Rafa got it wrong

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

It happens sometimes.

 

I don't think Crouch is a player to play up front on his own, he isn't physical enough. He's great at knock-downs, but his aerial prowess isn't great. He tends to get under the ball, so heads it with the top of his head & can get no direction nor power on it. Xabi's curling cross to the far post, he got ahead of the ball & so had no chance of getting his header on target. He's a player who's much better with his feet than head.

 

I think Crouch had a decent game, the normally unflappable terry wsa not having fun - look at his pained expressions & bitching at colleagues. Cech certainly didn't like playing against him. But we needed another striker to try to feed off anything Crouch could present. Having Moro on the bench & to an extent Luis Garcia wasn't what I'd have done - physical game & s*** pitch. They're more technical players. I'd have had Fowler on the bench at least.

 

We played quite well, and probably had the run of the game for 60-65 mins, but resorted to long shots - Carra's & Stevie's being the best efforts. While we were running things, Chelsea were hardly rocking on their heels.

 

I'd have gone more for JAR at LB & use another striker.

[liverbird04]

got it wrong ? yet the best you can come up with is an unfit player on the bench .

[slapnuts]

I agree with the bit about Riise playing at LB instead of Warnock.

 

Crouch just needs to man up a bit.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

got it wrong ? yet the best you can come up with is an unfit player on the bench .

yes.

[floyd]

 

Crouch just needs to man up a bit.

 

[Puskas]

I think it might be worth trying a 352 against Chelsea.

 

It would at least give both their centre backs something to think about without leaving us a man short in midfield.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

It happens sometimes.

 

I don't think Crouch is a player to play up front on his own, he isn't physical enough. He's great at knock-downs, but his aerial prowess isn't great. He tends to get under the ball, so heads it with the top of his head & can get no direction nor power on it. Xabi's curling cross to the far post, he got ahead of the ball & so had no chance of getting his header on target. He's a player who's much better with his feet than head.

 

I think Crouch had a decent game, the normally unflappable terry wsa not having fun - look at his pained expressions & bitching at colleagues. Cech certainly didn't like playing against him. But we needed another striker to try to feed off anything Crouch could present. Having Moro on the bench & to an extent Luis Garcia wasn't what I'd have done - physical game & s*** pitch. They're more technical players. I'd have had Fowler on the bench at least.

 

We played quite well, and probably had the run of the game for 60-65 mins, but resorted to long shots - Carra's & Stevie's being the best efforts. While we were running things, Chelsea were hardly rocking on their heels.

 

I'd have gone more for JAR at LB & use another striker.

 

I agree that we would have troubled Chelsea more by having an extra striker or by the midfield pushing up.

 

But if we did that and then lost 2-0 there is the chance that people would say "Crouch up front and 5 in midfield stiffles Chelsea and we proved that and got 2 draws in our last 2 visits there so Rafa got it wrong".

 

I think it is very difficult to say that Rafa got it wrong. If there is a criticism it is that the squad is not as good as Chelsea's. Chelsea had a strong central 3 in Makelele, Lampard and Essien yet flair with Robben, Cole and an effective finisher in Crespo.

[Guest Sabre]

I think it might be worth trying a 352 against Chelsea.

 

It would at least give both their centre backs something to think about without leaving us a man short in midfield.

 

I think they'd expose our centre backs in one on ones too often with 3-5-2

[The Hitman]

I think they'd expose our centre backs in one on ones too often with 3-5-2

I agree.

Not nearly enough pace in the team to play that,Robben in particular would've killed us out wide.

 

The little c***.

[Ronnie Whelan]

I agree.

Not nearly enough pace in the team to play that,Robben in particular would've killed us out wide.

 

The little c***.

 

 

Agreed. Chelsea play quite an expansive counter attacking game and we would almost certainly have been caught. As rafa has already said, Robbie knows the score, he needs to work on his fitness, especially for europe where i think his next contract will be earned.

[Romario]

I don't know why Riise didn't play LB other than Raffa needed him at LM more than LB.

Other than that the only issue I have with the squad is the poor return from our forwards.

 

We would have made all that domination count if we had the class of Crespo up front for us.

That's what's frustrating but I'm sure it'll be sorted in the summer. It's strange because for as

long as I can remember the one area we were always fine in was up front. Now for the first time

in years the rest of the team is excellent and it's only the forward line holding us back.

 

I think Cisse is gone and I'm still 50/50 on Morienties. I think if we were offered a decent amount

in the summer Raffa would take it and use the case along with the Cisse cash for one top class forward.

 

I'm also not 100% on Crouch. I think if he wants to remain in this team he's going to have to improve

dramatically over the next season or two.He won't be sold this summer but unless he sorts out his heading and

starts to become a threat then next summer he'll be gone too.

 

I do wonder if we swap the forward line around too much. No one has time to gell with the rest of

the team and their partner up front. I don't know if our forwards are stupid or if it's just the lack of games together than

sees them often making the same runs as eachother and getting in eachothers way.

[surf]

Spider Neil, is it really you?

[Gilps]

I don't know why Riise didn't play LB other than Raffa needed him at LM more than LB.

Other than that the only issue I have with the squad is the poor return from our forwards.

 

 

Think this is where we're really missing Zenden. If we want Kewell up top, or just a more solid option on the left of midfield, there isn't much else to do except move Riise out of left back and bring in one of two inferior options there.

[mrjunk]

totally disagree, think he had it spot on. we really troubled them at times and with better finishing it would have been more of a game.

 

as someone else said, crouch needs to man up a bit, but he certainly gave them something to think about.

[Frosty Jack]

Crouches heading was the most frustrating part of our play for me, it's been going a fair while, as you say, he's always under the ball, 9 times out of 10 it seems. If he's up front alone, no chance, this is why we didnt score at the beginning of the season.

[slapnuts]

It seems to me he's happy just to get his head to a ball. Not arsed about the direction cos his heading is very poor for all of the balls him wins.

[Andyjandy]

I think it might be worth trying a 352 against Chelsea.

 

It would at least give both their centre backs something to think about without leaving us a man short in midfield.

 

We dont even have that many players in the squad idiot.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

 

 

as for Crouch's heading - it's coz he's 6'7" & 8 stone

[hideNseek]

Well we've shown we're not far behind them. Can't wait for next season tbh.

[Woodsyla]

I think it might be worth trying a 352 against Chelsea.

 

It would at least give both their centre backs something to think about without leaving us a man short in midfield.

 

It would give somebodies centrebacks something to thing about

 

f***ing suicide.

[Falconhoof]

Next time we play Chelsea we have to batter them. Let Robben and Carvallho know what writhing round on the floor in agony really means.

 

Our players get bookings/suspensions/sending offs/penalties turned down against them anyway. Whats to lose by t***ting them in a few early tackles ?

[Billy Talbot]

Next time we play Chelsea we have to batter them. Let Robben and Carvallho know what writhing round on the floor in agony really means.

 

Our players get bookings/suspensions/sending offs/penalties turned down against them anyway. Whats to lose by t***ting them in a few early tackles ?

 

 

I whole heartedly agree. What's to lose? A few bookings? Give them a right royal t***ting. Then when they roll about on the floor, we can laugh.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

still - wouldn't swap any of their victories against us for our one over them

 

In Istanbulllllllllllllll.....

[Puskas]

I think they'd expose our centre backs in one on ones too often with 3-5-2

I didn't say it wasn't a risk... And they only play one up front, so we should usually have one centre back free to help with the one on ones... and our wide players can help out too...

 

At least we'd have more firepower up front. Our main problem is scoring goals. If we can get a goal up then we can always switch back to 451.

 

f***ing suicide.

It worked very well against Juventus last year. And we played it pretty well (more like 3-6-1 really) after half time in the final.

Edited February 7, 2006 by Puskas