TrueBlueSeaFC87

Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpi, Luiz, Ramires, Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard, Eto'o Subs: Cole, Kalas, Willian, Torres, Ba IF we make it to the final, we need Willian to have a shot. We shouldn't risk him getting another Yellow and being out of the final...especially with our limited attacking midfielder options.

So Terry is fit to play tomorrow? Fine with me, start the captain. HOWEVER, I say only use him for about 60 minutes (or even less). Cole played very well at LB with Ivanovic in CB. Also Kalas looked marvelous on Sunday so we do have some insurance policies. Now the key is at DM, do you play Ramires with Luiz or do you put Oscar with Luiz? Tough decision for JM.

Yep. Game, Set and Match. Bayern looks like something is missing for them today. That or the injection of CR7 is just that huge for RM. I'd prefer Madrid in the final anyways. I think that our style matches up better with theirs. Plus I don't want to see Bayern in another European title match again. I'm sick of them.

That was a great goal also.

I loved Mata's goal versus Arsenal in the Capital One Cup, it was so well placed. However, I think that the Ba goal against PSG is right now the biggest goal of the season for us.

I personally think Costa is exactly what this club needs right now. A striker who not only can outpace the defense and score that way, but who also is able to get into good positions to score off of feeds from the midfield. Lukaku is also exactly what this club needs in a #2. He can't be the Drogba we hope he is (right now anyway), he NEEDS the set-up pass from the midfield to score, but he does more work to get into prime scoring position than anybody else I've seen play in the EPL this season (outside of maybe Bony). Costa and Lukaku bring us two different types of striking options, and while Lukaku might never be the #1 option at this club, I think he could mirror what Sturridge or Rooney do with Liverpool and Manure respecfully (which is be the second option when the first choice is double marked)

I know this topic is pretty much redundant and there is nothing any of us can do about it now. But do you think that if Jose gave Juan a legit shot at proving himself (week in and week out), that he would still be at this club and we would be in a different situation in the EPL? Hindsight is always 20/20, but with the way Mata has played since going to Manure (2 great goals today), I feel like we've been missing the way he controlled the flow of the game. He was always a pass first, shoot second type of midfielder, and all of our AMs now are the exact opposite. Let me know what you think (in a non-biased Mata loving way).

The sound that the announcer (his name is eluding me right now) makes when Torres gets around Valdes is just priceless!

Losing Cech and Terry are very unfortunate, but if we get Hazard and Eto'o back I think it'll balance everything out. GK: Schwarzer LB: Cole © CB: Ivanovic CB: Cahill RB: Azpi DM: Luiz DM: Ramires LAM: Schurrle CAM: Willian / Hazard RAM: Hazard / Willian ST: Eto'o Bench: Hilario / Blackman (pick your poison), Kalas, Van Ginkle, Oscar, Ba, Torres

That is a bigger pipe dream than bringing in Kroos, but I would definitely do a happy dance if we manged to pull that off. That is a beautiful line-up

You don't want Adam Lallana or Jay Rodriguez? Why is it because they are over the age of 23?

GK: Courtois LB: Shaw CB: Terry CB: Cahill RB: Azpilicueta DM: Matic DM: Anybody But Ramires (Would like Kroos or Pogba but I'm realistic, I'll take Koke or even Oscar at this spot) LM: Salah CAM: Hazard RM: Willian ST: Costa Bench: Cech, Ivanovic, Lukaku, Van Ginkle, Oscar, Schurrle, Zouma

I'd do that swap in a heartbeat. Oscar has been very poor this season and Modric is a class DM.

Out of the 3 teams we could have drawn, Athletico scares me the most. They've been incredibly strong in La Liga this season and they withstood a whole bunch of attacking onslaughts by Barca in that second leg and still came out on top (even without two of their best players). With that being said I think that this round is going to be more of a defensive standoff rather than offensive. This is how we should start the first leg: GK: Cech LB: Cole CB: Terry CB: Cahill RB: "Dave" DM: Ramires DM: Luiz DM: Obi Mikel AM: Willian AM: Oscar ST: Eto'o (Ba if Eto'o can't go) Bench: Schwarzer Lampard Schurrle Ba / Eto'o Kalas

Long time lurker, first time poster. I think that these next few PL matches will be very important for our semi-final match in the CL. With that being said this is what I'd have my Starting XI be: GK: Cech RB: Dave CB: Cahill CB: Terry LB: Cole *With Ivanovic being out for the first leg, this is probably gonna be the starting defense for it. Cole hasn't seen much action this year so he needs to play to get match fit* DM: Matic DM: Van Ginkle (if fit, Ramires if not) *I think Van Ginkle, if fit, could be key to us in the CL. Lampard and Luiz haven't been solid at DM and with Ramires available for the semi's, it'd be nice to pair him with a legit DM* AM: Salah AM: Willian AM: Oscar ST: Eto'o (Ba if Eto'o can't go)