arsenal. Mikel should be allowed to play

  39. Anonymous

    Jose should stop keeping Mikel on bench when Matic is always giving out ball to our opponents in the midfield. his accuracy in that midfield is poor in most cases. by Avalumun Hungwa

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