You have to balance playing from the back with long balls. Their first goal we were inviting them on. It was same against Liverpool, we played well but didn’t quite have the ability or rather self belief. In h2 of this game citeh had control and kept it. Batman was an idiot when he came on, but that happens. James was too cautious as well. When you bring on the subs they have to go for it. Use the extra energy. 

We  just needed to keep doing what we were doing in the first 25 mins. We were playing really well but faded after they scored.

After last season I was quite prepared for anything here and wasn't sure which tactics Frank should best employ to avoid a heavy defeat. This was a seriously difficult game and Frank set the tone by adopting a positive attack from the start. It was working and Chelsea dominated the first third of the game. I was really chuffed and felt Frank had done the right thing. We played our normal game and it worked for a while. Frank seems to have a definite style he wants us to play and he believes it will work against everyone. I like the fact that we have an identity and can take on the best in their own back yard and cause them trouble. Frank is doing this with a young team and he will know where we need to improve.

I trust Frank to get this right and would rather we carry on doing the same thing and coach ourselves into being a better team than kneejerk acquisitions for the sake of it. If we can buy top quality players then we should but at the moment I'm nor sure where we should invest. The new guys are doing well and Frank has his work cut out to identify where to invest.

Overall there were a lot of positives to be taken from this game and I don't see how any of he young guys would have been psychologically damaged by this defeat.

COYB. 

6 hours ago, yorkleyblue said:

At last the voice of reason.  You sobered up a bit, Lozzer?

We were extremely unlucky to  concede the first, you don't very often see three deflections like that.  The second came about because the away crowd were screaming "The geniuses on the Shed End are saying we should play the long ball forward".. Players heard that, Kovacic heard and so he did.  It didn't come off, ending up in Emerson again making Del Horno look like prime Maldini,despite the man-love that some in here have for his latin smouldering looks and well-developed thighs.

Once again, I played "lets's blame Willian bingo" and won within a minimum number of posts, by a minimum number of the same old  posters.

Generally, I thought we played well, had a bit of bad luck and a bit of luck and no-one could really have complained had it been 4-1 or 0-1 or any other score.  Was one of those games.

¡Hasta la revolución siempre!  ¡Hasta la victoria siempre!

Kovacic didn't play it in the air though, it was a risky ball but people have been crying out for that in his game. When I say direct I'm talking more about the centrebacks, there was too much passing on the floor, there should've been more long balls to the centre, that would've caused City some problems. 

Willians end product just wasn't there today, and that was a big problem in a game like this, I can understand the criticism, I was actually disappointed because he has been superb this season, I was expecting him to be one of our best players. 

3 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Kovacic didn't play it in the air though, it was a risky ball but people have been crying out for that in his game. When I say direct I'm talking more about the centrebacks, there was too much passing on the floor, there should've been more long balls to the centre, that would've caused City some problems. 

Willians end product just wasn't there today, and that was a big problem in a game like this, I can understand the criticism, I was actually disappointed because he has been superb this season, I was expecting him to be one of our best players. 

Read back  through the posts, though.  People crying out for a quick long ball forward, they got it but didn't work out and, some time later, about how far back VAR would go to try to disallow a goal against the dippers or the spuds, Emerson went to sleep and we conceded.   Good job some of us aren't actually managing the club, eh?

You now my opinion on Willian and on the posters who slate the bloke whatever he does, so I'll say no more.

2 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

Read back  through the posts, though.  People crying out for a quick long ball forward, they got it but didn't work out and, some time later, about how far back VAR would go to try to disallow a goal against the dippers or the spuds, Emerson went to sleep and we conceded.   Good job some of us aren't actually managing the club, eh?

You now my opinion on Willian and on the posters who slate the bloke whatever he does, so I'll say no more.

Are you seriously telling me IamGayForDiegod wouldn't be a good gaffer? Come off it! 

3 minutes ago, Slojo said:

Are you seriously telling me IamGayForDiegod wouldn't be a good gaffer? Come off it! 

Amongst others - perhaps we should forma committee and approach the club to bin off Lamps and we'll take over.  Guaranteed to win everything every time, in every competition, because we all know everything there is to know, right?

7 hours ago, Bonzodog29 said:

Agree with that Kepa had the shot well covered but the deflection killed it... If we had held on for a bit longer I think they would have got increasingly frustrated and there would have been more gaps to go at in the second half.

Yeah that was what some of the City supporters around me were saying too.

They had began to get frustrated until the deflected equaliser.

We had more possession than City so according to the press circa a few years ago we won, right?

First team to out-possess city in a few years if I'm not mistaken..... and playing some pretty good football.  A little more clinical in front of the net and we take some points home, and ditto if they hadn't gotten a glorious deflection fest of a first goal.

 

I will say that for not having beat a top 6 side yet this season the defeats to LFC and MCFC should be highly encouraging at 2-1 scorelines and with the boys in blue (the proper blue) looking as good as the opponents, and at times even better.

2 minutes ago, Barry Bridges said:

We had more possession than City so according to the press circa a few years ago we won, right?

First team to out-possess city in a few years if I'm not mistaken..... and playing some pretty good football.  A little more clinical in front of the net and we take some points home, and ditto if they hadn't gotten a glorious deflection fest of a first goal.

 

I will say that for not having beat a top 6 side yet this season the defeats to LFC and MCFC should be highly encouraging at 2-1 scorelines and with the boys in blue (the proper blue) looking as good as the opponents, and at times even better.

I've seen a lot of City fans say we played really well, I think that says a lot. Even though they been beaten by Klopp a few times they've usually always been the better team in all those games and have been unfortunate in decisions and missing chances. We could be one of the only teams in a long time who has went to the Etihad and actually went head to head with them playing football. 

3 minutes ago, Barry Bridges said:

We had more possession than City so according to the press circa a few years ago we won, right?

First team to out-possess city in a few years if I'm not mistaken..... and playing some pretty good football.  A little more clinical in front of the net and we take some points home, and ditto if they hadn't gotten a glorious deflection fest of a first goal.

I will say that for not having beat a top 6 side yet this season the defeats to LFC and MCFC should be highly encouraging at 2-1 scorelines and with the boys in blue (the proper blue) looking as good as the opponents, and at times even better.

We do need to get that monkey off our back about beating one of the top teams, personally thought Frank got it wrong against Utd in the League Cup making too many changes though respect with other matches so close he was willing to try a weaker formation and we paid for it.

I do think we can beat one of the top 6 yet first we need to do that.