The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - Part 10

[wobbly]

Obviously a great result for us tonight

As for next week....Well, let's just see....lol.

Personally, I'd love to see Di Mateo go with Drogba & Torres up front as Barca will not be expecting that. Set up to get that away goal and we'd give ourselves a great chance.

Go in too cautious, looking to play on the break only...Worked ok tonight but over there I can't see that one ending well.

[Darthphere]

Anybody but Barcelona is my motto.

[Darthphere]

I laughed when I saw this

VIDEO-CLick to Watch!:

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by wobbly

Obviously a great result for us tonight

As for next week....Well, let's just see....lol.

Personally, I'd love to see Di Mateo go with Drogba & Torres up front as Barca will not be expecting that. Set up to get that away goal and we'd give ourselves a great chance.

Go in too cautious, looking to play on the break only...Worked ok tonight but over there I can't see that one ending well.

Congrats mate, I knew Chelsea had a chance at the Bridge. A huge performance needed now at the Nou Camp but at least progression is now a real possibility.

[B]

The way Chelsea played tonight is more or less the defensive blueprint for beating Barcelona. From what I recall it's how Mourinho set Inter up to beat them a few years back.

Mimic their formation, have your 3 man midfield stay rigid & 'screen' Barcelona's central midfield ie don't go chasing the ball & leaving holes in the middle, only show them space down the flank as there is little to no threat of a cross actually being delivered into the box & in the same respect I would say the likes of Terry, Cole, Cahill etc would fancy their chances in the air against the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Sanchez etc..

Few teams have the capability of beating Barcelona by outplaying them & keeping the ball from them for really extended periods of time to make Barca work a little &/or to give themselves abit of a breather & in truth I don't think Chelsea would be included in that list as they don't tend to play that way even in the Premiership.. or at least they haven't the past few seasons. However Chelsea are more than capable of beating Barcelona & going onto the final.. so long as they don't try to play Barcelona at their own game. Play their own game, attempt to stay defensively rigid & sound, force them out wide & when they do get possession attempt to get it up field at speed to Drogba who if he brings his A-Game can bully that entier Barcelona defense.

Drogba was definatly the correct choice up front for Chelsea, made an excellent target man & held the ball up superbly. Pity he was showing signs of his old theatrical/playacting early days at Chelsea however seeing as it was against Barcelona who are very adept at doing the same thing I approve of him doing it.

It will be interesting to see how Barcelona set themselves up in the 2nd leg, I may be wrong but I've seen them a few times at home this past year & against some teams they seem to play 3 at the back in order to break certain teams down.

[Darthphere]

Did you notice he really cut back on the theatrics in the 2nd half. I don't remember him going down that often.

[Hunter Rider]

Originally Posted by wobbly

Obviously a great result for us tonight

As for next week....Well, let's just see....lol.

Personally, I'd love to see Di Mateo go with Drogba & Torres up front as Barca will not be expecting that. Set up to get that away goal and we'd give ourselves a great chance.

Go in too cautious, looking to play on the break only...Worked ok tonight but over there I can't see that one ending well.

Risky to play two up top but it's going to be hard to contain Barca on the wide pitch at the Camp nou, I wonder though if Sturridge would be a better option than Mata for you on the break if he is willing to put the work in going the other way.

[Darthphere]

Kalou did a pretty good job when he came in for Mata.

[Poeman]

Originally Posted by chamber-music

Arsenal managed to beat Barcelona at Emirates and then lost at Nou Camp I think it will probably go the same way for Chelsea although it would be cool if they beat them.

Difference I think is Arsenal won the game 2-1 so Barcelona had the away goal there

[kit1982]

Originally Posted by Darthphere

I have to say, Gary Cahill was the best I've ever seen him tonight. I shudder to think what David Luiz might have done in this game honestly.

Agreed he was excellent (and it hurts me to say it!) but to be fair to Luiz he's been brilliant for Chelsea recently. I thought Mikel played well yesterday aswell and who'd have thought that skinny no hoper from last year would turn into the awesome Ramires! For the 2nd leg I'd have Sturridge instead of Mata, he's at his best when he's got space to run into and on that massive pitch that could be key.


Btw did anyone see Busquets when he actually got fouled? He just got up and got on with it, so why does he play act ??

[spidey-dude]

still think that Barca will win, but at least this way Chelsea will be even more tired/distracted for the FA cup final - sort of hope Chelsea get to the Champions League final for that reason

thought you might like this hunter

[RKO]

Baw Gawd! Out of no where!

[spidey-dude]

Originally Posted by RKO

Baw Gawd! Out of no where!

hahaha

did you literally just come in to this topic because of this photo?

[RKO]

Lol. I've been posting here. I am a Futbol fan.

[chamber-music]

Young sells it better than Rick Flair and Dolph Ziggler!

[spidey-dude]

Originally Posted by RKO

Lol. I've been posting here. I am a Futbol fan.

haha the username made me think you just lurked on the board waiting for a Randy Orton mention - I havent seen you in here before, who do you support?

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

Risky to play two up top but it's going to be hard to contain Barca on the wide pitch at the Camp nou, I wonder though if Sturridge would be a better option than Mata for you on the break if he is willing to put the work in going the other way.

I'd have Torres playing wide. He has often been drifting out wide anyway and has put in some killer crosses from there as well (I think Torres also has a good record against Barca as well?)

Anyways, atm, he is playing great as a provider. He has still to find true form putting them away himself, though he has improved dramatically since AVB got his marching orders...as have most of the team it has to be said.

Sturridge...If he can cut out that wasteful selfish streak he has I'd be all for him starting the game. But as I can't see us getting a lot of chances the last thing we need is someone wasting the few we do get.

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by kit1982

Agreed he was excellent (and it hurts me to say it!) but to be fair to Luiz he's been brilliant for Chelsea recently. I thought Mikel played well yesterday aswell and who'd have thought that skinny no hoper from last year would turn into the awesome Ramires! For the 2nd leg I'd have Sturridge instead of Mata, he's at his best when he's got space to run into and on that massive pitch that could be key.


Btw did anyone see Busquets when he actually got fouled? He just got up and got on with it, so why does he play act ??

I agree but still, he has a tendency to being reckless. I could easily see him conceding a penalty from a poor challenge or drifting upfield at some point and leaving it open for a Barca attack.

Also, they have to be more careful in defense. At one point Iniesta got behind Cahill and he straight up pushed him off the ball in the box and Iniesta went down. At the Nou Camp, that will be a penalty.

[ttotheusher]

Originally Posted by Iceman

He would have my full backing!

Originally Posted by the_ultimate_evil

personally out of the 4 I'd want real to lift it, i hate chelsea and barca but really wanna see the cocky *******s of barca fall flat and i feel Bayern a real dirty team who seem to perfer to kick a team off a pitch than play

Yea I agree, Real have played the best football I've seen this season.

Originally Posted by wobbly

Personally, I'd love to see Di Mateo go with Drogba & Torres up front as Barca will not be expecting that. Set up to get that away goal and we'd give ourselves a great chance.

Go in too cautious, looking to play on the break only...Worked ok tonight but over there I can't see that one ending well.

Torres/Drogba doesn't work. I think when Torres was first bought they tried it, and it failed miserably. The best thing Chelsea can do is play defensively and pray that they don't concede too many.

Also, heard a rumour that City are interested in bringing Sturridge back to the Etihad, to replace Djeko whose going to leave this summer.

[kit1982]

But do you have to just sit back? I mean Real tried everything to beat Barca and failed miserably, yet the one time they actually concentrated on their own game rather than Barca's they got a 2-2 draw. Same when Inter just threw out all of their defensive work after going 1-0 down and just battered Barca for 90 mins. Osasuna, Bilbao even Betis teams who have done well against Barca have respected Barca, but not to the point where it disrupts their own game.

[Darthphere]

They need to get a goal IMO. Hit them early and often and get the early lead. I mean, they don't even need to win the match, just lose by 1 right?

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by ttotheusher

Torres/Drogba doesn't work. I think when Torres was first bought they tried it, and it failed miserably.

The previous attempts are a bit invalid as Torres was badly out of form with or without Drogba (and Drobga wasn't exactly busting a gut in the games either). We have yet to see them play together when both Torres is playing well and Drogba is putting in a shift. Atm, we could just have that rare event.

And as I said, I'd have Torres playing wide. In the previous attempts they have both been central.

The best thing Chelsea can do is play defensively and pray that they don't concede too many.

They will obviously be playing defensively but they have to look at having the players out there that can get the away goal as well. Get that and Barca need to get 3. Sending out a team to try and hold on to the one-nil would be fatal.

Also, heard a rumour that City are interested in bringing Sturridge back to the Etihad, to replace Djeko whose going to leave this summer.

Well, I'd hope we keep him. Lad has a lot of promise and I expect Drogba will likely be on his way in the summer. Thing is for Chelsea this year he has never played in his correct position (AVB, utter arsehole that he was, decided Sturridge was a winger).

[kit1982]

Originally Posted by Darthphere

They need to get a goal IMO. Hit them early and often and get the early lead. I mean, they don't even need to win the match, just lose by 1 right?

yep you are right, as great as Barca are and have been, they are vulnerable. Arsenal went there with a not great side and were a Bendtner miss away from upsetting them, Milan weren't scared of Barca and on another day may have got the win.

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by Darthphere

They need to get a goal IMO. Hit them early and often and get the early lead. I mean, they don't even need to win the match, just lose by 1 right?

If we get an away goal then any defeat by one (4-3 for example) would see us through.

[RKO]

Originally Posted by spidey-dude

haha the username made me think you just lurked on the board waiting for a Randy Orton mention - I havent seen you in here before, who do you support?

I'm an Inter fan, but I support Arsenal in the EPL.