Chelsea - pre-match thread

[LeTallecWiz]

I don't know if it now becomes a 'must win' but after yesterday, if we can match that performance, we should be able to cause Chelsea major headaches.

Their backline of Ivanovic-Terry-Cahill-Azicupelta will struggle with the movement of our front 3 (I don't feel they'll be tired ... yet), and our midfield can hold their own against theirs (Ramires is a big miss for them).

We obviously have to worry about set pieces.

I'd start the same 11 unless Flanno is ready to go ...

 

[Shadey]

We need to get this one right but having said that if we create the chances we did v citeh I'm sure we'll come away with something , only thing I'd change is the defence.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I'd keep the CBs together - Sakho had a terrible 15-20 minutes handling the ball, but defensively he was fine (his passing in the 1st half was bypassing City's pressure easily). If Flanno is healthy, start him at LB ... though I'd tempted to say just put him at RB and fuck GlenJo to the benhc.

 

[Modo]

0-0

 

[Shadey]

Would glen jo up his game against his old club??

 

[Modo]

Usually does.

 

[DHSC]

Will Gerrard and Sturridge be available? Would be great if they can be on the bench if they are not fully fit to start.

 

[Hansern]

I dont think its a must win game but in the battle for 4th I think we need a draw to stay up there.
Ramires will be a big miss for them. The player I fear the most is Hazard and Terry from set pieces.

Start the same side as yesterday and let them have a go. We've got a good chance but it will obviously be a tough game. We've got a better record at the Bridge and after meeting City away we dont have to fear any team for the rest of the season.

 

[Shadey]

Will Gerrard and Sturridge be available? Would be great if they can be on the bench if they are not fully fit to start.

Fooking love it they are but doubt sturridge is available

 

[SummerOnions]

Coutinho got a rest yesterday he'll be fine.

They'll play long balls much more than City so Sakho is a must

 

[Glen C]

Will Gerrard and Sturridge be available? Would be great if they can be on the bench if they are not fully fit to start.

Gerrard won't be available until the hull or oldham game. Studge i reckon won't be until near the end of jan.

I think this will be a lot harder game. Firstly because they'll have fresher legs than us and secondly because chelsea won't be anywhere near as open as city were going forward.

 

[Spionkop69]

I dont want Cissokho anywhere near the first XI. I'd rather play LB myself.

 

[Modo]

I dont want Cissokho anywhere near the first XI. I'd rather play LB myself.

I thought he was OK yesterday.

 

[OLD_Lewy]

ye he was much better than he has been, had some great balls in to the box aswell, saying that id put flanno ahead of him every day

 

[hmmmmm1]

Sakho looked a liability every time he touched the ball in the second half.

Hope it's just a blip, though doesn't look comfortable om the ball at all.

 

[FoxForceFive]

I thought he was OK yesterday.

My mate said that too, but you're missing something.

Watch the extended highlights again & see how many times his shockingly bad positioning & decisions made the CB's move & put themselves at risk.

He destabilised the entire back four & reduced Mignolet's confidence in doing so.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Sakho looked a liability every time he touched the ball in the second half.

Hope it's just a blip, though doesn't look comfortable om the ball at all.

It was more like a 20 minute blip - stop overreacting. His passing in the 1st half was one of the reasons we dissected them with such ease.

 

[FoxForceFive]

It was more like a 20 minute blip - stop overreacting. His passing in the 1st half was one of the reasons we dissected them with such ease.

Agree, his passing at times in the first half was incredible coming from a cb. He had brilliant positioning too, then for some reason he went off on one. I'd be interested to see if it coincided with something Cissokho did or something they changed.

 

[hmmmmm1]

It was more like a 20 minute blip - stop overreacting. His passing in the 1st half was one of the reasons we dissected them with such ease.

A blip doesn't last 20 minutes, every time the ball came to him in second half it looked like he was trying to control a grenade.

Edit: rock solid defender though.

 

[reuque]

Gerrard won't be available until the hull or oldham game. Studge i reckon won't be until near the end of jan.

I think this will be a lot harder game. Firstly because they'll have fresher legs than us and secondly because chelsea won't be anywhere near as open as city were going forward.

How exactly do Chelsea have fresher legs than us? They only played an hour or so earlier than us yesterday.

 

[keniget]

A blip doesn't last 20 minutes, every time the ball came to him in second half it looked like he was trying to control a grenade.

Edit: rock solid defender though.

He's generally been pretty good with the ball at his feet though and I've been particularly impressed with his ability to pick a pass.

I don't know what happened to him yesterday. He lost his cool completely.

 

[Modo]

My mate said that too, but you're missing something.

Watch the extended highlights again & see how many times his shockingly bad positioning & decisions made the CB's move & put themselves at risk.

He destabilised the entire back four & reduced Mignolet's confidence in doing so.

Agree, his passing at times in the first half was incredible coming from a cb. He had brilliant positioning too, then for some reason he went off on one. I'd be interested to see if it coincided with something Cissokho did or something they changed.

Next on FFF's "blame Cissokho" series, "how Cissokho was the catalyst behind the economic decline of the Roman empire".

 

[LeTallecWiz]

A blip doesn't last 20 minutes, every time the ball came to him in second half it looked like he was trying to control a grenade.

Edit: rock solid defender though.

Sure it does - he screwed up once, felt nervous and they kept on passing to him and didn't let him just get over it ... You've played footy before I'm sure - when you fuck up when playing at the back, the last thing you want ist he ball back to you non-stop! He'll be fine. He was always doing better from mintue 75-90.

 

[Mystic]

How exactly do Chelsea have fresher legs than us? They only played an hour or so earlier than us yesterday.

They rotated a lot. However they also played Arsenal on Monday evening, whilst we played Cardiff on Saturday morning, so I'd ague there won't be too much in it.

 

[Mystic]

He's generally been pretty good with the ball at his feet though and I've been particularly impressed with his ability to pick a pass.

I don't know what happened to him yesterday. He lost his cool completely.

I think Pellegrini spotted that he was our main man for bringing the ball out of defence, and so got his players to press him harder, hence forcing some mistakes.

 

[Modo]

Sure it does - he screwed up once, felt nervous and they kept on passing to him and didn't let him just get over it ... You've played footy before I'm sure - when you fuck up when playing at the back, the last thing you want ist he ball back to you non-stop! He'll be fine. He was always doing better from mintue 75-90.

Nope. He's Djimi Traoré to from now on.

 

[6TimesaRed]

I thought Cissokho was decent in the first half..

2nd half he had a mare..

 

[Modo]

I thought Cissokho was decent in the first half..

2nd half he had a mare..

I'm not trying to come off as Cissokho's biggest fan or anything but, how many goals did we concede in the 2nd half?

Our problem in the 2nd half wasn't our back line it, was our midfield, they didn't get anywhere.

Did Suarez get a chance in the 2nd half? Did he get a chance at all? They weren't creating anything for him.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I'm not trying to come off as Cissokho's biggest fan or anything but, how many goals did we concede in the 2nd half?

Our problem in the 2nd half wasn't our back line it, was our midfield, they didn't get anywhere.

Did Suarez get a chance in the 2nd half? Did he get a chance at all? They weren't creating anything for him.

A few times in the second half instead of passing the ball quickly to Coutinho or Suaerz, he took the ball forward and lost the ball alla Baros.

Defensively speaking, he was better than Johnson.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Next on FFF's "blame Cissokho" series, "how Cissokho was the catalyst behind the economic decline of the Roman empire".

Nah. The global banking crisis was all down to him though.