Chelsea - pre match thread

[doctor_mac]

I'm buoyed by the fact that Chelsea need to play for a win. A draw doesn't really help them out a lot and I'm certain that in an ideal situation Maureen would 100% set up for a draw in this game.

I think we could actually see quite a few goals as I think Chelski might go guns blazing early doors to try and score one or two. Their recent strategy of trying to hold a one goal lead has gone awry lately because after they have conceded they can't manage to fight back. Even after throwing 3 strikers on the pitch.

Obviously a more open game plays to our strengths.

Though we're a team that actually suffer under their highly progressive 'stick as many big men up and launch it Howitzer style into the box' technique.

He won't go for it either. Look at when they needed 2 goals to beat PSG. They played no frills, small risk footy.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

How in gods name are we stumbling to the finish line?
11 wins on the spin beating relegation threatened teams who have taken points off our rivals as well beating our rivals?
And how are a team who have lost 3/5 the team to exploit this fictional stumbling?

We are winning, but we've been lucky to do so a number of times. We were playing better earlier in the season and not winning all our games. I do think we'll slip up in one of the games to come, but not sure if it will make a difference.

 

[Dreambeliever]

We are winning, but we've been lucky to do so a number of times. We were playing better earlier in the season and not winning all our games. I do think we'll slip up in one of the games to come, but not sure if it will make a difference.

I don't see it like that at all.

We've done enough to win each game. Anyone thinking we are going to blow everyone away for 14 games is living I fantasy land.
We are still playing superb when it matters.

We'll win our last 3 games

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

I don't see it like that at all.

We've done enough to win each game. Anyone thinking we are going to blow everyone away for 14 games is living I fantasy land.
We are still playing superb when it matters.

We'll win our last 3 games

Evidently we've done enough, but we've had some very close calls, with referee's decisions, and Van Wolfswinkle should probably have done better with his header the other day. We've been lucky enough in this run, and it won't last for ever.

As I said, we played a lot better earlier in the season, and won games a lot more convincingly. We could win the next three, but it kinda looks like we're running out of steam a bit, so I can see us stumbling through the last three games as well.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

We'll beat them on Sunday.

Let's not forget we almost beat them at Stamford Bridge too if not for the dodgy refereeing decisions against us.

 

[Judge Jules]

I don't really see it as us running out of steam or stumbling as such. IMO it's more a matter of other teams picking up steam, which is a bit different. In any case, what marks teams out as champions isn't having an easy time in every game, because that never happens. It's finding a way to win those tighter games as well, and we're doing that to great effect.

 

[mark1975]

In fairness, United won many a league title grinding out wins and securing points with late goals. Half the reason we're here is because we've blew teams away, the rest of the time we've had enough in the tank to go the extra yard when under the cosh or not quite on song. Suarez and Sturridge could do with really giving us one last push though, granted.

 

[FoxForceFive]

We've ridden our luck at times & have quite literally battled through against teams we 'should have beaten', but this at the same time when our rivals have dropped points in games they 'should have beaten', which proves two things, one, you can't take anything for granted, two, we're doing better than they are when it counts in the mental stakes.

The first is reason for caution & why none of us shouldn't be taking anything for granted, the second is reason for optimism for how we'll fare over the next 270 minutes of football.

Cautious optimism. That's what logic tells us we should be experiencing now.

However, I'm fucking shitting myself.

 

[Farkmaster]

However, I'm fucking shitting myself.

Everyone says its like 6, 5, 4, 3 cup finals, and it is. But the effect on the general mental health is the reason why generally cup finals don't come in sets. I'm more nervous watching our rivals play against teams that they have no business losing to, than I have been watching our league games, for most of my life.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Martin Atkinson to referee the match.

 

[Athens]

Martin Atkinson to referee the match.

Is that good or bad news?

 

[Dirkus_Circus]

Evidently we've done enough, but we've had some very close calls, with referee's decisions, and Van Wolfswinkle should probably have done better with his header the other day. We've been lucky enough in this run, and it won't last for ever.

As I said, we played a lot better earlier in the season, and won games a lot more convincingly. We could win the next three, but it kinda looks like we're running out of steam a bit, so I can see us stumbling through the last three games as well.

All true but it takes quite a bit of luck to win a championship in any sport really, just the way it goes. Not to mention a good measure of luck to string together 11 wins on the trot.

 

[FoxForceFive]

I don't know, I have a shite memory for ref's. I'm pretty sure he did the everton match at Anfield though, cos I was there so remember it slightly more clearly.

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

Interesting point except we never lost to any team 3-1 at home in the cl

Am yes we did. Chelsea. 2009.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

All true but it takes quite a bit of luck to win a championship in any sport really, just the way it goes. Not to mention a good measure of luck to string together 11 wins on the trot.

I didn't say that it doesn't. I just have a feeling our luck may come to an end soon enough.

 

[Dirkus_Circus]

Is that good or bad news?

Liverpool games refereed by Martin Atkinson in 2013/2014

EPL: Liverpool 1 - Stoke 0 (2 yellows)
EPL: Arsenal 2 - Liverpool 0 (3 yellows)
EPL: Liverpool 4 - Everton 0 (3 yellows)

 

[Judge Jules]

Is that good or bad news?

Neither really IMO. He's a poor ref, but I don't think he's biased.

 

[Silver Sean]

He's a better bet than some. Just waiting for the dribbling bullshit 'mindgames' to come out of Maureen's mouth once he's back from Spain. He's a laughable cunt.

 

[juniormember]

Am yes we did. Chelsea. 2009.

Wasn't that away to Chelsea?

 

[Hansern]

Atkinson is poor but at least he isnt biased.
He'll give us a pen on sunday.

 

[hamstrung_pigeon]

I think Atkinson is okay. Could've been worse. Sometimes we get decisions for us, sometimes against us.

 

[the count]

Wasn't that away to Chelsea?

I think we drew 4-4 all at Chelsea

 

[Mersey86]

Can we make sure he gets a tape of Mourinho after the Sunderland game?

 

[Rafiagra]

I'm really bricking it about this game. We need Suarez to have a huge one after being off the boil for a bit now.

Chelsea's gameplay will be to keep us from scoring for the first 20 mins. After that they'll look to play themselves into the game.

Mourinho knows we are fast starters and so will primarily seek to negate that.

 

[FoxForceFive]

Can we make sure he gets a tape of Mourinho after the Sunderland game?

The ref's won't need a tape, Mourinho's made his bed there. He'll have to lie in it on Sunday.

You don't get away with not only accusing ref's of being biased. For him to actually do it in such a manner that they can't even refute the allegations means they're gonna fucking hate the cunt even more than if he'd have done it openly.

 

[mark1975]

Chelsea have done everything they can to piss off officials in the past though and it's worked the other way, with refs going all-out to give decisions in their favour. Hopefully with it being at Anfield it will work to our advantage though.

We need to be clever anyway and despite our usual "going for the jugular" start, we also need to show a level patience if it doesn't go our way in the early stages and not lose our heads defensively as a team.

 

[Frogfish]

Interesting point except we never lost to any team 3-1 at home in the cl

Chelsea. Followed by 4-4 at SB.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Any word on retrospective action against Ramires ?

 

[Leo]

Cech looks crocked.

 

[barrymac20]

It's only Tuesday and I feel physically sick thinking about this game....