Chelsea Vs Tottenham: FA Cup Match Thread

[bubble07]

He would have been slaughtered on here if he split up Toby and Verts and we went to shit at the back. It wasn't long ago people wanted GKN at LWB to keep Toby and Verts in defence.

agree but part of that was to allow Son to play further forward. GKN has shown nothing in advanced positions

 

[bubble07]

Yes, as I said, it was a gamble. If Son hadn't committed that suicidal tackle, I doubt many would mention him playing there. It wasn't son in that position that solely lost us the game.

I would have to the point he wasn't in the op[position penalty area nowhere near as much as he would have

 

[talkshowhost86]

With a bit of distance from the day itself, it's still hard not to look back at that game and wonder what Poch was thinking.

We've been on such a good run with a settled backline who all knew their roles, and then that was changed both in terms of system and personnel in one of our most important games of the season.

Son at left wing back didn't cost us the game on his own, but clearly the changes effected us and I just think ultimately Poch wasn't brave enough to drop Son because he was in such good form.

If he was going to insist on playing Son, Alli and Eriksen then it should have been Dier making way with Davies in at left back, but the way we did it meant that at times it was all a bit imbalanced and even though we did well at times, we didn't look like the team we have done for the past two months.

It just seemed like a very odd time to make such a big change to the team and I think, for all that I love the man, he has to take this one on the chin as his mistake.

 

[dagraham]

He had to take a risk. Davies was injured apparently. If he played Verts at LB and it went tits up, everyone would be slaughtering him for splitting up the best CB partnership in the league. It's easy to look back in hindsight and say he was wrong but apart from the penalty, Son didn't do too much wrong. He took a gamble, it didn't pay off.

You can't please all the people, but there are degrees of risk. You could argue that if Davies is fit enough for the bench then he's fit enough to start the game with. And despite not wanting to split up the CB partnership I think most would accept that our hands were tied if Davies really couldn't play.

Son at LWB was just too much of a gamble imo.

 

[tiger666]

If he was going to insist on playing Son, Alli and Eriksen then it should have been Dier making way with Davies in at left back, but the way we did it meant that at times it was all a bit imbalanced and even though we did well at times, we didn't look like the team we have done for the past two months

Davies was injured.

 

[Gb160]

Davies was injured.

How people keep ignoring/disregarding this is just daft.
Poch was fucked if he did, fucked if he didn't.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Davies was injured.

Then he shouldn't have been on the bench at all.

But even if we accept that he was injured, then having Son playing a sort of wing-back role was never the next best answer for me.

Even with the same personnel on the pitch, it would have been better to have Vertonghen at left back and go 4-2-3-1 (a system we know and have played before).

I cannot remember the last time I criticised Poch for anything, but this was not the game to try someone in a completely new position.

 

[tiger666]

Even with the same personnel on the pitch, it would have been better to have Vertonghen at left back and go 4-2-3-1 (a system we know and have played before).

Yeah that's fine and tbh I agree but I'm just saying, if he did do that and Wimmer gave a penalty away playing in CB with Toby, Poch would be blamed for moving Verts out. He had to make a decision before the game which he did. The loss isn't solely down to that decision but everyone is focused on it because they want to vent and it's easy to pick on it. For a start the decision stands out, and Son is an easy target.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Yeah that's fine and tbh I agree but I'm just saying, if he did do that and Wimmer gave a penalty away playing in CB with Toby, Poch would be blamed for moving Verts out. He had to make a decision before the game which he did. The loss isn't solely down to that decision but everyone is focused on it because they want to vent and it's easy to pick on it. For a start the decision stands out, and Son is an easy target.

I still think Dier and Alderweireld could have worked fine as a centre back partnership if Verts has to go to left back.

As I said before, it wasn't the only reason we lost, but you do have to question why we suddenly conceded four goals having not even come close to that anywhere else this season.

Anyway...hopefully it's a one-off and we learn from the experience.

 

[Khilari]

I was heartbroken we lost, because we played really well. However Chelsea were a true force of classic counterattacking football. When you can bring Hazard and Costa off the bench, compared to Walker and N'Koudou, you always know there's a gulf in squad quality, however we're doing it a 'footballing' way through coaching and developing a team philosophy.

It was frustrating because Chelsea, Luiz in particular just kept fouling, getting away with it consistently, but he also made key tackles. He would have been the bigger miss, not Cahill.

Nonetheless, the experience will benefit the team, like the 'losing our heads' saga last season at Stamford Bridge changed us. We were better this time and kept it together despite the frustration.

Dembele was magnificent as was Eriksen (apart from his corners), Toby and Jan were excellent, albeit Toby lucky to get away with just a yellow for the foul in the 4th minute that could have been a red (though there were covering defenders, so probably fair).

I can see what he was trying, but Son at left back really didn't work. He never got round Moses and sadly was lulled into the penalty despite there being no contact. I think he should have stuck with the recent 4 at the back formation with Son up alongside All and Eriksen. That would have meant sacrificing one of Wanyama or Dier, but it's easy to critique in hindsight.

We push on, but realistically the league is Chelsea's. On a positive note, a 2nd place would finish represent another improvement. Alongside a cup semi and juggling European football in the early season stages means hopefully we can kick on next season.

I think if we hold on to our players and can improve/develop perhaps 2 more players (striking support and an alternative to Sissoko), we will be in a better position to fight in Europe and the league.

COYS.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

We player the best team in the league off the pitch for 90 minutes.

They got 4 lucky goals.

We'll win our next 6 if we play like that.
They won't.

 

[worcestersauce]

Funny thing is that arsenal are flaky as fuck yet can get to another cup final and we still can't, if we had played city we probably would have lost that too.

So would have City that is what is so weird about it.

 

[mpickard2087]

There's nothing unlucky about leaving players, let alone arguably the best one in the league, completely unmarked on the edge of the box at a corner. It's fine margins at the top and these sort of soft errors are often the ones that get punished. There's no excuses, just got to do better.

 

[glacierSpurs]

call me wearing Spurs-tinted glasses, but our mistakes made them way better than they actually are.. giving them due credit is fine, but the way some put it, Hazard and Costa are like 2 of MSN in Barca and Conte was like Einstein.. Geez.. Hazard good yes, but Costa?? Give me a break, he did fuck nothing since a few weeks, or even months, much less than that 20+ minutes..

Some individual mistakes allowed them to score, and Son's conceding penalty was not the most severe one definitely.. tactically he did ok at that unfamiliar role he was told to play..

 

[Drink!Drink!]

Then he shouldn't have been on the bench at all.

But even if we accept that he was injured, then having Son playing a sort of wing-back role was never the next best answer for me.

Even with the same personnel on the pitch, it would have been better to have Vertonghen at left back and go 4-2-3-1 (a system we know and have played before).

I cannot remember the last time I criticised Poch for anything, but this was not the game to try someone in a completely new position.

It wasn't just playing Son in that position for the first time, unusually for Poch I don't think he had fully factored in player mentality in the selection. I know he has many fans, but surely most of us can agree Son isn't keen on engaging in physical contact with opposition players. Sure, he presses well when up front, but that's a matter of hard running, a bit of pace and he looks to "nick" the ball by getting his toe in. That's no good when you are expected to take up for some "first responder" defensive duties, where you absolutely need to be prepared to physically match you opponent and engage in some crunching tackles. For me, Son doesn't have the right attitude to give him such a responsibility, he isn't brave enough for those kind of duties.

 

[longtimespur]

Do you people actually think that Poch played Son at LWB without any coaching and practice games all this week before the Chelsea match? Yes he was naive with his tackle but he didn't actually touch Moses, he was diving before he got to Son's legs. So scratch that penalty, should have been a yellow for Moses.
Alderweireld's challenge was a foul and free kick but nothing more than the yellow he got. Hugo should have done better than he did.
Hazard's goal was poor defending and I thought Dier could have stuck a leg out and diverted the shot. Maybe he was worried about getting an OG.
Matic will never hit another shot like that one again. Hugo couldn't get near it but half an inch higher and it wouldn't have gone in.
Anyway we lost but, although I'm really disappointed, I'm really proud of how we played. Scored 2 excellent goals, especially Alli's. Great move, tremendous ball in and a classic strike.

Nothing to do with playing at Wembley, that's the least reason we lost.

 

[bubble07]

talk that son was LWB v Genk or Gent or whoever the fuck we played

 

[Gb160]

talk that son was LWB v Genk or Gent or whoever the fuck we played

Yeah Poch swapped Davies for Son at about 60 mins i think.

 

[dagraham]

talk that son was LWB v Genk or Gent or whoever the fuck we played

That went well then obviously .

I don't see how anyone could say Poch didn't make a mistake, but he's still a young manager and it wasn't the sole reason we lost the game.

 

[shelfboy68]

It's clear that it was the wrong decision to play son at LWB and if Davies was reasonably fit he should of played imo.
Having said that we started off nervous and never really recovered our shape as defensively we were out of sorts on the day.
Real shame as it represented our best chance to win silver in years another opportunity missed, still time to move on and nail down second spot that is progress from last year.