Chelsea -v- Liverpool Match Thread

CHD

eddiehead wrote: »

Chelsea to win 2-0 with Essien being universally praised afterwards for keeping Gerrard in his pocket.
Also, Liverpool to have a genuine penalty shout turned down when Chelsea are 1 up (Well there has to be something there to keep this thread open 'til next week:pac:)

DING DING DING DING

Handsome Bob

Bubs101 wrote: »

Well I meant this or the next season.I don't see how you could say he has an eye for centre backs though. I mean he signed Skrtel and Agger while we signed Alex, United signed Vidic and the Gunners got Vermaelen who are all better players

FFS, I don't even care if you are not a mod of this forum, however I would still expect a certain degree of class from a mod irrespective of the forum he's posting in. I've observed your posts since this thread has been opened and all I have to say is that you are a baitor of the highest order.

Both Skrtel and Agger have played their part in one of the meanest defences in the world over the past few years. So I would nicely suggest that you STFU.

smuckers

after this crap in the press about Carlo being a scolari pt 2, he certainly is anything but, it was a very controlled performance and we restricted pool to very few clear cut chances, great to see riccy back on top form but Terry was absolutely amazing, Essien and Ballack ran the show Deco worked hard too though alot of his passes were overhit, Lamps sacrificed his game today to help out the defence.
Drogba despite his histronics is the best striker in world at the mo as he not only scores but creates too.
would have liked to have seen J cole and Zhirkov come on.

Barr

Very good performance by Chelsea - they deserved the win.

LuckyLloyd

Chelsea deserved it, but it took a very good performance from them to make it so. Liverpool played pretty well today tbh, just fell short against excellent opposition away from home. That will happen. The game was well balanced for the first hour, played at a high tempo with action at both ends. Anelka's goal was a pure touch of class, not a whole lot to be done about it tbh (after Masch had been caught in the middle of the park).

After that, Liverpool gave it a right rattle. As a fan I wasn't in anyway disappointed with the effort levels. The exectution in and around their box wasn't great of course, but they make it tough on any team and Hilario had a really good game.

The reaction in here is predictable, and entirely misplaced. If the performance had been abysmal and we had been dominated in all facets of the game a 'Sky is Falling' type response would be appropriate. But that isn't what happened. Chelsea are a great team, with a great coach and are playing with a lot of fire and determination at present. They'll be hard to stop this season. However, I do believe that the winning points total for the league will be relatively lower after 38 games due to the increase in depth and quality all the way down the table.

For sure, Liverpool have problems. But so does everyone else (apart from Chelsea it seems). The performance today was a positive reaction to the Fiorentina game. Long way to go this season, everything to play for.

CHD

Chelsea's problems will be on the way soon Lloyd.

SlickRic

long post warning...

i've not read the thread, so i'm not sure what people made of today but here it goes (i need to get thought about these big games off my chest)...

well done chelsea on a measured and professional performance. like liverpool, you weren't in top gear by any means but you had the clinical nature to take the chances when you need to, so fair play. a well deserved win.

the game was generally very 50/50 i thought; although Chelsea looked a lot more dangerous when they got on top (if you get what i mean!). maybe that's just because my nerves were on edge I don't know. however, and i haven't checked the stats, it did seem as though the teams both had a similar amount of chances. so there was certainly nobody dominant.

liverpool have skrtel, isnua and masch to thank for this. all three came out of this game with great credit. awesome, the three of them.

all of us who thought masch had lost his appetite were put firmly in their place. this game mostly swept by lucas until maybe 70mins

without skrtel, heaven knows what might have happened. carra can't cut it against the top strikers anymore it seems.

insua looks such a tidy left back. good luck to aurelio getting in that team again in his position.

torres deserves a special mention for trying to bring the attack to chelsea pretty much on his own at times. he wasn't successful, and he could've been more clinical, but he did well enough.

gerrard isn't right. i don't know what it is, but he's not right.

the end difference was the quality of the CB's for me. terry was immense, as was carvalho to a lesser extent dealing with Torres; while drogba kept carra in particular very busy (anelka was pretty anonymous apart from his well taken goal). i've never seen someone commit as many fouls as carragher had to today. it was frightening.

essien was immense too, as was drogba; though his flying fishes every so often did pi$$ me off. he just doesn't need to do it.

why was benny not on from the start? he was the instigator of our period of dominance in the second half i thought.

ah well.

as i said before the game, this loss does not mean the end of our season. there was plenty of room for improvement, but also plenty of positives. we should have scored, and could have easily got a draw if we'd taken our chances when they came.

if only it wasn't 2 weeks until the next game...

~Rebel~

CHD wrote: »

Chelsea's problems will be on the way soon Lloyd.

Indeed, the African Naton's definitely throws a spanner in the works. Gonna be a very interesting season.

monkey9

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Chelsea deserved it, but it took a very good performance from them to make it so. Liverpool played pretty well today tbh, just fell short against excellent opposition away from home. That will happen. The game was well balanced for the first hour, played at a high tempo with action at both ends. Anelka's goal was a pure touch of class, not a whole lot to be done about it tbh (after Masch had been caught in the middle of the park).

After that, Liverpool gave it a right rattle. As a fan I wasn't in anyway disappointed with the effort levels. The exectution in and around their box wasn't great of course, but they make it tough on any team and Hilario had a really good game.

The reaction in here is predictable, and entirely misplaced. If the performance had been abysmal and we had been dominated in all facets of the game a 'Sky is Falling' type response would be appropriate. But that isn't what happened. Chelsea are a great team, with a great coach and are playing with a lot of fire and determination at present. They'll be hard to stop this season. However, I do believe that the winning points total for the league will be relatively lower after 38 games due to the increase in depth and quality all the way down the table.

For sure, Liverpool have problems. But so does everyone else (apart from Chelsea it seems). The performance today was a positive reaction to the Fiorentina game. Long way to go this season, everything to play for.

Yep, agree with this. I mentioned this in the Utd Sunderland thread, there are a lot of teams outside of the traditional big four who will take points of that big four. Man City have improved, as have Spurs. Sunderland have proved they can points. It's extremely competitive this year!

CHD

Ivanovic did very well today considering Liverpool tried to throw everything at him. With Bosingwa we could have done alot better today. Still though he did a good defensive job.

SlickRic

CHD wrote: »

Ivanovic did very well today considering Liverpool tried to throw everything at him.

riera was atrocious though.

when benny came on it got a lot tougher for him.

but i agree, all in all, he coped admirably.

CHD

SlickRic wrote: »

riera was atrocious though.

when benny came on it got a lot tougher for him.

but i agree, all in all, he coped admirably.

Still had Gerrard moving over to have a go a fair bit too, i know he wasn't on his game but alot of pressure went down that wing and he had to worry about atacking Insua too. Not bad for a centre halve. Brilliant to have him as 4th choice CB.

SlickRic

CHD wrote: »

Brilliant to have him as 4th choice CB.

i'll give you that.

you have frightening depth in certain areas of the pitch.

givyjoe81

SlickRic wrote: »

long post warning...

liverpool have skrtel, isnua and masch to thank for this. all three came out of this game with great credit. awesome, the three of them.

all of us who thought masch had lost his appetite were put firmly in their place. this game mostly swept by lucas until maybe 70mins

without skrtel, heaven knows what might have happened. carra can't cut it against the top strikers anymore it seems.

insua looks such a tidy left back. good luck to aurelio getting in that team again in his position.

torres deserves a special mention for trying to bring the attack to chelsea pretty much on his own at times. he wasn't successful, and he could've been more clinical, but he did well enough.

Im sorry but Insua is a poor defender, prone to monsterous lapses in concentration, two games in a row he has a huge influence on the side losing a goal. Someone please tell me why the fcuk he let anelka go, instead of at least trying to get back with him, i mean did he see some other invisible chelsea player that he thought drogba would play in. First half he also nearly let, i think it was anelka steal in for a free header, carragher had a go afterwards. Time and time again he does this. Didnt get as much football last season but I can think of other occasions such as against Hull away where he simply switches off or couldnt be bothered which results in goals conceded. Aurellio isnt the best defender in the world but he be a much better shout than Insua.

CHD

SlickRic wrote: »

i'll give you that.

you have frightening depth in certain areas of the pitch.

Everywhere except up front, we will create chances all day and only have 2 strikers capable of something out of nothing and one of them is hot and cold and the other is practicing for his acting career after football every week. Much prefer if we went 4-5-1 again and saw out games early.

SlickRic

givyjoe81 wrote: »

Im sorry but Insua is a poor defender, prone to monsterous lapses in concentration, two games in a row he has a huge influence on the side losing a goal. Someone please tell me why the fcuk he let anelka go, instead of at least trying to get back with him, i mean did he see some other invisible chelsea player that he thought drogba would play in. First half he also nearly let, i think it was anelka steal in for a free header, carragher had a go afterwards. Time and time again he does this. Didnt get as much football last season but I can think of other occasions such as against Hull away where he simply switches off or couldnt be bothered which results in goals conceded. Aurellio isnt the best defender in the world but he be a much better shout than Insua.

i won't dispute he's prone to the odd error. he's young and inexperienced. and it sucks when it happens in games like this i suppose.

i just feel his contribution going forward, coupled with his strength and 'general' tidy defending mean he's a great prospect, and he's on his way to making that spot his own. most of what he had to do, he did very capably.

to be honest i hadn't analysed the goal like you had, and missed the anelka moment; genuinely. i was in and out for bits of the game. so i'm not going to argue with your point.

flahavaj

The two weak links in the Liverpool side this season at fault for the goals today. Mascherano for the first and Drogba made an absolute foo, out of Carragher for the second, (would have been a penalty for Carraghers blatant jersey tug as Drogba waltzed past him only gfor the good advantage played). Insua is looking more and more out of his depth defensively as well as the weeks pass.

Liverpools defence is going to leave them seriously vulnerable to being overtaken by Man City this year I think.

Cant be arsed reading what has been said.

Can't complain really. Well done Chelsea

CHD

Deleted User wrote: »

Cant be arsed reading what has been said.

Can't complain really. Well done Chelsea

No stabbings?

eddiehead

CHD wrote: »

DING DING DING DING

, I was close in fairness, just surprised there wasn't a bit more controversy

Big Chief

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

I believe it too but his agent was still talking to clubs. That's the end of it as far as I am concerned.

ofcourse his agent will talk to other clubs, its a players method these days just for getting higher and better wages for there current clubs..

look at the john terry saga just as another perfect example of this, he knew he wasnt going anywhere and not to man city. said nothing and gets his big jubbly contract.. alot are doing it and to look down on a player of his stature and for what he has done for the club is over the top

Never the less, back to the game at hand

Liverpool just seemed non-existant for me yesterday, and I do believe Yossi should have started the match with the recent form he has been showing he would have been a huge benefit through out the match as liverpool were completely lackluster in the final third of the pitch for the best part of the match.

I would have praised Drogba more but his acting and constant lying down, which at one point JT told him to stop lying down so much just shows that he was clearly taking the p**s, but to then flip out at skrtel "diving" ?!? He has the quality and stands out above the rest but his attitude is so bad you can only look at it with disgust for the beautiful game

Mr Alan

I think despite the ****e that was posted in this thread to the contrary before the game, Johnson, defensively, is very good

Well done to Chelsea. Drogba is some player when he is arsed stayin on his feet.

Happy with the performance tbh, everyone was pretty good apart from Riera & maybe Gerrard. On another day the result could've been different, and if we play like that for the next few weeks, we'll be right in the mix at Christmas.

Nalz

Mr Alan wrote: »

I think despite the ****e that was posted in this thread to the contrary before the game, Johnson, defensively, is very good

in two years time, I'd say he'll be the best full back in the world. He's getting better and better both defensively and going forward every game. I will say though he can be caught out on occasions at the back, but not as much as people make out.

Mr Alan

point me out a fullback in world football who will not occassionally be caught out & i wil buy you a car!

spockety

Fair play to Chelsea, apart from The Drogba Dramatics they were deserved winners. That's not to say Liverpool were obvious losers, they had a fair share of the possession, and a few chances that weren't taken well.

I think if you put those two teams against each other 10 times in a row, you'd probably get 3 wins each and 4 draws.

I don't feel cr@p about yesterday, the effort was put in, but Chelsea are one of the best if not the best team in the league, and playing at home.

There are still 90 points left to play for, I just hope that Liverpool can turn it on and get a decent run of results on the board.

(Still no draws, hurrah! )

Nalz

Mr Alan wrote: »

point me out a fullback in world football who will not occassionally be caught out & i wil buy you a car!

Kevin Kilbane

I'll take a dodge viper please

Headshot

Mr Alan wrote: »

I think despite the ****e that was posted in this thread to the contrary before the game, Johnson, defensively, is very good

Well done to Chelsea. Drogba is some player when he is arsed stayin on his feet.

Happy with the performance tbh, everyone was pretty good apart from Riera & maybe Gerrard. On another day the result could've been different, and if we play like that for the next few weeks, we'll be right in the mix at Christmas.

not including torres ?

Mr Alan

thought he was ok, if he'd have scored it'd be called a good game. if it makes you feel better you can include him in the list.

Nalz

Honestly I thought alot of the Liverpool players played below par. Carragher, Torres included. Was Benayoun not 100% or just not favoured? Would have played him from the start

Mr Alan

would have myself.

although with Riera being a bit more solid defensively & more likely to keep the width & Yossi having a standout nightmare performance in Italy during the week & being more effective against tired legs than Albert would be, i can see the reasoning behind him not starting.

SlickRic

spockety wrote: »

I don't feel cr@p about yesterday, the effort was put in, but Chelsea are one of the best if not the best team in the league, and playing at home.

this is me too.

i don't know if i'm mellowing out in my old age, but i don't feel horrible about the game. just disappointed.

i think it's because there were enough encouraging aspects to the performance to suggest we're not as out of it as some might think.

Mr Alan

i'm the same as Spockety & SlickRic, strange

Bubs101

LZ5by5 wrote: »

FFS, I don't even care if you are not a mod of this forum, however I would still expect a certain degree of class from a mod irrespective of the forum he's posting in. I've observed your posts since this thread has been opened and all I have to say is that you are a baitor of the highest order.

Both Skrtel and Agger have played their part in one of the meanest defences in the world over the past few years. So I would nicely suggest that you STFU.

Lol. Liverpool fans. Just because Skrtel and Agger play for Liverpool does not make them top class defenders. No other group of fans in the world ever consider their players as flawless as Pool fans. Have never understood the blind faith

Mr Alan

Skrtel is a top defender.

Agger was, not sure where he is at with injuries at the moment or if he will return the same player.

Bubs101

I'm not saying they're bad. I'm just saying relative to the quality of the other top 4 defences they are. Fair enough Vermaelen despite impressing so far is unproven but Gallas is top quality and Carvalho, Terry, Ferdinand and Vidic are a league ahead of Skrtel, Agger and Carra

Mr Alan

you're writing Carragher off fairly easily, true he has been poor this season so far. but over the last 5 years or 6 years, he has been among the best around.

this is what your own John Terry had to say about him.

John Terry wrote:

"I personally think that over the last four or five years he has been the best defender in the world. He's been consistent in the Premier League, he's never injured, he always gives one hundred per cent, he's a good reader of the game, he's quick and is good in the air. He has everything you need to be a world class defender and you also have to look at what he's achieved in the Champions League with Liverpool.

"For a centre half he's also great on the ground as well. He knows when to get the ball away, when to clear his lines.

"He also never stops talking to his team-mates and that's a great thing to have. Even when you watch games on the television it's always his voice you can hear."

Personally, i think Terry, although very good, is over-rated, makes a lot of mistakes & Carvalho is a far better defender imo.

Ferdinand & Vidic are exceptional, but both have struggled somewhat at the tail end of last season & this season so far.

Gallas is a very good player & Vermailen looks a great buy, but he is only at the start of his career, and is worth noting, he cost about the same as Agger & Skrtel combined.

Basically, i don't think we are considerably weaker at centre half than anyone except possibly Chelsea who have a glut of top quality CBs. Don't think there is much between us & Utd (Agger,Carragher,Skrtel -vs- Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans)....and i think we are better than Arsenal at the back.

Panthro

I thought John Terry gave a master class in defence in yesterdays game, he bossed the hell around the back line, was throwing himself in front of everything and anything, he led by example and when Drogba was acting the boll0cks on the ground he went straight over to him, pretty sure he didnt just say "howya drog", id imagine it was more along the lines of "get up ta fark drogba".
all in all, a good chelsea performance, happy with the result, but i wouldnt go writing off liverpool this early in the season.

JPA

papagormo wrote: »

I thought John Terry gave a master class in defence in yesterdays game, he bossed the hell around the back line, was throwing himself in front of everything and anything, he led by example and when Drogba was acting the boll0cks on the ground he went straight over to him, pretty sure he didnt just say "howya drog", id imagine it was more along the lines of "get up ta fark drogba".
all in all, a good chelsea performance, happy with the result, but i wouldnt go writing off liverpool this early in the season.

I agree about Terry. He was outstanding yesterday, the John Terry of 3 or 4 years ago. Not he's been bad as such but I haven't seen him give a performance like that in a while.

Mr Alan

agree with the comments about Terry.

he was brilliant.

Good to see him presumably telling Drogba to cop the **** on as well.

spockety

I thought it was good to see Nando trying to kick a few shades of s**t out of the Chelsea defenders as well for all the physical hassle he gets.

Distinctly remember him flooring Terry and Ivanovic

Nalz

Mr Alan wrote: »

Good to see him presumably telling Drogba to cop the **** on as well.

I hope thats what he was doing. I didnt care who won until I saw him at that again. Was shouting for Liverpool from there on in

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Cant be arsed reading what has been said.

Can't complain really. Well done Chelsea

No stabbings.

Trilla wrote: »

I hope thats what he was doing. I didnt care who won until I saw him at that again. Was shouting for Liverpool from there on in

Cannot stand Drogba... like if he just kept to his game and would stop acting the bollix he'd be a far more respected footballer. Terry had a very good game indeed. Essien was machine like as usual.

Bubs101

Mr Alan wrote: »

you're writing Carragher off fairly easily, true he has been poor this season so far. but over the last 5 years or 6 years, he has been among the best around.

this is what your own John Terry had to say about him.



Personally, i think Terry, although very good, is over-rated, makes a lot of mistakes & Carvalho is a far better defender imo.

Ferdinand & Vidic are exceptional, but both have struggled somewhat at the tail end of last season & this season so far.

Gallas is a very good player & Vermailen looks a great buy, but he is only at the start of his career, and is worth noting, he cost about the same as Agger & Skrtel combined.

Basically, i don't think we are considerably weaker at centre half than anyone except possibly Chelsea who have a glut of top quality CBs. Don't think there is much between us & Utd (Agger,Carragher,Skrtel -vs- Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans)....and i think we are better than Arsenal at the back.

In all fairness Terry is hardly and intelectual:D He probably likes Carragher because he's a similar player to him. Loyal and strong. He's my favourite Liverpool player for those reasons as well. Unlike Gerrard I don't think Carra would or has ever considered leaving.

I just feel that he isn't that good off a player anymore and I don't think he ever reached that top top level. It used to be in a big game that you could count on Carragher to be the best player on the pitch, that was his best asset by a mile, he rose to every occasion. Yesterday was a big match and he was as bad as he's been this season.

As for your defense vs. United, I don't see how you couldn't see Vidic and Ferdinand being streets ahed of Skrtel and Agger. Consider them better than Terry and Ricky C myself but we have the complete package whereas their fullbacks are muck

Headshot

Bubs101 wrote: »

In all fairness Terry is hardly and intelectual:D He probably likes Carragher because he's a similar player to him. Loyal and strong. He's my favourite Liverpool player for those reasons as well. Unlike Gerrard I don't think Carra would or has ever considered leaving.

I just feel that he isn't that good off a player anymore and I don't think he ever reached that top top level. It used to be in a big game that you could count on Carragher to be the best player on the pitch, that was his best asset by a mile, he rose to every occasion. Yesterday was a big match and he was as bad as he's been this season.

As for your defense vs. United, I don't see how you couldn't see Vidic and Ferdinand being streets ahed of Skrtel and Agger. Consider them better than Terry and Ricky C myself but we have the complete package whereas their fullbacks are muck

I also agree utd CBs are a way ahead of liverpool CBS but to say our full backs are muck is talking Rubbish

Mr Alan

Bubs! if you think Carragher was as poor as he has been this season, you obviously haven't watched him much!

Was one of his better games.

And in fairness, i thought he was good yesterday. Once in the whole match he was done by Drogba when there was only a few mins left, whereas before the match, look at how people on this very thread thought he would have a new arse hole ripped & it would be embarrasing, that simply didn't happen. Carragher came up against one of if not the best strikers in the world on his day, when it was his day..... a striker that even in his peak years he struggled against, and only once was he bettered.

Mr Alan

Mr Alan wrote: »

Bubs! if you think Carragher was as poor as he has been this season, you obviously haven't watched him much!

Was one of his better games.

And in fairness, i thought he was good yesterday. Once in the whole match he was done by Drogba when there was only a few mins left, whereas before the match, look at how people on this very thread thought he would have a new arse hole ripped & it would be embarrasing, that simply didn't happen. Carragher came up against one of if not the best strikers in the world on his day, when it was his day..... a striker that even in his peak years he struggled against, and only once was he bettered.

Once is enough though Al.

Mr Alan

on that basis, Terry, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra etc are all muck too so

What I mean is you can't generally say a defender has had a decent game if he was partly at fault for the first & definitely at fault for the 2nd goal.

Bubs101

Headshot wrote: »

I also agree utd CBs are a way ahead of liverpool CBS but to say our full backs are muck is talking Rubbish

In comparison to your centre backs Evra and O'Shea are a drop in quality. O' Shea certainly. Evra I suppose ain't that bad but I've never felt he was that good and he was very poor last season. Very good the season before that in fairness though. Bosingwa and A.Cole on the other hand are easily at the same level as Terry and Carvalho

CHD

Bubs Evra is class.