And the game was very easy for you by the look of things. So a good performance from Utd but possibly the start of a bad patch from Chelsea. I think we have an outside chance.
0 shots on goal....Mourinho is brave enough to put a man onto the oppositions best player...a lot of manager's wont do that..they show too much respect...Hazard gets nullifed and Chelsea's bottom lip started quivering..Nice one Matthew, nice one Mourinho Am i right Jose? please log in to view this image
boys boys boys i think you are getting carried away with this United destroying chelsea masterclass. It was pretty much the same as when we played you boys from what i saw except a less dominant performance (you guys actually controlled the ball more). We had absolutely nothing up front which was pretty similar to our derby game and this time we actually had more possession (against you boys you won it back pretty quickly and easily). Their man marking tactics on hazard and pedro did it's job and Costa has been horrendous since his Chinese move tantrum and again he was horrendous today. As for their "clear cut" chance, i would say Rashford has 2 which he finished 1 and rashford and young had a few half chances. Wouldn't say they battered us. For their clear goal, their was a handball and for the 2nd Kante decides to keep the ball in play for them and herrerra does a lampard special with a deflection. On balance of play they deserved to win but it was an interesting game with not too much goal mouth action. Anyway, you win some you lose some and onto the semi. With midweek and weekend games following the FA cup semi, do you think both sides will put out a full strength team?
A few more gems from Fulham... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Would agree with much of that as we certainly controlled the game at WHL far more than Utd did yesterday. The similarity was in the fact that you didn't respond well to intense pressing in either game - and the same could be said for the first half of both last two encounters at SB. What will be interesting is whether Conte has - or can find - a plan B for next weekend. If he starts hiding behind conspiracy theories then you may struggle again. Here's hoping anyway!!
Haven't heard his post match interview but if he did go on about conspiracy theories i'd be slightly disappointed. He's been pretty gracious all year even when we were losing but in general he was pretty good. One thing we lack is a true box to box midfielder like a Vidal. Kante is great but attacking wise he's not the best. Matic is great defensively but useless going forward and Fabregas is great going forward but the worse defensive player i've ever seen. Then in our back 3 from yesterday, Dave is good going forward as a CB but pretty abject as a wingback (just not skillful enough). Cahill is good defensively but gets a nosebleed everytime he gets the ball. Zouma again is terrible bringing the ball forward.
If you don't have a ball-playing DM, then you need other MF at hand to quickly bring the ball forward once an opposition attack is stopped by the DM. Spurs have Dembele/Eriksen/Lamela etc who operate in that area of the pitch and do that job well.
He certainly alluded to it - suggesting the decisions going against you in the last couple of games was part of some attempt to destabilise you. I was also surprised by the comments as generally he has just got on with the job.
This is the written quote although there was far more inference in the actual interview: And boss Conte pointed to what he felt have been contentious decisions against his side in matches with Stoke City, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. "Last game against Bournemouth we conceded a goal in a same situation, against Palace a clear handball, against Stoke a penalty with great doubt. This is not important," the Italian told BBC Sport. "It is important to find the right solution, but the decision of the referee [Bobby Madley] wasn't good for us. We were unlucky." Really not sure how to read what he means by 'finding the right solution'. Formal complaint to the PL, perhaps??
If that's what he said i don't have a concern. Conte is always banging on about finding the right solution. I would read it as finding a way to win a match as that's what he always preaches. Hadn't realised how many decisions we've had against us recently but i guess that's just him trying to play some mind games. He tried it on a couple/last week when he mentioned you guys when he's not tried any all season.
The pressure on Chelsky from Spurs or other PL rivals has not been as great all season as it is right now, so no real surprises if Conte should try them a bit now.
Some of our fans don't want to get carried away but it's not often we've had a chance to win the league so I'm going to enjoy it. The opportunity is there because Costa has been so poor since the China rumours, which puts a lot of pressure on Hazard to always perform and as we saw yesterday, a couple of injuries can really upset your team. I'm under no illusions though, it's going to be very tough unless you completely collapse as we may well end up dropping points too. It wasn't a battering, you're right, but it was a very comfortable win. It's not like it United had everything perfect for them either. They had an important Europa League match beforehand, rested their top scorer and had some injuries too. The semi-final should be brilliant, I'm sure both will have their best sides out.
We all have different thoughts at this point. I think we'll field our strongest team, partly on the theory that a loss would be more tiring to the players than playing one more game. I imagine Conte will also play his best 11, but what do I know?
I also wouldn't read too much into it. Wrong decisions can and have decided races, but poor reactions to them have decided at least as many. They provide wonderful opportunities to hang your head.
Page 2066 1,000 years since the Battle of Hastings. 128 year old Sir Bobby Charlton recalls the last time England won the World Cup on the 100th anniversary.
