Agree with those above- we need to play our strongest XI, a relegation fight is unlikely, but if we lose on Saturday it could become a bit close for comfort.

 

Anyway, a lot of our squad didn't turn up for the first 5 months of the season- brutal truth is they don't need a rest, nor deserve one.

One game at a time.I would go with Courtois,Ivan,Cahill,JT.Dave,Mikel,RLC,Hazard,Fabregas,Willian,Costa.Going up with the grandson again and the kick off time means more pub time.....UP THE CHELS!

Sorry Willian and Costa missing

Don't play Mikel and Matic together we don't need  2 holding midfielder not against Newcastle anyway  me i would drop Mikel  but that's just me

Im optimistic Ivanovic will be on the bench because we have no CB cover

Don't play Mikel and Matic together we don't need  2 holding midfielder not against Newcastle anyway  me i would drop Mikel  but that's just me

 

Yeah, that's just you.

Can't see Newcastle getting anything. They're poor and we've always looked comfortable against them in recent years at the Bridge.

Newcastle, even when they're in their worst form, they play good against us. Always tough match, but at the moment, we can't lose points and can't lose of course.

 

I'd like to see this starting line:

 

------------------------------ Courtois ----------------------------------

 

Azpilicueta ------------ Cahill ---- Terry -------------- Baba Rahman

 

------------------------- Mikel ------ Loftus Cheek ----------------------

 

Bertrand Traore ----------- Fabregas -------------------- Hazard

 

-------------------------- Diego Costa ----------------------------------

 

 

COME ON CHELS!

Just go for the win from the start. 

Don't play Mikel and Matic together we don't need 2 holding midfielder not against Newcastle anyway me i would drop Mikel but that's just me

If we drop Mikel over Matic I'll bang my head on a wall, at least Mikel isn't consistently sh*t.

Come on Chelsea - we need these 3 points! Please start hazard and bench matic. Mikel needs to be strong caused jonjo Shelvey will be coming strong

Matic can be nowhere near starting XI.  I'd give Oscar time off and see if Hazard can find some early form before taking him off.  Not sure what to do up front but I'm leaning toward Costa as he is the only reliable one we've got.  

-------------------------Tibo--------------------------------

--Ivanovic----Cahill---------Terry---------Azpilicueta--

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

-----------------Oscar-----Fabregas----------------------

------Willian-----------------------------Hazard------------

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

With PSG in mind:

 

Courtois

Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Rahman

Mikel

Fabregas, Loftus Cheek

Pedro, Hazard

Costa

With PSG in mind:

 

Courtois

Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Rahman

Mikel

Fabregas, Loftus Cheek

Pedro, Hazard

Costa

This in my mind is the ideal squad I think

Play our best team, get the win so we don't have to worry about the threat of relegation anymore. Matic should be no be allowed to board the team bus these days. Just look at how much points he cost us this season : mad tackle to get sent off against West Ham ( for some reasons he was laughing when he left the field), crazy handball against Watford when no one was near him, one on one miss against De Gea at OT. I'm not even going to pick on those games he played poorly. 

Same old, same old just like joses team. Zzzzzzzzzzz

please let them show up and wallop this lot, i can stand that muppet mclaren and the thought of his grinning face if they get something from this is just too much

Why we always seem to struggle against Newcastle I have no idea, but I suspect it'll be another lackluster performance with us inevitably conceding and going on to lose the game 0-1.

Hiddink's run will have to end soon. The unbeaten tag doesn't paper over the fact the team have still been awful. Why is there no urgency? The top 4, whilst incredibly unlikely, isn't out of reach for sure. Anyone can beat anyone in this league. The teams above will drop points. A few wins can see us approaching the top 6 with ease. 

I suspect we will start with the same team that began against United and Watford, bar Cahill in for Zouma. If recent games are anything to go by we will probably play well for a specll of about 30 minutes in the game. Hopefully we can take our chances and get a much needed 3 points. A draw wouldn't be a disaster, but a defeat would pull us back towards the relegation whirlpool.

Assuming we attempt to start all 3 games in the coming week with the same back 4 it will be interesting to see who is on the bench. That will be our only clue as to who we plan as replacements should any of the starters get injured. Baba Rahman is about the only obvious one. Not sure if Miazga is close to ready yet. Beyond that we are looking at youth like Ola Aina or even Jake Clarke-Salter perhaps. 

same team line up (barred forced changes through injury)

same tactics

same outcome

 

its becoming so predictable..........

The hoo-doo is alive and well. We'll get banged 2-0 I expect.

 

Hate this fixture.

Newcastle can be 20th and we can be leading by 15 points but they will still kill us. Not sure why they up their game so much for us. At least this time they don't have to do too much as we are not that many places above them.

Edited February 11, 201610 yr by JoseBlues

Mikel and Matic together is a no no.....far to negative

Just hope we set up to attack we need to take the initiative and start turning these draws into wins.