I felt angry and disappointed on the way home last night from the pub. We were terrible in the first half and throughout the second - couldn't keep hold of the ball, misdirected passes, terrible first touch and control. We didn't seem to have the same movement, accuracy and ball speed that Chelsea had. And we were the ones who had to score.
We had some debate as to what our tactics were - do we keep it tight for 60 minutes, dont conceed and then go at them in the last half hour? Do we try for an early goal and settle ourselves? Even when Drogba scored the first, it still didn't really change things for us - we still had to score.
Then we really had to chase the game. I thought Rafa had made some terrible mistakes with the substitutions. With the pitch the way it was, I thought our best chance was to play Gerrard out right (as he had been largely ineffective in the middle, dropping very deep), babel left and bring Crouch on alongside Torres. With 10 minutes to go we should have been relentlessly bombarding the Chelsea box with corsses for Crouch.
I mentioned on another thread how on the radio a caller said how Rafa had 3 strikers in the squad and finished the game with none of the 3 playing. Now I know people will come on and say that Babels goal justified his introduction - but why bring somebody on who has only been playing as a winger to play as a lone striker? It baffled me. And as for Pennant - don't get me started!
Couldnt have been very different with the Referee, Hyppia was fouled in the box - there was definate contact. First goal possibly offside? But as Carra said before the game - these are the little pieces of luck that win you games.
But it's a new day. Part of me is glad I wont have to go through a Utd / Liverpool final - I dont think I could cope. We've done wonders in the Champions League. But Rafa still baffles me.
We had some debate as to what our tactics were - do we keep it tight for 60 minutes, dont conceed and then go at them in the last half hour? Do we try for an early goal and settle ourselves? Even when Drogba scored the first, it still didn't really change things for us - we still had to score.
Then we really had to chase the game. I thought Rafa had made some terrible mistakes with the substitutions. With the pitch the way it was, I thought our best chance was to play Gerrard out right (as he had been largely ineffective in the middle, dropping very deep), babel left and bring Crouch on alongside Torres. With 10 minutes to go we should have been relentlessly bombarding the Chelsea box with corsses for Crouch.
I mentioned on another thread how on the radio a caller said how Rafa had 3 strikers in the squad and finished the game with none of the 3 playing. Now I know people will come on and say that Babels goal justified his introduction - but why bring somebody on who has only been playing as a winger to play as a lone striker? It baffled me. And as for Pennant - don't get me started!
Couldnt have been very different with the Referee, Hyppia was fouled in the box - there was definate contact. First goal possibly offside? But as Carra said before the game - these are the little pieces of luck that win you games.
But it's a new day. Part of me is glad I wont have to go through a Utd / Liverpool final - I dont think I could cope. We've done wonders in the Champions League. But Rafa still baffles me.
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