FA Cup Final - Post Game thread

[Craig]

.....attractive yes, but we lacked the control in CL games to win them.

This team slaughtered Munich and Madrid last year to get us to Istanbul.

Cup tie football or CUP WINNERS !!

The other team lost a freak game against Spurs. Last year we were pretty lucky in the final.This year we couldn’t break down the rags or Real Madrid at home despite having plenty of control. I’m not trying to knock this side they’ve done incredibly well and have the records to prove it. I just don’t think because one ends up with a European Cup it proves conclusively it’s better than another. Cup comps freak things can happen. You only have to look at the twice Chelsea have won it. Also we never stop hearing about the rags 99 team but their 2008 side was better.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Anyone feel the fans are hurting more than the players?

No but I’d imagine the fans are moaning more than the players. I’m fucking gutted, and the players had an off day yesterday, but a team that goes 35 games undefeated is still fucking marvellous. Just a shame we had an awful off day yesterday.

Edit even with the team having an off day with a fair ref we’ve probably won that game

 

[jimharri]

More often than not, that is because our opposition string 2 lines of 5 across the pitch, the games are generally exciting when a team tries to have a go against us.

But how many do that?

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Can’t wait for next season now

 

[jimharri]

It was Ortega and Gvardiol at fault for that first goal though wasn’t it? For me that was the single most important crucial turning point on the whole game. It gave their players belief and that bit extra energy, desire etc after they had been written off beforehand.

For us, I just think we were going back to the well once too often, and there just wasn’t enough there this time. A match too far.

That first goal was 100% Ortega's fault. Gvardiol had that situation totally under control; a simple header back to the keeper. Ortega had no business being out there

 

[Edghill OG]

Could have played 30 minutes and we wouldn’t of scored

That wasn't the point of the post. Merely pointing out the inconsistencies between the time allocated at the conclusion of each half to actual time wasted.

Disagree though anyway. Hit woodwork, Onana saving from Walker, Alvarez missing sitter etc. There was a period of about 10 minutes when we could easily have scored 3 goals and this thread would be entirely different. If we'd got that equaliser I think we'd have embarrassed them in extra time.

 

[bernard o'silver]

Glad he had a good time, my first Wembley visit was a defeat, went back 2 years later to watch us win.

Wolves 1974, Newcastle 1976 mine
too ?

 

[Blue Maverick]

Has any footage of that first minute great defensive challenge on Haaland been airbrushed from reality?

Wasn’t Foden pushed in the back as well

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

Yes we have just won 4 in a row but you can't tell me that the standard of our football this last season has matched that of our trophy winning seasons in the last 6 years.

Yet again we've made history but it's been a hard watch at times. You'd have to be blind to see that we've simply not been as effective as we have been in previous seasons. As yesterday and the Arsenal game showed, teams now know that if they stay deep and compact we will struggle.

I think what's been more noticeable this season is the relative bluntness of our attacking options against those 'better' teams and conversely how exposed we've been at the back. We have a no.9, who, despite his size, seems to spend 90% of his time on his arse, and a support striker, who, for all that he's a decent finisher, doesn't have a change of gear. There's a real dearth of pace in midfield as well (Bernie, Rodders, Kova, Jack and even now Kev), which means creating a supply line down the flanks has been difficult too. In a way we've been perhaps fortunate that Doku has developed as quickly as he has.
And of course the slow build up has on occasion left us with our full backs stranded way up the pitch. United, Chelsea and to a lesser degree Arsenal, have all played a variation of a false 9 with absolute fliers out wide to take advantage. Hopefully Pep will look at it all and come up with another inventive solution for next season, but I reckon we could see some changes in the summer to give us some proper energy. You could see what was coming yesterday after about 5 minutes with Bernie and Gvardiol providing the width and Ake, who, despite having had a fine season, has zero pace, alongside a visibly rusty and unusually inelegant John Stones at the back

 

[Vialli98]

Every cloud

I know you hate Chelsea but the feeling isn’t mutual no matter how hard you try to make it so :)