Man Utd and Chelsea to each others detriment?

• jianfish9

  6 May 07, 11:29

  I was looking at the league table today and I realise that Man Utd was leading the table over Chelsea by 8pts and over 3rd place liverpool by 21points.
  
  Man Utd had to die die win that game against the Man City although they kena foul and stamped. Tonight, Chelsea have to die die win against Arsenal otherwise its over for them. In contrast, Liverpool could easily afford to lose against Portsmouth last week and against Fulham last night. Its like as though it did not matter to them at all.
  
  If Chelsea or Man Utd wasn't around, then the other team could have wrapped up the title by way before the Champions league semi-finals. Instead, they had to push each other all the way to even the final few matches of the season and it ended up with Chelsea players either too shag or injured to face Liverpool and ditto for Man Utd against Milan. You could see Milan and Liverpool so fresh and injury free.
  
  I sort of think that by pushing each other so hard they end up shooting their own foot. They have to die die win every match. When Man Utd was trailing against Everton, they lan lan have to sub Ronaldo on and ditto for Drogba in Chelsea. Whereas when Liverpool trailing against anyone, they don't even need to sub Gerrard in to try and change the result.
  
  That said, I think Liverpool and Milan has done well to reach Athens. But you can't help but that feel the tiredness and injuries will have played a part.
• dragg

  6 May 07, 11:58

  i feel that chelsea go it all wrong.
  
  winning the EPL title should always be the top priority. afterall its 38 games and more difficult.
  
  
• F.raon.I.R

  6 May 07, 15:23

  i dun think u understand mourinho's decision...he has won the EPL twice in a row..he only has the european cup left to win while in chelsea...n i can see that his boss ambramovich is desperate for euro glory...
  while we also cannot deny that they also take the EPL very seriously,from his mind games in epl and desperateness..
• zocoss

  6 May 07, 18:12

  Originally posted by dragg:

  i feel that chelsea go it all wrong.
  
  winning the EPL title should always be the top priority. afterall its 38 games and more difficult.
  
  

  I don't think they got anything wrong, Going for 2, 3 or even 4 titles is every top managers job, just see the way they were going for the EPL title, the last min goals they scored were all because they also wanted the EPL title just as much. And not too long ago, they claim that winning all 4 titles for them was a very possible thing.
  
  There is nothing unusual to wanting to win more trophies, Wenger has also tried it almost every year, But this year we saw the results of that... Wenger himself admitted after going out of all the competition that it was a mistake with the team he had. But will they when they are still in it? I guess not...
  
  But as they went for more trophies, their team became thinner, which is a very normal thing... Not to say that they can't make it, United have made it in 1999 with the same problems too, and i guess Jose felt he could do one better having won the Carling cup already.
  
  Not winning the league isn't because they didn't want to, but this season they had a new experience they never felt before, and that is chasing. The pressure of chasing and a dogfight at the top eventually got to them. They have never got this experience before over the last 2 yrs, even jose didn't have this kind of experience even in Portugal... The media, the papers... You could see the strain on the chelsea players towards the end... Compare to the beginning of the season, the matches between Newcastle and even a injured Bolton... They look nervous, rushing with the game, something that we have never seen chelsea display over the last lap of the last 2 seasons.
  
  And why? Like Cech put it best... Whichever team hold their nerve will win the title.
  
  While Man utd were shaky towards the end, Chelsea lost it completely... Their draw against Newcastle the week before follow by another to an injured Bolton side at the Bridge (who lost 0-3 to WH last night) was probably the most telling one...
• iceFatboy

  7 May 07, 09:22

  good one, zocoss.
• jianfish9

  7 May 07, 10:08

  To win the Treble, you sort of have to do it by first winning your domestic titles easily.
  
  If you look at all the treble winning sides in previous years like Barcelona, Porto and Man Utd, they have all sew up their domestic titles very quickly and easily. The 2nd place was like a million points away. Thus they can save players like Liverpool did and fight on the Champions league focused.
  
  With Chelsea and Man Utd breathing down each other necks all the way, you could see the result against Liverpool and Milan. Totally running on empty like the commentator say.
• iceFatboy

  7 May 07, 11:05

  to be frank, Milan has a better time compared to MUFC cause Inter pratically sewn up the title.
  
  Next season when all things are new, it will be a new ball game.
  
  cause firstly, i do believe Pool to give the title a serious run.
  that will take something out of their players.
  
  but Roman has promised to sponsor another bank-roll so instead of two teams, Chelsea can afford a third team on standby. Imagine that.
  
  Well, if only Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are interested in EPL. Imagine a battle among the top 3 richest guys.
• JLennon

  7 May 07, 11:30

  Originally posted by jianfish9:

  To win the Treble, you sort of have to do it by first winning your domestic titles easily.
  
  If you look at all the treble winning sides in previous years like Barcelona, Porto and Man Utd, they have all sew up their domestic titles very quickly and easily. The 2nd place was like a million points away. Thus they can save players like Liverpool did and fight on the Champions league focused.
  
  With Chelsea and Man Utd breathing down each other necks all the way, you could see the result against Liverpool and Milan. Totally running on empty like the commentator say.

  Man Utd did not win the EPL that easily in during the treble year. I remember the EPL came down to the wire on the last day with Man Utd needing to beat Spurs in order to fend off the challenge from Arsenal. In fact, Man Utd was a goal down before Beckham and Cole (Andy) scored.