posted May 12, 2007

I'm a Liverpool fan, and I have to say I disagree with you.

Personally, I'm a fan who puts results before entertainment, every time. Besides, I find that tactical battles ARE entertaining. If I wanted a sport of all out attack I'd watch basketball, quite frankly.

Chelsea are a machine of destructive consistency who are second to none in world football.

To have challenged so brilliantly in four competitions, given your injuries and board room issues is in my view a greater achievement than either of your titles.

Especially as I am inclined to believe that Jose has changed his tactics to accommodate Abrahmovich players.

If you match LFC's 63 home games unbeaten that will also be a fantastic achievement, when you consider in particular that Liverpool were the undisputed best team in the world at that time, bar none. No one else was even close, in fact.

I don't always like his style, but please, Chelsea, Look to Real and learn that money is not the only factor. When you have a winning combination it is madness to change it, and I think that Jose is second to none in terms of the relationship he has built with his players.

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posted May 13, 2007

Kandinsky.

I think hesbighesred has summarised my feelings perfectly.The perception of Chelsea's entertainment value has in many people's minds been influenced by media coverage, that is to say, if you say whatever enough times, people will begin to think its true.
Of course there have been some games where we come away thinking "what a waste of money" but I would stick my neck out and say Chelsea fans have had more to smile about than most. As the original article points out the amount of money that has been spent as far as Mourinho is concerned has to be taken out of the equation. This was spent on catching up and not all of it was spent by him, but there is no doubt he has made us winners and my moneys on our fans wanting success, even if it might not be the prettiest football. From my point of view its prettier than a lot of stuff thats being served up elsewhere.

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posted May 13, 2007

i DONT WANT JOSE TO GO.BECOUS WHAT EVERTHING CHELSEA IS RIGHT,IT IS THE WORK JOSE MOURINHO.YOU CAN NOT COMPARE JOSE WITH FARGI.THE REASON IS THAT FARGI HAS STEAD UP TO 20YRS IN MAN UNITED WHY WONT HIM WINE LEAGUE.JOSE IS JUST LET CALL IT 3YRS IN CHELSEA SEE HERE THEY ARE NOW.I THINK IF MOURINHO STAY LETS JUST CALL IT MORE 2YRS IN CHELSEA I SWALL CHELSEA WILL BE THE HOTEST CLUB IN ENGLAND.

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posted May 13, 2007

i DONT WANT JOSE TO GO.BECOUS WHAT EVERTHING CHELSEA IS RIGHT,IT IS THE WORK JOSE MOURINHO.YOU CAN NOT COMPARE JOSE WITH FARGI.THE REASON IS THAT FARGI HAS STEAD UP TO 20YRS IN MAN UNITED WHY WONT HIM WINE LEAGUE.JOSE IS JUST LET CALL IT 3YRS IN CHELSEA SEE HERE THEY ARE NOW.I THINK IF MOURINHO STAY LETS JUST CALL IT MORE 2YRS IN CHELSEA I SWALL CHELSEA WILL BE THE HOTEST CLUB IN ENGLAND.[Personal details removed by Moderator]

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posted May 13, 2007

Blueoverthemoon:

I agree with you compoletely about the media perception thing too, its very silly.

I would say that Chelsea have been less fluid and entertaining than last season (due to tactics in my view), but they've hardly been exceptionally boring...their goals for column should testify to that.

As a Liverpool fan we obviously get the same accusations thrown our way...completely ignoring the fact that in terms of chances/shots on goal, we've actually had as many as any other team.

Man U and Arsenal may be more attacking, but if I were a fan of one of those teams I wouldn't be 'entertained' at getting knocked out of another competion due to our one dimensional football...or the fact that both teams play appallingly if they are forced to change tactics/play players out of position.

Thats the same reason why Liverpool and Chelsea are currently a long way ahead of Man U/Arsenal in Europe.

The only thing LIverpool are lacking in terms of league form is what Chelsea do brilliantly...when all else fails, have one simple approach you can fall back on and relly on, in your case Lampard and Drogba.

It might not always be pretty, but who gives a stuff when your manager is achieving Football Manager style results, only in real life!

Good luck for next season...it could be very interesting next year, as their won't be as much cannon fodder in the league. (West Ham and Villa in particular could be very dangerous.)

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posted May 13, 2007

hesbighesred

and

Blueoverthemoon

So sad that fans of too of the biggest clubs in the Premiership are united in accepting low quality, mediocre and primitive football.

I can understand Liverpool situation. Benitez is trying desperately to make something of a team that is not quite there with Chelsea and ManU in terms of squad and spending power.

But what excuse has Mourinho got for the rubbish he presents as football?.

We've bought the best players available. Now (if rumours are true) we are going for the second best. Benni McCarthy was not rated as top by Mourinho. Now he has seen him thrive under Mark Hughes, so he's saying "I want it"

So Benni McCarthy is goin g to bring the miracle that will "revolutionise, enlighten, brighten up Mourinho's tactics" - absolute nonsense.

If Mourinho is not sacked this summer, he'd be gone next summer. By that time all of you guys would have come to understand what I have been saying about his football

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posted May 13, 2007

"So sad that fans of too of the biggest clubs in the Premiership are united in accepting low quality, mediocre and primitive football."

Now surely that's a question of perception.

I actually enjoy watching the way Liverpool and Chelsea control games, and crush the life out of their opponents through excellent defences.

I really enjoyed watching Serie A when it was on c4. In my view a great tackle is almost as satisfying to watch as a goal.

To be honest, I really fail to see whats so entertaining and sophisticated about the way Man U/Arsenal play. Yes it can be fun and exciting to watch, but its also slightly embarrasing the way both these teams have underachieved in Europe, year after year, when they meet teams of similar quality who simply out-think them.

European coaches, I suspect, would far rather face Arsenal or Man U than Liverpool or Chelsea, simply because if you can stop Arsenal/Man U playing their game then you have already more or less won it.

I don't think you could approach Chelsea/Liverpool in that way, because both teams will simply adapt to a different formation or style of play if the initial line-up isn't working.

I say again, If you want to watch a sport just for attacking flair, then check out basketball. If you want to stick with football, then you're just going to have to accept that there are many ways of playing the game, all of which are equally valid and good...with the sole exception of consistent and deliberate gamesmanship/cheating.

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posted May 13, 2007

hesbighesred

I don't know how you can compare the high quality football of the Italians that we used to watch on C4 to what is being played by Mourinho's Chelsea.

It's a bit like someone going about in a fake Gucci pair of glasses without bothering to see that the label is actually stuck on with a tape

Did you watch the AC Milan v Man U CL match?. I'll explain just in case you didn't watch.

What AC Milan, Juve and the top Italian clubs used to give us on C4(and still do give us) is totally a different cuttle of fish to what you get from Jose and Rafa.

Italian game was high quality defending, techically controlled midfield and precision attacking.

Chelsea and Liverpool have none of the above.

At Liverpool v Chelsea Mourinho simply parked the midfield in front of the defence and left Drogba alone upfront. That was his tactical genius for 120 mins.

Don't be fooled by Rafa or Jose, this is not high tactics football. Its "no tactics" fooball. It is a football where goals "come when they come". We lack any ploy for scoring goals as was revealed at the Liverpool match where a single goal was all that was needed to have Liverpool all over the place.

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posted May 13, 2007

it seems a fair comparison to me.

The only real difference being that Chelsea tend to look for the long option far more often than those Italian sides.

"Italian game was high quality defending, techically controlled midfield and precision attacking."

You might not like it, but the long ball game CAN be a form of precision attacking if you have the right players. It's not like you play like Wimbledon used to, where every ball was a long ball smacked vaguely towards the opponent's area.

When you have Drogba up front, I would call it 'playing to your strengths' although I would agree that Jose seems to have lacked a plan b sometimes this year.

I honestly think though that a lot of this is down to Sheva and Ballack. Esp with Sheva, I'm not at all convinced that Jose wanted this transfer, but he had to play him or face the sack.

Injuries to cole/robben have also hampered your ability to play the way that brought you so much success in the last two seasons.


In Liverpool's case, I personally think we are the only team in England who actually genuinely plays in the 'continental' style. Most games I've watched us play our tactics are very much based on controlling possesion and trying to time our attacks correctly.

The big difference here is that Liverpool have hitherto been unable to buy the Sheva's/Drogbas of this world, and Rafa's had to replace a lot of players to get a squad he's happy with, as you acknowledged earlier.

To flip the question round, If Mourinho leaves, would you be happy to see your team win nothing next year, as long as you play as 'attractively' as Man U or Arsenal?

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posted May 13, 2007

Kandinsky,

This debate must surely have run its course.I know you have hammered on about your negative feelings over Chelsea,but now it has to be put to bed.Whatever you or I say let the stats and results do the talking. I've just run out of any enthusiasm for continuing this debate.

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