48 minutes ago, wallosh said:

11 hours ago, strangebutblue said:

Would kepa have been told before hand that if it was close to pens he would be subbed. Sari saved a sub for that reason. 
 
David luiz was to soft with him, 

Who would have thought this game will go to shootouts? Am not sure we had it in mind before the game.

You get an extra sub in extra time. So everyone thought this game was going to pens.

Also, every scenario is thought of before the game

However, kepa was subbed because the last two saves he made he pulled up with injury / cramp. He needed to be subbed as he wasn't 100%. It just helps caballero is a better penalty taker 

 

I was expecting us to play our usual attacking game which make us vulnerable defensively but Sarri came up with something different and as a result it ruined Pep and his team's game plan. We were defensively solid throughout, and I think Emerson and Kante were crucial defensively. I never wanted Sarri here in the first place and I never has been his fan but after this game, I feel we should give him time, even his substitutions were positive, like when I thought his usual Kovacic for Barkley sub will be perfect in the second half to maintain our composure as it looks like we are going into extra time, he brought on RLC who also improved our attack. The last substitution that probably would have changed the outcome of the game unfortunately didn't come off because of Kepa's childish behavior. But it was still a wonderful performance throughout. We had no weak link in the team that Pep could have take advantage of because even Jorginho was amazing. Sarri obviously has a plan B, he just doesn't realize yet that his plan B willwork better in the EPL than his plan A.

If it was boxing then we win it on points.Unfortunately its football so we lose it on penalties.Well played all,see we are a good team.....UTC !

6 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I don't think it was a tactical decision. If it was, he would have had Caballero warming up, he only asked for Caballero when Kepa went down with cramp. It's also incredibly rare for a manager to change their goalkeeper just for a penalty shoot out. I have only ever seen it done by Van Gaal with Holland. Also, Kepa won us a penalty shoot out to get to the final, so there was no reason for Sarri to believe that Kepa wouldn't be good enough to do the same in the final.

Regardless, a player should never have the last call on injury, he was obviously struggling, grimacing his face on several occasions, going down twice in pain, the manager made the call on what he could see happening on the pitch, it's his call not Kepa's. If Kepa wanted to stay on he should of kept a straight face and stayed on his feet, Sarri did what any manager would of done, Kepa did what no player has ever done.

Have to say the fact that consistently we believe we defend better with Hazard as strikers say everything about his defensive abilities on the wing.

He's the best individual we've got but I can't help but feel we might improve as a team when he presumably leaves in the summer. 

Did everything right, apart from taking a chance, and miss by Kante was the prime example, any deflection on target would have been a goal. We must back it up with a good performance and get a result against Spurs, no time to dewell over this or throw Kepa under the bus. Yes, he was wrong, but in the heat of the battle sh1t thing happens, it's those around him and so called leaders didn't help out the manager to pull him off the field.

5 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

Jorginhos penalty was awful, does he take all his pens like that? It's not going to take long for keepers to work those pens out if your a one trick poney. I just hate giving away easy pens like that, Luiz was a good pen and just unlucky. Aguero probably hit the worst pen of his life and got away with it. 

I knew when Jorghino stepped up he was going to miss if he just carried out his hop step and a chip routine. I've never seen him do anything else. Shouldn't somebody have spoken to him about this? It's obvious and very unprofessional. So easy to correct. Agree about the Luiz pen. Agree about the Kepa howler also. That guy needs a serious talking to.

51 minutes ago, Andy North said:

I knew when Jorghino stepped up he was going to miss if he just carried out his hop step and a chip routine. I've never seen him do anything else. Shouldn't somebody have spoken to him about this? It's obvious and very unprofessional. So easy to correct. Agree about the Luiz pen. Agree about the Kepa howler also. That guy needs a serious talking to.

I was more than a little surprised to see Jorginho step up, thought it was a joke at first and then realised after his penalty the joke was on me. 

He tried and failed to get the keeper going the wrong way. 

^

Awful penalty by Jorghino but I did enjoy his mouthful when Sane was claiming a non-existent handball. Pep brings his dark arts from the Barcelona school of cheating with him.

1 hour ago, Spiller86 said:

Have to say the fact that consistently we believe we defend better with Hazard as strikers say everything about his defensive abilities on the wing.

He's the best individual we've got but I can't help but feel we might improve as a team when he presumably leaves in the summer. 

Some body posted the stat that he made more interceptions than any other player on the pitch. We probably defend better because he is defending more.

Despite the result I was pleased with how we performed. We played deeper and kept things tight stopping the City supply.

We looked far from naïve and I feel that tactically we were spot on.

I will ignore the penalties.

In terms of atmosphere Chelsea fans were superb and the longer the game went on the more defiant we became. As a fan base we have always had a defiant streak in us and it was great to hear us in full voice.

I still think we can grab a top 4 place. Hopefully the atmosphere on Wednesday will be passionate and our season will get back on track.

In football it is often the hope that hurts but I feel optimistic today.

 

The Jorginho style penalty will only work a couple of times, after all the GK just had to hold his ground and wait for the kicker to make a move. He's not even hitting it, just chipping it, the GK could half commit and still have time to dive the other way. Now that miss is out of the way, hopefully he will change it. My fear is we will be too tired and emotionally exhausted to put up another performance like this on Wednesday, hopefully Sarri will make a few changes and use the squad smartly.

2 hours ago, Andy North said:

I knew when Jorghino stepped up he was going to miss if he just carried out his hop step and a chip routine. I've never seen him do anything else. Shouldn't somebody have spoken to him about this? It's obvious and very unprofessional. So easy to correct. Agree about the Luiz pen. Agree about the Kepa howler also. That guy needs a serious talking to.

The hop is so exaggerated that if its done you can't really commit to anything else so I'm not surprised the keeper knew. I just hate someone giving the other team an easy save then you look at Dave who smashes it in the top bins, no keeper is saving that. 

9 hours ago, JMaher94 said:

 

 

 

However, lets talk about that disgraceful decision right at the end of the 90 minutes when Ruben played Hazard through on goal. The linesman raised his flag when it looked borderline onside with Hazard baring down on goal against Ederson. Rewind to the last round, same area of the pitch, same stadium, different team and different call. The linesman kept his flag down for Kane, he gets fouled by Kepa and Spurs end up getting a penalty through VAR and score. This is where I feel like we don't get the rub of the green with the officials. It's been overshadowed by the Kepa situation and the end result but this to me proves that the officials have no clue what they're doing and they almost pick and choose who they give the decisions for. He keeps his flag down, we all know Hazard is rounding Ederson and putting that in the net. Then put it to VAR. Joke.

Congratulations to City, thought both teams gave their all.

Pretty sure he did flag, which was one of our main grievances. The players claimed they'd seen the flag so assumed we 'd get a free kick. Sarri was angry that he did flag, as under VAR he wasn't supposed to, as he was meant to let the (uselessly positioned) VAR camera decide.

I'm still under the impression you're not meant to flag in those circumstances, and the lack of interest by the media in this is ridiculous.

There was another shocker by the officials late on which may well have had the biggest impact of all. After Sterling's run into the box which so nearly led to a goal, he challenged Kepa for the ball when he was on the floor when he was clearly offside. There  was no flag. Kepa stayed down after that, maybe to waste time, maybe because he was genuinely hurt, but it was the long game delay that ensued after Sterling's challenge that made Sarri get Caballero ready, and the result was the total chaos we saw. 

Edited February 25, 20197 yr by Backbiter

Looking back on the game it really fluctuated. We were under the cosh in the early stages and kept just giving the ball back to them but bar one or two half chances they didn't really trouble our goal.

The slight disappointment for me, looking back, is how we didn't make the most of our advantage in the second half and extra time. By then we had brought on CHO and RLC who were improvements on Pedro and Barkley and they had taken off KDB and Silva and I thought we could really up the tempo and force home the advantage. We looked the better side for parts yesterday but just didn't do enough to trouble their keeper. But still very encouraging compared to two weeks ago.

 

  

Edited February 25, 20197 yr by Nibs

7 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Looking back on the game it really fluctuated. We were under the cosh in the early stages and kept just giving the ball back to them but bar one or two half chances they didn't really trouble our goal.

The slight disappointment for me, looking back, is how we didn't make the most of our advantage in the second half and extra time. By then we had brought on CHO and RLC who were improvements on Pedro and Barkley and they had taken off KDB and Silva and I thought we could really up the tempo and force home the advantage. We looked the better side for parts yesterday but just didn't do enough to trouble their keeper. But still very encouraging compared to two weeks ago.

 

  

Conclusion CHO and RLC should be starting. No more of this nonsense with two players, one who looks like a rabbit in headlights when he gets the ball and the other just isn't having a good season.

Jorginho has missed 1 penalty and scored 11 in his career before that shootout, not including shootouts, but I think that was his 1st miss in a shoot out. 

That's how he takes them, and they usually end up in the net. 

I've got no issue with his technique, it can't be that easy to save them because his record is excellent. Doesn't look too pretty when they get saved though admittedly.

If anyone is to blame, then surely it is the idiots that booed him in midweek, which will no doubt have put even further pressure on him. 

54 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

The hop is so exaggerated that if its done you can't really commit to anything else so I'm not surprised the keeper knew. I just hate someone giving the other team an easy save then you look at Dave who smashes it in the top bins, no keeper is saving that. 

The thing that gets me is that he did exactly the same penalty in the semi against Spurs. Why wouldn't a keeper wait until he kicks the ball. He did exactly the same against Huddersfield. He even did it against Lyon pre season although he did go to the left then. Any goalkeeper worth his value will just wait until he kicks because its such a soft shot there is plenty of time to delay the dive. Its pathetic.

 

32 minutes ago, Andy North said:

The thing that gets me is that he did exactly the same penalty in the semi against Spurs. Why wouldn't a keeper wait until he kicks the ball. He did exactly the same against Huddersfield. He even did it against Lyon pre season although he did go to the left then. Any goalkeeper worth his value will just wait until he kicks because its such a soft shot there is plenty of time to delay the dive. Its pathetic.

 

You can say the same about Hazard's usual penalty technique. Why doesn't the keeper just wait until he hits it? It's never that simple.

Yep we did well against city..yep. when it comes to pens one heart sinks.. no politeness from me. I point the finger at boy kepa losing us the cup. There were no mistakes or misunderstandings. Sarri like myself knew a penalty save was more likely from cabellero..this goalkeeper who may i add is imo too bloody small didnt want to do as instructed and cpst us a poss pen save..drop him against the filth on weds till he learns and other playrts learn you are paid by the club to do a job the manager wants u to do...d**khead

Let me discuss yesterday’s fuss. So, Kepa is lying on the ground, in pain, calling for the meds. It happens once, then twice, then Sarri decides to swap him for Caballero – a top penalty stopper. Now, I’m pretty sure Kepa was wasting time trying to get to penalties and be the hero, and got extremely frustrated when he saw the board come up with his number on it. I even get why he would try and change his manager’s opinion. It’s a cup final – you’ve given a solid performance for 120 mins and now it’s your time to shine.
But then Sarri insists, and you keep going at it. First off, your job is divided into two evenly important tasks; one being keeping the net empty, and the second is to do everything the manager tells you to. If he decides you move to play as winger, you go up there and start making inside cuts! Once you stop performing those two tasks at a top level, you go back to your mid-level Spanish side you came from.

But let’s assume he’s young, impulsive and very agitated at the moment. A quick dive into Sarri’s head at that moment appears to reveal panic, even fear. At that moment, when your talented-but-undisciplined keeper refuses to come off the pitch, you can’t just stand there and get all cranky and throw a fit. You’ve got to take the drill sergeant stance and tell the 4^th official, “go ahead, raise the board”. From that point on, it’s the ref’s job to do his job. And if the referee looks helpless (as he did), you enter the damn pitch, go to him, and ask him to reach to his pocket and give that little bastard a yellow. Or a red! This is no more a matter of football, but your position as the leader of this group of people. And if this gets you sacked, well then, that’s what it takes to be the main man. You have to show your teeth when the wolves start growling.

And finally, the ref. From the moment you blow your whistle to the moment the players leave the pitch, YOU ARE THE BOSS. In those 120 mins + penalties, they are kids on the playground and you are the grown-up in charge. If Kepa starts his shenanigans and it’s been 5 minutes since the game stopped, you call him to you. You call the manager to you, and tell them, “Listen up lads. You got precisely 10 seconds to figure this out or you’re both sent off”. I promise, not one Chelsea fan (including me) would be offended. That was an embarrassing sight to watch, all around, and the ref doesn’t get away with it. Your match, your pitch, your decision. Take control.

5 hours ago, coco said:

Regardless, a player should never have the last call on injury, he was obviously struggling, grimacing his face on several occasions, going down twice in pain, the manager made the call on what he could see happening on the pitch, it's his call not Kepa's. If Kepa wanted to stay on he should of kept a straight face and stayed on his feet, Sarri did what any manager would of done, Kepa did what no player has ever done.

Exactly.

Hello Fella's  you can probably work out my Man City allegiance and also my general age by my username ?

I have to tell you what was going on in the City end when your keeper had his refusal to go off.....we all thought thank f@ck it wasn't Willy taking over.....we have seen how good he is in a pen shootout.....You really missed a trick there because your team played really well. Anyway good luck for the rest of the season. It really could have gone either way......but a decision had been made and your Keeper should have been more professional IMO.

Edited February 25, 20197 yr by OurFullMembersCup

7 minutes ago, OurFullMembersCup said:

Hello Fella's  you can probably work out my Man City allegiance and also my general age by my username ?

I have to tell you what was going on in the City end when your keeper had his refusal to go off.....we all thought thank f@ck it wasn't Willy taking over.....we have seen how good he is in a pen shootout.....You really missed a trick there because your team played really well. Anyway good luck for the rest of the season. It really could have gone either way......but a decision had been made and your Keeper should have been more professional IMO.

What do you think of the Der Spiegel allegations ? Does our two window transfer ban worry you what the future will bring ?

I thought it was a tactical sub, cramp or not, Sarri was still probably going to do it!

Not wanting to make excuses but as soon as the drama occurred, it had City’s name on the cup!