CL Semi Final - Post Match Musings

[valoi]

Is correct.

This match was all about matchups and we lost this match because we lost the battles between...

Alonso/Gerrard/Mascher vs. Ballack/Lampard/Makelele-- Makelele could afford to man mark Gerrard all night because Xabi posed no threat going forward at all. Xabi did nothing. The half-chance at the death that he scuffed for a goal kick says it all. He has no confidence. None. Meanwhile Ballack and Lampard traded runs forward all night and while one was patrolling the midfield, the other was attacking. Their interchangability limited Mascher's effectiveness (although he was still very good, considering) meanwhile Mascher's opposite, Makelele, had nothing to fear from Xabi at all and shut down Gerrard. Great tactics; Let Alonso beat you. And he couldn't even come close. Odds that we'd ever see Xabi in the box, fighting for a loose ball and winning a penalty? ZERO..

So wrong!

Alonso was good today. The lad ran 1400 meters doing all the dirty work we needed to get back in to the game.. it was not his fault!
He made one bad touch at the end of the game.. This just shows how you are incapable of judging him be the whole game.

Other players let us down today...

[FatTony]

Cech, Terry, Cole, Carvalho, Cole, Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Makelele, Kalou and Drogba.

Reina, Carra, Skrtel, Agger, Mascher, Gerrard, Alonso, Torres

I don't think we are that far behind personally. And I don't believe that it is all about individuals either, as Real Madrid proved during the Galactico era. There's no comparison between Kuyt and Kalou, but neither could play the other one's role in their respective teams.

I disagree completely, we're a country mile behind. We're a good 5 players down on them, and this is not having a pop or a knee jerk reaction. There are players on our starting line up who wouldn't get on their bench.

[Darkon]

I am so disappointed as of now, had my hopes way up after the second half of normal time...

We played a ****ty first half, picked ourselfs up well in the second!

Yossi did well to create the goal, but besides that did not do much...

Why did torres get subbed when we get behind 2-1???

Why did everybody except gerrard and babel look like they had given up with the second half of overtime left to play??? Really dissapointed about that, never give up untill its over!!!

Anywho, I sorta think chelski deserved the win tonight (sorry as i am to say it...)

[billd]

Bollocks.

This game could have gone either way. It was a great match up. We lost the roll of the dice. It was that close. In their back ****ing yard.

Our fans made more noise than the rest of the stadium for pretty much the whole match.

ALL the subs Rafa made, made complete sense!

Once Lumplard put it to 2-1, it was never going to be about pens. The game from then on, from our point of view, was going to be won from fresh legs. As was demonstrated five minutes towards the end from Babel.

If Sami had got that pen, we would be in the final.

Spot On
It was a slippy pitch, and we were pretty much in control from the second half on.

The game could have gone either way.

[Darkon]

Oh and to add on it.... Essien was the big difference between last week and tonigt!! he ran it against us tonight...

[Robster007]

I disagree completely, we're a country mile behind. We're a good 5 players down on them, and this is not having a pop or a knee jerk reaction. There are players on our starting line up who wouldn't get on their bench.

Harsh, and the timing could be better, but fair.

[rage]

So wrong!

Alonso was good today. The lad ran 1400 meters doing all the dirty work we needed to get back in to the game.. it was not his fault!
He made one bad touch at the end of the game.. This just shows how you are incapable of judging him be the whole game.

Other players let us down today...

alonso played with bottle. he played well.

we lacked movement, gerrard was missing and pennant and kuyt didn't offer enough options.

alonso would be world class in everyones eyes if we had better movement

[Joe King]

I disagree completely, we're a country mile behind. We're a good 5 players down on them, and this is not having a pop or a knee jerk reaction. There are players on our starting line up who wouldn't get on their bench.

We still have joke players who would be considered as squad players in other top 4 teams.

[bigfooty]

First of all I think tonight proved the 4-2-3-1 doesn't work. The goal aside we created very little and what we did create usually ended up with a lone striker in the box competing against two or three defenders. Torres got run into the ground and ended up injuring himself by the sounds of it on a bog of a pitch when the aerial route to Crouch would have made sense.

The introduction of Pennant was for me a puzzling one. Babel is clearly the great goal threat and a better player overall, so why he didn't come on and why it was Yossi that went off I'll never know. Yossi looked better playing on the right considering he is after all right footed. Quite why he was picked to play left I really don't know because he cut inside all the fist-half and did very little down the wing.

All in all this was definitely an opportunity missed. We played poorly in the first half but could have won it in regulation time if we'd gone for it. Instead we didn't and Chelsea got re-organised and that was where things chagned.

[Norbs]

Agree, hate to say it but Terry & Dogba will play an important part in beating the Mancs

which must happen at all costs

Sorry but I'd rather see the scumbags win it. Chelsea deserve nothing, they are a bunch of cheating cunts.

Man U have played some great football this season and Ronaldo is no where near the diver Drogba is. I'd absolutely hate to see Chelsea win this now.

The best result would be neither to win it and the game to be abandoned but unfortunately that aint going to happen.

Terry constantly gets away with leading with his arm, for that alone they deserve to lose. They are more hateful than Man U, as individuals

[calvoboy]

I disagree completely, we're a country mile behind. We're a good 5 players down on them, and this is not having a pop or a knee jerk reaction. There are players on our starting line up who wouldn't get on their bench.

I reckon we are only two or three behind their first eleven. We'll never match their squad though regardless of who takes over ownership, as we haven't got that sort of money, so we may as well give up now if you think it is just down to player for player comparisons on paper.

[Norbs]

Don't want to hear the words ghost goal again. ****ing offside goal and should have been a penalty.

*******s

We were lucky not to concede a penalty against Arsenal. WGACA, sadly.

Why was Alonso putting in tackles and Mascherano fedding through balls, it was all arse about face

[valoi]

alonso played with bottle. he played well.

we lacked movement, gerrard was missing and pennant and kuyt didn't offer enough options.

alonso would be world class in everyones eyes if we had better movement

Absolutely right

No movement from the front 4.

Cant blame Xabi.

[Tatterdemalion]

as much as it pains me i'm unsure who i want to win, for certain i want scholes to take out dogba

My Chelsea fan mate convinced me I have to root for them in the final, and he was right.

We really don't want Man U to win the double of champs league and premier. We really don't want them getting no.3 and really don't want to give Fergie a peak to the end of his career. Chelsea have to win in Moscow, as much as it pains me.

Mind, I don't think Man U will sleep too well in their hotel rooms in Moscow...

[tufty]

sorry mate but my second team is 'anyone playing against Manure'