2 hours ago, Dean said:

Ok so I’ve said a few times I think our chances of winning our really slim, despite being optimistic about where we are going in general.

I’ve thought for a while that it’s City’s year. It’s preordained. But this is more than blind superstition. I think what it’s based on is a notion that to win the BIG ones you have to knock on the door first. (Applies to World Cups and Euros too. For example, France beaten finalists in euros in 2016, then winners of the WC in 2018.) 

We’ve been in the wilderness for a decade as far as the CL concerned. It’s pretty rare for a team to come out of nowhere and go all the way. This is a big difference vs 2012 when we had a team full of players that had gone close in recent memory, been in finals, semis, and that’s why I don’t agree with the 2012 comps. Back then it seemed preordained that we would win after THAT Barca semi..

ok, so City have hardly covered themselves in glory in the CL. But they’ve gone a lot closer than us. Lots of  QFs. It’s a big reason I think they will win. Anyone share this view, or think this is nonsense and got some counter examples?

Obviously I would be more over the moon than I can possibly imagine if Chelsea go and make a mockery of this notion on Saturday. 

I get your point but I can counter it. The inter Milan team that won the treble in 2010 haven’t been in the semi final let alone the finals for decades in comparison to Bayern who were regular quarter and semifinalist. In the end it’s a one off game, no one arguing against city being favorites, but anything can happen in 90 plus minutes in football.

31 minutes ago, Faisal said:

I get your point but I can counter it. The inter Milan team that won the treble in 2010 haven’t been in the semi final let alone the finals for decades in comparison to Bayern who were regular quarter and semifinalist. In the end it’s a one off game, no one arguing against city being favorites, but anything can happen in 90 plus minutes in football.

Fair. Other examples - Mourinho’s Porto (though they had been to latter rounds not that long before iirc), Greece Euros 2004... obvs I want to be wrong 🙂 

It's only recently begun to sink in that the boys are heading to a Champions League final on saturday.

What madness, after the season start we had.

Only thing I demand from the team is to give it their absolute all.

KTBFFH

1 hour ago, quik said:

It's only recently begun to sink in that the boys are heading to a Champions League final on saturday.

What madness, after the season start we had.

Only thing I demand from the team is to give it their absolute all.

KTBFFH

Nah I agree with @dkw idea. They win the CL or they get fired in to the sun!

On 23/05/2021 at 15:37, General said:

Whatever happens next Saturday I’m going to Disneyland on Sunday at 35% capacity only, no mental waits

Also if you’re feeling negative about the final, not many thought we had a 🙏🏻 vs Bayern, but we did have players back then who knew where the back of the net was!

I'll be watching the game in Vegas.  Will start drinking early, or just pull an all nighter.

Probably place some bets. Werner to score first must be good odds.  Shoot, Werner to score period would be good odds.

On 23/05/2021 at 21:37, IliyaKrostin said:

We have lost 3 in 4 last games. Not the best form to come and play in the CL final.

Mendy's got injured, hopefully he will be fully fit because without him our confidence will be very low.

One important thing before the big final, we secured our spot in top 4 and it might give some players more calm and won't put under pressure.

Again, we're underdog here. Everything is coming against us, our poor form, attacking players don't score, City are destroying everything coming towards them, we've lost one final already and many more stats.

One big night can change it all and make it clear, like all these stats never happen. I'm sure the players and Tuchel knows how big this title is and we definitely needs an improvement on our mentality in big games. It cannot be improved in few games, but there should be signs of more aggression, more motivation and higher morale than the opponent.

From this moment we have to focus only on us and be as positive as we can. f**k Man City and f**k their form, we are here to play for the title and we must come with our best. Don't respect too much, we have reached the final because we deserved it. We beat two Spanish clubs that one of them won the championship and the second one finished 2nd. We already beat City twice this season, why can't we make it? 

Everything depends on us, we can win this game, we have good players even without their best form, we still can offer a lot of football. 

COME ON CHELS!!!!

That's the spirit! and you are right in all of your post.This is a one off - current form can go out the window(2012)we have already proven we are a match for anyone on our day.

As someone said,after 15 min's we  should see if it is going to be a 'sh*t show' from us.I am worried TT doesn't know a sh*t show from bedding into a game.

If he starts that super duper midfielder that is a jack of no trades and a master of none we are truly doomed unless Kante is fit.

 

Southern Softies; in the history of both the European cup and the Champions league the only 2 previous all English finals have seen the Northen English team, Manchester United and Liverpool, respectively, defeat Southern English sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively. 

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

Southern Softies; in the history of both the European cup and the Champions league the only 2 previous all English finals have seen the Northen English team, Manchester United and Liverpool, respectively, defeat Southern English sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively. 

Didn’t know that ! 😀

1 hour ago, erskblue said:

Didn’t know that ! 😀

Really drives home the whole 'those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it' vibe eh? 

Dont let the cycle continue lads!

Should go with what worked last time:

 

-------------------------------------Mendy

Azpilicueta---------Christensen--------Rudiger-----------Emerson

--------------------------Kanté-------------Mount

-----------James-----------------Ziyech-----------------Werner

-----------------------------------Giroud

Last two matches with City:

3rd Jan

3-1 home defeat

    16 Edouard Mendy, 6 Thiago Silva, 7 N'Golo Kante (23 Billy Gilmour 64), 10 Christian Pulisic, 11 Timo Werner, 15 Kurt Zouma, 17 Mateo Kovacic (29 Kai Havertz 77), 
19 Mason Mount, 21 Ben Chilwell, 22 Hakim Ziyech (20 Callum Hudson-Odoi 64), 28 Cesar Azpilicueta

CFC Scorer     Hudson-Odoi 90

8th May

2-1 win away 

    16 Edouard Mendy, 2 Antonio Rudiger, 3 Marcos Alonso, 4 Andreas Christensen (15 Kurt Zouma 46), 7 N'Golo Kante ( 5 Jorginho 68), 
10 Christian Pulisic, 11 Timo Werner, 22 Hakim Ziyech (20 Callum Hudson-Odoi 76), 23 Billy Gilmour, 24 Reece James, 28 Cesar Azpilicueta

CFC Scorer Ziyech 63, Alonso 90

When we beat them, Aguero pissed away a potential 2-0 lead, they will all be more professional this time round.

They are simply better than us and their squad is in better shape too, personally I think it's better to temper expectations and just watch it unfold on the night.

1 hour ago, sonic90 said:

When we beat them, Aguero pissed away a potential 2-0 lead, they will all be more professional this time round.

They are simply better than us and their squad is in better shape too, personally I think it's better to temper expectations and just watch it unfold on the night.

Yes the first one was under Frank and the second they rested a few players.

Intrigued to see how TT sets us up for this and the bench he chooses. 

This might not be a typical final where both teams are having a tough game and where the small details matter the most, both will be nervous and that might suit us much better than a game like we had vs Porto for example where if not for the little details it would have been a much tighter matchup.

Otherwise if it's really a tight game where nobody risks much it might end up being an easy victory for Man City, in order to win that kind of a game we must have 0 defensive mistakes and no blunders and we must be clinical in taking our chances as there won't be that many... Have we shown that we can do both of those things in a single match?

As long as no one here is giving the pre match talk

2 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

This might not be a typical final where both teams are having a tough game and where the small details matter the most, both will be nervous and that might suit us much better than a game like we had vs Porto for example where if not for the little details it would have been a much tighter matchup.

Otherwise if it's really a tight game where nobody risks much it might end up being an easy victory for Man City, in order to win that kind of a game we must have 0 defensive mistakes and no blunders and we must be clinical in taking our chances as there won't be that many... Have we shown that we can do both of those things in a single match?

In the CL I think we rather did, no?

It's not as if City had a cakewalk to the final as well, Dortmund played conservatively but still had them work hard to score. PSG almost gifted 'em two goals and then hit the self-destruction button. Even Gladbach played quite well against them. If we defend well they will get nervous and mostly our best chances a generated by defending well and organized. They don't play their hefty all-out attacking system anymore anyway (maybe in the final but I heavily doubt that). And they are always up for a stupid mistake themselves (Laporte/Rodri/Ederson come to mind).

 

That said, we need a stellar performance and some luck on top of that to stand a chance - I just hope we don't see decindingly dogdy calls from the ref - that'd be truly unsettling.

10 minutes ago, Gol15 said:

This might not be a typical final where both teams are having a tough game and where the small details matter the most, both will be nervous and that might suit us much better than a game like we had vs Porto for example where if not for the little details it would have been a much tighter matchup.

Otherwise if it's really a tight game where nobody risks much it might end up being an easy victory for Man City, in order to win that kind of a game we must have 0 defensive mistakes and no blunders and we must be clinical in taking our chances as there won't be that many... Have we shown that we can do both of those things in a single match?

We have raised our game in the European matches though of course this is against an EPL side.

The manager comparison is interesting, Pep has been at City 4 seasons and never won this trophy. 

Tuchel has not won a Champions League final though last season lost a by a single goal to Bayern Munich.

 

I have a good feeling.

Think the no striker system Guardiola will almost certainly go for suits us.

I’m reasonably confident it can be done. Man City are rightfully favourites but Chelsea always seem to perform better in finals in which they are underdogs. 

 Pep has a tendency to overthink his selections/tactics in the CL with City and I think already being beaten by Tuchel twice in a month may play into our hands in that regard.

Most important thing is to not give away any cheap goals like in the last few weeks as all the success under Tuchel has been based off keeping clean sheets.

 

Apparently we returned 800 tickets to UEFA because we couldn't sell them. While City sold out their tickets on the first day because their fans have got their tickets and accommodation paid for by their owner. We will definitely be the away team in Porto.  It makes no sense why we would just return the tickets couldn't we just gift them to true Chelsea supporters. SMFH

2 hours ago, Gol15 said:

This might not be a typical final where both teams are having a tough game and where the small details matter the most, both will be nervous and that might suit us much better than a game like we had vs Porto for example where if not for the little details it would have been a much tighter matchup.

Otherwise if it's really a tight game where nobody risks much it might end up being an easy victory for Man City, in order to win that kind of a game we must have 0 defensive mistakes and no blunders and we must be clinical in taking our chances as there won't be that many... Have we shown that we can do both of those things in a single match?

The Atletico games I think we did yes.

Recently no though, not only have we had our usual issues up top but also we are making silly mistakes in defence as well.

1 minute ago, The Don Antonio said:

Apparently we returned 800 tickets to UEFA because we couldn't sell them. While City sold out their tickets on the first day because their fans have got their tickets and accommodation paid for by their owner. We will definitely be the away team in Porto.  It makes no sense why we would just return the tickets couldn't we just gift them to true Chelsea supporters. SMFH

Great PR move by City as well as a great gesture given all the difficulties of the past 18 months. Well done to them 👏👏👏

3 hours ago, sonic90 said:

When we beat them, Aguero pissed away a potential 2-0 lead, they will all be more professional this time round.

They are simply better than us and their squad is in better shape too, personally I think it's better to temper expectations and just watch it unfold on the night.

Agreed. Add to that both times we beat them we did not beat their "best" side. On both occasions Pep clealry did not care if they won or lost and their players put in half hearted effort. Like Aguero taking the piss with his pen.

They wont be like that on saturday. Only Kante from our side would get in to theirs imo.

5 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Agreed. Add to that both times we beat them we did not beat their "best" side. On both occasions Pep clealry did not care if they won or lost and their players put in half hearted effort. Like Aguero taking the piss with his pen.

They wont be like that on saturday. Only Kante from our side would get in to theirs imo.

Neither did we field our strongest XI when we faced them though.

And Mendy, T.Silva, Chilwell, Kante, Mount would all be in their side in my view. Perhaps even Jorginho who Guardiola was desperate for at one point.

Edited May 26, 20215 yr by Sindre

2 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Agreed. Add to that both times we beat them we did not beat their "best" side. On both occasions Pep clealry did not care if they won or lost and their players put in half hearted effort. Like Aguero taking the piss with his pen.

They wont be like that on saturday. Only Kante from our side would get in to theirs imo.

        Add to that Peps record of winning 14 out of the 15 major finals he has competed in. lol