[Annihilate Now!]

I'm not talking about diving here. I am not even sure whether that was a dive as I haven't seen the video again after the game. My point is that teams should not be allowed to target a player and keep committing deliberate fouls against him like we did. If you can't handle a player, it doesn't mean you should hack him down. When I say players like Hazard, I mean players who get you off your seat with brilliant individual ability and skill like Messi, Neymar, etc. The officials in La Liga protect these players from such negative tactics. How many times was Ronaldo fouled when he played for us? This doesn't mean that the referee should not be fair. But when it comes to incidents like yesterday where a player is getting repeatedly fouled, he should be offered a little bit of protection.

Why would you not want the best player in the league? I'm sure if he was playing for us instead, you would be praising him now instead of calling him a cheat. In my opinion,he has been more important to Chelsea's success this season than Kante.

The foul Jones made on him that he got a talking to was only the 4th time he'd been fouled. Willian had been fouled 3 times before that... were we targetting him too? It's nonsense... he had mroe of the ball then any other of Chelsea's forward players and was running at players, its likely therefore that he'll be fouled... and it's not like anyone was properly "doing" him or anything.

Also, I think 3 of our players had fouled Hazard - one of which was Herrera and he'd been booked for his challenge. How is that team "targetting"?!

 

[Drz]

He lowered his should into a sprinting opponent. How is that not a yellow? It looked like a NFL hit.

LOL I have barely watched NFL but that looked nothing like it.
Regardless of where his shoulder was positioned, Hazard ran into him and not vice-versa. These are given as fouls, though I don't necessarily agree with it, but a yellow?! lol
May as well really foul the opposition if they are going to be rolling around on the ground after running into you to create minimal contact.

 

[roonster09]

He lowered his should into a sprinting opponent. How is that not a yellow? It looked like a NFL hit.

If a player is running at you and about to collide what will be your natural instinct? So he should have stood still without any body movement?

 

[efraim]

I watched the game with a Liverpool fan and Manchester City fan and they both said we were excellent defensively. Chelsea didn't stand a chance and attempted like 15 shots from outside the box, I thought we did great with one man less away against an in-form Chelsea team.

We also had no Martial, no Zlatan and no Wayne Rooney. Still they only beat us by one goal. It was nice to see Mourinho play his game for a change and on a luckier day Rashford would've scored.

 

[Coops73]

Calm down people. We played with 10 men for most of that game, against the team that is going to be champions this season. They had a whole weeks rest too and the better side on paper. We would have won had it been 11 vs 11, Chelsea were being frustrated.

People need a reality check, always so negative. Just go back and read the thread before the match, you all expected a whooping, and we come away losing 1-0 with 10 men after a hard fought match and you complain.

People seem to think we were the Harlem globe trotters under Fergie, we weren't it only happened with the teams that won the CL, the rest had as many good and bad days as anyone else.

If you expect performances like that of Bayern, Barca and Real Madrid then we need to have galactico squads like them too.

Agreed. We've played something like 12 more games than them and it's starting to show of late and I thought the sending off was harsh, it totally changed the game, Hazard knew exactly what he was doing and to be fair Herrera shouldn't have fallen for it.

I can't understand the verbals that Pogbas getting, he wasn't great but feck me people on here calling for him to be sold is a joke, he's only 23 and in my opinion has definitely improved our team, needs a rest too.

If Rashford was ill fair fecks to him, thought he played ok, didn't stop.

Oh and Antonio cnuty is a knobhead.

And at least we didn't capitulate like the arse did when they went down to 10, wankers.

 

[markelphick]

Probably could have won the game with 11 men but oh well lets just focus on EL now.

 

[BonkersIam]

That is a bit simplistic, they had a spell of pressure with a few shots in the 5 minutes before the sending off but you can't draw a conclusion how the rest of the game would go from that. We were fine for the first 20 minutes but most teams especially at home will have spells of pressure.

so you take one part of the post instead of using the full where it is explained..

Simplistic....the irony

 

[Oldyella]

Agreed. We've played something like 12 more games than them and it's starting to show of late and I thought the sending off was harsh, it totally changed the game, Hazard knew exactly what he was doing and to be fair Herrera shouldn't have fallen for it.

I can't understand the verbals that Pogbas getting, he wasn't great but feck me people on here calling for him to be sold is a joke, he's only 23 and in my opinion has definitely improved our team, needs a rest too.

If Rashford was ill fair fecks to him, thought he played ok, didn't stop.

Oh and Antonio cnuty is a knobhead.

And at least we didn't capitulate like the arse did when they went down to 10, wankers.

Agreed as well. Everything was lined up for a Chelsea win, I thought we did well pushing them as hard as we did. Re Pogba, I thought he was doing ok when we had 11, but as soon as we went to 10, with basically a back 6, he just didnt have options and tried to hold it too long. I was enjoying him vs Kante before the sending off though. Do think he needs a breather though.

 

[Ixion]

so you take one part of the post instead of using the full where it is explained..

Simplistic....the irony

Because the rest of your post was speaking about the game after the sending off? The first part was discussing stats when it was 11 v 11 and drawing a conclusion how the rest of the game was going to go without the sending off.

 

[BonkersIam]

The redcard was a joke, there was barely any contact. You can't book the next person to foul a player to punish the entire team, that's not how it works.

yes you can

 

[Annihilate Now!]

yes you can

No you can't, you can only do that if the team is clearly targetting a certain player.

Hazard had been fouled 4 times by 2 (possibly 3, but I'm not sure who the third is after Herrera and Jones) different players. That isn't team targetting.

 

[rotherham_red]

A strange game. Chelsea really weren't great. We looked well in the game up to the sending off and we conceded a really soft goal. I'm disappointed we couldn't have held out til pens or extra time at the very least.

But, before the game, if there was one competition I could take going out of, it'd have been the FA Cup, so all in all, we need to learn our lessons and move on.

 

[poleglass red]

we were doing pretty well when it was 11 v 11. Once Herrera was sent off the game changed. We basically ended up playing with 9 men as Pogba was useless. At a time when you need your big players to stand up and lead, he hid. Too much strolling around, not putting in tackles, not closing people down- not good enough. I thought our backline was very good, they stood up. I thought Rashford ran himself into the ground, unlucky with that breakaway. I actually thought even Fellaini did well when he came on, and you won't hear me say that much. I thought Pogba looked tired in this game, I thought Ibra looked tired v Bournemouth- is it really any surprise considering the amount of football they have played. Not sure what we are going to do with Pogba, he cannot play in a 2.Whatver the solution to solving this issue, it's going to cost a lot of money to fix.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

No you can't, you can only do that if the team is clearly targetting a certain player.

Hazard had been fouled 4 times by 2 (possibly 3, but I'm not sure who the third is after Herrera and Jones) different players. That isn't team targetting.

Someone mentioned Darmian earlier as the other fouler.

 

[Sensei]

Fouled them until the inevitable. Then gave up. Dire.

Players were good. Tactics were awful.

Thanks mate. You speak my mind

 

[DomesticTadpole]

A strange game. Chelsea really weren't great. We looked well in the game up to the sending off and we conceded a really soft goal. I'm disappointed we couldn't have held out til pens or extra time at the very least.

But, before the game, if there was one competition I could take going out of, it'd have been the FA Cup, so all in all, we need to learn our lessons and move on.

I am annoyed we lost, but am glad it now doesn't add more to the fixture congestion. I want the EL and Top 4 if possible. The last thing I wanted was ET, not with the game on Thursday. I am sure Chelsea would have found a way to win, fair or foul, no matter how many players we had on the pitch.

 

[BonkersIam]

u

Because the rest of your post was speaking about the game after the sending off? The first part was discussing stats when it was 11 v 11 and drawing a conclusion how the rest of the game was going to go without the sending off.

urm you missed
"especially with Chelsea exploiting the space when Utd ventured forward." which was quite relevant to the bit about the game already drifting away from Utd.

#selective

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Someone mentioned Darmian earlier as the other fouler.

Ta. I'm pretty sure it was a complete nothing foul too.

 

[Sensei]

Lost to a far better team. We had no plan how to attack them even with 11 men.

Sounds Moyesque after spending millions in the summer

 

[pre Munich Red]

Able to focus on top 4 and Euro now.

 

[Antisocial]

Give Valencia the armband and give the other players Spanish lessons so he and Rojo can yell at them.

This

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Able to focus on top 4 and Euro now.

Which might be what was wanted all along, not in the way it happened, but I doubt Jose is crying into his sugar puffs this morning. The thing that will annoy him is that he has lost a player for two games adding to missing Zlatan. I think he wanted to show he could spoil Chelsea's play, which we did until the sending off. If we lost it would be narrowly and that he did not want ET and penalties with Thursday's game on the horizon. He did not want to put out a weakened side as such as Conte would have said he was a coward. So they went out with a bit of fight and maybe hoped to nick it.

Also I think the big game for Jose is the one at OT with the crowd behind them, on his own patch.

 

[Ru55]

The redcard was a joke, there was barely any contact. You can't book the next person to foul a player to punish the entire team, that's not how it works.

That's exactly how it works.


Utd had a cracking start. Pressed quickly and looked to nullify Chelsea before they could create space and exploit it.

Chelsea then came back with Hazard's first real run starting a period of CFC pressure.

Utd then turned their pressing into a concerted and cynical series of fouls.

Then they went to 10 men.

Then they didn't get a sniff until Rashford's botched attempt. He really should of scored.

Typical Jose tactics and post game deflection.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

I know now who Willian reminded me of...Magnitude!

"Pop, pop!"

 

[kps88]

I know now who Willian reminded me of...Magnitude!

"Pop, pop!"

 

[Ixion]

That's exactly how it works.

Where is that on this page?

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules.../football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct

 

[JustAFan]

Nice and calm. Was not expecting us to win this game even before Zlatan's suspension, Rooney and Martial being out, then upon seeing the line up felt the same way.

We have to pick things up against Rostov now, can't have another half-hearted performance or one where we dominate but miss chance after chance only to get burned by their one chance they manage.

Season starting to have the feel of the last few where we got to the end and just seemed to give up, I hope I am wrong, but we shall see what the manager and players bring out to the pitch the next few weeks.

 

[AgentP]

The foul Jones made on him that he got a talking to was only the 4th time he'd been fouled. Willian had been fouled 3 times before that... were we targetting him too? It's nonsense... he had mroe of the ball then any other of Chelsea's forward players and was running at players, its likely therefore that he'll be fouled... and it's not like anyone was properly "doing" him or anything.

Also, I think 3 of our players had fouled Hazard - one of which was Herrera and he'd been booked for his challenge. How is that team "targetting"?!

Mark Oliver certainly seemed to think so. It was pretty evident that we were being extra aggressive against him. The really cynical fouls made by Jones and Darmian didn't help either. I think Jose had instructed our players to not let Hazard turn with the ball at his feet. So as soon as a pass was made to him, our players rushed towards him hoping he'll play the simple pass back. But he instead started making clever turns beating the player pressing him leading to really silly and totally unnecessary fouls.

 

[Treble_Winning]

Idiotic from Herrera, he has been lucky to get away with niggly fouls constantly and it was always going to go against him at some point. Id much rather him get sent off for smashing Hazard in to the ground instead of 2 stupid yellows for nothing fouls.

Mourinho saying Pogba was the best player on the pitch is the manager defending his player, while probably giving him a harsh word or 2 in private. At least that's how it seems to me.

Rashford should have scored-again we just aren't clinical enough yet again.

Rojo/Valencia/Young were fantastic in attitude and application I thought.

Alternatively, if Mourinho thought Pogba was the best player on the pitch, maybe he looked at the totality of Pogba's performance and was satisfied, and we as fans should pay heed. If someone with Mourinho's experience and tactical knowledge felt that Pogba played well, perhaps we need to stop slagging and abusing him at every opportunity? Sadly some people seem to have an agenda and expect Pogba to play like a prime Zidane in every game.

 

[Robertd0803]

Alternatively, if Mourinho thought Pogba was the best player on the pitch, maybe he looked at the totality of Pogba's performance and was satisfied, and we as fans should pay heed. If someone with Mourinho's experience and tactical knowledge felt that Pogba played well, perhaps we need to stop slagging and abusing him at every opportunity? Sadly some people seem to have an agenda and expect Pogba to play like a prime Zidane in every game.

I might be reading your post wrong but Im not slating Pogba? ( I agree with you) It does seem very much a manager shielding his player technique from Jose.

 

[Ru55]

Alternatively, if Mourinho thought Pogba was the best player on the pitch, maybe he looked at the totality of Pogba's performance and was satisfied, and we as fans should pay heed. If someone with Mourinho's experience and tactical knowledge felt that Pogba played well, perhaps we need to stop slagging and abusing him at every opportunity? Sadly some people seem to have an agenda and expect Pogba to play like a prime Zidane in every game.

As fans I'd trust your gut instincts and own eyes.

Jose's post match remarks were pure deflection to ' protect ' a player that is becoming increasingly scrutinized.

Embarrassing comments to say the least.

 

[Turnip]

I don't fully understand how the Chelsea fans can even say Jose is judas, they sacked him, and are now going on to win another title with a squad that he built...
If he'd upped and left in the middle of the season, I'd get it, but they wanted him to leave, they hung the banners and held the signs, did they just think he'd retire and not get another job because he wasn't at Chelsea anymore? I don't understand the logic.

 

[D2Z]

We might have lost, but we gave it our all and fought so hard. To play with 10 men against the best team in the country for so long is very difficult, but it was a great defensive effort.

Besides, the FA cup is so last year. More important games to play

What an awful mentality.

 

[RedPed]

Having slept on the result, I can happily say that I'm not too gutted. Disappointed we lost of course, but taking all things into consideration, we came away from Stamford Bridge with a lot of credit. I don't agree with Mourinho's assessment of Pogba being the best player on the pitch though. For me Rojo (MoTM) and Tony V were everywhere like men possessed and De Gea was brilliant again. We've played a shitload more games than Chelsea, who had a lot more time to prepare for this match, were missing several key players before the match and compounded that misfortune with losing an extra player after 35 minutes and having to sub Mkhitaryan for Fellaini. It was always going to be hard but we did start really well and were matching Chelsea before the sending off.

To only go down 1-0 in those circumstances is not bad at all. I really can't stand Chelsea as a club and ok they've done really well in the league this season but next year will be a different matter. I don't get all the negativity around Pogba but then again some people have said Ibrahimovic has held the club back this season. I just hope fans don't turn on him as he will come good I've no doubt.

Anyway, get a good result on Thursday, go through to the next round of the Europa with a decent tie and all will be well again.

Oh, and I hope Spurs fecking do the Chavs in the next round and beat the Gooners in the final after they dump City.

Come on you Spurs!

 

[TheGame]

I'm annoyed that we didn't at least try more attacking wise in last 20 minutes with perhaps Lingard and Rashford up top just to give it a go. We went out without really trying to equalise and just defending all the second half bar a lucky chance for Rashford.

 

[siw2007]

What an awful mentality.

Tongue in cheek. It's a joke

 

[rollingstoned1]

Meh, expected us to lose and in the context of the season considering we already won this trophy last year and another domestic one 2 weeks ago, with our other priorities and fixture congestion this was the most expendable competition. I thought we might get thrashed and am happy we didn't, tactially we were spot on and could have won this had herrera not been sent off.

 

[Fingeredmouse]

That's exactly how it works.


Utd had a cracking start. Pressed quickly and looked to nullify Chelsea before they could create space and exploit it.

Chelsea then came back with Hazard's first real run starting a period of CFC pressure.

Utd then turned their pressing into a concerted and cynical series of fouls.

Then they went to 10 men.

Then they didn't get a sniff until Rashford's botched attempt. He really should of scored.

Typical Jose tactics and post game deflection.

Before I begin, I will state that we clearly deliberately played physically last night, and a red card is no surprise (although I do feel Herrera was not top of the list for a red card in the game).

I've been trawling through the football rules, especially rule 12, on a variety of staggeringly tedious websites and I can't find the citation, or anything similar, in any of the rulebooks I'm reading. Can you give me a reference please? It's not a rule I necessarily disagree with, but I can't find evidence it is enacted (was it a tournament variant, or one that is only applied in certain countries or somesuch?).

 

[GiddyUp]

Its only one game so dont think that will happen. The finals played at the end of the season.

We saw last season how Spurs dealt with pressure, Wenger isn't getting near Chelsea so he may want to bow out with a bit of silver and Pep will also want a bit of silver after a disappointing first season.
All I'm saying is it takes one bad week by any of these for us to capitalize and finally get a place in the top four.
Europa needs to be our top priority though. Very winnable and a precious reward for next season.

 

[predator]

I think Chelsea were pretty solid and De Gea at times kept us in the game. I still think we would've got beat with 11 men although we may have scored having a player like Mkhitaryan on the pitch.

Overall though, with 10 men for the majority of the game, we got beat 1-0 by the best team in England and the likely champions. It's not that bad. I can't stand Chelsea as ever.