Posted January 29, 200916 yr Lofty the sedatives are in the post! Both teams are playing pretty poorly at the moment and we shouldn't be fooled by the fact we have put together a few wins on the trot. We have been fortunate to have a run of relatively easy games. Drogba has to start against Liverpool - Anelka on his own up front will be swallowed up.
January 29, 200916 yr We all said Drogba had to start against Manure, what happened then? Cech Bosingwa, Alex, JT, A.Cole Ballack, Mikel, Lampard Kalou, Anelka, Malouda Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Belletti, Deco, Stoch, Di Santo, Drogba. Basically, as you were for Middlesbrough. Edited January 29, 200916 yr by Ruh Buh Juh
January 29, 200916 yr I think people are reading too much into ours and Pools poor form and UTDs good form, we have done just as well as UTD against the rest and that without the help of players getting sent off to help them open up defences we have to break down, we are creating chances against packed defences as are Pool, teams are playing defensively against the top teams and all are having trouble breaking down teams unless they score early. the only time UTD have looked much better than us is in the game at there place and I put that down to a mixture of Drogba's mentality on the Day rubbing off on the rest of the team and our heads dropping once they scored as we had been pegged back a few times and the nerves had really set in. If Drogba carries on looking interested as he has in his two games since being dropped I think we will be a bigger force second half of the season to the first, all we need is him to hit some form and us to get a settled defensive partnership and even if we dont bring in a winger, I think we will improve. Sometime Drogba and Anelka are going to get a partnership going and when they do it could be impressive, surely Scolari is working on ways to include the two although so far it always seems to mean Anelka playing wide, if thats the way it works best so far OK but I think it will get tweaked around a bit sometime soon. If you take UTDs win against Brom as something of a pointer to there form you are looking at them with Rednosed specs on, they only beat Boro 1-0 under the circumstances we played them but none of their fans worried about that.
January 29, 200916 yr This is our most important match of the season so far. We're playing Liverpool at maybe the best possible time, but we absolutely must raise our game, there can be no excuses, no lacklustre performances and most importantly; no switching off in defence. Winning this game will be a massive boost in so many ways, and would also go a long way to helping secure that second spot, as well as keeping us within touching distance of United.
January 29, 200916 yr I have a bad feeling about this game. Nothing has changed, we're still slow and lack cutting edge upfront and have no speed or creativity in the middle and wings. Benitez knows us very well and it'll be a mighty struggle to get anything going against this lot. Would be happy with a win but I'm afraid a point is the best we can hope for at the moment. Edited January 29, 200916 yr by abramovich
January 29, 200916 yr I agree with BlazeH and Abramobitch this game is important, and I have a bad feeling because what has changed? Puddle are doing no better than us at home but will surely lift for this one. Unlike most other teams we won't park the bus at Anfield and that will give them opportunities. We still have a great team and with Deco not playing maybe stronger than last time we played them. When will Essien be back? I thought it was around now, must have had a set back. Usual back five with Mikel holding, Lamps and Frankie, then its Kalou, Anelka and either Drogba or Malouda. The safe choice is Malouda, but the heart says Drogs. His finest moment was against puddle.
January 30, 200916 yr Id prefer to see Drogs atart , he's a harder working player than Anelka and will cause more problems too. Theres no doubt they will be totally fired up for this , which worries me as i have yet to see us fired up against any of our nearest rivals. Scolari needs a result and HAS to be responsible for the reaction of the players after the loss at the Bridge.
January 30, 200916 yr I agree with BlazeH and Abramobitch this game is important, and I have a bad feeling because what has changed? Puddle are doing no better than us at home but will surely lift for this one. Unlike most other teams we won't park the bus at Anfield and that will give them opportunities.We still have a great team and with Deco not playing maybe stronger than last time we played them. When will Essien be back? I thought it was around now, must have had a set back. Usual back five with Mikel holding, Lamps and Frankie, then its Kalou, Anelka and either Drogba or Malouda. The safe choice is Malouda, but the heart says Drogs. His finest moment was against puddle. My plea for this game: please drop Ballack. I don't care if he somehow scored two against Ipswich. He look so slow, so lost, so bored out there. He is the very embodiment of what is wrong with the team right now. Put in Deco. Put in Drogba. Put in Belletti for all I care. Just drop Ballack. As for Essien, I think he was always rumored to be due back sometime in late Feb/early March. This article points to March 10 in the second leg against Juventus as a possibility . Essien hoping to make Chelsea return at Juventus
January 30, 200916 yr We all said Drogba had to start against Manure, what happened then?Cech Bosingwa, Alex, JT, A.Cole Ballack, Mikel, Lampard Kalou, Anelka, Malouda Subs: Hilario, Ivanovic, Belletti, Deco, Stoch, Di Santo, Drogba. Basically, as you were for Middlesbrough. If we play like we did for large parts against Borough we've got no chance. Malouda CANNOT play. We need 11 committed and up for it players, who are prepared to roll up their sleeves and work their bollocks off. I too have my worries over Ballack. This is not a game to keep giving away cheap possession. Trouble is, we have few alternatives, so we must hope he plays like he does for Germany. So I would go 4-4-2 (but with Mikel sitting deeper) with Drogba (let''s hope he's 100%) instead of Malouda in the side above. Also don't like the idea of Alex & JT up against the pace of Torres so I would rather see Ivanovich instead of Alex. Youngsters & Belletti on the bench.
January 30, 200916 yr A couple of weeks ago I'd have had this down as a must win match for us. If we still have any ambition of winning the PL then that is still true, but more realistically we need to focus on staying in the top 2 or 3. So I think a draw would not be the worst result in the world. I think we will go with much the same team that has started the last match. The key is not to concede the first goal. I can't say I'm exactly looking forward to this match. I expect it to be torture. I just hope we can surprise ourselves and put on a classy show and stuff those scousers.
January 30, 200916 yr Who ever starts we have to win I think the this is the game the team have to step up whatever is going on behind the scene should be left there. The same could be said about bin dippers but revange will be sweet? ;)
January 30, 200916 yr can't see deco starting given his brief appearances since old trafford. personally I think it's a shame- with no joe cole and bosingwa's attacking off the boil I cannot see a player we have you can dribble at them, so we'd probably need something else- personally I think that means the long ball option of drogba AND deco's passing in the final third. I thought deco was decent at old trafford (I know, I'm alone on that), and we had a decent grip of the game and possesion of the ball while he was on the pitch, and the one goal we conceded had nothing to do with him. but I don't see him starting. and I think scolari is a pragmatist, so I don't think he will "risk" playing drogba, but I feel the bigger risk is not playing him... I think the only chance he has is if anelka plays wide instead of malouda. I'd go with ..................................cech bosingwa.........ivanovic.........terry..........a.cole ..................................mikel .................ballack..................lampard ..................................deco ......................drogba.........anelka no doubtg benitez will look to shut us off on the flanks, as he gleefully told the press he did at the bridge, so I pick this side knowing it would lead to an attritional, boring game. but I think deco is a the one player in both sides that can open up a side with a pass even if the tempo is slow (alonso could, but he's usually too deep to make the final pass), and in drogba we have a player who at his best can take the ball out of the air and hurt them. we should look for early balls to him as much as we should look to find deco on the edge of the final third. given our form, and liverpool's, I think reducing the game to a crawl and trying to let drogba's ability to find a goal from nothing represents a decent plan.
January 30, 200916 yr Like your plan G4, and agree with ethical that the first goal is absolutely key. We had enough trouble breaking down Boro and Stoke when they put 11 men behind the ball, so if Pool score first and do their usual 'shut up shop' routine, at which they are a damn set better than either of those two, I just don't see us getting an equaliser. I also agree that a draw isn't the worst result, as realistically the title is beyond us, but Scolari really does have to mastermind one good win against our main rivals to give us confidence that he is the man to lead this team.
January 30, 200916 yr I'd go with..................................cech bosingwa.........ivanovic.........terry..........a.cole ..................................mikel .................ballack..................lampard ..................................deco ......................drogba.........anelka Would like to see this lineup too. Our success depends on which Drogba turns up
January 30, 200916 yr I find myself sadly agreeing with you, G4, Tim and charierre. And its very, very depressing. When did we come to this ? Our only hope for a win is a despondent, sulky striker and our best tactic for the game is to hope for a miracle ? I think I have just blinked and now the Chelsea I see is not the Chelsea I want us to be. Come on boys, give us a good win on Sunday. I need to believe.
January 30, 200916 yr Drogba has a good record against Liverpool and should start I think. If he shows up with the wrong attitude then we should sub him but since the United farce he has shown signs that he is prepared to buckle down a bit more. Anelka on the other hand has not had much impact in previous games against them. I would bring him on and go 4-4-2 if we are chasing the game. I'd go with: Cech Bosingwa Ivanovic JT Ash Mikel Ballack Lamps Deco Drogba Kalou subs: Hilario, Mancienne, Alex, Belletti, Stoch, Anelka, Di Santo This of course assumes Ivanovic hasn't been offloaded before Sunday. If that is the case then I suppose we will start with Alex as I don't see us throwing Mancienne into this game barring injuries.
January 30, 200916 yr Id prefer to see Drogs atart , he's a harder working player than Anelka and will cause more problems too. Theres no doubt they will be totally fired up for this , which worries me as i have yet to see us fired up against any of our nearest rivals. Scolari needs a result and HAS to be responsible for the reaction of the players after the loss at the Bridge. Yes he was great v the mancs, he is the problem at this club, He plays when he wants to play, and thats not good enough.
January 30, 200916 yr robben, duff, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh crespo ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh even swp....... i can dream........ GUDDY Edited January 30, 200916 yr by blue monty
January 30, 200916 yr Like your plan G4, and agree with ethical that the first goal is absolutely key. We had enough trouble breaking down Boro and Stoke when they put 11 men behind the ball, so if Pool score first and do their usual 'shut up shop' routine, at which they are a damn set better than either of those two, I just don't see us getting an equaliser.I also agree that a draw isn't the worst result, as realistically the title is beyond us, but Scolari really does have to mastermind one good win against our main rivals to give us confidence that he is the man to lead this team. I can't believe anybody can be writing off our chances because we are at worst a possible 5 points behind UTD...I know gooners that think they are still in with a shout. I wont give up on it if we are 8 points behind after the weekend the same as I dont give up when the team is behind, how good do you really think UTD are? I'm not for a minute saying they haven't got the best squad, they have had that for the last three seasons but with our best players fit and in the mood we are still well good enough for a realistic challenge.
January 31, 200916 yr robben, duff, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh crespo ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh even swp....... i can dream........ GUDDY Agreed, other than SWP. If we still had Robben and Duff, we'd have a greatest frontline ever. Crespo was awesome for us na dEidur is a Chelsea Legend in my book.
January 31, 200916 yr With the return of Skrtel and Torres Liverpool are a considerably stronger team than the one which beat us at home. Liverpool are tight and organised at the back. The centre-half pairing of Carragher and Skrtel is one of the best. The way to unlock them is real pace out wide, trying to get in behind the full-backs, and good delivery from there. Unfortunately, we don't have any natural wingers with pace who can do that. So, G4's tactics are essentially correct. The change I would make in his line-up is Kalou for Deco. Drogba simply has to play and, if we are to make the most of his strengths, players have to get close to him quickly to play off him. Not leave him isolated with Anelka stuck out on one wing and Kalou on the other.
January 31, 200916 yr So its Liverpool Chelsea time again. Anyone else dreading this ? Not because it could well be another example of our current management and team setup being woefully exposed against a good team , but because of the quite obviously dull 90 minutes of football in front of us? Andy Gray too, the Gerrard sycophant he is as well. I may have to start drinking at around 1pm. Hope im wrong but cant seeing anything else than it being one nil defeat or a goaless draw. I know that sounds defeatist (im hungover) but what evidence is there to suggest otherwise ? Id take your hand off for a draw now and will be surprised if our goals for column doesnt read nil. A few shots on target would be a forward step. But already i can sense the Malouda frustation, the Ballack hands on hips, the Boswinga crossing from the half way line, the Mikel row X effort, the Belletti substitution etc etc Surprise me Chelsea please. Yes im in a bad mood Edited January 31, 200916 yr by bjd
January 31, 200916 yr I don't have a good feeling about this one, simply because we are not in good form, and Scolari will pick the wrong players as usual. We have to play Drogba and Anelka together, just to put some fear in their defence. Drogba is still not in great shape, but I believe his presence will make Carjacker and the other defender marking him all game, and create space for Anelka. We can't play Terry and Alex together against Torres, we need the speed of Invanoic. Out of the two devils - Deco and Ballack, I think Ballack will get the nod, just for his physical presence. This is a must win for us if we are going to have any chance to challenge the title. We can't play the same 11 against Boro last week, the battle will be lost before kickoff.
January 31, 200916 yr I don't why, but I am very positive about this one. Unlike prior to the Man Utd game. I am very confident that Drogba will be picked for this one with Anelka isolated out wide. However, one guy will be missed - John Arne Risse.
January 31, 200916 yr got a feeling this one has a bore draw written all over it but i'll take a point at this moment, although i prefer the win and 3 points regardless of how we play i just cant see beyond the draw
