Champions League Semi-Finals

[Marvin]

Re: Champions League Semi-Fina

They were in managerial disarray last season and spent more than we did although they recovered a lot of money from the sale of Mata and De Bruyne

You can't criticise their performance in Europe though. They got an easy group but they got to the semis, and in big games they have the experience that usually sees them through. The manager gets the credit but I think an awful lot of it comes from having great leaders on the pitch. You could see how much that game meant to Terry tonight for example.

 

[supercrystal7]

Re: Champions League Semi-Fina

They were in managerial disarray last season and spent more than we did although they recovered a lot of money from the sale of Mata and De Bruyne

You can't criticise their performance in Europe though. They got an easy group but they got to the semis, and in big games they have the experience that usually sees them through. The manager gets the credit but I think an awful lot of it comes from having great leaders on the pitch. You could see how much that game meant to Terry tonight for example.

I agree with this, but their leaders are in decline and they are having to build a new team. Mourinho was the one who built this team and it lasted until 2012. He is also the one, who built the Madrid team, but to be fair to Ancelotti he has made it his own.

Terry, Lampard, Drogba, Cole, Cech, Essien, Mikel and even Kalou are all out or fading. It's a new team being built on the back of the likes of Hazard, Oscar, Cesar and Cahill.

The Liverpool game was an interesting example of this. Mikel for all his critics dealt with the pressure so easily, but Salah and Schurrle to an extent struggled with the pressure.

 

[carayip]

When I see Courtois, I feel envy that Chelsea spotted such a talent and got him so cheap.

They buy every talented youngster for millions and then loan them out. And probably get 1 out of 50 of those to make it back to the first team eventually. You think it's cheap?

 

[CitizenTID]

 

[bobmcfc]

They were crap tonight.