EARLY KO

Probably a game where Auba, Kai, Sterling and RLC look good in and convince the boss they are undroppable until the world cup.

Before the comments come in yes I know we won't pick this team, yes I know it involves a player who clearly is never going to see the pitch pitch us and youth players.

I would like to see this team start in Salzburg:

 

Rested at home: Silva, Kovacic, Mount, Chilwell.

 

Kepa

 

Dave

Chalobah

Koulibaly 

Cucrella

 

Jorginho

Gallagher

Zakaria

 

Pulisic

Broja

Carney C.

A draw would be OK but if we win this game I am pretty sure we are guaranteed to win the group. So then we could rest all/most of the team for the last group game. With all the fixtures over the last month I would think that is something worth aiming for. 

I thought my birthday was on Tuesday

56 minutes ago, forbzy said:

A draw would be OK but if we win this game I am pretty sure we are guaranteed to win the group. So then we could rest all/most of the team for the last group game. With all the fixtures over the last month I would think that is something worth aiming for. 

If we win this game we are  almost certain of top spot.

Would place us 4 ahead of RBS. And either 5 ahead of Milan and Zagreb (if they draw), or 3 ahead of Milan with a better head to head record if Milan win in Zagreb or 3 ahead of Zagreb meaning they have to beat us at the  Bridge to stop us getting top, and that only happens if they beat Milan.

Also if Zakaria is not allowed to play ahead of a January move play Hutchinson and move Carney in to midfield.

2 hours ago, mojo said:

I thought my birthday was on Tuesday

Hey @cocopretty sure this game is on Tuesday...

32 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

Hey @cocopretty sure this game is on Tuesday...

Wait that means my suffering returns a day earlier...

as many a coach has said many a time, every team has to suffer during most games and over patches of a season. We are going to do it tough up to the world cup at least, seeing the downside of having a team of players that regularly are expected to turn out for club and country in an ever expanding fixture list. I like watching the team play lots of games but the football undoubtedly suffers and its bad for players health. 

So there is no question that if we have a big squad it has to be used and equally there is no question that the bench players have to deliver when called on.

Cucurella, Gallagher, Broja, Pulisic, Havertz, Chuk, Ziyech could all be hopeful of playing. I wish we had one less of Pulisic, Havertz and Ziyech and one more RB or defensive central mid. 

A good game to keep our progress and improve our game. I'm not disrespecting the opponent, but I can say that our squad is much more better and we have to prove that.

I'd like us to put more attacking play, give some freedom to players like Sterling and put him on his best position to get the best out of him.

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

Azpilicueta - Chalobah - Thiago Silva - Cucurella

-------- Chukwuemeka --- Kovacic ------

Ziyech ------- Havertz --------- Sterling

--------------- Broja --------------

 

Try to give a rest to Silva for 45 minutes.

I expect us to win this game and put a dominant performance, COME ON CHELS!

I'd like to see Chuku, Broja and Pulisic start with Cheek, Auba and Sterling benched. 

 

14 hours ago, coco said:

 

EARLY KO

Give Pulisic a start!

31 minutes ago, Mod said:

Give Pulisic a start!

You've been to the bookie's again @Mod ?

9 minutes ago, Valerie said:

You've been to the bookie's again @Mod ?

 I think he just seems a bit bright on the little time he’s had and don’t think he would be any worse than Sterling lately.

Not sure if @HazardousChoice would agree but we need something different up top!

1 hour ago, Mod said:

Give Pulisic a start!

With Broja!

Kalidou Koulibaly was a surprise absence from last night’s game against Manchester United, and as it turns out, he’s just the latest defender in the team to pick up a knee injury. It’s apparently “not too bad” but clearly too bad enough to cause him to not be able to play.

It all depends of course on the specifics of the injury, and without that information, we’re just guessing, but knee injuries tend not to be short term, even if they are not bad (i.e. not actually involving a ligament). Neither Wesley Fofana nor Reece James have an injury that’s “too bad” and yet both will miss at least weeks, if not months.

“[Koulibaly] just felt his knee at the back end of the Brentford match. We’re not sure the extent yet but this one was too soon for him.”

Graham Potter may be trying hard not to sound the alarm, but that’s not an easy task, especially as he also revealed that Mateo Kovačić is continuing to deal with the knee problem that kept him out at the start of the season, after limiting him throughout preseason.

“He’s been nursing his knee for all season pretty much [and] it’s impossible for him to start all the games. We’ve planned for him to have less time than he has but things have conspired so he has been on the pitch...”

Not too bad, too? Bad.

Obviously not ideal, especially as Ben Chilwell’s also getting some maintenance days still since it’s been just ten months since his ACL replacement.

“We have to manage the players and deal with what we have. Everyone is challenged at this part of the season, the schedule is relentless so it’s always a balance between sharing the load with the players because they are not robots.”

-Graham Potter; source: Football.London

Kepa
Dave Chalobah Silva Cucurella
Gallagher Jorginho Kovacic

Pulisic Aubameyang Sterling 

 

 

 

 

38 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Kepa
Dave Chalobah Silva Cucurella
Gallagher Jorginho Kovacic

Pulisic Aubameyang Sterling 

Changed my mine. f**k it. 

Kepa

Dave Chalobah Silva Cucurella

Jorginho Ruben

Carney

Gallagher               Pulisic

Broja

 

Win this and we effectively chalk one match of the calender and (depending on how serious we take the City game) are on a one game a week run until the break.

5 hours ago, Argo said:

Win this and we effectively chalk one match of the calender and (depending on how serious we take the City game) are on a one game a week run until the break.

Agreed Argo. Is an excellent opportunity to likely win the group and leave the last game a likely dead rubber.

 

With 3 difficult league games coming up that would be great, I am still concerned with overloading Silva, Chilwell and Kovacic especially as Koulibaly is rumoured out until after the world cup.

Does anyone know the status of Josh Brooking, Alfie Gilchrist and Basir Humphries? Are they available and would they be able to pick up the midweek games vs RB Salzburg, Zagreb and City to give Silva a rest?

Potter cunning plan to keep the players motivated

Broja MUST start, With Chuka, Gallagher, Pulisic & Kovacic

Rest Silva, Jorginho, Cucarella