The Prophet

Too many fans like James inside the ground, constant negativity since kick off.

Come on you spineless pricks have a go.

Surely Harper has to take a bit of the blame for the sending off?

Got the lot with 12 seconds remaining.

Got 42, was stuck on Southampton for about two minutes.

Everyone has their key players. Man United struggled when their defence was plagued with injuey ans suspension not too long ago.

It's a difficult question. For me a salary cap should be imposed on the game anyway, the amount footballers get paid to in comparison to other more significant professions is ridiculous. However it's difficult to gauge if this would have any effect on players decision to join the bigger more powerful clubs. Not only will the big clubs already have a base of quality players but they will still have the attraction, they are still the richest and they will still be more likely than not competing in the European competitions on a regular basis. If you were a player looking to make a name for yourself would you join Manchester United or Arsenal or would you look twice at a club like Stoke City? It's difficult because of course a salary cap puts everyone on a level playing field in terms of wages which for me would help the cause of the chasing pack even if only marginally. Overall though I do think there would be more benefit than harm, although it would be daft to think the limitation would be the absolute solution. Again imposing a minimum amount of English players has similar pitfalls. The better teams generally have the better academies and attract the better young prospects. In this area what really needs to be improved is the protection of smaller clubs from having their youngsters poached. This became evident in the whole John Bostock row. U-18 contracts need to have better enforceability for protection purposes. What I do like the idea of is the system in place in the Dutch league. The top two qualify for Europe while third, forth, fifth and sixth enter a play off. The winner qualifies for the Champions League while the rest settle for UEFA cup spots. Something like that over here maybe involving forth, fifth, sixth and seventh would be excellent. Not only would it give those mid-table teams some extra incentive but any qualification could lead to the riches of the Champions League. A gap has opened up between the wealthy and the poor and no matter what controlling system is imposed it is still going to take time for any potential chasers to catch up. The big teams will still have the money, the quality and the European football. The so called big four have got two far away while the FA have done nothing but back them due to the income they receive from around the globe. This has let them get so much of a head start that anything they attempt to do now to bridge the gap may not take effect for many, many years.

Move out teh zone if we win, come on.

You've put it much better than I've tried to for the past hour. Thanks I appreciate that football should be played to be won, as opposed to not being beaten. However, Football is a sport, not an entertainment business - fans want to win, not to be entertained. Your spot on it goes back to that ridiculous quote we got tagged with: "we'd rather lose 4-3 than win 1-0" of course we'd rather win, but Chelseas weren't even playing to win they were playing not to get beat, particulalrly in the first leg. Chelsea are good enought to play a bit of football and still win, if I was a season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge I'd be completely underwhelmed by what I saw tonight. They literally had two banks of five in front of the keeper for large parts of the game, is that really playing to win? Spot on tactics in the first game, gave them a great chance to win it today. Early goal scored, they're winning at this point. They reckoned the best chance of them to get the win was by parking the bus, and they really couldn't have been closer to being successful, against the team that is arguably the best on the planet. But that's the point I'm trying to make. Did the fans, who are supposed to support one of the best teams in the world, travel all the way to the Nou Camp to watch the football they got? There's a difference between shiteing and riving your arse. Teams worse than Chelsea have nicked results from Barca by effectively combining defensive football with an effective counter attacking game, Chelsea didn't even show that, they rarely bothered to cross the half way line. I rarely agree with the Sky Commentary team but they were spot on when they said realistically Chelsea needed two goals tonight to secure a safe passage through to the final. They turned up to sit back and continued to sit back when they scored the first. Does an ambitious team trying to reach the Champions League final really try to hold on a one goal lead against a side capable of scoring at any given moment? It was dull and it was dull because the football they tried to play was too negative. Thankfully it back fired on them

You've put it much better than I've tried to for the past hour. Thanks I appreciate that football should be played to be won, as opposed to not being beaten. However, Football is a sport, not an entertainment business - fans want to win, not to be entertained. Your spot on it goes back to that ridiculous quote we got tagged with: "we'd rather lose 4-3 than win 1-0" of course we'd rather win, but Chelsea weren't even playing to win they were playing not to get beat, particulalrly in the first leg. Chelsea are good enough to play a bit of football and still win, if I was a season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge I'd be completely underwhelmed by what I saw tonight. They literally had two banks of five in front of the keeper for large parts of the game, is that really playing to win?

This wasn't justice for football it was justice for the paying fan. Did those thousands of Chelsea fans want to be bored silly by their own team? Do millions of homes across the country pay sky subscriptions to watch ten men line up behind the ball? No because the paying fan is the most neglected person in football. I agree Hiddink had every right to set up the way he did. Going toe to toe with Barca would of been footballing suicide but you've got to have a balance. Chelsea are supposed to be one of the best teams in Europe, they are capable of playing some good stuff but instead they hid because getting the final was more important to them than providing a bit of entertainment to their fans. No they weren't being asked to go and take Barca apart but they could of at least tried to play a bit of football. Yes I know they created the odd chance but each and every one of those chances came from a long ball pumped out from the back four. This was a justice for the fan because at the end of the day its the fans game. I'd weep the day I see two teams playing such negative, defensive football week in-week out. I understand why Chelsea did it, the need for a result, the pressure to get the final and the riches that go along with it but at the end of the day football is still a fans game. It may be an ever expanding business but I along with supporters all over the country do not put money into these greedy wankers pockets to see that kind of football. That is why, for me, justice was done.

It was brought about to stop the kind of football Chelsea played at the Nou Camp, it's as dull as dish water for the neutral spectators.

I only saw one clear penalty tonight and that was Pique's handball, not sure why the others have been classed as clear cut penalties. If we're talking injustice, why wasn't Henry given a penalty at the Nou Camp? Why was Abidal sent off? Why was Alves booked and as a consequence will miss the final? Why did the ref not react to Iniesta being constantly hacked? Chelsea were exposed for what they were tonight. Dirty, undignified wankers who played to nullify a football match rather than take part in it, they got everything they deserved. Can't wait until UEFA throw the book at them.

Carbon copy of Beye on Robinho that. What a penalty though.

As bad as Arsenal have been to quote my Manc mate: "Does the ref have a bet on? He blows every time a United player goes down."

Just seen the highlights again. If I was in Shearer's boots I'd have the lot of them practicing basic defensive skills particularly from set pieces. If you watch how we line up for the third again you'd think it was Liverpool defending the set piece. How so many defenders can be so inept as not to be able to get goal side of the man is a complete joke, there were three players there waiting to tap it in. Is it something on the training ground or had they just given up? Who knows but it needs sorting. As for Barton, personally I think it was a yellow but at the end of the day it was just sheer stupidity on his part. Alonso was going no where and he just lunged in. Given the players and crowd reaction and the name on the back of his shirt and he was always going to go.

Won't make it. Have a good one though.

I'm fairly confident a Championship side would of tucked away the three goals we gifted Liverpool today.

Have any of the Liverpool players even had to break into a run yet?

Surely Jonas has to come on for Lovenkrands.

So fucking annoying how Liverpool haven't even broke sweat and they're two up. At least make them work for it, instead we just bend over and take it.

Strongly (and respectfully) disagree. If Chelsea beat Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, they will have deserved to be in the final. It takes more than just "negative football" to keep a clean sheet at Camp Nou, the Chelsea players showed some fantastic discipline, spirit and tactical awareness (as did Hiddink, tbf to him). I really don't agree with the attitude that defensive football equals negative football, and from my point of view, Chelsea played some fantastic defensive football. I know what you mean but I disagree. Yes credit to Chelsea for the way they held out but they didn't defend as well as people made out. Barcelona still carved out some excellent chances which you'd expect the likes of Eto'o, Bojan and Hleb to stick in the back of the net. The problem for Chelsea is if they go into Wednesday’s game trying to play as Barca's equals they'll get taken apart so I can see why they won't. But I'd be annoyed as a Chelsea fan to pay £40 for a ticket to see my multi-million pound team play negative football because they're scared of the opposition. I'd fully understand why they'd do it, I just wouldn't like it. We'll agree to disagree.

It would be a footballing tragedy if Barcelona were to be dumped out of the competition by such a negative Chelsea side. At the end of the day it’s a fans game and the fans don't pay to see two banks of five in front of the opposing team playing for the draw. Barcelona have been amazing this season they've played some of the best football this planet has seen for years. You can blame the La Liga defences but you could put Man United or Liverpool in that league and I don't think they'd come close in terms of goal scoring. Also Guarliola has installed a new work ethic in the team this year rarely seen by continental times. Notice hard they work to get the ball back? Obviously they're not unstoppable, Valdes is capable of dropping a clanger and the defence has injuries and suspension but if there's any justice in football Barcelona will take Chelsea apart on Wednesday night.