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

 

----Aina----Terry----Cahill----Azpi

 

--------Kante--------Chalobah

 

---------------Fabregas

 

---Cuadrado---------Hazard

 

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

 

 

A few points:

- Batshuayi won't start so I think we'll play one striker up top

- Two world class wingers in Cuadrado and Hazard will be too much for West Ham's defence to handle

- Matic to be replaced with Chalobah who has looked excellent in the pre-season

 

Scoreline:

Chelsea 3 (Cuadrado 9, 10, Hazard 77)

West Ham 1 (Carroll 44)

 

MOTM:

Juan Cuadrado

 

COYB

 

 

Would be more than happy for your prediction to come good but I should take it easy on those drugs Fella.

So many are saying JT is done and finished yet last season they wanted the club to give him a new contract.

Would be more than happy for your prediction to come good but I should take it easy on those drugs Fella.

 

Or at least share them.

Kante apart,its gona be the same team that ended last season, the club is a shambles,has been for a while now, you think the threat if missing out on CL again and turning into a liverpool would force the board to actually make an impact, they f**ked mourinho with it and probably will f**k conte with it

Awesome - thanks for this. Just booked a quick weekend trip up from Switzerland with the Mrs. We were planning to catch the game at a pub down FB on Monday - actually watching us kick-off the new campaign at the Bridge, on-form, against the pikeys, would be the perfect weekend. 

 

I've been lucky enough to score tickets through family/Kiwi expats with memberships in the past, so haven't dealt with general sales before...

 

Could anyone please offer a little insight around: what the online purchase process is like/how these tickets are allocated, rough number of tickets available, or overall likelihood of securing a couple come Thursday morning? 

 

I expect vigorous F5'ing, sluggish server response, time-outs and tears...

 

Cheers

These tickets were just the last few returns - all the others will have been sold long ago.  As you say, sales are a constant F5ing and cursing - for West Ham game, weeks ago.  If you want to go to Spammers try ticket exchange or if worst comes to worst try outside the match - don't pay over the odds but you may find a genuine fan selling a spare for face price - I have in the past (sometimes the best place is in the pub!)

Kante apart,its gona be the same team that ended last season, the club is a shambles,has been for a while now, you think the threat if missing out on CL again and turning into a liverpool would force the board to actually make an impact, they f**ked mourinho with it and probably will f**k conte with it

 

The team won the league not long ago. Everything last season was a disaster, pre-season, tired players overused the previous season, players fed up with Jose's poison. We need a couple of defenders but I think the defense was made to look a little worse than it is by the lack of effort and disorganisation that went with the breakdown of relationship between players and manager. We didn't need 5 or 6 new starters, but we needed depth (something Jose got rid of by never playing the squad, forcing us to sell unsettled players). Anyone who thinks we have the 10th most talented squad is drunk and I want some.

Edited August 10, 20169 yr by cuppaT

Here's to the new season, 17 days and counting, wishing us all a very happy one !!!!

 

The old chapter of the Golden era in our history is inked in, a new chapter in our clubs future begins.

 

When was the last time (if ever) we started the season with an evening KO ?

 

Conte v Bilic to start the season off, this could get tasty on the touchline.

 

COYB

 

Just two years ago at Burnley

Kante apart,its gona be the same team that ended last season, the club is a shambles,has been for a while now, you think the threat if missing out on CL again and turning into a liverpool would force the board to actually make an impact, they f**ked mourinho with it and probably will f**k conte with it

 

That was barely an excuse for Jose to leave us 16th, point above relegation teams in mid December.

The team won the league not long ago. Everything last season was a disaster, pre-season, tired players overused the previous season, players fed up with Jose's poison. We need a couple of defenders but I think the defense was made to look a little worse than it is by the lack of effort and disorganisation that went with the breakdown of relationship between players and manager. We didn't need 5 or 6 new starters, but we needed depth (something Jose got rid of by never playing the squad, forcing us to sell unsettled players). Anyone who thinks we have the 10th most talented squad is drunk and I want some.

We need to stop saying we won the league two seasons ago, that is all history now. I would argue we need 4 starters (a LB, a CB, a midfielder & a winger). Everyone around us is improving but we seem to be stuck in 2014. It is not squad depth we should be after, but improving on some starters who are not good enough IMO. Bar Kante we really have improved our starting 11, and our defence is scary as things stand.

We need to stop saying we won the league two seasons ago, that is all history now. I would argue we need 4 starters (a LB, a CB, a midfielder & a winger). Everyone around us is improving but we seem to be stuck in 2014. It is not squad depth we should be after, but improving on some starters who are not good enough IMO. Bar Kante we really have improved our starting 11, and our defence is scary as things stand.

Arsenal and Spurs havent done much in the market

We are so short at the back it is just unreal. I really do not see the point in sending Nathan Ake out on loan,I think he could have done a job at left back so Dave can go back to right back. Any attacking intent that Dave had in the first place has been sucked out of him by playing left back, need to get him back at right back ASAP. 

I would like to see us try somethin like this : 

             Tibo

      Branna Cahill Terry(I know no pace but what option have we got)

Dave                          Willian

               Kante

        Cesc     Oscar(judging on pre season alone)

              Hazard

              Costa

 

Surely with the defensive options we have Conte will have to have been working on this. 

 

What I expect is: 

           Tibo

Branna Cahill Terry Dave

            Kante 

Willian   Oscar    Pedro

           Hazard

            Costa

Edited August 11, 20169 yr by mullincfc

What's the most infuriating lineup I can think of?

 

Courtois

 

Aina

Ivanovic

Mikel

Azpilicueta

 

Kanté

Fabregas

Oscar

 

Cuadrado

Hazard

 

Costa

Well if nothing else I expect the team to be far fitter, more motivated and, dare I say it, better organized than for the first game last season.

Even if the personnel is largely the same the result may be different. That said we all know the defence needs improving.

The only person at this point who could possibly be switched in is Aina. Personally I'd start him.

I still think Willian is far from a natural winger but I guess he will start. Kante will start so that leaves two out of matic/fab/Oscar. If Oscar can do matic's job defensively I'd go with him. Trouble is its still a fairly slow midfield save Kante.

I hope Pedro starts

There hasn't been a lot of changes to the squad in the off-season. We've cleared out some deadwood on the fringes but Kante is our only real asset that will improve the team as it stands. The jury is out on Michy, but he seems like a highly-fancied striker by others so I hope he goes well for us this season.

 

We really need to start well this year and build some early season confidence because our poor start last season really set the tone for the rest of the season. The defence is the biggest concern for mine but Conte is a capable manager of finding a way to set up the defence to not concede frequently despite the current shortcomings we have in that part of the ground.

 

I'm fascinated by how Conte will tactically set up and which players he will select for Monday night. Here's hoping we're motivated and mentally and physically ready to fight like never before.

 

Conte's repetitively emphasised on the notion of the competitive nature that is required for our team to have success which is a far cry from last season's debacle, so here's hoping his message is reflected in the way our players conduct themselves.

 

Very relieved that the season is starting now.

Edited August 11, 20169 yr by Jezz

maybe i missed something, but I don't know how some people have Cuadrado ahead of Willian in their line ups?  Can you please enlighten me lads on what I am missing here cause even in pre season, i havent yet seen how Cuadrado is better or preferred to Willian??

maybe i missed something, but I don't know how some people have Cuadrado ahead of Willian in their line ups?  Can you please enlighten me lads on what I am missing here cause even in pre season, i havent yet seen how Cuadrado is better or preferred to Willian??

 

Because Willian doesn't look up to speed yet. Cuadrado actually looked ok in pre-season and much fitter.

maybe i missed something, but I don't know how some people have Cuadrado ahead of Willian in their line ups?  Can you please enlighten me lads on what I am missing here cause even in pre season, i havent yet seen how Cuadrado is better or preferred to Willian??

There are lots of drugs being passed about...........

 

It gets in their heads and they don't think straight 

Whatever the line up, our defense will leak like a sieve, especially against the likes of Carroll and Payet........our forward line might just bale us out....3-2 or 4-3 scoreline looks about right 

Whatever the line up, our defense will leak like a sieve, especially against the likes of Carroll and Payet........our forward line might just bale us out....3-2 or 4-3 scoreline looks about right

Doubt we would even score, as Westham has a world class defense compared to ours even with Cresswell out

we havent done too badly in the first10 years, but this 2 years is getting worse and worse

 

Sorry to pile on in the "match thread sh*tstorm"," but to claim we "haven't done too badly" in the first ten years is an amazingly ridiculous statement, and one that reeks of troll, or JCL fan.

 

This bodes well - the matchday thread is already a sh*tshow a full week before the game has even started.

 

 

It's almost as astonishing as your line-up, Joe!

 

I think we'll play a 4-3-3.  Be interesting to see who the middle 3 are.  If Matic is sat, then I think he'll be offski.  Probably see Chalobah and RLC on the bench.  However, no RLC on the bench, then I assume he's off on loan, and we are not going to see the experiment of him playing up front (which would then add to the slightly bizazre Traore loan move).

 

I think Kante as the DM is  a certain, and if Aina starts at RB, then that's a little more cover for him than when it's just Cesc and Matic in a mid 2.

 

                                  Tibo

           Aina          Cahill    Terry    Dave

                                   Kante

                           Cesc         Matic

  Willian                                                 Hazard

                                  Costa

Sadly think it will be a 1-2 loss or 1-1 draw. Then it will be panic buy mode.

Conte made it very clear we need to be in contention till the very end. He didn't say we aim for title or top four he specifically said we need to be there in contention. That indicates he will play it safe in many aspects of the game. I think a draw is minimum here, probably a win.

I want to see this:

Courtois

Aina Cahill Terry Azpilicueta

Chalobah

Fabregas Kante

Cuadrado Costa Hazard

Likely:

Courtois

Ivanovic Cahill Terry Azpilicueta

Kante

Fabregas Matic

Willian Costa Hazard

Think that defence will struggle against Carrol and West Ham will put someone on the left wing who can ruin Ivanovic, his the clear weakness.

 

They bought Andre Ayew. Chances are he will run down that flank and cause Ivanovic all sort of issues. Payet, Kouyate, Feghouli (excellent free purchase for West Ham by the way, even if just a 1-2 season buy) in midfield and Lanzini probably running at Azpi. 

 

With our defence I fret for the game.