posted Feb 22, 2007

Don't like Jose at all but what he said last night is so true. This is the best season you've had so far. So many injuries and your still in all four competitions.

Credit where credits due. Done really well to be where you are. Any of you Chelski boys going to the final this sunday?

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posted Feb 22, 2007

vince1966

This has being my arguement all day long!!! Lampard looks for his own glory.... but Mikel looked more confortable on the ball, composed, no holywood long ball... But Drogba poor first touch or ball control would be his down fall.. but Chelsea need a 3rd Striker ( I miss Crespo)

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posted Feb 22, 2007

We werent great yesterday but the job was done..Shevchenko was by far our best player. Donr really reate porto, yes they had more possession and more chances but they really didnt pressure chelsea considering. Chelsea didnt really get of 2nd gear yet contained them quite easily. Should be an easy home tie

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posted Feb 22, 2007

I don't agree with that viewpoint in what concerns Ricardo Quaresma. Diarra blocked him many times with is body or hands. When a player doesn't go to the ball the rules say he must be booked (this happened many times). Essien saw a yellow card for a tackle with both feet, that's a red card (by the book). I must say that near de 90th minute Pepe, central defender of FCPorto, did the same and he also got a yellow card. Hiting the ball doesn't count as a legal tackle is the physical integrety of a player is risked.

Anyway I liked the match and I looked forward for the next one.

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posted Feb 22, 2007

SCEVA keeps proving his critics wrong.He will make the media pundits to swallow their words.I love it when he scores.Didier was completely off in this game and i don't know why he was not subsituted.I'm now looking forward to the carling cup finals with Arsenal.Arsenal is the kind of team that can embrass even the greatest team in the world on theor day be scoring 6 goals.So CFC watch out for Sunday.

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posted Feb 22, 2007

Quaresma didn't dive. He simply gave up on chasing the ball most of the times after being blocked. Now, some times he was "blocked" fairly, many times he wasn't. That he simply gave up on the the plays is a different matter, and open to discussion. Maybe he should always go for the ball, regardless, but the problem with this approach is that it doesn't serve as a deterrent for further blocking, while if he simply gives it up it will pressure the defender to stop doing it (including booking). It's not "pretty" though, but it also isn't considered pretty to block faster players that can drible well. However, a season in England might do Quaresma some good, as it did to Ronaldo.

As for the game Porto played well but Chelsea had a a quick reaction to the early goal and managed the game from afar, giving up possession - a strategy not without peril, some of Porto's attacks were to close to the bone.

I think Chelsea will go through, probably something like 2-1... This is however not a given, Porto always has a strong team and if sufficiently inspired I can see them winning in London, the game yesterday didn't reveal any great difference in quality between the teams (not of the obvious, 4-0 at home kind). I would give Chelsea between 60-70% of chances of advancing to the next stage in the CL.

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posted Feb 22, 2007

Got to agree with Lusian's post;

"Quaresma didn't dive. He simply gave up on chasing the ball most of the times after being blocked. Now, some times he was "blocked" fairly, many times he wasn't."

Jose M did his best to block the Porto players through-out the first half. The Chelsea manager frequently ventured outside his technical area, in an attempt to intimidate the Porto players away from the wing.

Chelsea fans can't have it all their own way - if Quaresma was playing for the foul what do you propose? That he leave the pitch to run around the player? If you propose this then you're manager was just in the right position to block such a run. Cheating in my book.

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posted Feb 22, 2007

"hahaha ah, remember, in 10 games between british vs portuguese, britain perhaps wins one...."

what planet are you on mate, lets think back to british vs portuguese teams in the CL this season, Benfica 0-1 Man Utd, Man Utd 3-1 Benfica, Celtic 3-0 Benfica, Benfica 3-0 Celtic, Chelsea 1-1 Porto, Arsenal 2-0 Porto, Porto 0-0 Arsenal

correct me if im wrong but i make that 7 games this season, with portuguese side winning one game and british winning four... check ur facts before u make statements like that

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posted Feb 22, 2007

This Portugal vs. England thing is *so* 2006 :D

Let's move along. At team level most english top teams are favorites over the portuguese ones at the present time. No shame in that. At national level things are a bit different though.

England has a lot of teams in the final stages of the European competitions this year. If they win the next matches they could place a team in the top 3 positions in the CL.

Not that it makes me happy, mind you. Just looking at it coldly.

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posted Feb 23, 2007

"Benfica 0-1 Man Utd, Man Utd 3-1 Benfica, Celtic 3-0 Benfica, Benfica 3-0 Celtic"

All of this are FACTS.
But it also a fact that this year Benfica is a disgrace at the quality of their game. If Benfica players (and specially itīs coach and his performance) wore to play at a level of the quality of itīs palayers i truly doubt that Man Utd would have won at Lisbon, and specially 3-o at Old Traf. and Celtic, the game at Glasgow was the laughing theme at Portugal, how could Celtic beat Benfica like that? thruly a reason to loud. Why?
Benfica hasin their usual starting 11:
6 Portugal International layers + 1 Euro Champions by Greece (not sure if Katsouranis was, if was than it would be 2)
3 Brazillian International (at least 2 by the A team)
1 by Italy.
Now do you understand why it was a shock defeat at Glasgow?
I only wish that Benfica played at the englsih premiere, because they WOULD HAVE TO PLAY ALLWAYS AT THEIR BEST, thing they donīt at the really bad Portuguese Leage.

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