3-0 to chelsea this one, cant see us lose this now, tide has turned.

Hopefully Jose won't temper too much with the team, definitely not chaining the back line to deal with the height of the Stoke players. I think Hazard should be recalled for Oscar, his little cameo last night showed his quality and desire. At least he will get us a some free kicks in the attacking zone, if nothing else.I think Jose has just about all the what if scenarios worked out, do not think it will be a high different for not having him on the sideline.

 

I really don't understand why some 'fans' bother with the we will lose prediction, so what if we lose, just to prove you are a lot smarter than everyone else here?

I have no idea what to expect Saturday.

Traore should be the starting center forward. Will never happen, but he's clearly the best finisher at Chelsea.

Because hes scored so many goals for us

I have no idea what to expect Saturday.

My thoughts exactly

I expect us to win. We lost there bitterly not too long ago after an okay performance. With some luck and a similar performance it is 1-3 to Chelsea.

Need a strong ref ... every single time we play them, at Stoke they should have at least one player sent off ...

... result? ... to close to call for me ...

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst! Not an easy place to go and although we won midweek there is usually a drop in form after CL games. I would settle for a draw but more important to me is the spirit and desire we play with.

Tricky fixture ... but we showed the ability to response from being pegged back on Wednesday, and that was key, especially in a game which was a scrappy and nervy as it was. Stoke is a difficult place to go, though, but the good thing is that they will likely sit back (as they always do!). 

 

The MOST important thing about the Dynamo game is that Jose and everyone else can now see that Zouma is a great CB, but an awful RB. Baba was solid and Azi was, well, Azi! If we can get a working back four that isn't scared, we are already a completely different outfit. 

 

I still don't like our midfield. I think Matic and Rami were overrun way too easily against DK ... although Matic did up his game as the match went on. It is a dilemma, because it seems Jose won't play Hazard and Fabregas together because is scared that we lose too much strength, and then he sticks in Oscar who then has to spend the game defending and chasing (which he does well), but it leaves him unable to contribute forward. 

 

I would be play Matic and RLC (won't happen), and Hazard, Fabregas and Willian, behind Costa. 

I've changed my outlook on this match. There was clearly a better determination to play in the last match which was buoyed on by the fantastic home crowd support. 

 

However, that support will be missing on Saturday evening.

 

I'm going to opt for a 1-1 draw. I don't think we'll score from open play. The goal we concede will be a sloppy one from a poor defensive/goalkeeping error.

I expect us to start the game well with good amounts of possession but a poor end product. Stoke will slowly start worming their way back into the game and we will start backing off. We really need more than one goal to get a result.

 

High intensity tempo and pressing is needed. Ramires, Willian and Kenedy have to start. Fabregas still looks awful as does JT. Hazard offered fleeting glimpses of last season but not enough to be picked as a starter. He will be better off on the bench.

I'm optimistic about this game, I know I usually am very optimistic when it comes to Chelsea but here are my reasons,

Stoke are without their starting left back, who picked up an injury against us in the LC, this means they will most likely be starting with Erik Pieters as Muniesa's replacement and we know that Pieters isn't the most mobile or gifted full back in the league and he will be coming up against our most/only inform player at the moment in Willian, This to me seems like a massive miss match and I expect to see Willian cause some major havoc to the Stoke defense.
There is also the slightest glimpses of our team and players getting back some form and I expect this trend to continue, we were by far the better team a week and a half ago in Stoke and with a little more end product we should comfortably win.

C'mon the Blues!!

All though most likely scenario at the moment is a scrappy 2-0 or 2-1 win with a goal direct from a Willian free kick and a goal assisted by a Willian free kick. Damn those free kicks are good.

Wouldn't be entirely surprised to see us line up something like:

 

Begovic

 

Ivanovic - Zouma - Terry - Dave

 

Mikel - Matic

 

Ramires - Fabregas - Willian

 

Costa

Because hes scored so many goals for us

In fairness, how many appearances has he had so far for us? one? I'd love to see him given a chance, he was banging them in at Vitesse (insert comment about scoring for Vitesse and scoring for chelsea being two different things, blah blah yawn) and that stint of pre season he had with us, he looked young and raw, but undoubtedly skilled. I'd just love to see a young prospect come good for us, we're a bit overdue on that front. 

With Costa looking and playing as if he's just had 12 pints and stumbled in for 3 kebabs, I don't think we have anything to lose starting Traore. Plus, he's totally different to what we have at the moment, he's a ball to feet sort of striker, and he's lightning fast, so it might shake things up a bit. 

Edited November 6, 201510 yr by RMCM

In fairness, how many appearances has he had so far for us? one? I'd love to see him given a chance, he was banging them in at Vitesse (insert comment about scoring for Vitesse and scoring for chelsea being two different things, blah blah yawn) and that stint of pre season he had with us, he looked young and raw, but undoubtedly skilled. I'd just love to see a young prospect come good for us, we're a bit overdue on that front.

With Costa looking and playing as if he's just had 12 pints and stumbled in for 3 kebabs, I don't think we have anything to lose starting Traore. Plus, he's totally different to what we have at the moment, he's a ball to feet sort of striker, and he's lightning fast, so it might shake things up a bit.

That makes much more sense than calling him the best finisher on the team

Hoping for a win. Any kind will do.

 

Oh, and a good performance. And a clean sheet. And a goal by Costa. And a red card for Charlie Adam.

Edited November 6, 201510 yr by Zinc

Let's have a look at your input to this thread then, havelschayes.

 

Hardly inspiring and thought provoking either, is it?

 

aww schmucks, poor me 

you know nobody can match your consistency of being a negative twat in every single posts 

Alright, here's Jose's presser for this game.

 

Jose won't be appealing his ban and Ivanovic is back.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb0mHP5JmKQ

 

Come on lads, let's make it 2 wins out 2 games!

aww schmucks, poor me 

you know nobody can match your consistency of being a negative twat in every single posts 

 

Then you don't read my posts.

 

Perhaps you've confused negativity with realism.

and Ivanovic is back.

 

Need a strong ref ... every single time we play them, at Stoke they should have at least one player sent off ...

... result? ... to close to call for me ...

Anthony Taylor,he'll probably book Willian for getting his ankle to close to Charlie Adam's boot.

Actually glad Ivan is back for this. Im not sure Baba is ready for Stoke just yet. Hopefully Ivan will be rested alert and ready to give his all once again.

my observations from the LC game at the Britannia they - Stoke out muscled Chelsea, knocked some players over literally, the ref gave little or no protection so expect the same

 

defo need Zouma in there with JT, Id keep the same full backs as Weds

 

the only debating point imo is whether to start Eddie or Oscar

 

stuck with Costa, so lets hope he stops falling down and starts scoring

 

may be tough to get a result under the circumstances, but really is another no lose game

--------------

Need to keep same defence as mid-week to give us that width for attacking strength, we are not defensively strong enough 

on counter attack as Liverpool game demonstrated, we have a more powerful technical players than Stoke, let them worry about us, we are the champions let show them that we are.

                     Begovic

 

--Dave----Zouma---Terry---Baba

 

----Matic-----Mikel----Oscar

 

     Willian----Costa----Kenedy

 

Do not believe he will go with above side as he will try & shoehorn Ivanovic into side, but lets change style & go on the attack, lets go kick butts.

Stoke on a very wet and windy night is not for the feint hearted.Hope we can win and avoid injuries.Really dont like this lot,horrible.....anyway UP THE CHELS!

my observations from the LC game at the Britannia they - Stoke out muscled Chelsea, knocked some players over literally, the ref gave little or no protection so expect the same

It's like this most seasons, last season Charlie Adam tried to elbow Schurrle, raked his boots into him, Cesc got his face cut open, that famous Bardsley on Hazard 'tackle' etc.

Good thing is our players never become apprehensive toward them and fight on.