Chelsea’s title hopes ended today at Old Trafford after losing 2-1 against Premier League leaders Manchester United, who need just one point to secure top spot and win the league for a record 19th time.
Javier Hernandez scored after just 36 seconds after some hairy defending from David Luiz and Nemanja Vidic compounded our misery in the 23rd minute when he headed in the second.
Blues midfielder Frank Lampard gave the west Londoners a glimmer of hope when he found the next midway through the second half, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side failed to add to it and will now concentrate on working hard to improve in the summer in order to come back stronger next season.
I’m in quite a sombre mood, but in an attempt to dissect the game, what did we learned from today’s game? – Have your say in the comment section below
1. David Luiz has had a few moments of rashness since arriving at Stamford Bridge and despite being a fantastically talented player, he was caught out pretty badly for the opening goal and only needed to step up with JT to play Hernandez offside and prevent the opening goal.
2. We displayed some terrible defending for the second goal too, as Branislav Ivanovic lost a yard on Vidic, who had too easy a time heading in Ryan Giggs’ cross against a Chelsea defence that was all over the place.
3. Chelsea lacked urgency and ideas. Many people have remarked about our lack of width this season and United have used their wingers to good effect against us in the last few games and have put us on the back foot with their wide threat. Both Michael Essien and Lampard went missing in the midfield, which made it almost impossible to us to get a foothold in the game and meant our best chances were from Didier Drogba’s free-kicks.
4. It has been an odd season with many twists and there hasn’t been an outstanding side to speak of, but United turned up on the big occasion and looked like champions on the day, so we can only hold our hands up and credit our opponent.
5. After the dreadful run of form during the winter months nobody thought we would have been in a position to potentially retake our spot as league leaders and at one point we were even written off a Champions League spot by a few ‘experts’. A second place finish is more than many of us expected and it’s no disgrace to finish there, so let’s win our remaining games and start looking ahead to the 2011/12 campaign.
That would have to be the worst post Ranieri game at OT ever. No confidence, No plan b, Look at my hair style Malouda, Kalouless, Yellow Card Mikel…Leave now! Your performances were totally UNCHELSEA like! You’ll weretotally ept!. The rest of the team need a wake up call! Bring back the out on loan juniors and play them in the next two games and show the prima donnas they can be dropped. I can handle a lose, but one where we just roll over! Carlo….Nice guys don’t always win!
Carlo states ‘he would have made ten changes at half time if the rules allowed’… Carlo you could have made 5 before kick off, yet you didn’t. Chelsea FC failed because of your bad decisions and so you should fall on your sword just like every other manager and assist manager in Chelsea’s recent history apart from Hiddink of course. Chelsea FC also failed with the continued interference of Roman… the man must learn to stick to what he knows and let the team manager run the team. We will continue to fail if Roman keeps doing this. He’s doing this to the deteriment of the team. I say bring back Kakuta, Burma, Van Aahlt, Sturridge etc and give these guy a go as they seem to be doing the job at the current clubs. At least if we lose it’s because we are blooding the juniors and not giving prima donnas the chance to F&^% it up for us. Kids will have more HEART than what was on show yesterday!
I’m just pissed off to witness our GREAT Team Roll over to the SCUM.
It took too long for the team to wake up, United wanted it more and had a vociferous crowd behind them.
Once United scored the goal they were happy to close up and the back and hit us on the break. We don’t have enough, or any, flair in our midfield so we really struggled to break them down.
Carlo used the same team he has used which has swept all before them over the last couple of months. If they can’t lift themselves for this game then there needs to be a changing of the guard.
Sturridge, kakuta, van anholt, shud be first teamers next season
we need wingers and a creative midfielder, carlo awkward decisions cost us games,
I don’t want ABRAMOVICH , to change our
manager. I want our manager to
change. ANCELLOTI SHUD STAY
i agreed with your submission on Essien and Lanpard in the fist half which cost us the defeat
“You know you’re in trouble as a manager when Sir Alex Ferguson starts to praise you……
It wasn’t exactly damning with faint praise, for Ferguson undoubtedly has respect for Ancelotti, but glowing words from the United boss usually come when he knows he has the better of a rival”.
The statement above is from David McDonnell of Miror Football and I totally share his sentiment which I have expressed on some forum. Ferguson did the same with Scolari but not with Mourinho and Hiddink. Why? Cos they got the better of him. If we still had Mourinho, Ferguson will be no where close to his 19th cup. So Chelsea, if we are okay with our present standard we can keep Carlo but if we desire to progress to the next level, Carlo gotta go.