thecatmanbeep

Good to see that it even's out, then. 2-1 in penalties shouts and 1-0 in wrong red cards. That's 2-2

But if a tug on Henry's shirt when he's already falling over and the ball has already run past him is a penalty, then the Malouda and Drogba ones were stonewall penalties. So it was 3 - 1 in penalty shouts at least, not even counting the Eto'o handball....

Football fans are just incredible sometimes.

If Villa got robbed in a champions league semi final by an inept referee, then we'd all be going mad.

If our players then chased the referee and called him a cheat in the media, we'd all be saying 'well said, they're right'

But because it's Chelsea, we forget about the emotion of the game and how you feel after certain incidents.

Dublin called Savage a cheat and everybody agreed, even though Savage hadn't really done anything wrong for once....and that match was nothing compared to a champions league semi final.

I think we all agree that if Chelsea kept a clean sheet they'd be in the final.

Of all the people to mess up it was Michael Essien, nobody could have predicted that.

I cannot see how a case can be made for the second one. I *slight* pull on the shirt, but he had let go by the time Drogba decided to decided to fall. I dont agree at all with this mentality of any contact means a foul. If hes pulled or pushed over/offbalance, then yes, give a pen, but as far as the pictures show, there was little to no force being exerted on him.

You can't see the case, because you're not looking at the right thing.

It's not the pull on the shirt, it's when he puts his left leg across Drogba and trips him.

Yes and Barca have pretty good credentials too. Ran away with La Liga weeks ago, final of the CL THIS year. And' I'm sorry, but you neer had the better of the first game at all. How can you with 10 players behind the ball for the whole game? In the second game you got beaten by 10 men. Yes you should have had a pen.. or two... but Barca should have also had 11 players on the field and a pen last week.

I'm not a Chelsea fan

That wasn't a penalty last week, Henry was already falling over and the ball had run away from him, even he didn't appeal.

The first leg was even in terms of chances. The second leg was a landslide in Chelsea's favour.

And we missed it. Who's to say that Chelsea would have scored theirs tonight if it was given?

That was the smartest way to play over 2 legs. A game over 1, however, will be very different.

I think they might have had a chance of scoring 1 of the 4 penalties.

A game over 1 is more likely to be cagey. Why would you risk attacking Barca when you've seen how it's quite easy to shut them down with men behind the ball and then catch them on the counter?

because it means the final will be a much more entertaining, action-packed, memorable football match.

Just like your semi finals with Barca last year.....?

The 2nd leg of last years semi was a very entertaining, nerve-destroying, edge-of-your-seat game of football. Both sides played well and it was fun to watch.

The first leg was a bit dull but the point is, a final is played over one leg, not two. Both sides HAVE to attack and get forward, which means both sides will be left open at the back, which means we will see some amazingly fast paced attack-counterattack football.

So the first leg was dull and the 2nd leg was a very entertaining, nerve destroying, edge of your seat game of football?

Sounds exactly like Chelsea - Barcelona this year.

Why do both sides have to attack? Finals are normally cagey affairs.

Whatever way you spin it, you have nothing to back up your claim of being second best in Europe.

2nd in the league last year, runners up in the champions league last year and beaten semi finalists this year, having the better of their semi final in the process.

Pretty good credentials...

How do you win against a team playing with 9 defenders and a guy standing on the half way line?

You played the exact same way against them last season. You just didn't create half the chances that Chelsea did and you got a penalty when you deserved it.

because it means the final will be a much more entertaining, action-packed, memorable football match.

Just like your semi finals with Barca last year.....?

My opinion is that you're wrong. Lets create a competition to find out statisticaly who is... oh snap!

Liverpool won the champions league and finished 5th in the league, so were they best team in europe?

Liverpool are the exception to the rule ;-)

Apart from Milan of course who won the champions league and finished 4th in serie A....

Even if the game was played again at a later date between now and May 27 with a different referee, I think Barcelona would win, because Puyol and Henry might be back so they wouldnt have to play Buckets in midfield and Yaya at Centre-back.

Puyol and Henry were there in the first leg and they never won?

My opinion is that you're wrong. Lets create a competition to find out statisticaly who is... oh snap!

Liverpool won the champions league and finished 5th in the league, so were they best team in europe?

Statistically, Chelsea under Avram Grant actually were the 2nd best team in Europe because they played the UEFA Champions League Final. Under Hiddink, they've not reached the final, therefore they're 3rd in Europe, surely?

That's statistically.

My opinion is that Chelsea are the 2nd best team in europe.

Maybe. But really, all this talk after the fact isnt going to change anything. The two best teams in Europe are in the European Cup Final. thats all that matters.

Man Utd are the best team in europe.

I think the 2nd best team in europe lost tonight.

Second best team in Europe are third in the English League? Thats quite something.

Chelsea under Hiddink = 2nd best team in europe.

Chelsea under Scolari = also rans.

Remind me who they had for the bulk of the season?

The Ballack and Drogba decisions were irrelevant to the result.

Those Abidal ones where always get given, they're unfortunate, but if the attacker is in front of the defender and the defenders run across him and trips him, it'll be given as a foul.

I hope they give that referee the final, now that would be a laugh

Yea, lets see Stretford's reaction when he denies Man Utd 4 penalties

Maybe. But really, all this talk after the fact isnt going to change anything. The two best teams in Europe are in the European Cup Final. thats all that matters.

Man Utd are the best team in europe.

I think the 2nd best team in europe lost tonight.

Maybe because yours was an FA Cup semi where you played your kids and it was your 3rd priority.....whereas Chelsea were playing for a place in the champions league final, which is the only thing they could win?

Fergie would have completely lost the plot tonight if those decisions went against Man Utd...

No he wouldnt. He didn't lose the plot last night when Darren Fletcher was the victim of a heinous miscarraige of justice.

Because you won!!!

Now imagine you'd been knocked out and had 4 very good shouts for a penalty turned down.

He would have gone purple and screamed at everybody in sight.

Maybe because yours was an FA Cup semi where you played your kids and it was your 3rd priority.....whereas Chelsea were playing for a place in the champions league final, which is the only thing they could win?

Fergie would have completely lost the plot tonight if those decisions went against Man Utd...

they were still far deeper than they are in the prem, and no barca didnt have a single shot on goal till iniesta's, but they did have 63% of the ball away from home against a very good team who IMO over the 2 legs just didnt do enough, lampard did very little, malouda despite being in good form did little, anelka nothing, in an attacking sense the full backs did nothing

If we look at it though....

First leg....

Barca - Eto'o one on one, Bojan missed head.

Chelsea - Drogba missed a sitter, Ballack headed just wide

So pretty even in the first leg....

Second leg....

Barca - One shot on target

Chelsea - 4 penalty appeals, Drogba missed a sitter, Malouda fired wide, Lampard fired wide, two last ditch tackles by Toure when Droba and Anelka were clean through, a sending off because Anelka got brought down when clean through....

I find it hard to see how people could say Barca were the deserving team....

Out of interest, jokes and bias aside, does anybody actually think Barca deserved to go through?

yes

im sorry but im not one of these who can say and be happy with - "didnt chelsea defend brilliantly"

wtf chelsea with all the quality they have and they wont play their usual style against barca? should have been more adventurous at the nou camp and again when abidal went off and they werent and got what they deserved

I don't think it was about defending tonight....

Chelsea carved Barcelona open numerous times. Barcelona never really got at Chelsea at any point, apart from the 92nd min strike....

Out of interest, jokes and bias aside, does anybody actually think Barca deserved to go through?

Sky sports news are replaying the bit where Rednapp calls him 'Andy Gay' Childish, but very funny. Especially the way Gullit looks at him after he says it.

But look at all the opportunities that they just flat-out missed as well. And all the crosses that went awry. If their players had been mentally stronger tonight, they'd have scored again and killed the game instead of moping about penalties that werent given

You missed chances against Everton.

You had chances to beat them on penalties.

If your players had been mentally stronger, you'd have won.

So why did all your fans moan about the penalty that wasn't given???