16 minutes ago, dansubrosa said:

I’d go for this

Kepa

Azpi Luiz Rudiger Emerson

RLC Jorginho Kante

Willian Higuain Hazard

I feel Pedro would make a bigger impact from the bench, rather than starting.

Hmm, maybe look to bring him on for Willian after 10 minutes...........................!

9 minutes ago, Nibs said:

No Striker?

f**k me, I hope not. I would have Giroud in for either Jorginho or Barkley.

OGS went for a back 5 against city, he knew utd wouldn't have much ball time, he hoped to counter city with Rashford and Lingard.....and it worked for the first half, almost. So i'm expecting the same thing to happen, he knows we are more vulnerable to counters than city are, so he's bound to try it again.

So if he goes with 3 center backs we would either have to go with either two up front and nothing out wide, or go false 9 and have four in midfield (trumps their 3) and two wide players, then use the three attacking midfielders to get into the box feeding off the wide balls from Eden and Pedro.

If we dump one up front, they will be on their own with not much support from the midfield, i can just see Higuain or Giroud running round amongst a forest of red shirts.

can see us choke another one easly

3 hours ago, buzzcfc said:

This cult following that Sarri has is very bizarre. He is the worst Chelsea manager that I can remember, constantly fails to change things when it is clearly not working and will make all of the same mistakes again on Sunday.

Sarri's followers baffle me, it's as if all the sh*t results and pathetic performances and inept managerial mistakes are to be ignored, I can only come to the conclusion that they are fans that don't attend games and pay their hard earned money watching this fraud that is totally out of his depth, we all know what's going to happen Sunday, let's not kid ourselves. 3-1 utd

Quick question is Sarri banned from touchline Sunday, as sent off Monday? If so, don't anyone suggest smuggling him in via a laundry basket.

2 hours ago, coco said:

OGS went for a back 5 against city, he knew utd wouldn't have much ball time, he hoped to counter city with Rashford and Lingard.....and it worked for the first half, almost. So i'm expecting the same thing to happen, he knows we are more vulnerable to counters than city are, so he's bound to try it again.

So if he goes with 3 center backs we would either have to go with either two up front and nothing out wide, or go false 9 and have four in midfield (trumps their 3) and two wide players, then use the three attacking midfielders to get into the box feeding off the wide balls from Eden and Pedro.

If we dump one up front, they will be on their own with not much support from the midfield, i can just see Higuain or Giroud running round amongst a forest of red shirts.

I agree OGS is likely to go on the counter attack and think we will stick with the customary 4-3-3.

The match might depend on who scores that first goal.

Have a feeling we are considering starting with Willian on the Left to stretch the Utd defence with Hazard on the bench for later introduction. 

2 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Quick question is Sarri banned from touchline Sunday, as sent off Monday? If so, don't anyone suggest smuggling him in via a laundry basket.

and 

Feels like an age since we got a result at OT. We've got it in us to get a result. Away from home this season against the teams in the top seven we've been poor, not even a point so far.     

Man City 0-6

Liverpool 0-2

Spurs 1-3 

Arsenal 0-2

Wolves 1-2 

I can't see us not conceding and we will again struggle to convert possession into goals. Maybe a draw which is a step in the right direction... 

I am expecting nothing, sadly. 

Two poor sides these days!!

Wow,what a depressing bunch on here.

 

On 24/04/2019 at 06:15, Dean said:

This is our record against teams mostly above us, so no it is not "pretty bad" but about bang in line with what it should be.

of course one of the reasons those teams are ahead of us, is because of our poor record against them on the road.

1-0-6 on the road against the Top 10

Outscored 18-4

1. @ City - L
2. @ Liverpool - L
3. @ Spurs - L
5. @ Arsenal - L
6. @ United - ?
7. @ Wolves - L
8. @ Watford - W
9. @ Everton - L
10. @ Leicester - ?

might not be relevant, but I'm sensing a pattern here... and that pattern doesn't exactly fill me full of confidence....

but I'm also dumb enough to get excited for the game, because United has been equally woeful the past month.

Edited April 25, 20197 yr by Skinnedy

Expecting a great game Sarri-ball clicking 100% a flawless game of football from Chelsea from start to finish. Hazard will even scores a hit-trick while playing up top.0-4 Blues

Then I woke up.

8 minutes ago, Skinnedy said:

of course one of the reasons those teams are ahead of us, is because of our poor record against them on the road.

1-0-6 on the road against the Top 10

Outscored 18-4

1. @ City - L
2. @ Liverpool - L
3. @ Spurs - L
5. @ Arsenal - L
6. @ United - ?
7. @ Wolves - L
8. @ Watford - W
9. @ Everton - L
10. @ Leicester - ?
11. @ West Ham - D

might not be relevant, but I'm sensing a pattern here... and that pattern doesn't exactly fill me full of confidence....

but I'm also dumb enough to get excited for the game, because United has been equally woeful the past month.

let's hope Phil Jones get the start - that is like candy to The Mighty Eden's eyes

1 minute ago, robdog said:

let's hope Phil Jones get the start - that is like candy to The Mighty Eden's eyes

 

It really ha been unbelievable just HOW bad we've been on the road... even poor would have us comfortably in third... but we'd have to step up to reach poor.

 

Our head to head record against Utd at their place is not good. Since the past five seasons we have the following record at OT: 

W - 0

Drawn - 2 

Lost - 2 

I expect the worst, but hope for the best. A draw would be an acceptable result for us. They are 3 points behind us. We just have to draw vs Utd and win our next two games and we have a great chance of making top four. Easier said than done I know. 

Edited April 25, 20197 yr by enigma

Expecting a great game Sarri-ball clicking 100% a flawless game of football from Chelsea from start to finish. Hazard will even scores a hit-trick while playing up top.0-4 Blues
Then I woke up.

Give that man some more sleeping pills.

17 hours ago, chi blue said:

Sarri's followers baffle me, it's as if all the sh*t results and pathetic performances and inept managerial mistakes are to be ignored, I can only come to the conclusion that they are fans that don't attend games and pay their hard earned money watching this fraud that is totally out of his depth, we all know what's going to happen Sunday, let's not kid ourselves. 3-1 utd

Actually i'd say it's the other way round. His "followers" accept he has his flaws but the one's that want him out use the worst mental gymnastics going to paint him as the villian of the piece for every little thing, case in point the constant spin regarding Odoi.

42 minutes ago, Argo said:

Actually i'd say it's the other way round. His "followers" accept he has his flaws but the one's that want him out use the worst mental gymnastics going to paint him as the villian of the piece for every little thing, case in point the constant spin regarding Odoi.

Unfortunately he has to many flaws to be a manager of top premiership club in my opinion, no authority, tactically niave and to stubborn, and admits can't motivate team, has even suggested he would not go in changing rooms at half time if it improved our second half performances, and finally the football, played at pre season friendly pace all season. I'm sorry but should never have got job and way out of his depth, but hey even if I don't rate him one little bit, if we make top 4 or win Europa then fair play to him, and credit where credits due, but honestly think we'll f**k up both.

If Rudiger is back for this game, I'm feeling much more positive then. 

United are pretty sh*t, but they still have quality. Hazard is unstoppable, we need to play with more aggression, more attacking vision. We can beat them.

------------- Kepa --------------

Azpi - Rudiger - Luiz - Emerson

--- Kante -- Jorignho -- RLC ---

-- Willian -- Higuain -- Hazard --

 

COME ON CHELS, LET'S DO THIS!

Utd are strong in attack though recently they have been misfiring.

Their defence is their weak point and some might argue so is ours.

I like the idea of Hazard being on the bench for the first half and coming on against tired Man U defenders, as let's face at home they will kick him and pull him down.

I would also like RLC to come off the bench too as I feel his intro as a sub is far more effective than him starting, not sure why.

 

On 24/04/2019 at 11:36, Nibs said:

I take all that on board but some seem to be happy to keep on backing him despite pretty damning evidence that he isn't doing that good a job.

I honestly don't know what to expect from one game to the next. There have been occasions where I have been presently surprised at the side Sarri selected and how well the team performed. But they have been outweighed by a lot of poor, mind-numbingly boring performances where we have either lost or drawn and barely had a shot on goal. So I can well understand folk going into the United game with pessimism - let's just hope we are all a lot happier come Sunday and for that to happen Sarri needs to get it right. 

I think our main difference is that I see a decent chance that Sarri (based on a higher opinion than you have of his abilities as a coach) can improve our ratio of pleasant surprises to mind-numbingly boring performance, but just needs time. You could have used some version of your comment to describe: Man City in their first year under Pep, Liverpool’s first season under Klopp, Tottenham’s first with Pochettino. You realise Sarri shares your frustration with those poor performances?

30 minutes ago, Dean said:

I think our main difference is that I see a decent chance that Sarri (based on a higher opinion than you have of his abilities as a coach) can improve our ratio of pleasant surprises to mind-numbingly boring performance, but just needs time. You could have used some version of your comment to describe: Man City in their first year under Pep, Liverpool’s first season under Klopp, Tottenham’s first with Pochettino. You realise Sarri shares your frustration with those poor performances?

You could be right but then again, anyone who is Pro-Sarri keeps on using the Pep, Klopp, Poch comparison but what are they basing it on? Those three coaches are all highly respected coaches and all of them could probably walk into any job going. Sarri isn't of the same calibre. If Chelsea sack Sarri, he wouldn't be considered for Man Utd, Barca, Real Madrid etc. He MIGHT get to that stage, but I have seen little to convince me that he will.

 

I had a dream that we beat Arsenal 6-1 in the FA Cup Final but that Eden Hazard broke his arm (compound fracture) in two places after scoring a hat trick. I don't know what to make of that. 

24 minutes ago, Nibs said:

You could be right but then again, anyone who is Pro-Sarri keeps on using the Pep, Klopp, Poch comparison but what are they basing it on? Those three coaches are all highly respected coaches and all of them could probably walk into any job going. Sarri isn't of the same calibre. If Chelsea sack Sarri, he wouldn't be considered for Man Utd, Barca, Real Madrid etc. He MIGHT get to that stage, but I have seen little to convince me that he will.

I think Sarri deserves a pre-season and if then by December 2019 it is not working we need to change.

Neither Pep, Klopp or Poch were great in their first season.

I do have a concern around Sarri with him identifying the players to move us forward. I'm not sure how good he is at this and then what does that mean with our youth prospects if the ban is introduced?