Anybody can give us a game, Plymouth, Al Hilal, Palmeiras, Palace, any team not called Spurs. So it's going to be a tough game, or bench Lukaku and bringeth the smackdown but we know that won't happen.

17 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Exactly so if we play like this against them it would be a massacre.

 

As for Lille how do you pick a starting 11 when so many players have been poor? Hopefully Dave and CHO are back.

 

Mendy

 

Dave

Silva

Rudiger

Alonso

 

Kante

Kovacic

 

Ziyech 

Havertz

CHO

 

Lukaku

 

Not saying I want Rom to play, just facing facing fact he will keep doing so.

For anyone who cares I would prefer to see us line up with:

 

Mendy

 

Dave

Silva

Rudiger

Alonso

 

Jorginho 

Kovacic

 

Ziyech

Vale

Werner

 

Havertz

33 minutes ago, sonic90 said:

Anybody can give us a game, Plymouth, Al Hilal, Palmeiras, Palace, any team not called Spurs. So it's going to be a tough game, or bench Lukaku and bringeth the smackdown but we know that won't happen.

The away goal rule is no more so might as well just do the best to win in front of the home crowd, take more risks. Playing for 1:0 wins is very tiresome.

6 hours ago, Gol15 said:

The away goal rule is no more so might as well just do the best to win in front of the home crowd, take more risks. Playing for 1:0 wins is very tiresome.

Think it was @Argo who said watching Chelsea has become like watching England. More of an obligation than an enjoyment. Pretty accurate, though for me I dont give a sh*t about the national side so that does not bring the pain our inept offense and Lukaku are bringing. 

Rather than complaint about the offense we should do some analysis. Before we get to the formal stats and accepting that others are much more knowledgeable than me, my analysis is:

1. Too slow bringing the ball out from the back, with Silva, dave and alonso not having the pace to create the space for others. Along the same lines Jorginho seems to have lost his forward passing and Kante has made many mistakes. We are not dominating the midfield like we did. 
2 pretty much zero outside shooting ability

3 Lukaku seems incredibly static this season. At Inter he played central and also wide right and got about quite a bit. Not seeing that. 
4 havertz show effort but not much else. Good control but compared to say son min at spuds not in same class. 
 

adding it all up, is slow, static and predictable. 

Mendy, Rudiger, Christensen, Sarr, Kovacic, Havertz all to start. 

I would think this game suits Lukaku as well. Non-Prem games he should be at his best. 

Away goal rule is gone for good?? Is that true?

2 hours ago, evissy said:

Mendy, Rudiger, Christensen, Sarr, Kovacic, Havertz all to start. 

I would think this game suits Lukaku as well. Non-Prem games he should be at his best. 

Away goal rule is gone for good?? Is that true?

Yeah away goal rule has been scrapped. Certainly for this season.

Hopefully we get a good home win and performance.

TT confirmed Dave had a good training session with no reaction so should be able to start tomorrow. CHO and Mason could not train, won't make it back for this game.

I hope these next two games offer the opportunity to escape the PL defences against which we struggle so much and regain some fluency. I would play two relatively different teams to protect the players and give everyone a boost, the Liverpool being the more indicative one for our next weeks imo.

Lille:

----Pulisic--Lukaku--Ziyech----

-----Kova---Jorgi----Kanté-----

Sarr--Rüdiger----Silva-----Azpi

------------Mendy--------------

Lets try to control the midfield and hope that the forwards are inspired by Europe and being played in their position. This is a very good side on paper, Puli and Lukaku in particularly need to find some confidence again. Ideally we can revert to a double pivot after 60-70 mins by subbing off Kova-Kante for Saul and Alonso. 

Liverpool:

----Werner---Havertz---Ziyech----

Alonso----Kova----Kanté-----Azpi

------Rüdiger---Silva---AC4-------

----------------Mendy-------------

I believe playing Havertz up top is our best shot to get out of our attacking misery for the rest of the season. This front three has performed well in several big games last season and I'm kind of missing that Havertz-Werner partnership. I also believe we'll need an in-form Alonso if the next weeks are supposed to be successful. A win here could turn things around for us.

45 minutes ago, Luiz4Chelsea said:

I hope these next two games offer the opportunity to escape the PL defences against which we struggle so much and regain some fluency. I would play two relatively different teams to protect the players and give everyone a boost, the Liverpool being the more indicative one for our next weeks imo.

Lille:

----Pulisic--Lukaku--Ziyech----

-----Kova---Jorgi----Kanté-----

Sarr--Rüdiger----Silva-----Azpi

------------Mendy--------------

Lets try to control the midfield and hope that the forwards are inspired by Europe and being played in their position. This is a very good side on paper, Puli and Lukaku in particularly need to find some confidence again. Ideally we can revert to a double pivot after 60-70 mins by subbing off Kova-Kante for Saul and Alonso. 

Liverpool:

----Werner---Havertz---Ziyech----

Alonso----Kova----Kanté-----Azpi

------Rüdiger---Silva---AC4-------

----------------Mendy-------------

I believe playing Havertz up top is our best shot to get out of our attacking misery for the rest of the season. This front three has performed well in several big games last season and I'm kind of missing that Havertz-Werner partnership. I also believe we'll need an in-form Alonso if the next weeks are supposed to be successful. A win here could turn things around for us.

Not bad suggestions at all. I just hope TT picks players in their actual positions as much as possible.

I mean if he plays a back 4 then Alonso or Sarr are out of position, if a back 3 Dave is, but aside form that there is no reason for anyone else to be.

I mean it seems pretty simple to me so Maybe I am way off base but if you play Havertz play him as a false 9 or 10 or don't play him at all, if you play Timo play him as a strike partner or a wide forward or dont play him at all, if you play Pulisic play him as a wide left or wide right forward or not at all, if you play Ziyech play him on the right or not at all, if you play CHO play him wide left or right or not at all, if you have to play Lukaku don't use him as a target man etc...

Edited February 21, 20224 yr by axman2526

39 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Not bad suggestions at all. I just hope TT picks players in their actual positions as much as possible.

if you have to play Lukaku don't use him as a target man etc...

Possibly that's part of the Lukaku puzzle. Maybe we are using him as a target man but despite his size that is not Lukaku's game and actually its not Chelsea's game. Chelsea are at our best when we are fast and fluid.

Unfortunately we are not fast any more. The only fast player is Werner who rarely plays and who may have been impacted by his hammy issues. But we can still be fluid

19 minutes ago, ozboy said:

Possibly that's part of the Lukaku puzzle. Maybe we are using him as a target man but despite his size that is not Lukaku's game and actually its not Chelsea's game. Chelsea are at our best when we are fast and fluid.

Unfortunately we are not fast any more. The only fast player is Werner who rarely plays and who may have been impacted by his hammy issues. But we can still be fluid

Hmm Timo maybe be the fastest but he is not our only fast player.

As Rom showed at Villa he can get on his bike when he wants to. CHO showed he still can vs Spurs. Kante and Kova are quick, so is Pulisic.

Match Day !

Come On Chelsea!!

My younger son is coming down for the match. Not long dropped him off at the airport.

Come On Chelsea!

CL match day.....COME ON YOU BLUES !

Match day,COYB's a comfortable win please.

I expect a laboured 1-1 draw.

No excuses. Need to make a statement and win this comfortably.

COME ON CHELS! 

Matchday!! We need a comfortable win to make the next leg less of an exercise

Has to be a comfortable win 2 or 3. Lukaku  To score after the bad press. Build that much needed confidence 💙⚽️

33 minutes ago, Deino said:

Matchday!! We need a comfortable win to make the next leg less of an exercise

And to give us some peace and quiet on this thread !😀

This afternoon I have to attend the cremation of an uncle, and his partner's cremation was 4 months ago on another matchday. My family really has to stop doing this.

1 minute ago, erskblue said:

And to give us some peace and quiet on this thread !😀

Except for cheering the Lukaku hattrick, right