Chelsea 1 - 3 Real Madrid

[cosmicway 1,263]

What away goals ?
The away goals would be in their favour.
Forget it. It was not Xamax or Young Boys who managed to beat as 3-1 in a first leg match. It's Real.

[whats happening 1,440]

20 minutes ago, Nero said:

Fucking international break.

i mean yes, but its the same for everyone.

[cosmicway 1,263]

Those are 180 minute affairs.
The days when visiting teams were numbed by the stadium roar are gone - since uncle Tom Cobley's time.
Tuchel made a mess.

[Blues11 213]

I still think we have a chance. Would love to see James in a more advanced position when we're chasing, but the only problem is Vini is going to run circles around all our other defenders...

AC was playing on skates tonight and that was just a dreadful mistake by Mendy. 

Regardless of what happens we need to improve in the midfield next window. When we have to change our shape chasing goals, -all of our midfielders get exposed.

I still have hope and an early goal changes everything. Would rather see James being pushed up to RW with Havertz, Pulisic, and either Mount or Ziyech sitting behind the striker if we're still behind after halftime. It's better than bringing Lukaku or Werner off the bench....

Edited April 6, 2022 by Blues11

[Pizy 17,872]

Looking ahead to beyond this season, what we really need in order to attack the CL again next season is a couple of high quality wide players to surround Kai with. Enough trying to sign expensive #9’s. We desperately need to identify the next Jota/Luis Diaz/Son type. We need this sort of aggressive wide forward type who puts relentless pressure on defenses. It’s what we all thought we’d get with Werner. Saw it up close with Vini Jr today. You see it with Mbappe and lately Dembele at Barca.

Werner is done here, CHO will never live up to his early promise, Ziyech is not that sort of player, and Pulisic is too wildly inconsistent. If we can have Chilly and Reece fully fit and sign a couple of top class support players for Kai we will be so dangerous.

 

[NikkiCFC 7,641]

Moved to Amsterdam, didn't watch any games last month or so. Looks like it's better that way. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,220]

8 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Looking ahead to beyond this season, what we really need in order to attack the CL again next season is a couple of high quality wide players to surround Kai with. Enough trying to sign expensive #9’s. We desperately need to identify the next Jota/Luis Diaz/Son type. We need this sort of aggressive wide forward type who puts relentless pressure on defenses. It’s what we all thought we’d get with Werner. Saw it up close with Vini Jr today. You see it with Mbappe and lately Dembele at Barca.

Werner is done here, CHO will never live up to his early promise, Ziyech is not that sort of player, and Pulisic is too wildly inconsistent. If we can have Chilly and Reece fully fit and sign a couple of top class support players for Kai we will be so dangerous.

 

Midfield. 
 

Gallagher will help but we need a DM. 

[cosmicway 1,263]

1 minute ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Midfield. 
 

Gallagher will help but we need a DM. 

We need a scouting team.
The no one priority is good scouting team and the second priority is to have the budget.
The one we have now brought Kai but Werner ? Lukaku ? 

[Superblue 6,333]

1 minute ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Midfield. 
 

Gallagher will help but we need a DM. 

I agree. I think tonight may be the last time Tuchel has trust in a big game environment in that Jorginho and Kante combination. For me moving forward it needs to be Kova and one. He has been the only one of our central midfielders to be consistently excellent throughout the season as a whole.

I think previously and certainly last season they offered the best mix in midfield but Kante has looked shot in recent times and he's a 31 year old who relies entirely on his athleticism. 

There could be some big calls this summer. Lukaku and Werner are obvious to look at moving on and bringing in one or two new attacking options but there's a genuine argument that decisions need making on Jorginho and Kante. Both will have 1 year left on their contracts and whilst you don't want to lose too much experience within the group, we do need to look towards the future and get legs in the middle of the park. 

Would a new owner be willing to make such a big decision, especially with Kante? It's funny regarding the Ricketts and a lot of the complaints about how they run and manage the Cubs because I've seen a few Cubs fans on the Athletic forum actually defending them for making brave decisions for the longer term view by being willing to dispose of players loved at the club but either were over the hill or hadn't been performing. 

[King Kante 1,341]

Shot ourselves in the foot in this one and then had Benzema produce some magic which you've got to take your hat off too. 

If we get an early goal, it will be game on but we cannot have Lukaku or RLC on the pitch and we need to start Kova. 

[DDA 9,570]

Currently sitting at work with nothing but one thing on my mind, how shit Lukaku is and how we got mugged off paying 100million for this absolute disaster of a player. 

Criminal. Fucking criminal. Makes my blood boil.

[cosmicway 1,263]

2 minutes ago, DDA said:

Currently sitting at work with nothing but one thing on my mind, how shit Lukaku is and how we got mugged off paying 100million for this absolute disaster of a player. 

Criminal. Fucking criminal. Makes my blood boil.

We couldna have known.
I had spotted some dismal performances with Belgium (the semi against France most notably) but overall there were not many candidates last year:
Haaland, Lewandowski, him and Ronaldo.
Haaland we know the story, Lew was not for sale in the end, Ronaldo well - he went to his childhood love.
It's the scouting team who are supposed to know better.

[DDA 9,570]

5 minutes ago, cosmicway said:

We couldna have known.
I had spotted some dismal performances with Belgium (the semi against France most notably) but overall there were not many candidates last year:
Haaland, Lewandowski, him and Ronaldo.
Haaland we know the story, Lew was not for sale in the end, Ronaldo well - he went to his childhood love.
It's the scouting team who are supposed to know better.

We should have not got anyone at all if the main targets such as Haaland and Lewa weren't available. 

We should have been clever enough to stick with Havertz in the attacking position and to wait for the right striker. 

That's the problem with our club is that it doesn't actually have top footballing brains making the decisions. 

Look at Madrid and Byern.. 9/10 times they get it right. They employ the best footballing brains to scout their targets.

It's getting beyond frustrating now.

Hopefully whoever takes over from Roman gets this right because I cannot bare to see another Lukaku situation.. 

 

[cosmicway 1,263]

2 minutes ago, DDA said:

We should have not got anyone at all if the main targets such as Haaland and Lewa weren't available. 

We should have been clever enough to stick with Havertz in the attacking position and to wait for the right striker. 

That's the problem with our club is that it doesn't actually have top footballing brains making the decisions. 

Look at Madrid and Byern.. 9/10 times they get it right. They employ the best footballing brains to scout their targets.

It's getting beyond frustrating now.

Hopefully whoever takes over from Roman gets this right because I cannot bare to see another Lukaku situation.. 

 

Not to mention Morata, Iguain, Pato, Falcao. 
Also we had the man for such jobs: Olivier Giroud.

[Johnnyeye 7,415]

2 first goals by Benzema were class, but the 3rd one was an absolute howler by Mendy, wtf was he thinking? very difficult to turn it around now.

[Blue Armour 4,176]

Knew this was going to be a lousy game right from the off. 

Crowd booing Courtois from the start of the game.

Arsenal-like mentality of acting bitter. Got treated like Arsenal.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Blue Armour

[cosmicway 1,263]

He knows his defenders do not have the fast returns needed.
He saw it against Brentford three days ago.
Yet he commits everybody to the attack, like as if the opponent was Preston Northend.
Maybe we are not good enough to eliminate Real Madrid this year but it was a Tuchel howler 100%.
Mendy was the last straw but in any case we did not score a second goal.

Real Madrid is not like Atletico. Atletico and teams like Atletico can shoot a long ball and perhaps manage two counters in an entire match.
But Real Madrid knows how to move the ball downfield better and be clinical better than most.

 

[Johnnyeye 7,415]

one thing is certain, i’m not going to lose my mind over this, if we don’t make it trough then so be it, this is the same group that won it last season, there is no shame in losing to a good Real Madrid team, but we could do much better for sure. Hoping for a good response in the 2nd leg, no away goals might play to our advantage.