Sigh.
This is ultimately the story of three things - a gamble that backfired horribly, an attempt to fix it that went even worse, and, ultimately, a lack of quality compared to our rivals.
Son at LWB was a gamble that failed. Miserably. No two ways about it, it was a tactical failure.
@BrainOfLevy, your assertion is that it helped 'pin' Moses back in some nebulous way. Funny, considering Moses got forward and won a penalty with contemptuous ease against the backpedalling Son, but whatever. However, given how many times Son straight up lost the ball, was stranded high in midfield as Moses went past him with ease to offer support down the left and looked lost in general, I don't see how you can make that assertion even ignoring the penalty.
The attempt to fix it was worse. Walker came on, and Trippier went to LB. A right-footed RB who hasn't played there once this season. All while Davies was watching from the bench, while Verts could have shuffled over if Davies wasn't preferred for whatever reason...that was an even more baffling decision. Credit to Poch for trying to fix the tactical gamble, but he went about it in an even more inexplicable way. And it showed - both second-half Chelsea goals came from that side, with the corner conceded down that end and then the ball pinging around on the left as our defenders bounced off helplessly, before being rolled to Matic by an effervescent Hazard.
But, ultimately, we were facing the barrel when we went in at half-time 2-1 down, because Chelsea could bring on Hazard, Costa and Fabregas after we leveled it, while we could only call on Georges-Kevin N'Koudou, a cheap punt from Marseille, to try and change things up when we were struggling. They simply had more quality on the field and off it than we did - understandable given the difference in transfer spending and wages, but that made it all the more key that we didn't give silly goals away or get caught out horrendously with tactical gambles that ended up not working out. We didn't, the extra quality told, we lost.
The players fought today. Heads went down after the 4th, but they really gave it everything - If I were being harsh I'd say that Hugo was awful in general, failing to command his box or get to any of the goals (being caught out with a free-kick, a penalty and two other shots from outside the box - even if they were all brilliantly hit, the distance to target meant that he could have at least gotten a glove on one of them, but he missed them all completely). But they tried their hardest, even Hugo. They deserve credit for that. However, ultimately, we left ourselves with too much of a mountain to climb and it showed when Hazard, Costa and Fabregas came on and overpowered us - we should have been preparing for that with the lead, but it was too much to manage after the tactical gamble backfired.
Sigh. Another trophyless season. The last at the Lane, and we couldn't manage it. Two League Cups in 25 years - she deserved better than that.
The Lane deserved better.
