right, think our pre season games have finished, so time to look towards this game perhaps.

we will see portsmouth this weekend against man utd in the community shield, think we can expect harry to be playing a 442 this season after signing crouch. if swp does go there, I can't imagine we'll let him play in this one, which is good news.

drogba, who appears to be staying (thus negating any need to sign a lead striker), will be out till the end of the month according to scolari, which means after a strong pre season, anelka will start. this is very good new I think- a strong start from him should lead to us having an excellent asset for the season to come.

I think we will see the four central midfielders system, and given that they're behind the rest of the squad in fitness, sheva and ballack probably won't start. the questions for me then are who will play as the second striker (I think joe should be given the position and see if he can hold onto the shirt), and whether paulo or invanovic covers for bosingwa (IMO paulo given scolari knows him better).

it's quite a tought game to start with, they should be a very decent side. would take any sort of win, reckon 2-0 or 2-1.

Portsmouth will probebly play something like this:

James

Johnson Cambell Distin Hreiderson

Utaka Diarra Diop Kranjkar

Defoe Crouch

In the papers down here there was alot of rumours about Nicky Shorey being signed so if they get him then Hreiderson's out.

I think Muntari is a big loss and IMO they won't do aswell this season without him despite signing Crouch.

Edited August 4, 200817 yr by jack h

Based on pre-season form, injuries to Drogba and Bosingwa, and that Ballack is probably not match fit, I can see us going with:

...........................Cech..............................

Ivanovic.........JT..........Carvalho.........A Cole

...................Lamps.......Essien....................

J Cole...................Deco....................Malouda

.........................Anelka................................

With Robinho to come off the bench.

Based on pre-season form, injuries to Drogba and Bosingwa, and that Ballack is probably not match fit, I can see us going with:

...........................Cech..............................

Ivanovic.........JT..........Carvalho.........A Cole

...................Lamps.......Essien....................

J Cole...................Deco....................Malouda

.........................Anelka................................

With Robinho to come off the bench.

One for me of these as well. Not sure about Ivanovic starting though, is Paolo injured?

when's the BPL?

Not sure about Ivanovic starting though, is Paolo injured?

I thought Ivanovic looked superb going forward against Milan. As did Ashley Cole.

It really makes a huge difference to the type of football we play when our fullbacks get forward.

Paolo's a great defender, but isn't at his best bombing forward.

Based on pre-season form, injuries to Drogba and Bosingwa, and that Ballack is probably not match fit, I can see us going with:

...........................Cech..............................

Ivanovic.........JT..........Carvalho.........A Cole

...................Lamps.......Essien....................

J Cole...................Deco....................Malouda

.........................Anelka................................

With Robinho to come off the bench.

Given injuries and pre-season form the above team pretty much picked itself. However, is Mikel around or is he going to Beijing? I know he came to Malaysia, so I assume he's not in the Olympics.

Let's pick the bench then shall we (based on currently available players)

Carlo

Alex

Ballack

Mikel

SWP

Given injuries and pre-season form the above team pretty much picked itself. However, is Mikel around or is he going to Beijing? I know he came to Malaysia, so I assume he's not in the Olympics.

Let's pick the bench then shall we (based on currently available players)

Carlo

Alex

Ballack

Mikel

SWP

7 players on the bench next season remember :D

I think we're going with this in a 4-3-3, very similar to TomP's suggestion actually...

........................Cech

...Paulo.........JT..........Carvalho...........Cole

...Essien.............Deco...............Lampard

....Joey...........Anelka.............Malouda

Bench:

Carlo

Alex

Ivanovic

Ballack

Mikel

SWP

Di Santo

Edited August 5, 200817 yr by Ruh Buh Juh

Anybody know of any spare tickets going for the Portsmouth game on the 17th? We're going to be in London that weekend and I was hoping to take my young son.

Sam

I'd be very surprised if we didn't start with Mikel holding based on his performances in pre season.

I think we will play

Cech

Ferreira

Riccky

JT

Cole

Mikel

Essien

Lampard

Deco

Cole

Anelka

Whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 I'm not sure.

I think we would be going with this...

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

------------------------Carvalho-----------Terry------------------------

--Ferreira-------------------------------------------------------A Cole--

----------------------------------Essien-----------------------------------

----------------------Lapmard-----------Deco---------------------------

--J Cole-------------------------------------------------Robinho/SWP--

---------------------------------Anelka----------------------------------

Subs:

Cudicini

Alex

Bridge

Obi Mikel

Ballack

Shevchenko

Di Santo

Prediction :

Chelsea 2 Portsmouth 0

I'd really like to see Mikel play more and more this season. I'd also like to see him play in a more advanced role. Maybe have him and Essien trading out holding duties while the other marauds forward

i'd go with;

Cech

Ivanovic Terry Carvalho Cole

Mikel Essien

Wright-Phillips Deco Cole

Anelka

Ivanovic over Ferreira as he's better attacking, i don't see

Lampard being effective in a holding role, and i'd include SWP

if Hreiderrson plays as he lacks pace.

i think Scolari will go with;

Cech

Ferriera Terry Carvalho Cole

Deco Essien

Cole Lampard Malouda

Anelka

Ferreria as he's better known to Scolari,

Malouda as he's (for whatever reason) more 'rated'

than SWP

Dont Pompey play KranjÄar behind the front two strikers?

This blokes a genius!

Malouda as he's (for whatever reason) more 'rated'

than SWP

Malouda as he's...well...more of a left winger than Sweep. ;)

kranjcar will play on the left I think rob... probably drifting joe cole style though.

think ethical has the 11 spot on.

kranjcar will play on the left I think rob... probably drifting joe cole style though.

think ethical has the 11 spot on.

Oh I always thought of him as sort of a second striker/attacking midfielder G4.

I really like him,great touch,a real classy player!

The Croatians seem to produce some brilliant players with real flair,Robert ProsineÄki being one of my favourites,f**king great player!!

if he didn't have loads of injuries (that IMO changed his game) stanic could have been really good for us too.

if he didn't have loads of injuries (that IMO changed his game) stanic could have been really good for us too.

He did have a pretty good debut, that's for sure. :o

He did have a pretty good debut, that's for sure. :o

Lets be honest,on THAT day against W*st H*m I thought Mario Stanic looked like the best player in the world!!!

I just cant wait to see John Terry burst out of the East Stand tunnel and run towards the North stand on Sunday!

We have been waiting to say thank you all summer,to show our mutual appreciation for each other!

That night in Moscow as painfull as it is,does go down in history as one our most unforgetable!

And its down to a bloke like John Terry that we have achieved things like this!

Fighters and scrappers people like Ronnie Harris,David Webb,Stevie Clarke,Mickey Droy,Joey Jones,Dennis Wise,these are players who saw the club like the fans did!

Same with with John Terry maybe even more-so!

We are very lucky to have a player like John in this day and age!

I think we will play with a loose diamond.

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

Ivanovic---Percy----JT---Cashley

-----------------Essien--------------

----SWP-----------------Lamps----

------------------Deco---------------

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

-----------------Anelka--------------

Joe Cole playing off Anelka in the way that Kalou did in China.

Pompey looked pretty awful today, big-time strikers but no creativity. And did you see how slow campbell was, especially on the turn!!! Nic will make mincemeat of him!

Lets be honest,on THAT day against W*st H*m I thought Mario Stanic looked like the best player in the world!!!

Actually, Mario is Bosnian! :D

Born and raised in Sarajevo...played for Zeljeznicar! But, with war and everything...and the fact that Bosnian team was total sh*t at the time he decided to play for Croatia. Can't blame him, many players in many sports did that. You'll be quite surprised the amount of Bosnians playing for other national teams...Ibrahimovic, anyone???

Sorry for being a bit "off-topic", but I love the fact that a Bosnian played for my Chelsea...once upon a time! :P

Malouda as he's...well...more of a left winger than Sweep. :D

i'd have joe cole on the left, but if malouda plays joe will play on the right... sorry if that wasn't clear

How come is Sheva not an option for that game? Is he injured, or just not match fit? (Sorry if it looks dumb, but on this side of the Atlantic it's not always easy to keep track).

Had he been available, I'd have loved to see a 4-1-3-2:

Cech

Ferreira/Ivanovic-JT-Carvalho-A Cole

----------Essien

J Cole---Deco--Lampard

-----Anelka--Sheva

Something I'd love to see with both Ballack and Drogba in the team (in places of Joe Cole and Sheva).

If not, I guess, like most here, that the team will be:

Cech

Ferreira/Ivanovic-JT-Carvalho-A Cole

----Essien--Lampard

Joe Cole---Deco---Malouda

-------Anelka

(or maybe Lamps goes at Malouda's place and Mikel at his.)

Cudicini, Alex, SWP, Mikel/Malouda, Di Santo on the bench.