I don't have time to read all posts after all there are 14 pages of them. But here are my impressions from today's match: Luiz was missed. I've voted for Cech (9.5) as the man of the match because seriously, he was a wall during extra time and good beyond words. While most team was great today and I have only positives basically to say, one of the conclusions I came to is that David Luiz was really missed. The amazing transition from defense to midfield/attack from his foot makes up for our pivot that sometimes lacks creativity and just goes for the side pass. Luiz had been acing those long passes for a while now - in Confed Cup he was like a master. He played a flawless match defensively and although I've seen some small criticism to him on Twitter I think it was uncalled for. He was superb. Defensively and also with distribution, which is one of the reasons I hope Mourinho asks Cech to avoid the blows (or whatever you call when the goalie simply kicks to the attack) and pass the ball to Luiz to make the link with midfield/attack. Mourinho has always been worshiping this ability of Luiz since he's here. Also it didn't seem like he doesn't play football in ages. You couldn't say this guy was off because he was injured at all. His penalty kick was also amazing. 9.5Hazard - finally you've joined the team. We've missed you, mate. You were amazing. High work-rate (I'm so proud of my bb), going for the dribbles, being bolder, running the extra mile, adding acceleration (or is it pace? I'm always confused about which one is which in English). He was really important today all around and he's growing into the kind of player José loves. I've been a bit disappointed with his performances in the official matches so far because there were glimpses of what he could do, but not a consistent match from start to end. And it's crazy how he carries 2, 3 and sometimes even 4 opponents with him (the same happened with Oscar at some points). He was really good today and he deserved that goal. I've had replaced him for Oscar in my profile fave player, but another match like that and I must bring him back. I knew he was (is) still getting his best fitness, tempo and everything you need to adapt when coming back from vacation and I had no doubts at some point - sooner rather than later - he was going to start to shine again. Too bad there's a 16-day break coming and maybe it could stop a bit his progression and recovery. I hope he takes off from where he left though. 8.5Oscar - one of my fave in the pitch. Yeah he missed the sitter and I've cursed him thousand times, but it was yet another amazing match by him. Defensively I won't repeat what I'm sure I'm going to read through the thread when I check it later today or tomorrow. But I've noticed a few people complaining about him offensively in the live thread. That's not fair at all. He's made a few mistakes, of course he did - he always does btw - but he was very important in the way he moved around the pitch, carrying opponents with him, he offered the quality pass in our second third when he got a bit deeper to help. He dribbled a couple of times, he passed the ball well and vertically, he presented himself, he positioned himself well. He did a lot work there and it's easy to say he wasn't as good as Mata offensively because he didn't assist or whatever, but a #10 isn't only about that. It's a non-contest to me. Yeah, I'm saying exactly that, that he should be in the team instead of Mata - at least in the CAM position. Mata can play elsewhere. Or maybe Oscar can move to the pivot. I don't know. What I do know is that he contributed to us in the attack - maybe not as much as Mata would have, but he also pressed and allowed us to have the match under control something that with Mata would have been difficult. He's faster, he's more physical - despite being quite thin, and he's one of this team's key players. It's just that if you don't follow him around the pitch seeing all his contributions with and without the ball, you'd overlook how much he contributes for Hazard and André to have space and how much he gives us security in the middle. 8.5Cahill/Cole - they were very good. Cahill especially - I read somewhere the amount of clearances and blocks by him and although I don't remember where nor how many, it was too good. Cole was good overall as wellPivot - when our attack works as well as today, this is still the only area that we can show some serious improvement. I'm not going to discuss if Ramires should have been sent off with a second yellow or not. It's not about that. At moments Lamps was very good, at others not so much. Ramires pressed a lot and passed fairly well - for his standards. But I feel like this is where we can improve. I'll give both of them a 7André Schürrle - AMAZING. I don't want him to leave the team, but then there's Willian and Mata who should join and I'm all divided and I don't know what to do and I'm happy I'm not at Mourinho's position. It must be really difficult choosing between all those talented guys especially because there's still de Bruyne. He contributed a lot both in defense and attack. He was my second favorite in the match along with Hazard (Cech and Luiz hold the 9.5). despite giving him the same rating I gave to Oscar, I think him and Hazard were a bit better. Maybe I should give them 8.75 but I don't do two decimals, hahahahaha. He was really useful, another player to show an incredible work rate and serious contribution to our attack. His cross to Torres in the goal was perfect and he offered an alternative very often. He's received a few balls (I guess mostly from Oscar) in the wing where he was all by himself. I think his finishing still needs improvement when I see how he finished that one chance he had (and was called offside) in the second. But he's so young, he can improve that and I'm certain he will. And that's the thing about him. You keep forgetting he's only 22 just like de Bruyne, Oscar, Hazard... the way he carries himself in the pitch. It seems like he's older. He's somewhat imposing at moments and he's very important for us imo. 8.5 (8.75)Torres - oh Niño, you were good there tonight, chico. It wasn't only the goal, but the movement, the positioning, the dribbling (not too much unnecessary BS he normally does and embarrasses himself). I think he did his part, even defensively, helping the rest of the team to press Bayern (high and deep, but especially high). I'm quite content with his presentation and that was one beautiful goal - that he started btw. He's the one who clears the ball and passes it to Hazard and then runs crossing the pitch very quickly to be there to receive that perfect cross from André. 8Mourinho 9.5. I would say 9.75 just like Eden and André got .75 ratings because the one mistake he did was having Lukaku in the shootout - especially the 5th penalty. It may have cost us the title and I blame him much more than I blame Lukaku (I actually don't exactly blame Lukaku, although that penalty was really a horror show). But he brought the perfect formation and lineup for the match. He was superb while we had one less. The way he positioned the team, the way he supported the players, the way he played even the cheerleader. Everything about him today was Mourinho's style. It's what makes him one of the best if not the very best in the world. The way those boys are defending and pressing, the way he sold his ideas to them, they way they bought it (and they only did it because they trust him), it's all what he needs to have a successful spell with us - probably more successful than the first. He was amazing and subbed perfectly and at the right time, he gave the boys the encouragement they needed and I'm really excited to see where he can take this team.The eleven players (or ten after Ramires was sent off). What a presentation. I have tears in my eyes now (although Diego [bf] is mostly the reason why I'm an emotional mess right now). I literally have tears in my eyes because the passion, the fight, the clutch, the effort, the relentless dedication and faith those men showed there makes me proud to have them wearing this special Blue shirt. They've honored the club today and in such a fashion against the arguably best team in the world (it was hors concours before Pep, but now I feel like others closed the gap). I'm really proud of them, I'm really love to have those man representing the club I love.The message sent. Really whoever saw today's match will shake on their knees when they have to face us (I mean mainly European football, not EPL because we all know how it changes from EPL to UCL). We've sent a message today for everyone to see. We are not a team to be taken lightly. We have one of the best squads in the world - definitely the one with more potential seeing how many of our players are a couple of years away from their peak - one of the best managers in the world and that combination works. I still believe it'll take months for Mourinho to sharpen the tactics and formation and for us to play more consistently more often (how can you compare this team to the one that played against ManUtd?). So for now I expect those outstanding performances to be mixed with others like the ones against Villa and United, but let's say by January/February I expect this team to have settled and then... well then it'll be a force to be reckoned with. I wish the opponents luck - except I don't really do I think what we showed today makes us contenders in UCL because by the time the knockouts come around this team will be much more mature than now. I'm not saying I expect us to be the champions. There are a few contenders there, Bayern being one of them as well as Dortmund (I believe they'll keep the level), Barça and Real Madrid. When there are such great teams playing for the title you can't be a favorite, especially a young team such ours, but you can be a serious contender and I think that's what we may be if things progress as I expect them to progress.The negative Mourinho shouldn't have let Lukaku to be the last in the five to take the penalty. He should have been second or third, if he was to be part of the list at all.Lukaku's penalty. I mean, the boy is only 20 and I think it's clear he crumbled under the pressure - and Mou added additional pressure by making him the 5th - but still that penalty was awful. One of the worse I've seen in my life if not the worst. I'm cutting him some slack because that was the first time he's been under such pressure, but it doesn't take away it was a lousy penalty kick. I don't blame him for losing the trophy. I'll blame lack of luck and Mourinho (more luck than Mou). It's all part of his growth and progression. And that's why I keep saying I agree with Mou using him as a super sub instead of starting matches so early in the official competition. We don't want to put pressure on him because he might feel it. I think he's felt some during pre-season against the bigger teams (don't remember which, except that it was in the US), I think he was a bit nervous in the match against Hull. Eto'o is here now, we're not relying only on Torres anymore. So yeah, let's give the boy some time and let him come from the bench in a few matches. I'll give the boy a 7 for all the effort he put before that penalty. In my previous post I said if it was Torres who had missed, no server would have held the amount of posts. I don't mean it as a direct comparison. Torres is 29 and although anyone is entitled to miss a penalty especially in a final, I can't look at a penalty he misses the same way I look at Lukaku. I just meant to say the Torres' hate here is a bit overboard and sometimes unfair.The loss itself. We deserved the title, but I guess for once we're on other side... conceding a goal in the final round of the clock. We've escaped this so many times before in UCL (not only in the final) and I'm happy our luck failed us in UEFA Super Cup. It's not even important, but damn it, it hurts given the circumstances.sorry for the testament, but I've wanted to say all this and normally I divide my reactions in a few posts, as I normally post just after the matches end, but today I left not longer after the match and I have my reactions all over me, on my throat waiting to be shared. KTBFFH
