Well as the game went on, United sent on more youngsters. Chelsea sent on 75m quids worth of first team. Naturally that turned the game in their favour, despite United putting on a really good show.
After 70 minutes Chelsea fielded a near entire full strength team that was available for this game, bar Ashley Cole. It was the equivalent of Ferguson sending on Rooney, Van Persie and Valencia.
I think Ferguson will be fairly happy with the display. Obviously not some defending and such but he half expects that from this sort of game I would say. I think he will be ok because he got to see some good performances from some second string and youth players, in particular Anderson and Powell.
United's young defence were always heavily up against it but it would have been a good lesson for them. It was a loss but it doesn't seem half as bad considering the sides that played the last 50 minutes.
You guys played a very good game. It was very close and one of the most entertaining games I've seen in a while. But please don't make it sound like it was Chelsea's first team vs. United's reserves. Ramires, Hazard, and Oscar were brought in after half time.
Bertrand, Azpili, Piazon, Romeu, and Sturridge (not recently) = Not starters.
Chelsea were losing 3-2 and looked like they could concede again before the last of their subs.
After the 70th minute (so for the last 50 minutes) Chelsea's team lacked only Ashley Cole from the weekend and Mikel who was subbed off. Ivanovic, Terry and Torres were banned so unavailable anyway and thus not selectable.
Chelsea's team after Oscar had come on in the 70th minute was only really 1 player off the strongest team they could possibly field with those bans....Hazard, Oscar and Ramires who were sent on cost Chelsea at least 75 million pounds.
Powell, Macheda and Tunnicliffe sent on for United cost about 5m....
So think about that for a moment. I think Ferguson will be happy and for United fans it was good entertainment and good to see the players Chelsea had to send on to turn the game.
It was entirely up to Di Matteo sending on those subs to win the game, I was merely pointing out that saying Chelsea didn't have a near full strength side on the field is incorrect.
Which is why United won't be too worried about the result because of the Chelsea need that was required to win it.
@vulcanproject Obviously Chelsea wanted it more going by the subs they brought on, and its no surprise they dominated after the change. Who cares if they sent on some of their first team. If you want to win a cup game thats usually the obvious tactic.
Indeed Chelsea to played half a team but let the utd fans have there excuses as they need something to help them sleep as they realise there team is slowly slipping away as BuddyMagoo is right there best player is Giggs a 38 year old and what does that say about the rest of the team?
For the best part of 70 minutes United were the better side and looked like they would go on to seal it and win. Both defences were not great but United's attack always looked ridiculously dangerous and would score more. Against an experienced Chelsea defence no less.
It was only after Chelsea had sent on their expensive first team reinforcements did they look like they could really win it. In the end you had a full strength Chelsea attack against Rafael and the Manchester United youth team defence!
Even then it took them nigh on 100 minutes to finally gain the lead in this game and a lot of their edge eventually came from their attack being fresh as subs and United's defence being tired.
Giggs wasn't the best player IMO, although he stood out. More like what does that say against Chelsea's strong choice of midfield?
Anderson was really the best player on the field for United, assisting all 3 normal time goals. Anderson being the player that can't actually get a game right now for United.
I suspect he might get plenty more now, after this performance. Especially with Kagawa injured.
As for the rest of the side and the youngsters, they performed admirably against their costly opponents and therein lies United's bright future.
United spend big when they need to but I figure that all 14 players combined that were on for the Reds tonight cost about £50m. Chelsea's 14 something like £180m.
Haha, just like it took two red cards and an offside goal to beat Chelsea on Sunday! Chelsea should have had a penalty for handball as well. Another great game after last nights cracker at Reading. These cup ties are always entertaining.
Well to be fair in the regular 90 minutes, all goals, except United's third came from horrible defensive mistakes. In extra time it was mostly due to United getting more tired than Chelsea.
I know and im glad all this has happened its raised the cups name.
I really enjoyed the game im a red and although it was nani who made the 1st mistakes that killed us off i was happy how united and chelsea played.
After the crap that was brought up after the game on sunday i expected there to be fireworks but both teams kept there tempers down and even though there could of been a few sending off in the game for mistakes by the younger lads i thought the ref had a very good game to. He kept a level head considering the pressure he was also under by the media and the fans.
So well done chelsea you were the better team form 70 mins on well done the united young players for givng your all and well done the ref for keeping the game one of the most enjoyable games this season.
Man Utd dont field teams with lots of first choice players in them for the league cup. Dont think Alex Ferguson ever has. He uses it to blood the younglings and give others run outs if they havent played much.
It works quite a lot because man utds second choice and youngsters are better than most teams first choice sides.
With Arsenal on saturday he knows it is more important players get rested for it than try and win a game that was actually quite close even with the players he had out.
every top team bloods youngsters, and rests their big guns. that y dimatteo had hazard and oscar on the bench as a precautionary measure and not in the starting 11.
was just di matteo was desperate not to lose 3 games in a row so he had to send on the top players or he would have. alex ferguson wasn't too worried about it cos he knows it isnt that important and the youth did well. Arsenal game is more important. Easy choice.
Now if Man Utd beat Arsenal and Chelsea dont beat Swansea then it would have totally been worth it for man utd.
Thats not an excuse thats just simple common sense. No top club really cares about the league cup much. If they win it then its a bonus but it is mostly worthless, the prize money is pretty useless to them as well.
Nearly 3m to win the fa cup after all the stages 2m for runners up and 1m for a semi final run. League cup wins pays out crap and the winner gets about 150k after all the rounds and final. Half a weeks wage for Rooney and Van persie.
Half that bleedin money prob goes to just transporting the team around for away fixtures.
Pointless risking injuries to top players for the sake of 150k minus expenses
a lot of media pundits blasted arsenal for conceding 5.....fair enough...im wondering if it will be the same now for either of these teams. Chelsea were at home but the opposition was definitely tougher than arsenals opposition. Just a question
There were some nightmare moments in our defense. A lot of problems in the back could be solved if Luiz stopped darting up the pitch and would just pass to the midfield. Every time he goes for a run, it leaves us heavily exposed on the counter. Albeit, it is quite entertaining seeing him up with Sturridge and Mata haha
10 seconds away from winning with a reserve centre back pairing, so it was a valiant effort. chelsea had their best player mata and put on oscar and hazard. feel sorry for wootton, he had a shocker but dont really blame him.
It took two penalties, Hazard, Mata, Oscar and Ramires to beat Michael Keane and Scott Wooton.
I felt Giggs was MOTM, for a 38 year old he bossed that midfield and we looked weaker once we took Anderson off who had a great night.
Great match, United's center defenders killed the team.
Did ANYTHING normal happen in the League Cup this week?!
Blo_0dy h311!
united fans seething, take defeat like men. its not dimatteo's fault fergie made a piss poor decision not to have anyone on the bench.
seems like old age is catching up to him.
a lot of media pundits blasted arsenal for conceding 5.....fair enough...im wondering if it will be the same now for either of these teams. Chelsea were at home but the opposition was definitely tougher than arsenals opposition. Just a question