Chelsea lost their unbeaten pre-season record (how we mourn) with an insipid display against Werder Bremen in Germany. Some quick thoughts ...

Good grief Thibaut Courtois is good. The Belgian's first involvement in his first match in a Chelsea shirt was to produce an impossible save -- Franco di Santo was on the end of a pinpoint cross (Kurt Zouma, not for the first time this pre-season, found himself sucked under the ball), had a free header from six yards, and not only did Courtois somehow reach out to stop the bouncing header, he did so in such a way as to get back on his feet in preparation to stop any followup efforts. Welcome to Chelsea, young padawan. Shame about the penalty. And the Obraniak goal.
Diego Costa is a battler. Which we knew already, but he showed that more than ever today. He was chasing down everything, blowing his way through defenders, using his strength to hold up the ball and give Chelsea an outlet up the pitch when they needed one. He also blew up the goalkeeper, which is always funny. Even when Costa doesn't score, he makes a difference.
The first penalty was ... uh. Let's just say that had this been a real game I would have been shouting a lot. Normally you don't get handball calls when your first-time cross hits a covering defender in the bottom at the edge of the area.
The second goal was bad luck, but there was some awful defensive positioning involved too. John Terry charged out to block a pass, didn't manage it, and that took the ball away from Filipe Luis, sucked Kurt Zouma and Cesar Azpilicueta out of position, and let Ludovic Obraniak score a (very good header). Yikes.
Speaking of Filipe Luis, that was a phenomenally unimpressive first half. Nobody really covered themselves in glory, but yikes. Nathan Ake added to the left back woes by conceding a dubious penalty at the death.
Courtois wasn't the only Chelsea player making his first appearance of preseason. Eden Hazard, John Obi Mikel and our good friend Didier Drogba all came out in the second half. Of that trio only Mikel looked close to 100 percent. Hazard in particular was rusty, which is what you expect after a World Cup and a long holiday. They need fitness, and fitness is what they're getting.
It's pre-season. A loss, even if the performance is poor, isn't a big deal. It's not a surprise that we struggled to create against a disciplined defence when the only real attacking midfielder we have at our disposal is Mohamed Salah. With Hazard back, things should change. Don't freak out (I know some of you will freak out).

Ibime: Awfa? So dem hammer us?

coogar:

torres is chelsea's greatest player.
ibime is wrong to have presumed i cannot support torres. who is lukaku in comparison to torres?

Nihilist: Torres's confidence is finished.

Back in the day on the streets of Port-Harcourt, there was this kid who was known far and wide as one of the best 'drimblers' in the Rumuola area

The guy was so good, he was already playing for a semi-pro club aged 12 and there was talk of going pro blah blah

Then he broke his leg on the pitch one day and things were never the same. When he came back, he became scared to 'drimble'.

Anytime he got the ball, his opponents would shout at him "leave am, leave am, I go jam you o"

The effect it had on his confidence was extreme and eventually he gave up football altogether.

He became very fat and moved to London in 2002.

Now every time he watches Torres play, he recognises the same failure and so he gets very angry.

Angry at himself....

Angry at Torres...

Angry at hermaphrodites...

Some of you might recognise the biography...

I no call names o

raumdeuter:

Just last week the above was said

Yesterday Torres responds

coogar:

who hasn't missed a goal even easier than this? sometimes you talk out of your arsê

Bimfo:
Coogar, to be sincere, You are right.. There is nobody that has not missed a goal b4 even the great Ronaldo of Brazil..

But When a player misses a goal every match he plays, dont You think there is something there..

Yesteday's miss was even better.. The 1 against Vitesse was Shīt.. In front of Goal with no Goalkepper in the way, Torres Chested the ball over..

If You place a Water-bottle where Torres was, it would have Scored..

AirborneLacer: Aye! They gave us something to worry about

Let the experiments continue Jare - It's the Pre-season.

And Arseanal lost their 'birth-right' laurel again? Must be sign of good things to happen

sephia:
Na El Guapo be this?
So we lost even with Costa and co? This season go interesting die.

sephia:

So we lost even with Costa and co? This season go interesting die.

Ibime:

I knew you would say thís!

Bimfo: So that Overated Rodwell has gone to Sunderland..? Oshisko! Thank God, we dint buy that Garbage that time..

tobiboss: Salah has got mad acceleration, he should be among the top 5 fastest players in the world

Bimfo: Happy Birthday to CFCfan.. Where is Our Cake.?

tobiboss: Salah has got mad acceleration, he should be among the top 5 fastest players in the world

pkasso: Shaun Wright-Phillips 2.0