closed Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea

[Jase 43,479]

10 minutes ago, R2D2 said:

Of course I want to win it but if I was asked if we should risk all the players against Villa or spare them for City I'd choose the former, getting CL is absolutely crucial if we want to build a team that will dominate for years to come. Also I have my doubts we can pull off a 3rd consecutive win against City in a matter of 2 months.

If we are talking strictly about choosing a win from the next two games, then it's no brainer really. The CL final all day along. It gives us the CL trophy and qualification on top of that.

[chippy 342]

54 minutes ago, R2D2 said:

Fuck the CL final, put all players here even with risk of injury, the need to win this is colossal.

Defo no to that!

If Kante isn't fully fit for Sunday then he shouldn't play. He might break down after ten mins and be out of the CL final as a result. 

Send out the strongest, fittest eleven available on Sunday.

 

 

[chippy 342]

41 minutes ago, Mana said:

Arteta has beaten Chelsea 3 times in a row. It is not impossible to beat City 3 times in a row.

Of course it's possible!

However, we have to be honest and realistic.

They have the better team. Their best level of performance is better than our best. Their manager is one of the top two in the world. They score one goal and we're in big trouble.

We've had a lot of mentally draining games back to bsvk., while they've been coasting  along for weeks.

I'd say its about 60/40 in favour of City.

 

 

 

[Blue Armour 4,439]

Rest Kante for this game.

Especially if both Kovacic and Jorginho are fit.

Edited May 19, 2021 by Blue Armour

[DDA 9,941]

16 minutes ago, Blue Armour said:

Rest Kante for this game.

Especially if both Kovacic and Jorginho are fit.

This ^^

If we have the choice of losing Kova or Kante for the final... Kova all day long.

[robsblubot 3,595]

yeah couldn't agree more - no Kante unless 100% fit (which does not seem to be the case).

Kova looked super rusty against Leicester, so he needs lots of minutes.

Neither move vertically (b2b) like Kante does, so it is something we lack when Kante does not play (understatement).

Edited May 20, 2021 by robsblubot

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

1 hour ago, chippy said:

Of course it's possible!

However, we have to be honest and realistic.

They have the better team. Their best level of performance is better than our best. Their manager is one of the top two in the world. They score one goal and we're in big trouble.

We've had a lot of mentally draining games back to bsvk., while they've been coasting  along for weeks.

I'd say its about 60/40 in favour of City.

 

 

 

That is being generous. We need a one in a million performance with Werneror Havertz actually converting their chances to win this. If we were at least average at converting our many chances, of which we again will get a ton vs City, 60/40 for City would be about right. But we are absolutely hopeless at this, so i can see this becoming the most frustrating night of them all. The only way i could see a chance is if we get really lucky in our finishing, uefa switch sides and in fact instruct the ref in our favour for once and guardiola overthinking his formation/lineup for a third time. But there is a bigger chance of their plane crashing than all of that coinciding. 

This is why i am still fuming about the lost fa cup final. it was again our only realistic chance of a title and we blew it.

 

 

[Tomo 21,751]

6 hours ago, chippy said:

We've had a lot of mentally draining games back to bsvk., while they've been coasting  along for weeks.

And you think they will just be able to switch the flick back on? The fact we will have such competitive match sharpness will/should be a huge advantage and quite the leveller to them being superior.

And not to mention we have a habit of pulling the rabbit out of the hat as underdogs (remember Munich, the 2018 FA Cup final or even Baku when people were getting their knickers in a twist over Emery's Europa record) while City have pissed ties they're favourite for up the wall. 

7 hours ago, R2D2 said:

Also I have my doubts we can pull off a 3rd consecutive win against City in a matter of 2 months.

Liverpool when they were still a 70s points team test City's 100 points team three times on the spin.

Solskjaer has won at The Ethiad three times on the spin.

[bigbluewillie 1,930]

If you've ever doubted that there's a bias towards CFC, televised EPL matches screened on Sunday via Sky yep Scousers v Palace and Leicester v Spuds.

We on the other hand have been dumped on Sky Action whatever the fuck that is, all i do know is I can't get it....how about ya all?

This whole scenario is fucking rigged against us, UEFA, EPL, Sky

[Milan 17,957]

We did it last season against super dangerous Wolves in the last game, we should do it again at Villa (granted the fans are back).

[bigbluewillie 1,930]

And as I hope without Grealish, I thought I saw him injured against Spuds last night, could be wrong though.

Aside from that we've just got to go out and do whatever is necessary to win.

[bigbluewillie 1,930]

7 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

That is being generous. We need a one in a million performance with Werneror Havertz actually converting their chances to win this. If we were at least average at converting our many chances, of which we again will get a ton vs City, 60/40 for City would be about right. But we are absolutely hopeless at this, so i can see this becoming the most frustrating night of them all. The only way i could see a chance is if we get really lucky in our finishing, uefa switch sides and in fact instruct the ref in our favour for once and guardiola overthinking his formation/lineup for a third time. But there is a bigger chance of their plane crashing than all of that coinciding. 

This is why i am still fuming about the lost fa cup final. it was again our only realistic chance of a title and we blew it.

 

 

Why is it that when a Chelsea player miss's when it's easier to score is beyond me, I really like Werner and Havertz it's not just them it's right through the squad.

If we'd only converted some of the one's missed we'd have been up there challenging Shitty for the title, 57 goals in the EPL is a fucking joke.

[Fulham Broadway 17,316]

1 hour ago, bigbluewillie said:

If you've ever doubted that there's a bias towards CFC, televised EPL matches screened on Sunday via Sky yep Scousers v Palace and Leicester v Spuds.

We on the other hand have been dumped on Sky Action whatever the fuck that is, all i do know is I can't get it....how about ya all?

This whole scenario is fucking rigged against us, UEFA, EPL, Sky

Yeah just saw that dont think Sky Action on my package either. Sky Inaction.

[Jase 43,479]

11 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

That is being generous. We need a one in a million performance with Werneror Havertz actually converting their chances to win this. If we were at least average at converting our many chances, of which we again will get a ton vs City, 60/40 for City would be about right. But we are absolutely hopeless at this, so i can see this becoming the most frustrating night of them all. The only way i could see a chance is if we get really lucky in our finishing, uefa switch sides and in fact instruct the ref in our favour for once and guardiola overthinking his formation/lineup for a third time. But there is a bigger chance of their plane crashing than all of that coinciding. 

Can the real Christian Pulisic please stand up?

Surprised no one has really talked about him. Apart from the recent Real Madrid games, he hasn't scored or assisted since the Crystal Palace game, which was more than a month ago, and he has been very, very quiet in recent games. 

[Tomo 21,751]

34 minutes ago, Jas said:

Can the real Christian Pulisic please stand up?

Surprised no one has really talked about him. Apart from the recent Real Madrid games, he hasn't scored or assisted since the Crystal Palace game, which was more than a month ago, and he has been very, very quiet in recent games. 

You've answered your own question.

He's been quiet but when it truly mattered he delivered the goods. If he can do the same in Porto his average season is completely forgiven.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Tomo

[Milan 17,957]

Just now, Tomo said:

He's veen quiet but when it truly mattered he delivered the goods. If he can do the same in Porto his average season is completely forgiven.

Oh trust me, if Porto is a success, everything will be forgiven 😀

[Jase 43,479]

13 minutes ago, Tomo said:

You've answered your own question.

He's veen quiet but when it truly mattered he delivered the goods. If he can do the same in Porto his average season is completely forgiven.

Delivering it in the league as well would be nice. Would have helped ease some nerves, like last season.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,818]

Pulisic does not get assists when his passes to players do not go into goal. He has played some serious chances that were missed by inches lately. Our finishing is dreadful. Then again, his finishing lately has been dreadful. If we were just 5% better with finishing our chances, we wouldn't be in this last game needed.

[Jase 43,479]

11 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

Pulisic does not get assists when his passes to players do not go into goal. He has played some serious chances that were missed by inches lately. Our finishing is dreadful. Then again, his finishing lately has been dreadful. If we were just 5% better with finishing our chances, we wouldn't be in this last game needed.

Pardon my memory but can you remember any chance that Pulisic created recently should have resulted in a goal or goals?

And even if you take away the assists, hard to remember him getting at the end of chances. That's without mentioning his quiet performances. 

[ZAPHOD2319 4,818]

9 minutes ago, Jas said:

Pardon my memory but can you remember any chance that Pulisic created recently should have resulted in a goal or goals?

And even if you take away the assists, hard to remember him getting at the end of chances. That's without mentioning his quiet performances. 

In the last game he played with Havertz he slid a ball in front of goal that Havertz should have toed in and he was a second late getting there. He also delivered one to Timo that went sailing. On the other end of it Pulisic was a second late getting a toe on a ball that should have went into net. It has been shambolic all the way around lately on finishing.