1-0 down from the first leg.

 

We really need a display like we saw in the 2nd half against United to turn this away.

 

I'm expecting a strong line up for this one. 

3-1

I really want to see us win, not just because I always want that, but due to what their owner was saying about all of our players.

 

I hope we field a strong team and go for them.  I'd actually like to see us use Hazard as an attacking substitution again, but we could always go for it with him early doors and then try and defend our lead.

 

Also, I think we need Terry for this one.  European Cup night at the Bridge, if FSW wants the crowd on his side, he'll have Terry out there, and then JT can show he deserves to be the inspiration to carry us to the end of the season by being out there and leading by example.

 

.....................Cech

Dave.........JT.....Ivan.......Cole

.............Lampard..Luiz

Mata..........Oscar............Hazard

..................Torres

The line up is tough to choose for this one.  We've got so many games coming up especially if we can get past Steaua.  It would be easier if we weren't barely hanging on to 4th in the league.  And how sore is Mata's ankle?  He might need a game off to rest it for the more important League and FA Cup.  Assuming he's okay I'd start.

 

Cech

Ivan, JT, Cahill, Cole

Ramires, Mikel

Hazard, Mata, Marin

Torres

 

Those guys should have us back on top by halftime and I'd hope to sub out Hazard and Mata early on. Oscar, Moses, Lampard and Luiz available to come in and wrap it up. 3-1

Obviously don't want us to lose, but don't really give a toss about this competition. More important to concentrate on fishing top 4. If you got into the CL by winning the Europa then i'd say go for it, but you don't so it's a worthless competition.

Obviously don't want us to lose, but don't really give a toss about this competition. More important to concentrate on fishing top 4. If you got into the CL by winning the Europa then i'd say go for it, but you don't so it's a worthless competition.

 

 

I get the argument about the top 4, but to me no European Cup is a "worthless competition!"

 

A team like Chelsea "should" have enough to do both

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by mad_mac

I firmly believe that the Europa league is made more for the minnows of Europe.

 

For a team like Chelsea, the European Champions, to go out and listen to the 'Europa League' Tune instead of the CL? I would feel a sense of failure and I'm sure the players do to. You could argue that you should be motivated every game if you're a top pro, but subconsciously your heart is never in it.

 

I have no doubt we could win it if we gave it the same importance as the Champions League. The fact is, we won't because the motivation isn't there. 

 

Sad but true.

Edited March 12, 201313 yr by JoeyN

Tricky game, as much as I don't like to see us going out, I rather drop Europa and get a win against the hams this weekend. The likes of Moses, Marin, Benayoun, Betrand will get a start, hopefully they can get the job done without a lot of input from Mata, Hazard etc. I predict a 2:1 and see us going out on away goal, probably the outcome in the long run.

Agree that Europe league is less important, but we've kind of set our stall out as playing the senior players so we can't just walk away now.

Mikel has hardly played since returning from ANC so should be fresh. Ake although he occupies the same role did enough to get more game time in my book.

It doesn't really look like Bertrand is good enough to be the long term replacement for cole but I'd play him in this one. Terry can have a run out and let's give Luiz a rest although he has the most energy of anyone in this CFC team.

Ivan Cahill Terry Bertrand

Ramires(Ake) Mikel

Moses Oscar Hazard (Marin)

Ba/Torres

Ba needs to work a bit harder in games like this.

That team should be able to do the business.

I think we have to take this seriously because fact is we're never going to have a better chance to win this competition. When we joined in the last round we looked at the teams left and thought damn there's a lot of teams left in here that can cause us some problems, only for the majority of them to get knocked out by relative minnows in that round of 32. 

 

Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Ajax, Liverpool, Leverkusen and Lyon are all out, not to mention Marseille, Bilbao and Udinese who went out in the group stages, and suddenly our path to the final could be fairly straightforward, certainly compared to what we're used to in the Champions League. On top of that in the current round Spurs are knocking out Inter, Lazio are knocking out Stuttgart, Basel are knocking out Zenit and Newcastle and Anzhi will knock 1 of each other out.

 

If we don't really go for this we're fools and I doubt we're ever going to have a chance to win the last European title that has eluded us this easily for a long time.

 

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

Dave - Luiz - JT - Ash

--Lampard - Ramires

Moses - Oscar - Hazard

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

 

We were bad in Bucharest but they were pretty abysmal too, they don't look better than Nordsjaelland or Genk, two teams we thrashed in the CL last year, so there should be no reason why we can't put at least 3 past them at home. Also because their owner said we have no spirit and that he has no doubt they will knock us out, so f**k him.

Ba needs to work a bit harder in games like this.

I don't know... How much harder can you work on your sitting?

I have no idea why but I'm feeling that this is going to be the game where we completely wipe out our opponent, Aston Villa style.

 

If we get an early goal, say in the first five minutes then that will seriously unhinge Steaua.

I wonder if we will see Benayoun picked over Marin again, it wouldn't surprise me one bit

Agree that Europe league is less important, but we've kind of set our stall out as playing the senior players so we can't just walk away now.

Mikel has hardly played since returning from ANC so should be fresh. Ake although he occupies the same role did enough to get more game time in my book.

It doesn't really look like Bertrand is good enough to be the long term replacement for cole but I'd play him in this one. Terry can have a run out and let's give Luiz a rest although he has the most energy of anyone in this CFC team.

Ivan Cahill Terry Bertrand

Ramires(Ake) Mikel

Moses Oscar Hazard (Marin)

Ba/Torres

Ba needs to work a bit harder in games like this.

That team should be able to do the business.

 

Shows how much attention you have been paying to Chelsea in the Europa league, if you had been then you would notice by now that Ba is cup tied.

if they score 1 Chelsea need 3 to go through

clean sheet and 2 + goals needed - unlikely based on previous form in the 3 games so far in this comp

I am up for a shock result that sees CFC progress to the next round

Me too...

 

I get the argument about the top 4, but to me no European Cup is a "worthless competition!"

 

A team like Chelsea "should" have enough to do both

 

Yes Chelsea 'should' have enough to do both but this season we don't. 

I'm going for a 2-0 win to Chelsea.

 

Predicted line up:

 

Ivanovic - Cahill - Terry - Bertrand

 

----------Mikel - Lampard

 

Moses ---- Oscar ----Hazard 

 

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

Come on Blues. a 2-0 win (or more) please

Can't wait to see the pictures with Rafa and the Europa League emblem. That combo really underlines the state of this club and reminds us how far we are from the party mood back in May last season.

Anywhoo lets hope for a nice win. Oscar to score a brace. Ivan to score from a corner. 3-1 Chelsea.

Can't wait to see the pictures with Rafa and the Europa League emblem. That combo really underlines the state of this club and reminds us how far we are from the party mood back in May last season.

Anywhoo lets hope for a nice win. Oscar to score a brace. Ivan to score from a corner. 3-1 Chelsea.

Just found out theres a game at thursday 11th of April if we go through. I happen to be in London that day cause I got tix to the Spuds game. Would LOVE to see a European game, even if its just the Europa League. 

 

Soooo, whats the team that FSW has to pick today thats not followed by ridicule? 

Double post

Edited March 14, 201313 yr by Xfaxtor

Really worried that we'll burn out this season with the way fixtures are building up. So wouldn't exactly be devastated if we go out. Wrong attitude I know, but top four is so so important

I attended the first leg. Regardless of what you saw on TV, you can be sure Steaua will fight tooth and nail for this. It's the biggest game for them since the UEFA Cup semis a few years ago, when they won 1-0 against Boro in Bucharest and led them 2-0 in England, only to eventually lose 4-2 and miss the final.