Yes we've been dogsh*t for a lot of games this season. But this is a one-off match in which the players should want revenge; the memory alone of losing in the 2017 Final should be motivating enough, I doubt any of them will want to repeat that experience. If we do lose I hope it's because our players just aren't good enough not because they're not motivated enough.

I don't know how we will do it yet expect we will win.

On 16/05/2019 at 18:42, Slojo said:

How is he wrong? Napoli and Valencia are two very good teams. 

He is wrong because he said that Arsenal prioritised the EL while still fighting for the top 4 which is utter nonsense, and the guy criticising him is wrong for saying your instead of you’re while calling someone an imbicile ?

5 hours ago, fitz said:

Yes we've been dogsh*t for a lot of games this season. But this is a one-off match in which the players should want revenge; the memory alone of losing in the 2017 Final should be motivating enough, I doubt any of them will want to repeat that experience. If we do lose I hope it's because our players just aren't good enough not because they're not motivated enough.

I just hope the players think like that cause I worry they wont and a lack of motivation will be what costs us.

I think this whole motivation/revenge is a fan thing as I can’t believe this bunch of players are motivated in any way by thoughts of ‘revenge’ even those who played in the game ... sorry ...

more worrying are reports in today’s paper that we are thinking of signing Higuain and Kovachik permanently! Please tell me that’s not possible....

Chelsea and Arsenal  both likely to return some of their ticket allocation. The atmosphere will be like a pre-season fixture in some far flung place. 

https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2019/5/18/18630257/chelsea-arsenal-set-to-return-half-of-already-meagre-europa-league-final-ticket-allocation-report

3 hours ago, WalterWhiteCFC said:

He is wrong because he said that Arsenal prioritised the EL while still fighting for the top 4 which is utter nonsense, and the guy criticising him is wrong for saying your instead of you’re while calling someone an imbicile ?

Ahem!  The word you are looking for is imbecile! 

Edited May 18, 20197 yr by moi

1 hour ago, moi said:

Ahem!  The word you are looking for is imbecile! 

That will teach me ?

14 hours ago, WalterWhiteCFC said:

He is wrong because he said that Arsenal prioritised the EL while still fighting for the top 4 which is utter nonsense, and the guy criticising him is wrong for saying your instead of you’re while calling someone an imbicile ?

Dolt. 

12 hours ago, OnePeterOsgood said:

I think this whole motivation/revenge is a fan thing as I can’t believe this bunch of players are motivated in any way by thoughts of ‘revenge’ even those who played in the game ... sorry ...

more worrying are reports in today’s paper that we are thinking of signing Higuain and Kovachik permanently! Please tell me that’s not possible....

I think the revenge thing depends, things like playing an old unpopular manager certainly apply for me.

I don't think revenge will be the motive for this match though do think at times players play better against certain opposition. 

Well, still 9 days until this match. Thought I would throw out the question of how each of you would prioritize the team goals each year in descending order of importance.

I am going to go with Champions League title is our top goal each year, in my opinion and could change if we hit a big drought in the Premier League.

Here goes my list:

Champions League

Premier League

Top Four PL

Europa League

FA Cup

League Cup

Super Cup

Europa League qualification

Community Shield

Your thoughts?

Come on you Chelsea!!

Keep thinking season is over, then I remember we got this game to play, really can't get excited about this, seems like an end of season friendly in some far flung country, probably because we've already qualified for champs league and all the media talk is about champs league final. Really can't see us winning, Arse have got to much at stake while our lot although scraping into 3rd place have not had the best set of results in the last 10 or so games, motivation is the big key to this one.

4 hours ago, chi blue said:

Keep thinking season is over, then I remember we got this game to play, really can't get excited about this, seems like an end of season friendly in some far flung country, probably because we've already qualified for champs league and all the media talk is about champs league final. Really can't see us winning, Arse have got to much at stake while our lot although scraping into 3rd place have not had the best set of results in the last 10 or so games, motivation is the big key to this one.

I feel very similarly. There's just no anticipation, excitement or anything for this.  I also imagine with such a long period between the season finishing and this game, there must have been a lot of time for players and manager to be thinking about the future. So with transfer bans and questions over Sarri, Higuain, Kovacic, Hazard and maybe a few others, you kind of think just how motivated/distracted will they be by the time the game finally comes around. It's utterly bonkers that it's still 10 days away and the season finished about 8 days ago.

7 hours ago, chi blue said:

Keep thinking season is over, then I remember we got this game to play, really can't get excited about this, seems like an end of season friendly in some far flung country, probably because we've already qualified for champs league and all the media talk is about champs league final. Really can't see us winning, Arse have got to much at stake while our lot although scraping into 3rd place have not had the best set of results in the last 10 or so games, motivation is the big key to this one.

You know what will happen, right?  Come next Wednesday we'll all be shouting at the television urging Chelsea along, hoping with every fibre of our body we win this.

47 minutes ago, Valerie said:

You know what will happen, right?  Come next Wednesday we'll all be shouting at the television urging Chelsea along, hoping with every fibre of our body we win this.

Yes your probably right.

Well, still 9 days until this match. Thought I would throw out the question of how each of you would prioritize the team goals each year in descending order of importance.
I am going to go with Champions League title is our top goal each year, in my opinion and could change if we hit a big drought in the Premier League.
Here goes my list:
Champions League
Premier League
Top Four PL
Europa League
FA Cup
League Cup
Super Cup
Europa League qualification
Community Shield
Your thoughts?
Come on you Chelsea!!

The only change i will make is to put the Europa league ahead of Top four.
Though I don't rate Sarri, we have had a good season with him by finishing in the Top Four and playing in two cup finals, but if Emery succeeded in beating us in the Europa final, Arsenal obviously would have had a better season by qualifying for the champions league and winning a trophy!

Kante back in training today, 

https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-arsenal-uefa-europa-league-16304549

Chelsea's like a box of chocolates this season.

Just get it over with.

My biggest worry in this game is Sarri has never won anything. Jose made that comment and it really struck home. We will miss RLC and rudigier but we didn’t have a great or at least not our best team when we won the champions league or a great coach but we still won. 

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the final for Arsenal because UEFA cannot guarantee his safety in Baku. 

If that doesn't highlight the ridiculousness of UEFA picking such a stupid venue for the final then nothing will. 

No idea why they picked Baku for European final. Fans and players are the last consideration nowadays.   

Kepa

Zappa  Azpi  Luiz  Emerson

Jorgi

Kante     Barkley

Pedro     Higuain     Hazard

Strongest team imo with what is available. We don't really need to worry about headers so i'd stick Azpi in the middle and have Zappa marauding up from full back. Barkley offers more than Kovacic but wouldn't be surprised to see Kovacic start. Higuain is the better football between himself and Giroud. Could argue Giroud should start because he scored some goals against farmers in earlier rounds, but he looks lost against proper opponents. Pedro and Willian is a flip of the coin, don't hate Pedro so went for him.

Just seen mhikitaryan can't play for safety reasons. This final becomes more of a joke as time goes on. Did that arsenal fans protest idea get an traction? It really should!

3 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the final for Arsenal because UEFA cannot guarantee his safety in Baku. 

If that doesn't highlight the ridiculousness of UEFA picking such a stupid venue for the final then nothing will. 

No idea why they picked Baku for European final. Fans and players are the last consideration nowadays.   

Oop beat me to the punch. But yeah this^

Was going through the early parts of this thread and found it odd that people were still blaming Sarri for an inability to motivate the players, largely, because he said he has trouble motivating these players at times this season.

let me translate "I have trouble motivating these players" for those who are too used to taking coach-speak literally.

"This team isn't good enough to win week in and week out. We're weak on the flanks, we're weak at fullback, and we're a giant donut-hole at striker. A team this thin is going to have its ups and downs. Not to mention a history of some of the more senior members of this club have always played when they felt like it."

My biggest complaint is that he waited too long to bench some of these over paid, entitled primadonnas. But I was much happier to hear him protect them publicly rather than throw them under the bus and bitch and complain about his squad like we've seen in previous managers. Never did I get the feeling Sarri was giving up on this group.

we've seen the core of this team go up and down for 4 years now... My biggest fear is that the transfer ban delays the clear out.

On the game itself... I'm afraid I see a replay of the FA Cup after we won the EPL and were basically on holiday. This team has already reached its main goal. 

Arsenal has way more to lose by boycotting this one, but I'd support both teams decision to boycott the final and play a "Last Whistle on Hate" Friendly that day in London. 

Wouldn't that be a Statement