Spooky!

Weird or what ?

That's uncanny. And I am VERY superstitious. I'm actually worried now lol

Ps. If we wear blue in the final then we should be good right?

Edited April 26, 201214 yr by Kev123

Surely we will be the underdogs for this, and I for one couldn't be happier about this as we seem to thrive under this title. Think back through the knock-out stages of this competition, whenever we have been underdogs we have pulled great performances out of the bag (with possibly the exception of Napoli away, not sure who the favourites would have been + that was AVB era) but when in the drivers seat we have struggled to deliver.

Napoli Home: underdogs + quality performance.

Benfica Away: underdogs probably due to our form and their home record + quality performace

Benfica Home: clearly favourites - Lacklustre performance

Barca Home and Away: obviously underdogs - we all know what happened

Using this logic, I am expecting a huge effort in Germany!

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league/2012/04/26/3062207/chelsea-allocated-17500-tickets-for-champions-league-final

Each team will get 17500 tickets, which is around 25% of the seats.

Check this out ..

The team in white celebrated wildly. Reduced to 10 men in their semi-final second leg on 24 April at the Camp Nou, they'd held on for an improbable 3-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona to reach the European Cup final.

Earlier in the season they'd looked in disarray. An upstart young manager who was supposed to oversee the rejuvenation of the squad had been ousted after alienating a core of senior players, but a safe pair of hands everybody assumed was a short-term appointment had arrived, soothed egos and reawakened some of the old fire.

The league was beyond them, but doggedly they'd scrapped their way through to within one game of the prize – the greatest prize – that had eluded them through all their years of success. In that final that side in white faced Bayern Munich. Undone by some scandalous refereeing, they lost and were never the same again.

Leeds United. Season 74/75.

Hey you w**ker :(

Great player on his day, just needs a heavy tackle early on to keep him quiet.

He was inconsistent at Chelsea, having moments of sheer brilliance, coupled with very average games. He was also Chelsea's answer to Darren Anderton, the original 'sick note', but we still loved him.

However, his attitude after being made to play at Anfield was a disgrace, he just didn't bother at all. He said he wasn't fit enough to play, but I believe he just didn't fancy it - lost all respect for him that night, and was well pleased when he left.

Let Ash give him a good whack and he'll disappear.

Check this out ..

The team in white celebrated wildly. Reduced to 10 men in their semi-final second leg on 24 April at the Camp Nou, they'd held on for an improbable 3-2 aggregate victory over Barcelona to reach the European Cup final.

Earlier in the season they'd looked in disarray. An upstart young manager who was supposed to oversee the rejuvenation of the squad had been ousted after alienating a core of senior players, but a safe pair of hands everybody assumed was a short-term appointment had arrived, soothed egos and reawakened some of the old fire.

The league was beyond them, but doggedly they'd scrapped their way through to within one game of the prize – the greatest prize – that had eluded them through all their years of success. In that final that side in white faced Bayern Munich. Undone by some scandalous refereeing, they lost and were never the same again.

Leeds United. Season 74/75.

The three flaws in your comparison are

1/ Comparing the Leeds team of 74/75 with the Chelsea team of 2012.

2/ Comparing the Barca team from 74/75 to the Barca dream team of 2012.

3/ Leeds returned to the CL semi final in 2001, so they were the 'same' again.

Nice try.

Edited April 26, 201214 yr by coco

Also so happy that Bayern got through, not just because it may be a little easier for Chelsea, but to silence those who gave little credit to the possibility of a Bayern vs Chelsea final

with ramires and mereles missing frank will probably play alongside mikel in the centre. allowing mata and two wingers either side behind the striker. would love to see drogba start up front and torres on the wide right behind him i think he has been fairly dangerous from out wide this year. i would however be concerned if sturridge was to play. bags of talent but a very selfish player imo. i remember watching him in the game against leiscter and he blasted torres on one occasion for not passing him the ball. could his selfishness cost us in a game as big as this? i also was wondering of opinions for essien to fill in at right back. i remember him playing there a few years ago and he did quite well. doubt he still has the legs but i would start him ahead of bosingwa

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/7706695/?

Truth is, Essien is very unlikely to be able to play RB anymore, to any satisfactory level. Fitness permitting, our back four against Bayern will be Bossy, Ashley, Cahill, Luiz.

Midfield? Obviously Ramires is a massive loss, but Robbie has played him exclusively wide, so our only suspension in this area is Raul, and it's no big loss, relatively speaking. Don't get me wrong I really feel for Raul. He really went up in my estimation on Tuesday, but he was in the team against Barca more for his energy. We still have Mikel, Romeu, Lamps and Essien available for Bayern, touch wood. Malouda also can play as a more attacking central midfielder, should injuries hit us.

Attack? Mata and Drogba are shoo-ins. Does he play Mata in the middle, behind Drogba, or out wide where he is far less effective, in a more defensive formation? If Mata's in the middle, that leaves two wide slots up for grabs, between Kalou, Malouda, Torres and Sturridge. If Mata plays out wide, that leaves only one wide slot available. If Mata plays in the middle, it seems certain Kalou will start out left, because Robbie clearly likes him above Malouda. That leaves a straight choice between Danny and Torres right side, and I suspect Torres would get the nod.

My personal suspicion is that Mata will start out left, Torres wide right, Mikel Essien and Lamps in the middle in a 433. That way Lampard can make his attacking runs.

http://www1.skysport...11095/7706695/?

Intriguing. While I would love for Ramires, Ivan and Raul to be available, the inevitable media storm from rival fans will cause such a stir, claims of preferential treatment ("if it was our team in the final they wouldn't postpone the suspension")

although saying that, do you think UEFA would agree to postponing the suspension to the first European game next season (if we have one...)?

Id be surprised to see Essien start. i think RDM has come to the conclusion we'd all been fearing.

Truth is until after the Blackburn game we are not in any position to be speculating on avaliable players. So much can still happen. But what i will say is that as much as i was thrilled and proud of Bossy on Tuesday, id dearly love Paulo start at RB.

This sort of thing is old hat to him.

Why does he wear that black bra?

He was fantastic for us when he was fit but was so injury prone. Scored some unbelievably brilliant goals for us. Particularly remember the ones against Fulham away and Newcastle and Everton at home.

If he plays on right where he likes to cut in I think we can handle him. He is very one footed and doesn't like using his right. Ash could certainly handle him. If we can nullify Messi we can certainly do a job on Robben.

Edited April 26, 201214 yr by DELBY

Not sure if the above happened who it would help more, us or Bayern. JT is banned whatever else happens, so while getting Brana and Rami back would be huge, there is bo certainty that Raul would play, whereas Bayern have 3 key players out that would start for certain.

He doesn't strike me as one for tracking back too much, which could be important with Ashley's forays down the left, but I'm sure Heynckes will get him to track back as much as he can. I miss that man though, he was superb.

If the yellow cards suspensions stay then we might play:

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

Bosingwa--Cahill---Luiz---Cole

-----------Romeu------Mikel

Kalou--------Lamps-----Mata

-------------------Drogba

I heard ( i think) on the radio today that some group reckon they will try to get the yellow carded players who would miss final, re enstated..Whereas the red carded stay as such...mmmmmm

Legends in the making:

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

Bossy--------Cahill--------Luiz--------Cole

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

Kalou-------Mata----Lampard---Malouda

-------------------Drogba

Subs:

Ferreira-Bertrand-Essien-Romeu-Sturridge-Torres

We've just beaten Barcelona with the best player in the world and we kept him very quiet!

Legends in the making:

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

Bossy--------Cahill--------Luiz--------Cole

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

Kalou-------Mata----Lampard---Malouda

-------------------Drogba

Subs:

Ferreira-Bertrand-Essien-Romeu-Sturridge-Torres

Dont know if we'll go that attacking

Great player on his day, just needs a heavy tackle early on to keep him quiet.

He was inconsistent at Chelsea, having moments of sheer brilliance, coupled with very average games. He was also Chelsea's answer to Darren Anderton, the original 'sick note', but we still loved him.

However, his attitude after being made to play at Anfield was a disgrace, he just didn't bother at all. He said he wasn't fit enough to play, but I believe he just didn't fancy it - lost all respect for him that night, and was well pleased when he left.

Let Ash give him a good whack and he'll disappear.

Yep, that was the game when I lost any respect for him as a Chelsea player, it was sickening watching him wander about in a strop while the others ran their hearts out. Little w**ker.

Kalou and Malouda to start in a CL final? u mad?

they wont change the rules , UEFA are a bureacratic nightmare of an organisation

only thing these petitions may do is have them make a change in the summer & give amnesty for finals starting next season