Chelsea Thread

[Big Seany]

Anyone else want to batter the ref when he booked Ballack during his celebration? For goodness sake, I am sure the Man U players would not have complained had he shown a wee little bit of inconsistency right there. Football is so crap these days.

[saif]

The pure COMEDY of Man Utd ever saying a decision going against them. The point in this - it should not have been a penalty because it WAS a handball but in such a big game etc etc.... They really do have different rules to the rest of us. The FIRST pen of the season - cos they have obviously fouled nobody in the whole season.....

[rmoxon]

I have seen virtualy all chelseas games this season in one form or another and to be honest, besides the odd game, they havent been very intresting to watch all season, so saying its only the odd bad performance is a stretch.

Still I think people complain about it mainly becuase they know they have quality players and shouldnt have to play the way they do, they dont complain becuase they belive Chelsea cant actualy play good football.

Anyway at the end of the day I'm a man u fan but I can still admit that points win a league, not atractive football.

Oh yeah and the Carrick hand ball.... wasnt a penalty IMO as his arm was actualy just starting to move away from the ball when it hit him, so couldnbt have been deliberate. But its not like the ref could see that.

I don't think its just man united who recieve bad decsions anyway, most teams do, its just that it hurts even more when they might cost you a title or a cup. Arsenal still feel they would be in the champions league if they had got that penalty against liverpool for instance. It hurts alot more in big games but a bad descion is still a bad decsion in any game.

[toythatkills]

the pen was a tad harsh, more like ball to arm.

Well yeah, obviously, but since the ball travelled about 15 yards to hit his arm, it's fair to say that he had a chance to move it out of the way. He chose to let it hit his arm - handball.

[saif]

But they play under differentrules: from guardian:

Although Ferguson fielded only a half-strength team - starting with his two leading scorers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, on the bench - the Scot chose to attack referee Alan Wiley's decision to award Chelsea their penalty when Michael Carrick clearly handled a Michael Essien cross.

"Absolutely diabolical," Ferguson said. "It's a major decision. Granted it hit his hand. He's not lifted his hand above his shoulders, above his head, anything like that. The ball is going straight to Rio Ferdinand. The referee should have seen that rather than the linesman. If it goes down to decisions like those we're in trouble. If we're not getting decisions we deserve then we're going to have to perform really well."

Yes,it is a handball as all other managers would see it. But Ferguson has probably never seen such a ridiculous decison (ie within the rules of the game) go against him. Have they stopped complaining about the Carrick dive yet?

[rmoxon]

Although I think he couldnt get his hand out of the way (becuase Ive never seen anyone jump up like that to block a ball and still have their arms COMPLETELY down by their sides), even I find it odd that Alex Fergerson would say that if things like this happen then the team is gonna have to perform really well.

Dosent every team have to perform well in order to win a championship? (well besides chelsea I mean )

[abigsmurf]

Lots of stuff in the press today about drogba being a diver. Ronaldo never gets that kind of focus...

I honestly believe he isn't a major diver. His problem is the opposite: he doesn't get up again. Lowest pain threshold of any player I've seen (although to be fair he has had multiple operations on his knees and they take a fair battering in matches). Whenever he goes down, it's usually for good reason. It's just the way he rolls about so often that's frustrating as it often costs us.

Anyway. We HAVE to win tonight. I won't be able to take Man U or Liverpool winning the champions league. We'll never hear the end of it.

[hudson]

You'll probably never hear the end of how we've won 5 times anyway.

Drogba's a big baby, that's it really. He has a little whinge and 9 times out of ten it's a free kick

May the best team win tonight, mate.

[SharkSkin-Man]

The 'Platoon' is his special move.

[Kongster]

LOL - He also has "amazing powers of recovery" as the ITV commentators put it.

[hudson]

hehe

[Matt]

Ronaldo dived when he came to the country, but has, for the most part, cut that **** out on management orders. Often I think it appears he goes down too easy because he's moving at such pace, a slight clip could knock you down. He's tall and sleek, which won't help. No doubt he has properly dived in the past, no arguments, but I genuinely think it's, for the most part, in his past. Goes down too easily at times but it's tough to say if it's genuine or not.

Drogba on the other hand is a ****ing disgrace and Chelsea fans should be disgusted and turn on him until he mans up. Such a great striker of the ball, in 20 years time you think he'll be remembered as a great player or a cheat?

[Kongster]

[saif]

Ronaldo spent the whole game yesterday LOOKING for fouls.

He tries all the time and you have been tricked by Ferguson doublespeak if you think he hasstopped. That weekend against Middlesborough where he didn't get a pen even though he had engineered contact. The next week, having heard from every Man U how he didn't do it anymore he dived for a pen again. And got it. Ronaldo dives at least once or twice in every game - no doubt. And often it is not even, the still annoying but more understandable, going down easy.
Drogba makes everything look a lot worse. The hilarity of his aborting of his dive against Man U when Vidic got injured is classic and proof positive of his actions.

Never been booked for diving..... I believe Ronaldo has not either under the FA's watch - only in other games.

[abigsmurf]

Well, can't say that wasn't the perfect way to silence his critics. 1-0 half time and looking strong. Now if we come out guns blazing we'll seal this. Hopefully Grant won't sit back on it but at least a last minute liverpool goal won't knock chelsea out