44 minutes ago, ozboy said:

 

I have to assume Casedi was injured and couldn't make the bench. Klopp timed his subs well and he brought on midfield energy. Gallagher, Enzo and Caicedo don't ever get a rest. Sure we are only playing one game a week, except when we play two, but those guys have to be spelled a bit. 

Its the same against Citi except this time at least Madueke and Mudryck got a few minutes.

If Poch had rotated Gallagher out earlier in the season we'd be more able to do it in this game without screwing the flow. But incredibly I agree to an extent with Bob Stark  we needed fresh legs in midfield but there were zero bench options to do that. Even bringing Palmer or Nkunku back to 10, something I have been advocated for all season and leaving Jackson on might have produced better results. Chalobah has played in midfield before.

One way and another the decisions Klopp was able to make during the game worked and we ended the game stuffed and defending the penalty area, like the City game.

I believe Casedei is cup tied.

This, if you want to blame poch then blame him for not incorporating more kids. Give these kids especially midfielder playing time, if they are not ready, at least nobody will blame you 😂😂😂

 

 

6 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

I believe Casedei is cup tied.

This, if you want to blame poch then blame him for not incorporating more kids. Give these kids especially midfielder playing time, if they are not ready, at least nobody will blame you 😂😂😂

 

 

This is a balance thing. Pochettino tries to balance the squad in terms of trying to get most wins but to incorporate young players. It is constant work. 

Klopp was clearly so happy because he clearly made a big decision bringing on young lads for the ET and you could see he was extra proud of himself doing that. He also has zero pressure now that he is leaving. He could not lose with that choice. Good call by him.

Anyway I wouldn't read too many articles or columns. We are in a project that is just starting. Media like Neville is just spatting out things that grab the non-chelsea fans imagination. 

As we are not winning constantly we should try and get joy out of other things like seeing young lads grow into the roles. 

We had 2,28 xG...my word. Liverpool had 1,78. 

18 minutes ago, evissy said:

This is a balance thing. Pochettino tries to balance the squad in terms of trying to get most wins but to incorporate young players. It is constant work. 

Klopp was clearly so happy because he clearly made a big decision bringing on young lads for the ET and you could see he was extra proud of himself doing that. He also has zero pressure now that he is leaving. He could not lose with that choice. Good call by him.

Anyway I wouldn't read too many articles or columns. We are in a project that is just starting. Media like Neville is just spatting out things that grab the non-chelsea fans imagination. 

As we are not winning constantly we should try and get joy out of other things like seeing young lads grow into the roles. 

I blamed poch completely on not playing more kids. This is my biggest gripe on Poch. I love manager who try to incorporate more kids from academy. 

Would it work? It all depend on the kids, maybe it won't because the kids that we have are not ready but like I said if he has tried it and they are not ready at least nobody will blame him 🤭🤭🤭

Edited February 26, 20242 yr by Bob stark

These ratings are spot on IMO.

Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool: player ratings from the Carabao Cup final (msn.com)

I think we hadn't a better chance than what he had yesterday to win the cup. 

We became f**king losers, it's unaccaptable. I guess everything was being told already, nothing to add.

47 minutes ago, just said:

These ratings are spot on IMO.

Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool: player ratings from the Carabao Cup final (msn.com)

Not sure I can agree with these to be honest. We narrowly lost to a 118th min goal and we created the stronger chances. On that basis I can’t see how their players would get a significantly higher rating. 

2 hours ago, evissy said:

43 pages of 👆 or

I go with Thiago.

Proud of what though? Reaching a final? Isn't that the essence of Spursy-ness, being proud of reaching a final that we lost. 

AFC Wimbledon, Blackburn, Middlesbrough...what an epic journey.

 

Apologies...I am still bitter this morning.

The way we approached extra time is something that's bugged me for hours.

I don't know whether that's inexperience from a young squad, but Pochettino's approach really left a bitter taste in my mouth.

This was a hugely missed opportunity and something we'll be rueing over for a little while.

Still really pissed off at our ET approach. Go out there and give it all for the win especially when we have had the upper hand in the final 15 of the 90.

At that time I was feeling confident of the win. Then in the first 5 mins of ET it was obvious that one team wanted to win and the other going for pens.

Such a cowardly set up by Poch. If we had went out fighting, got caught on the break, then I think most would have forgiven the manager and blamed it on missed chances. This playing for pens when you have the upper hand is unforgivable. This cowardly attitude stinks the club out. Just f**k off Poch, any sort of respect you maybe had as a manager is completely gone.

2 hours ago, evissy said:

We had 2,28 xG...my word. Liverpool had 1,78. 

Thank you Carol Vorderman.

28 minutes ago, goose said:

Still really pissed off at our ET approach. Go out there and give it all for the win especially when we have had the upper hand in the final 15 of the 90.

At that time I was feeling confident of the win. Then in the first 5 mins of ET it was obvious that one team wanted to win and the other going for pens.

Such a cowardly set up by Poch. If we had went out fighting, got caught on the break, then I think most would have forgiven the manager and blamed it on missed chances. This playing for pens when you have the upper hand is unforgivable. This cowardly attitude stinks the club out. Just f**k off Poch, any sort of respect you maybe had as a manager is completely gone.

Agreed.

Klopp operates on the basis of Chaos theory, its his USP.  When it gets down to the real nitty gritty and the finest of margins Klopp generally takes the "Fck it" road and throws in a hail Mary. By doing this he immediately gains the sentimental high ground ("Ooh, let's hope this doesn't go to extra time, Jurgen's team have got school in the morning") and at the end of the day he has nothing to lose because he is backed up anyway.

Pochettino just cannot fathom this out, so actually invites it on, by retreating and playing for penalties. The fact that he went with two goalkeepers on the bench in a cup final is fking criminal for a start. Where was Washington, Stutter (Name?). I will not believe that every single forward player in the club is injured.

Cowardly and quintessential spursy-ness from this guy. I was on the fringes anyway, because he has improved nobody, his intense micro management, his excellent man management and football acumen are non existent, but above all, this guy has to go under his own measure, his own criteria. In his first press conference, and several thereafter, "This is Chelsea, first we win. We must win first, then we can grow. Winning is everything". He was appointed on 1st July 2023. We will shortly be at 1st March 2024 and we remain a shambles in style, organisational structure, fitness and tactical ability. By his own yardstick he remains an abject loser to date.

12 minutes ago, Snedger said:

Thank you Carol Vorderman.

At least Carol has more potency up top than our wishy washy front line

6 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

At least Carol has more potency up top than our wishy washy front line

Sha's aiming for the next Barbie film it is amazing what the plastic surgery chaps can do now. 😁

I was following on line yesterday and the pundits were saying Enzo and Caicedo's legs had gone near the 90 mark yet we had no other fit midfielders on the bench.

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't any easier to take this morning. Again, I can't believe the chances that we missed in normal time to win it. We just don't have it in us anymore sadly. Poch's percieved spursyness isnt helping, but we had this issue under Tuchel too, CL win aside. Even in that game Pulisic missed a sitter to wrap the game up that almost cost us with Mahrez's close call right at the end.

Gallaghers miss yesterday was remeniscent of mounts misses in the Carabao under TT against the same sh*te as yesterday. Two young, academy players that play their heart out for the shirt but defentily raise doubts over their quality (or at least have caused fan debates).

The extra time shambles was the real exposee on the managers. I don't believe Poch sent them out to go for penalties, I think his comments have been taken out of context. But he clearly didn't inspire/encourage the alternative. We were growing as normal time finished and then completely lost our bottle. Understandable that a young team would do that, but less understandable considering their team was also young and ended up stepping up.

I really don't know how we fix it. We don't have any winners (maybe t silva but hes off this summer). We have players that have won, but they're not winners. You can buy winners, but winners want to win and we don't provide much prospect of that right now. It feels like we need a complete culture reset. I think we need to avoid falling into the Man United trap of spending the next 10 years searching for a replica of what we had. United constantly demand and compare what they have to the fergie years but football has moved on. 

If we do chase what we had, Mourinho v3 is the only option. He probably would have won that game yesterday. 

But if we want to move forward, I dont know.

 

6 minutes ago, strider6004 said:

I was following on line yesterday and the pundits were saying Enzo and Caicedo's legs had gone near the 90 mark yet we had no other fit midfielders on the bench.

 

 

 

 

 

Shocking indictment, isn't it? How would these have coped with midweek football along with weekend matches.  A number of us have been saying all season these players are unfit or have an insufficient level of fitness anyway.

I also have a major problem with the overlooked, intricate and massively important details.

Forgetting the tactics, formations, Xg, Xa and all that, for me its the simple point of tipping points and confidence erosion that is so important.

The poor quality control of the ball by so many of our players (Gusto three times running the ball off the pitch in the first half, Palmer also). The poor timing of tackles, (Gallagher, Colwill, Chilwell, clumsily late, Caicedo with the timing of a league 2 clogger) misplaced passes (just too many to list, although i recall Palmer literally passing it off the pitch due to no runner).

These aspects are tiny, they are almost invisible...until you play a team like Liverpool, who focus exactly on this. They maintain a level of fitness to keep up with the play and then press immediately on the second touch if the first is poor. Our first touch is generally poor, often because of a simple lack of care in the pass. Therefore we are often fighting to retain possession in a second touch tackle or we end up negative passing because momentum is lost.

This is the level of micro management i was expecting this guy to bring in, closely working with individual players and tactical units to improve these fundamental basics that go under the radar but actually provide fluidity to the team,

Its just so lax and lazy and that comes from the management team. its just another indictment against Poch and his staff for me.

I think we also need to take into account stress and nerves for many being in their first major final and perhaps Klopp is better at managing this than Poch.

I recall reading about autobiographies of successful older managers realising when nerves were an issue and some letting them have alcohol the night before.

Not saying this is right for our chaps just giving an example of how some have handled it previously.

5 minutes ago, strider6004 said:

I think we also need to take into account stress and nerves for many being in their first major final and perhaps Klopp is better at managing this than Poch.

I recall reading about autobiographies of successful older managers realising when nerves were an issue and some letting them have alcohol the night before.

Not saying this is right for our chaps just giving an example of how some have handled it previously.

There was one that i read had to have a shag the night before. Can't remember who though tbh 😀. 

Tried that routine myself the night before a big meeting at work. Rarely works, if ever!

The media conveniently forget we have a young squad as well, plenty of which are unfairly labelled as a billion pound squad. 

We done pretty well as the momentum in the game swung back & forth. I would have kept Gallagher and Jackson on, just a shame Casadei wasn't available. Chalobah should not be coming on ahead of Gilchrist either.

Disappointed with the loss for sure, but it wasn't one sided like the previous game a few weeks back, and they have far more experienced players for their academy lads to feel comfortable on the pitch with.

14 minutes ago, Malcolm9 said:

The media conveniently forget we have a young squad as well, plenty of which are unfairly labelled as a billion pound squad. 

We done pretty well as the momentum in the game swung back & forth. I would have kept Gallagher and Jackson on, just a shame Casadei wasn't available. Chalobah should not be coming on ahead of Gilchrist either.

Disappointed with the loss for sure, but it wasn't one sided like the previous game a few weeks back, and they have far more experienced players for their academy lads to feel comfortable on the pitch with.

It does nothing but shine a light of all the problems of this football club. 

Poorly assembled squad managed by a reactive manager who gets out-tactic-ed time and time again. 

16 minutes ago, Malcolm9 said:

The media conveniently forget we have a young squad as well, plenty of which are unfairly labelled as a billion pound squad. 

We done pretty well as the momentum in the game swung back & forth. I would have kept Gallagher and Jackson on, just a shame Casadei wasn't available. Chalobah should not be coming on ahead of Gilchrist either.

Disappointed with the loss for sure, but it wasn't one sided like the previous game a few weeks back, and they have far more experienced players for their academy lads to feel comfortable on the pitch with.

Perhaps Poch knew Liverpool were going for headed goals as Chalobah is a defender with more height yet even this did not work. 

8 hours ago, evissy said:

43 pages of 👆 or

I go with Thiago.

Good person is Thiago. We missed his leadership.

If I had a dollar for the amount of posts I have seen like that from the players I'd buy the club and save us. 

2 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Good person is Thiago. We missed his leadership.

Maybe, we could've done with an experienced tall header-scoring centre-back for corners yesterday ourselves!