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By Madam | Permalink | On 07 November 2012 - 22:05 PM
Anyone see the Celtic game? Quite astonishing looking at these stats: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20150451

66% possession compared to 34%,


SkySports said it was 89% for Barcelona and only 11% for Celtic I only had the chance to watch the first half but that just seems a little too far......
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Think Opta had it 16-84% so probably about right.
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By Tommo. | Permalink | On 07 November 2012 - 22:04 PM
If your a proper fan though you follow the team through the good and bad results. If you not gunna watch us when we are bad thats why people call chelsea fans glory hunters


I'll watch it no matter what. I couldn't get myself out of the football hype every weekend, especially if we are playing.

By Verse | Permalink | On 07 November 2012 - 22:26 PM
There's nothing wrong with how RDM goes about his substitutions. The side's issue is keeping clean sheets, not in attack. So making attacking subs isn't a must when scoring as the side has been. If the defence were more solid and organised then there wouldn't be an issue.

As for Sturridge, I have no issue with him being benched. Torres might not score as regularly but his team play and combination with the 3 behind him is far more valuable to the side and it's style. Sturridge offers none of that and is far too much of an individualist. While talented, he's not good enough to be leading the attack. Even if he does score more himself than Torres, the team play will suffer in the process.


I am not talking about every game, but today his decisions were terrible. We had to get the win but we had no one to score.The first two goals were down to luck and bad decisions from the keeper. That doesn't really show how great we were attacking. Defending wise we are also pretty shocking lately. We have been conceding the exact same goals in the last 4 games, yet nothing has changed.
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By chokosc | Permalink | On 08 November 2012 - 16:15 PM
I'll watch it no matter what. I couldn't get myself out of the football hype every weekend, especially if we are playing.

I am not talking about every game, but today his decisions were terrible. We had to get the win but we had no one to score.The first two goals were down to luck and bad decisions from the keeper. That doesn't really show how great we were attacking. Defending wise we are also pretty shocking lately. We have been conceding the exact same goals in the last 4 games, yet nothing has changed.

Again, the side had scored two goals and the teams best attacking players were on the pitch already. While there are some decent options on the bench, none are of the quality already on the pitch. Moses came on and scored, good substitution you could say. Goals are still goals. Torres pressured the keeper (something Sturridge wouldn't have been arsed to do) and made the keeping error. Oscar's goal was again brought on by a quality pass from Mata over to Torres, which the keeper decided come out for and try to intercept (Torres was clean through had the keeper stayed back), and Oscar's finish was quality. He still had a lot to do.

You're also not giving Shakhtar enough credit, they're a good side tricky side and showed that over both legs.

Agree that the defensive side of the team has been sloppy of late. But to say nothing's changed isn't entirely true either. Bertrand played, Ivanovic came back into the side and Terry didn't start. RDM went for a different approach defensively than the first game, where Terry was quite poor himself.

The side hasn't had the stable 4 that was used previously of Terry, Luiz, Bane and A. Cole. There has been some changes. Luiz has also had a bit of a dip in form himself in that period, after having a quite consistent patch. In saying that, he's also scored a couple important goals in the process. So it evens out when you really look into it. That's not to say the defensive aspect can't be improved, it can.
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Barcelona in having more of the ball but losing to counter-attacks shocker.
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Not a good picture.
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By Carroll. | Permalink | On 11 November 2012 - 20:28 PM
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/579002_388694087875816_407273901_n.jpg


Remember those Celtic fans who went on, and on, and on about us not attacking Barcelona when we played them a few years ago? Anti-Football they called it.

Wonder where they went.
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Yeah but Celtic won.
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By Flash. | Permalink | On 12 November 2012 - 04:40 AM
Remember those Celtic fans who went on, and on, and on about us not attacking Barcelona when we played them a few years ago? Anti-Football they called it.

Wonder where they went.

I, personally, didn't criticize Rangers for playing defensively against Barcelona. If anyone did for the games against them then it's just stupid, because if you play too open a game you'll get ripped to shreds.

That said, some of the football you played under Walter Smith in Europe was some of the most dire forms of playing the game I've ever seen - especially in the UEFA Cup run in 2008. You got to the final, so fair enough, but you did it by playing one of the most defensive games in recent years. We generally play a pretty attacking game and like to pass it around a bit, and even against Barcelona Lennon had the foresight to keep two men up front for the entire game so we'd always have options on the counter. That's where our second goal game from.
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I'm no Celtic apologist, however, as much as they surrendered possession they still attacked with intent when they got the chance.
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By jumberto | Permalink | On 12 November 2012 - 16:31 PM
I'm no Celtic apologist, however, as much as they surrendered possession they still attacked with intent when they got the chance.

Exactly. Stats only tell half of the story.

We went into the game knowing that their style of play would mean they would retain the ball well, so rather than spending the game chasing them down and wearing ourselves out, we sat deep and allowed them to keep the ball until they advanced into dangerous positions. Whenever we did win the ball, we'd hit it out to the wings or up to the strikers to try and hit them on the counter, which is where we looked most dangerous and how we scored the second goal. That's the way to play against Barcelona - sit deep, let them have the ball, keep a good defensive shape and try and nick a goal from a counter-attack or from a set-piece. This tactic obviously requires defensive discipline, great individual performances, a solid goalkeeper and a bit of luck, but it's the best chance teams will have against them. Lennon got it spot on.
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I'm SOOOO glad we're playing Carrick at Centre-back in a pointless game. I would much rather that than Wootton get experience or, god forbid, Carrick gets a rest.
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Loops almost perfeclty. NEVER ENDING HUMILIATION


Chelsea team :

Hazard

Mata - Oscar - Azpilicueta

Obi Mikel - Ramires

A.Cole - D.Luiz - Cahill - Ivanovic

Cech (c)



Subs : Turnbull, Bertrand, Romeu, Marin, Piazon, Moses, Torres


Sturridge out injuried, Torres on the bench (thank fuck for that), Hazard takes the spot. Azpi prefered to Moses on the right-hand side.
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By om4ever | Permalink | On 20 November 2012 - 19:26 PM
Loops almost perfeclty. NEVER ENDING HUMILIATION


Chelsea team :

Hazard

Mata - Oscar - Azpilicueta

Obi Mikel - Ramires

A.Cole - D.Luiz - Cahill - Ivanovic

Cech (c)



Subs : Turnbull, Bertrand, Romeu, Marin, Piazon, Moses, Torres


Sturridge out injuried, Torres on the bench (thank fuck for that), Hazard takes the spot. Azpi prefered to Moses on the right-hand side.


Don't you think it'll be three at the back, Cole and Azpi as wing backs, Mikel - Ramires in the middle and the three magicians up front?
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By The Platypus | Permalink | On 20 November 2012 - 19:33 PM
Don't you think it'll be three at the back, Cole and Azpi as wing backs, Mikel - Ramires in the middle and the three magicians up front?


Based on the first 10 minutes nope

Azpi positioning ain't great too. And Cole has played the striker twice onside too, fortunately Cech was there to cover

What a play from Oscar, too bad Hazard was sloppy with the finish.
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Juve are a class act. Chiellini reinforcing the point that he is one of the best CBs in world football.
Cech has been pretty solid as well.
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http://ballsdot.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/puyol-580x386.jpg


Puyol so manly
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Pirlo's beard is immense
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By Tiki Tapas | Permalink | On 20 November 2012 - 20:05 PM
Juve are a class act.


They can't be called that, they only have one black player.

Dissapointing to concede such a soft goal, when Chelsea looked better too.

But it is completely deserved, they've gone in behind of the back four a dozen times already
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By om4ever | Permalink | On 20 November 2012 - 20:31 PM
They can't be called that, they only have one black player.

Dissapointing to concede such a soft goal, when Chelsea looked better too.

But it is completely deserved, they've gone in behind of the back four a dozen times already


I'm not sure if that is a universally renowned joke that i'm missing out on or what?
Juve leading and Shakhtar get an equaliser
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Celtic looking okay, Mulgrew's dead ball ability has to be the best in the country at the moment. Disappointed there's no Souness to tell me what I think.
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By Tiki Tapas | Permalink | On 20 November 2012 - 20:34 PM
I'm not sure if that is a universally renowned joke that i'm missing out on or what?


It's not universally renowned, but it should be.

From the TV Show The League. Can't find the video.
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as it stands
Group E
1. Juventus 9
2. Shakhtar 8
3. Chelsea 7
4. Nordsjaelland 2

Group F
1. Bayern 10
2. Valencia 10

3. BATE 6
4. Lille 3

Group G
1. Barcelona 12
2. Celtic 8

3. Benfica 5
4. Spartak Moscow 3

Group H
1. Man United 13
2. Cluj 7
3. Galatasaray 5
4. Braga 3

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