Reflections On Chelsea FC’s Draw Away To Dynamo Kyiv
Final Thoughts
Nemanja Matic had a pretty decent game, didn’t he? We saw a return of the defensive midfield stalwart of last season, even though he still maintained his unnecessary habit of holding on too long to the ball.
Ramires was again a rock in midfield with his usual no-nonsense tackling, although his ball distribution and decision-making, especially in the attacking third, left a lot to be desired. And Willian…let’s just say he clearly showed again why he is Chelsea’s in-form player and set-piece specialist.
Jose Mourinho has clearly learnt nothing from last season’s second-round elimination at the hands of PSG. His lack of ambition in away games and his over-dependence on home form is becoming a real problem for the Blues. He can blame his players, luck and the referees all he wants, but the buck stops at his door. He needs to find a way to get over his fear of winning away from home, otherwise Chelsea may never win the UCL under his management.
The match officials do seem like they have it in for Chelsea FC. First the intentional handball against FC Porto, then the clear foul on Cesc Fabregas. If both calls had been given, Chelsea would be topping the table on 7 points! Surprisingly, both incidents happened right in front of the extra officials, which begs the question…what exactly are they there for?
Having said that, maybe the Blue boys should try to make more of an effort to stay on their feet instead of going down at the slightest of touches. Fabregas and Costa are the biggest culprits in this regard, with Branislav Ivanovic not far behind. Officials are almost always willing to award free kicks to Hazard because he always tries to stay on his feet despite all efforts to bring him down. The others can learn a thing or two from him!
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