Expecting Torres to start, Drogba benched.

Carlo's XI:

-------------------------Cech

Ivanovic---------Luiz--------Terry---------Cole

-------------------------Essien

-------------Ramires-------------Lampard

-------Anelka---------------------------Malouda

-------------------------Torres

Coco's XI:

-------------------------Cech

Ivanovic---------Luiz--------Terry---------Cole

--------------------------Mikel

--------------Essien-------------Ramires

-------Yossi------------------------------Kalou

-------------------------Torres

Edited April 18, 201115 yr by coco

Hopefully yossi is fit enough to start to come on at half time. I want torres to play and hopefully score. Its a important game to put pressure on arsenal and mayb united so I expect pretty much the same from carlo no josh just the usual.

I have a feeling well play slowly and just pass the ball around with no cutting edge. Hopefully this isn't the case and win convincingly. I don't think that the whole teams confidence is down to some extent not just torres, so a good win will help on saturday !

One thing we know for sure is Ben Foster will have a blinder as all Birmingham keepers seem to do when they play us

Torres should start against Birmingham,it's important for him & Carlo to trust one another,but he'll have to earn that trust with some bloody hard work.

Give Yossi a start & Malouda too,it would be nice to see Josh, but,i guess he will be playing in the youth cup tie v Man Utd.

Not sure about this one, Drogba is playing well but i really want to get Torres' first goal. So my team would be

---------------------------Cech

Ivan----------Luiz-----------------Terry------------Cole

--------------------------Essien

--------------Ramires------------Benayoun

------Anelka-----------------------------------Kalou

-------------------------Torres

However i think carlo will start with drogba in for torres, Lampard for Benayoun and malouda for kalou

Torres needs to score now that is a certain 3 points is the important part here but i wanna see torres perform as a goal scorer now he's doing well on the field but bad on his finishes

Three points is a 100% must!!

The time has come to try starting without Frank in the middle, this maybe not that game, but it's coming soon, and I'd like us to start giving him more bench time and see how we get on without him.

It'd be nice to inflict a 5-0 drubbing, would be handy for the + goal difference and set us up nicely to cheer on Le Arse against Manure next week knowing our goal difference is better than Le Arse's.

A Torres hat-trick would lossen the noose around his neck.....and Carlo's..

I agree 3 points is a must, Arsenal are faltering and we need to take advantage and grab second.

If he starts Torres I hope he starts Yossi too. His linkup play has provided Torres' best chances and a good 60/90 minutes of that would no doubt equate to Torres' first goal (or hatrick) in blue!

Yet again you guys have me stumped. Drogba is finally back on form, scoring regularly last few games and all round good play. Torres still cant kick a football right. Yet Drogba should be benched? I want a Torres goal as much as anyone but Chelsea FC comes first.

Start Drogba, when we have a lead bring Torres on and give him a chance to get a goal (preferably more than 8 minutes)

Yet again you guys have me stumped. Drogba is finally back on form, scoring regularly last few games and all round good play. Torres still cant kick a football right. Yet Drogba should be benched? I want a Torres goal as much as anyone but Chelsea FC comes first.

Start Drogba, when we have a lead bring Torres on and give him a chance to get a goal (preferably more than 8 minutes)

Because,like it or not,Torres is the future.If Didier tried hard enough to form a true understanding with nando,instead of a 'look at me' type of stance,then without doubt, he would be well worth another year's contract,(it could have been a superb partnership).But it was HIS choice,so the management need to support the future of CFC.

Surely Didier must start, he seems back to near his best form, whereas Torres........well we need the points and frankly how can anyone rely on Fernando in his kinda form ?

Its not a given that we will win this game, and i think after the second half v the Manx and the match v the baggies that Carlo should stick with the same man up top.

This is a game we must win therefore we must play our best team, one that is scoring goals. Torres is nowhere near that team, no time for sentiment, just wins. Basics....start with your best team.

Edited April 18, 201115 yr by bluedeano

If you had £50m on a horse, wouldnt you want to see it running ?

Excellent coco, that's straight into quotes!

We can't put Torres ahead of the team, that's exactly why we lost to Liverpool and United. Give Torres time and slowly blend him into the team.

We can't put Torres ahead of the team, that's exactly why we lost to Liverpool and United. Give Torres time and slowly blend him into the team.

Well, 9 minutes is slowly blending him in.

I wanna see if the midfield can actually find torres instead of him trying too much

I agree about starting drogba. We need this game and he has the best form out of all our strikers at the moment. I know Torres needs gametime, especially for than 9 minutes. But I don't think he should start. We're really close to 2nd place. I honestly still want to see them play together.

Why is everybody so bothered about playin "best" team for second place

next seasons 1st place is much more important.. whats the difference between 2nd an third?

rather see next seasons squad gettin used 2 playin together without relyin on our so called "best" players

anelka, malouda, bosingwa, lampard

drogba is the exception cos hes actually playin like one of our best players

99% of the site wanna see more of yossi, mikel, torres, ramires, zhirkov

By the rotation rule, we should have the front 3 of Zhirkov, Torress, Anelka for this one. I don't see much changes in midfield and defence, would be nice if Benayoun can get a start beside Torres. We will dominate possession, hopefully we can our chances as Foster is in pretty good form this season. I think we will win 2:0.

Why is everybody so bothered about playin "best" team for second place

next seasons 1st place is much more important.. whats the difference between 2nd an third?

rather see next seasons squad gettin used 2 playin together without relyin on our so called "best" players

anelka, malouda, bosingwa, lampard

drogba is the exception cos hes actually playin like one of our best players

99% of the site wanna see more of yossi, mikel, torres, ramires, zhirkov

I can think of two reasons to finish 2nd instead of 3rd.

1. It means more money to the club (not sure how much though).

2. We finish above yet another of our rivals. Even if ManU takes home the title I'd still rather see us beat Arsenal than settle for 3rd place.

Besides, we haven't secured 3rd spot yet so even if we would settle for 3rd place we still need to do our best to win a few more games before we can relax.

I can think of two reasons to finish 2nd instead of 3rd.

1. It means more money to the club (not sure how much though).

2. We finish above yet another of our rivals. Even if ManU takes home the title I'd still rather see us beat Arsenal than settle for 3rd place.

Besides, we haven't secured 3rd spot yet so even if we would settle for 3rd place we still need to do our best to win a few more games before we can relax.

Going for second is important because I want to see Arsenal go another season without a trophy. And another, and another, and another...

3rd means qualification for the CL. 2nd means automatic place in group stages.

UNless they've changed things.

3rd means qualification for the CL. 2nd means automatic place in group stages.

UNless they've changed things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_UEFA_Champions_League

Leagues 1-3 (Premier, La Liga, Serie A / Buendisliga) all have their top 3 automatically in the group, 4th place has to play in the playoffs.

Also, judging by the coefficients in that article, England and Spain don't have to really worry much about losing that their spots for 4 teams, a lot higher than Italy and Germany.