Outplayed and easily defeated by a great performance by Juventus. Chelsea need a parachute to stop their free fall at the moment......the January window is a probably what they need IMO.
As much as I, a die-hard Chelsea, don't think we deserve it, there is still a good chance we make it to the next round. As long as we win the next game at home, and Juventus lose against Shakhtar, we're in.
They won't let Shakhtar concede a goal, it will be a goalless draw. Juve will pile up defensively, heck even though they play 3-5-2 they pretty much put two defenders in the midfield at any time (Lichsteiner, Isla, Caceras etc.) so it goes from 3-5-3 on the attack to a 5-3-2 when on defense. This is why Juve is so tough. It's one extreme to the other.
It was actually really odd to see Juve let some clean counter attacks get by cause they never do, but at the same time they were really trying to attack, they won't be that way in two weeks.
I wouldn't call it disastrous. Being in the group of champions was always going to be a tough call. Chelsea had a mush easier group and should have done better.
Still in a better position how? Like City you have to rely on other results to go through in the CL and City are above you in the league. Chelses problem is a non existent partnership at the back and no strikers. As your lovely owner still wants the Torres project to work and refuses to replace him.
chelsea only need to beat FC Nordsjælland who appear to be the whipping boys of our group, thats one game against a below average team although we still need juve's game to go our way
city need to beat real which will be hard enough but you also need to beat whoever you play after that, all while still needing other matches to go in your favor
city simply have more work to do against harder opponents
bringing the league into this is just stupid boasting, your only 4 points ahead, there are months left to go, the transfer window will be a busy time for chelsea
Chelsea needs another striker. Linked with Falcao I hear. Torres seems so out of it, lethargic and seems like he does not want to play football anymore. Maybe a trade may suffice. He could find his feet again at Atletico.
Champions of Europe, Chelsea and Champions of England, Manchester City, both on the verge of elimination.
For City, it will be terrible but for Chelsea it would be complete embarrassment. No holding team of the European Cup/Champions League has ever been eliminated from the first round proper. Chelsea look to be the find holders of that title. It also provides how much they lucked out last year. Unworthy champions and this year is proving it.
Shows how embarrassing the Premier League has become also. United safely through and they should be (and should of been with full 18 pts). They had arguably the easiest group of the competition.
Madrid with a point today would see all La Liga teams go through, Which league has the best teams? :) Barca is the only La Liga team with an easy group and that's because they make it so easy. Madrid with the group of death, Malaga in a competitive group and the same for Valencia. 4/4 today, England with only 1/4 safe. :D
Its nothing to do with the league! People need to get real and realise this. The PL is the most competitive league in the world. The proof is in the pudding when 3 top 4 teams all lost last weekend. Unlike your precious Spain where 2 teams dominate every year. Why do Spanish teams do so well in Europe though?
Thats an easy one, if you made no money in your domestic league and Europe was your main money maker would you bother with domestic league? No you wouldn't. You would go all guns blazing in Europe and try earn as much money as you can to improve your team so that one day you may challenge RM and Barca. They could win La Liga and still win less than getting out the group stages of the CL.
The PL however is massively differn't the CL is important but not as important as the domestic league. The leagues work differn't and thats why teams perform differnt.
"The PL is the most competitive league in the world." Answered in my first section, not the best and globally recognised by U.K. pundits as second best now.
"The proof is in the pudding when 3 top 4 teams all lost last weekend." Happens in every league, these rare spontaneous results happen rarely for a reason. Can't see it happening for a few weeks. Also didn't United field a young team yesterday and played an experience XI on Saturday. The stronger and weaker team lost lad, try harder. Chelsea have been on a terrible and now the manager has gone, surprise surprise. :/
Atlético's doing a fine job this season and with money coming into the league from foreigners (a luxury Premier League has had for years), more teams will compete for the title.
"The PL however is massively differn't the CL is important but not as important as the domestic league." So you're saying the Premier League is bigger than the UEFA Champions League? This coming from a Man City fan just screams laughter, it's not important because you can't win it! Ask SAF if Champions League isn't important or Liverpool fans or even Chelsea fans that will fear elimination in the next 14 days. Champions League is the biggest club competition in the world. South American teams would love a crack, would snap your wrists off for a stab at the most prestigious club competition in the world. Nothing is bigger than the European Cup.
Your ramble last week and today just shows how out of touch you're will football in general. All pundits in the U.K. feel the Premier League has got weaker in the last 4 years. All agree that Spain has a way better league than England.
So last weeks' ramble;
"Oh dear when you got real madrid and barca beating every team 6-0 each week its not surprising there more goals scored in la-liga."
La Liga games will 4+ goals to the victors;
19/8/12 Barca 5 - Sociedad 1 Betis 5 - Bilbao 3 27/8/12 Atlético 4 - Bilbao 0 15/9/12 Barca 4 - Gefate 1 16/9/12 Atlético 4 - Vallecano 3 26/9/12 Atlético 4 - Betis 2 29/9/12 Malaga 4 - Betis 0 30/9/12 Real Madrid 5 - Deportivo 1 (1st 4+ win for Real) Osasuna 4 - Levante 0 Valladolid 6 - Vallecano 1 (Biggest win margin) 20/10/12 Barca 5 - Deportivo 4 27/10/12 Barca 5 - Vallecano 0 28/10/12 Real Madrid 5 - Mallorca 0 3/11/12 Real Madrid 4 - Zaragoza 0 5/11/12 Betis 4 - Getafe 2 10/11/12 Zaragoza 5 - Deportivo 3 11/11/12 Barca 4 - Mallorca 2 17/11/12 Real Madrid 5 - Bilbao 1 18/11/12 Sevilla 5 - Betis 1 19/11/12 Sociedad 4 - Vallecano 0.
EPL games will 4+ goals to the victors;
18/8/12 Swansea 5 - QPR 0 Fulham 5 - Norwich 0 22/8/12 Chelsea 4 - Reading 0 15/9/12 Man United 4 - Wigan 0 Arsenal 6 - Southampton 1 (Biggest win margin) 22/9/12 Southampton 4 - Villa 1 29/9/12 Liverpool 5 - Norwich 2 6/10/12 Chelsea 4 - Norwich 1 20/10/12 West Ham 4 - Southampton 1 Man United 4 - Stoke 2 Chelsea 4 - Spurs 2 17/11/12 Man City 5 - Villa 0 Arsenal 5 - Spurs 2.
10 teams in La Liga achieving a 4+ goal win. 9 teams in EPL achieving a 4+ goal win.
"As for Europe lets be fair the Premier league is so competitive right now" So is La Liga, ignored my stats last week? By those figures, La Liga is far more competitive.
"as with every year the top 4 struggle to play in Europe because of it unlike Spain." Try harder, EPL teams use to be expected to win every European game.
"Look at the difference in squads played in Europe all four teams play different players and even buy players especially for Europe." As do most teams, nothing exclusive, at least Spanish teams actually let youngsters play in Europe. SAF did it yesterday which makes a change.
"Whereas English teams play stronger teams in the league and weaker in Europe." That's why game margins in Spain are better throughout the League that the EPL and all 4 La Liga teams have qualified thus far. Your argument is on the cliff dude.
"Why you think United the 2 time champions of europe" Actually they're 3 time champions, don't read up much do you?
"didnt even make it out of an easy group last year? As the league forced them to play a weaker side." Same useless argument, every league fields players for specific tournaments, the EPL doesn't it more because they spend 100s of millions every season to crack their league and Europe. Not enough home grown talent and they're robbing Spain of their best. Shame the results are in the Spanish favour still!
"So use common sense as facts dont always tell the real story." You need some common sense and facts determine reality! Thanks :D
Oh my....what happened to Chelsea, couldn't watch any of the games :(.
As much as I, a die-hard Chelsea, don't think we deserve it, there is still a good chance we make it to the next round. As long as we win the next game at home, and Juventus lose against Shakhtar, we're in.
I see, well that group table is looking pretty interesting now... didn't really expect Chelsea to be in that position honestly.
Well it looks like chelsea will be the only team to get knocked out at the group stages whilst be the holders! :D
i kinda expected this, that january transfer window cant come soon enough....
our defence has looked rotten for so long now and torres...i expect him to be gone or a sub more often next year
the mid field is world class but defense and forwards is sub par
my only solace is that even now, were still in a better position then city....somehow