The Flag Stays Down

The boys are buzzing, but not because of Chelsea.  They miss winning and it's starting to show.  Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso catch the ire of Andy, Parker and Matt.  Dave gets off a little easier, but Alonso is being sent to Mars.  The boys create a drinking game for Pod After Dark.  Matt does not like N'Golo Kante in attack, which triggers a debate with Andy.  Finally, the boys debate whether Saul is.... good?

Another week, another set of points dropped for Chelsea.  Andy, Matt, and Parker dissect what when wrong for our Boys in Blue over the last week.  Christian Pulisic was a big topic of conversation amongst the fanbase this week, and the boys are ready to own up to it.  But while one player goes down, another goes up - Saul was impressive for the first time in a Chelsea shirt.  So, with the inconsistency, the guys try to figure out our best COVID-19 stricken lineup.  This leads Andy to go off on the Premier League about Chelsea-Wolverhampton even being played.  Finally, they try to figure out: where does Chelsea finish if they keep playing like this?

Unedited, unfiltered, uneducated.  Welcome back to Pod After Dark.  Andy, Matt, and Parker debate whether Chelsea need a third striker and who that should be.  The conversation trails off into talk of Chiesa and where you fit him.  Maybe Erling Haaland would be a fit?  They then go on to bash Arsenal and Spurs for a bit, and Matt makes the case that Nuno Espirto Santo could take over for Tuchel if he is eventually sacked.

The boys play a lot of Matt's favorite game: Gun to Your Head.  Matt and Parker give their thoughts on the Zenit-Chelsea game.  Andy puts Andreas Christensen on blast for being a cancer to the club, while also placing some blame for this poor stretch on Tuchel.  Matt asks the question, do we push too many players up in attack?  Marcos Alonso's lack of quality makes another appearance in this pod, as does Timo Werner.  Finally, the boys discuss whether the win over Leeds is a good sign or just lucky.

The boys chat after recording episode 14 - post Watford and Manchester United.  Matt has a lot to say about the state of officiating in English football, so the boys discuss how to solve it.  That somehow transitions into a discussion on who to keep, Antonio Rudiger or Andreas Christensen and what options we have if we do not resign either.  Andy has a couple of options that could work for the club.  Finally, Andy and Matt discuss Newcastle and their early failings under Saudi leadership.  Jonjo Shelvey even comes up!

So.... that was a week of Chelsea football.  December is here, which can only mean bad things.  Luckily, Andy Matt and Parker are here to guide you through this historically terrible month for Chelsea Football Club.  The boys discuss what is wrong with Eduoard Mendy.  The midfield is a conundrum with Jorginho, Kovacic, and Kante all injured.  How do we manage that?  They also discuss the disconnect between Tuchel and Lukaku.  Are the tactics all wrong, and do we need to be worried about TT?

We always thought our conversations after podding were better than our podcast conversations.  So we thought we would share them with you!  Listen in as the boys discuss whatever comes to mind - unfiltered, unedited, and uneducated.  

Tonight we discuss the Ballon d'Or, Chelsea kit numbering, Jorginho, Twitter follows, and Parker finds a TikTok.

The lads get together post-Thanksgiving and post 1-1 draw against Manchester United to discuss what went wrong for Chelsea.  Something was missing, and it was definitely a lack of finishing ability?  Who is to blame? Did the subs come on too late or should Lukaku or Pulisic have started?  Our performance against the "big four" is lacking results, should we be worried?  On the hottest topic of the week, the boys evaluate Hakim Ziyech.  They also discuss how to handle the left wing back position in Ben Chilwell's absence.  Finally, Matt goes off on Jorginho (because he has to, right?)

Parker is back and all three of the boys sit down to discuss Chelsea's 3-0 victory over Leicester on Saturday.  They give their thoughts on a "comfortable" victory over a top 6 club and give props to Tuchel, the defense, and the subs for making this a masterclass performance.  Andy wants to know if Christian Pulisic would make a better false 9 than what Kai Havertz has been providing.  This leads to a conversation as to what is your ideal front three now that everyone is back and healthy.  Finally, the boys play a game of "Keep, Sell, Loan" that ends in a heated debate over the future of Antonio Rudiger.