Sharethematch.com ambassador Andy Gray was talking exclusively to South West Londoner…
A DRAW against the reigning Serie A champions is not a bad result, but the worrying thing for Chelsea and Roberto Di Matteo will be that they didn’t see the game out after taking a two-goal lead.
Chelsea were going up against a team who haven’t been beaten in 42 league games but they still should not have thrown it away – the Chelsea side of two or three years ago would have gone and won it.
At the moment Chelsea look the same as when I saw them at the beginning of the season – very good going forward with a lot of exciting talent but the balance between attack and defence is still off.
Much like Manchester City, they are letting teams create too many chances against them and when those teams are very good teams you are going to concede goals.
Roberto has got them playing really well going forward but he needs to balance that up by making them more secure at the back, the way we are used to seeing Chelsea play, especially when they won the Champions League last season.
All the top teams in the Premier League are guilty of the same thing at the moment and Arsenal are probably the ones who are defending better than anyone else, which not many would have expected.
There were positives for Chelsea though, especially in the performance of their young Brazilian midfielder Oscar.
I am not going to heap pressure on him after three quarters of a game – we don’t know if he is a future star – but the quality of his second goal was there for all to see.
His general play was good and he looked a threat and when he gets up to the pace of the Premier League he will certainly be a handful.
After the 0-0 draw at Loftus Road last weekend some fans have voiced their concerns that Chelsea are short of striking options but people get carried away with Didier Drogba – he scored five league goals last season and that is all.
As long as Fernando Torres stays fit and gets his quota of goals, and the likes of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar and Frank Lampard chip in with an equal share, then they will be fine.
Torres may have got the hump after being substituted at QPR but I don’t think anyone should be happy with being taken off, though he should have kept his feelings private.
Yes, be disappointed that you were not playing well enough to stay on or don’t understand the manager’s reasons for taking you off, but you have to be careful how you display your displeasure.
Andy Gray is an official ambassador for Sharethematch.com – Football’s Social Network. Available now for FREE online or at the App Store; http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/share-the-match/id450784289?mt=8
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