52 minutes ago, coco said:

Despite Napoleon and Hitlers efforts, Russian is not in Europe, so i still don't understand why their teams play in the European competitions, especially after invading Ukraine and trying to poison half of Salisbury.

Population wise, Russia is most definitely within Europe and shares most of it's history with our European brethren. 

Admittedly, the huge chunk of Russia geographically lies within the Asian contingent, but a huge chunk of the people living there have far more in common with us in Europe than those in the Far East like China.

Looks like it is a perfect night for football in southeastern Russia

I have  been  gjving kepa a lot of stick of late due to his Gary sprake tendencies ,but for this game iam more than happy to throw him back into the deep end in hope it helps sort his act out . > In kepa i trust < aka IKIT 

14 hours ago, Scott said:

Well at least they have taken the reactor bit out the middle of Chernobyl, should be safe enough? 

14 minutes ago, SlantyTown said:

Population wise, Russia is most definitely within Europe and shares most of it's history with our European brethren. 

Admittedly, the huge chunk of Russia geographically lies within the Asian contingent, but a huge chunk of the people living there have far more in common with us in Europe than those in the Far East like China.

I have to add when we went to moscow for that CSKA CL group game a few years back ,moscow was the only city that i have been to across Europe that i would be happy to return to . Nobody spoke english - tick , your eyes was spending just as much time looking at the roof tops aswell as Street level - tick , underground station that served red square - tick tick tick , red square - tick tick tick 

5 minutes ago, SFL82 said:

Well at least they have taken the reactor bit out the middle of Chernobyl, should be safe enough? 

Wonder how close the nearest bar/ pub is ? 

11 minutes ago, ddrblue said:

I have  been  gjving kepa a lot of stick of late due to his Gary sprake tendencies ,but for this game iam more than happy to throw him back into the deep end in hope it helps sort his act out . > In kepa i trust < aka IKIT 

I see I'm not the only one to have already started drinking.

1 hour ago, coco said:

Despite Napoleon and Hitlers efforts, Russian is not in Europe, so i still don't understand why their teams play in the European competitions, especially after invading Ukraine and trying to poison half of Salisbury.

Think part of Russia is in Europe and the Soviet Union was defiantly in mainland Europe, granted not the part the team are going to that’s defiantly in Asia, but there’s a country in the Middle East that plays in European tournaments too that doesn’t even have the slightest geographical connection to Europe, that one is far more baffling. 

Ziyech on the right, Callum on the left from the start. You love to see it! Let's get it Chelsea!

Chelsea: Mendy; Azpilicueta (c), Ridiger, Zouma, Chilwell; Kovacic, Jorginho; Ziyech, Havertz, Hudson-Odoi; Werner

Subs: Caballero, Ziger, James, Tomori, Christensen, Emerson, Kante, Mount, Pulisic, Giroud, Abraham

Looks like Lampard has gone back to last season's standard of inexplicably not starting Tomori (but at least isn't starting Christensen).

But it looks like he definitely hates Alonso.

Happy with the team tonight! Jorginho-Kovacic midfield is our best pairing at the moment, Ziyech and CHO as our starting wingers!

My only issue is our CB pairing, Rudiger and Zouma together is just a nightmare waiting to happen

3 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

But it looks like he definitely hates Alonso.

Yes that's quite possible. But also. He's suspended and didn't travel. 

Just now, ForeverCarefree said:

Yes that's quite possible. But also. He's suspended and didn't travel. 

Ah yes, I definitely blocked that game out of my memory on purpose and didn't forget because of any other reason. ?

36 minutes ago, SFL82 said:

Well at least they have taken the reactor bit out the middle of Chernobyl, should be safe enough? 

Not great, not terrible.

25 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

I see I'm not the only one to have already started drinking.

T - total these days fella so as sober as a judge , i rather kepa play tonight than any prem game as the prem is far more important too me than the chumps league tbh . If kepa is still going to persist in dropping bollockkkks I can sleep with that during chumps league games of this sort > then I be happy to throw kepa under a buss or off a cliff edege without stress to my sleep pattern . 

I don't know how I feel about Werner and Havertz starting another game. Especially Werner should have been rested considering we have Tammy and Giroud in the squad and both are capable strikers that deserve game time.

Not sure why now all of a sudden Rudiger gets played over Tomori, I guess it is meant to boost his morale? Tomori would have deserved a start over him but I guess Lampard just doesn't rate him enough. 

 

Two keepers on the bench? 

7 minutes ago, reparto corse said:

I don't know how I feel about Werner and Havertz starting another game. Especially Werner should have been rested considering we have Tammy and Giroud in the squad and both are capable strikers that deserve game time.

Not sure why now all of a sudden Rudiger gets played over Tomori, I guess it is meant to boost his morale? Tomori would have deserved a start over him but I guess Lampard just doesn't rate him enough. 

 

Apparently Rudiger and Lampard have had a heart to heart quite recently with Lampard agreeing to give Rudiger the opportunity to work his way back into the team.

This is according to Matt Law on the London is Blue Podcast

8 minutes ago, ddrblue said:

T - total these days fella so as sober as a judge , i rather kepa play tonight than any prem game as the prem is far more important too me than the chumps league tbh . If kepa is still going to persist in dropping bollockkkks I can sleep with that during chumps league games of this sort > then I be happy to throw kepa under a buss or off a cliff edege without stress to my sleep pattern . 

Fair play mate - well done! Sorry for the insinuation.

Not a fan of Caballero?

Would've like to have seen Chilwell and Werner rested, maybe played Tomori there instead, but oh well, looks good. 

14 minutes ago, reparto corse said:

I don't know how I feel about Werner and Havertz starting another game. Especially Werner should have been rested considering we have Tammy and Giroud in the squad and both are capable strikers that deserve game time.

Not sure why now all of a sudden Rudiger gets played over Tomori, I guess it is meant to boost his morale? Tomori would have deserved a start over him but I guess Lampard just doesn't rate him enough. 

 

Not sure why you think Tomori is ahead of Rudiger? 

Rudiger is the 3rd best defender at the club, hes a german international, he wasn't being played because we were looking to sell him. Now we can't sell him he's back in the fold. 

Although I am one of the few people in this world who think all our defenders are actually good. I blame our defence last year entirely on Kepa (and a little bit on Willy).  

5 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

Fair play mate - well done! Sorry for the insinuation.

Not a fan of Caballero?

Yes iam a big caballero fan fella , I can’t stand it When kepa is on the bench to mendy in prem games ,should mendy get a injury at whatever prem game then kepa has to come and CFC are back to square one with kepa in goal . 
 

like I said kepa can play tonight’s game and have a horror show since it will not effect cfcs premiership placing . 
 

as for the drink punt > no stress at all fella and I found it quite funny punt and gave me a good chuckle 

1 minute ago, ddrblue said:

Yes iam a big caballero fan fella , I can’t stand it When kepa is on the bench to mendy in prem games ,should mendy get a injury at whatever prem game then kepa has to come and CFC are back to square one with kepa in goal . 
 

like I said kepa can play tonight’s game and have a horror show since it will not effect cfcs premiership placing . 
 

as for the drink punt > no stress at all fella and I found it quite funny punt and gave me a good chuckle 

Personally I would rather Kepa doesn't even sit on the bench on a league cup game. 

We should win this game, if we top our group we might just make a good run in the CL!