Chelsea (H) | Post-Match Thread

Brightwell Bros. said:
I know some on here don't like him, but Sam Lee's Athletic article says that even before the game the buzz coming out of the club was that the selection was about not wanting top players to go out, win, and that he would have to spend 3 weeks telling the team not to overestimate them. He's keeping players hungry who now have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. In every tactics talk for the next 3 weeks Pep can say "and we know how good they are, anything less than 100% and we know what they will do to us".
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I’m not sure about this logic. Let’s say we beat them with our second string, how would that have worked out for keeping players motivated?

I think the most likely scenario is that Pep experimented with the side by matching Chelsea’s defensive shape. I suppose the saving grace is that he tried it in a game which could ultimately mean nothing at the end of the season, unlike the Lyon game last year.

Of course, it’s frustrating as fuck to waste another opportunity to seal the title at home to a rival after being in the lead at HT, but nothing comes close to the missed opportunity against United.

Another positive is that the pressure is now firmly on Pep for the final. Potentially losing three huge games against the same side and coach in the space of a month would not reflect well on him in the slightest. This will hopefully encourage him not to dick around with the CL side and play the formation/players who saw off Dortmund and PSG.
 
cookster said:
I'm not a betting man either but I'm also a realist and not overly negative.

FWIW I think Pep should have boxed it off yesterday but it's nearly 24 hours later and I'm not as emotional.
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Mate, I slept soundly last night myself. I've way more important things going on in my life than City. However, for the 2 hours 2-3 times a per week I dedicate myself to the club, I'd at least like to see that dedication reciprocated.

As someone just posted, did yesterday have the air of a title decider? It was, but it didn't. That is what has annoyed me, & we got exactly what our blasé approach warranted.
 
Dribble said:
My point being, we could have done this yesterday & our players would have had 20-odd days to rest & be rotated once the job was done.
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But they would have been playing a tough match just 4 days after a very physically demanding semi-final. There was no guarantee that our tired 'first 11' would have won anyway.

Personally I feel that we have handled it about right so far.
 
KnaresboroughBlue said:
But there would have been playing a tough match just 4 days after a very physically demanding semi-final. There was no guarantee that our tired 'first 11' would have won anyway.

Personally I feel that we have handled it about right so far.
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Mate, we've had less preparation time between matches, the vast majority of the season.

This would have been one final push, & then 20+ days to rest, rotate & prepare the best team available for the CL final. It's really that simple to me. If we'd have done that, this thread probably wouldn't have surpassed 50 pages, & everyone from the club to the fans would be focused on the final.
 
KnaresboroughBlue said:
But they would have been playing a tough match just 4 days after a very physically demanding semi-final. There was no guarantee that our tired 'first 11' would have won anyway
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True enough but Chelsea had one less day.
They have more important matches coming up than us in the league to get into top 4, an FA Cup final and the Champions league match against ourselves.
Tuchel played all his runners such as Werner and Kante, despite having several alternatives.
In hindsight, Pep thought he would get more from Sterling, Torres, Aguero etc. and I don't think they did.
 
Dribble said:
Mate, we've had less preparation time between matches, the vast majority of the season.

This would have been one final push, & then 20+ days to rest, rotate & prepare the best team available for the CL final. It's really that simple to me. If we'd have done that, this thread probably wouldn't have surpassed 50 pages, & everyone from the club to the fans would be focused on the final.
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I'm sure we still are focused on the final and doubt yesterday's result will have any bearing on our preparation for that game.

I suspect it will be near enough full strength for a couple of the remaining matches and weakened for the Brighton game. That is what it probably would have been even if we'd won yesterday and once again there is no guarantee that our first 11 would have won yesterday's game either.
 
Berts Neck said:
I am sorry if you think you know better than Pep..if so you should be managing a team..FFS.. we will win the title..Pep was NEVER going to put out his best team yesterday for very obvious reasons..rope on a dope..Chelsea will not know how to deal with our best team..we have learned their tactics..Is this so hard to understand ?
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So you think you know better than Pep's a pretty over used bit of rhetoric to be honest of course we don't but a win yesterday confirms title a little earlier than later, I'm not sure its rope a dope either as Chelsea ain't no dopes and with our best team the finals not going to be a given in my opinion.
 
BlueindianNewcity said:
Most unpeplike eleven, 5 defenders, 4 forwards and ONE midfielder. It's a surprise we controlled the game as much as we did.

2) Because we had no midfield today and we won't play that way in any game of real importance.
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A title decider isn't a game of importance? That Pep didn't start a midfielder was an arrogant move.
 
Dribble said:
Mate, I slept soundly last night myself. I've way more important things going on in my life than City. However, for the 2 hours 2-3 times a per week I dedicate myself to the club, I'd at least like to see that dedication reciprocated.

As someone just posted, did yesterday have the air of a title decider? It was, but it didn't. That is what has annoyed me, & we got exactly what our blasé approach warranted.
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Title decider? United have 5 games, we have another 3.

That's eight title deciders left after yesterday lol

Chill out and see the bigger picture.
 
Horlocksleftpeg said:
Pep has thrown Aguero under the bus with this one
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Stupid team choice but when you attempt a Pekenka when handed a start vs. a good squad and miss you deserve stick for it... and Pep didn't go all Jose on him. He was diplomatic directly after a game where he knows he made a poor team choice and the highest scorer in team history not only misses... But takes a Pekenka. Wtf Sergio.
 
Personally i think Pep got it right, 4 games to the end of the season he gave players the opportunity ,to make a case for themselves to be involved in the CL final and next seasons squad, some produced the goods some did not, against a very good Chelsea, now in our next game he will most likely introduce one or two more players to up the quality, and against Newcastle that will probably be enough to win the league, he will probably do this until the final where he will have his first choice team rested match fit and available.
Did not stop me being frustrated though, but not as much as i was at the FA cup team.
 
paulchapo said:
Hey we've been on an incredible run the best in the country which is why we are where we are, but Tuchel has turned them around in a few months and they are now a top outfit.
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They are vastly improved but I’m not as convinced they are a top outfit yet. TBH I think we have lucked out drawing them in our first CL final as imo they aren’t elite. They may become elite when their players mature a bit but in terms of finalists in the the last 10 / 15 years.. Bayern, Barca, (both) Madrid, Liverpool, PSG, Juve, Klopps Dortmund, Both Milan clubs were top outfits. Spurs not so and ironically the other was the past it’s sell date Chelsea side that won it.

Obviously it’s a final and we must fully apply ourselves from the outset as otherwise we can of course lose. But let’s be honest we would have been playing a far superior team most other years.

We must grab this opportunity with both hands.
 
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stan bowles said:
No one has "smashed" Tuechel's Chelsea this season. It will an extremely tough game in Istanbul where will have to be at our very best to win.
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I just can't see them getting near us if we play like we did in the semi's we made PSG look average. We was nowhere near our best yesterday and it could of been 2-0 at half time if we scored the penalty. We could also argue we should of had another penalty.
 
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