@OptaJoe 44 - Chelsea played more long balls/launches than any other Premier League team this weekend, & only eight were successful. Thump. Doesn't surprise me. They were shockingly hoof ball (compared to what I expected), and Yoshia and Jos dealt with them easily.
I wonder if that was because they were playing us...been said that the long ball is the way to beat our style.
As long as they play hoof-ball, I think that Hooiveld's the best CB to play. If they pass it around and have pace, then I'd have Jos on the bench.
Just rewatched goals on MOTD2. In the Mirror yesterday, they claimed that Rickie targeted Torres (who had a broken nose) when taking the free kick. Whether he did or not, Torres jumped out of the way and didn't challenge for the ball. Begs the question, why put a guy with a facial injury in the wall.
Because getting hit in the face would represent the high-water mark of Torres' season, and Rafa doesn't want him to hit the summer without an accomplishment under his belt.
Yes, I heard that load of rubbish too, Torres jumped to try and deflect the ball, Rickies only object was to hit the ball into the net, I doubt he gave any credence to who was in the wall.
Properly played Hoovers long pass can be a very effective weapon, against Chelsea, one in particular to JRod was very close to being the perfect set up, sadly JRod just miscontrolled it otherwise he would have been in the clear. A bit more training ground practice could see this working well.
Chelsea goalkeeper said that perhaps the wall should have jumped!! One picture in the paper clearly shows Torres watching the ball go past, the player next to him going side on and the other two not moving. Mind you if Torres hadn't moved he's have had a ball-shaped hole through him. The Liverpool player can't sit down a week later.
That was the pass of the match for me. Glorious from Jos. I screamed 'ball' pretty much instantly. Such a shame that Jay didn't control it first time, because, as you say, he'd have been clear. No chance of Ivanovic catching him.
Boruc made the Mirror's team of the week...something tells me that they didn't notice he didn't play the second half!
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Ba. Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Torres, Moses, Terry, Benayoun, Bertrand. The side to play Manure, could it have beaten us?
