Discuss Pellegrini....

[Marvin]

Just seen the presser.

Pelle thought we didn't deserve to lose.... thought he didn't do mind games.

Remember how good we were until Chelsea scored? You can only dream of playing like that.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

I thought Chelsea were better coached in almost all departments.

Similar to Bayern München at home, with Eto'o coming deep they had 6 v 4 in midfield. Against Dimichelis and Yaya in the deeper area if our midfield it was 4 v 2 with Eto'o Hazard Ramires and Wilian occupying that area to great effect. Sometimes it was 5 v 2 as one of Luis and Matić came and made another number in that area. Even if a full back or a forward mid came in to help our central midfield out that just freed up space for Luis to control the game or it allowed one of their forwards to exploit the area on the wing the full back had left.

Then there were times when those front four took it in turns to get back and defend deeper in a group of three to help out Luis and Matić and it was 5 v 4 in their favour before we could even get into their last third.

All game their extra man in midfield was picking up every single second ball situation. Sometimes it just landed in their area as they had the time to just walk and get it, at other times they sprinted and showed far greater determination to go and win the second ball. We didn't look up for the fight tonight in that respect.

I thought Džeko and Negredo were hopeless at dropping deep to receive a pass in the first half which ended up seeing Yaya and Dimichelis have to pass sideways or backwards too often because there was nobody to pass to. Chelsea started sniffing this was happening and started pressing both of them more and more as the half went on. They strangled the life out of our midfield in the last twenty minutes of the first half.
Jovetić made that problem lessen somewhat when he came on but we were shit in the final third in the second half.

I liken that performance and tactical display to Southampton away. Chelsea aren't as good a passing side as Southampton so we still saw a fair bit of the ball compared to that game but the same problems were evident in both games.

I'm very disappointed with the manager tonight.

 

[pudge]

If there is to be one, stubbornness will be his downfall

 

[KiLP12]

Our lack of depth clearly shows in the defensive frame of any position such as CDM and CB and if those get resolved then nothing can stop us. Clear fact and to start Fernando was needed in the winter transfer window and Mangala could've waited during the summer. But this is how I see it. Pellegrini did everything he could, he subbed Negredo for Jovetic which gave a little more spark and cover but not enough clearly with out style of play requiring very fit CDMs and CBs. It's Pellegrini's first season, give him time and he'll assure all of us that we're in for trophies for many seasons to come.

 

[Blue Hefner]

He was schooled by Jose who seems to have his number.

I keep hearing this about him 'getting the better of ' Pelligrini but the game at SB would have been a draw but for Hart and I'll accept today that he got the better of us(we also had injuries). But whilst they were in Spain Mourinho managed Real Madrid and Pelligrini managed Malaga. Mourinho is bound to have won more games given the respective teams

 

[BillyShears]

Just got back and I feel quite upbeat, although dosappointed. The absences of fernandinho and aguero were huge, and we had an unsolvable problem. - which has been on the cards all year- with fernandinho's injury. The only option was de Michelis which left nastasic as the only option at centre half. And his confidence is shot. They flooded the final third to stymy our creativity and did it well, but we were desperately unlucky not to go a goal or two up on the first 25 minutes before they settled. Then our heads went.

I thought clichy should have started, although kolorov was our best outlet first half . And I thought jovetic should have started, but to cut the manager some slack, I don't know how fit he is.

He changed the game because he gave us an extra body in the congested problem area but more than that, extra guile. In the second half we could easily have equalised - but easily conceded too.

Mourinho, the wily old ****, made the whole game about him, the media, the fans, even our own bloody fans fell for it and he came out of it looking like a genius. But I think pellegrini just suffered from one of those nights. With Sergio running at their back two, and fernandinho snapping around the back of our midfield, this would have been a different game.

One of those nights. We move on, get players back and carry on winning games. There was very little else pellegrini could have done to change tonight. Milner in central midfield? Maybe. Bit clearly the manager doesn't fancy him there as he doesn't keep possession very well.

There's a damn good reason we were trying to sign a centre half and a holding midfielder in January.

Agree with everything there. On Milner, I already posted that I do not think he would have won as much ball as MDM or retain possession as well as MDM. Milner might have covered more ground and might have played a creative pass or two but, all in all, I do not think he would have improved things one jot in the middle.

MP's not been shy to play Milner when necessary, I believe he trusts him. I suspect he wasn't quite fit enough and with the number of injuries we're picking up at present it would've been daft to risk him and leave a fully fit forward on the bench.

I would've started with Jovetic but again it's difficult to gauge just how fit he is. He showed a couple of bursts of energy tonight when he came on, but then looked knackered for a couple minutes afterwards each time.

It confounds me that anyone would think Mourinho played a tactical blinder tonight. He did exactly what anyone would've predicted. He made himself out to look a genius for no other reason than we weren't anywhere near our best going forward, and yet still Silva missed practically an open goal, a sitter from seven yards or so out, and Yaya contrived to miss the perfect cross for a tap in.

 

[Marvin]

I thought Chelsea were better coached in almost all departments.

Similar to Bayern München at home, with Eto'o coming deep they had 6 v 4 in midfield. Against Dimichelis and Yaya in the deeper area if our midfield it was 4 v 2 with Eto'o Hazard Ramires and Wilian occupying that area to great effect. Sometimes it was 5 v 2 as one of Luis and Matić came and made another number in that area. Even if a full back or a forward mid came in to help our central midfield out that just freed up space for Luis to control the game or it allowed one of their forwards to exploit the area on the wing the full back had left.

Then there were times when those front four took it in turns to get back and defend deeper in a group of three to help out Luis and Matić and it was 5 v 4 in their favour before we could even get into their last third.

All game their extra man in midfield was picking up every single second ball situation. Sometimes it just landed in their area as they had the time to just walk and get it, at other times they sprinted and showed far greater determination to go and win the second ball. We didn't look up for the fight tonight in that respect.

I thought Džeko and Negredo were hopeless at dropping deep to receive a pass in the first half which ended up seeing Yaya and Dimichelis have to pass sideways or backwards too often because there was nobody to pass to. Chelsea started sniffing this was happening and started pressing both of them more and more as the half went on. They strangled the life out of our midfield in the last twenty minutes of the first half.
Jovetić made that problem lessen somewhat when he came on but we were shit in the final third in the second half.

I liken that performance and tactical display to Southampton away. Chelsea aren't as good a passing side as Southampton so we still saw a fair bit of the ball compared to that game but the same problems were evident in both games.

I'm very disappointed with the manager tonight.

We fell away badly in the game. Not sure that has anything to do with the manager.

 

[jake28]

Showed up by Mourinho tonight. People can bury their heads in the sand but he was shite tonight. Left the midfield in the shit. Can't blame the players,each and every one of them played their hearts out but were hung out to dry by Pellers.

 

[BlueAnorak]

Complete brain fart by Pellegrini tonight. Real "Rabbit in Headlights" stuff. I simply don't understand why he didn't try and change it.

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

Just seen the presser.

Pelle thought we didn't deserve to lose.... thought he didn't do mind games.

Remember how good we were until Chelsea scored? You can only dream of playing like that.

Not really. Some of our interchange was awesome but the finishing was er..um shit.
But we leave this one behind and move on.

 

[Balti]

Just seen the presser.

Pelle thought we didn't deserve to lose.... thought he didn't do mind games.

Remember how good we were until Chelsea scored? You can only dream of playing like that.

Not really. Some of our interchange was awesome but the finishing was er..um shit.
But we leave this one behind and move on.

was that the inerchange between the defense and the awfense....?

awesome

ossum

 

[mayo31]

Just seen the presser.

Pelle thought we didn't deserve to lose.... thought he didn't do mind games.

Remember how good we were until Chelsea scored? You can only dream of playing like that.

Not really. Some of our interchange was awesome but the finishing was er..um shit.
But we leave this one behind and move on.

Sense spoken but you may be on your own, except for me.

 

[BillyShears]

Some of our interchange was awesome but the finishing was er..um shit.

Sums up why we didn't get anything from the game today.

Maybe we were due a game where the ball simply wasn't going to go in.

 

[Rammy Blue]

MP's hands were tied to a certain degree tonight although he has to be open to an element of criticism for his selection and tactics.

I've watched Terry's post match comments and he mentions that they've spent 2 full days analyzing our strengths and weaknesses. Once Fern was ruled out then MP should have realised he had to play a different team and formation, mix it up and catch them off guard.

As has been said, I think he should have gone with Clichy and if he was to play Martin then he needed to only play 1 up and either play Jovetic or Jimmy to give the extra body deep.

In the actual game though, I thought Chelsea were excellent. We were shit scared of Hazard all evening and they were just faster and stronger all over the park.

We really missed Sergio as both Terry and Cahill are relatively slow yet they could push up without worry as Dzeko and the Beast were incapable of going beyond them.

Just a bad night at the office where we needed a stroke of luck that was just never coming.

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

Remember how good we were until Chelsea scored? You can only dream of playing like that.

Not really. Some of our interchange was awesome but the finishing was er..um shit.
But we leave this one behind and move on.

was that the inerchange between the defense and the awfense....?

awesome

ossum

That's the one possum.

 

[SiMCFC]

Hopefully he begins to coach corners at some point this season, both attacking abd defending them!

 

[Damien10]

Hopefully he begins to coach corners at some point this season, both attacking abd defending them!

Harsh. Today's corners were not great but it happens.

 

[Balti]

Hopefully he begins to coach corners at some point this season, both attacking abd defending them!

Harsh. Today's corners were not great but it happens.

No

 

[Damien10]

Hopefully he begins to coach corners at some point this season, both attacking abd defending them!

Harsh. Today's corners were not great but it happens.

No

no?
Manchester City currently have 14 goals from set pieces. Only Liverpool have more with 15.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

MP's hands were tied to a certain degree tonight although he has to be open to an element of criticism for his selection and tactics.

I've watched Terry's post match comments and he mentions that they've spent 2 full days analyzing our strengths and weaknesses. Once Fern was ruled out then MP should have realised he had to play a different team and formation, mix it up and catch them off guard.

As has been said, I think he should have gone with Clichy and if he was to play Martin then he needed to only play 1 up and either play Jovetic or Jimmy to give the extra body deep.

In the actual game though, I thought Chelsea were excellent. We were shit scared of Hazard all evening and they were just faster and stronger all over the park.

We really missed Sergio as both Terry and Cahill are relatively slow yet they could push up without worry as Dzeko and the Beast were incapable of going beyond them.

Just a bad night at the office where we needed a stroke of luck that was just never coming.

Dead right about Sergio. You hoof up down the throats of terry and cahill and it will come back to you all day. You run at them like Sergio can and they're in trouble. I thought this was a game for jovetic to start.

Worst news than the result is the fernandinho injury for 3-4 weeks. We might have to change system to ride it out. We might even need to prioritise the FA Cup game over the CL, our injury situation is so bad.

I'm gutted about it. Totally agree wih your conclusion too: bad night at the office. It wouldn't fall for us in the box at all. We should have been 2-0 up before they scored.