Well, now all our focus must be on this. We're already in the FA Cup final, we can't blow this chance of what would still be a memorable season.

We need to put away our chances - simple. They will score, we have to too.

Don't know if anyone else has reported this, but it's been announced that Ricky Carvalho left Stamford Bridge on crutches and will NOT be playing on Tuesday.

Yeh. I posted elsewhere. He is out for the rest of the season. With that in mind we will definitely have to take the game to them on Tuesday. The players have no time to dwell on today's result. They must pick themselves up and go there with renewed purpose. We will need JT back to his very best at least.

Carvalho out, Essien out of the midfield to cover for him, and Ballack has just had surgery on his ankle. Liverfool have rested virtually their whole team and we have just lost the Premiership.

Happy days.

Bottom line for me is that Boula has to play in the centre to release Essien into midfield. Jose you signed him so lets see you place your faith in him.

Agreed Loz, and he should have come on today for Carvalho.

EVEN if Boulharouz isn't match fit...EVEN so...he should've played AT LEAST to get some time on the pitch to see how he could do against Liverpool.

It's not as much for the issue of having another center back playing asides JT....could've been ANYONE there....except Essien FFS ! Most of the players are jaded...Essien isn't (and i wonder if he ever will).

I'm off to blame it all on the wife now.

Jose said 'at this moment, the way he left, i dont think he will play' .. something on those lines

if thats the case .. we might well see Carvalho start the game, how many times has Jose said a player might not play and that player has started!

I think Jose will want to play Mikel and Maka in MF .. was well as Lampard and Joey, so Sheva and Drogba start upfront. That means Essien will slot in at CB.

Oh - Jose has confirmed that he is out for sure

---PF---Essien---Terry---Cole

-------Maka-----Mikel

---Lampard-----------Joey

---Drogba-------------Sheva

.

Doubt he will risk it with Boula, who has not played in a while.

Thats all we need eh , Riccy out for Tuesday.

Still think we've a strong side though , but he's a huge loss for such a big game .

at the end of the day lads, you score one and you win, so i dont know why you are worrying about your defence too much. you are in the driving seat, big time.

at the end of the day lads, you score one and you win, so i dont know why you are worrying about your defence too much. you are in the driving seat, big time.

I'd only share your confidence in us if we'd won the first game 4-0! We have the advantage, but only a slight one. We have to stay solid early on, something which will be that much harder without Riccy. One early goal from Liverpool (as they did in the CC final and the two semis) will gee up the crowd and the players and really put us under the kosh. But if we score first, then I think that would be it. It's still very finely balanced.

at the end of the day lads, you score one and you win, so i dont know why you are worrying about your defence too much. you are in the driving seat, big time.

If Bolton can score two on us, then Pool can score 3.

Then again, I guess the players will be more alert when it's a Champions League semi-final

Well .. without putting the mockers on but not being too full of doom and gloom, all I want to say is that should Tuesday's game be to Bolton at home as the first leg was to Newcastle away ... no I think I'll shut up now. It's a very close call.

What's the deal with Boulahrouz? Is he still alive? Is he turning into Chelsea version of Kewell? What was the purpose of buying him if we have to play Essien as CB?

I'm absolutelly gutted at hearing about Carvs and Ballack. Mikel has to step up now.

I know Boulah from the Bundesliga, when he was at Hamburg, he is a good CB, just a little to agresiv, iv Jose asks me i would let him play next to JT, and let Essien in the midfield where hi can help us best!

I just hope that we score one!

Boulahrouz is not listed as injured

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_ ... _table.php

Surely that means he'll play alongside JT at Anfield?

Well he wasn't injured today yet he didn't come on to replace Carvalho when he was injured and we all saw what happened for Bolton's second equaliser. That was a direct consequence of selecting a midfielder to do central defender's job.

i have consulted mystic meg and she predicts that boulahrouz will ask for a transfer this summer!

nice to see jose is just as clairevoyant (spell check please)...liverpool played a second string today...funny that...media made out jose was being disrespectful when he said the other day that liverpool are just a cup team and have been only playing for champs league since january...what say they now?

Maybe Brit but lets be honest if we were in the same position as Liverpool we would have done exactly the same thing today - they have nothing left to play for domestically and therefore it makes perfect sense to be prepared to throw the points today and focus on Tuesday's game.

I suggested to play Boula instead of Ricky against Bolton in a match thread. Now we're left with dead tired starting lineup and are missing a key defender.

I'm sick and tired of Jose's 'squad holes cover signings' that turn into a waste of time and money(Jarosik,Maniche,Kezman,etc).

He was moaning back in January that he's left with no centerhalfs. What's the problem now? Is Boulahrouz really that poor that he'd rather play Essien instead in the center of defence? And if that's the case, whose idea was it to buy him?

I'm baffled.

a big hoo hah was made of the fact boulha was arnesen's signing and the way jose has treated him seems to suggest that's true...he didn't like sheva either and look what happened to him earlier in the season...the difference is roman wanted sheva, boulha doesn't have as powerful friends

Not sure if I but that Brit - if Jose is deliberately treating him this way because he feels that the ttransfer was forced upon him then why did he select him in the CL against Barcelona?

Not sure if I but that Brit - if Jose is deliberately treating him this way because he feels that the ttransfer was forced upon him then why did he select him in the CL against Barcelona?

I can remeber, that boulah made a good job against ronaldinho, at the bridge he was like a bulldog on fire, ronaldiho couldn t move propper without to have boulahs breathe on his neck!

Boulah is a good defender for shure!

i hope he bring him in!

i am just afraid of the referee, could be that they preffer the sapniard at pool!

Boula at CB. Without a doubt

-------------------------------Cech----------------------------------

----------PF-------------Boula------JT------------------Ashley-----

-------------------------------Maka----------------------------------

-----------------------Lampard----Essien---------------------------

--------------------------------Joey----------------------------------

--------------------------Sheva-Drogba-----------------------------