FA Cup | Page 2 | Vital Football

FA Cup

Awful no show, poor selections, tactics & zero belief or fight from most of our team. Vibe & Sawyers looked like kids they were so lightweight & uncommitted. Chelsea will have tougher training sessions! Been an awful month & one that has convinced me that we're going so far backwards under DS that we could be in trouble. Sure there are other factors concerning the quality & balance of the squad, but Smith isn't getting anything out of these players.

Was yesterday worth it, day tripping at Chelsea & looking like a lower division club? Not for me.
 
Certainly felt like it wasn't worth it in the end, I have not been to Stamford Bridge for some time so was interesting to see how it has developed but as you say we looked like a plucky(ish) lower league side than a serious contender for the game. This was the Eastleigh game in reverse. Can't really blame Bentley for any of the goals but you kind of think that a top keeper might have saved one or two of them.

The ground is quite impressive although the away end stand has been surprisingly squashed in and makes the Ealing Road look relatively comfortable.

At the moment we are in trouble as we look like a relegation side, there is plenty of time to turn it around but anyone who thinks we are not fighting to stay in this division is dreaming. Some players like Nico and Egan look like they literally need a rest so DS should change it about but not sure he will.
 
OK. It was Chelsea so we have to make some allowances. One of the best teams in the Europe, certainly currently the best in England with players like Pedro, Wilan and then Ivanovic and Costa coming on, it would be enough to worry any team.
BUT. It made an absolute mockery of this so called ambition to be a top flight side in three years. This squad is laughable when it comes to dreaming of that.
Before the game I said I'd be happy with anything less than four nil against a side like Chelsea. But I was far from happy. Were it not for Bently it could have been four by half time, easily. Bjellend got ripped apart (again) time and again and I have to wonder how the hell he is an international. Sawyers and Vibe have got something about them but they are no better quality than third division and certainly not good enough. I've tried to like Sawyers but he blows cold far too often and Vibe was like a schoolkid as Rebel says. The Chelsea defence would have never had it easier. As for the foul leading to the first goal. No way. Vibe is not strong enough to foul anyone.
Woods runs around a lot, gets involved and isn't scared to mix it a bit, and I like that about him. His distribution is awful. Gives the ball away far too often, far too cheaply. All the midfield do.
Then we brought on one of the worst players in my time at Brentford and what did he do? Won a free kick on the edge of the box and then his usual disappearing act. I wish he would learn how to disappear off the pitch too. I forgot he was there and think he did too.
Smith has to wake up to the fact there is a growing number that want him out, a growing number that see him as not up to it. I don't think Benham is one of them but I don't think it is down to him we've gone backwards. I put it down to since Rasmas slimed his way under the door. He seems to have bewitched Benham with his pathetic slogan talk that means nothing and that was the start of it. We are heading in the wrong direction and no amount of "Don't believe what your eyes see" or "We will be Premier League side in three years" crap will change that.
As someone said, it was like the reverse of the Eastleigh game. I expected them to be at us, in our faces and hassling us from moment one. But they played a passing game and we outplayed them because we are a better side. I expected us to be in Chelsea's faces hassling from moment one but we tried to play a passing game and got outplayed by a better team.

The Villa game is a much bigger game now. Lose this one and I think we are in deep trouble.