Match Day Thread 2017/18 Premier League, Cups & Euro Watch

GKs just don't know when to quit. End up like Given or Schwazer, bouncing around clubs as back up

 

Today couldn’t have gone much better.

Chelsea were an embarrassment. Teams in lower divisions have given city more of a game than Chelsea and their squad cost infinitely more money. I can understand lower Prem clubs sitting back trying to stifle them and nick something but it’s ridiculous that a team challenging top 4 would go for the same tactic.

 

You'll see it happen in our next league game...

 

Was only half watching at pub so just watched some of the ‘highlights’ on motd. Interesting watching the analysis afterwards. The amount of times you just knocked it long down the line but not even close to hazard.

Youll do well to keep him next year. If a big club come in for him I can’t see him not kicking up a big fuss and can’t blsme him in this case because this season he’s been shoved up top on his own and asked to be drogba.

The funniest part of the game was at 1-0 down you take of Pedro (who admittedly was having s shocker) and throw on a left back

 

dunno. Probably. He's not been getting on with the board the whole season

 

no shame at all at stifling. Hell you guys have done it in the past.

What was shameful is not going for it after going 1-0 up.

 

How can you possibly excuse that display? It was dire.

 

Theres sriffling and then there’s what you did.

Idea is to be solid in defence and try nick something on the break. You guys didn’t put 2 passes together in your own half let alone city’s half.

 

i didn't excuse it. Up to a certain point. If thats what gets you the win against a superior team. You guys did exactly the same to your CL win and i don't blame you one bit

 

It was abject, but we stopped them from scoring in the first half and apart from Sanes chance, they didn't really create anything.

It was after they scored i agree it was entirely abject. Contes plan was to play on the counter not that i agreed with his tactics but i can see what he did and why he did it whether you agree with it or not

 

If we played like that I'd call it out, and you've read enough of my comments on here to know I would.
You're supposed to be top 4 material, not bottom-end strugglers.

 

If they scored after 15 mins would you say the game plan was working? Just because it got to HT at 0-0 doesn’t mean game plan is working.

City and mainly Pep will happily pass the ball around for 89 minutes at 0-0 because they back themselves tonget a goal.

If your game plan was to defend 18 yard box and give city 89% possession and not put a challenge in then yeah I guess it worked first half but you ask anyone and they’d know that game plan isn’t going to work for 90mins and even if it was 0-0 after 70-80 mins, I don’t think conte would have changed tontey go more attacking and get a goal.

 

I would argue your 0-0 at Anfield last year was pretty much like that. Both teams too afraid to attack which is why there were not many chances. I might have missed you criticising klopp though

 

Nope i wouldnt have said it worked but as you say it did work. They had **** all chances even though it meant we had nothing.

Its how you eeked your way to the cl final and its how we won our only cl final.

Anyway we will just have to agree to disagree

 

Our team was vastly inferior to his helsea team though.

Hazard, Willian, Pedro, morata, Kante. This team won the premiership last year, it’s a bit different from lfc wth smicer, Traore, cisse and baros!

I know your not hazards biggest fan but must be a worry when you see his frustration on the pitch today. Willian didn’t look that pleased coming off and has been bit part player when he’s actually one of your better players. Do you think they’ll still be there next year if Madrid come in for hazard ans courteous and others come in for willian?

Maybe a new manager can convince them to stay but could be abut of an exodus if they kick up a fuss

 

I really dont understand why everyone is taking Nevilles side on this. At 0-0 contes tactics were right
City were not really getting a sight at the chelsea goal for all their possession.
Conte was probably targetting the win, by nicking a goal so being one down just altered the target, had they fallen two behind his actions may have differed.
I have no idea why being defensive is a crime.
Italy have won five world cups being defensive which was , no idea if still is, level with Brazil.
I enjoy watching a good defensive masterclass as much as an attacking masterclass, personally i dont like peps passing to bore everyone to death style but it is still impressive and successful.
Chelsea were one mistake away against a one nil victory against barca (the mistake being the defender going to ground the pass was bad but the defender that slid was stupid ), i thought they did well. Will be tough in away leg but not impossible.

 

No, we scored vital goals and then defended the lead.

Today you didn't even try to win, went for the point and got nothing.
Here is my favourite part of Conte defending his tactics today, "I am not so stupid to play against Manchester City open and to lose 3-0 or 4-0". I mean stop me if I'm wrong, but you get the same points for losing 3-0 as for losing 1-0.

In the end this style of play is outdated otherwise Jose would be sitting top, even if you are able to stifle a team like City for 90% of the game there is still that 10% where they are likely to score, at which point you look stupid and lose 1-0.

 

You still played from a safe defensive set up.

As for the style is oudated. We won the league with it last year

 

Don't put facts ahead of a good delusion

 

FFS, Parking the bus like you did today, like you won the CL is outdated. Not you're overall tactics this or last season, when you did play attacking football

Also around 2005 defensive pragmatic football was the style, the way of stopping the Barca's. Until Bayern came along and showed a better way of beating possession football. I don't believe a team would win the CL with those tactics today.