Chippy

Strange how luck seems to go with you at the top end of the table and against you when you're struggling, big decision in the City game and Swansea should be level.

Say what you like about Cescs form this season but he deserves this just in case any one anywhere still puts any stock on the rubbish that gets written. The Secret Footballer has published a written apology to Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas for accusing him of leading a dressing room revolt at Stamford Bridge. The apology related to a story written in November claiming the Spain international, aged 28, was organising a “mini-revolt” against Blues boss Mourinho. In an official statement that was presumably demanded by Fabregas’ legal team, The Secret Footballer acknowledged that Fabregas was not behind the alleged mutiny and claimed that the former Arsenal man in fact has a good relationship with Mourinho and is happy at Chelsea. The Secret Footballer is a professional footballer who wrote anonymous articles for The Guardian newspaper. He has since published numerous books and operates a website through a limited company (The Secret Footballer Ltd.). It was an article on the website that appears to have got him in trouble with Fabregas’ lawyers. The apology, which was published on the website, reads: “In an item published in the Secret Footballer’s Diary on 2 November 2015 it was claimed that Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas was the leader of a mini-revolt against manager Jose Mourinho. “Our information on this was incorrect. Cesc Fabregas was not organising a dressing room revolt and has an excellent relationship with the manager. He is very happy at Chelsea. “We regret our error and have apologised to Cesc Fabregas.”

This should be a good game, we're starting to sort out the problem areas and they are full of confidence, I think if Fabregas comes back for this and we keep a clean sheet here we can feel a lot happier about our defensive frailties, if he doesn't and we keep a clean sheet maybe we can cut Ivan a bit of slack for his early performances as it will highlight the weakness that has made his life difficult. Not giving up on Cesc but he really does either need to sit a few out or come back with a rocket up the opposite end to his magic hat. Whatever the team lets be hoping there are a few surprises over the weekend before we kick off that tighten it all up a bit .

Whatever happened at the end, I think the writers were on something . loved the early ones though. Can't stand Mrs Browns boys...just how long can a man dressed as a women be funny, I'm sure it's been done before.

Splosh, I don't think for a minute you support Chelsea but that isn't why you're probably the poster most have on ignore, you get picked out even when there are other people predicting us to lose because it's so obvious you have an agenda, others predict a loss because they are gutted at our performances and can't see any light at the end of the tunnel where you predict a loss and even when you dish out some feint praise it still looks to me and likely most who haven't got the good sense to skip over your posts as the loss is what you're hoping for. If you are (massive if) a fan of the club then it's obvious you are not a fan of the manager and your agenda is more one against him but either way you come across as a tool. That picture you have of the manager...could you not have found one where he didn't look like he'd just read your drivel? Carry on with the posts and predictions, as said earlier it's comedy gold.

You've been a Chelsea fan for 46 years and it takes a great win in the CL with us playing our best game of the season to get you to sign up and make your first post digging out two players who played well last night. Entirely understandable, you're opinion (to me) is as valid as any poster called splishsplosh.

Oscar for me, his best game of the season close with Matic, Zouma, Azpi, Willian and Hazard. No bad performers and Costas best game of the season, his movement was much better, if he sharpens up a bit and regains his first touch and confidence he'll be noticed for the right reasons again.

Here's to 300 more, well done that man.

People are really on here saying not great but job done...the desire was standout for all to see, Costa made the right runs, massive contribution from him even though he's not in the best of form, Oscar was superb and some of his passing and his instinct to find Hazard was a joy to watch, Matic was Matic...where has he been? Zouma, JT superb, the keeper owning the area, not one bad performance and no signs of lack of desire. Good performance under any circumstances, Great performance in the scheme of things. Add to that a humble and calm interview with Jose after the game and all Chelsea fans should be sleeping better tonight,

Judging by most of the posts lately this is a must whine game I'm hoping the thread dries up quickly after the game...always a great sign.

My reaction was blimey no Fabregas...great move and hopefully a kick up the arse for him, I expected it soon but not tonight, other than that I just thought they must be the best eleven for the job, just hope it's enough. Big game for us tonight and big players need to step up.

I'm more worried about Costa myself...lets back him anyway. 09 Dec 2015 - Chelsea v Porto - Anytime Scorecast Diego Costa / Chelsea 3-1 @ 30/1 Stake : £5.00 Estimated Returns : £155.00 Any returns and half gos to the site as always. Come on boys, listen to that bloke that bored you to the title last season

The thing is if we start quoting things for and against our Manager this thread would be a few thousand pages long by tomorrow night, Mourinho and Chelsea are news and get people clicking on these crap sites. We all have different opinions and discuss them on here among ourselves but things with anonymous from known rubbish type sites isn't going to sway anyones opinion...even facts don't do that.

Goal.com and a player who asked to remain anonymous...good read but the Beano might be more factual.

Tactics totally changed last season, although we have reverted to those tactics this season without such good results because needs must, if you remember the change came when Costa got injured/lost form along with Cesc, we're tryig to play that way this season because they are both still suffering. We've been three at the back, we've played a false nine, we've had Remy and Costa up front together, Cesc in the pivot, Cesc in the hole, attacking fullbacks, defensive fullbacks, obviously there are other formations and tactic we could try but to say Jose only knows one way to play for me is pretty odd.

He totally changed the way we played just over half way through last season, if he hadn't we wouldn't be Champions now.

I can imagine players getting a new manager and listening to him, I can imagine half way through the season if things aren't going well the players not quite listening to the same degree, after a mediocre season they could possibly be forgiven for distrusting his methods and listening even less as the next season got underway, I wouldn't agree with it but maybe I could sort of understand it. When the said players have a manager come in and they listen and go on to win the premier league and a League cup double, when the main player who has supposedly cocked a deafen is then voted rightfully player of the year while playing the best football of his life, is spoken about as a natural successor to the Ronaldo Messi mould then I find it very hard to imagine that he/they wouldn't be there every night with the olive oil and cotton buds making sure they didn't miss a word he said. More so after the poor start we've had.

Ha Ha Mutu...gotta love him, ruined his career, ripped off the club, savaged his septum and after all that, not bitter (much)

Butch is usually a bit busy so I'll explain, just click on the link on the left of this one that says BPL submission, choose your starters, subs scores etc, it's self explanatory but there are instructions in the other thread under Butche's prediction league. There are usually more entrants than this but seems a lot have dropped out, it's been going a long time and is a good thing so I don't know why that is. get your entry in quick as they need to be in before midnight the night before the game, Butch might make allowances if youg et it in quick but I can't guarantee that.

Circles circles...the most conservative and cautious manager will still trust his instincts if what he sees of the alternatives looks like a downgrade on even the out of form usual 14 or so players. Did RLC (again he didn't let us down) look hungry in the chances he's had, he looked a touch lazy in that a player of his age in a team like this where he can see a good performance could earn him starts in front of top internationals would usually be busting a gut, Kenedy tries very hard but looks a bit raw and has huge competition as the attacking mids are all playing reasonably, these are my thoughts but as I say I haven't seen enough to judge, have you? probably not but I know a man that has .

Who's to say Jose would see the fringe players are outshining the usual starters and with his Job but more so his reputation at stake choose to ignore it? not me that's for sure, I'm surprised you even contemplate it. Of course there's a massive difference but a manager can only pick who he feels will do the better Job and I'm sure that's what Jose is doing, the fact that without seeing them youy or anyone else feels the other players will do a better Job to me is plain ridiculous. Form is the problem here and if the form showed in training or even in the short cameos of any other players were better than the ones Jose picks, I'm sure we'd see more of them.

Mastic and Fiberglass...you can't build a boat out of Lampard.

Nibs you know I've given my opinion why in quite a few posts already but in a nutshell... Yes he's had the balls to drop players, yes he's brought them back (as most have cried out for when the improvement didn't come) true RLC, Traore and Kenedy have only had limited game time but limited game time shows them they are in his thoughts and they should be busting a gut to impress, RLC hasn't let us down but did he show the energy I'd have expected from a youngster trying to push his way ino a team ahead of top internationals? Kenedy has looked promising and I'm sure will get more chances, that said he really has some tough opposition to play at anything other than a makeshift LB when we need a goal, Traore I haven't seen enough of to judge but likewise really with Remy not even getting game time, again I would admit to being happy to see Remy ahead of Costa at the moment but he might train like a Donkey. Unless you are standing with Jose at Cobham and see the players in training out shine the usual starters, I'm not sure you can honestly have a better idea than the manager.

I hope you're wrong Barak about tomorrow being Jose's last game in charge but I honestly think if you're right or if Jose gets sacked this season the rest of your post is a prophecy.

I can see where you and a lot of others are coming from but again I'd say it's easy for us as outsiders to say he keeps trying the same things and is getting the same results which I happen to feel isn't exactly the case but we don't see what he does and we don't know if he's tried a lot of different things in training that have left him with little choice other than to keep at what he thinks will be the best option, my guess is he has...why wouldn't he? do you think he feels we're playing well? when you ask if Mourinho can think out of the box it really does surprise me, I'd say he was a master of it. Every time he drops a player or two and we don't win people say they should have played, every time he plays a player in the position people have been calling out for and we see no improvement it's ignored, he's dropped players in most positions and that includes the captain and the volatile striker and people accuse him of not having balls. It's hard for him to win when the players are under performing and calling out for players that we've hardly seen to replace them is a decision better left to someone that's seen a lot of them.