Topic: CUP FINAL - Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Full time

[rob1408]

Andy Carroll is probably the only reason Im not angry.  Superb performance, although I agreed with him not starting, he should of been on at half time.  Our two woeful central midfielder meant Gerrard had to drop deep, completely taking him and Suarez out of the game.

Well played Carroll, he'll make it here, and have as good a night as you can folks.  Ignore the news and get drunk.

[paiiv]

We really made it easy for Chelsea.

Well done Carroll, though! A fine performance for him, shame he only got one goal for his efforts.

[Noelle]

That certainly looks in to me. At least it's a 50/50 decision and I think the linesman would have gotten the exact same reaction (albeit with the positions reversed) had he called it in.

Doesn't really matter though...we gave up two shit goals (at least Drogba's was a nice shot) and played like we didn't care for an hour. That lost us the match.

This.

It fucking sucks that the goal was disallowed but if we'd played like that for the hour preceding maybe we could've come away with something.

[ac]

Too little too late.

Just like against Cardiff, most of the players simply did not turn up.

In terms of tactics, motivation, player selection and substitions Dalglish has fallen way way short

If, and only if we there is a top class replacement Kenny needs to go for me.

[Asam]

Carroll was superb...THAT'S a player I can get behind, a nasty snarling beast who gives a fuck.

Can't complain about the starting line-up, but we were shit for an hour and I'd have fancied us in extra time.
Fine lines...it's all fine lines....

We failed to get men into the box, and of the ones who do make runs from midfield only Gerrard, Maxi & Shelvey look like they're going to score.

All of those people who think Lucas is going to make a big difference next season will be dissapointed IMO, it will probably take the whole of next season for him to get back to his previous form.

Alot of work to be done, but I think FSG have the ruthlessness to make the necessary changes

[Cruiser]

It was in.

At the moment of impact with Cech's hand thats definately in. Hairline decision, but it was over.

Now I'm even more mad 

[smj86]

cant believe we have to play them in anfield next..fucking gutted seeing meireles and torres lifting the cup!! i guess thats why they left liverpool for this plastic team

[OrangeMochaFraps]

Disappointed but I'm glad we showed some heart at the end.

Andy Carroll.  Immense immense immense.

[The G in Gerrard]

Andy Carroll was brilliant. We was excellent after we scored.

Our tactics and line up at start of match were terribly wrong.

[xman2007]

For me, Gerrard fucked us up in the 1st half, he kept dropping deep and isolating Suarez, seriosly should have left hendo and spearing to handle midfield and played off Suarez. 2nd half we were amazing and for me Carroll was an absolute beast, check my history not a part time fan, always had belief in the lad.

[iRed]

Our midfield is a house of horrors.  Or ineptitude.  Whichever.  Cost us the game, and the season, really.

Spearing somehow has found a consistent spot on a squad two leagues above his level.  I just don't see how this is up for debate.  You can laud his effort, sure.  But the lad has such a gross lack of ability that...  Ugh, I don't want to say it.  He is what he is.  My blame goes more to Kenny for playing him. 

He's not the only one, of course.  Downing is a fantastic waste of 20 million.  And I would pay another club 15 million for them to allow Charlie Adam to handle all of their set pieces as an act of sabotage.  Useless player.  We miss Lucas tremendously but so much more is needed opposite him.

Henderson has room to grow, but he's been horribly mismanaged this season.  Horribly.

Does it seem odd to anyone else that we have one player in our entire squad that can consistently beat his man 1 on 1?  And that he has to do so despite getting next to no help on a weekly basis from his midfield?

I fear Kenny may have hinged his job to this final.  Hoping against the odds that he can find a way to turn it all around and lead us out of this mess.  Just not all that confident he is capable.  I certainly don't trust him with the funds this summer.

Devastated. 

[El Campeador]

That fucking Geordie is a beast eh.

[JLFC]

• The ball was over the line.

 • Andy Carroll was absolutely immense.

 • Jay Spearing is horrific. Lucas cannot get back soon enough.

 • Disappointing end to a horrible, horrible season.

 • (shut the fuck up about Rafa)

Agree with all these points apart from Carling Cup and our progress there.......We could of done better in the league but thats for another day....It was over the line

[artanis]

In the prematch thread I wax slated for saying that we should have had Carroll instead of Spearing since Spearing is useless.
I wanted
-----------------reina-----------------
Johnson---agger----skrtel----Enrique

----------gerrard----hendo----------
----downing---Suarez-----Bellamy
--------------Carroll---------------

But all thought this a stupid idea. Kenny, thanks for the CC and a great FA cup run but we need a change. We have a decent number of good players, now let's get a few world class players and a modern game manager. If Rafa comes back I'm cool with that but it does not have to be him at all. The league form has doomed the King unfortunately.

[inexorably red]

linesman cant give it, it just gives some the excuse that we were robbed and we wernt

[Camarero25]

It was in.

That doesn't look in to me.

[Rouge]

lol...you cant change the facts just to suit your point.

when the match stats come out well see

We'll see he crossed to no one for most of the game, how many of his crosses where in metre of a Liverpool player....10%?

[maher]

ohhh how i missed Lucas during the game!

[Georgia]

Finally someone said it! 

What the f*** is the point of this debate?

Maybe it went in, maybe it didn't. Doesn't help us now.

We all mock Jose for continuing to be bitter about 2005, but all we should be discussing is our performance generally. Chelsea were better for the first hour, we were MUCH better for the last 30. Shame we couldn't force extra time but we have to learn from this and move on.

A shame for our as ever excellent fans that the players didn't turn up for so long, but we will be back. Need some investment in the summer, and press on for a top 4 spot next year.

This sums it up for me. Not feeling anything at the minute, just a bit tired of the same story. Roll on the next season! The fresh start will do us good.

[flinner]

That doesn't look in to me.

Should've went to spec savers it was in.

[zaphriel]

Ok, in the UK did you get Werner's pre match interview vt? If not then let me know, was interesting.

Secondly, midfieldwise, why was Maxi not on in place of dumb and dumber?

[BarnsleyScouser]

Ok, in the UK did you get Werner's pre match interview vt? If not then let me know, was interesting.

Secondly, midfieldwise, why was Maxi not on in place of dumb and dumber?

I didn't see the interview, what was said?

[steveeastend]

Ok, in the UK did you get Werner's pre match interview vt? If not then let me know, was interesting.

What did he say?

[andspecks]

If Chelsea's v Spurs was in ours was fucking in.

Take a bow, Andy Carroll. Immense today. Hope he can kick on from it.

[bravoco]

Ok, in the UK did you get Werner's pre match interview vt? If not then let me know, was interesting.

Didn't see it either.

[R_Ferns]

Kenny started with the wrong team and formation today and I said that as soon as I saw the teamsheet. Playing Suarez upfront on his own is just stupid. Everytime we had the ball he was isolated and he just isn't the type of player who wants to hold the play up and pass it he just wants to run past players and score. Although he is worldclass, he cant receive the ball and wriggle his way through all of chelsea's defence. Gerrard couldnt play in the gap between the midfield and Suarez either because he was covering for Spearing who was pure toss. If Carroll would have started then he could have held the ball up and allowed Gerrard and Suarez and the wingers to make dangerous runs to allow us more chances.

This summer PLEASE buy a new pacey, skillful winger who is capable of beating men and a centre mid who can play alongside Lucas to allow Gerrard to play in a free role and create more chance and score.

[Cre_mCr_cker]

Well, what can you say other than Chelsea didn't win this final, we lost it. It hurts. A lot, but I wouldn't swap our club for anything, says it all that my plastic supporting friend had to ask me about the commentator's Luis Garcia reference. Big Andy was fantastic, changed the game and did not deserve to be on the losing team, very encouraging. Let's face it, Kenny's not going to be here next season, it looked likely no matter the result today and this will have made it almost definite. It's a shame but it's quite possibly for the best. Hopefully the new man will have the same opinion of Downing that we all do, and will tell Pepe Reina to sort himself out or become our new Number 2. How many shots on target did Chelsea have? I made it 3, he conceded 2 and made quite a hash of the late free-kick. Anyway, onwards and upwards, You'll Never Walk Alone.

And it didn't go in unfortunately.

[zaphriel]

Ok in summary as I can't seem to find a video yet, full trust in Kenny, decent summer investment.

[G1 Jockey 4(betfair)]

shame carroll cant do that in a non glory game.

in the semi he had a similar game....he wanted to dominate big name centre backs.

in the league he just cant be arsed.


to me he is a great option off the bench if your gonna commit players forward.
in normal game situations and over a season he isnt worth his place....no matter what hios price tag is.

[Franco10]

The management just got the team selection wrong. Andy Carroll should have started. Downing was awful.

Really? Even after Suarez scoring a hat trick and losing to Fulham with Caroll starting? Ridiculous... So, Kenny's 13 match unbeaten run vs CFc comes to an end... Congrats CFC and Nando for his first club medal !!

[peterb17]

For me, Gerrard fucked us up in the 1st half, he kept dropping deep and isolating Suarez, seriosly should have left hendo and spearing to handle midfield and played off Suarez. 2nd half we were amazing and for me Carroll was an absolute beast, check my history not a part time fan, always had belief in the lad.

Gerrard dropped deep to cover Spearing who couldn't was hopeless and not doing his job

[CognacBut]

Was in.

Fact.

Fuck Off .

In.

Fuck Off.

Again.
c*nts.

[LiverpoolForever]

If that goal-line decision was given as a goal against us we would all be fuming.

We need to compete for 90 minutes instead of 30..dont understand why we got in gear when it was a bit too late.

[bornandbRED]

Fucking gutted. Been sitting here since fulltime completely inconsolable.

[IndianaRed]

It was in.

if you look at the ball and then look at the white line extending past the far post, you'd have to imagine that's in... but it's inconsequential now.  like others have said, that's not what lost us the match... playing like garbage for 55 minutes is what lost us the match.

[Revill]

Only started to play when Carroll came on and scored.....you've got to compete for 90 minutes + ( so many of our players, are just not good enough ! )
For anyone to say the " goal " was over the line, is being ridiculous ! ( the whole of the ball has to cross....and it wasn't even near ! )

[G1 Jockey 4(betfair)]

Kenny started with the wrong team and formation today and I said that as soon as I saw the teamsheet. Playing Suarez upfront on his own is just stupid. Everytime we had the ball he was isolated and he just isn't the type of player who wants to hold the play up and pass it he just wants to run past players and score. Although he is worldclass, he cant receive the ball and wriggle his way through all of chelsea's defence. Gerrard couldnt play in the gap between the midfield and Suarez either because he was covering for Spearing who was pure toss. If Carroll would have started then he could have held the ball up and allowed Gerrard and Suarez and the wingers to make dangerous runs to allow us more chances.

This summer PLEASE buy a new pacey, skillful winger who is capable of beating men and a centre mid who can play alongside Lucas to allow Gerrard to play in a free role and create more chance and score.

i presume gerarrd was meant to be behind him but he just kept dropping back to pick the ball up.

either way it was clear early on we were isolating luis and nothing was done until too late.

[sinnermichael]

so frustrating again.

abject first hour. their midfield just walked through us at will. then after we scored it was basically attack vs defence.

[Max Leon]

It was probably in but we shouldn't really complain because we did absolutely nothing for most part of the game.

[bravoco]

Ok in summary as I can't seem to find a video yet, full trust in Kenny, decent summer investment.

Sounds good to me.