Chelsea Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2016

grumpymunster

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Your problem there is that everyone has a reasonably comfy fixture list up until the new year.

Spurs only have to ply you guys,
United only have to play you guys
City only have to play Arsenal

Liverpool and Spurs don't play any of the traditional condenders 6/7 for a while after next weekend.

Your right, we really just need to concentrate on our own game and try and win them we cannot do anything about the other guys. If we win all of our remaining games we finish in the top four. Of course we won't win all of our remaining games (God knows we only have won one of the past four and that only 1-0 at home to Norwich) but the game on Sunday is getting very close to a must win for us as we need to take some points off our rivals.

GavRedKing

grumpymunster wrote: »

Your right, we really just need to concentrate on our own game and try and win them we cannot do anything about the other guys. If we win all of our remaining games we finish in the top four. Of course we won't win all of our remaining games (God knows we only have won one of the past four and that only 1-0 at home to Norwich) but the game on Sunday is getting very close to a must win for us as we need to take some points off our rivals.

We are taking points off our rivals though, Norwich, West Brom, Villa, Newcastle, all lower half teams, then we go and upset the apple cart by beating title challengers like arsenal.

:pac:

K-9

72/73 points usually gets 4th so it's doable for you guys. 59 points out of 25 games would do it but it is title winning form. W18 D5 L2, something like that, just leaves little wriggle room though.

GavRedKing

K-9 wrote: »

72/73 points usually gets 4th so it's doable for you guys. 59 points out of 25 games would do it but it is title winning form. W18 D5 L2, something like that, just leaves little wriggle room though.

Well we have the squad to do it but theyre not playing nowhere near the level to achieve it at the moment.

Leicester wont keep up their charge and will fall away eventually so the race for the top 4 at the moment is between 5 clubs IMO.

Spurs, Pool, City, Utd and Arsenal.

We're 6 pts off Pool or 7pts from over taking them with the goal difference, , we're a further 4 pts behind 4th place Spurs and while on paper these gaps seem easily catachable, it is a swing off about 4 games of us winning and the other side losing before we can catch them and I just cant see this team at the moment rattling off half a dozen or so wins to make the others look over their shoulders, as I said we have the squad, theres no doubting that but do they have the desire and or mentality to do it is the question?

K-9

Leicester have loads of tough away games coming up so you'd imagine will slip up.

Beat Spurs in a 6 pointer and it's 7 and things look a hell of a lot different, lose and 13 points is probably insurmountable.

GavRedKing

K-9 wrote: »

Leicester have loads of tough away games coming up so you'd imagine will slip up.

Beat Spurs in a 6 pointer and it's 7 and things look a hell of a lot different, lose and 13 points is probably insurmountable.

As I said, I dont think we'll be as naive playing Spurs this time and the lessons learned from the 5-3 game helped focus the side to grind out win after win.

Spurs are missing Dele Alli due to a suspension which effects them and the turn around from the trip to the very far east of Europe might help even the playing field somewhat for the early Sunday kick off.

I'd agree though, its a game we dare not lose if we do have aspirations for top 4, right now Spurs are in excellent form so even a draw wouldnt be the worse result on the back fo their run.

I'd expect us to make changes from the team that played against Norwich, providing everyone is fit I can see Jose going defensive with,

Begovic
Ivan Zouma JT Azp
Matic Cesc
Ramires Willian Hazard
Costa

grumpymunster

GavRedKing wrote: »

We are taking points off our rivals though, Norwich, West Brom, Villa, Newcastle, all lower half teams, then we go and upset the apple cart by beating title challengers like arsenal.

:pac:

Was buying your argument until the highlighted bit :D

grumpymunster

K-9 wrote: »

Leicester have loads of tough away games coming up so you'd imagine will slip up.

Beat Spurs in a 6 pointer and it's 7 and things look a hell of a lot different, lose and 13 points is probably insurmountable.

Thats pretty much it in a nut shell I would say.

Are the team good enough to get 59 points from 75 available, a Chelsea team on form yes on current form no not at all. We do need to show some metal though and make sure that we are not in this position again.

GavRedKing

Le Saux wont be happy with being singled out. :pac:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/nov/23/jose-mourinho-graeme-le-saux-israel-chelsea

McDave

GavRedKing wrote: »

Its not about catching them or over taking them in the short term as I've maintened for weeks, as I dont think we'll finish top 4.

It would be good to just start winning games, we dont have to worry about those above at the moment as we're so far out of touch with them. If coming into March we're 6-9 pts behind 4th then we can start to wonder about those above us, I just want to win games and get the team playing to a level theyre capable of on a consistent basis.

While unlikely, I wouldn't write off fourth yet. There could be more competition for all the European places this year. With all the points being dropped to mid-table teams, we could have a low points title winner, and a quite tight top six or seven until a few games out. If we can drag ourselves into this pack, we have a chance. But we'll need a couple of very good runs and win some crucial six-pointers to get into this position.

GavRedKing

We made a 23m loss last year apparently.

Havent seen the accounts but it must have been transfers in.

New TV money kicks in next year and that a whopping 90m a club.

NabyLadistheman

Guys is the Utd match on Feb 6th been confirmed for 3pm on the Saturday? I think that will be changed. Booking flights at the mo for my brother, when will it be confirmed does anybody know? Cheers

Lukker-

I'd say 4th is up for grabs. Spurs are gonna tire eventually. They have started really well but Pochetino teams invariably fade towards the latter half of the season. It's gonna be a tough slog though, Liverpool are well up for it too.

GavRedKing

Suarezistheman wrote: »

Guys is the Utd match on Feb 6th been confirmed for 3pm on the Saturday? I think that will be changed. Booking flights at the mo for my brother, when will it be confirmed does anybody know? Cheers

The January matches were only confirmed recently so I'd say the February ones will be up soon.

Its probably going to be Sunday though if I was guessing, cant see this being shifted to BT on Saturday morning or Skys Saturday afternoon slot.

Play it safe though and wait, if it was an option, I'd go early Saturday and try fly back as late as possible on sunday, covers all eventualities, as it shouldnt be a monday night game.

GavRedKing

Looking forward to tonight, Tel Aviv have only scored 1 goal in this years UCL group stage and left in 11.

I dont think it will be a goal fest but I'd still expect us to win by 2 goals, where improving our performances every game we play, now we just need the results to fall into place behind the performances.

Hazards wife is due their 3rd child and Jose praised him for travelling with the squad so hopefully h gets his reward tonight with a goal.

cowboyBuilder

GavRedKing wrote: »

Looking forward to tonight, Tel Aviv have only scored 1 goal in this years UCL group stage and left in 11.

I dont think it will be a goal fest but I'd still expect us to win by 2 goals, where improving our performances every game we play, now we just need the results to fall into place behind the performances.

Hazards wife is due their 3rd child and Jose praised him for travelling with the squad so hopefully h gets his reward tonight with a goal.

Jose should have a Roy Keane style quip about that !!

GavRedKing

Anyone wanna guess hte team tonight?

I'm assuming Pedro will be dropped he wasnt great against Norwich.

I'd probably make 1 change and it would be Pedro for Azp and throw Kenedy RW and Azp LB.

hots

GavRedKing wrote: »

Anyone wanna guess hte team tonight?

I'm assuming Pedro will be dropped he wasnt great against Norwich.

I'd probably make 1 change and it would be Pedro for Azp and throw Kenedy RW and Azp LB.

Would be happy with that too... or Azpi for Ivan bearing in mind he's only just back from injury.

GavRedKing

hots wrote: »

Would be happy with that too... or Azpi for Ivan bearing in mind he's only just back from injury.

Its a must win game and I know we'll go as strong as possible for this but it isnt entirely needed, theyre a real poor side so I wouldnt mind a bit of change with the Spurs game on the horizon.

The ideal scenario would be 2 or 3 goals up in the 55/60thmin and make changes then.

hots

GavRedKing wrote: »

Its a must win game and I know we'll go as strong as possible for this but it isnt entirely needed, theyre a real poor side so I wouldnt mind a bit of change with the Spurs game on the horizon.

The ideal scenario would be 2 or 3 goals up in the 55/60thmin and make changes then.

I forget what being 3 goals up used to feel like

kev1.3s

I'd keep pedro tonight, he was OK in the first half against Norwich and failed as the game wore on but it does look like a midfield of hazard Willian and pedro could be the way forward.

GavRedKing

I'd prefer to have Oscar in the mix somewhere, having himself and Cesc gives us two playmakers with an eye for a pass, OScar usually links up well with those around him too, even if he has a tendency to drift out of games for long periods.

Lukker-

Hazard has a new lease of life playing centrally so i would leave him there. He has less defensive work to do and it gives Fabregas more room to operate as they have Hazard to worry about.

As much as I like Oscar, Pedro is more effective from the left. Another clean sheet and goals for Hazard and Costa would be lovely.

GavRedKing

Champs league week is back for the English clubs, tonight Chelsea and Arsenal, tomorrow, both Manchester clubs.

Arsenal are in real danger of missing out on making the k/o stages, theyre 6 pts behind Bayern and Olympiakos going into the last 2 games, Arsenal have to win tonight and hope theres not a draw in Germany or theyre out no matter what they do.

Chelsea, 3pts behind leaders Porto have a simpler task, win tonight and it sets up an encounter with Porto at home to see who finishes top of the group, drop points and it could make match day 6 very interesting for us.

Utd are top of their group by a point and host PSV, a win will see Utd qualify for the k/o stage, meaning the 6th game would decide whether its 1st or 2nd for them in the group, as it satands they look good for a 1st place finish.

City are also top of their group by a point and face their most difficult test tonight, an away trip to Turin to face last years runners up, Juventus. City can still be caught by Sevilla but would need a serious collapse and the next two games is going to decide who finishes top of their group between themselves and Juventus.

So my predictions for where the clubs will finish up.

Arsenal 3rd, Chelsea 1st, Utd 1st and City 2nd.

GavRedKing

Lukker- wrote: »

Hazard has a new lease of life playing centrally so i would leave him there. He has less defensive work to do and it gives Fabregas more room to operate as they have Hazard to worry about.

As much as I like Oscar, Pedro is more effective from the left. Another clean sheet and goals for Hazard and Costa would be lovely.

Jose did say he prefers him playing left as hes usually only got 1 man to beat, sometimes 2. Playing from the middle hes running into 3 or 4 bodies between CBs and CM's all trying to crowd him out.

Lukker-

GavRedKing wrote: »

Jose did say he prefers him playing left as hes usually only got 1 man to beat, sometimes 2. Playing from the middle hes running into 3 or 4 bodies between CBs and CM's all trying to crowd him out.

Yeah saw that but with Hazards comments in the press recently I think he's gonna get a decent run there.

GavRedKing

Lukker- wrote: »

Yeah saw that but with Hazards comments in the press recently I think he's gonna get a decent run there.

I'm all for Hazard playing 10 if we get a dangerous winger on one of the flanks.

For that reason I'd favour Kenedy on the right and willian on the left.

ussjtrunks

Another CL week and rte/tv3 are showing Arsnel instead ... sigh ....

GavRedKing

ussjtrunks wrote: »

Another CL week and rte/tv3 are showing Arsnel instead ... sigh ....

Both games are pretty dire being honest but Arsenal have more to play for as it stands.

Edit : I assume Utd are on TV in Ireland tomorrow coz theyve a much larger fan base than Man City but the City game is far and away the stand out game.

peteeeed

team tonight: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry (c), Baba Rahman; Fabregas, Matic; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.

GavRedKing

Happy with the starting XI anyway.

Hope to see few changes if the game is up with 30mins to go.

GavRedKing

peteeeed wrote: »

team tonight: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry (c), Baba Rahman; Fabregas, Matic; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.

Subs are

Chelsea subs: Blackman, Ivanovic, Zouma, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Remy. #CFC

Lukker-

What channel are we on? BT Sport 2?

GavRedKing

Lukker- wrote: »

What channel are we on? BT Sport 2?

Yup, coverage on now.

GavRedKing

Come on the Chels

GavRedKing

Should be 1 down. Twrrible defending

GavRedKing

Why is Cahill running into the centre of the box? :rolleyes:

GavRedKing

Unlucky from azp

SureYWouldntYa

Watching this on BT and there's a really high camera angle, really annoying

GavRedKing

Shocking 15mins so far

GavRedKing

Ill take it. Another now before HT

weiland79

It's hard to know what's still going on with this team. All talk of dissent amongst the players a has stopped there hasn't been any talk of Jose leaving, although we've had an international break.
I didn't see the Norwich game but watching this game it doesn't look like anything has changed. We are still pants and a going up against any half decent squad and we fall to pieces.
My faith will be far from restored with a win in Israel.

weiland79

Anyone have a stat for how many shots we've had on goal thus season so far. I'm willing to bet it's an incredibly low number

redman85

Costa's positioning is shocking and is he afraid to shoot??

GavRedKing

Ben haim sent off, dangerous and or wreckless play

SureYWouldntYa

Harsh enough red

Time to park the bus now and settle for this 1-0 lead eh ? :pac:

SureYWouldntYa

Is Costa instructed to make no movements in the box ?

Seriously none of our strikers are good enough this year. Recall Solanke and Bamford, I'm serious

Duck Soup

Another of those games where we look good enough against lightweight opposition (which is an improvement), but light years away from contending for anything.

Does any major European side have weaker striking options?

GavRedKing

This is terrible. Like a pre season game in tempo and we have 10 men to play against.

GavRedKing

Great pull back should have done better