I counted 6 players who started in the 1st leg and Rebic. Jovic came on in the 37th minute. Rested or not, you don't want to go into an away 2nd leg having lost 6-1. We have to respect them, they're dangerous and can easily see them scoring 2 goals the Bridge if we fall asleep for a 10 minute period or so.
Frankfurt look to me a good team but stretched to their limits and dead on their feet. My guess would be that they'll come out aggressive and desperate and will have little in the tank for the second half. We can be enough of a mess for that to be a problem, but I'm feeling somewhat confident we can do enough and especially with next Sunday now not really being of any consequence (I'd back Everton to beat Spurs anyway).
Another Spurs then. Yes - 2nd half should be very straight forward. Finished 6-1 to Leverkusen who have been gaining on the Frankfurt for the 4th CL place for some time. All the goals in the first 36 mins. They still have 2 more league games to play with both teams on joint 4th with the goal difference having just narrowed from 15 goals better to just 5 goals. (So fair play to Frankfurt and the manager for keeping it down to 6 for the last 54 mins - Two subs on 37 mins) But there are another 3 clubs close behind them too.
Bound to happen when there's been so little rotation in the squad by the manager. Had heard their performances had wavered lately and checking the playing time across the squad it's clear to see why. 12 players have played over 1200 league minutes. 2 have played over 900. The next best is 720 minutes, which is good enough for 15th most. No wonder they're dead on their feet at this stage of the season. Although, still not to be taken lightly going into the second leg, they still have the quality upfront to cause us some problems.
This season, in certain games, I've been unable to shake this image of the team in the changing room building each other up to be more and more confident to the point that complacency sets in. Hopefully the fact this is a semi final of a European tournament against a German side and not a run out against Huddersfield will mean this avoided but this season has been so inconsistent one remains fearful.
Ten years ago today was the infamous Tom Henning Ovrebo game against Barcelona. Where UEFA proceeded, in the most crass terms, to attempt to deal with the English strangle hold on the Champions League. The team that night was: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole, Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda. Could you imagine how the players in that team would have reacted if they were playing in the current team? I wouldn't be remotely concerned about them walking through the next three games. How times change. You never appreciate the water until the well runs dry.
9 of those were World class players. If we had 6 players of the stature of those, they'd be no issues. The reason we are a dodgy 3rd to 6th placed team is because we have just two players like that. Hazard, Kante (and Rudiger perhaps in a year or so). (With 6 such players and VAR we'd beat Barca today). We were loaded in those days and us fans were very lucky
Wenn wir alle geben und bis zum letzten Blutstropfen kämpfen, dann wird das was. Das Packen wir. Wir sind eine Pokalmannschaft und geil auf den Titel. Die Jungs wollen, wir wollen, alle wollen es.
Wenn wir alle geben und bis zum letzten Blutstropfen kämpfen, dann wird das was. Das Packen wir. Wir sind eine Pokalmannschaft und geil auf den Titel. Die Jungs wollen, wir wollen, alle wollen es.
Und wenn Chelsea jetzt auch noch will, dass wir's packen, dann hammers!
was it their B team?
Have they rested the entire first team?
I counted 6 players who started in the 1st leg and Rebic. Jovic came on in the 37th minute. Rested or not, you don't want to go into an away 2nd leg having lost 6-1.
We have to respect them, they're dangerous and can easily see them scoring 2 goals the Bridge if we fall asleep for a 10 minute period or so.
Frankfurt look to me a good team but stretched to their limits and dead on their feet. My guess would be that they'll come out aggressive and desperate and will have little in the tank for the second half. We can be enough of a mess for that to be a problem, but I'm feeling somewhat confident we can do enough and especially with next Sunday now not really being of any consequence (I'd back Everton to beat Spurs anyway).
Another Spurs then.
Yes - 2nd half should be very straight forward.
Finished 6-1 to Leverkusen who have been gaining on the Frankfurt for the 4th CL place for some time. All the goals in the first 36 mins.
They still have 2 more league games to play with both teams on joint 4th with the goal difference having just narrowed from 15 goals better to just 5 goals. (So fair play to Frankfurt and the manager for keeping it down to 6 for the last 54 mins - Two subs on 37 mins)
But there are another 3 clubs close behind them too.
Bound to happen when there's been so little rotation in the squad by the manager. Had heard their performances had wavered lately and checking the playing time across the squad it's clear to see why.
12 players have played over 1200 league minutes. 2 have played over 900. The next best is 720 minutes, which is good enough for 15th most.
No wonder they're dead on their feet at this stage of the season. Although, still not to be taken lightly going into the second leg, they still have the quality upfront to cause us some problems.
This season, in certain games, I've been unable to shake this image of the team in the changing room building each other up to be more and more confident to the point that complacency sets in. Hopefully the fact this is a semi final of a European tournament against a German side and not a run out against Huddersfield will mean this avoided but this season has been so inconsistent one remains fearful.
Ten years ago today was the infamous Tom Henning Ovrebo game against Barcelona. Where UEFA proceeded, in the most crass terms, to attempt to deal with the English strangle hold on the Champions League. The team that night was:
Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole, Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.
Could you imagine how the players in that team would have reacted if they were playing in the current team? I wouldn't be remotely concerned about them walking through the next three games. How times change. You never appreciate the water until the well runs dry.
9 of those were World class players. If we had 6 players of the stature of those, they'd be no issues. The reason we are a dodgy 3rd to 6th placed team is because we have just two players like that. Hazard, Kante (and Rudiger perhaps in a year or so).
(With 6 such players and VAR we'd beat Barca today).
We were loaded in those days and us fans were very lucky
Und wenn Chelsea jetzt auch noch will, dass wir's packen, dann hammers!