Chelsea (H) - Sun 8th Jan, 16:30 - FA Cup | Pre-Match Thread

[Blu1]

I really want the fa cup this year. Never been to Wembley to see city sadly & I’m hoping I get to go this season

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

If twas me...

............. Ortega .............
Walker Stones Akanji Cancelo
... Bernardo Phillips Foden ...
...... Grealish Alvarez .........
............ Haaland .............

I'd try not playing either KDB or Gundogan. I'd have Grealish and Alvarez in free roles - Grealish to run with the ball and be fouled constantly and Alvarez to be super aggressive (and probably give a load of frees away in the process but what harm). We'd have very little width but it'd be interesting to see if that would really hamper us. Possibly getting in enough crosses early from deeper could be just as effective in causing chaos in the defense to be capitalized on. #

Or just go route one and put em under pressure. Ole ole ole ole... put em under pressure.

Oh dear.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Not sure I can be bothered with the FA Cup this year. Instead of going out limply in the Semi-final after putting out a heavily rotated side, it might make more sense to do that now. Saves us games further down the line and saves the fans a fair bit of ticket money.

I'm inclined to agree, but as a I remember it, Gabriel Jesus missed a sitter, and came within an ace of an equaliser. Liverpool were rocking. It was much closer than you seem to suggest. My point, really, is that it wasn't the damp squib of previous years (i.e. against Arsenal), but a really exciting match.
But I think what happened in 2019 is highly unlikely to be repeated, by any team. The League Cup is ours for the taking, I believe. The F.A. Cup may be a domestic competition too far. If we win the League Cup and the league, I'll be more than happy. Actually, if we win anything, I'll be more than happy. I can still remember the years when merely to survive in the top flight was an achievement.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Really looking forward to seeing our World Cup winner play on Sunday. His pace, energy, directness and X factor could be extremely useful second half of the season

 

[AliBobbyJ]

Not sure I can be bothered with the FA Cup this year. Instead of going out limply in the Semi-final after putting out a heavily rotated side, it might make more sense to do that now. Saves us games further down the line and saves the fans a fair bit of ticket money.

Remembering as older supporters do when the F.A. Cup was the last & biggest game of the season and the BBC gave hours to the build-up I always want City to be at Wembley on the first Saturday in May.

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Remembering as older supporters do when the F.A. Cup was the last & biggest game of the season and the BBC gave hours to the build-up I always want City to be at Wembley on the first Saturday in May.

It was massive the Cup Final day

Remember it fondly started early doors all the way to the trophy being lifted

Daft it's a knockout representing each team, on the bus with teams travelling to ground

Loved it

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Some really tough rotation decisions needed over the next two games. It's a bit mind boggling. In terms of rythmn it would be better to rest lots of "big guns" on Wednesday but that one's a quarter and this one's a 3rd rounder.

My instincts are to play a very weak team on sunday. Going out of the FA cup could be a big hekp at the business end.

 

[Turner92]

Ortega Walker Akanji Laporte Cancelo Phillips Foden Palmer Alvarez all bound to start but wouldn’t like to call who the other two midfielders will be

 

[MAG]

Our problem won't be getting out of the cup ... it'll be neither winning nor losing and having to play a replay at their ground ... they aren't good enough to beat us at ours, they'd have changes in starting XI too and so would we, but the best they can get is a draw at ours is how I see it ... and what I fear is if that happens this Sunday, then the Spurs home game next Thursday (19th) would get postponed yet again, as we'd have to replay this on 17/18 Jan midweek ... sorry, but that's what I see as the most likely result out of three.

 

[VOOMER]

Awful news. When you hear of relatively young, previously fit athletes like Bobby Moore and Gianluca Vialli, and our very own Nelly Young, dying of this horrible disease (and Navratilova is far from being out of the woods), you just feel helpless about the illogical nature of it.
Would like to hear the thoughts of our resident Chelsea poster, @Vialli98

Fur ball?