FA L FA Cup Final

Chelsea 1:0 Manchester United

Post-match discussion


Sat, 19 May 2018

Ainu

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One of the worst finals I've ever seen in terms of quality and coming out as hopeless losers just compounds the misery. There's not a single positive to take from that.
 

automaticflare

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Had United won the game the way Chelsea did, capitalising on crap defending and then holding out for the best part of an hour, we'd be criticised to high heaven. However, expectations are different for Chelsea and so they winners will take the plaudits.

We had more of the game but we lacked the quality to do anything with it. So much possession, so much play, so little end product. I genuinely don't know if our squad is as good as many on the CAF seem to think it is. Our average finishes over the past five years would suggest we have players that are competitive around the upper end of Europa League level but little more. I bet if you gave City 66% possession against this Chelsea team they would've won in normal time from a goal down.

People will say Mourinho could've got more from the team (and I blame him for starting Jones over Bailly) but frankly, over the last four years, I've seen us lose to counters with tons of possession a lot. It would suggest that our attack isn't that potent and our defence is creaky when tested. We haven't rebuilt the way we should have and the squad we have just ain't that good.

All feels a bit Paul Rideout right now...
Yeah 95 cup final fml identical

And i agree our attack get enough ball that they should be creating more
Frustrating that even with our flaws we are still better than folks seem to think
 

SteveJ

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Keown MotM for Chelsea.
 

DevilRed

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At the end of the day we got a taste of our own medicine! They got the goal off of one mistake and then sat back and dared our sub par attack to score.

It worked because we didn’t have lukaku today. That was probably the difference. Credit to hazard though. He was top class.

Although I thought Pogba did well in the second half. Should have scored on that open header though.
 

Raoul

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So you think that Jose has asked them to play like shit and Jones to gift them a penalty as a part of the game plan?
Whatever he is doing isn't working. We should be scoring 2-3 goals in these fixtures and not praying that one of our defenders doesn't make a mistake to gift the opposition one goal. That's Jose responsibility and it transcends the circumstances of one match. Our attack is simply not good enough.
 

AgentP

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Our attack is so weak.

Feck it, so gutted.
Yep. And I'm not even sure who to blame for that. We play with zero fluency and attacking threat. There is no plan out there. Every player just roams around trying to create something on their own. Jose needs to take a hard look at himself instead of throwing the players under the bus.
 

Canuckred64

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Frustrating performance in a frustrating year. Chelsea did not do much to win other than Hazard's one moment of brilliance in turning Jones twice and wining the penalty. But it was enough, we could have played for a month and not score.
 

serxyo

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What a fecki** bullshit. I wish we’d be so powerful in counter attacks, I really feel sorry for the players, but some need to get out of our starting 11. Time to fresh up our squad.
 

rotherham_red

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Watching Sanchez these days is eerily reminiscent of Memphis. Both look like they run through treacle. If anything, Memphis was probably slightly better.

His signing has singlehandedly killed our season dead and he needs a big season next season to make up for it.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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I thought we played fairly well in the 2nd half. Chelsea in the 2nd half put in the sort of performance that we have been slagged off for most of the season, yet Keown was jizzing over it.

Over the course of the 90, Chelsea edged it, we were awful in the first half.


I am still Pro-Mourinho, but less so than I was at the start of this season. I think there is progress, but I am also concerned that two years into Mourinho at United, he doesn't know his best back four or his best front 3, yet just about every football fan could have predicted the Chelsea team, with the only real question mark being Courtois. It's worrying. Is next season going to be more further experimentation with winger-cum-fullbacks and a front 3/4 of centre fowards all over the place and no wingers? Urgh.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Rashford was so easy to play against. Constanstly drifting and overdoing it when he got the ball. He just doesn't offer enough up top to be a replacement for Lukaku.
It's not even that. It's the lack of options that our full backs offer. They stand still so limiting the forward options.
Look at City's fullbacks;constantly overlapping,offering options like wingers. Against side who set up well,it doesn't become difficult to defend against
 

dove

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We weren't as shit as most of you suggest, I thought we played well in the second half and were decent in the first. 1 brainfart moment from Jones cost us a trophy. I hope next year we don't see Rashford, Lingard and Jones anywhere near the first team.
 

Member 90678

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Best team lost!

Let the "bed wetters" spew their guts and cry themselves to sleep.
 

ManUtd1999

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Our game plan didn't work, and we didn't have a good plan B. Hazard had too much freedom in the first half, and that was it.

Disappointing season!
 

Zexstream

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Im stumped, not sure what our problem is, world class manager, world class players. We are playing so below our bar.

Is it Jose? Is it the players?

Something is very wrong at our club, and its breaking my heart to see us going around in circles fixing nothing.

Jose could have another 300 million and i still see nothing changing.
 

Cassidy

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I personally don't think he's that bad, we just need to stop playing him as a winger. He always needed quality around him and players who could play shrewdly in and around the box. That happened at both at Arsenal and Barcelona. We don't do that and he's shit so I'm not surprised.

We've done it the whole fecking year: get to the box and put crosses in, or wait to put crosses in because we know it's a shit idea (especially without Lukaku).
This is why I am worried, because the same can be said about our other attackers, Martial Mhiki Rashford Mata, yet Jose hasn't changed that so why do you think he will change it now.

I don't expect it to change and so I am worried about Sanchez
 

Jim Beam

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Lost the game in the first half.

Gonna get some air and maybe have something smarter to say after. Or end in the pub for the rest of the night.
 

borrays

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We really lack heart and ideas in some matches don’t we? What’s José at bringing on martial to save the game. He’s thrown him under the bus, that’s not the player to come on and change the most important game of the season for you. I feel like José will be thinking hey if he wins us the game great and if he doesn’t I look vindicated in marginalising him which is nothing short of shitty management. Lukaku and Mata did absolutely nothing. This team is seriously lacking in leadership and belief. It never felt like we were really fighting for it. It all felt hopefull and going through the motions. Flat as hell.
you dont want to critize Martial yet an-apologeticly bashing Lukaku (who has just returned from injury) & Mata who only played less than 10 minutes. Can you Martial FC stop with this nonsense? you lot are making me hate Martial. tell you what all players including manager deserve critiszm for this game.
 

gerdm07

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In fairness to Jones that was a wonderful first touch by Hazard which set him up to past Jones. If not a perfect touch he doesn't get behind and it's much more difficult to score. Sometime defenders are beaten by great offensive play and that was the case here IMO.
 

RedTillI'mDead

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Of course you can't that was Jones, yet again, but he can send them out to go for the game from the start.
Agree with this Jones has shown he is prone to errors, why start him over Bailly. Same reason I don't think he should be there with England. In one off games like this the errors are exaggerated, especially when we create f all chances.
 

Inigo Montoya

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I thought we played fairy well in the 2nd half. Chelsea in the 2nd half put in the sort of performance that we have been slagged off for most of the season, yet Keown was jizzing over it.

Over the course of the 90, Chelsea edged it, we were awful in the first half.


I am still Pro-Mourinho, but less so than I was at the start of this season. I think there is progress, but I am also concerned that two years into Mourinho at United, he doesn't know his best back four or his best front 3, yet just about every football fan could have predicted the Chelsea team, with the only real question mark being Courtois. It's worrying. Is next season going to be more further experimentation with winger-cum-fullbacks and a front 3/4 of centre fowards all over the place and no wingers? Urgh.
So given the accurate observation you offer;how is that progress?
 

van Nistelrooy

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I can't see a successful Man Utd with Rashford, Lingard and Pogba as 'the faces of the club.

They're just not good enough.
 

Skolden

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Boring boring...
Should have scored at least one goal.

Well played Chelsea, 10 men defending and long balls to Hazard.
 

Raoul

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Don't we have the best conversion rate in the top 6? We definitely created the fewest chances out of that group. Putting away chances wasn't our problem this season, creating them was.
Creating is a problem as is scoring actual goals. Only Chelsea have less goals than us among top 6 clubs.
 

TheRedHearted

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I'm happy we at least threatened. We had opportunities that really could have won us the game, time and time again. What I wasn't happy about was the walk in midfield approach we've had for years now. I've never seen another team do this. It sucks energy out and it's the reason why we weren't finishing. Whenever there's some space, or a a pass into midfield I feel other teams really hustle forward. The first one that comes to mind is Pogba to be honest, although he isn't the only offender. With him it's a little different-I understand he's a playmaker but it's this idea that when we get the ball we should slow down. Pretty weird.

As for Chelsea, Hazard did the "right" modern day football approach and was gifted a penalty. Other than that I didn't see them threaten goal-at all. It was a boring game for sure.
-Sanchez was the one who should have been subbed off, not Lingard. Lukaku wasn't fit, it was quite obvious and was a panic move.
-Another really interesting thing about the Sanchez buy-we all knew we needed a winger to make this team more dynamic. We bought a winger, and we play him centrally. How many central players who do we have?

A lot of questions for next season-but we can't admit that we have moved forward. Even though we lost this game, due to a lack of energy and decisiveness. Over the long haul we still finished second in the league and have become stronger as a unit. Can't deny that.
 
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redom

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Missing the quality when it counts, it was telling that one of our only shots on target came from Valencia overlapping and getting a (crap) cross in, we don't use movement and intelligence at all when trying to create it's just the same shit over and over hoping to eventually brute force our way to a goal or something.

Chelsea got a strong performance from a player in each area of the team, Azpilicueta marshalled their defence, Kante broke up play countless times and Hazard provided a high quality outlet and ultimately won the game for them.
 

Bubz27

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Jose would get absolutely slated if he did that today and his own players said some of the things Chelsea have said.
 

DevilRed

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Happy for Mourinho to throw them under the bus to be honest.
Thing is he won’t after today. We didn’t play bad. The attitude was always improving. It was a silly error and some poor finishing that made the difference.

Mourinho isn’t unfair with his criticism. Against Brighton they deserved it. Today they don’t.

Proud of the lads for giving it all they got. Some players had poor games and that’s just the way it is sometimes. I back Mourinho to improve the squad in the summer and make a real challenge.
 

Player Ratings

4.7 Total Average Rating

Highest Rated Player

Lowest Rated Player

Compiled from 367 ratings.

Score Predictions

379,56,39
  • Man Utd win
  • Chelsea win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 39% Chelsea 1:2 Man Utd
  • 13% Chelsea 0:2 Man Utd
  • 12% Chelsea 0:1 Man Utd
  • 8% Chelsea 1:3 Man Utd
  • 5% Chelsea 1:1 Man Utd
  • 5% Chelsea 2:1 Man Utd
  • 3% Chelsea 0:0 Man Utd
  • 3% Chelsea 0:3 Man Utd
  • 3% Chelsea 2:0 Man Utd
  • 2% Chelsea 1:0 Man Utd
  • 2% Chelsea 0:5 Man Utd
  • 2% Chelsea 2:3 Man Utd
  • 1% Chelsea 5:0 Man Utd
  • 1% Chelsea 3:1 Man Utd
  • 1% Chelsea 1:4 Man Utd
  • 0% Chelsea 2:5 Man Utd
  • 0% Chelsea 3:2 Man Utd
  • 0% Chelsea 0:4 Man Utd
  • 0% Chelsea 4:1 Man Utd
  • 0% Chelsea 4:5 Man Utd
Compiled from 474 predictions.
Show more results Score Predictions League Table

Match Stats

  1. Chelsea
  2. Man Utd
Possession
33% 67%
Shots
6 18
Shots on Target
3 5
Corners
5 9
Fouls
11 13

Referee

Michael Oliver