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

[MCFC1993]

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.

Ah thanks for the reminder, they scrapped it for the past 2 seasons, forgot that it'd gone back to normal this season.

 

[supercity88]

As much as Pep likes to take each game at a time, I'm sure he's thinking about rotation for this one before playing a stronger team against Southampton to get fluidity back for the derby and then mixing it up for Wolves and Villa either side of the Spurs games and pre-Arsenal.

We'll see.

We're in a weird position whereby those who would usually make a starting 11 - Walker, Cancelo, Bernardo, Foden haven't played that much. Phillips barely moved when he came on for 5 minutes last night so it would be good to start him and try and get him in shape to rest Rodri.

Ortega
Walker
Akanji
Laporte
Cancelo
Phillips
Bernardo
Palmer
Foden
Gomez
Alvarez

Give Gomez gametime on the left wing. He started off as an attacking player, get him some match fitness and confidence by taking some defensive burden off him, see how he gets on.

 

[Vialli98]

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

Genuinely heartbroken. He was a major part of Chelsea during my childhood. Wonderful player, genuinely one of my all time favourite players. I expected this terrible news but I’m stilled stunned in disbelief that he’s gone. Gone way too soon.

 

[BringBackSwales]

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

Hows Laporte bound to start if he’s injured?

 

[BringBackSwales]

Genuinely heartbroken. He was a major part of Chelsea during my childhood. Wonderful player, genuinely one of my all time favourite players. I expected this terrible news but I’m stilled stunned in disbelief that he’s gone. Gone way too soon.

Big commiserations to your club mate. He was a genuinely good guy

 

[Gone for a Burton]

We saw the feelgood effect it had during our Pellegrini title-winning year. Yaya and Nasri's worldies seemed to lift the whole team.
Didn't appear to be quite so efficacious for the dippers, though ;-)

A propos of Nasri. Hadn't seen him for a while. He was working for French tv (Canal +) last night as a commentator. Was out on the pitch at half time. By God but he's slung on weight! Bloated…

Threw a few extra years of his career away.
A gifted technical player but inconsistent and not hungry enough.

It’s to be hoped he’s invested well !!

 

[bluemoon32]

Hope we win obviously but id rather lose than have a replay

 

[Vialli98]

Big commiserations to your club mate. He was a genuinely good guy

Thanks mate. He was great for the PL in general. Seeing so many tributes about how well loved he was by so many rival fans. He seemed to be one of those players who was universally loved. So sad to see him go.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

I'm really conflicted about it.
Time was when the FA Cup was certainly as prestigious as winning the First Division. Not exactly sure why, but especially with younger supporters, some of the magic seems to have gone out of it.
The old Wembley, with its twin towers, was part of it. When you got off the tube at Wembley Park, and saw those towers as you came out and started the walk down the hill, your pace would quicken and your heart would lift. And then the singing of “Abide With Me” — most of the stadium, both sets of supporters, would join in. Nothing to do with whether you were religious. It used to give me goosebumps.
Too young for ’69. Saw Chelsea against Leeds there, and again Sunderland against Leeds. Then City in 1981 (not as traumatised as some on here about that — it was a terrific football match, and I'm afraid over the two “legs”, Spurs won it fair and square. That's what I saw, and I'll say it as I saw it. And by the way I dislike Spurs intensely, but for other reasons). Then finally, us against Watford. That was a great day.
And a terrific evening there in 1977, when Keegan scored and England pretty thoroughly outplayed Italy.
I think there's just so much bloody football on the telly, that's part of the devaluation of the competition. Also, the abolition of the fine old Cup Winners Cup which we, as much as any, should appreciate!
I'd kind of like us out, but I'd kind of like us to give it a good run for its money. Just fear the consequences, especially in this weird season with that ridiculous event in the middle of it.
A complicated way of saying that I don't know what I think…

 

[citytill1die84]

Need some game time for a few so

Ortega

Walker Akanji Laporte Cancelo

B.Silva Phillips Gundogan

Palmer Alvarez Foden