Chelsea -v- Monaco

eirebhoy

Ok, so it was 3-1 in the first leg, Chelsea need a 2-0 win to qualify but I can't see Monaco not scoring considering their recent CL results.

Chelsea are without Desailly, Makelele, Duff and Mutu. Gallas is fit to play. Joe Cole will start for Chelsea. Two of Monaco's most valuable players, Prso and Rothen are doubtful.

Probably lineup:

__________________________Cudicini__________________________

Melchiot_____________Terry_____________Gallas____________Bridge

Gronkjaer___________Parker____________Lampard____________Cole

______________________JFH___________Gudjonsson_____________

My prediction 3-1 Chelsea and the match to go down to peno's (Hopefully).

Pacifico

Gronkjaer wide right are you mad? Thats Veron's position.;)


Chelsea to win 3-0. Cole,Gudjohnsson x2

_blank_

Gronkjaer is the weakest link in that team, he's bad on the left, cannot cross the ball for anything, and I think he'll be lost out on the right.

With Gallas back they'll have more of a solid shape at the back, but I can't see them keeping out Monaco out at all.

That bloke Rothen was the most threatening from midfield in the first leg, and they'll have to keep him quiet. Terry will have to shackle Morientes if Chelsea are to have any chance of keeping Monaco scoreless.

I think Chelsea will go out tonight.

cournioni

Isn't Rothen ruled out of tonights match with an injury?

yom 1

Originally posted by PORNAPSTER
Isn't Rothen ruled out of tonights match with an injury?

yeah he is

reckon chelsea will sneek it 2-0 well i'd like to c that happen anyway

Pepe LeFrits

With the supremely exciting Porto in the final now, I can only hope Monaco get there too. What a prospect a Porto-Chelsea final is :dunno:

eirebhoy

Originally posted by Axel
Gronkjaer wide right are you mad?

I didn't say it was their best team, it is the most likely. Anyway, Gronks isn't as bad as many people think, he only plays bad when on live television.;)

Anyway, Monaco's official site has my team with 3 exceptions, Crespo for JFH, Johnston for Melchiot and Geremi for Gronks. Apparantly Geremi will play in the centre with Parker out wide.
http://www.asm-fc.com/viewlive.php?id=300

mike65

I'ds love to see Ch€l$ki make the final but I just cant se them keeping a clean sheet...still they'll go down fighting I think.

Mike.

qwertyup

Current score


















Chelsea are 2-0 up now, thanks to Gronkaer and Lampard

CivilServant

God damn, 2-1. If Gronkjaer had of stayed on the ground when he was tackled just before they scored, the half time whistle would of gone. Chelski have shot themselves in the foot again. 2 Goals to go through, 1 for extra time.

vorbis

come on Monaco !
one more and Chelsea will need 5!

Dr. Dre

Woeful for that goal.
I only want Chelsea to win for Ranners sake.

Dr. Dre

Well thats that then.
2-2

CivilServant

Morientes is different class, setup the first and scored the second. Chelski had a good first half but woeful second half, especially Gudjonsson, didn't win a header and was offside the whole time. Gronkjaer missed a sitter, it's all over. I forsee a summer sale and some much needed class brought into the side.

JippoKelly

Geremi and Gronkjaer have been awful. Absolutely shocking. The final was in Chelsea's grasp just before half time and they've almost certainly blown it now.

Two absolutely dreadful goals to concede. The Chelsea defence look like they're too scared to try and tackle Morientes. They've stood off him the whole match. You can't keep doing that and expect to get away with.

Jivin Turkey

Well the game is as good as over now, and Chelsea didnt deserve it in my opinion. They missed far too much and didnt threaten at all for the last 40 minutes. For all the "quality" they have brought into midfield, creatively they are still poor.

Veron - Crap
Gronkjaer - Crap
J. Cole - Not good

The only good creative midfielder is Duff, they really miss him. You'd have to wonder what they could have done with him.

But fair play to Monaco, I hope they go on to win it. Your man Rothen looks a serious player. Wonder how far he'll push Pires for a spot in the national team?

Pepe LeFrits

Not really surprised, once again Chelsea only managed to perform for one half.

Morientes and Rothen were excellent... I would have thought Abramovich would more interested in getting Deschamps over the summer, he's gotten a smaller team to the final than Mourinho has, while playing much better football.

Johnny_the_fox

IMO Chelsea lost the match the night <and not in Monaco>.. the number of chances they missed and the poor play overall was shocking

i *thought* Joe Cole was probably chelsea's best player...

I can see a chelsea clear out in the summer.. ww)

eirebhoy

Its a pity, Duffer would have been one of the minority of Irish players to get a European Cup medal.:(

Prso came into Stamford Bridge limping and he looked grand when he came on tonight.

gandalf

Well Chelsea were dreadful. Someone should take Gronkjaer out and shoot him !!!

I actually agreed with Giles as well, Chelsea have extremely lazy forwards, none of them were tracking back at all. Its amazing they were 45 minutes away from the pinnacle of club football in Europe and they didn't look bothered at all.

Poor old Claudio will have to type up his CV tonight methinks !

Gandalf.

Jivin Turkey

Agreed Gandalf. I think Mutu does his fair bit of work, but at the same time is prone to missing some sitters, although I do think given time he will come good.

mike65

Morientes is unsigned....if Chelsea are looking to replace JFH/Gudjonsson.

Crespo, why?

Mike.

smuckers

So many chances yet couldn't keep out Monaco. Melchiot and Geremi ( who is nothing more than a passenger) were at fault for the first Moreintes goal and Terry and Gallas sucked out for the second.
You always hear Chelsea fans raving about Gudjonsen's vision it was poor tonight. Cole and Bridge CFC's best players. Really pissed off.

smuckers

Mutu started on fire then stopped scoring but was still playing well, but then stopped doing. I fear he is one season wonder ( Seria A)
They really layed into the team on Net 2 though Brady said a ludicrous statment "Chelsea don't have a top class goalie". Also to say that Lamps plays better with Makelele is utter nonsense it wouldn't have made a blind difference.

NightStrike

Good game, Chelsea had some great chances but fair play to Monaco they stuck at it. I thought Parker should've started instead of Geremi

elbow316

That was the most bizarre Champions League match I think I can remember. The Monaco defense looked like a bunch of clueless lower-league players - the amount of times Bridge got inside down Monaco's right was insane.
Chelski only got themselves to blame - 150 million and no trophies

smuckers

I would have started with Parker too but I think Ranieri was thinking of CL experience with Geremi.
The boys did well to go that far but its an utter shame nonenthless.

AngelofFire

my favourite part of the match was john giles response when gronkjaer stepped up to take a late corner

Oh God No!

eirebhoy

Originally posted by elbow316
150 million and no trophies

And that is why Ranieri is going. He bought so many average players when there was world class players available. He rushes his buys and doesn't give them enough thought. How many central midfielders did he buy and he still hasn't bought a right sided midfielder. His other mistakes are playing Cole on the left, actually buying Cole was the mistake, he may be very good but he wasn't needed. Also, too much tinkering and changing the forwards every match. JFH and Gudjohnsson scored nearly 60 goals between them last season, why change? He would be gone if I was Abramovich too and I am not someone just coming out with this now, I have been saying it all season.

smuckers

How many average players did he buy? the key word is he, not all of them were his. Trevor Birch tired to hold up the Veron deal but to no avail. Pre Ambro Cole and Parker were done deals but CFC didn't have the money for them. There was no need for Cole and Veron one would have been suffice buts its swings and roundabous.

CivilServant

To be fair, for the second goal, Terry and Gallas were left unprotected my the midfield. Morientes drifted in between the defence and midfield. No midfielder bothered tracking back so one of them had to go make a tackle, unfortunately both did at the same time.

Gudjonsson and Hasselbaink were not good enough on the night. Cole was bad, he kept drifting into the centre when he should of been staying on the wing to help Bridge out. Gronkjaer was terrible, enough said. Geremi was too quiet. Chelsea realised after missing a hatful of chances in the beginning of second half, it wasn't going to happen, so they all slowed down. They didn't have the class in finishing that could of lifted them. Sad night for chelsea fans.

eirebhoy

Originally posted by smuckers
How many average players did he buy?

Actually I wouldn't say average because the players would make most teams but when you have all the money in the world you don't buy the likes of Geremi, Veron, Cole and Crespo. They are very good players but he could have done better. I also don't think he should have bought Robben and Czech. Yeah, Duff is prone to injury but stick someone else in for the time being like any other team. He may have fit Robben and Duff in the same team so we'll have to wait and see (or maybe not). The Czech buy was just nonsence.

Lets see, I completely agree with buying Bridge, Johnston, Duff, Makelele and probably Parker. He then had a team with a load of backup all he needed was someone like Joaiquin for the right and probably another player for up front or just keep Forssell. That would leave:

Cudicini

Bridge
Johnson
Gallas
Terry

Duff
Jaoiquin
Makelele
Lampard

Hasslebaink
Gudjohnsen

Backup:
Ambrosio (average is all thats needed in a backup keeper)
Zenden
Desailly
Huth
Babayaro
Melchiot
Petit
Gronkjaer
Forssell
Carlton Cole

While most of the following are very good players, they are just not needed:
Joe Cole
Geremi
Veron
Mutu
Crespo
Czech
Robben

hoolio

Totally the players fault tonight.When it came to it they had no heart,no drive,no spirit - i mean did they want to go through?To play like they did for forty minutes and then just crumble when they lost one goal was pathetic.I mean even when they needed three there was about half an hour left and TBH with the amount of chances they created and/or wasted they could have done it.Ranieri will take the fall for it of course,scapegoating him to cover for some big names not performing.I cant wait for the papers to explain to me how they went from hammering them and being 2-0 up to totally blowing it and it somehow being Ranieri's tactics even though he changed nothing,

I'd go for this (assuming they buy Beckham - and tbh they could do worse but can also afford better)

Cech

Bridge
Terry
Gallas
Melchiot

Duff
Lampard
Makele
Beckham

Mutu
Crespo

Subs:
Cudici
Huth
Cole
Robben
Gudjohnsen

I think maybe Jimmy,Veron,Petit,Bogarde,Smertin,Gronkaer,Zenden,Ambrosio and a few others should start looking for a new club if it was up to me.Maybe keep one or two for cover

Now i'm knackerd so forgive my post probably making little to no sense.

AdMMM

Conceding a goal 2mins into stoppage time just before half time was a killer-blow and I feel Ranieri then told the players to defend and rely on the counter attack.

It didnt work

leeroybrown

I don't think either Chelsea or Monaco played well last night. Monaco won it because Chelsea were a lot worse.

Gronkjaer was dreadful. Every time he got the ball he tripped over it, gave it away or kicked it away. The fact that he scored a goal from a miss hit cross was very ironic.It was probably the least poor cross he hit all night. Geremi was also poor and brought very little to the game. While watching the game, I kept thinking that if Chelsea could have replaced both of them with one decent player on the pitch they'd have been better.

Cole create a few bits and pieces but he was inconsistent throughout the match.

Gudjohnsen was below par and wasted the ball on quite a few occasions when a simple pass would have sufficed. I though Hasslebaink played better than has has been recently but he didn't look like scoring.

Even Lampard was quieter than usual, mainly due to the lack of other players passing well in midfield. Without him to save their ass Chelsea struggled.

For Monaco, Morientes was excellent along with Rothen. Giuly who normally pulls all the strings for them was anonymous last night and their defence was there to be torn apart if Chelsea could find any quality.

A better match than Tuesday nights (helped by the absence of TV3 commentary). I'd like to see Monaco go on and win it as they've been entertaining throughout but I think Porto probably have that bit more experienced and defensive quality required to win it.

Mighty_Mouse

I didnt see how bringing on Glen Johnson would rescue anything!

AdMMM

He was brought on to defend... Ranieri didnt want to lose the match, but he does have good counter attack abilities

DEG viper

i would say that there will be a clear out at monaco at the end of the year as well as i cant see them holding on to some of their most prized asset such as rothen prso morientas evra giuly and nonda. id say that rothan will go to a big club in spain or italy. i can see him been a major part of the french team in euro championships

smuckers

I would have brought Johnson on for Gronkajer, Glen did play right wing against Newcastle in Nov.
BTW Robben is two footed but the press can't fathom that at all.