Chelsea 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

[MikelBlue]

11 minutes ago, paulw66 said:

We're getting into the realms of fantasy 

Was much higher 

Like I say, not even sure today's was going in

Start from 3:05 min mark to refresh your memory on the height of the cross and Kepa's non/ late reaction as usual.

[Blue Rod]

1 hour ago, paulw66 said:

Plenty of doubt. The incidents were far from identical 

They were similar, but Willy's incident today was arguably the more difficult one. He had less time whereas in the one of Kepa, the ball travelled from a much longer distance and the keeper had a lot more time to adjust his position. He stood glued as he always does.

[Blue Rod]

1 hour ago, Droy was my hero said:

Funny how a dodgy palm down into his own 6 yard box by Caballero is so much evidence that Kepa is rubbish.
it is Benayoun in reverse - everytime Kepa doesn't play the more convinced people are he would have done something dreadful.

Stunning free kick if he meant it.  No one saves it (unless they stand still and catch the rebound) - yet of course on here....

I can see what our scouts saw.

It's a free kick.
The position of the kicker and his body language shows it is only going to be an in-swinger.
The angle is pretty tight, so there are very few places through which the ball can get into that net. 
It is not a penalty kick; the ball is travelling from quite a distance. It is not a hammer shot either.
9 out of 10 top keepers take one or two steps backwards and get their fingers to that ball. Half would tip in into the net, the other half would tip it over No prize for guessing which half you expect a £70m keeper to belong.
Kepa actually jumps after the ball has passed him. and he is jumping under the flight path of the ball.
Willy's ball today may not have been going in. But he did what decent keepers do all the time
 

Edited July 26 by Blue Rod

[Droy was my hero]

6 minutes ago, Blue Rod said:

Willy's ball today may not have been going in. But he did what decent keepers do all the time

Palm it down from going past the post into his own 6 yard box?  
Sorry - you are stuck on the wrong side of this and having to be very creative.

[Blue Rod]

This was our best performance of the season for a number of reasons.
Generally, the team has improved since the Sheffield thrashing.
To me, the best improvement has been in general defending. We used to allow other teams to pass the ball with no pressure. I was beginning to wonder if it was just laziness.
Our pressing and our general work off the ball has been a major difference.
Our movement has also got better
Worth noting that the improvement has happened in every part of the pitch - defence, midfield and strikers.
I still believe that some senior players did down tools. And I am glad that Willian and Kepa were dropped today. Better late than never.
It helped that a couple of bad influence were got rid of today. 
Mount had his best performance today. It is clear that when he plays well, even everyone can see; when he doesn't, there is no hiding it, not from the manager even. 
Kovacic also put in a superb performance. He worked tirelessly.
Giroud's goal was Drogba'esque.
Now we need consistency starting with Wembley.
 

[Blue Rod]

13 minutes ago, Droy was my hero said:

Palm it down from going past the post into his own 6 yard box?  
Sorry - you are stuck on the wrong side of this and having to be very creative.

Yep If as a keeper you believe or merely suspect it is going in, you must try and get your hand to it. Where it drops is a matter for the next step. I have seen top keepers go after a ball that is a yard or two out. Kepa is the only keeper who would rather let it go in than drop in his 6 yd box.  And I don't mind being on the wrong side one bit

Have you been coaching Kepa by any chance?

 

[chara]

13 minutes ago, Blue Rod said:

Yep If as a keeper you believe or merely suspect it is going in, you must try and get your hand to it. Where it drops is a matter for the next step. I have seen top keepers go after a ball that is a yard or two out. Kepa is the only keeper who would rather let it go in than drop in his 6 yd box.  And I don't mind being on the wrong side one bit

Have you been coaching Kepa by any chance?

 

The ultimate choice has to be a positive one....if the keeper "leaves it" it is literally out of his hands....a loose oppo player gets there or bad bounce and so forth....as Droy rightly points out it goes into a different danger area but the keeper can still have a contribution or another defender...leaving it effectively takes the keeper out of the equation for that sequence......it is pointless to start comparing what Kepa might/should have done....makes as much sense to start on what PC might have done or even the Wolves keeper...every situation is unique to that moment in time and Willy did well in as far as no goal came from the incident.... a great deal of discussion over a game incident that doesn't really warrant analysis...now...the "easy" shot Willy took when the ball was hit straight at him?...hmm....excellent positioning by him and part of the "real" goalkeeping that gets ignored.

[chara]

Oh and have watched the cross quite a few times and although need  a different angle...from the other side of the area.... I think on balance that it would have crossed into the goal.So well done Willy....

[Liquidator]

Pretty sure it would have gone in also....

[exiledblue]

1 hour ago, Blue Rod said:

They were similar, but Willy's incident today was arguably the more difficult one. He had less time whereas in the one of Kepa, the ball travelled from a much longer distance and the keeper had a lot more time to adjust his position. He stood glued as he always does.

dont think we will have to worry about him again