I think Roman wants his Chelsea team to play open, expansive, attacking football that rivals the likes of Barcalona, that's his 'vision' for Chelsea, he won't want the men behind the ball, nick a goal then defend tactics that Di Matteo has employed, he should get the job but he won't.

Chelsea and Arsenal will both improve. Next season will be more competitive. Spurs will fade and Newcastle will probably cash in on their better players and drop back too.

How can they let Di Matteo go after that

If Di Matteo stays, I think it's good news for United and the other top teams.

This will sound bitter but I don't care. There is little doubt that this Chelsea team have had luck that defies belief this season under him. It is unprecedented. They have been outplayed time and time again but some how come out at the other side.

But back to Di Matteo. His "tactical genius" seems to revolve around the most basic tactic of putting every man behind the ball any time they face a decent opponent (and Liverpool). This is somehow lauded but for me, to be a tactical genius you need to do more than operate with the same tactics for every big game and pray to it somehow works. If they play similarly next season, their luck will run out and it will end with Di Matteo being sacked by a ruthless owner, should he be appointed to begin with.

Your interpretation seems clouded by bias, even emotion, Merry.

Yes, we have been outplayed in games, but we still came out on top... why was that? Did sticking every man behind the ball get us two goals at the Nou Camp?

Think about it, your logic is tainted, and your awareness of tactics limited.

Not that limited. Was it a tactic to have your opponents in the semi and final both miss penalties at crucial times to go ahead in the tie? Bias or not, mark my words, if Chelsea keep adopting the same defensive tactics for every game against a decent team, they will start losing and deservedly so.

Chelsea play in the manner of a lower league team going to a top team in an FA Cup tie. And you can question my tactical knowledge all you like but i don't need to be a tactical genius to know how Di Matteo is going to set out in these ganes. The fact that your loan striker gave away both the penalties i mentioned earlier tells it's own story.

Who's to say if they did score those penalties, take those chances, that we wouldn't have scored again ourselves?
When Bayern finally scored against us, we levelled it up within a few minutes. We were fantastic against Barcelona, showed the world how to play against them.

There is NOTHING wrong with basing your football tactics off a strong defence; Italian teams have been doing that for years.

You need luck in football, of course, but it is totally unfair, and frankly silly, to think that luck was the only factor in Chelsea winning the CL.

It wasn't the only factor and you guys showed a helluva lot of character throughout the campaign and that alone is deserving of reward. I wish United had shown the same resolve at crucial times this season.

But i still don't think it can be maintained and i still don't think that you defend anywhere near well enough to make such tactics work in the long term.

That same lone striker you mentioned that gave away the penalties, just put my club in the history books and amongst the elite in Europe! He's fantastic!

That is very true. Absolute class is Drogba. And i hope he gets the contract he wants because the Premier League is better with him than without him. Never doubted that he'd slot that pen away either

Well, I don't think he (Matteo) intends to use those tactics in every game. And, if he does get the job fulltime, I expect him to buy some fresh, attacking players.

Our tactics were dictacted to us by the ageing players available, yet they worked really well. We were hard to break down and great on the counter-attack.

Being 2-0, and a man down at the Nou Camp and coming back to win, was one of the greatest Chelsea performances ever! Tactically and otherwise.

Hah, I thought he looked nervous when he stepped up, but he soon proved me wrong!

Was it a tactic to have your opponents in the semi and final both miss penalties at crucial times to go ahead in the tie?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Petr Cech is our goalie. He is in the team to make saves, that includes penalties.
It was not luck that he saved Robbens'' penalty.
It was not luck that he intimidated Messi and caused him to hit the bar in the semi.
Some people have wummed that we were "lucky" when Messi hit the post near the end of the second semi. Cech SAVED it, he pushed it onto the post!
Some have said that we were lucky that Liverpools"goal" was not given in the FA cup final.
Cech SAVED it. He is the best goalkeeper in the world, thats why we put him in our number one shirt.












Having said that,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I still dont know how the feck we won last night

Yeah i am not surprised a Chelsea fan was nervous. I would have been bricking it! The difference between Drogba and Schweinsteiger could not have been more marked.

I've given yous some stick but in fairness, i don't have any real dislike for Chelsea and you've been knocking on the door of that trophy for a long time now. So congratulations! Just don't be signing Hazard!