On 10/02/2019 at 15:06, cfcblue said:

I think this will be light relief... come at the right time... I can see us playing well...

A comedy then?  

I expect Sarri & his coaching staff to prioritize this comp now, realistically it could be the only way to secure top 4 and keep his job. So we shall probably see most of the bottlers from Sunday in the team again, probably at the expense of the upcoming FA cup tie vs BFA's Scum yarnited (who can be beat with fast counter attacking football apparently !). Expect a narrow away win like the group games tbh.

Im really not looking forward to this one. That being said ill be watching and hoping for a win. I just dont have much enthusiasm for this team or the manager. Id obviously love to see some of the fringe players get a chance, but even if they do, it will only mean the same predictable lineup in the Premier League.

Christensen is our best defender on current form, Emerson has been performing better than Alonso bar one bad performance again Bmouth. CHO has to be finally given a chance. And for me so does RLC. However i feel like they need to be facing UTD rather than Malmo. 

Ps do any of you think if zivchenko was in our team he would be given a chance or Dalot at UTD. Kimpembe or Kehrer at PSG or Zaniolo at Roma who all played today. I feel all these young up and coming footballers turned managers are embracing this new pressing attacking philosphy and blooding talented youngsters. And whilst that is what we brought Sarri in to do, i feel like he is too set in his ways, and its destroying the morale. He only trusts older players by the looks of it, and refuses to change or adapt in even the slightest of ways.

Edited February 13, 20197 yr by Oli

Must win for our confidence. We have to freshen up the starting XI and if they perform we should stick with them. I'd play the below team.

Kepa

Zappa - Rudiger - Andreas - Emerson

  Kante -  Kovacic -  RLC

   CHO - Higuain - Hazard

9 hours ago, Oli said:

Christensen is our best defender on current form, Emerson has been performing better than Alonso bar one bad performance again Bmouth

So, which is it? They haven't had a "proper chance"  (copyright all the top club managers who are members of this forum) or they are better then those they would replace?

What "current form" are you judging Christensen on?  He's hardly played.  Same for Emerson.  I'd agree about CHO, exciting, if a bit raw.  RLC I'm still not convinced about.  Sometimes he looks something special, sometimes he just looks like a lazy lump with the touch of a  baby elephant.  On Sunday, he might as well have not come on and let us play with 10 men, a couple of games earlier in the season he looked like a nailed-on first team starter and game changer.  That's what is so frustrating about him.

i don't think this game will tell us very much at all about the response to Sunday (unless of course the guys down tools completely and we lose 6-0 to Malmo!) - I expect us to win but falter again against Man Utd. That's who we've become..... 

I still can't see Sarri being a success here, but am very confident of a win against United

Last three away games 2-0, 4-0, 6-0 you know what's coming next!!!!!

We are losing 8-0? Not gonna happen in this generation?

39 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

So, which is it? They haven't had a "proper chance"  (copyright all the top club managers who are members of this forum) or they are better then those they would replace?

What "current form" are you judging Christensen on?  He's hardly played.  Same for Emerson.  I'd agree about CHO, exciting, if a bit raw.  RLC I'm still not convinced about.  Sometimes he looks something special, sometimes he just looks like a lazy lump with the touch of a  baby elephant.  On Sunday, he might as well have not come on and let us play with 10 men, a couple of games earlier in the season he looked like a nailed-on first team starter and game changer.  That's what is so frustrating about him.

Did we have 10 men on the pitch on Sunday? I counted 4 at most

Willy

Zappa - Rudiger - Andreas - Emerson

RLC - Ampadu -  Kovacic

CHO - Giroud - Willian

 

We need Rudiger against United

don't see us win tomorrow

1 hour ago, yorkleyblue said:

 RLC I'm still not convinced about.  Sometimes he looks something special, sometimes he just looks like a lazy lump with the touch of a  baby elephant.  On Sunday, he might as well have not come on and let us play with 10 men, a couple of games earlier in the season he looked like a nailed-on first team starter and game changer.  That's what is so frustrating about him.

I agree he still has a lot to prove, but on the basis of the statement I have highlighted, he is already ahead of Barkley and for me he should be getting selected on that basis.

I have no issue with Jorginho & Kante being in the starting 11, but I do believe the remaining slot on the left needs to contain a player who can provide a real threat to goal, with direct pace and power. RLC has shown he has that in his locker. He looks like he can cause teams problems, which Ross Barkley really isn't doing with any sort of regularity.

 

I'm not arguing with that, it's like everything, consistency is key.  We can't have the entire forum going up  in flames about the inconsistency of various scapegoats of the day on one hand and then saying that our chosen "great new hope" of the day can be inconsistent because we like him.

I agree he should be ahead of Barkley, maybe even Kovacic, or at least sharing time with him, but how long before we all turn on him if he phones in three or four consecutive performances like Sunday's.

Like I said earlier, sometimes  you'd think he was the future of our Champions League winning side, dominating Europe and the Premier league for a decade,  and sometimes he looks like he's never met his team mates or a football before, and can't be arsed to learn.

I really do hope it's the first.

36 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

I'm not arguing with that, it's like everything, consistency is key.  We can't have the entire forum going up  in flames about the inconsistency of various scapegoats of the day on one hand and then saying that our chosen "great new hope" of the day can be inconsistent because we like him.

I agree he should be ahead of Barkley, maybe even Kovacic, or at least sharing time with him, but how long before we all turn on him if he phones in three or four consecutive performances like Sunday's.

Like I said earlier, sometimes  you'd think he was the future of our Champions League winning side, dominating Europe and the Premier league for a decade,  and sometimes he looks like he's never met his team mates or a football before, and can't be arsed to learn.

I really do hope it's the first.

That is completely our problem thinking about it. 

Who in our squad is inconsistent... to varying levels:

Barkley

RLC

Willian 

Pedro

Hazard (patchy)

Luiz

Azpi (this season) 

Emerson (Jury still out but he played well against Spurs then awful against Bournemouth)

Even now Rudi is inconsistent.

Arguably the only players that show the same consistency are Giroud, Kante, Kovacic, Kepa, Christensen, CHO & Ampadu.

 

33 minutes ago, rtwelch said:

That is completely our problem thinking about it. 

Who in our squad is inconsistent... to varying levels:

Barkley

RLC

Willian 

Pedro

Hazard (patchy)

Luiz

Azpi (this season) 

Emerson (Jury still out but he played well against Spurs then awful against Bournemouth)

Even now Rudi is inconsistent.

Arguably the only players that show the same consistency are Giroud, Kante, Kovacic, Kepa, Christensen, CHO & Ampadu.

 

I'd argue with your list of ones showing consistency as well.  The only ones who are consistent are Kante (almost consistently running,  like the Duracell bunny) and Giroud, consistently not quite there at the right time  or in the right place.

12 minutes ago, yorkleyblue said:

I'd argue with your list of ones showing consistency as well.  The only ones who are consistent are Kante (almost consistently running,  like the Duracell bunny) and Giroud, consistently not quite there at the right time  or in the right place.

Kovacic consistently just above average?

CHO consistently looking lively but lacking that killer edge? etc no?

found an update from Malmo

 

2 hours ago, rtwelch said:

 

Arguably the only players that show the same consistency are Giroud, Kante, Kovacic, Kepa, Christensen, CHO & Ampadu.

 

Consistently missing chances but helping Eden play better, consistently the man & a class act, consistently subbed on or off at the 65 minute mark, consistently Danish, consistently on the bench, and consistently not even in the squad.

.....sorry, Im bored and neglecting work

Looks like Emerson will get the start tomorrow, Alonso hasn't traveled, but unfortunately neither has RLC

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/2/13/chelsea-squad-flies-to-malmo

Edited February 13, 20197 yr by mwblue10

For god sake just play some of the youngsters, at least they give a damn.

Ruben is out with recurring back trouble. Alonso isn't with the squad "rested"... Alonso probably starts on Monday 

 

RLC always injured. Very frustrating

3 hours ago, rtwelch said:

RLC always injured. Very frustrating

As a sufferer of reoccurring back injuries I can confirm, it is very frustrating. 

8 hours ago, Skinnedy said:

Ruben is out with recurring back trouble. Alonso isn't with the squad "rested"... Alonso probably starts on Monday 

 

I'm hoping Alonso is scheduled for a nice, long "rest" . I think he's earned it 

Game Day.

Come on Chelsea !

12-0 tonight. To Malmo obviously