Closed Real Madrid 3-1 Chelsea

[Blue Traveler 256]

Very much needed reality check. Shows there are still a lot of work to be done. The thing i didn't like only was the way we conceded all the goals seemed too easy to me - Marcelo and Ronaldo goals - we didn't give them any hard time and that's not good.

[yuvala 2,167]

i really doubt that they would have won it so easily. our most influential player had to be hazard, especially since he was up against arbeloa, arbeloa would probably have been red-carded by the 30th minute of this was a pro-match. he had hacked on hazard twice before hazard went on that run in which he hacked on him again and then simply caught his shirt. all these 3 incidences would have had him sent off or atleast yellow-carded which would have given hazard far more purchase against him. also we should have had a penalty when we were 1-1 when oscar was felled by ramos/arbeloa or atleast lamps should have got a pen. so we definitely should have gone into the 2nd half with either 2-1 up or atleast 2-2 level.

also u have to take into consideration that we were without our 2 best players - MATA and LUIZ. luiz IS our best CB at the moment. jt-cahill-iva are all very passive defenders who are strong in the air and are best when played in a very constricting way (remember barca). but today we tried to attack and real counter-attacked which would have made luiz a must if he was fit.

as for mata, lesser said the better. 2nd half was a proof to the fact that mata IS the soul of our attack. late in the 2nd half kdb/essien changed the play to moses with really good balls but when moses got the ball, he had no option. hazard was far off and simply should not be played central. torres was never in the box and cr was disallowing a back pass to azpi, hence there was absolutely no link up play between our forwards which definitely is NEVER the case when MATA is on the pitch. he is as important to us as probably ronaldo is to RM.

hence i feel we are really over-reacting towards this one defeat. i mean you dont DOMINATE AND OUT-PLAY the MILANS if you are not ready. we are ready but today jose had to give lamps a run out (who was quite poor) because he had absolutely no game time at all in the past 3 months. but if you consider the fact that if we had played 4-2-3-1 in the 1st half with oscar thru the center and kdb/mata/moses on the right wing, then marcelo would not have had half the freedom to roam around our D like he was doing today. oscar offered nothing on the wing plus dint track marcelo down well enough, leaving iva exposed against cr and marcelo on a couple of occasions (cr himseld is a nightmare but marcelo too was catastrophe). hence i feel if this was not a friendly, things would have been quite different, on the other hand RM played their best side, which they would have started against us in a CL qf or semi, and probably played with far more zeal and zest to prove a point against their ex-manager.

You're making a valid point, but IMO Real are better than us even if we have Mata..

I'm not saying we're not good, I'm very happy with the team.

All I'm saying is that the team needs some time untill we reach the absolute top class level of Real Madrid, Bayern etc..

No team in the PL is better than us IMO, so its already very good.

[Tchekitchek 37]

I only watched a bit of the game and something that struck me is how Madrid's defenders were hard on Hazard; don't forget that Ancelotti knows Hazard very well as he was the PSG coach when Hazard played for Lille, and even wanted to buy him at one point. He knows that when a defender is agressive on him, it's hard for him to express his skills.

[didierforever 7,349]

You're making a valid point, but IMO Real are better than us even if we have Mata..

I'm not saying we're not good, I'm very happy with the team.

All I'm saying is that the team needs some time untill we reach the absolute top class level of Real Madrid, Bayern etc..

No team in the PL is better than us IMO, so its already very good.

thats obvious dude. in a player vs player comparison of our squad and RM we wont have many better players, if any. RM, bayern and barca are the pinnacle without any doubt. but what i was trying to say is that we would have been far more threatening than we were. espcially in the 2nd half where we looked absolutely toothless without rambo and mvg.

[bluesman2610 1,217]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dErE2IZHYuM

defence looked dodgy

thanks for posting the video.. when I watch the 3rd goal in match thread and post match I seen MVG take a lot of stick for not tracking ronaldo but where the ball was played the immediate danger wasn't ronaldo..it was the man that mvg stepped towards it looks as if terry and cole both got caught ball watching and ivan didn't do enough to block the cross.. maybe I'm wrong but take a look and view for yourselves

[The only place to be 11,313]

thanks for posting the video.. when I watch the 3rd goal in match thread and post match I seen MVG take a lot of stick for not tracking ronaldo but where the ball was played the immediate danger wasn't ronaldo..it was the man that mvg stepped towards it looks as if terry and cole both got caught ball watching and ivan didn't do enough to block the cross.. maybe I'm wrong but take a look and view for yourselves

The third goal is exactly the type of goal you'd expect an inexperienced team to concede because no-one seems sure whose responsibility it is to pick him up. Van Ginkel probably should've tracked his run but you'd also want one of your central defenders to see that run coming and pick him up, or simply mark the space.

Ultimately it's a brilliant run, well-timed and the person on the end of it is remarkably fast and also strong in the air, but it'll be replayed over and over again because these are the types of things new teams and new players need to learn.

[bluesman2610 1,217]

The third goal is exactly the type of goal you'd expect an inexperienced team to concede because no-one seems sure whose responsibility it is to pick him up. Van Ginkel probably should've tracked his run but you'd also want one of your central defenders to see that run coming and pick him up, or simply mark the space.

Ultimately it's a brilliant run, well-timed and the person on the end of it is remarkably fast and also strong in the air, but it'll be replayed over and over again because these are the types of things new teams and new players need to learn.

agreed my one concern is if Van Ginkel tracks that run Isco picks pass top of the box now Van Ginkel out of position and my second concern is why Terry doesn't attempt to head the ball kinda watches it go past him

[Ollie 4,400]

Surprised how people are moaning that we lost to Real Madrid. They are miles better and ahead of us so what's the issue? Plus we shoulda had a couple of pens maybe and they scored 3 cracking goals. Get over it.

[Muzchap 8,966]

I love you!!!!!

Shouldn't that have been 'I LIKE you'

[Muzchap 8,966]

I can't believe the over-reaction....

Again - this is REAL LIFE - not FIFA or FM...

It takes time to blood a young team - get all of the players working in the same direction and there's been so many changes during pre-season - it's been impossible to enforce any consistency.

WHY do we have inconsistency? WELL glad you asked - because THIS YEAR we have a squad full of strength and depth - (remember when you were complaining about that last season?) and in order to get 'all' players match fit - they need game time.

I'm not happy we lost, far from it - but one thing I do know is - you learn much more in defeat than in winning - and now the lads all have a focus on what to achieve in the next game.

This Player X is amazing and then 20 minutes later he's shit - just has to stop. I myself have been guilty of it - but it just doesn't work. If a player is giving 100% to the cause - then I'm happy, regardless of how he is performing - sometimes you just have 'off-days'...

So let's look at with a sense of balance - are we in a better place than the end of last season? YES - IMHO we are - we have a great SQUAD of players - for all occasions and the longer they spend together, the better the 'dynamic' between them will be.

So - what did the game achieve?

- Fitness.... Check

- Areas to improve on.... Check

That's good enough for me!

[Dion 2,476]

And the acceleration too. Incredible.

Love how he makes Casillas look like a fool. It also reminds me a bit of his wonder goal against Barça.

[Hutcho 8,443]

I can't believe the over-reaction....

Again - this is REAL LIFE - not FIFA or FM...

It takes time to blood a young team - get all of the players working in the same direction and there's been so many changes during pre-season - it's been impossible to enforce any consistency.

WHY do we have inconsistency? WELL glad you asked - because THIS YEAR we have a squad full of strength and depth - (remember when you were complaining about that last season?) and in order to get 'all' players match fit - they need game time.

I'm not happy we lost, far from it - but one thing I do know is - you learn much more in defeat than in winning - and now the lads all have a focus on what to achieve in the next game.

This Player X is amazing and then 20 minutes later he's shit - just has to stop. I myself have been guilty of it - but it just doesn't work. If a player is giving 100% to the cause - then I'm happy, regardless of how he is performing - sometimes you just have 'off-days'...

So let's look at with a sense of balance - are we in a better place than the end of last season? YES - IMHO we are - we have a great SQUAD of players - for all occasions and the longer they spend together, the better the 'dynamic' between them will be.

So - what did the game achieve?

- Fitness.... Check

- Areas to improve on.... Check

That's good enough for me!

I would rather lose now and find out in a nothing game then think all is hunky dory going into a game that actually means something.

[Strike 6,958]

This reality check maybe a blessing in disguise.

[Sidzeret 2,257]

The hard reactions are understandable considering it was Real Madrid and the history the club has with Mourinho, even though it was for no points. But then again, people should understand that if it hadn't for that super free-kick or if Hazard might have scored than 1-on-1, things wudve been different. But thats the way football is and i appreciate the way Mou is moving forwards with the spoils.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Seriously, Ramires is easily our best 1 on 1 finisher and it's not even close. Unbelievable composure.

[November33rd 84]

Don't know why people are shocked Lukaku was quiet against Madrid. They are Real Madrid after all.

Any striker not named Lewandowski, Cavani, Falcao, Ibra, etc is going to struggle against them.

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

Don't know why people are shocked Lukaku was quiet against Madrid. They are Real Madrid after all.

Any striker not named Lewandowski, Cavani, Falcao, Ibra, etc is going to struggle against them.

Diego Costa? Negredo? Llorente?

The reason they scored against Madrid was down to the fact they were supplied beautifully by players who could lead a transition under pressure. Something we either lack or have players inexperienced in doing so, IE Van Ginkel and DeBryune. Not too bothered from this result tbh, just a training session and what's laughable is how Madrid treated it. Fielding a starting 11 with rarely any subs until the final minutes. We were testing players and Mourinho was studying certain aspects. One thing we all know, is that Mourinho always has the last laugh.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Cicero

[NishC300 1,865]

The players entry though was awesome.