Celery! Celery!

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Mercury264

Good luck to Chelski. And I do mean that. If Livepool can't win it, I still want an 'English' team to win it.

Getting nervous. Planning to go exercise right after the game to dissipate the ill humors of a loss.

[wxwax]

Phew!


Ugly, tactical and brilliant football by Chelsea. Defenders rode the pick and roll passer all night and disrupted Barca's favorite moves. The few times they put the ball in the air they revealed Cech's lack of confidence, but he bravely smothered anything on the ground.

Essien felt wasted for 70 minutes. Inaccurate and slow, taking up space but not winning that many balls, I didn't think. And I never thought I'd see Lampard substituted. But as soon as he left the field, Essien slid into a more central role and Chelsea were immediately more threatening. Belletti added pace and freed up Essien to be a more advanced playmaker.

Overall, first class tactics by Hiddink to overcome his immobile fullbacks, Alex and Terry.

It's going to be another rough one at Stamford Bridge. A single away goal by Barca and the pressure will really be on Chelsea. I'm sure Hiddink will be a bit more attacking, but he can't afford to take too many chances. No matter where they play, Barca are still a deadly attacking team.

I'm sorry Marquez seems to have a serious injury. I'm delighted Puyol has a suspension. Suddenly there's a bit of a hole in Barca's central defense. Could be an opportunity for Drogba.

Who had a magnificent game, I must say. Missed one golden chance. But fantastic possession all game, great control, made excellent decisions with the ball, protected Chelsea brilliantly. A wonderful game by the much maligned striker.

As I said, next week's match will be another tense affair. I'm curious and nervous to see how much Hiddink will open it up without an away goal in his back pocket.


Celery, celery!
If she don't come
I'll tickle her bum
With a lump of celery!

[AntWare]

Youthful midfield and Tevez rewarded with a start...game on

Manchester United team: Van der Sar, Evra, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs: Foster, Berbatov, Giggs, Scholes, Park, Rafael, Evans.

Arsenal team: Almunia, Sagna, Gibbs, Silvestre, Toure, Diaby, Song, Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott, Adebayor.
Subs: Fabianski, Eduardo, Denilson, Ramsey, Djourou, Bendtner, Eboue.

[wxwax]

Cock is right.

Surprised at seeing such experienced midfielders on the bench in a European match.

[wxwax]

Answer me this.

How do Arsenal expect to get a goal if they won't fucking take a shot?

God, their endless game of pattycake is just infuriating. It's like they're terrified of turning around and facing the goal.

Funny how United went off the boil as soon as they scored. Probably be 1-0 United down in London. Arsenal will really have to pull something out to beat them.

Oh yeah, and Ronaldo is still a dick.

[Cos]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Answer me this.

How do Arsenal expect to get a goal if they won't fucking take a shot?

God, their endless game of pattycake is just infuriating. It's like they're terrified of turning around and facing the goal.

Funny how United went off the boil as soon as they scored. Probably be 1-0 United down in London. Arsenal will really have to pull something out to beat them.

Oh yeah, and Ronaldo is still a dick.

I completely agree.

That hissy fit he threw in the second half...

No less infuriating than what Chelski did in Spain though. Good Lord, what a freakin snooze fest.

[AntWare]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Oh yeah, and Ronaldo is still a dick.

I don't think the ref' was a fan either...not one fooking call


I think Wenger screwed the pooch, he went there with a weakend side and damage control on his mind...I don't think I've ever seen a side play for a 1-0 loss.
Now they need to get two past the tightest defense in the country.

If it wasn't for Almunia it could have easily been 3-0 at the half...Ronaldo fired a point blank header right at the keeper and I've no idea how that shot that rattled the bar in the 2nd half dipped so hard, it looked like it was going way over until the last few feet.

I think Utd went off the boil in the 2nd half thinking Arsenal would bring the game to them looking for the away goal in hopes of nicking one on the counter...I guess Wenger showed them

Utd need to quit fucking about and seal the Teves deal

[Jarvis]

Originally Posted by wxwax

[I]


And now for today's football scores. In the Champion's League quarterfinals, at Anfield...

Chelsea 3
Liverpool 1

I was in the UK for business and caught the second game of the set (4-4 tie). Wow! It was unlike any sporting event in the US I'd ever been to.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Cos

No less infuriating than what Chelski did in Spain though. Good Lord, what a freakin snooze fest.

That was a masterclass in tactical football.

Enormous tension to see if Barca could break through. I was on the edge of my divan.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Jarvis

I was in the UK for business and caught the second game of the set (4-4 tie). Wow! It was unlike any sporting event in the US I'd ever been to.

The atmosphere at a big football match is above anything in the US. Maybe college football or basketball comes close. Great stuff. And a helluva match, too.

[Jarvis]

Originally Posted by wxwax

The atmosphere at a big football match is above anything in the US. Maybe college football or basketball comes close. Great stuff. And a helluva match, too.

I like the fact that most of the cheers/songs were taunts directed at the opposing fans, not urging their own team to victory.

"Two-nil and you fucked it up! Two-nil and you fucked it up! ..."

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by AntWare

I don't think the ref' was a fan either...not one fooking call

I was delighted to see the ref wasn't buying it. Ronaldo did his usual thing: contact, pause, think about it, take another step, then stumble-run his way to the ground.

Same thing every time. He must rehearse the move.

He was like a child who didn't want to go to bed when he couldn't draw a call in the second half. Hilarious.

I wouldn't call United's defense watertight. Not lately. They're a bit of a sieve without Ferdinand, who may miss the return leg.

Not that I think Arsenal have a lot of gumption. Having watched Scolari's Chelsea teams play the same kind of toothless pattycake outside the box, I think the biggest danger to United is that they'll fall asleep.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Jarvis

I like the fact that most of the cheers/songs were taunts directed at the opposing fans, not urging their own team to victory.

"Two-nil and you fucked it up! Two-nil and you fucked it up! ..."

West Ham fans got on Terry and Lampard hard last weekend. I'd love to know what they were singing.

[AntWare]

Originally Posted by Jarvis

I like the fact that most of the cheers/songs were taunts directed at the opposing fans, not urging their own team to victory.

I remember back in the late 70's when Tommy Docherty was the ManU manager and Laurie Brown was the team physio. So Tommy gets caught in an affair with Laurie's wife...next match, to the tune of "Knee's Up Mother Brown" 50,000 fans on national tele...

"Who's up Mary Brown?"

"Who's up Mary Brown?"

"TOMMY, TOMMY DOCHERTY!!"

"TOMMY, TOMMY DOCHERTY!!"

[Jarvis]

Originally Posted by AntWare

I remember back in the late 70's when Tommy Docherty was the ManU manager and Laurie Brown was the team physio. So Tommy gets caught in an affair with Laurie's wife...next match, to the tune of "Knee's Up Mother Brown" 50,000 fans on national tele...

"Who's up Mary Brown?"

"Who's up Mary Brown?"

"TOMMY, TOMMY DOCHERTY!!"

"TOMMY, TOMMY DOCHERTY!!"