Chelsea have got their first win under new head coach Liam Rosenior but the mood at Stamford Bridge remains far from festive. The 5-1 thrashing of struggling Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup was a controlled, clinical performance that showed glimpses of what could be for this talented squad.
Rosenior, who signed a six-and-a-half-year deal with Chelsea after spending only a season in charge at Strasbourg, was not happy about the hostile atmosphere in the away end. The travelling supporters were still spewing venom about Clearlake, the private equity firm that owns Chelsea and has a major say in the club's trading model.
Despite this, Rosenior remained upbeat, saying that if his fans are happy, it means he is doing a good job. But to many at Stamford Bridge, the problems run far deeper than that. The squad building has been questioned, with some of the signings failing to impress, and there were concerns about the tactics employed by Rosenior.
The Brazilian winger Estevão Willian, one of the best young players in the world, was given a rare start against Charlton but he did little to alleviate doubts about the club's vision for the future. The lack of success on the pitch since Roman Abramovich sold up in 2013 has left many feeling like the project is all talk and no action.
Chelsea dominated possession throughout the first half but Charlton offered little in response, apart from a goal that was a welcome change from their usual profligacy in front of goal. Jorrel Hato's 19th-minute strike opened the scoring for Chelsea before Buonanotte doubled the lead with a clinical finish.
However, Rosenior must curb his side's tendency to give away soft goals and he will be disappointed that Charlton halved the deficit in the 57th minute through Miles Leaburn. The visitors then pushed hard after that but were ultimately unable to prevent another goal from falling for Chelsea.
The late drama at the end of the game, with Pedro Neto driving home a fourth goal and Estevão winning a penalty that Fernández scored from, added some much-needed levity to an evening marred by boos and jeers from the opposition fans.
Rosenior, who signed a six-and-a-half-year deal with Chelsea after spending only a season in charge at Strasbourg, was not happy about the hostile atmosphere in the away end. The travelling supporters were still spewing venom about Clearlake, the private equity firm that owns Chelsea and has a major say in the club's trading model.
Despite this, Rosenior remained upbeat, saying that if his fans are happy, it means he is doing a good job. But to many at Stamford Bridge, the problems run far deeper than that. The squad building has been questioned, with some of the signings failing to impress, and there were concerns about the tactics employed by Rosenior.
The Brazilian winger Estevão Willian, one of the best young players in the world, was given a rare start against Charlton but he did little to alleviate doubts about the club's vision for the future. The lack of success on the pitch since Roman Abramovich sold up in 2013 has left many feeling like the project is all talk and no action.
Chelsea dominated possession throughout the first half but Charlton offered little in response, apart from a goal that was a welcome change from their usual profligacy in front of goal. Jorrel Hato's 19th-minute strike opened the scoring for Chelsea before Buonanotte doubled the lead with a clinical finish.
However, Rosenior must curb his side's tendency to give away soft goals and he will be disappointed that Charlton halved the deficit in the 57th minute through Miles Leaburn. The visitors then pushed hard after that but were ultimately unable to prevent another goal from falling for Chelsea.
The late drama at the end of the game, with Pedro Neto driving home a fourth goal and Estevão winning a penalty that Fernández scored from, added some much-needed levity to an evening marred by boos and jeers from the opposition fans.
. Estevão Willian did nothing impressive when he came on, and I'm still not convinced by the squad building. They've been getting thrashed in the league lately too 
. I mean, Rosenior says happy fans = good job coach? Maybe it's time for a chat with Roman about what's going on 
.
u know i think chelsea should focus on gettin a good mix of youth & experience in the squad, so they dont keep relying on the same old players who just can't seem to deliver on the pitch 
. but u know what? 5-1 win against charlton is still a win, and that's somethin to build on 
. just gotta calm down all the fans & hope they start supportin the team more 
. I mean, Rosenior signed that 6.5 yr deal for a reason, and it's time he showed us what he can do 
. The squad building is a whole other story tho 
. Estevão Willian was so hyped before the game, but sadly, he didn't quite live up to the hype 
. What's good is that the team showed some serious potential, but we need to see more consistency 
. Can't wait to see how this season unfolds! 
but a little understanding would be nice 
anyway, Rosenior seems like a cool dude, at least he's keeping it positive 
estevão willian tho, what happened to him? was he injured or somethin' 
, he's trying his best but the fans are super harsh 
. I get that the fans want results ASAP, but this team needs time to gel 
. Can't wait for some consistency on the pitch 
!
the fact that Chelsea's squad building has been questioned and signings haven't impressed is pretty interesting... it's like they're trying to set things up for a bigger fall? 
I'm all for passionate supporters but it's getting out of hand. All those years of nothing going right on the pitch and you still boo your own players? 