UEFA Champions League 2011-12

[eye4goal]

An underdogs only chance is to defend its way through the rounds. We did likewise earlier in the season, where we beat the likes of Dortmund and Marseille, by defending strong and straying off from the offensive. The first leg in Milan really was a disaster, though. I really don't know what happened there.

You need to be able to score from set-pieces and have defensive players in midfield to do it the Chelsea way. We lack both and I don't think the current team with RVP upfront has the counter-attacking potential of our 2006 team(rarely win away nowadays in Europe). If we're going to play on the break(at times) maybe Podolski upfront could be great for us.

Overall 1 final and a couple of semis is really poor from Wenger. It was there for the taking this year since both Manchester teams were eliminated and we should have gone for it more by investing in January.

 

[fabo]

Agreed, Wenger's European record is pretty disappointing when you look at it. Considering the calibre of side we've had at times.

 

[air]

Just heard on SSN that Robben refused to take a penalty in the shoot-out, also it looked like Torres refused for Chelsea as well, pair of fecking Gervinho's.

I thought Robben would take one but as for Torres he has zero confidence now and you could figure he'd never step up.

There was a bunch of Bayern players who refused to take a penalty, Kroos was one as well. It wasn't planned that Neuer takes the second penalty for them and the funny thing is, his looked the best of the bunch in the end.

I wonder if Neuer had worked on penalties with their sub keeper Butt who used to take them.

 

[awooga83]

"Chelsea in the last 2 games basically just defended but they carried it out incredibly well"

Was it a GREAT defensive performance-I cannot lie that it wasn't gutsy but a GREAT defensive performance it wasn't.

They conceded two PK's and the opposition hit the post several times and missed several glaring opportunities. They allowed almost 90 shots on goal over the 3 games against Barca & Bayern.

They were fooking lucky.

They did have luck but it was a top defensive performance, Bayern didn't really have many clear chances considering all the play they had. Everytime they looked like they might get through a Chelsea tackle or block came in. They were lucky for sure, but it wasn't as if the whole perfomance was based on that, the majority was hard work and disciplined performance. Most of Bayerns chances yesterday were not clear cut (they only had 7 on target)

If you set up like they did you are going to concede chances but if you are no good at defending you will lose that way as you will concede lots of clear cut chances, much like we would if we tried to defend a game out.

 

[redanddread]

"Chelsea in the last 2 games basically just defended but they carried it out incredibly well"

Was it a GREAT defensive performance-I cannot lie that it wasn't gutsy but a GREAT defensive performance it wasn't.

They conceded two PK's and the opposition hit the post several times and missed several glaring opportunities. They allowed almost 90 shots on goal over the 3 games against Barca & Bayern.

They were fooking lucky.

They did have luck but it was a top defensive performance, Bayern didn't really have many clear chances considering all the play they had. Everytime they looked like they might get through a Chelsea tackle or block came in. They were lucky for sure, but it wasn't as if the whole perfomance was based on that, the majority was hard work and disciplined performance. Most of Bayerns chances yesterday were not clear cut (they only had 7 on target)

If you set up like they did you are going to concede chances but if you are no good at defending you will lose that way as you will concede lots of clear cut chances, much like we would if we tried to defend a game out.

Bayern's best chances were not even on target. Olic inexplicably decided to pass when clean through, Gomez blazed over with only Cech to beat. Well of course the PK was on target but well saved by Cech

They were magnificent at set pieces, as magnificent as Bayern were woeful B. Believe me this type of play will not win the CL a long while to come and frankly not since Liverpool unbelievably won in 2005 have I seen a jammier win.

However, Chelsea FC do know how to defend and that stood them in very good stead throughout the semi's & the final but they were still fooking lucky.

 

[arsenalfan4ever]

Chelsea were lucky. Donno how people can't see that. First they were lucky Abramovich bought them. Then he spends ridiculous amounts money. Change managers like he changes his underwear. Play utterly boring, predictable football relying on Drogba to score.

They got lucky throughout the tournament, almost getting knocked out in the group stages only for the other teams to fvck it up in the last few minutes. They got lucky against Napoli with some brilliant acting from Drogba (which went totally unpunished. Didn't know play acting was allowed in the game). They got lucky at home against Barca, who hit the post 2 times and fvcking Bicuits fvcking up the last shot. Messi fvcking up the penalty at Camp nou and Pep using the most awful tactics. In the final allowing the opposition 40+ chances on goal. Getting lucky with the penalty (it wasn't the first time Robben scuffed a penalty in an important game btw). Then the Germans turned into mickey mouse for the penalties... WTF was that seriously?

Chelsea winning CL is the worst thing happened in football. I'm not saying that because they are our rivals or whatever, they are a club which do everything wrong. It wasn't a victory for Chelsea, it was victory for MONEY. How many clubs spent millions and millions in quick succession before Chelsea came along? After Chelsea, there are about 5-7 clubs that are simply following the Chelsea model and after Chelsea winning the CL, more and more clubs will follow and the clubs will spending right now will spend even more. Creating a game completely dependent on who can spend the most money. How is that a good thing?

Oh, and lets not forget about how great some of the Chelsea players are. Fvcking disgrace to the humankind.

And someone needs to shut up Wilshere. He has started to piss me off with twitter quotes. Why can't we simply stop out players from using twitter altogether?

 

[redanddread]

And someone needs to shut up Wilshere. He has started to piss me off with twitter quotes. Why can't we simply stop out players from using twitter altogether?

EVERTON NEWS
Saha and Pienaar 'disgrace' Sp**s!!!
20/05/2012 | 4 Comments: First | Last
Tottenham fans have labelled Louis Saha and Steven Pienaar 'a disgrace' after the pair congratulated Chelsea on their dramatic Champions League penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich.
Sp**s striker Saha and midfielder Pienaar tweeting their support for the Stamford Bridge outfit.:

‘Well done Chelsea,' wrote Pienaar, who spent the last half of the season on loan at Everton.

Saha said: ‘Bravo Drogba. Bravo Chelsea. Bravo Champion League. Bravo Football. Just magic stuff.

‘No CL for Tottenham but FairPlay to Chelsea. Great victory great final for them. The Frenchman added: ‘If we had lost with Sp**s the final of CL against Chelsea and Drogba had played like yesterday I would have congrats them the same way.

‘U can hate me if u want. U can hate everyone if u want. U wont make me hate football and the view of winners. #fairplay even if gutted.'

Sp**s fans erupted with fury and bombarded the pair with a variety of venomous tweets for their perceived disloyalty.

‘You two don't belong at Sp**s with your "well done Chelsea" tweets. You're a disgrace to our club,' said one angry fan.

‘We pay your wages and you say well done Chelski!?!' raged another.

While one more subdued supporter tweeted: ‘Your entitled to your views but why express them in a public forum in front of millions of Sp**s fans? Keep to yourself.'


Players are players and fans are fans-two different subsects of a triumvirate that are interdependent yet have different goals and loyalties.

Players usually stick up for other players as many of them are pals-they know each other, many like each other. It's a small(ish) club and they are all privileged members. They will generally support their other pros and that is quite understandable-not from our stance as fans who only care about ONE entity the club we support.

But the whole twitter affair really gets too many of them into hot water-trouble is so many of them are young ignorant kids who happen to make an obscene amount of do$h and believe they can say and do whatever they want.

This problem ain't about to change anytime soon unless the FA or the clubs tell the players to lay off the twitter or at least be more sensitive with their comments.

 

[patrick42uk]

Torres: had to be begged to track back and didnt on a couple of occasions.What a shocking attitude. Yeah you were benched in the cl final but surely the team comes first? Now he's given this mopey, moany interview about how it was the biggest disappointment of his life and how it wasnt what he was promised i.e. playing second fiddle all season. Obviously doesnt realise he was cack for two-thirds of the season. Expect he'll be sold.

 

[Bossa]

Stylists like Torres cannot at a club like Chelsea. They need bulldozers like Drogba and Terry. No player who has great technical ability should join Chelsea.

 

[Cruisio]

And someone needs to shut up Wilshere. He has started to piss me off with twitter quotes. Why can't we simply stop out players from using twitter altogether?

EVERTON NEWS
Saha and Pienaar 'disgrace' Sp**s!!!
20/05/2012 | 4 Comments: First | Last
Tottenham fans have labelled Louis Saha and Steven Pienaar 'a disgrace' after the pair congratulated Chelsea on their dramatic Champions League penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich.
Sp**s striker Saha and midfielder Pienaar tweeting their support for the Stamford Bridge outfit.:

‘Well done Chelsea,' wrote Pienaar, who spent the last half of the season on loan at Everton.

Saha said: ‘Bravo Drogba. Bravo Chelsea. Bravo Champion League. Bravo Football. Just magic stuff.

‘No CL for Tottenham but FairPlay to Chelsea. Great victory great final for them. The Frenchman added: ‘If we had lost with Sp**s the final of CL against Chelsea and Drogba had played like yesterday I would have congrats them the same way.

‘U can hate me if u want. U can hate everyone if u want. U wont make me hate football and the view of winners. #fairplay even if gutted.'

Sp**s fans erupted with fury and bombarded the pair with a variety of venomous tweets for their perceived disloyalty.

‘You two don't belong at Sp**s with your "well done Chelsea" tweets. You're a disgrace to our club,' said one angry fan.

‘We pay your wages and you say well done Chelski!?!' raged another.

While one more subdued supporter tweeted: ‘Your entitled to your views but why express them in a public forum in front of millions of Sp**s fans? Keep to yourself.'


Players are players and fans are fans-two different subsects of a triumvirate that are interdependent yet have different goals and loyalties.

Players usually stick up for other players as many of them are pals-they know each other, many like each other. It's a small(ish) club and they are all privileged members. They will generally support their other pros and that is quite understandable-not from our stance as fans who only care about ONE entity the club we support.

But the whole twitter affair really gets too many of them into hot water-trouble is so many of them are young ignorant kids who happen to make an obscene amount of do$h and believe they can say and do whatever they want.

This problem ain't about to change anytime soon unless the FA or the clubs tell the players to lay off the twitter or at least be more sensitive with their comments.

Players today really just don't get it do they?

I was annoyed at Wilshere for his comments as he struck me as someone who would keep that stuff to himself. Nearly as bad as Diaby saying he's happy to walk around wearing Sp**s shirts

Do rivalry's mean nothing anymore?

 

[Jury]

Saha has been honing his trolling skills for some time now. He's had a bee under his bonnet for a while, I've noticed. Seems a bitter fellow.

@Cruisio - I think there's a certain camaraderie among the french speaking lads in the EPL, and foreigners in general. I think it's fueled for the most part by the english media and how they're portrayed.

And also, as Redanddread says, this 'private members club' mentality that seems to have developed almost makes them feel like they have to answer to nobody - certainly no low budget fan that might happen to pay their wages anyway! Add Twitter to the equation and...well...we find out what we knew already, in that some people are just plain ****ing stupid.

 

[Dokaka]

A lot of footballers aren't the brightest. Many of them dropped out of school to play football.

You kind of get locked into a seperate world. Everyone around you plays football, talk football and so on. You miss out on the "becoming an adult" part in some aspects, mainly the "supporting yourself" part. Everything is taken care of by the club. They often even provide a place to live.

Then comes the money. Any 17 year old earning even £2000 a week is going to struggle how to deal with it. Most blow it on women, booze and cars, which further ****s up your perception of the real world.

Baically, whe everyone around you worships you when you're out in the "real world", I would guess it become rather hard to be - an even act - like a normal person.

I mean, imagine what Wilshere goes through - good and bad - when he wants to go out for a pint at the local pub?

 

[kopzilla]

I agree that Chelsea were incredibly fortunate to win the final but there were a number of bizarre coincidences in the past which surprisingly did follow a pattern.

I got this from a Chelsea forum before the match started.


9 Reasons why Chelsea must win this final!

1. On the previous 3 occasions, the team that has managed to beat Barca in the semis has gone on to lift the Cup: Real Madrid (2002), Manchester United (2008) and Inter Milan (2010).

2. The last time Atletico Madrid won the Europa League, Chelsea won a Double and Bayern Munich lost the Champions League final against Inter.

3. The last English team (Manchester United) to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League, went on to lift the trophy and won the competition.

4. An English team (Manchester United) has previously won the FA Cup and gone on to win the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich in the final that lost the DFB Pokal during that season.

5. The last time Manchester City won the league title, an English team (Manchester United) won the European Cup.

6. All Champions League finals played in Munich produced a winner of the competition for the first time in their history (Nottingham Forest, Marseille and Dortmund).

7. The last time Manchester United went trophyless, an English Club won the Champions League (Liverpool) and they didn't finish in the top 4.

8. The Champions League Finale is on 19-05 and Chelsea Football Club was founded in 1905

9. And last but not least for Chelsea:
2000: Quarterfinal
2004: Semifinal
2008: Final
2012: ????

 

[Anzac]

Chelsea winning CL is the worst thing happened in football. I'm not saying that because they are our rivals or whatever, they are a club which do everything wrong. It wasn't a victory for Chelsea, it was victory for MONEY. How many clubs spent millions and millions in quick succession before Chelsea came along? After Chelsea, there are about 5-7 clubs that are simply following the Chelsea model and after Chelsea winning the CL, more and more clubs will follow and the clubs will spending right now ill spend even more. Creating a game completely dependent on who can spend the most money. How is that a good thing?

Some perspective:

1. CFC are NOT the 1st club of the PL era to spend millions to build a title winning team from scratch = Blackburn Rovers broke the transfer record in doing so in the early 1990s;

2. Rovers are not even the 1st club in the English game to do - WE did it under Chapman 80+ years ago in the '20s & broke the transfer record twice in doing so;

3. The bigger the goals & the bigger the requirements, then the bigger the financial investment required in the modern monied era;

4. Make no mistake that despite the differences of time and scale the principles involved are still very much the same = teams built & bought to win titles and success;

5. Then by that measure to date WE are the most successful domestic example of a team bought to succeed via our dominance at club AND national level of the 30s;

6. The plan at Citeh on & off the pitch is very much modelled on the precedents WE have set via the Chapman era 5 year plan for on field success, and the Wenger era regarding self funding sustainability. The primary difference being the timeframes involved as Citeh aim to achieve both within the same 5-10 year timeframes / generation of players
(just as CFC have achieved their on field objectives within the squad generation).

 

[redanddread]

I agree that Chelsea were incredibly fortunate to win the final but there were a number of bizarre coincidences in the past which surprisingly did follow a pattern.

I got this from a Chelsea forum before the match started.


9 Reasons why Chelsea must win this final!

1. On the previous 3 occasions, the team that has managed to beat Barca in the semis has gone on to lift the Cup: Real Madrid (2002), Manchester United (2008) and Inter Milan (2010).

2. The last time Atletico Madrid won the Europa League, Chelsea won a Double and Bayern Munich lost the Champions League final against Inter.

3. The last English team (Manchester United) to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League, went on to lift the trophy and won the competition.

4. An English team (Manchester United) has previously won the FA Cup and gone on to win the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich in the final that lost the DFB Pokal during that season.

5. The last time Manchester City won the league title, an English team (Manchester United) won the European Cup.

6. All Champions League finals played in Munich produced a winner of the competition for the first time in their history (Nottingham Forest, Marseille and Dortmund).

7. The last time Manchester United went trophyless, an English Club won the Champions League (Liverpool) and they didn't finish in the top 4.

8. The Champions League Finale is on 19-05 and Chelsea Football Club was founded in 1905

9. And last but not least for Chelsea:
2000: Quarterfinal
2004: Semifinal
2008: Final
2012: ????

Quite something this-guess it was "written in the stars"!

 

[dpt49]

Some perspective:

1. CFC are NOT the 1st club of the PL era to spend millions to build a title winning team from scratch = Blackburn Rovers broke the transfer record in doing so in the early 1990s;

2. Rovers are not even the 1st club in the English game to do - WE did it under Chapman 80+ years ago in the '20s & broke the transfer record twice in doing so;

To be fair, when Blackburn and Arsenal spent money to become successful, it was money from wealthy supporters of the respective clubs.

Also the, relative, spending was no where near the same.
Chelsea and Man City have outspent most clubs by a considerable amount.
For example Torres alone cost more than the spending of nearly any other club in Europe in the same season, paid for by a non Chelsea supporter.

I would have less of a problem with Chelsea and Man City if the money came from a genuine supporter of the club, otherwise it becomes meaningless.

 

[SomGooner]

THunter, there's a name missing from your penalty taker list. You know who... :wink:

Yeah Theo would smash one in.

 

[SomGooner]

Stylists like Torres cannot at a club like Chelsea. They need bulldozers like Drogba and Terry. No player who has great technical ability should join Chelsea.

I wouldn't call Torres a technical player at all. Confident and on form Torres is one of the best strikers in the world but I'm afraid we might have already seen the best of him as I can't see him being as good as he was before he joined Cheslea.

 

[redanddread]

Stylists like Torres cannot at a club like Chelsea. They need bulldozers like Drogba and Terry. No player who has great technical ability should join Chelsea.

I wouldn't call Torres a technical player at all. Confident and on form Torres is one of the best strikers in the world but I'm afraid we might have already seen the best of him as I can't see him being as good as he was before he joined Cheslea.

Who would you rather have in your team today-Torres or Suarez. Forget who they are and what they have done but based just on their footballing achievements over the last 15 months.

I am sure Liverpool fans would rather have Suarez and that shows just how far Torres has fallen from grace.

Was he the right buy for Chelsea? Seems not but as they say cla$$ is permanent and form temporary. Torres used to be a big match player now he looks lost and insecure.

We all complain about Na$ri & Ca$hley but they got their silverware, now Torres has his. Selfish bastards....

 

[Clrnc]

Agreed, Wenger's European record is pretty disappointing when you look at it. Considering the calibre of side we've had at times.

Think our 01-07 sides are good enough to win the UCL.

A quick glance about the performance there showed more unlucky than anything