I still can't make up my mind about the game yesterday. There were some very good performances particularly from Rodri, Bernardo & Cancelo but I thought Tuchels lineup and tactics were daft.
The narrative before the game was Pep has lost 3 times against Tuchel everyone conveniently forgetting we smashed Chelsea 3-1 at the bridge last season and yes Lampard may have been the manager but I still remember the likes of Azpi, Kante etal chasing shadows.Trouble is when you are now considered favorites as Chelsea are this season, your approach to football matches has to match the expectations. You cant sit back in a huge home game against your rivals. Tuchel unecessarily put the hand brake on and even when his players wanted to play it was now impossible as our players were now too comfortable.
If you look deeper into the 3 games Tuchel has won over Pep, other than the FA Cup win I actually dont think Chelsea have even come close to dominating us. The league game we should have won and that was with our B team. The champions league game we were our own biggest enemies but I think Pep was unfairly called out for not playing a DM in his attempt to break that 20 meter compact defensive system Tuchel employs.
Defensively I thought Chelsea's performance in the champions league was masterful, the best I have ever seen. A part of me feels our players froze in Porto, similar to Lyon the season before. There is a huge mental block in the champions league but thats a conversation for another day.
The biggest difference between yesterday and the CL Final was our work rate and the press. I don't think attack wise we played well at all.Foden and KDB look a bit rusty and Grealish was poor. In the press Foden, Gabby and KDB were very good.
Behind them Rodri intercepted everything, Bernardo was masterful and our CBs kept good tabs on Lukaku and Werner. Ederson had nothing to do but when called on he was his ususal brilliant self.
I don't think we have played well at all this season but our fluid front 5 means we will score goals against most teams & like most seasons, Pep always prepares the team slowly particularly with the December period in my mind into the second half of the season.
Our biggest rivals are still Liverpool but the Christmas period will give us a better indicator of where we are as a club. I am warming up to Cancelo on the left as Walker is now too good to leave out. To think at this time last season Cancelo was starting to own the right wing and Walker was on the bench.
Its the beauty of this city group of players and how Pep has managed them. Bernardo asks to leave the club but can still come in and play like that. The competition for places is the reason why we still maintain the high standards.
Why was the game so one sided?
posted on 26/9/21
comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
City were outstanding and we were rubbish. Doesn't need anymore analysis than any other single football game ayed over 90 minutes.
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True, part of Mr wonders if City players were more up for it because they lost the previous 3 and weren't prepared for that to happen again. That coupled with the fact that we may have been over thinking things, especially tt putting out in my opinion, an unbalanced side. Very little to link up the play, Kante tried first half and RLC did well when he came in but too little and too late.
posted on 26/9/21
Chelsea aren't going to "dominate" anyone in the top 4 matches - it's just not their tactical style underl Tuchel. They are basically a more expensive Atletico Madrid. They will ask the opposition to break them down and pick them off if they can't.
Whether it'll be successful in the long run is anyone's guess, but it worked last season against City and didn't work yestetday.
posted on 26/9/21
The interesting question about Chelsea for me is how well Lukaku is going to work out for them. He has undoubted strenths, but some of the old weaknesses are still there. Great running on to a ball, not so good back to goal. Sometimes poor first touch too. He is supposed to be the difference for them this year. Not sure myself.
posted on 26/9/21
I was at the game and thought that City were bang on it, worked far harder than we did and were well worthy winners, so we can't have any complaints about the result. I thought that when City were attacking us we seemed quite comfortable, but when we kept persisting with ridiculously playing out from the back we were in deep trouble and their pressing with at least 4 of their players pressing together was brilliant.
For the life of me I couldn't understand why we kept persisting with it for so long as it was fraught with danger and clearly wasn't working. On the few occasions when we did try to go long and hit the ball into the channels it did lead to possible chances but we tactically ignored this option to persist with something that City well had the measure of.
In the second half we finally abandoned the failing policy and Mendy made them get the fack out of there and up the field. People have accused Pep of overthinking when coming up against Tuchel but I think that Tuchel was the one over complicating things and trying to be too tactically clever on this occasion.
posted on 26/9/21
comment by Kamikaze Blue (U7450)
posted 1 hour, 41 minutes ago
The interesting question about Chelsea for me is how well Lukaku is going to work out for them. He has undoubted strenths, but some of the old weaknesses are still there. Great running on to a ball, not so good back to goal. Sometimes poor first touch too. He is supposed to be the difference for them this year. Not sure myself.
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I think Lukaku has been outstanding for us so far until yesterday which was as much down to the team as any individual. He has already proven how good he is with back to goal in all his previous games this season.
I dont understand why that aspect of his game is still be questioned.
posted on 26/9/21
comment by somethingelse (U3109)
posted 8 hours ago
Tuchel had a nightmare,at home as CL holders ,and they couldnt get out of their own half
Amazing team performance and great for Pep after recent events involving some fans
Grealish kept possession well ,had a great shot that brought a finger tip save, and the one on one, when he starts scoring those then its game over
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you do realise that Hrealish didnt score because the goalkeeper did his job if Grealish did his hed have score simple really, the 100million man couldnt beat the 22million dollar man. When Mendy stops saving those then Grealish may score...not before
posted on 26/9/21
comment by Kamikaze Blue (U7450)
posted 4 hours, 24 minutes ago
The interesting question about Chelsea for me is how well Lukaku is going to work out for them. He has undoubted strenths, but some of the old weaknesses are still there. Great running on to a ball, not so good back to goal. Sometimes poor first touch too. He is supposed to be the difference for them this year. Not sure myself.
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He’s been awesome back to goal so far this year. Was awful yesterday though. I hope it’s a blip
posted on 27/9/21
Could have /should have been at least 4-0.
Chelsea looked pathetic against City.
posted on 27/9/21
comment by Culér (U9489)
posted 1 day, 10 hours ago
It was a perfect weekend for us even though we didn’t win. Our new signings will be fitter and ready to take the handbrake off next time.
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Maybe your new signings were low on petrol. Ole could also use a fill-up to remind him to quit being one of the worst whinners in PL management.
posted on 27/9/21
comment by Globaled (U7198)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
Could have /should have been at least 4-0.
Chelsea looked pathetic against City.
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Just didn’t work against a top side. Embarrassed by the performance but it is what it is