Closed PSG 1-1 Chelsea

[cfcs most wanted 657]

Moses haters where are you now???

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Post match threads around here are getting boring. It's always either sack Jose/the board or sell Mikel/Oscar. Let's have a bit more creativity, guys!

As was the case with the first match, obviously result and performance don't matter in the slightest. To the people trying to analyze individual performances, I give you the German Messi:

What actually matters of course is the fitness and physical conditions of the players. I'm just about to start watching the rerun, but I reckon we'll need at least 2-3 more matches before we're even remotely physically ready for the new season.

[xPetrCechx 13,572]

why pena shoots? Lol... its knock out?...

[bluephoenix 1,131]

why pena shoots? Lol... its knock out?...

Maybe to ensure that one set of fans go home happy !

[bluephoenix 1,131]

Moses haters where are you now???

was he that good ?

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Much, much better in the 2nd half. Back four was a trainwreck with Cahill on the pitch, don't know what's happened in the 2nd half, if it was PSG who got tired, or Chelsea that has pressed higher up the pitch, but defence look damn good when Zouma came in.

Falcao will come good. Voted Begovic for MOTM, Chelsea could have been at least three goals down if it wasn't for his saves. And Thibo... take a bow son

[lionsden 4,689]

Our performance from the 60th minute on shouldn't detract from the one before that. Pre season should be used not only to gain fitness but to try out/experiment with new implementations and ideas. So to park the bus in pre season against any team for that matter is pathetic. And if this will be our approach in virtually all the big games again next season, we will once again be found out in Europe. There should be an evolution and progress all round next season. that's the aim of any team with big ambition and relying on an outdated tactic of parking the bus is not evolution.

[Adnane 1,101]

why pena shoots? Lol... its knock out?...

Actually that was the way the MLS was played a few years ago, no draws, penalties to settle.

Furthermore, in this competition, it's 3 points for the winner on regular time, 0 for the loser, 2 points for the winner if penaltys and 1 point for the loser.

[Adnane 1,101]

Our performance from the 60th minute on shouldn't detract from the one before that. Pre season should be used not only to gain fitness but to try out, experiment with new implementation and ideas. To park the bus in pre season against any team is pathetic. And if this will be our approach in virtually all the big games again next season, we will once again be found out in Europe.

I have been reading all day that we parked the bus but I don't believe it's true, I think their midfield was just miles better in preparation than us, which includes an excellent Verratti btw.

As soon as they were tired and we got a couple of fresh legs, we were the better side, works the other way round.

As for experimenting ideas, I think we pretty much did that with Remy on the left, and especially that 4-3-3 with Ramires-Oscar-Willian.

I don't know what to think of this Barizileiro midfield, I still sense it would fall short physically as Matic is probably our most important player with Eden, but then again, Oscar, Willian and Ramires' work rate is decent.

What I'd definitely would hope to see is Willian and Oscar playing more on CM, alongside Matic when Cesc is tired/injured.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I didn't see antthing from guadrado at all.

Still no idea why we spend 30+ for him.

I don't see how we're going to get any more than £15m for Cuadrado if we sell him now, so I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed the season with Mourinho hoping to give him more game time and thus improve his performances. That way we can recoup at least 60-70% of his transfer fee.

[boshman 1,073]

If we had not have played so well in the last 30 mins this thread would have double, maybe triple the pages. All moaning bitches complaining as per usual, blah, blah fucking blah.

'This is a match where we are not obsessed with the result, we just want to train' Jose Mourinho.

Proves my fucking point from the pre-match thread. The result isn't that important. Pre-season is not about free flowing beautiful football. Players on top form, etc. Stop moaning about it you bunch of miserable bastards!!

[Leif 6,006]

I don't know how Moses being good is a surprise. Maybe it's the whole grass is greener on the other side mentality etc. finally shaking off.

He was great for us in Europe when he was here before, he was dependable in every competition, and then he went to Stoke and played consistently as an integral player - so obviously he's going to come back even better. Idk what people expected.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

I have been reading all day that we parked the bus but I don't believe it's true, I think their midfield was just miles better in preparation than us, which includes an excellent Verratti btw.

As soon as they were tired and we got a couple of fresh legs, we were the better side, works the other way round.

As for experimenting ideas, I think we pretty much did that with Remy on the left, and especially that 4-3-3 with Ramires-Oscar-Willian.

I don't know what to think of this Barizileiro midfield, I still sense it would fall short physically as Matic is probably our most important player with Eden, but then again, Oscar, Willian and Ramires' work rate is decent.

What I'd definitely would hope to see is Willian and Oscar playing more on CM, alongside Matic when Cesc is tired/injured.

The reason why the midfield 3 of Oscar, Willian and ramires worked well is because they were more mobile and faster compared to the firsthalf (Matic-Mikel-Fabregas) so so slow....

It was easier for us to press and cover space with the 2nd half midfield.

If we are a team that holds all the possession in the big games, then a very slow midfield can be managed. But we mostly press the opponent, so a more mobile midfield should be what we should be aiming for.

[King11Didier 916]

Mou is afraid of playing youngsters even in a pre-season match.... And you though he will give plenty of minutes to RLC

[Adnane 1,101]

He gave him minutes and the lad didn't bother defending and running, I am a big fan so I particularly kept an eye on him against NYRB.

RLC is actually running out of chances, he should grab his chance if he wants to be a starter here in a few years, there's definitely a spot up for grabs just behind Cesc-Matic on the hierarchy ( ahead of Mikel-Rami ), or even as a starter in the 4-3-3, but it's up to him.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Hey, we won on pen, f*** them.

[MichaelDance 552]

In the match thread I've seen more paranoia than I did in the last legit CL tie against the same team. With all my love to the paranoid bunch, I'd like to say: Learn to calm the fuck down and get your shit together.

haha but we hate PSG and we hate Barcelona too.

[MichaelDance 552]

First half was very frustrating to watch. We just cant play Mikel. Simple as that. I dont know what more Jose needs to see so he could understand we need a CM. Ramires is also not my favorite but at least he brings his dynamicism to the midfield.

Agree Mikel should only come on when we are winning and want to defend our goal.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Our performance from the 60th minute on shouldn't detract from the one before that. Pre season should be used not only to gain fitness but to try out/experiment with new implementations and ideas. So to park the bus in pre season against any team for that matter is pathetic. And if this will be our approach in virtually all the big games again next season, we will once again be found out in Europe. There should be an evolution and progress all round next season. that's the aim of any team with big ambition and relying on an outdated tactic of parking the bus is not evolution.

Honestly I don't thin PTB was the original plan, rather that Jose did not expect PSG to stop us playing. Firstly, Mikel-Matic-Cesc is too slow, and has no build up play quality. Secondly, we all know Cesc hates being pressed, which is why he should be kept away from CAM, where he is liable to be pressed by the defenders and the defensive midfielders. Even Matic-Ramires was still better simply because Rami has pace. But once Oscar and Willian were introduced, the midfield had some build up quality to it. I think we are so used to having a dedicated DM that we have forgotten that it is possible to play without one, a la pre 2004. It was nice to see, with Matic at the base it would be even more solid.

It's obvious Oscar's future (maybe along with a little bulking up) is in central midfield, perhaps in the biggest games a midfield 3 of

Matic

Willian Oscar

with no Cesc would work. Who knows? Oscar is tasked with creating for Brazil, maybe he can do it for us. It's also possible now we have a few more options in AM to use Willian elsewhere, playing Moses on the right for example.

[cosmicway 1,333]

Slow motion is becoming a hall mark.

Especially the first half trio.

I 'm not sure anybody wanted to win this match in 90 minutes after the changes but even in those last minutes we were not fast enough. Cuadrado was served with an open chance and did n't know what to do with the ball.