Jase

lol Do you really think they care about 2nd place? It's just extra money and nothing else as long as they finish in the Top 4. But if you really want to talk about 2nd place, then Leicester can still catch them considering they are only 4 points behind United. Seems like you have forgotten about the insurance policy of winning the Champions League. At this point, I don't know if people just want to moan for the sake of moaning or are just being selective. The players that started yesterday were one of the reasons why we were able to drag ourselves back into the Top 4 from mid-table and get the club into 2 major cup finals. Those players have contributed to big wins over bigger or better teams than Arsenal and now people are saying they aren't good enough to beat Arsenal?

If that's the case, then why did Solskjaer even bother to bring on Fernandes, Cavani and Rashford as subs the other day against Leicester? United have no game this weekend, meaning they have a rare week off until their final two league games next midweek and if there's a time for them to rest players, it's against Fulham and Wolves, especially when the Europa League final is just 3 days after the final league game. Is that necessarily a bad thing? The injury risk aside, it's probably a good thing that we still have something to play for in the league just so the players will maintain that competitive and physical edge going into the Champions League final. I remember after we won the league in 2017, we just ghosted through the last game against Sunderland and then played like crap against Arsenal the following week in the FA Cup final. And yesterday's XI wasn't good enough to beat Arsenal or get even a draw? It's ironic that you hate Arsenal but are speaking like an Arsenal fan there. Is it bad that we have our fate in our own hands?

It's their biggest rival for christ sake! United wouldn't want to be going into the final on the back of losses and for Solskjaer, he would also want to avoid questions about his future again by suddenly starting to lose games. Tuchel has rotated in every game since he's been here and we have won a lot of them. So again, why the sudden complaints yesterday? Tuchel has played the same XI in consecutive games only once and it's near impossible to play the same XI in every game during this pandemic season. You're really giving Jorginho an out there. We want to play out from the back and any keeper in this system would have made himself available for the pass the way Kepa did. Let's not also forget how hard Jorginho hit the pass backward considering how close he was to goal, which left Kepa no chance but to just quickly scramble back and try to prevent a comedy own goal. Jorginho was at fault for the goal but on the bigger picture, if there was a change that screwed us up when it comes to passing out from the back, it's the inclusion of Zouma. Tuchel had no choice but to play him considering Christensen is injured and Rudiger is in the red zone but Zouma's passing ability is so bad. If Werner had started and got injured, then what? Yes, yesterday's stupid loss is an annoying setback but the Top 4 is still in our hands.

With the exception of Mendy, Rudiger, Kante and Werner (also Christensen and Kovacic but they're injured), it was our best XI and the same XI that have started and won games before. So, the complaints about the starting XI are peculiar, especially when no one said anything about the changes Tuchel made after we won at City last Saturday. It's good enough, at the very least, to get a point against Arsenal. In the end, the defeat came down more to the application of the players. No one looked bothered at all, for one reason or another. The one thing I'll say though is that the players (and probably Tuchel as well) have put even more pressure on themselves to get things on Saturday (and they better fucking do).

It's Man United v Liverpool. It's Liverpool for them. Why would they not care? They would want to screw Liverpool's CL hopes. Again, I don't get why are people complaining about the starting XI yesterday. Tuchel also made a lot of changes at the weekend but because we won, no one complained about it. Tuchel made a similar amount of changes yesterday and because we lost, people are suddenly complaining about it. Do people really think that yesterday's starting XI wasn't good enough to beat Arsenal OR at the very least, get a draw? Tuchel already said Kante and Rudiger were rested due to pain management and being in the red zone respectively. Kepa, who didn't have much to do at all, played instead of Mendy in prep for the cup final while Werner was on the bench having started the last 5 games. So apart from those 4, yesterday's XI was pretty much our best XI. People keep complaining about the starting XI and yet, no one has bothered to ask why the players that started didn't bother to turn up and stake their claim for a starting spot in the finals.

Given Tuchel's pragmatism, he was always gonna keep the more experienced player on the field.

Tuchel revealed on Chelsea TV that Kante was rested due to pain management because he has some achilles problem while Rudiger was rested because he was in the red zone.

Tuchel already confirmed Kepa will start on Saturday. lol Said he played tonight to prep for that final.

I don't think it's that they can't shoot. They just don't even have a smell for goal. Kovacic and Kante only score once every 100 years while Jorginho only gets his goals from the penalty spot. We are literally just relying on our front 3 to get the goals. The wing backs may contribute a few if we're lucky. But if the front 3 can't score, like against Real Madrid and Arsenal today, then we have a BIG problem!

Well, the idea was certainly there. Press the midfield like West Brom, Fulham, Arsenal (for that goal) did, and you can easily make inroads to our goal.

Maybe Leicester won't sit back as much but they could still do something similar. Rodgers has a pretty decent record against the big sides this season.

Funny thing is if we had won today, we would be praising him for his rotation, just like on Saturday. In any case, Tuchel needs to give the players (and maybe himself too) a kick up the arse. Every remaining game matters and considering the fuck-up tonight, they better go win on Saturday!

Tuchel even admitted that he may have given signals to the players that he was having one eye on Saturday...

With the way Arteta set Arsenal up tonight, you can imagine Brendan Rodgers will try to do something very similar this weekend. This game is like a test and a preview to the pain at the weekend!

Said it earlier, I don't even know why we bother to play wingers if they aren't going to take players on and get to the byline. There were so many opportunities to do that and almost every time, CHO/Pulisic, would just slow things down or pass backward or pass to the congested midfield area. It was so infuriating!

After the cock-up tonight, the players have really put a huge pressure on themselves to win here. Either things will be alright again or things will go shit...

Well, we have been shit against them since the Mourinho season. Only THREE wins in the last 15 games against them!

CHO was awful after he came on. Complete contrast to his sub appearance at the weekend. Little wonder why Tuchel hasn't been playing him. I just don't understand why Tuchel seems to be flip-flopping over his changes. It was still a strong XI but the standards weren't there. None of the players turned up and apart from a few of them, don't think anyone staked a claim to start on Saturday.

Have we become Arsenal?

Even with the backline changes, it all still came down from a simple stupid error from Jorginho.

Tuchel needs to make up his mind. One minute he says he needs to make changes because the players are tired, some are at risk of injuries and the next, he's not happy with making too many changes. Christ!

With the exception of 4 players tonight, Tuchel has largely rotated the XI since he's been here and he's played the same XI in consecutive games only once. We have done fairly well with the performances and results. So, am not sure why are people overly critical of the starting XI tonight. The XI should have been enough to beat this Arsenal side or at least get a draw but it looks like either they had their eyes on the finals and/or have let the recent praise got to their head.

Chelsea 0-1 Leicester PRE/POST-MATCH DISCUSSION, LIVE CHAT AND ANALYSIS 2020/21 FA Cup Final 15th May, Saturday 2021 Wembley Stadium 17:15 Kick Off (UK time)

I wasn't taking note back then!

Not again, Tomo!