I'm gonna start drinking at 9. 

I'm moving my daughter into uni accommodation on Saturday so will miss this one.  Will be very nervously checking my phone throughout!

I'm moving my daughter into uni accommodation on Saturday so will miss this one.  Will be very nervously checking my phone throughout!

 

you could take an extra long lunch break. The match is @ noontime. For me, I will roll out of the rack @ 4:30am...I probably can't sleep. It's CFC vs le arse - I love these matches....Rivarly Week!!! Kill the gooners!!

We'll probably still be en-route at the time.  Ironically she's going to UCL in London so very close to Arsenal's ground.  If it had been an evening kick-off I might've been able to hop across London to see the match after dropping her off.  If it had been a 3 o'clock I might've been able to find a pub after dropping her off.  But early is impossible pretty much.  She will need my undivided attention - she's pretty independent but sometimes you just have to accept that family comes first!

I'd go with

Begovic

Azpilicueta zouma cahill baba

Rlc matic

Oscar fabregas hazard

Costa

I think rlc has done enough to keep his place, the back 5 did okay, and I think having the speed in there will help us press.

Oscar from the right, where he has had some fantastic games for brazil and also for us under benitez.

As much as I love jt, I just don't think the team is strong enough to cover for his lack of pace at the moment.

Absolutely nailed it. thats the best playing XI we have right now, since both pedro and willian are injured. Although i think jose will go with ramires instead of RLC. Hope we are wrong.

I don't expect the manager to go all swashbuckling and play most of last night's team

 

think Ivan & JT & Matic will all be back, shame because RLC was great 

 

the only different consideration for Jose is that all 3 points are needed, so he may not opt for the safe approach where a draw suffices

 

 think the team will be brought back down to earth by Gooners, especially without Willian & Pedro....unless Eddie starts playing to his potential

Very unpopular point of view but if we really need to counteract pacy defenders Djilobodji is a must. Honestly think he's a better defender at the moment than Zouma. I know its a big game, but I've seen Djilobodji in action and he really is criminally underrated. Naturally debuting him in such a game might be a bit too much, but the guy really is class.

How about him and zouma?

We'll probably still be en-route at the time.  Ironically she's going to UCL in London so very close to Arsenal's ground.  If it had been an evening kick-off I might've been able to hop across London to see the match after dropping her off.  If it had been a 3 o'clock I might've been able to find a pub after dropping her off.  But early is impossible pretty much.  She will need my undivided attention - she's pretty independent but sometimes you just have to accept that family comes first!

UCL...not bad, smart cookie, all the best. 

UCL...not bad, smart cookie, all the best. 

 

Yeah, she's smart. She also works bloody hard!  Thanks.

I don't see why we shouldn't start RLC. We've been pisspoor every game this season except yesterday.

We did give a few chances away here and there against weak opposition but we did keep a clean sheet.

 

I'm not confident at all that our ''usual'' line up will suddenly perfrom against Arsenal so I'd go with Baba and RLC again.

Depending on how we want to play I'd choose between JT and Cahill, Zouma deserves a start im my opinion. Get Matic back in the team and we're set.

Would like to see us go with the following team:

 

...................Begovic

Azpi......Cahill......Terry ©....Baba

..................Matic

............RLC.......Fab

Oscar........................Hazard

...................Costa

Either that, or RLC doesn't start, and we see a 3 behind Costa of Ramires...Oscar...Hazard (I feel this is more likely)

I'd probably go:

 

Begovic

 

Baba

Terry

Cahill

Azpilicueta

 

Matic

Ramires

 

Hazard

Oscar

Pedro

 

Costa

_______Begovic

Dave-Cahill-Terry-Baba

----Matic-RLC

Remy-Oscar-Hazard

-----------Costa

Would also consider dropping Oscar back for 4-3-3 depending how that midfield battle is turning out.

Baba needs focus on his defense first and foremost before attack. Help Cahill make sure JT's lack of pace isn't exploited effectively like Cole did. Wrong team to bring Ivan back against in his current form.

Feels like we already have more injuries than last season (Karma's a bitch, right Jose?).

When Willian and Pedro are not available, we will probably have to see Ramires on the wing.

If our right side will be Ivanovic-Ramires I don't think I'll even bother watching the game.

I see most people going with Terry and Cahill, but I think Arsenal will be looking to use Walcott's pace against them, neither are quick. I think Walcott will be playing up front, we play Terry and Cahill and we're playing in to their hands, Zouma has to start, Cahill should keep his place alongside him. I can't see Ivan starting thankfully, I think Baba will keep his place, I think we'll look to hit them on the counter, Ramires could be effective in the middle, but he needs to play alongside someone better defensively, Matic or RLC, on form I'd give the nod to RLC, but I expect Matic to play. With Willian and Pedro out, I'd play Traore out wide, to me he looks more ready than Kenedy, I don't see why we should play Remy out of position, though I think either him or Ramires will start there. Up front I'd play Remy, but I'd be fine with Costa starting.

...........................Begovic

.....Dave....Zouma...........Cahill/Terry©.......Baba

.................Ramires.........RLC/Matic

...Traore/Remy......Oscar...................Hazard

........................ ..Remy/Costa

We'll miss Willian's speed, but still think this is ours. Come on you Blues!

Jose has got a few selection problems.

 

Does JT come back in? It's a yes from me.

 

Does Ivan come back in? It's a yes from Jose.

 

What about midfield? Matic and Fabregas will play, but will RLC?

 

And what about further up the park? All we can say with some certainty is Hazard will play.

 

Only 7 definites for Saturday, which is unusual for us.

 

I've got a feeling we're going to do it. We're a defiant club with a defiant team with a defiant manager and a defiant set of fans.

 

Think everybody concerned is going to show their pride and we're going to win 1-0.

I'd probably go:

 

Begovic

 

Baba

Terry

Cahill

Azpilicueta

 

Matic

Ramires

 

Hazard

Oscar

Pedro

 

Costa

 

 

Pedro's already ruled out with INjury.  No Pedro or Willian exposes the right side somewhat

I think Jose will go with

 

Begovic

 

Branna-Cahill-Terry-Azpi

 

Ramires-Matic

 

Oscar-Cesc-Hazard

 

Costa

 

I can see going with Baba and flipping Azpi to the right however does Jose have enough confidence in Baba to defend against Arsenals pace and passing touch ?

There's no doubt Jose will protect the fullbacks with extra midfield man, regardless either Ivanoic or Baba plays. If Ivanoic plays, Ramires will be on the right. Yes, most of us hate that, but that's how Jose will play. If Baba plays, maybe Ramires on the left ( really bad in my view), or a midfield 3 with the extra man protecting the left to middle area. Either way, given the injuries we got, there's no way Jose will go Gun Ho in this game, can't afford to lose another game this weekend. There's the Peter Cech factor, I hope he has a poor game for our sake. Given how useless our shooting have been, any GK would give us a hard time, let alone Cech. I'm trying to be optimistic, but if we concede first, our plan game would be completely thrown out and it will be a tough game to chase.

Big one Saturday. Need to get the result. I would like to see RLC, Baba and Remy in the starting XI, with Costa and Remy on the pitch together up top, but i know that is a pipe dream. I just do not want to see Ramires and Ivanovic though I know Jose will likely start them. Cesc is 50/50 for me.

 

Good to get the easy 4-0 win Wednesday to build some confidence. We need to carry it over. Glad this one is at the Bridge.

 

How does everyone else feel about Begovic? Guess since we have so many other issues, he is the least of our concerns, but I feel he has played okay to date.

 

Come on you Chelsea!! :blue scalf:

Jose has got a few selection problems.

 

Does JT come back in? It's a yes from me.

 

Does Ivan come back in? It's a yes from Jose.

 

What about midfield? Matic and Fabregas will play, but will RLC?

 

And what about further up the park? All we can say with some certainty is Hazard will play.

 

Only 7 definites for Saturday, which is unusual for us.

 

I've got a feeling we're going to do it. We're a defiant club with a defiant team with a defiant manager and a defiant set of fans.

 

Think everybody concerned is going to show their pride and we're going to win 1-0.

I think what we need at this point to shut up shop, we are masters of defence and counter attack, why change a good thing because people call us boring, well now we are losing so their cheap mind games have worked..on Roman at least, I'm pretty sure Jose doesn't give a toss, so yea revert back to clean sheet football and build from there, we have plenty of talent that can score goals, costa, hazard, pedro, oscar, Remi, falcao, these are all goal scorers, with a solid base the players will feel more confident and in the end we will get our goals, I'd be very happy to go back to 1-0's I prefer defensive football, I may be the odd one out in that sense but I like the "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough approach" I dearly miss the impermeable blue wall 

I'll have to agree with the doom-mongers here, this game is going to be a 90-minute train crash in slow motion.

I imagine we'll see the same line-up against Everton but with Oscar back for Mikel, if he's fit.

Begovic

Ivan

Zouma

Terry

Azpi

Fabregas

Matic

Pedro

Oscar

Hazard

Costa

Not quite the team I want but it's what I'd expect. As for the score, I'm going for 4-1 to Arsenal. I'll then cry into my coffee.