There's a YT video showing all of CWC goals. It's an entertaining watch but seeing it as a compilation, its staggering how many of our goals in this tournament have been aided by some pretty poor goalkeeping blunders.

Donnarumma don't drop clangers!!!

Like most on here I don’t believe our normal set up works against this PSG side.

If he sticks to his preferred formation he’s either a genius or an idiot depending on the result so we might get an insight into whether or not he is a top manager or not.

I’d like to see a 4-3-3 counter attack with Santos, Enzo and Moi in the midfield.

Triple P up top (Palmer, Pedro, Pedro)

Leave no space between the defence and midfield and hit the front 3 early. Sanchez to go long too.

I honestly think that’s our best chance. Will we do it? Probably not. Can we do it? Definitely.

Get into these cheese eating surrender monkeys!!

Maresca will likely have no answer to counter PSG's effervescent rampaging on the pitch. In prior UCL triumphs although cast a underdogs we had experienced, some even world class players who knew how to suffer and take their chances, no players fit that profile currently.

On paper no chance on Sunday, facing PSG with a superior squad and coach and bang on form. But as in 2012 & 21 there's always a chance however slim.

If he sets up and has us playing exactly the same as usual then we will get battered, and it will just highlight even more how limited he is as a coach. 99% of managers in this situation would look to set the team up to contain, hit on the break, sit deep and look for errors. We are massive underdogs against a team playing possibly the best football in the world at the moment.

A top quality manager can come up with a structure and play to counteract anything on the pitch, its then up to the players to execute and play with commitment, intelligence and concentration. The problem is he will likely start with at least 2 players with massive balls up as a standard in their game, Sanchez, Gusto or Badiashile. throw in Enzo playing in a middle 2 and he gives away quite a lot, and we will get over ran.

We have to go a midfield 3 of Caicedo (if fit) Santos and Enzo, with Enzo moving up when we have the ball, the other 2 sitting to catch breaks. Dont play Gusto for f**ks sake, front 3 should now pick itself with the Pedros and Palmer, though Id be tempted to put Delap in as a physical player to take on a defence that is very technically accomplished but maybe prone to being bullied (probably not but I can see them handling technical players fairly well), Delaps movement is superb so could cause them problems.

James has to play right back, not inverted either, just a plain right back doing a right backs job, as kvaratskhelia should not be allowed space in behind. Same at left back, we cant play these full backs as inverted or attacking, just defend. If the opportunity comes then get forward, but not in the box, stay tight out wide.

Centre backs should be Colwill and Tosin, I like Trevor but he has mistakes in him more than the other two, and can be dragged out far too easily at times. Also Colwill and tosin have a long pass in them, we will need that.

Keeper - f**ks sake.

If we win, great. Everybody will take us seriously.

If we get smashed, the owners will realise how far behind we are compared to strong teams in Europe. Get the chequebook out.

For sure we need to play for the win and field a side that can harm them and contain them at some level at least. I think for Maresca this is a huge test as well.

With keeper we can't do anything. Sanchez is Sanchez.

James faces Kvara and Cucu faces eiher Dembele or Doue. That is okay from our point of view. CB's are Trev and Tosin/Colwill.

Midfield here is the key. Their midfield with Ruiz Vitinha Neves is excellent. We need to match that with 3 players I think. Caicedo Enzo and Lavia/Santos. Hopefully Caicedo is fit.

Attack is Neto Pedro and Palmer.

2 hours ago, dkw said:

If he sets up and has us playing exactly the same as usual then we will get battered, and it will just highlight even more how limited he is as a coach. 99% of managers in this situation would look to set the team up to contain, hit on the break, sit deep and look for errors. We are massive underdogs against a team playing possibly the best football in the world at the moment.

A top quality manager can come up with a structure and play to counteract anything on the pitch, its then up to the players to execute and play with commitment, intelligence and concentration. The problem is he will likely start with at least 2 players with massive balls up as a standard in their game, Sanchez, Gusto or Badiashile. throw in Enzo playing in a middle 2 and he gives away quite a lot, and we will get over ran.

We have to go a midfield 3 of Caicedo (if fit) Santos and Enzo, with Enzo moving up when we have the ball, the other 2 sitting to catch breaks. Dont play Gusto for f**ks sake, front 3 should now pick itself with the Pedros and Palmer, though Id be tempted to put Delap in as a physical player to take on a defence that is very technically accomplished but maybe prone to being bullied (probably not but I can see them handling technical players fairly well), Delaps movement is superb so could cause them problems.

James has to play right back, not inverted either, just a plain right back doing a right backs job, as kvaratskhelia should not be allowed space in behind. Same at left back, we cant play these full backs as inverted or attacking, just defend. If the opportunity comes then get forward, but not in the box, stay tight out wide.

Centre backs should be Colwill and Tosin, I like Trevor but he has mistakes in him more than the other two, and can be dragged out far too easily at times. Also Colwill and tosin have a long pass in them, we will need that.

Keeper - f**ks sake.

Alonso setup Real exactly like he wanted and I consider him young but a top level coach. Maybe he is among that 1%. Okay Real made 2 massive individual errors but were pushed to make them all game long. But I wholeheartedly agree we need to setup to this game to win and not to learn or progress our system. Winning in a final like this is the sole objective. We will probably never be in this competition again or if we are it is years from now so we need to live here and now in this one.

That is the question here for Enzo as well. Do you enforce your footballing idea in this game or play for the win against a superior opponent. Alonso I think chose the former option. He is naturally a season behind Enzo with his new team but still.

Not been as pessimistic for a final ever I don’t think. I guess far greater upsets have happened in a final.

Concern is that they destory us before half time like Inter and Real.

On the other hand Arsenal, Villa and Liverpool were able to get through those patches and did have their moments against them before ultimately losing. I’d snap your hand off for penalties.

58 minutes ago, Dubair said:

Not been as pessimistic for a final ever I don’t think. I guess far greater upsets have happened in a final.

Concern is that they destory us before half time like Inter and Real.

On the other hand Arsenal, Villa and Liverpool were able to get through those patches and did have their moments against them before ultimately losing. I’d snap your hand off for penalties.

Really? I'm optimistic as hell, we get to measure ourselves against the best. We lose? Doesn't matter because they're so good they should beat us. We win? Open top bus party again!

2 hours ago, evissy said:

For sure we need to play for the win and field a side that can harm them and contain them at some level at least. I think for Maresca this is a huge test as well.

With keeper we can't do anything. Sanchez is Sanchez.

James faces Kvara and Cucu faces eiher Dembele or Doue. That is okay from our point of view. CB's are Trev and Tosin/Colwill.

Midfield here is the key. Their midfield with Ruiz Vitinha Neves is excellent. We need to match that with 3 players I think. Caicedo Enzo and Lavia/Santos. Hopefully Caicedo is fit.

Attack is Neto Pedro and Palmer.

We need Neto to track back because Hakimi himself is a weapon

2 minutes ago, Deino said:

We need Neto to track back because Hakimi himself is a weapon

Additional to that is we need Neto to preferably push him back and keep him from making those runs, make him worry about space behind etc.

Just now, dkw said:

Additional to that is we need Neto to preferably push him back and keep him from making those runs, make him worry about space behind etc.

Yep. Most definitely

12 hours ago, General said:

Maresca will likely have no answer to counter PSG's effervescent rampaging on the pitch. In prior UCL triumphs although cast a underdogs we had experienced, some even world class players who knew how to suffer and take their chances, no players fit that profile currently.

On paper no chance on Sunday, facing PSG with a superior squad and coach and bang on form. But as in 2012 & 21 there's always a chance however slim.

I was just thinking exactly the same about our previous teams. We could defy the odds through sheer determination and courage along with some outstanding quality players. Loads of examples through the years, the game in Barcelona when down to 10 men , the triumph in Munich. I think without a stable, regular team every season that can build bonds and unity it's a lot harder these days with all constant player turnover.

Actually, I'm still hoping that that past DNA is still somewhere lurking in Chelsea. I wouldn't be surprised if we pull it off, what an achievement that would be.

Equally, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't, and got trounced.

Edited July 11, 20251 yr by The Rising Sun
Information

I think, looking at the comments on here is that we agree that a very defensive, counter attacking plan is the best way to approach this game. It's seems logical and sensible.

Let's see what happens, I'm strangely optimistic for some reason that we might do it.

Win or lose, up- the BLUES !

Still no Lavia in training. FFS.

1 hour ago, abramovich said:

Still no Lavia in training. FFS.

Is he still with the squad? If he won't be fit in time for Sunday it would make sense to send him to Cobham for treatment in between some rest time.

Edited July 11, 20251 yr by Valerie

2 minutes ago, Valerie said:

Is he still with the squad?

Might as well leave for holidays, what's the point.

I thought we would get to the final and lose, hope I am wrong.

Against Madrid they benefited from two defensive errors though also down to attacking pressure.

I struggle to see us keeping them out though you never know.

15 minutes ago, strider6004 said:

I thought we would get to the final and lose, hope I am wrong.

Against Madrid they benefited from two defensive errors though also down to attacking pressure.

I struggle to see us keeping them out though you never know.

Those Madrid defensive errors looked a lot like one's we have seen from a certain team in Blue we all love. We will have to play error free because that team will punish you every single chance they get.

15 hours ago, dansubrosa said:

Get the chequebook out.

We have spent gazillion in the last 2/3 seasons

14 hours ago, dkw said:

Additional to that is we need Neto to preferably push him back and keep him from making those runs, make him worry about space behind etc.

This used to be a viable strategy but it no longer works these days.

In PSG case, one of the dm or lb will just sit back and let marquinhos deal with neto.

4 hours ago, Bob stark said:

This used to be a viable strategy but it no longer works these days.

In PSG case, one of the dm or lb will just sit back and let marquinhos deal with neto.

Then there's space elsewhere, so we exploit that.

Will Maresca try to Munich it, and sit back and survive... I don't think he will (too stubborn) and also - I don't think our players have enough grit and determination to play this way and get a result.

So I think we will revert to type, and Maresca ball.... try to have loads of possession, knock it around between the defenders and DM endlessly - and not get embarrassed by an avalanche of a scoreline. He will try and coax the PSG players to press us further up the pitch, and then try and get it to a runner to run on to.

In short....lots of boring possession for the sake of possession - without really ever threatening - a 1v0 or 2v0 loss

We should just play through their ferocious press, what could go wrong ?