Chelsea (a) post match thread

[Armaan]

I wouldn't say we were the better team in the second half, that second half went exactly how conte had planned it to go.

 

[madden150]

I wasn't going to bother posting again this season but I am so annoyed I feel I must. Guardiola has fucked this season up big time. On the evidence so far he is a total myth. The same players fucking up week in week out. the left back is costing us every game, the right back position is a joke, playing navas there takes the fucking biscuit. Ferandiniho is a busted flush and as for De Bruyne what does he have to do to get dropped (the birth of his son my hole) , he's been atrocious for months. No urgency and the press is non existent and if all that wasn't enough you have the goalkeeping situation. Pep could hardly do any worse with the players he has at his disposal. Truly shocking.

It might be truly shameful old chap but give Luton fc their dues they deserved their giant killing scalp today. Must dash.....

 

[Roy Hamilton]

I'm struggling to get my head around a fair bit of what is being written here. It's obviously frustrating that we lost, all the more so coming on the back of essentially tossing two points away at Arsenal. But the performance today was far better. First half, some of the football was excellent, and we were cutting through their lines almost at will. Conte was obviously worried about it, hence why he brought Matic on. But we played into their hands by gifting them two goals through poor individual mistakes (as ever).

Once they managed to get in at half-time ahead (undeservedly) and make the sub, it was always going to be difficult in the second half as they just dropped deep, closed off any space behind and tried to keep us at bay. And it's something they're fucking good at- it's one of the reasons they've been pissing the league since Autumn. The idea that we should be able to carve them open at will when they're playing like that is unrealistic. And yet we did still create opportunities - Fernandinho missed a gilt-edged chance, Stones did too, and had a clear header he should have done better with, Vinny hit the bar, and Aguero had the chance at the end. That's five good/very good chances in a single half against the top side in the country, away from home, when they're just set up to defend. And it leaves aside the other 'half' chances where we got in, put balls acroos the box but they were dealt with through good defending.

So the criticism today seems a bit misplaced to me. There was nothing naive about the way we played - had we been more 'pragmatic', defended deeper, stuck Fernando in midfield to 'shore things up' etc., there's still every chance that Willy would have been called on to try to save a simple shot straight at him, or Fernandinho to judge a tackle in the box. No system is ever going to stop that.

You could perhaps argue that he might have made the subs earlier. That's fair enough. But we were well on top, and there was fuck all space for Sterling to try and run into anyway. So I can understand why you would want to keep on those players who can produce something from in front of their defence - i.e. Silva, De Bruyne.

Shit, even the criticism of our set-pieces, which is usually warranted, wasn't tonight - three of our chances in the second half all came directly from corners or free-kicks.

Absolutely spot on in everything.
Not to mention Deans refusal to book them. Silva was ( as usual ) systematically fouled all match - it took till extra time for Kante to be booked.

 

[uteblue]

What, you mean a defender trying to block a shot? Who'd of thought it eh? Who's delp?

You're so witty, typing on a cell phone and it auto enters something you didn't right and you pointed that out, why don't you go through hear and correct everyone that'll be a scream

 

[daztrueblue91]

He played out wide right and on the inside right tonight and had a shocker bar a few decent dead balls, he needs dropped. Problem is with Gundogan out there's nobody to bring in.

I'm thinking more long term.

The Silva - De Brunye CM partnership doesn't work. They are too similar and neither make any forward off the ball runs. That's why we need someone like Isco, or like you said Gundogan. We also need a top class midfield pivot who can defend and pick a pass.

IMO there will be no room for KDB in the central areas, however his delivery is world class and he could be utilised out wide in a more effective manner.

 

[Blue and Proud]

Beating Barcelona seems a very long time ago

 

[BlueMoonz1977]

It will be interesting to see how long Guardiola persists with this tippy-tappy stuff. I can admire him for sticking to his principles, but there comes a time to try something different (like actually getting the ball in the net). Presumably he thinks he can buy his way out of trouble in the summer, and maybe he can. God knows, something has to happen.

you need to go and watch the pep docu about when he took over Barcelona to understand

 

[FanchesterCity]

If we take this game in isolation - then I thought we played quite well, it could have gone either way, and we gave them a real test...

If we take this game in a wider context of matches against top rivals, then it's more of the same - could have, would have, should have - but we didn't. We're just lacking a little more aggression, and the ability to manage a game better.

In the end, Chelsea will be worthy champions. I'd like to think Gundogan, Kompany and Jesus injuries cost us - but ultimately, I just think we're in a rebuilding phase, and not quite good enough at the moment. Next season looks promising, but the competition is stiff. We are going to have to work bloody hard to win another title (and rightly so).

 

[blueinsa]

How is he the best. Because he took the biggest team in Spain to the title or the biggest team in Germany to the title.

You could get a job with Sky or BT do you know that?

 

[Metalartin]

As much as I like Clichy, Sagna, Zaba and Kolorov, I don't like to see them given abuse as they are all good guys IMO.. but our failure to plan for their decline has really cost us this season, it can't be blamed on Pep for me we are a team that builds from the back and we are making do with what we have for now out of necessity, when you're making do you can't really expect to excel at what you're trying to achieve.

It probably hasn't helped that we have struggled to strengthen at CB for so long but really we are in a position where we need 4 side backs asap the sad thing is we probably aren't going to beable to do that all in one transfer window.