Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

[Cheesy]

We had a defensive midfielder in the cup semi and we still struggled to create chances. We just have to accept that Chelsea are a very good team under Tuchel. Chelsea knew they had to defend well but like last time they would get a few chances and they took 1 of them. We never looked like scoring, in the first half we got battered whereas we dominated the second half but had less shots... Chelsea controlled the game perfectly.

I think we lacked a striker but a striker with presence to allow our midfield to drop deeper away from Kante and their wall of defenders. Instead they had a field day, they could mark the space around Phil and Kev, Bernardo had a poor game and didn't really get anywhere.

After that we are reliant on our wide play but Sterling didn't get a sniff past James and Mahrez was the same. Jesus started to have an effect later on but that's after Chelsea changed things to block it up. Our best player for me was Walker, he was our main attack really!

Even if you don't think the formation had an effect on the way we played (which I totally disagree with) there is still a massive question over why Raheem was included in the starting line up when, as you yourself say, we were reliant on our wide play.

Foden has been ripping teams apart of late. Raz has done absolutely fuck all of late.

So, why did Pep chose to play Raz there?

 

[Craig]

Most forwards that play against us always look better than they are, because we press high and give them space to run, turn and dribble into.
Our forwards, generally, don't have that luxury.
That's why "go get a number 9" isn't as easy as people think. It has to be a player like Sergio, who can manoeuvre in tight spaces, snap-shot and poach. Tricky!

Agree with your point but based on that Kane should fit like a glove. He’d also provide an aerial threat that we’ve lacked since Dzeko left.

 

[Keeper!]

Fernandinho.

fuck off

 

[ws01]

I don't we had an alternative last night. Chelsea gave us nothing except half chances. One shot on target all night? Is a DM really changing that?

Yes. You realise our DM is as much an attacking position as a defensive one, don't you?

We had no one in there nicking balls or winning the 50/50s to facilitate quick attacking transitions.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Pissed off today. Feels like the best chance ever has been thrown away

 

[hilts]

We had a defensive midfielder in the cup semi and we still struggled to create chances. We just have to accept that Chelsea are a very good team under Tuchel. Chelsea knew they had to defend well but like last time they would get a few chances and they took 1 of them. We never looked like scoring, in the first half we got battered whereas we dominated the second half but had less shots... Chelsea controlled the game perfectly.

I think we lacked a striker but a striker with presence to allow our midfield to drop deeper away from Kante and their wall of defenders. Instead they had a field day, they could mark the space around Phil and Kev, Bernardo had a poor game and didn't really get anywhere.

After that we are reliant on our wide play but Sterling didn't get a sniff past James and Mahrez was the same. Jesus started to have an effect later on but that's after Chelsea changed things to block it up. Our best player for me was Walker, he was our main attack really!

The cup semi where we made 8 changes from the Dortmund game

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Let's be honest, this has happened a few times now so where is the evidence that we (Pep) will learn from this?

We played 61 games this season. Nobody on here can claim to know the fitness levels of the players. Maybe Pep's team selection was forced on him by injury. We all saw Gundogan getting a whack in training. Probably the reason Pep played him deeper. Simple fact is that we nicked an early goal last night and that team selection looks a whole lot better. We didn't, and we lost the game.

As I said above, early refereeing decisions went against us. Most of it was subtle but he was at it last night for sure. There was a clear disparity in applying the LOTG, he blocked the passing lanes, and I remember at least one clear opportunity to play on that he pulled back for a foul. This 100% effected the players.

The long season caught up with us last night.

 

[city saint]

I don't we had an alternative last night. Chelsea gave us nothing except half chances. One shot on target all night? Is a DM really changing that?

no but all our other players would have been in their normal roles and that would have imo

 

[HelloCity]

In my opinion Pep played Sterling because of how good Sterling had been under him in previous years and he felt he owed him.

Unfortunately Sterling has been out of form for months and his inclusion meant distorting a winning formula causing several players to play out of positions where they’ve done so well this season.

 

[AlfGreyruinedmyday]

Just thinking about this time next season, when we're in the final, and another 25/30,000 of us will probably make the trip. I'm thinking about that pre match moment when we get the team selection. At that point, we'll probably know - again - whether it will be our year, at last, or whether we've wasted a our money.
I want to go, but, I'm not sure I could deal with it if I was there and this were to happen again.

I think Pep needs to be removed from the club for the entire week before we play a cup final (It's not what you thought!) He's hot-wired to overthink everything. A walk to Compostela etc. would force him to be less intensive.

Memories of standing in the Shed end when Gullit scored in the last minute of our decider to see who would be champions of Division two back in the 80s. Just as depressing but far safer from a personal viewpoint.

The cynic in me prefers to be believe we were never going to win with Cefarin, Gazprom and Abramovich on the dark side.