Known Chelsea fan Paul Merson says he is numb after watching the approach and setup by Chelsea in the defeat to Arsenal last night.
Head coach Liam Rosenior has been criticised for going too defensive against Arsenal despite being 3-2 down from the first leg. Chelsea ended up losing the game 1-0 on the night, and 4-2 on aggregate over both legs.
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Other than Joao Pedro up top, who earned praise from Gary Neville, and a couple of others, Chelsea were just not really up to the task last night.
Rosenior went with a back three formation from the off, using a compact setup that featured no wingers in it from the off. It was a setup designed for stability and to contain, trying to stop Arsenal from scoring another goal and becoming more impossible to catch. But the issue was, it was Chelsea who needed a goal to keep the tie alive, and Arsenal were happy to just contain themselves. It made it an edge and pretty uneventful game to watch really.
Merson is a passionate Blues fan, so it’s always good to see what he has to say after games.
Merson on the performance
Cole Palmer's free kick hits the wall.
Cole Palmer’s free kick hits the wall. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
“I’m numb. I’m flabbergasted,” said Merson. “I can’t believe what I just watched.
I honestly can’t believe what I just watched. This is Chelsea Football Club. They’ve got international football players. They’ve got a World Cup winner [Enzo Fernandez]. They’ve got players all over.
“This is not a bottom four, bottom five team. He [Wesley Fofana] is crying. He should be crying because they never had a go.
“I’m lost for words. I cannot believe what happened. They’ve just gone out with an absolute whimper, in the semi-final of a big competition. If it worked it was great, but it hasn’t worked and you can’t gamble like that.
“Have a go and go out in a blaze of glory. Don’t go out like that. I’m lost for words. Honestly, I’m lost for words.”
Redknapp agreed
Merson’s fellow Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp said: “In semi-finals, it’s just a completely different thing altogether. You’ve got to throw caution to the wind.
“You’ve got to get the ball into the box. You’ve got to be thinking, no regrets after this game. There will be a lot of regrets in that dressing room, thinking we didn’t do enough.”
Quotes via The Evening Standard.
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Paul Merson speaking on Sky Sports news.
Paul Merson speaking on Sky Sports news.
Paul Merson speaking on Sky Sports news.