Shay Given

[Damo70]

I'd like rid but I'd trust Given as back up. Although I'd also expect a fair few blunders.

I saw him twice last season.

Against Everton at home, when he chucked one in, and against Norwich away in the cup, where I spent the whole game bar the last couple of minutes convinced he was going to cost us the tie.

I'd rather see this highly rated youngster given a chance.

I still think Guzan starts the Bradford games we are in the final.

It isn't something I like to dwell on but I think you are probably right.

[dave.woodhall]

I'd like rid but I'd trust Given as back up. Although I'd also expect a fair few blunders.

I saw him twice last season.

Against Everton at home, when he chucked one in, and against Norwich away in the cup, where I spent the whole game bar the last couple of minutes convinced he was going to cost us the tie.

I'd rather see this highly rated youngster given a chance.

I still think Guzan starts the Bradford games we are in the final.

It isn't something I like to dwell on but I think you are probably right.

Losing that semi was down to Lambert fucking up in the second half, nothing else.

[Dave]

This idea that footballers should expect to be paid massive wages once they retire is nonsense. Premier league players will earn plenty in 10 years to keep them and their families comfortable for life.

Is that not the whole point?

The likes of Hutton and Given are doing exactly what you say they should be doing. Making the most of what will be the biggest contract they have for the rest of their lives and using it to plan for their future.

Which is exactly why they would be daft to just accept a million pounds less per year, just because people think they should love playing football and go and do it in the Championship or the Spanish second division.

[Concrete John]

I'd like rid but I'd trust Given as back up. Although I'd also expect a fair few blunders.

I saw him twice last season.

Against Everton at home, when he chucked one in, and against Norwich away in the cup, where I spent the whole game bar the last couple of minutes convinced he was going to cost us the tie.

I'd rather see this highly rated youngster given a chance.

I still think Guzan starts the Bradford games we are in the final.

It isn't something I like to dwell on but I think you are probably right.

Losing that semi was down to Lambert fucking up in the second half, nothing else.

I made a rare (for me) away trip for the 1st leg and said at the time we were in trouble after the third went in, again from a set piece.  Yes, he had a bit of a meltdown in the home leg, but that was because we were chasing the game due to defensive errors. 

Had we defended anything like a PL side should we'd have got through.

[Dave]

Losing that semi was down to Lambert fucking up in the second half, nothing else.

His tactics were embarrassing in that second half, but had we not missed enough chances to win the tie twice over in the first leg and had we not had a goalkeeper who refused to leave his line and catch a couple of the crosses that they threw in then Lambert could have done what liked in that last thirty minutes and it wouldn't have made a difference. 

[dave.woodhall]

Losing that semi was down to Lambert fucking up in the second half, nothing else.

His tactics were embarrassing in that second half, but had we not missed enough chances to win the tie twice over in the first leg and had we not had a goalkeeper who refused to leave his line and catch a couple of the crosses that they threw in then Lambert could have done what liked in that last thirty minutes and it wouldn't have made a difference. 

We made enough similar mistakes throughout the season to suggest that it wasn't Given who was at fault.

[eastie]

I wouldn't attach a lot of blame at given for the bradford defeat , we were poor and missed a host of chances - we conceded a load of goals from corners with Guzan too last season , i think the defending and marking of players was more to blame than either keeper .

Granted, Guzan does come off his line more and does take a lot of crosses but we still concede a lot of goals from corners , I'm hoping okore will help to eradicate this.

[Toronto Villa]

My guess is whatever the reasons for our demise against Bradford that above all other things this keeps Lambert up at night. 8 goals at Chelsea was bad but it's Chelsea and were completely overwhelmed that day. Bradford was poor from every standpoint, missing chances, goalkeeping, player selection, tactics. The list is endless. I wouldn't mark it down as one thing over another. It was just the perfect storm of shitness for the world to see over two legs.

[adrenachrome]

I'd like rid but I'd trust Given as back up. Although I'd also expect a fair few blunders.

I saw him twice last season.

Against Everton at home, when he chucked one in, and against Norwich away in the cup, where I spent the whole game bar the last couple of minutes convinced he was going to cost us the tie.

I'd rather see this highly rated youngster given a chance.

I still think Guzan starts the Bradford games we are in the final.

It isn't something I like to dwell on but I think you are probably right.

Losing that semi was down to Lambert fucking up in the second half, nothing else.

PL has himself admitted this to be the case, in so many words.

[eastie]

No doubt the bradford fiasco was very bad but the players should learn a hell of a lot from that experience and i daresay lambert will have learnt a lot as well.

It's something that will live long in the memory but we have showed positive signs in recent months and those dark days are behind us - lets hope we can atone for that with a trip to Wembley this season.

[Concrete John]

It was also two legs that were timed right in the middle of our horrendous run.  If we had played them around FA Cup semi-final time we'd have won easily, IMO. 

[Clampy]

I still think the biggest mistake he made was only playing two midfielders in the first leg, it was idiotic. He didn't even rectify it when it was obvious we were being over run.

[eastie]

I still think the biggest mistake he made was only playing two midfielders in the first leg, it was idiotic. He didn't even rectify it when it was obvious we were being over run.

I think we maybe expected to go there and stroll through the game against a team 3 divisions below - well we won't make that mistake again !
Underestimate teams at your peril- even after the first leg when interviewed lambert seemed very confident we would go through - a lesson learnt by all !

[Ad@m]

I think we maybe expected to go there and stroll through the game against a team 3 divisions below - well we won't make that mistake again !

Quite - the team selection for the Rotherham game proved that.

[dcdavecollett]

Well, it also showed that you may as well put a strong side out when you aren't playing again for another two and a half weeks because of the 'Chelsea First' policy at the Preeeeemier League.