Sunday 6th May - Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool

[Guest]

Just now, Mantis Toboggan M.D. said:

The aim is to win the champions league, yes. If we lose the final we need to be able to say we'll be in the competition next year. The last three games in the league have yielded 2 points, and those were draws against the bottom 2.

Be a disaster if we don't get the job done, then go on to lose the final.

I agree that you probably need to finish in the top 4, but not for the same reasons. I honestly think finishing outside the top 4 can mount pressure for the Champions League final, in which Real Madrid has none making things better for them. If you don't finish in the top 4 and lose the UCL final, that team will get picked apart. As a result, the game against Brighton could define your season.

I get that I kind of flip-flopped opinions there, but I forgot that the UCL final was after the regular season. 

[LFCMike]

Fuck it, we'll win in the last day, no need to worry. We'll win the European Cup as well so it doesn't matter.

 

Allez, allez, allez

[True Blue]

That wasn't a pretty match to watch but i am more than delighted for the win. The defense was spot on against probably one of the best attacks in Europe. Perhaps Liverpool suffered from fatigue from their Champions League game, and i can hardly see them drop points against Brighton in the final game. To be honest anything can happen and even Tottenham can bottle it. Keep winning keep the pressure, next up Huddersfield at the Bridge. Rudiger today exceptional, held Salah at bay who had a quite game. Azpi as usual top of his game, while Cahill won everything in the air. Even the poor casuals like Fabregas weren't bad, the 3-5-1-1 provides a major defensive boost but offers little going forward. We won't spank anyone 5-0 with this formation. Happy for the win and the performance bring on Wednesday.

[The Artful Dodger]

Needless pressure on Liverpool now for the final game. 

[The Liquidator]

2 hours ago, Inverted said:

If Liverpool had a CM comfortable with making risky switches under a bit of pressure, Andy is always open.

They did have, but he is in Barcelona now, however, the boy from Germany could well be the missing link between their midfield n electric forwards.

We shall see

[carefreeluke]

Rudiger was very good today, probably his best performance for us. He's also been our best defender this season, a steady good season for him. He can be too aggressive at times but you have to be happy with his first season in this league.

I'm not a big fan of our tactical approach today as it has been our own undoing on many occasion this season but it was good to see the players work hard and defend well. We seemed to take the game to Liverpool a bit more second half which was good to see. All of this mind, playing a weakened Liverpool team. We score taking a typical avenue, switch of play to the wing back, going direct, then a goal from a cross which was poor defending from Liverpool in the box. As I've said before, the system has its avenues and works relying on typical playing patterns, again we saw one of them today with the goal. Liverpool were limited to crosses from out wide and we defended our box well.

Hazard was fantastic and the best player on the pitch, did everything surrounded by packs of Liverpool players without the pace and gift of pure attacking players around him.

Bakayoko was also steady enough, a positive performance from him.

[Harry]

8 hours ago, Blue said:

I agree that you probably need to finish in the top 4, but not for the same reasons. I honestly think finishing outside the top 4 can mount pressure for the Champions League final, in which Real Madrid has none making things better for them. If you don't finish in the top 4 and lose the UCL final, that team will get picked apart. As a result, the game against Brighton could define your season.

I get that I kind of flip-flopped opinions there, but I forgot that the UCL final was after the regular season. 

Winning the greatest club competition in the world should be sufficient motivation for us to be in peak condition and give our all. 

Two 7 day breaks should be enough to recover from the recent few weeks. 

[Dave]

Salah's dive 

[True Blue]

Terrible dive which came as a surprise to me as he isn't really a player that likes to go down easy.

[LFCMike]

Sounds like it was a good thing that I can't remember anything about that second half

[Cicero]

Been on my phone all weekend so couldn't post properly. On the game....

 

Absolute cowardly apprach, regardless of the outcome. Unlike against Spurs, we were very fortunate Liverpool didn't put away their chances. As the system that was implemented yesterday was in no way an approach that would of had us find a winner after Liverpool equalised. Again, it was a reactive approach vs proactive, to which this style has cost us so many points this season and is one of the reasons we have dropped from 2nd to 5th in a matter of weeks. So fucking finished with this type of football. 

The fact Alonso just walked back in the starting XI is an absolute piss take. Emerson is better defensively and is a proper wing back. Beats players and can whip in a cross. Alonso yet again was found out of position so many times, and we were fortunate Rudiger had possibly his best game in a Chelsea shirt. 

As stated a few weeks ago, there is a player in Bakayoko somewhere. Spurs away, Atletico, United, Arsenal, and now yesterday. He seems to perform his best in the big games. His physical presence in midfield alongside Kante won us this match. 

Fabregas is finished. He's not even a luxuary player any more. When the likes of TAA is ghosting past him, that tells you all you need to know. His vision from deep isn't even something we can utilise given the pressure he is always under. Barkley can probably do a better service when he's finally fit. We can and need to do better than Fabregas. Needs to be off in the summer. 

A shame we will lose Hazard without ever having a manager that will implement an attacking style. Yesterday was at his very best and there were literally a dozen occasions where he's beaten players in the final third, only to be by himself given that everyone was back defending. So frusturating. 

I've made up my mind, Kante is world class. This is now his third season where he has literally performed consistently and is now the best at what he does. No better ball winning midfielder in Europe and an absolute pleasure we have him in a Chelsea kit. 

I understand from now until May 19th, everything is on a result basis. But this type of football needs to be abolished from this club, once and for all. 

KTBFFH