BRAZIL 1970

[waldron]

That is the only team that has ever won anything with a shocking keeper. It is a specialist post and cannot be covered by brilliance elsewhere. I'm not blaming Hilarious for all four goals, but his presence seems to unsettle everyone. Does he ever look like stopping anything unless it is fired straight at him ? I cannot believe a team of Chelsea's standing in European football have such a lack of cover for Cech (although the Gooners have two jokers in goal). All the other reasons for the City debacle - loss of Cole, absence of Essien, madness of Ballack, ageing players unable to cope with two or three intense games a week - all need to be looked at, but when I see Hilario in goal I am just waiting for the first howler. How do you fancy him against Stoke or away at Blackburn ?

[Backbiter]

I honestly don't think he's let us down before today. And while he could/ should have stopped both goals, he was badly exposed by some crap defending. Obviously Mikel stupidly headed us into trouble for the first, but RC made a poor show of dealing with Tevez, JT was wrong footed by the header and was always chasing. If he'd challenged Tevez in the box you just know Dean would have sent him off (he sent Belletti off when he didn't even attempt to challenge Barry).

The second was 100% caused by both RC and Ivan showing ridiculous impetuosity in playing as if we were 1-0 with 2 minutes to go. It was 1-1 and there were 40 minutes left, but we got caught leaving our slowest player - Mikel - to cope with their quickest. That is just brainless, and Bellamy took his chance brilliantly. Yes, a top keeper might have saved his shot, but the real blame lies with the mindless, reckless approach to throwing men forward in when we didn't need to.