Chelsea (H) | Post-Match Thread

[Dribble]

My preference too. But and it’s a big but. I don’t think we have four season objectives. Four trophies granted. And that is probably what we,as fans,mostly think about.
Pep and the club want a squad of 22/23 players that can slot in at anytime against any opponent and win.
They need match fitness.
They need to play different positions.
They need to know our patterns of play.
Their task within the pattern.
They need to know our set plays.
They need to be trusted in big games.
They need to know we trust them in big games.
That’s an objective in itself. And it will be high up on the list.

And that’s along with the argument of players needing rest. Not giving away first hand experience of how we play. Giving players the chance to earn a medal.
The list goes on. The objectives are many.

An out and out striker is just not for us. And I have come round to the fact that I actually don’t want us to get one.
I like the way we play and I’ve accepted that my favourite players might not play.

I agree. We seem a stronger unit without a striker, albeit less dangerous as an out & out attacking force. I prefer the better balance we now have between attack & defence. What that means for the future of our strikers, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

As for rotation, we're at the business end of the season. Right now it's not about performances, but results & results bring prizes. There's many ways to close out the season. I'd have just preferred to have got the Premier League wrapped up, over & done with at our earliest opportunity, & then rested & rotated until the final.

 

[chedinho]

I agree. We seem a stronger unit without a striker, albeit less dangerous as an out & out attacking force. I prefer the better balance we now have between attack & defence. What that means for the future of our strikers, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

As for rotation, we're at the business end of the season. Right now it's not about performances, but results & results bring prizes. There's many ways to close out the season. I'd have just preferred to have got the Premier League wrapped up, over & done with at our earliest opportunity, & then rested & rotated until the final.

It is a bit disappointing that end to end games are going to become less frequent. We all love those especially if we win.
It also means Mendy is obsolete. Unless he can change his game dramatically not because he’s bad. It’s just the fact he only plays down the wing.

I will be as relieved as anyone when we get there. I’m just not sure which players will get us there yet.

 

[Fordyboy46]

It is a bit disappointing that end to end games are going to become less frequent. We all love those especially if we win.
It also means Mendy is obsolete. Unless he can change his game dramatically not because he’s bad. It’s just the fact he only plays down the wing.

I will be as relieved as anyone when we get there. I’m just not sure which players will get us there yet.

Believe me mate, Mendy is bad very bad

 

[chedinho]

Believe me mate, Mendy is bad very bad

I don’t believe you though.

I don’t think he’s suited to the way we want to set up. So we have to change to accommodate. Doesn’t help him and it doesn’t help the team.
Mendy suffers but zinchenco flourishes.
That’s football.

 

[MarsLlama]

Haha!

What, no smiley?!

Pep’s City?
Tuchel’s Chelsea?

Why not focus on the TEAMS, and realize that City played distinctly “second team” teams in both games.

Oh, and the second team on Saturday should have been 2-0 up at HT, and had a penalty before they got their second in the 93rd minute.

Even Tuchel admitted that if Aguero scores the game is over. Him not scoring gave them the impetus that our own players lacked…and even then we should have had a pen for 2-1, and the chances of a loss diminish to almost zero!

If both teams show up, City win. The end.

Now, it’s down to a one-off game for the CL, with both managers playing their best XI for the game. Absolutely nothing has changed that. Nothing.

Chelsea are a very good team, and there's no real reason to suspect that the tactics that beat our 2nd string XI couldn't beat our first team. They worked against Real Madrid after all. And United, playing essentially a worse version of the same tactic, regularly beat our best XI.

I'm seeing a whole lot of unfounded arrogance on here.

 

[MarsLlama]

Most of them wont have played them,but they will have played and beaten, Dortmund and PSG, and won the league so doubt they would have any inferiority complex about playing them.
Would expect them to be confident in that they are better than Chelsea.

Chelsea are far, far better than Dortmund and also a fair bit better than PSG.

 

[blueparrot]

Chelsea are far, far better than Dortmund and also a fair bit better than PSG.

Both debatable , but they definitely aren’t far better. In both the semi final and Saturday we more or less matched them with very weakened teams, when we play them in the final there will be 8 or 9 changes from both teams.
Doubt the 11 that play the final will feel they are facing a team they should fear, respect but not fear.

 

[MarsLlama]

Both debatable , but they definitely aren’t far better. In both the semi final and Saturday we more or less matched them with very weakened teams, when we play them in the final there will be 8 or 9 changes from both teams.
Doubt the 11 that play the final will feel they are facing a team they should fear, respect but not fear.

Yeah, we matched them and they still won, because we're vulnerable to teams like them- teams that take their chances and defend well. That applies to our best XI too. Remember the derby? In fact most of the derbies over the last years?

I don't see what I'm missing when I say there's absolutely no reason Chelsea couldn't repeat the feat in the final.

 

[blueparrot]

Yeah, we matched them and they still won, because we're vulnerable to teams like them- teams that take their chances and defend well. That applies to our best XI too. Remember the derby? In fact most of the derbies over the last years?

I don't see what I'm missing when I say there's absolutely no reason Chelsea couldn't repeat the feat in the final.

There are loads of reasons, not to say we can’t lose we can, but we are favourites, because we are better than them. Do they have better players than Haaland , Mbappe, Neymar at breaking no. So yes they scored 3 in the 2 games against us mainly because we didn’t play Walker and Zinchenko, we also didn’t play a front 5 that presses like KDB ,Bernardo, Foden Gundogan Mahrez In the final we will.

 

[ctwrd]

There are loads of reasons, not to say we can’t lose we can, but we are favourites, because we are better than them. Do they have better players than Haaland , Mbappe, Neymar at breaking no. So yes they scored 3 in the 2 games against us mainly because we didn’t play Walker and Zinchenko, we also didn’t play a front 5 that presses like KDB ,Bernardo, Foden Gundogan Mahrez In the final we will.

Exactly.
Many seasons at the end sides look back on SF results as being the big hurdle.
If we win, it will be the Dortmund and PSG games where we jumped that hurdle.
Pep and the players won’t approach it like that.
And it’s not arrogance for us to admit we are better than Chelsea that’s just a fact.
It doesn’t matter either, we’re not the ones playing.
Anyone who thinks the players will underestimate Chelsea doesn’t know our team