It's now obvious Baba will start. Whoever will play that left wing for us must be good defensively. I would have love Kennedy but he and Baba will be too inexperience and Blanc will desperately want to take advantage of that.

Is it obvious? I'd love to see some sort of mental bit of team selection where Mikel starts on the left and RLC plays alongside Fabregas instead.

Is it obvious? I'd love to see some sort of mental bit of team selection where Mikel starts on the left and RLC plays alongside Fabregas instead.

Yeah baby!

Is it obvious? I'd love to see some sort of mental bit of team selection where Mikel starts on the left and RLC plays alongside Fabregas instead.

 

Left-back? The obvious joke of Mikel being limited to 50% of his ability since he'll only be able to pass right, I think mental is the right word here. 

 

Let's just play square pegs in square holes and see what happens.

 

Although Mikel has a fully-fledged sweeper with 5 at the back is a thought....

I have a feeling that Hiddink will set us up as he did against Barcelona in that infamous match at the Bridge. Loftus Cheek should start alongside Mikel, fabregas and Oscar.. Hiddink will put 4 or 5 players in midfield to protect the back 4. He will play on the counter. A draw would be a good result especially if we can nick a goal. I will be surprised if Hiddink goes Gung Ho tonight.

Fear the worst, hoping for an Arsenal-esque moment of joy

Gameday, COME ON THE CHELS!!!! Looking forward to seeing how Baba gets on, I know he's not great defensively but this could make or break his Chelsea career, remember it took Dave a long time to break into the team and only after an injury to Ash so here's to hoping another star is born, absolutely love Dave though, not everyone is like him and has his desire to be tossed on the bench time and again because he only cost 6 million and now hes turned into our most reliable player and probably the best defensive full back in the world.

 

All apart from that, lets get a result tonight and bring something back to the Bridge, 1-1 draw with a Willian Free kick would be nice, or a Mikel winner cos in that case we'll know our hand is on the trophy, written in the stars!!

Would be a bit hesitant to start Hazard after comments but think I still have to because Pedro looks unconfortable in the system and don't think he'll perform if he plays, at least Hazard has the skills to give us an out ball: Courtois, Dave,Ivan, Cahill, Baba, Mikel,Fabregas, Willian,Oscar, Hazard, Costa. 

 

Although I'm not his biggest fan I think Oscar will put in a shift tonight, he always seems to put in the extra miles in CL games with regards to his defensive ability!

 

Come on the Blues

I have a feeling that Hiddink will set us up as he did against Barcelona in that infamous match at the Bridge. Loftus Cheek should start alongside Mikel, fabregas and Oscar.. Hiddink will put 4 or 5 players in midfield to protect the back 4. He will play on the counter. A draw would be a good result especially if we can nick a goal. I will be surprised if Hiddink goes Gung Ho tonight.

 

 

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Bosingwa, Mikel, Ballack (Anelka 90), Essien, Lampard (Belletti 71), Malouda, Drogba.

Subs Not Used: Hilario, Di Santo, Kalou, Mancienne, Stoch.

 

That was the away leg team. Packed the middle and held on which would be a good plan tonight except I don't think we have the central midfielders to do that. 

 

On another note, f**k that team was great. 8 players I could honestly see being captain, 5 or 6 captains of national teams, strong, brilliant on the ball and the spine of Cech, Terry, Ballack, Essien, Lampard and Drogba. There's a few years where we are arguably the best team in Europe. 

Fear the worst, hoping for an Arsenal-esque moment of joy

I've asked the football gods to reimburse us for all of last season's dodgy decisions.

That is a simply atrocious post, you must of just done something terrible to vent such attrition, no matter how bad Newcastle were, that was as good a performance i have seen for ages, only thing i agree with , is Brana as CB, is great for Dave at RB, fans who needs fans like you...

 

I don't understand your post. Can you write it in English first?

 

I hope that we will get a decent result tonight, but I can't see the team doing it on the current forms of both. Perhaps the best we can aim for is a sneaky set piece own goal that gives us a fighting chance at the Bridge.

Sadly that there are some fans who gave up already. We're playing football and the team that would put more effort, more hardwork, more heart and won't show any fear towards the opponent, that team is going to win. We already played in this kind of situation and found solution, come on we are Chelsea!

Sadly that there are some fans who gave up already. We're playing football and the team that would put more effort, more hardwork, more heart and won't show any fear towards the opponent, that team is going to win. We already played in this kind of situation and found solution, come on we are Chelsea!

 

Is there enough of the 2012 side to champion enough of that title winning side's spirit? Who knows.

 

If we were going to draw any of the big sides in Europe, PSG were probably the least worst option. It's a shame teams from the same nation can't face each other in the last 16, because I'd love a free pass to the next round by playing Arsenal.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Bosingwa, Mikel, Ballack (Anelka 90), Essien, Lampard (Belletti 71), Malouda, Drogba.

Subs Not Used: Hilario, Di Santo, Kalou, Mancienne, Stoch.

 

That was the away leg team. Packed the middle and held on which would be a good plan tonight except I don't think we have the central midfielders to do that. 

 

On another note, f**k that team was great. 8 players I could honestly see being captain, 5 or 6 captains of national teams, strong, brilliant on the ball and the spine of Cech, Terry, Ballack, Essien, Lampard and Drogba. There's a few years where we are arguably the best team in Europe. 

 

Yes, they were a great team.

Hoping for a gritty performance and a score which will give us a chance back at the Bridge.....UP THE CHELS!

Good morning!

 

Still 9 hours to wait, the time is spending slowly...   (I'm very stressed by the way)

 

I share you my XI for tonight!

 

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

 

Azpi---Iva-----Cahill------Baba

 

-------Mikel-------Fabregas----

 

Pedro-----Willian-------Hazard

 

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

 

I think it is the best XI with the players we have today... I really want to see Willian play CAM, ask it for months and months....

 

French journalist think that Chelsea will "park the bus" tonight, I don't think so.... We will have to be ambitious tonight and score at least once.

Baba shouldn't play LB in this game, Guss should bring in Miazga for Terry then baba should play LW because of his dangerous crosses and he can also fall back at times to protect Azpilicueta and the defence. I miss Ramires, he could have played RB for us so Ivanovic can play CB.

Sorry to disagree but better Rahman mate

This feel like 2012 when everyone wrote us off we went into every match as underdogs and dug in and won the thing let's see what these guys are made of this could be career defining for them. Unfortunately i won't watch it.

Is there enough of the 2012 side to champion enough of that title winning side's spirit? Who knows.

 

 

That team had leaders throughout the team from Cech to JT to Lamps to Didier and ever players like Ashley. Those were real men in my opinion.

 

I don't think we have that quite yet but that was a very special group of players who missed out when they arguably should've been the best in the world around 2008-ish. That was a last shot for a few of them and the culmination of a journey that started in 2004. 

 

This team doesn't have that in my opinion but anything can happen in cup competitions.

I see a certain someone is back to milk his five minutes...look, I was disgusted as anyone by what happened on the Paris metro last year, but there is something about this guy that just wreaks of opportunism...just heard him on the radio now, saying he associates chelsea with the far right and moans club has done nothing to help him over past year...sounds to me like he wants a payday...I remember he ignored clubs invite to second leg last year and snubbed their apology...not sure what else cfc should do, given that they did ban five fans for the incident...anyway, here's a link to some of what souleymane said

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/champions-league-tie-is-reopening-wounds-says-french-man-racially-abused-by-chelsea-fans-on-metro-a3181096.html

Won't follow that link.  Not interested as everything that could be said was said at the time.

I am positive. Team pretty much picks itself with jt and matic out. Only question really is Oscar or Pedro. Subs will be interesting as 'arry rednapp would say we're down to the bare bones. Presuming Oscar gets nod Subs Pedro, RLC, Kennedy, traore, begovic, mazga, remy or pato?

Only other option could be that Guus decides to leave Haz on bench and bring on later but I can't really see that.

Let's do this 2-1 to Chels.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo excited, like a little kid on Christmas Eve.

Good morning!

 

Still 9 hours to wait, the time is spending slowly...   (I'm very stressed by the way)

 

I share you my XI for tonight!

 

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

 

Azpi---Iva-----Cahill------Baba

 

-------Mikel-------Fabregas----

 

Pedro-----Willian-------Hazard

 

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

 

I think it is the best XI with the players we have today... I really want to see Willian play CAM, ask it for months and months....

 

French journalist think that Chelsea will "park the bus" tonight, I don't think so.... We will have to be ambitious tonight and score at least once.

I think they are right, I think we will try and park the bus tonight, I'm not sure what to think about it as we tried that last year and ok we got a draw but on another day it would have been 3/4-1, the only thing that would suggest that we might not try that is the fact that we do not have Matic tonight. I think he would have for sure played with Mikel tonight if he was available. 

 

I think much of this game depends on the fitness of Veratti, think he's a brilliant player and hes the engine of their midfield, he absolutely bossed us last year in midfield and he's arguably their most important player

I see a certain someone is back to milk his five minutes...look, I was disgusted as anyone by what happened on the Paris metro last year, but there is something about this guy that just wreaks of opportunism...just heard him on the radio now, saying he associates chelsea with the far right and moans club has done nothing to help him over past year...sounds to me like he wants a payday...I remember he ignored clubs invite to second leg last year and snubbed their apology...not sure what else cfc should do, given that they did ban five fans for the incident...anyway, here's a link to some of what souleymane said

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/champions-league-tie-is-reopening-wounds-says-french-man-racially-abused-by-chelsea-fans-on-metro-a3181096.html

 

Been on about this all morning on radio 5.

 

Shame they don't dedicate a morning of radio towards something important, like the Euro referendum.

Will people stop talking about Mizaga, he is not going to play, you cannot come from MLS and play in a Champions league game, there is more chance of Mikel playing centre back ahead of him. 

 

Also just hearing breaking news that Simeone will be our next manager, a good appointment if true

This feel like 2012 when everyone wrote us off we went into every match as underdogs and dug in and won the thing let's see what these guys are made of this could be career defining for them. Unfortunately i won't watch it.

 

I just thinking the same! *nervous smile*

 

We play better being underdogs, we play better when certain formalities, like JT being captain and CB, are not at our disposal, we play better when we are forced to adapt and change!

 

Who needs 4th place when we can win the Champions League!! 

 

....too soon!?

Edited February 16, 201610 yr by ButchersHook