@henrywinter ‘Respect THE ball’!?? 🤪 There’s loads of them with ‘multiball’ - if you’re going to that, you shouldn’t single out one single ball (that’s ballcist) - you should get all the balls together and do your love in with each of them individually? (start abt 2 hours before ko) 🤷🏼♂️
There are bigger issues in the game than Chelsea’s huddle around the ball. Howard Webb has bigger issues to address as refs' chief (VAR application, refereeing standards, grappling at corners etc) but he should have a quiet word with Chelsea. It was the opposition’s kick-off. Do your huddle in your own half.
Someone at Chelsea should have a word with Liam Rosenior. Consider your reputation. If the huddle is mind games, new-age bonding or designed to wind up the opposition, whatever, it's not very effective. It’s hardly the Haka. Chelsea lost. At home.
Rosenior is a promising head coach but the way he defends the huddle is slightly weird and undermines only himself. Rosenior has already shown he’s territorial pre-match, having criticised someone from Arsenal being in Chelsea’s half during the warm-up.
A ritual “to respect the ball”? Respect the game first. Respect the opposition. Respect their kick-off. Respect your own fans by winning. Rosenior’s post-match comments were either naïve, cringe-making or diversionary after a defeat.
Those of us who want Rosenior to succeed hope he does open his eyes and ears, who perhaps has a managerial mentor he can turn to (Leroy?). Because Rosenior does have some very good ideas, because we’ve seen his promising work at Derby, Hull and Strasbourg, and spoken to him along the way. He's trying to succeed at Chelsea with a club recruitment strategy that has left him without sufficient experience on the field, certainly at centre-back, or elite quality in goal.
Rosenior doing well would be good for the standing of home-grown coaches and also good for Chelsea not to have constant managerial churn. But he's yet to convince many Chelsea fans he's worthy of the role. New ritual side-shows don't help. What about rediscovering Chelsea's old ritual of winning?
Back to Webb. He should also have a word with his ref Paul Tierney. Be stronger. Tierney looked weak trapped in the middle, a supply teacher surrounded in an unruly playground. Hugged by Cole Palmer, Tierney’s authority was undermined further.
Tierney should have spoken to Reece James, Chelsea’s captain and one of the more sensible characters in the game. Tierney should have pointed out it’s Newcastle’s kick-off and tell him to do the huddle further back. There are enough match-balls around the apron of the pitch. Borrow one. Do your ritual - and then focus on getting into the Champions League positions. That will safeguard Rosenior's job, not respecting the ball. #CFC
@MailSport The huddle around the ball on the centre circle is cringe to start. The ref refusing to move is insane but the circling the ball (players ‘rudely’ on the opposing side of the pitch btw!- how very dare they!!….see ‘Arsenals goalkeeping coach controversy’) is🤮 ‘respect the ⚽️!’🤣
John Terry compares Arsenal star Max Dowman to Lionel Messi - and says Chelsea players should have told referee Paul Tierney to 'f*** off' over huddle row trib.al/WAniYIm
@jamesbenge It’s a talking point bcoz it obv looks weird - but the subsequent reasonings for doing it are even odder! They were surrounding the ball as a team to ‘respect it’ 😳, the ref refused to move so they circled him & the ball. Absolute garbage & it obv didn’t work!🤷🏼♂️
@afcstuff Saka looked ill or injured tbf, even just running with the ball he seemed slow. Was a rumour he was nursing his knee before ko. But I think he looked unwell. Rest up! 💪🏻
Mikel Arteta on taking Saka off: “I thought we needed something else & Noni Madueke has been contributing & been a real threat, so I decided to make the change.” ❌
@ChristineSullis@GBNEWS ???🤷🏼♂️ you’ve got a strong Championship team there? - I’d easy make you second or third favourites to win that league next season? 💪🏻
@PurelyFootball@FabriceHawkins De Zerbi walking away from Marseille already feels like a plot twist nobody saw coming. Guy’s got sauce but clearly needs a club that matches his chaos energy.
Feel like I’ve said it every year for the last 6 years, but this is the WORST I’ve ever seen us!!!
Years of mismanagement, shocking signings and bad managerial appointments! #FrankOut#ENICOut
He’s exceeded all expectations but there’s no way Thomas Frank lasts for the North London derby. Anything is better than this and they’ll probably try to gamble on a new manager bounce.
It’s been an absolute pleasure.
@EPLBible Prob because its a penalty all day long - Martinalli goes down easy but only because the defender obviously hooks his leg to stop him getting to the ball that has unluckily (for him) squirmed into Martinellis path. We understand that he 'got the ball' but its a foul afterwards
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