Greetings, fellow gluttons for punishment! Yes, both the Reds and Blues contrived to lose 3-1 each on Saturday. But the manner in which they chose to do so was spectacularly different. Let’s inspect the corpses.

Despite Evan’s poignant, double-edged speculation ahead of last week’s match against United, Chelsea were good value for money in the first half and could have had a larger cushion before disaster struck. As like last weekend, Chelsea were always looking open after a game-changing instant. And former United lad Danny Welbeck popped up to take advantage. The question coming into this game was whether Chelsea could cope for 3 weeks without their talisman Palmer. But he isn’t responsible for reckless passing and rash tackles. They did manage to recover with a victory over Benfica in the Champions League. And while the 3 points are valuable, once again the manner in which they were gained will not instill much hope. Another unnecessary red card late on is also a cause for concern. A visit from a staggering but still strong Liverpool may be an indicator for which direction both teams are heading at the moment.

Manchester United. Woof. Is this the worst we’ve seen in the modern era? I (AG) can see no clear system; no intended patterns of play; no cohesiveness in positional and/or transitional play. I’m clearly not a top-tier manager, but I’m not sure that’s required to see that the “system” isn’t working, players aren’t where they should be, and letting them play would at least give them a chance. I have lost faith. They welcome a surprising Sunderland at the weekend. Another loss may be Amorim’s last.

The USMNT has upcoming friendlies with Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The USWNT has 2 upcoming matches with Portugal before facing New Zealand, all in late October.

We’ll be trying not to have DOGSO VAR decisions that contradict one another in the same game, so join us at 7pm live at Chatham Tap or online through Facebook Live and hopefully YouTube Live. You can also catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

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Welcome back, Reds and Blues! The international break is over, and that means the return of league and Champions League footy. How did our clubs fare after a few weeks off?

Chelsea’s start to the season has been a mixed bag. Coming off a summer run to a trophy – and the extra games and miles on legs that entailed – they have at times looked sluggish. And so it continued on Saturday, as they fell behind to Brentford in the first half. This prompted a trio of changes at halftime and the introduction of their talisman Cole Palmer shortly after. This soon paid off, with Palmer slotting home to tie it up. Alejandro Garnacho made his Chelsea debut as a sub and immediately looked lively, running at and consistently beating his man. This led to a Caicedo goal in the 85th that looked to have wrapped things up. Unfortunately, Garnacho is not quite as active and alert on the defensive end, as he let his man sneak to the back post to salvage a point for the Bees. That should not overshadow his otherwise solid outing, and he’ll hope to get into the action against his former club United on Saturday. But Chelsea must first travel to Munich without a full-strength squad and wary of what Nico Jackson has imparted to the Bayern team behind closed doors. Traveling to Munich and then Manchester (even on their current form; more on that below), is no easy task. If they manage good results from those 2, then Maresca may to be able to ring the changes against League One Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup next week.

Manchester United. Surely something has got to give. And given Ruben Amorim’s firm intention to stick with his system or be fired, it seems a change of personnel is really his only option. Despite Bruno having been United’s best player for the better part of the last few years – as well as arguably the most productive attacking midfielder in Europe – it’s obvious to all that he is not suited to the deeper lying role as part of the midfield base of 2. Kobbie Mainoo came on in the 62nd minute and had an immediate impact on a match that was probably already lost. But if he is once again left on the bench in favor of some form of Bruno/Case/Ugarte (2 from 3), then Amorim has only himself to blame. Bruno’s creativity is wasted in such a role. Short of tweaking the system, the only way United will see a different result against Chelsea will be for Amorim to put other players in from the start and give them their chance. With almost no midweek football, there is no excuse for United to not cover every blade and be well-drilled with so many days to train. Are they incrementally getting better and just ran into a rejuvenated City at the wrong time? Or is this all the more fans can expect under Amorim? Saturday is a chance to change the narrative.

Speaking of Saturday… it’s the first edition of the 25/26 season Red and Blue Soccer Chat Derby Watch Party! We’ll be rocking up to Chatham Tap Fishers for front row viewing of what will hopefully at least be an entertaining match. Join us as we get hyped with pre-match fan interviews, halftime hot-takes, and the post-game post-mortem. Friendly banter and flowing spirits will be in abundance. Come join the fun.

The USMNT held 2 friendlies during the international break with South Korea and Japan, respectively. South Korea truly played the US off the park, with their very own star man Son grabbing the headlines. But a regrouped side turned things around against a weakened Japan side. Alejandro Zendejas and Flo Balogun put themselves into the WC26 roster mix with a goal apiece, and Captain America Pulisic looked like the player that has been tearing it up for Milan for the past season. It seems the “rift” with Pochettino is perhaps more smoke than fire. They have friendlies scheduled for October and November with Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay, and Uruguay coming up. A rumored match against Ronaldo’s Portugal is on the horizon after the new year.

The...

Hey Reds and Blues, the Premier League is back! The first weekend of matches is in the books. Neither side got off to the start we/they had hoped for, but each club showed signs of what may lie ahead. Let’s see how things have gone so far.

Chelsea’s long and successful summer run at the Club World Cup ended in a trophy, but it may have come at a price. Many Chelsea players looked a bit tired and off the pace, with a plucky Palace side showing why they’ve been a thorn in many sides in recent months. The lack of a full pre-season also seemed to be a contributing factor, as Chelsea simply didn’t click. Josh Acheampong, though, looked solid on his debut, but Jamie Gittens struggled to make an impact. A short trip to West Ham may be the tonic to get things going, as the Hammers sputtered out of the gates with a 3-0 loss in their opener.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim got the full pre-season they needed, and it was nominally successful with multiple wins and good showings from their new signings. But an opening fixture at home to Arsenal is not exactly how anyone would have wanted to ease into the season. But the performance spoke for itself. United outplayed the supposed title-chasing Gunners for long stretches and were denied goals by a post and some terrific saves from David Raya. Once again, the new signings looked lively from the off. Matheus Cunha was direct in his dribbling, and Bryan Mbeumo was always an outlet and subsequent threat on the wing. Benjamin Sesko didn’t have many opportunities, but that should as they all learn one another’s movements. A trip down to Fulham, who earned a solid point in their opener, is up next for United.

The USMNT has upcoming friendlies with South Korea and Japan in September, while the USWNT is off until late October and 2 friendlies with Portugal.

We’ll be looking for the last pieces of the transfer window puzzle, so join us at 7pm live at Chatham Tap or online through Facebook Live and hopefully YouTube Live. You can also catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

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#ChathamTapFishers

#ChelseaFC

#manchesterunited

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