Gus Poyet‘s post-match e-mail arrived around the time Mr Pardew was complaining on MOTD that his side had been unfairly treated. What would you rather do, listen to Mr Pardew bleating on or read an e-mail from Gus? I thought so, so with no further ado I logged back on and posted the e-mail for your delectation. Here it is, straight from the horse’s mouth, and now I’m off to bed. I’ve a busy day tomorrow (actually today, it’s after midnight): M Salut’s still off line and there’s Pete’s match summary, Spurs ‘Who are You?’, Guess the Score and a top-notch podcast to look after. See you then, John Mac
Dear Colin,
The only thing I can say is that we tried our very best to the last second, to the last option, to the last ball.
We competed to the best of our ability against an exceptional team – they had players today that are a different level and it was difficult for us to cope with but I’m sure every single fan can go home thinking at least one thing, that we tried today.
We need to maintain that and play like that all the time, if we keep believing it doesn’t matter about the result because we take risks and today we took plenty of them but we do need the points.
I would like to think that if we play like today and we fight like today and we do it in the way we done it that we should be okay by the end of the season.
It was an exceptional game of football, not the ones I like, but it was strong game of football and the fans want to see goals.
[It was] difficult, we tried everything, we changed Giacchy [Emanuele Giaccherini]to put Johnno [Adam Johnson] there to help and we tried to put Seb [Larsson] there to help Phil because he had a yellow card and needed to defend all the time.
Good players at this level find the spaces and they are always difficult to compete against, saying that, we tried and you cannot ask for more from the players.
An exceptional game of football with a great spirit from us, trying to the end.
All the best
Gus Poyet
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There has been quite bit of, IMO, unwarranted criticism of Westwood. I can’t really remember him being responsible for any of the [ many ] goals we have conceded so far.
I think he is our best ‘keeper, and if fit, he would be my first choice.
I agree completely about Mannone Dave. My son was on about it immediately on the second goal. His positioning was poor and reactions worse. Not sure why he let the ball run right across the 6 yard box either in the second half. Very poor. I have thought he looked confident with his feet but he didn’t at all last night and that is taking into account a couple of really horrible pass backs. Westwood has to come back in for me now.
Nothing else to add to what you’ve said which us spot on for me.
Manone was a real concern last night. He is obviously key to playing from the back as he is very confident on the ball. I just don’t think he is actually that good at goalkeeping. You could say that he was not to blame for any of the goals but I completely agree that he should have told Bardsley to leave it and I also thought he was really slow moving for Hazard’s first. It may be harsh but in recent years we have had Mignolet and Gordon and I think they would both have got fingers to that and it would probably have been enough. He was also at fault when Torres messed up as he palmed the ball out straight in the middle of the goal. Finally, in comparison to Mignolet, he was very small coming out at N’Zonzi for Stoke.
The amazing things is that we got so close while carrying a number of players. Dossena cannot defend, Colback had his poorest game for ages (good to see Poyet spot that he was about to get sent off) and Gardner, lovely bloke though he is, is just not a premier league footballer. He was cuplable for both the first 2 goals, getting nowhere near Hazard and, in contrast to others who also got nowhere near him, contributed nothing in the rest of the game. I understand he was also poor on Saturday so hopefully Gus will have worked him out now.
There were many positives last night, mainly in terms of spirit and fight, but only if Gus quickly realises who should be in his strongest team.
We should surely be able to finish above Palace and Norwich and having seen quite a bit of each of them, we are better than West Ham, Cardiff, Fulham, Stoke and Hull. Getting above at least one of them is certainly on.
A remarkable game, that could have gone either way, if we stick together we will survive and become better, no complaints just need some luck.
..and Chelsea conceded three from set pieces. We scored three from set pieces
Hazzard the difference between the sides….but having said that we conceded three poor goals in so much as the threat should have been dealt with better.
Bardsley stuck his OG away with some aplomb, but surely Monone should have been telling him there was no danger.
The performance was what we all want to see 100% conviction form the players, to be fair to Bardo he did then go up the other end and make amends, that the spirit we need to avoid the drop. As Gus says if, and it’s a big if’ we continue to play like that in every game then safety should be assured.
However even a performance like that can not hide the deficiencies in the side the question is can we resolve these in January.