CHOULO19

True, but considering how deep we were playing, he shouldn't have had as many chances as he had last night.

We know he can't defend at RB as well as he does at CB. And tbf, Ramires wasn't really helping him much when Ribery cuts inside.

Drogba's and Lukaku's pens were very similar in terms of pace on the ball and positioning of the shot. Yes Lukaku's run-up was probably ten-times worse (Didier didn't make a run up) but the point was had Neuer jumped the right way it would have been a similarly easy save and the pen would have been called just as bad as Lukaku's.

It was a terrible penalty but it's just not a big deal because anyone misses a penalty in a shoot-out and there is always a great deal of luck in it. In fact, Drogba took a very similar pen two years against Munich (which was also a terrible pen) but he was lucky enough that the keeper dived the wrong way. A missed penalty in a shoot-out is not something to criticize a player for in my book. As for the Cech thing, what I meant is that you also need your keeper to save pens to win shoot-outs because your players can't keep scoring them forever. If Cech had saved a couple of pens then Lukaku's miss would have been irrelevant like Mata's miss in Munich. My point was that Romelu is as much responsible for the loss for being unlucky enough that the keeper guessed his pen correctly as is Cech for being unlucky not to guess three of the five pens correctly. The theory that I'm blaming Cech to protect Lukaku doesn't really work since, just Yesterday, I was being slatted for criticizing Romelu and saying that Torres is still better.

Well tbf, you were obviously taking photos of him as well

Alright, I think this thread has served it's purpose and is now turning into a fight thread. Locked.

Because we have a massive squad.

So that how decent delivery from the wings looks like...good to know!

We have been so lucky to have players in our team like Cole who never fail to come up with world-class performances in big games.

Brilliant. Incredible work-rate. Gave so much cover for Cole and still created the first goal and scored the second. Amazing.

It's a tough one because one side he did catch Goetze with his studs up and on the other he did get the ball first and his momentum was always going to carry him through Goetze. It goes either way for me, but I think I have to agree with Jose, in such a great match and European final, if you love football you don't kill the game like that.

High into the keeper's left? That's a new one!

LMAO I almost spilled my drink reading this Can't understand how you can even compare the two. Kaka has been rotting on the bench for about 4 seasons while Torres has mostly been our first choice striker since arriving.

The next time someone says to me that he hasn't been the same since the head injury, I'm going to cause him a head injury!

I don't agree that he cost us the trophy. He just missed a penalty in a shout-out which has to happen in ever shout-out. Yes he shares some of the blame for us losing, but so does Oscar who missed that sitter that could have won us the match in normal time, and so does Cech for not saving any of the 5 pens, and so does whoever was supposed to mark Martinez in that final set piece.

Everyone blaming Romelu, but what I want to know is where did that ref get that added minute from?! There wasn't a single stop in the second half of extra time.

Some reactions here are way over the top. I didn't care much about the result even before the game started and I still don't, but I am pleasantly surprised by the performance. Especially in the first half.

Seriously some people need to get a grip. So he missed a pen. It was too much pressure for a 19yo to be taking the 5th pen at such a big match. But the fact that he wanted to take it says a lot about his character and the his reaction to missing it shows how much he cares about the team. If anything, Lukaku has earned a lot of respect from me today. If the personal insults towards Romelu continue I will have to lock the thread until everyone calms down.

Incredibly unlucky. Regardless of the result of the pens, I'm incredibly proud of the boys; all of them. Heroic performance. Petr Cech

Yup.

Agree that he is better today, but still his defensive contribution is very worrying.

Not that big of an asset imo since a huge part of those one touch long passes don't find their target, but even if they did, I'd prefer someone who offers more defensively. Frank is leaving a lot gaps which could really hurt us.

Still can't wrap my head around why Frank starts, but Jose's tactics...just brilliant.

Too lazy to think of a smart reply to that..

Everyone with ears...and eyes!