Chelsea Post Match Thread.

[Nicey]

Shocking decision to leave Lucas on for the full 90 and take Mascherano off. He is a liability and offers nothing to our game. Hopefully Rafa sees sense and gets rid of during the summer.

Also, its time for Agger to get a proper run in the team and give Skrtel a rest.

I have to question a guy who names himself after a player he constantly berates Lucas has a great game last night and was more the holding his own, he also's offers more going forward as was proven.

[twistnkuyt]

Why the **** was there only 3mins added on. 6 goals in the second half is 3 mins then there are subs and time wasted by that cheating cunt, then to make matters worse he wastes half the ****ing time added on.

****ing superb effort by the redmen tho, even the mancs I was working with during the match couldn't bring themselves to take the piss after that

[Reece]

Why the **** was there only 3mins added on. 6 goals in the second half is 3 mins then there are subs and time wasted by that cheating cunt, then to make matters worse he wastes half the ****ing time added on.

Was just about to say the same thing myself. 6 goals, at least 4 subs - that's 5 minutes before you even count any of Drogba's antics.

Not that it would have made that much difference really but still.

[Pablo]

Shocking decision to leave Lucas on for the full 90 and take Mascherano off. He is a liability and offers nothing to our game. Hopefully Rafa sees sense and gets rid of during the summer.

Still nice username though eh.

[ric.williams]

why is lucas always the scapegoat?

[Will]

I would of liked to of seen Babel come on earlier but i can have no complaints really, the damage was done in the first leg. Im extreamly proud that we gave them a freight and battled and took them all the way and we did deserve to win lastnight. All in all dissapointed to be out but the lads gave there all and i can have no complaints. Keep ya chin up and lets give Arsenal a goin over.

[Will]

why is lucas always the scapegoat?

He was the man to link up with Torres lastnight, he was in Stevies position, and he never really did. I thought he would of went with babel off the striker or on the left and Yossi off Torres. Lucas scored and it was his best game in mths id say.

[Tee]

Hate to say this after the monumental effort put in by the team, but Torres was ever so slightly disappointing last night. Maybe he is not quite physically ready for 2 quick games in succession?

[Will]

Hate to say this after the monumental effort put in by the team, but Torres was ever so slightly disappointing last night. Maybe he is not quite physically ready for 2 quick games in succession?

Look at our goals? all from midfielders and Torres got no service and Lucas shudve been providing him with it considering he was the link between midfield and attack. Id like to off seen Kuyt come inside more and get across the fullback and dart into the box.

[kev776]

Dogbreath.

[FatTony]

The worrying aspect for me is the defence in these games, cut apart by their attacking flair. Fair enough we scored 4, but thats 2 games on the trott where they've taken us apart. To concede 7 in two games is awful.

Still, a top effort without doubt.

Lucas? I thought he did quite well last night.

[Will]

go brush your teeth then.

[Roboklopp]

Not that it means a jot - we're quick to dismiss it when it doesn't favour us - but the headlines and coverage are all about us.

Quote:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...5875-21278953/

Liverpool did not surrender meekly last night. No matter what the odds against them, there was never a chance of that. Never ever.

Not with everyone of them wearing a black armband to remind them of the heavy significance of today's date.

Not with their loyal supporters massed at The Shed End of Stamford Bridge and their banners of remembrance draped proudly over the hoardings between the two tiers.

Not with Steven Gerrard, their captain, who lost a young cousin at Hillsborough, sitting in the directors' box with club officials, gripped by the action even though he was missing the game through injury.

Not with Jamie Carragher, a man who feels the heartbeat of his city every time he plays, taking Gerrard's place at the head of his side and playing like a rock in the centre of their defence.

Liverpool's players set out to pay tribute to the 96 fans who died at the Leppings Lane End last night by striving to overturn what seemed like an insurmountable deficit and recreate the Miracle of Istanbul.

And even though emotions will be raw at Anfield this afternoon when a memorial service will be held to honour those who were killed, there was also something intensely moving about the events that unfolded in west London last night.

This is a Liverpool team for whom the impossible has become almost routine in the European Cup but, nevertheless, there was something magical about what occurred in the first half in particular.

Rafa Benitez, the Liverpool manager, may not be a particularly emotional man and many of his players may have no connection to what happened at Hillsborough.

But Benitez has a special bond with this club and its supporters.

You only needed to see them carrying icons of him through the streets of the city when his job was under threat to realise that.

Or to see the emotion on the face of his wife, Montse, when the Kop sings You'll Never Walk Alone to know that managing Liverpool is more than just a job to Benitez and his family. However cold and analytical he can be, he will have made sure that each of his players knew that today is the most important day in Liverpool's season, the day when the city comes together in mourning and in grief.

And in continuing anger for the justice they have not yet achieved for those who died.

That is why another banner hung among the Liverpool fans.

It did not mention Hillsborough but its sub-text was clear. It said simply 'Defiance'.

And that is what Liverpool showed last night. They were quite magnificent in their defiance. Wonderful in their point-blank refusal to accept they were chasing a lost cause.

And so, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the darkest day in the club's history, its players set about trying to achieve one of its most heroic results.

Real acts of heroism, of course, occurred on the pitch at Hillsborough two decades ago as Liverpool fans did everything they could to aid the dead and dying. But in a football context, Liverpool's indefatigability at the home of their bitter rivals on this night of all nights was inspiring to witness.

They may not have mustered a shot for the first 10 minutes but they soon made up for that.

Without their captain John Terry and intimidated by the sense of mission that Liverpool carried with them into the game, Chelsea froze.

Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, with a penalty, scored inside half an hour and suddenly disbelief spread around Stamford Bridge as the visiting fans went wild.

People stared at each other open-mouthed as the possibility that Liverpool could pull off another of the greatest football comebacks of all time grew closer.

But their epic pursuit faltered when goals from Didier Drogba, Alex and Frank Lampard made it 3-2 on the night.

But Liverpool would not give up. Never ever. Not last night.

Lucas scored to make it 3-3 and the pursuit began again. Then Dirk Kuyt put them 4-3 up. Even when Lampard scored again, Liverpool never gave up.

Not on one of the most remarkable nights of European football history. Never. Not last night.


Oliver Holt:

This sums it up completely for me, not the pointless micro-analysis & criticisms/scapegoating of players. The article had me watery-eyed in the office ffs.

The lads played like lions last night- I am once again proud as I can be to be a Red- and it was as fitting a football tribute as we could have expected in the circumstances.

For me, despite the result last night sums up exactly how lucky we are to be Liverpool supporters - and certainly not Chelsea ones!

[Tee]

The worrying aspect for me is the defence in these games, cut apart by their attacking flair. Fair enough we scored 4, but thats 2 games on the trott where they've taken us apart. To concede 7 in two games is awful.

Still, a top effort without doubt.

Lucas? I thought he did quite well last night.

TBF when you are chasing a game like we were last night we left ourselves open so the goals against us last night do not worry me as much.

[The Birdman]

I thought we were brilliant.
Shoots down the myth that we are a '2 man team' Gerrard was injured and Torres unusually quiet for him.
As others have mentioned the biggest compliment is I got no abuse/stick/banter from any of my mates who support anyone else.
They all said what an amazing game and how brilliant we did.