Really impressed with Zouma lately.

To be honest, I don't think we looked a lot different before the goal. But I'm not complaining if we can keep the tempo up for another 45 minutes. I agree with you, Zouma is having a great game, he saved Ivanovic a couple of times early on.

Costa, goooooaaaallllll, 3 - 0!

Where are the muffins now? Where are they?!

Come on the Chels'!

Comfortable win in awful conditions.
Fabregas was excellent, ran the game.
Where's that poster who says a Man Utd player is better

Good performance in the end. Only complaint is not bringing on Traore or RLC when we went 3-0 up. Although I'm sure someone will be along to tell my why that would have been pointless........

Yes, from the moment we scored it was a great all-round performance. Mikel, Zouma and Costa were the stand out players for me. The three points were the most important thing though, now six points above the relegation zone with a couple of winnable home games coming up.

Zouma is improving rapidly. When he does make a mistake his pace can get him out of trouble. Could be one of our centre backs for years to come.

I would excuse Guus on this occasion. In the 2nd half, we looked full of confidence and were playing better than we have done all season. He may have thought it was best to leave things alone and let them enjoy themselves.

Pleased to see Obi play another great game for us. We need more players like him, professional and intelligent with a great football brain. One of our best signings

Well, yes and no really Don. I think we've all had issues with him in the past. I agree Obi is loyal and professional, I admire that. But he's also been incredibly inconsistent.
But I'll be only too glad to eat my words if this is the beginning of the rebirth of the "new Mikel". Perhaps he's a late developer ? Stranger things have happened.
He had a great game today though.

If that was his reasoning then I could understand it. I just think that, given how inconsistent and unreliable so many of them have been this season, 15-20 minutes in a match that we were controlling would have benefited the younger players (and us) going forward.

Still, small complaint. And it looks like Ajax want Traore on loan anyway.

Well summed up by Hiddink:

'I don’t like to see a team drop back very far and seek false security but to look forward and get the ball forward as soon as possible. When they get the ball they know how to play.'

Spot on, and it's called playing football

And on Mikel:

'What I like to see very much is not just a quality player but a player who can defend so smoothly. It’s beautiful to see. He doesn’t lose many balls, he’s good in short passing. I don’t expect and I don’t ask him to make the decisive final pass. He can but no, we let the other players do that.'

Agree there, and he played very well. Consistency now, and given any side can beat any other side practically, you never know with fourth place. Plus, there's still the FA cup and the CL. I wouldn't bet against us winning at least one major trophy this season, and the squad looks up for it, and the manager is getting very good balance.

Oh I agree to some aspects he has been a up and down player for us but on the same hand when needed and I mean when really needed he has always done the job needed. Out of many of our players if we had a "big" game tomorrow be it a cup final or a game to stay in the title hunt or to win a title or like this season we needed to keep us out of a possible relegation battle (not saying we are in one) he is one a a very few I would say would do what was needed.

Many players if having a similar start like he did today you might have been worried about getting sent off etc but it did not take him long to get a feel for the game and the referee and that is one of his major strengths.

Not saying he this "wonderful amazing talented footballer" but he is the type of player who makes a difference when needed. He is a player a manager can give a certain job to and not worry about. He knows what is expected of him and knows his role in the team and the squad.

Would be a great chance for him. If he could take advantage of a fantastic opportunity like that it really could be the making of his career

I would imagine we will see at least 2 or 3 youngsters playing next weekend.

Given Hiddink is settling in and the side were on a knife edge, you can understand him not going for any youth at the moment. That might change as we climb, we'll see, and he seems to be well aware just how good the likes of Traore, Kennedy and RLC are potentially. Safety first. They wouldn't have got a real look in before, but in the coming months, you never know.

Yes, I'd agree with all that. He was superb in the Champion's League games when our backs were to the wall playing against some of the world's best.
I've always thought him as a bit of a strange player. He can sometimes seem so laid-back that play seems to just pass him by. I think he suffered in the beginning with comparisons to Makelele, but he didn't arrive as that sort of player. He's actually better on the ball than a lot of people give him credit for, but he appeared to lack the confidence to express himself for Chelsea. I've seen him boss games playing for Nigeria against decent opposition.

In the January transfer window, still need a world class striker as back up for Costa, unless Remy suddenly shows something different and stays injury free, which I doubt.

Also, very much doubt that Stones will be available for long term plans. The squad should be OK now if we can get a very good striker in.

This continuing nonsense of comparing players is lazy. Nobody could ever be another Maka, he was a one off, trying to compare a player to him and expecting him to come even close to recreating his standards is illogical. It's like rubbish that keeps getting bought up about needing a new Lamps. It's not going to happen there will never be a player who can add half of what he could bring to a team but the trick is to find someone who brings different qualities. That's what Obi has done. Very different qualities and very different styles of play to Maka but they get the same results.

I think you are right about the lack of confidence which is a shame as if you just follow him around the pitch and more importantly when he doesn't have the ball you really see his football brain

A good result today and one that was badly needed, you felt our confidence improving as a team as the game went on.

Good to see the players lifted, and hopefully the fans too, i know im feeling a lot better now, i hope we can kick on and finish as close to the top 4 as possible.

Felt like a team rejuvenated today.

Be daft buying anyone in the transfer window unless they actually know the next manager and have discussed with him. No point buying someone he doesn't fancy.
This squad is more than capable of getting us up the league and competing in the Cups.

Yep, we don't want to waste money on more unwanted players to join Rahman and that Senegalese centre-back whose name I can't even remember.

Are you still booing Costa Fabregas and Hazard because it is funny that Jose Mourinho is gone and they start performing again for your team

There was a reaction after Mourinho was sacked, but nobody really knows what went on behind the scenes. Costa certainly looks better, but Hazard and Fabregas haven't exactly burst into life since Jose departed. Though, to be fair, Fabregas did improve as the match went on today, but he had little to do defensively.
Anyway, If it was that simple, why haven't Matic, Ivanovic and Oscar suddenly rediscovered their form ? Oscar got his tap-in but was generally poor in the first half. Ivanovic was still caught out of position far too often when Palace were a threat.
Conspiracy theories aside, I think a lot of things are just coincidence.

Nope, I very much doubt any of the regulars here booed them to begin with, except perhaps the pretend fan.

That said, I'd still be content to see any of those move on in the summer if we receive decent offers for them.