I'll take a draw. Not looking forward to seeing Ramires run around like a headless chicken for 70 minutes until he gets subbed off for being sh*t.

Too true

Good news, Aguero may not start

City about 54% chance of win in the betting draw and Chelsea win about 25% each

Seems about right. I think we will need to score at lest once and probably twice.

Hopefully we come out and play this game like we did against them in José' first season back.

Because of the total PR disaster that has been this week, coupled with our poor pre-season form, I have a dark, dark feeling that we're going to get completely hammered this game. We really don't look ready for it all. I might need to be completely hammered to watch it. Anyway, putting that aside...

I'm confident that Ramires will start this game as this is typically the sort of game that he plays. I imagine that Oscar will be the one that gets dropped for him but my preference would be Fabregas as he does not look good at all right now. It's a nightmare to draw those 'names in formations' thing on a tablet so this is the team I'm going for:

Begovic

Ivanovic

Cahill

Terry

Azpilicueta

Matic

Ramires

Willian

Fabregas

Hazard

Costa

My head says a three or four nil butchering to City, my heart says a drab 0-0 draw. Certainly can't see us winning this one but I'm more than willing to be proved wrong.

All the best,

Harbinger of Doom.

Heard from someone I trust that Zouma STARTS DM, with Oscar missing out. Fabregas pushed further forward.

 

Really dont think its the way to play, can see the game being too quick for him in there.

Don't think we're ready for this season at all. From the late return in the summer, to the lifeless pre season and community shield games, to the home draw to Swansea and the whole disaster with Eva this week, it's been a pretty woeful start. I didnt think we were that bad against Swansea, but not getting the win will have hurt us and I think it's going to be an extremely tough game.

On City, they played well and got the win on Monday but they were helped by Albion going out there with no midfield, it was made very very easy for them

Oh are we playing a game of football?

Thought we'd retired as a team and had gone into professional pantomime.

Oh are we playing a game of football?

Thought we'd retired as a team and had gone into professional pantomime.

Ha!

Zouma and/or matic to sit on toure all game and then we counter attack. Hopefully aguero is on the bench. Costa to give mangala a going over.

Zouma and/or matic to sit on toure all game and then we counter attack. Hopefully aguero is on the bench. Costa to give mangala a going over.

 

Cant have 2 players marking 1 man...will leave all sorts of space.

Zouma and/or matic to sit on toure all game and then we counter attack. Hopefully aguero is on the bench. Costa to give mangala a going over.

If Pellegrini plays Mangala then he's even more stupid than I thought. I know Demichelis isnt match fit, but you'd still back him to do a better job than the other clown. 

Also, for those hoping, i would be amazed if aguero doesnt start the game

Mangala did a good job on Costa last season

If Eva's not on the bench we've had it.

Matic is gonna put toure in his place. Will be a great battle to watch.

Can see the normal 11.

Heard from someone I trust that Zouma STARTS DM, with Oscar missing out. Fabregas pushed further forward.

 

Really dont think its the way to play, can see the game being too quick for him in there.

I was always pretty sure Zouma starts DM, oscar is a doubt through an injury in training so i think you might well be right

Lots of hints dropped today in the pre-match interview....with the analytical minds we have on here there could be a lot of reading done in to Mourinho's statements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2F49_thQO4

well that's it then just watched Mour's presser (thanks 1 club in)

 

despite his claims to the contrary its quite obvious

 

- hes pissed off at the owner and board for no mega transfers in

- hes a ruthless individual and manager

- there's trouble at mill and at Cobham

- Whinger is right Chelsea will lose 5 -0 on Sunday because of doctorgate 

 

Leading to in the not too distant future

 

- cant see Jose lasting past 1st round of CL when the team will lose to an eastern European minnow

- luckily the fat waiter will have been tumbled at Real by then and get sacked in perfect unison with Jose

- Fatty will be back, to save the club from relegation and sure financial ruin like he did 3 seasons ago

 

 

Call it a conspiracy theory but I'm just jumping on the latest popular bandwagon.......  

thanks god we are back to football.

If Eva's not on the bench we've had it.

 

are you serious?

well that's it then just watched Mour's presser (thanks 1 club in)

 

despite his claims to the contrary its quite obvious

 

- hes pissed off at the owner and board for no mega transfers in

- hes a ruthless individual and manager

- there's trouble at mill and at Cobham

- Whinger is right Chelsea will lose 5 -0 on Sunday because of doctorgate 

 

Leading to in the not too distant future

 

- cant see Jose lasting past 1st round of CL when the team will lose to an eastern European minnow

- luckily the fat waiter will have been tumbled at Real by then and get sacked in perfect unison with Jose

- Fatty will be back, to save the club from relegation and sure financial ruin like he did 3 seasons ago

 

 

Call it a conspiracy theory but I'm just jumping on the latest popular bandwagon.......  

Did you see Wenger's presser, never misses a chance to take a shot at jose, I think some of the fans read into things way too much and the rain is always pouring down for them,  and the fact is Mou just signed a new contract and won the league so there are obviously no major issues, but you can get the feeling off him he isn't thrilled at the lack of signings but he also alluded to the fact we may be holding out for a big player next summer like we did for costa, might be that he was expecting more but is willing to except the long term strategy 

The fact is city and united were always gonna spend big this summer. We won the lge so why would we go spending again??? We won the lge with a semi fit costa and with relative ease in the 2nd half of last season so the others had to come out and make a statement.

If zouma starts dm, then we should really be lloking at getting mikel off the books.

Not sure where to post this, but here it is to whet our appetites. Come on our boys.

I think Cuadrado should start. That'll give us the advantage straightaway as they won't expect it.

Throw Falcao straight on if we go a goal behind. Those two would cause a few problems for sure.

Tell Hazard to bounce back up if he gets knocked down to avoid a repeat of last weeks shenanigans.

Should be a doddle, I hope José reads this.