The Red and Blue Soccer Chat - 1/17/24

Happy New Year, Reds and Blues! Hopefully your 2024 is off to a great start. This cold streak hasn’t put a damper on our fandom, so let’s see how our teams finished 2023 and kicked off the New Year.After dropping points away to Wolves, Chelsea have enjoyed a decent run of form with 2 wins in the league followed by another, easier match with Preston North End in the FA Cup. But their inconsistency reared its head against Boro in the Carabao, though they do have a chance to make amends in the return leg next week. They did recover to beat Fulham 1-0 at the Bridge, but it took some effort with Sterling winning a pk for Palmer to convert. Chelsea have pulled off some gritty wins in the past few weeks, but their weaknesses are still on display. And the upcoming run against Boro, Villa, and away to Liverpool could have more implications than just the match results. Poch will be hoping to find some consistent form before the congested part of the season hits.Manchester United followed up their rousing, come-from-behind win over Villa with a flat performance against Forest. A comfortable 2-0 victory over Wigan in the FA Cup was followed by an exciting draw with Spurs at Old Trafford. Holding the lead twice, they will have been disappointed to not take all 3 points against a team above them in the table. But Rashford and Hojlund have ended their respective goal droughts in recent games, so hopefully they are able to maintain that form while also getting some rest as they don’t play again until Jan 28. The imminent arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe – and potentially some transfer window signings – could be the spark that helps United inch closer to the Top 4. EtH will certainly be hoping that is the case, as discussions of his tenure are growing with each limp result. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie have been lighting it up in the Serie A this season, and Puli was handed the POTM award. And his jersey sales have skyrocketed as well. It’s great to see our American contingent enjoying their time abroad. Here’s hoping they can bring that form back to the national side as they prepare for the upcoming Copa America here on home soil. We’ll be wearing layers and drinking something warm, so join us live from Chatham Tap Fishers at 7pm, follow along on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS! ⚽🍺⚽🍺⚽🍺⚽🍺 #TheRedandBlueSoccerChat#ChathamTapFishers#ChelseaFC#manchesterunited#USMNT#USWNThttps://linktr.ee/theredandbluesoccerchat