Barcelona vs. Chelsea CL SF discussion thread

kas wrote:

Parks lives wrote:

kas wrote:They're just showing replays of the goal, the similarity to last year is scary - I remember Scholes getting the ball off a Zambrotta clearance, so that too wasn't an intended assist from a teammate.

Surely the footballing gods won't be so cruel to us. Any deflection, mistake, please, something, come on.

You're living in fantasy land. Chelsea are the one's who have had 3 genuine chances and two proper penalty shouts.....you've created nothing!

I already said we aren't looking like scoring.

When I say cruel I'm talking about ending up losing in the same style twice in a row. Like I said, I guess we just need to get with the times and buy Zigic. Or 4 big defenders.

or a better manager

kas wrote:

Dragões azuis e brancos wrote:

kas wrote:It was clearly not a penalty. Drogba stayed on his feet when Abidal's leg touched him, then stayed on his feet and kept running when Abidal got his shirt, then after a few seconds "lost his balance". Watch his legs go.

Anyway, it's a moot point.

Alves to miss the final...I would have put my house on him getting a yellow tonight.

Drogba got the ball on his left foot and was setting himself to put the ball away... then Abidal impeded him not once but twice.

Clear penalty IMO.

Watch his legs.

He did go down easy, but by then he was selling the foul. The ball had run away from him because of the shirt pull and mis-timed swipe at the legs.

Olé wrote:

Parks lives wrote:

kas wrote:

Parks lives wrote:

kas wrote:They're just showing replays of the goal, the similarity to last year is scary - I remember Scholes getting the ball off a Zambrotta clearance, so that too wasn't an intended assist from a teammate.

Surely the footballing gods won't be so cruel to us. Any deflection, mistake, please, something, come on.

You're living in fantasy land. Chelsea are the one's who have had 3 genuine chances and two proper penalty shouts.....you've created nothing!

I already said we aren't looking like scoring.

When I say cruel I'm talking about ending up losing in the same style twice in a row.

What, without creating anything?

Try reading it next time.

Well what is cruel about that? Normally when you don't create anything you aren't likely to win.

Not that this game is over yet.

kas wrote:Hiddink is using a clever tactic - Malouda is effectively playing at LB, and Cole has gone very central. That's now giving them 3 CBs at the back.

I think he is just having to drop to pick up Dani Alves. And Messi isn't playing wide so Cole is just tracking him into the middle.

Jaime wrote:Not a single good cross put in from either Alves nor Messi.

Same issue as the first leg IMO...we can put two crossing machines on either flank that pump a ball across every 30 seconds, it's just not going to reach any Barcelona attacker. This Chelsea defense is superb in the air, even good crosses will look average. Stop crossing and shoot from long distance if we do want to try something different than short passing.

kas wrote:

Jaime wrote:Not a single good cross put in from either Alves nor Messi.

Same issue as the first leg IMO...we can put two crossing machines on either flank that pump a ball across every 30 seconds, it's just not going to reach any Barcelona attacker. This Chelsea defense is superb in the air, even good crosses will look average. Stop crossing and shoot from long distance if we do want to try something different than short passing.

But they aren't even dangerous crosses that Chelsea are winning. Just a few minutes ago Messi shred Cole and had acres of space and his cross went straight to Cech at the near post. Eto'o had taken a good position inside of Terry but it was wasted. All of Alves' crosses are going too high and deep. Chelsea aren't winning those, they are going into touch.

kas wrote:

Jaime wrote:Not a single good cross put in from either Alves nor Messi.

Same issue as the first leg IMO...we can put two crossing machines on either flank that pump a ball across every 30 seconds, it's just not going to reach any Barcelona attacker. This Chelsea defense is superb in the air, even good crosses will look average. Stop crossing and shoot from long distance if we do want to try something different than short passing.

Be quicker, sharper, more direct. Too much pausing and surveying when you have it. Your pressing brilliantly though, much like Liverpool do, but it's almost like you want Chelsea to get back in front of you so you can break them down all over again.

There, that was a good cross into a dangerous area.

What a f*cking goal by Essien, he's no Zidane tho


Chelsea could have had 2 PK's in that half.

Dragões azuis e brancos wrote:

kas wrote:

Jaime wrote:Not a single good cross put in from either Alves nor Messi.

Same issue as the first leg IMO...we can put two crossing machines on either flank that pump a ball across every 30 seconds, it's just not going to reach any Barcelona attacker. This Chelsea defense is superb in the air, even good crosses will look average. Stop crossing and shoot from long distance if we do want to try something different than short passing.

Be quicker, sharper, more direct. Too much pausing and surveying when you have it. Your pressing brilliantly though, much like Liverpool do, but it's almost like you want Chelsea to get back in front of you so you can break them down all over again.

That's just easy to say in theory - Chelsea are doing a brilliant job of covering all spaces. Trust me, if there's a pass available, this team can pass it super fast and super vertical. I think Jaime raised this point last year - if Xavi is passing sideways, it simply means he has no options ahead of him.

Since 1888 wrote:Should have been a penalty in my eyes.

100% penalty and Alves should have been sent off

Alves should have been sent off for that elbow, he only got yellow for, too...

That early goal for Chelsea was the worst thing that could have happened, it just makes them park the bus even more. Barca have too many midgets, they need to stop over elaborating and try some long range shooting and hope for a Flumps style deflection.

Fey wrote:Nah nah nah nah nah nanaaaa didier drogba,drogba Didier Drogbaaaaa

Beter then barca,barca better then Barcaaaa

I'm glad Alves is suspended if they reach the final - he is such a conte !!!

Hiddink is just a dutch fat sam

£300million, and you can only play long ball ?!

Barca dont look like scoring though, which is a shame. Early Chelsea goal was the worst thing the game could have had.

kas wrote:

Dragões azuis e brancos wrote:

kas wrote:

Jaime wrote:Not a single good cross put in from either Alves nor Messi.

Same issue as the first leg IMO...we can put two crossing machines on either flank that pump a ball across every 30 seconds, it's just not going to reach any Barcelona attacker. This Chelsea defense is superb in the air, even good crosses will look average. Stop crossing and shoot from long distance if we do want to try something different than short passing.

Be quicker, sharper, more direct. Too much pausing and surveying when you have it. Your pressing brilliantly though, much like Liverpool do, but it's almost like you want Chelsea to get back in front of you so you can break them down all over again.

That's just easy to say in theory - Chelsea are doing a brilliant job of covering all spaces. Trust me, if there's a pass available, this team can pass it super fast and super vertical. I think Jaime raised this point last year - if Xavi is passing sideways, it simply means he has no options ahead of him.

Yes, and it's happening again tonight...several times he has had the ball and gestured with his arms for someone to move. This is what I don't like because Eto'o on the wing doesn't create any dangerous runs and Messi doesn't really know what to do in the middle against clever defenders. Against Numancia he can play in the middle and find all kinds of spaces but this is a different story. Put Eto'o back in the middle where he knows how to operate.

Sheffield gunner wrote:Lucky that wasn't given as a penalty. Malouda is beginning to look like a decent footballer for the first time in his Chelsea career. He has played really well in the last month.

A lot of players at Chelsea have massively improved their game since a certain character from Varsseveld arrived.

Coincidence ?

I think not

Axeslammer wrote:

Since 1888 wrote:Should have been a penalty in my eyes.

100% penalty and Alves should have been sent off

Alves should have been sent off for that elbow, he only got yellow for, too...

He wasn't even booked for that elbow, he got booked because it was his 3rd or 4th foul in this game, and referee clearly showed him this with his fingers, just before booking him.

Come on Barca. Make this match a classic you c**ts. One barca goal can open the game up completely.

Barca are missing Henry's directness tonight. Iniesta just seems to beat a few men, let the chelsea defence regroup, beat a few more men then pass it to someone else to do the same.

Fey wrote:

Fey wrote:Nah nah nah nah nah nanaaaa didier drogba,drogba Didier Drogbaaaaa

Beter then barca,barca better then Barcaaaa

Hopefully Didier can get a shot off in the second half

Messi bottling it in a big game again

COTR wrote:Come on Barca. Make this match a classic you c**ts. One barca goal can open the game up completely.

Barca are missing Henry's directness tonight. Iniesta just seems to beat a few men, let the chelsea defence regroup, beat a few more men then pass it to someone else to do the same.

Chelsea are playing very deep, so theres no chance of a push and run.

I don't think Drogba incident is a penalty. It's a very brief grab of the shirt from Abidal. He's held him back a little but not dragged him to the ground. Nobody would give that penalty.

Jaime wrote:I don't think Drogba incident is a penalty. It's a very brief grab of the shirt from Abidal. He's held him back a little but not dragged him to the ground. Nobody would give that penalty.

Yeah I agree after seeing the reply just there

Yeah, amuses me to read BBC's text commentary trotting out Arsenal-based cliches like "they're trying to score the perfect goal", (not really, if a quick direct pass was available, it would be played..see highlights of Saturday) or "Barça really miss Henry tonight".

kas wrote:

Dragões azuis e brancos wrote:

kas wrote:

Jaime wrote:Not a single good cross put in from either Alves nor Messi.

Same issue as the first leg IMO...we can put two crossing machines on either flank that pump a ball across every 30 seconds, it's just not going to reach any Barcelona attacker. This Chelsea defense is superb in the air, even good crosses will look average. Stop crossing and shoot from long distance if we do want to try something different than short passing.

Be quicker, sharper, more direct. Too much pausing and surveying when you have it. Your pressing brilliantly though, much like Liverpool do, but it's almost like you want Chelsea to get back in front of you so you can break them down all over again.

That's just easy to say in theory - Chelsea are doing a brilliant job of covering all spaces. Trust me, if there's a pass available, this team can pass it super fast and super vertical. I think Jaime raised this point last year - if Xavi is passing sideways, it simply means he has no options ahead of him.

Only one thing for it then: