I want Chelsea to beat Manchester United - FA Cup Final Thread

[Ray de Galles]

So happy I can't remember any of the match.

I know what you mean, we had a lovely steak in Marylebone for lunch accompanied by a bottle of French 2016 wine for obvious reasons. I also sampled some M&S raspberry beer on the train up. All of which were my first drinks in about two months so I had some kind of cushion against the dreadfulness of the match.

The highlight of events once we were inside the stadium (Ray Wilkins tribute aside) was a few score middle-aged chaps running through the Chelsea nostalgia songbook before kick-off.

[Benjm]

Did they let you on the coach back, EIM, or had you outlived your usefulness?

[EIM]

So happy I can't remember any of the match.

[N est à?]

Fwiw, got a few likes on facebook, and resulting rush of serotonin, saying that Mourinho, during the game, looked like a mean PE teacher from Grange Hill #bants

[Ray de Galles]

Dear oh dear, that was shocking. There was a point near the end where I wanted Man U to equalise because I thought everyone involved might steel themselves and have a go at creating something approaching a football match in the thirty minutes of extra time.

Lukaku, Mata and Willian would have given a more convincing impression of elite footballers than the people on the pitch for the entire game, surely? Actually, probably not - especially with the former two managed by Mourinho.

Nice day out, terrible shame about the football. A strong contender for the worst match I’ve attended all season and coming after Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Man U in the Cup quarter final last year being almost certainly the worst game last campaign.

[Mr Cogito]

Chiseled

[Gerontophile]

Pre-printed?

[Mr Cogito]

My mate has that quote on his United flag.

[ale]

I congratulate them because they won, but I don’t think they deserve to win. I congratulate because I am a sportsman. They score one more goal than us and they get the cup, and I have to do what my job asks me to do: I am the Manchester United manager and I have to be respectful, not just because they were my previous club, but because they are the opponent that won the cup. But I think we deserved to win, we were the best team, but that’s football. I am curious to know what you say, what people write, because I can imagine if my team played like Chelsea did, I can imagine what everyone will say. I am quite curious. But I am on holiday. I gave everything I could, I know the players gave everything, it was hard for us to play without Lukaku against a team who play nine players in the box, you need that presence. They are not stupid, they know without Lukaku we don’t have a presence, without Fellaini we don’t have a presence, so with eight or nine players in the box, they knew they were going to be dominant. For me the image of the game is that David de Gea didn’t touch the ball. We did everything, we tried, it’s the kind of defeat, while it hurts, we gave everything, no regrets.”

[scratchmonkey]

I'm guessing Jose broke the ironing board when he took his Corby trouser press apart.

Jose set up his team to stifle, Jones gave up a ludicrously stupid penalty, and then they struggled to do anything for the rest of the match. I remember Mourinho being much more pro-active about making subs and changing shape in his earlier days, evidence that he's just playing out the string I suppose.

That said, Pogba really could and should have done better on that one header.

[Gerontophile]

I liked how the initials on his shirt were down at the bottom of his ribcage.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

BTW, what was the story with Jose's shirt? Couldn't he get it ironed in his hotel? Are the maids no longer going near his room or something? Does Someone Know? Doe Someon Kno? Do Someo Kn? D Some K?......

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Someone needs to tell cesc fabregas about Qatar. That was a beautiful pass to hazard in the lead up to the penalty. But he looked about as athletic as me after about half an hour. So it turns out you actually do need a plan for what to do with the ball, in case you go behind to a team that has a plan for what to do. It was bizarre listening to Kevin Kilbane talking about how Jesse Lingard to get beyond the chelsea defence, as though he couldn't see the eight defenders standing in their closed formation, with a low block. Kev was also of the opinion at one point that pogba needed to make more of that kind of run, and get in the box more. The run he was talking about was an 80 yard run past four players involving two one twos. Without noting that it was one of two or three times that chelsea were pushed that far up the pitch, or that 80 yard runs are extraordinarily rare in football.

One really notable thing about the way that man utd play is that even though they have young and valencia at full back, they never overlap. They always receive the ball as the widest midfielder, which makes it relatively easy for opponents to defend the cross, because it's usually coming from deep, and it's hard to get enough players into the box, and because the defenders are facing up the pitch, they can counter attack easily. Mourinho has the players who can do this, he has had two seasons to try to start doing this, and he doesn't do it because he can't. Because he is basically a footballing fucking primitive, who trades on the ignorance and the star fucking obsession that permeates virtually every aspect of English football culture.

[hobbes]

Heh.

[RobW]

Been a load of shite from United since Lukaku came on. Rashford had just had a great chance and was looking a lot brighter.

[Various Artist]

Jinxed it, didn't I. Hmmph.

[Various Artist]

This is threatening to turn into an interesting game now.

[Gangster Octopus]

These linos are shit hot, aren't they.

[Gangster Octopus]

Best thing for any neutral is a Jose team going behind, means they have to ignore him...

Teld yer...

[Kevin S]

Bit of action at last!

[Felicity, I guess so]

Non!

Si!

Thibaut Courtois-


Charles De Gaulle-

[Kevin S]

Are Premier League matches usually this tedious these days?

[Gerontophile]

Fairly shitty game.

[Guy Profumo]

Courtois reminds me of a young De Gaulle. As well as many other awkward lanky types.

Non!

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Jesus christ but this is horrendous.