Champions League Final | Post-Match Thread

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Saint-Etienne

I still remember that final. Really good, entertaining young team. They should definitely, but definitely, have won it. I was cheering for them all the way.
Perhaps this is odd, because even then I didn't like Leeds, but I remember disliking the fact that Bayern beat them the year before, as well.
Times have changed, eh. Nobody really cheers for an English team if it's not their team, it seems to me. Unless they're playing another English team that they hate even more.

 

[Cobwebcat]

Good post, but it was at Bayern they lost to Madrid, not Barca.

But I agree that’s where this tinkerman in the biggest games started.

At Barca he pretty much played the exact same team for 4 years straight, and they’re the best team of all time.

................Valdes
Alves....Pique...Puyol....Alba
................Busquets
.......Xavi..............Iniesta
RW.............Messi.........LW

The personnel in the front 3 changed season to season, but the shape didn’t. Messi sometimes played down the middle, sometimes from the left.

But the shape, and the personnel in that back 6 didn’t change. Everyone knew how they were going to play, but they couldn’t do anything to stop them, because they were just too good.

It’s been a recurring theme during his time with us. Generally when we’ve played 433, we are unstoppable, teams cannot live us. When he starts dicking about and playing novelty formations, we tend to go to shit.

Imagine in that Barca team above if in a final he dropped Busquets and played Xavi as a number 6? Would never happen in a million years.

Yes I meant to type Bayern!

 

[Manchester33]

I still remember that final. Really good, entertaining young team. They should definitely, but definitely, have won it. I was cheering for them all the way.
Perhaps this is odd, because even then I didn't like Leeds, but I remember disliking the fact that Bayern beat them the year before, as well.
Times have changed, eh. Nobody really cheers for an English team if it's not their team, it seems to me. Unless they're playing another English team that they hate even more.

Yeah, I never got the whole 'support English teams' rubbish. I want every other English team to do terribly!
My dad loved that St Etienne team too. He ever bought one of their shirts! :')

 

[bluemoon32]

Thought i'd get a load of shit in work today but most fans of other clubs were just full of " what the fcuk happened" or were as confused as we are about the side put out by Pep

 

[elbearos]

I don't even think Chelsea are any good, they did what 90%+ of the Premier league do ,everybody back, hope to get one on the break

 

[Airbags Optional]

Said in the match thread that rudigier should have been sent off for that challenge on Kev and still stand by it. We played shit but that was an awful challenge, shoulder to the face and no attempt at playing the ball at all

 

[Eccles Blue]

You know, after long reflection, one thing I don't seem to have heard is why a team who are used to adjusting to changes couldn't adjust to this change? It wasn't Pep on that pitch it was 11+ players who are paid, and paid well, to perform.
I have always said and will continue to do so, that they don't go out on the pitch thinking I will not play my best today. We all have off days and unfortunately ours came at a crucial time.
I still reiterate however that they should, maybe, have adapted better to Pep's selection. So not 100% Pep's fault. :-) JMHO

 

[Roachy]

You know, after long reflection, one thing I don't seem to have heard is why a team who are used to adjusting to changes couldn't adjust to this change? It wasn't Pep on that pitch it was 11+ players who are paid, and paid well, to perform.
I have always said and will continue to do so, that they don't go out on the pitch thinking I will not play my best today. We all have off days and unfortunately ours came at a crucial time.
I still reiterate however that they should, maybe, have adapted better to Pep's selection. So not 100% Pep's fault. :-) JMHO

Too true EB. The players didn't turn up for the whole match. No way was that down to Peps inclusion/ommision of one player.

 

[beano46]

I'm in the still fuming camp, no forgiveness for Pep from me just yet. Watching his post match presser just pissed me off even more.

 

[ws01]

You know, after long reflection, one thing I don't seem to have heard is why a team who are used to adjusting to changes couldn't adjust to this change? It wasn't Pep on that pitch it was 11+ players who are paid, and paid well, to perform.
I have always said and will continue to do so, that they don't go out on the pitch thinking I will not play my best today. We all have off days and unfortunately ours came at a crucial time.
I still reiterate however that they should, maybe, have adapted better to Pep's selection. So not 100% Pep's fault. :-) JMHO

It's a game of fine margins. I don't rate Chelsea, though they do have enough talent, as under Tuchel they're a dour side who are quite hard to break down. He uses Kante to run around and clean things up (something that Frank and old mate Chain Smoker didn't do), which is what he's best at, and use their speed to break as fast as they can when he does. Quite simple really.

IMO the team adjusted the best it possibly could, given the changes made. The changes we made played right into their hands, and gave away certain advantages we would naturally enjoy, tipping the balance in their favour. Taking away those was enough for them to do what they did. That we weren't able to do enough to get the win in this situation is far more on our manager than them.