UEFA Europa League: February 14, 2013 - AC Sparta Praha v. Chelsea FC - [R]

Discussion in 'Chelsea' started by fernb8, Feb 11, 2013.

  1. RamboTambo

    RamboTambo Member

    Feb 1, 2011
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    This is a better video - shows the build up - holy crap - we had Hazard and Oscar surrounded by 7 Prague players and he still managed to shimmy around them all with three touches!

     
  2. fernb8

    fernb8 Member+
    Staff Member

    Aug 12, 2002
    yes and it makes one wonder why the club did not do more to address that situation

    but with that being said- I am curious as to why we continue to see two individuals who seem to avoid the axe despite their performances while others were not given near the same amount of time/chances
     
  3. RamboTambo

    RamboTambo Member

    Feb 1, 2011
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Torres and....?
     
  4. NuffSaid

    NuffSaid BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jun 14, 2012
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Well that wasnt very good, in fact it was awful! I know that European games are not often the most entertaining but really Ive had more fun watching paint dry! Abramovich has plunged this club close to crisis with his single minded approach in trying to get Guardiola to manage, I actually believe that Guardiola never had any intention of bossing Chelsea yet I think he was more than happy to 'string' Abramovich along. By placing all his eggs in one basket Abramovich has lost an awful lot of other viable options. The difference between the quality of the United Madrid game and this one was astronomical and if I was Abramovich I would go down on bended knees and beg Mourinho to come home, Mourinho wants to leave Spain and return to England and if he were to end up at Man City instead it may well be the final nail in the coffin.
     
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  5. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    This is a huge myth and I don't know where this comes from....
     
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  6. Dtrip77

    Dtrip77 Member+

    Jun 10, 2009
    N NJ!!!
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    well this match doesn't really help the argument
     
  7. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    It's one freakin' match! I could say most Chelsea matches this season don't help the argument that the EPL is a great, if not the greatest league, just because my team is losing to QPR in it while sucking!

    Did you watch any other Europa League matches?

    I know I came into Chelsea during the Abramovich era with loads of success, but all my life I was a fan of Dortmund and of Barcelona (From Ecuador - not Spain) and both these clubs have gone through very, very difficult times. I am just getting tired of seeing so many fans complain about the Europa League as in this is so beneath Chelsea. Really? And this is not directed at you, Dtripp, I am just using this platform to point that out.
     
  8. Dtrip77

    Dtrip77 Member+

    Jun 10, 2009
    N NJ!!!
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Understood and as long as both teams want to win, then they're usually good matches. its still a competition and regardless of what day its being played on, we still need to respect the tourny. But i was not able to distinguish if we were playing just to play or to actually to win a tournament. That line has become fuzzy under FSW. I for one would like us to push on and actually win some silverware this season.
     
  9. NuffSaid

    NuffSaid BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jun 14, 2012
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Im sorry but 'on average' a European competition game is less entertaining than a domestic European league game, perhaps because of the nature of a '2 legged' knockout format? Of course there are bad domestic league games and good Euro competition games but like I said 'on average'. I certainly don't think this competition is 'beneath' Chelsea, the only point I make is that right now it is not top priority, I really do believe that this season (above any other season) it is VITAL for the team to finish top 4, this is a real 'crossroads' for the club.
     
  10. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    What? On average? Proof?
     
  11. Kerry Dixon's Boots

    Staff Member

    Jun 6, 2006
    77 degrees
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I can see where Nuff Said is going on this and I take his point. What it boils down to for me is away goals. With that rule in place there is a big incentive in the first game for the away side to play more conservatively than they otherwise would and this can make for some negative encounters.

    There is also a clash of styles when teams from different leagues play and when sometimes this can be intriguing and exciting it also can deteriorate into a very bitty game. Overall though, if they dispensed with away goals I think we'd see some general improvements in play for the two legged stage. I still thoroughly enjoy euro football though so I'm not quite as down on it as some.

    There's also this. Most of us are watching the games on tv and I have noticed that far more euro games are commented on from a studio whereas the EPL games they are at the ground. This makes a massive difference to the atmosphere that comes across and when the crowd is muted you lose a big chunk of what makes football exciting in the first place. I don't think this is inconsequential.
     
  12. NuffSaid

    NuffSaid BigSoccer Yellow Card

    Jun 14, 2012
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Look I dont think you could 'google' it, it is just something that is generally regarded, why does my saying it bother you so? By European competition you do realise I mean Champions League or Europa Cup dont you? I am not talking about other 'European' domestic league games - the same thing has been said about world cup games or Euro Championship games - it is not often that the world cup final is a classic is it, perhaps it is because with 'knockout' competition you only get the one chance? After all if you play badly for a 'league' game you have plenty of other games to 'redeem' the situation. Besides I was using this (perhaps misplaced belief) to try and make a point, the point is that 'whichever' way you look at the game yesterday it was BAD, the quality of play was bad and the entertainment value even worse!! You cant tell me that it was a game of quality 'free-flowing' football can you? Like every other Chelsea supporter I am dismayed at the sudden drop in quality and like 'most' other Chelsea supporters I dispair at Rafa Benitez and his 'tactics', I am most definately NOT trying to attack or belittle either Sparta Prague OR the Europa Cup.
     
  13. hudson hooligan

    hudson hooligan Member+

    Columbus Crew
    United States
    Aug 6, 2008
    Columbus, OH
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm with Cris on this one. I think some are confusing Chelsea being in a shit run of form with Europa League being a shit competition. I can't help but laugh at that. Anyone who thinks the Europa League is boring -- I kindly refer to you Fulham 4 - Juventus 1.

    Also, European matches < Domestic league matches? :confused:
     
  14. Cris 09

    Cris 09 Trololololo

    Nov 30, 2004
    Westfalenstadion
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    What bothers me is that you are saying as if it were a matter of fact when in reality, it is just your opinion, one which I don't share.
     
  15. Dear_Claudio

    Dear_Claudio Member+

    Feb 6, 2005
    Buffalo, New York
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    I'd like the follow this argument, but the lack of paragraphs makes reading long posts a chore.

    I do agree that the first legs of European ties do have a tendency to feature more cautious play, as away sides just want to get a result and home sides absolutely don't want to be shipping away goals. However, the deciding second legs are often the best games of an entire season.

    I absolutely agree with Cris (and others) about the conceited attitude some of our fans are taking. I wish it was still called the UEFA Cup, a name which had history and at least a fair bit of prestige. Regardless, this club has never won this competition. Before last May, our only European successes in our 100-plus-year history was a pair of Cup Winners Cup titles (and one resulting Super Cup). If you want to turn your nose up at a legitimate competition as if winning a trophy is beneath you, go support Arsenal or Spurs.

    Bayern, Inter, Schalke, Galatasaray, Liverpool, Feyenoord, Porto, Valencia, Sevilla, CSKA, Zenit, Shakhtar (who kicked our ass in the CL this year), Atletico... bunch of small clubs, right?

    In the Abramovich era, I'd like to think the club and its supporters have taken on a winner's mentality. So ******** it, let's support the team and try to win something during this tumultuous season. After all the shite we've put up with over the last few months, I'd really look forward to a European tie with Ajax (probable Ro16 opponents), Lyon, Spurs!!, Zenit, Inter, Fener, Atletico, etc.
     
  16. Cletis

    Cletis Member+

    Jul 12, 2006
    Milwaukee, WI
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As a neutral observer, I'll confirm that I recognized the comment as opinion, rather than a statement of fact.

    My opinion is that the *home/home aggregate goals with away goals doubled* format of the UEFA tournaments frequently creates incentives not seen in league games. Sometimes those unique situations are boring (such as this past Tuesday in the CL, when two favorites won while scoring multiple away goals, effectively mooting interest in the return legs). Sometimes those situations are exciting (such as last year with Chelsea ahead 3-1 late in the game v Napoli at the Bridge, but actually needing to score again to advance). On balance, I think I agree that, more often than not, the unique nature of this knock out format stifles, rather than encourages, exciting play. How often is it the case that a team is strongly incented to park the bus from the first minute in these games? Certainly, anytime an underdog plays away the first leg it will play for a 0-0 (such as Mourihho did successfully at Camp Nou in '09). It seems that, whenever penalty shoot-outs are involved as a deciding factor, the underdog is best served by extremely defensive play, particularly when the away goal rule comes into play.
     
  17. fernb8

    fernb8 Member+
    Staff Member

    Aug 12, 2002
    some super stuff to read through and if no one objects (even if you do- I dont care) I will throw in my tuppence

    1. As pointed out the away goal does tend to lead to less than exciting first leg games and I believe several will recall the "do not conceed an away goal at all costs" showings under Jose which were at times a little challenging to enjoy. With that being said we have seen some cracking return legs when one, if not both teams, really go for it and a late away goal completely turns the game upside down (sometimes badly for us- ala Iniesta). It is also worth mentioning that in my opinion (Cris ;)) that some of the UEFA/CL games prior to the away goal rule were dreadful and almost no one wanted to take a chance. Personally I like the away goal rule for all of the drawbacks it does bring.

    2. It is tough for me to get into European Domestic Leagues other than the one I choose to follow. I admire those of you who follow and support multiple Leagues as I now only have time to follow the Premiership (and that time is waning as well). Perhaps it is a touch of xenophobia or perhaps not but I just can not get into the other Leagues in general. The Bundesliga is about as close as it comes for me as I get little joy out of La Liga (even the El Classico) and think most of the Seire A is dire in general. Perhaps that comes from just prefering one League over another and I hope Cris does not roast me too much for that. I do try to watch as much of the other Leagues as possible but it is mostly to follow certain players as opposed to actual teams. The less I comment on the Dutch, Portuguese and Belgian (sorry BG) Leagues the better.

    3. With everything I said in point 2- I am more than willing to listen and discuss those teams and do my best not to close my mind to those who enjoy those other Leagues and want to discuss them.

    4. Agreed that a great deal of the International Football, besides the nationalistic pride, is not that entertaining and the better vehicle to bring new fans into the games is League football as opposed to major tournaments, but again I understand why the major tournaments draw the bigger crowds.

    5. KDB sums up the potential sturggles/issues as to why the European fixtures may not be as pleasing on the eye. Well done.

    6. Claudio, and Walter earlier- spot on with the your thoughts regarding winning this competition.

    7. Just to remind a couple of folks- there is very little evidence to support that the teams who ignore this competition ended up in a better position for the CL places. I think you will find that in recent memory that both Aston Villa and Spurs (for different reasons) treated the Europa League with disdain to "be more competitive for the CL places" and ended up in the same place the following season

    the Europa League

    8. As for the inconvenience of playing in this competition. Should we end up winning this trophy, which imo would be fantastic, then we would have played just two more games than it would have taken us to win the CL if we were still in that competition.
     
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