Closed Man United 1-1 Chelsea

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Arsenal had a couple of chances in the first half that was very open and even, but in the second half they had absolutely NOTHING. We completely dominated them in the second half and we were in complete control of everything till the 94th minute.

You listen to Gary Neville, Carragher and Sourness and they'd say the exact same thing. People are whining over nothing, blaming Mikel for the draw hahahaha! Neville said Utd should be pleased with their performance but were outplayed in the second half and didn't create any chances to equalize until the very end. They got the benefit of a shitty refereeing decision and stole a point. If we go on the balance of the game its probably just about what they deserved since they were better in the first half. Funny Utd were better in the first half and deserved to be up but everyone is crying over Mikel coming on. If you're gonna cry, cry about how poor Cesc and Oscar were in the first half and how Cahill fell asleep to let Van Persie in 1v1 with Courtois. I'm utterly embarrassed for the amount of people here blaming the draw on Mikel and Jose being negative, so funny.

Go back and watch the game people you'd be surprised how well we played once your shell shock from the late goal subsides.

[chelseafc9010 224]

I'm worried about Eden. He has to step up, his finish was poor on that 1 on 1 chance. He is playing way too wide and too deep in big games and small games, if we want him to become a big star he needs to play futher up the field nearer the striker, this is probably Jose's choice and not Eden's mind you, because Eden's favourite position is cam, so I doubt he is the one choosing to be so wide.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Can I just say Phil Dowd is one attention seeking bitch? Absoutely appalled at the horrendous officiating! Every foul we committed is a yellow card while United escaped with so many challenges made. Classic case of the referee succumbing to the pressure at Old Trafford and that doesn't even include the penalty we should have had in the first half.

Seriously, do the referees ever speak to one another or analyze incidents together? Michael Oliver (IIRC) gave Swansea a penalty because Shawcross wrestled Bony to the ground but we didn't get one for Smalling on Ivanovic when he committed the same offence (there was even Rojo on Terry!)? WTH?! This inconsistent refereeing is absolutely frustrating and pathetic! Moreover, Ivanovic's second yellow card wasn't even a yellow card in the first replace. Even if Di Maria was clipped, it wasn't even intentional.

On the other hand, thought we played well and should have won the game. But once again, we were let down by some poor defending, apart from the rubbish Phil Dowd. Why did no one pick Fellaini in that free kick? I believe he was Ivanovic's man but since he went off, somebody should have taken responsibility and marked him! And I don't want to be harsh on Zouma but he was at fault too - caught ball watching and allowed Van Persie to get away from him. That's twice now we have thrown away leads in the last few minutes in Manchester. I don't really feel gutted, but rather disappointed.

Also, I said before the game if Drogba starts, we are screwed. After watching the game, think I need to eat some humble pie as he proved me wrong. Played well, certainly better than expected. Held up the ball well and linked with others nicely. This despite him not being 100% fit and if he were, think he would have scored with that chance in the first half.

All in all, pleased with the performance but not really with the result. Thankfully the pain of dropping the two points is lessened by City's loss at West Ham.

Takes a big man to admit that well said brother!

I agree with 98% of what was said here except the criticism of Zouma. That play when examined in slow motion makes it look like he was ball watching but in real time that was a bang-bang play, very hard to get there for the intervention.

Phil Dowd had an absolute shocker... Anyone who watched the game(and I watched it with a shit ton of Utd supporters) agreed he and his crew were so poor. Still, thought we could've saw out the match despite his every effort to keep us from getting all three.

The FA wins here! Chelsea go 8pts clear of City and it becomes very difficult to call this a league anyone can win.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

I'm worried about Eden. He has to step up, his finish was poor on that 1 on 1 chance. He is playing way too wide and too deep in big games and small games, if we want him to become a big star he needs to play futher up the field nearer the striker, this is probably Jose's choice and not Eden's mind you, because Eden's favourite position is cam, so I doubt he is the one choosing to be so wide.

Having said that he was probably man of the match. he was influential but he needs to be finishing off those chances... That was terrible. He'll be better for it I hope.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

proof that you watched a different game...

---

Had we faced united of old and this would have been a good result. This united however, will lose points to many teams as they have already.

We did not play a great game and Courtois was incredible. I concur with others... if your keeper is MoTM you cannot claim dominance.

Fellaini is really good in the air, so it was always going to be difficult for Cahill. Though RVP was all alone and that was the real mistake IMO. We lost control of the match as soon as Mikel came on and even by his (IMO low) standards he did not have that great a match giving the ball away when under pressure. Oscar wasn't great, but was obviously doing important things on the pitch with interceptions and making good runs like that one fantastic assist to Drogba.

DeGea could've been MotM too. Hazard or even Drogba.

There wasn't much in the game you guys are looking at it with a fine tooth comb and blowing the result well out of proportion.

Do you even remember one time Courtois had to make an incredible save in the second half? Fellaini's header sure but it resulted in a goal. Most of their efforts were from so far out.

[The Chels 2,502]

I agree with 98% of what was said here except the criticism of Zouma. That play when examined in slow motion makes it look like he was ball watching but in real time that was a bang-bang play, very hard to get there for the intervention.

He actually takes a step forward following the ball rather than his man which allows van Persie the space to score.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I just got done watching a replay of the second half again minus the tension. It's now clear to me that we lost the control we had of that match when Mourinho made the defensive Oscar for Mikel swap. It's only then United came back into the game.

[Nik Hasri 10]

Disappointed but we cant win every game. Its football and we will drop points. At least its 6 point gap to City. And we were missing our main strikers. 2 draws away isnt bad...we will still win the league!

[Jase 43,479]

I agree with 98% of what was said here except the criticism of Zouma. That play when examined in slow motion makes it look like he was ball watching but in real time that was a bang-bang play, very hard to get there for the intervention.

Like The Chels said above, Zouma was ball watching. As the free kick was delivered into the penalty area, Van Persie took 3-4 steps to get away from Zouma while the latter was just watching the action unfolded in front of him with that Fellaini shot. Then, when the ball fell to Van Persie, Zouma couldn't get any block in because he just realized where the striker was and was just a tad out of his reach to deny him. Should be watching his man.

[bluephoenix 1,131]

I dont know if I am missing something here but I don't know why Hazard got some MOTM votes. I thought it was a very poor performance from him today

[The Chels 2,502]

LOL remember when the DM came up with their exclusive that Courtois would be starting against Burnley (shock horror). We either misinformed them that Costa was starting or more likely they just guessed.

[MichaelDance 552]

I dont know if I am missing something here but I don't know why Hazard got some MOTM votes. I thought it was a very poor performance from him today

Because he was the main guy with the ball in this match, everyone passed to him when they could. He tried to score however failed a few times... If he's poor I don't know what poor is.

[Thor 2,713]

Some people need to stop being so critical and analyzing everything in the game, down to individual blades of grass and how they impacted the outcome. Also understand that causation and correlation are not the same thing...

We played fine, and well enough for a win. Anyone blaming Ivanovic is clearly on something unhealthy... Same goes for the blaming anyone else. We drew, it happens. They created nothing apart from that last chance in the second half, and it went in. Big whoop for them... They are shite and only drew due to poor refereeing. Which is almost always the case when we play them. I can't remember the last time they got a fair result against us.

EDIT: And the Hazard miss? Come on, get off his case. The keeper guessed and got lucky. Shit happens. Keeper hedged one way and committed already, lucky for him Hazard already had intentions of going that way.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

I just got done watching a replay of the second half again minus the tension. It's now clear to me that we lost the control we had of that match when Mourinho made the defensive Oscar for Mikel swap. It's only then United came back into the game.

So the move where Ivanovic got in on goal and nearly found Hazard was before Mikel was brought on? The move that produced an effort inside the 18 from Willian off a Hazard run was before Mikel?

I'm at 75 right now and the best chance Utd have generated up until that point was Van Persie's shot into Matic's chest.... At 78 Van Persie get played in and there's no angle for him to shoot, Courtois makes a foot save. At 80 Wilson got a header just inside the 18 that wasn't even remotely threatening the goal...

Trying to figure out what you saw at 85 and we're still very comfortable....

[samzilla 517]

Still gutted about today's result. Trying to stay positive. We gained a point on City. Who knows when they're going to drop points again. Hopefully sooner rather than later and we can take full advantage next time.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

So the move where Ivanovic got in on goal and nearly found Hazard was before Mikel was brought on? The move that produced an effort inside the 18 from Willian off a Hazard run was before Mikel?

I'm at 75 right now and the best chance Utd have generated up until that point was Van Persie's shot into Matic's chest.... At 78 Van Persie get played in and there's no angle for him to shoot, Courtois makes a foot save. At 80 Wilson got a header just inside the 18 that wasn't even remotely threatening the goal...

Trying to figure out what you saw at 85 and we're still very comfortable....

The momentum, ball possession and initiative was with United from the moment Mikel came on and we started playing low-block. We should have either :

(1) Kept on pushing for the 2nd to kill off the game.

(2) Seen it out to the final whistle.

We did neither.

You have your opinion and I have mine. You've been going back and forth with every forum member who rejects yours. Give it a rest.

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

The momentum, ball possession and initiative was with United from the moment Mikel came on and we started playing low-block. We should have either :

(1) Kept on pushing for the 2nd to kill off the game.

(2) Seen it out to the final whistle.

We did neither.

You have your opinion and I have mine. You've been going back and forth with every forum member who rejects yours. Give it a rest.

I just can't help myself sometimes, some of the comments on here make for good entertainment!

The fact is when Mikel came on at 65 we had two half chances to score and so did Utd...There was absolutely nothing in the game whatsoever to suggest the sub changed the game. They def had more of the ball but what is possession when you can't use it? every time they came forward it produced nothing. Trying to figure out how some of you read the game. We have 5 players on yellows and you want us to press to try and win the ball back? not to mention we don't have any guys on the bench who can really come in and do that job? The guys were knackered it obvious but this assertion that we lost control of the game when Mikel came on is some of the most comical tripe I've heard on here in some time.

You guys need to quit your belly aching and look at the standings, you're crying over a draw at Old Trafford when they equalized in the last minute... I think you need to give it a rest.

[MichaelDance 552]

Great website haha shame it's not online anymore: https://web.archive.org/web/20120326163048/http://www.phildowdisawanker.com/

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Interesting.... The Geordie has spoken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZUZhwg9Bj8