We'd have won that if....

[Luka]

Agree with Wolverine.

Gallagher is, and today showed that he is, a bang average, mid-table PL player. Definitely no better than Cairney. He'd be a good squad player for a mid-table team like us but would struggle to make our starting XI with any regularity IMO.

Cairney has been great this season but he was really poor today I thought. We clearly need to improve our depth at midfield as Lukic hasn't worked out at all.

In fairness I don't think there's much between them. Cairney is better technically IMO, but Gallagher brings a bit more energy. Wouldn't object to seeing either in a Fulham shirt, but if we showed some ambition and had of midfield of say Andre, Palinha and Iwobi, neither Gallagher nor Cairney would get in the team.

I wouldn't say "Cairney is better technically" on the basis that Gallagher can kick a ball well with both feet.
Tom simply cannot.

I think Tom has more creativity and vision than the Chelsea man, and if he had both feet working in sync with that football brain of his then he'd be a an unbelievably good player.

[colinwhite]

Cairney is class on the ball ,Gallacher has a lot of energy (there is an eight year age difference ). Tc has abetter football brain and has solution to tight situations on the ball like few others .He is class.

[roberto w6]

Cairney is class on the ball ,Gallacher has a lot of energy (there is an eight year age difference ). Tc has abetter football brain and has solution to tight situations on the ball like few others .He is class.

All you say is true but he struggles when harassed. Not because of his lack of class or his footballing brain but because he is woefully uncomfortable with his right foot meaning he has to get in a position where he can pass it with his left. At times, it is staggering that a player of his ability is so uncomfortable on his right foot. We have to look at why our coaching staff over the last nearly 10 years have failed to get him even up to an average level on his right foot. He is an incredibly classy performer but this weakness is why he has stayed here and never been snapped up by a Man united etc

A very good player but let's not get carried away

[SerbianLad]

Not seen it mentioned elsewhere,but I thought Muniz had a good cameo today. Won his headers, linked up play nicely on a few occassions, and tracked back everytime Chelsea had a counter attack. After some poor performances from him, I thought today was a very bright display.

[Jonny4]

Today showed we need some much better attacking options - we desperately need Traore back as this team seriously lacks pace and ball carriers. Just having a player or two who can make a difference off the bench would be huge.

I couldn't understand today why we just kept trying to play through Chelsea's compact midfield. There was loads of space in behind, but we just didn't utilise it. Wilson in particular was awful today in that regard, never using his pace to get in behind.

[perry geyton]

TC is going to struggle against athletic central midfields. That's not a revelation. This was a 0-0 game if not for a silly error by Diop. Chelsea barely created anything either. Strange to pick out TC as the issue here.

The broadcast made the key point to me. Andreas has 1 goal this season in the league. The team needs more than that from their number 10 or they will continue to struggle for results away from home.

They always blame him he's the Scape goat, if not him it's Tim Ream
Small minded mentality's

I don't think AP should be starting games either, he was more lively coming off the bench

On the other hand Lukic has absolutely nothing to offer

[perry geyton]

Today showed we need some much better attacking options - we desperately need Traore back as this team seriously lacks pace and ball carriers. Just having a player or two who can make a difference off the bench would be huge.

I couldn't understand today why we just kept trying to play through Chelsea's compact midfield. There was loads of space in behind, but we just didn't utilise it. Wilson in particular was awful today in that regard, never using his pace to get in behind.

True I miss Neeskins for that

[filham]

Another game where we never looked like scoring, our weakness in the box has to be addressed.

[TC's Sporran]

i will repeat what i posted earlier.
pep said without movement from his team mates de bruyne is nothing.

how many times did we see tc on the ball looking to pass forwards and nothing was on. was that his fault?

according to a lot on here yes it was.

silva saw different and left him on.
so according to those on here ilva saw it wrong as well?

tc had a crap game
but those ahead of him had a crapper game.

[kiwian]

Leno is a terrific goalkeeper but absolutely hopeless on penalties. Palmer's pen was poor yet Leno dived out of the way! Somebody has to coach him to wait for the ball to be kicked.

Have you ever 0played as keeper? It would appear not.

[toshes mate]

Leno is a terrific goalkeeper but absolutely hopeless on penalties. Palmer's pen was poor yet Leno dived out of the way! Somebody has to coach him to wait for the ball to be kicked.

Have you ever 0played as keeper? It would appear not.

Depends entirely on the goalkeeper. If you have a lightning reaction time you can wait for the kick. If you don't you guess. Leno is a big guy and an excellent keeper but he did go too early yesterday and Palmer's kick was awful.
 

[LittleErn]

TC is going to struggle against athletic central midfields. That's not a revelation. This was a 0-0 game if not for a silly error by Diop. Chelsea barely created anything either. Strange to pick out TC as the issue here.

The broadcast made the key point to me. Andreas has 1 goal this season in the league. The team needs more than that from their number 10 or they will continue to struggle for results away from home.

To clarify my position; I don't think Cairney was "the issue" today but he didn't play as well as he has been doing recently. He wasn't given time or room to shift the ball on to his favoured left foot and that nullified him and forced him into more errors than he usually makes. I think "the issue" today was that the attack never functioned. We rarely looked like creating any clear chances and were unable to maintain pressure to push Chelsea on to the defensive. That may be a function of the lack of recovery time after Liverpool. It was also because we lacked the energy of Iwobi and his forward runs. It should also be said that the midfield failed to gain enough possession to create forward pressure. We definitely need reinforcements in this window if we are going to progress from a sound first half of the season.

My post was more about the OP's statement. Seemed strange to go at TC and laud Connor Gallagher. I actually like both players, but if you had switched them today the result would have been the same.

Fulham have a creativity, athleticism gap without Iwobi in attack. As Matt10 noted, having another player in his style could go along way for the club which explains the Andre attention IMO.

Agreed!

[LittleErn]

Cairney is class on the ball ,Gallacher has a lot of energy (there is an eight year age difference ). Tc has abetter football brain and has solution to tight situations on the ball like few others .He is class.

All you say is true but he struggles when harassed. Not because of his lack of class or his footballing brain but because he is woefully uncomfortable with his right foot meaning he has to get in a position where he can pass it with his left. At times, it is staggering that a player of his ability is so uncomfortable on his right foot. We have to look at why our coaching staff over the last nearly 10 years have failed to get him even up to an average level on his right foot. He is an incredibly classy performer but this weakness is why he has stayed here and never been snapped up by a Man united etc

A very good player but let's not get carried away

To be fair, his use of his right foot has been better this season (though not when he is under close pressure) so I think our current coaching team has had some success.

[LittleErn]

Not seen it mentioned elsewhere,but I thought Muniz had a good cameo today. Won his headers, linked up play nicely on a few occassions, and tracked back everytime Chelsea had a counter attack. After some poor performances from him, I thought today was a very bright display.

More useful than he often is, but still not looking dangerous as a goalscorer. IMO

[LittleErn]

i will repeat what i posted earlier.
pep said without movement from his team mates de bruyne is nothing.

how many times did we see tc on the ball looking to pass forwards and nothing was on. was that his fault?

according to a lot on here yes it was.

silva saw different and left him on.
so according to those on here ilva saw it wrong as well?

tc had a crap game
but those ahead of him had a crapper game.

Can't argue with that.