A very good summary. After 10 mins, I feared losing.Reflections on the night before:
Hugely disappointing. Not that we got beaten, but the fact that we never ever looked like winning. In truth. I think one nil flattered us. Couldn’t really have complained had it been 3-0.
Not playing Ferna, not playing Sergio (who would have been fired up) were big selection mistakes. That said some players just didn’t get get going, others inc KdB and Stones seemed off the pace from the outset.
In contrast they were all at it from the first minute. We knew from the semi and the league match how quickly they countered and didn’t seem set up to stop that from happening.
Pep has to shoulder a lot of the blame but it’s not all his fault. Over the years, in many one off games City have got over the line. Today seemed like Wigan - something was just not right and evident from minute one. He should have changed things much earlier, way before half time. There was no enforcer on the pitch and our talisman wasted.
After all the effort to get there and the performances on the way, for the campaign to end in such a limp performance is very odd. It’s as though individually and collectively, from players to management they weren’t able to cope with the occasion.
There’s a reason why very few teams win their first CL final.
Rodri and Ferna for starters!I don't think he'll lose the dressing room but there will definitely be players who start doubting him now
If you’re a player, I would imagine the Ballon D’Or is far from a silly little title.I don't know I don't care, this is the real world we are not playing top trumps.
Pep is a genius who has changed football and how it's played BUT he has serious flaws.
3 times losing to Ole, his record against Tommy T terrible, his record against Klopp poor.
I am not into silly little titles, best player, best stadium, best pitch
Well nothing changed with one in the 2nd half. It was exactly the same pattern of play. Chelsea left no space for us to play.We will never know, unfortunately.
I’d have started Aguero up front. No one would have been more fired up.having thought about it a bit more, I agree, the team selection was strange and had an impact but would starting Fernandinho have made a big difference? I think you have to give credit to Chelsea, the tactics and their players performances.
Standout players for Chelsea:
Reece had Sterling in his pocket all night
Chilwell was all over Mahrez like glue
Kante played like a man possessed
their midfield pretty much man marked KDB and Foden out of the game.
Even if Fernandinho or Rodri would have started Chelsea would still have stuck to their game plan of killing out attacking play
and If we don’t have an attacking threat we look vulnerable.
Im not so sure one player would have made a huge difference last night.
But in the semi final we played an almost total second string lineup. Starters included Mendy, Torres, Steffan, Laporte, Jesus, etc. The semi final in the FA cup wasn’t our usual first choice team either or shape either.Exactly, and Rodri started in that match. I've been saying the same all night.
Swindon at home.Halifax
ThisYou could tell that team had been thrown a curveball , they must have been thinking "where's our leader and wtf is he doing on the pitch?"
Sapped all their belief and mine in one fell swoop. Was feeling so tense till I heard the line up. That tension just evaporated as I realised we'd just thrown the CL final
Brain fart doesn't even begin to cover it