The spiteful media were in overdrive predicting a bus parking performance from Chelsea but the reality was a performance of champions elect from Jose,Chelsea were outstanding from front to back and Mourinho was tactically spot on. City had the majority of play in the opening quarter of an hour and missed a couple of gilt edged chances to go ahead but Chelsea grew into the game and the impressive Matic was winning the battle with Toure in the middle of the park while Hazard just looked a class apart terrorising Zabaleta. It's often amazed me how often opposition coaches set their teams up allowing City the time and space they love to have on the ball and look bemused when they get a good hiding,Mourinho has clearly learnt from the likes of Bayern that we don't enjoy being pressed and Chelsea set about the task with relish,the days of City bullying Chelsea off the park are clearly a thing of the past. The goal from ivanovic had been coming and City were hanging on by the time the half time whistle blew. Second half I was hoping to see some evidence of a plan B from Pellegrini but it didn't materialise,perhaps the excuse of having to play the dreadful DeMichellis as a DM because no one else was fit enough can be mitigating circumstances but he clearly slows the tempo down for us which is a vital component of what makes city tick. Negredo looked off the pace and we desperately missed Aguero running into the channels as the one dimensional attacking play was far too easy for defenders of Cahill and Terry's class to be bothered by. Hardly the end of the world and a kick up the arse every now and again certainly won't do them any harm but tonight clearly illustrated that the title will be going right to the wire. Regards PPLF
I think Pellegrini was tactically naive tonight, you can't play 442 with 2 target men up front against the best sides in Europe. Bayern did the exact same thing to you, yet Pelligrini didn't learn from that. He obviously felt you were playing so well that tactics wouldn't matter, and how wrong he was. Losing Fernandinho didn't help, but I still think the tactics were all wrong. You can't play a 442 when Chelsea have such a strong midfield it just isn't going to cut it. It will be interesting to see how Pellegrini sets up against Barcelona, will he learn from his mistakes? Or will he be daft enough to stick with his normal tactics, and hand Barca an easy route through to the quarters. There is no doubt Man City have the players to beat the best sides in Europe, they just need there manager to be abit more tactically aware in future
Jose seems to have taken everyone by surprise, certainly count myself as one, by not "parking the bus". Actually I hope he was surprised himself by how well it went, because for once against top 4 opponents he didn't set up "not to lose". His pairing of Matic and Luiz was also well out of character and (for him) a brave and visionary move. The two of them together, thanks largely to Matics' absolutely top performance, must have pleased every supporter. Not that Luiz didn't play well, he certainly did in a position he is still inexperienced in. My hope is Jose continues the pairing so they become very formidable as they get to know the others play. Also pleasing was the mighty game played by all our back 4. Cahill especially lifted significantly, hope he can maintain that form. Only area not improved is striker. No blame on Eto'o , he is past his best more's the pity. Still rate City as favourites, but we're closing in. Next game will be amazing, what will Jose do ?? Release the Lamborghinis again or bring back the bus?? Wouldn't bet either way. City?? Missed their midfielder and striker, anyone would, both top players.
Fair post. But Jose has pulled lots of 'brave and visionary' moves as a manager. Especially at Inter and Porto, he pulled several attacking masterstrokes, playing right backs as left backs, three strikers pushing up closing down full backs etc. City should still win league this season but if we get strikers next season we can potentially dominate next year. Would like another pivot player to go along Matic for next season to break down 19th century sides, a regista Modric/pirlo type. Rambo and Mikel can play when we park the bus away like last night
Clearly a couple of top notch strikers are needed at chelsea and they have it all,great defence,midfield and tactically astute motivational are already in place. We need to strengthen defence and DM where we have no adequate cover for yaya and fernandinho I would have to consider chelsea as favourites for the title now for the main reason that we still have to go to goodison,where we never win,Anfield,where we never win,Emirates,where we rarely win,and old trafford
Yaya and F are a great combo. We need Matic + maybe one other to be a force in Europe next season and rotate Ramires, Luiz, lamps etc. Toni Kroos?? You are still favourites
Porto is an especially good example, because there he had to be inventive due to lack of great players. maybe his greatest achievement. We just might have a baby Regista player ready to come through next year if the word from Vitesse is right. Several kids are going very well there and BBC report Patrick V A is likely to rejoin us at seasons end.
Inter as well, playing three strikers but Eto and Pandev wide closing down defenders. He turned Eto into a winger at the age of the 29! And Pandev at 27. Who would have thought Eto'o would have tolerated that??
Fair enough Cp of L. But I thought Ronaldinho and Messi/Guily and Iniesta played either side of him at Barca and Eto played down the middle under Rikjaard. They moved around a bit. Ronnie like cutting in from the left. When messi tormented del Horno at the Bridge in 2006 at left back, messi played right forward, eto'o centre and Ronnie left. When Ronnie moved on, Guardiola's took over, Henry/iniesta played on the left, eto'o center and messi right. But they switched and when eto'o moved to inter, messi moved inside Eto played wide right forward off milito at inter with pandev on the other side. For Cameroon, eto'o played striker with Joel Epalle on the right but I haven't seen them for a while so I don't know where eto'o plays now
Pretty much as I remember it. Eto'o played centrally in 2008 at the Bridge for Barca with Henry and Messi wide forwards.
On the team sheet Eto'o started through the middle, and Messi was wide right up until 2009 at Barca. But quite often they would be switched during games, with Eto'o going on the right and Messi playing centrally. Obviously there best player was Messi so they would try to switch him to where they thought the weakest part of there opponents defence was. So in theory Mourinho wasn't the first person to play Eto'o on the right
