Chelsea pre-match thread

[Gray]

The way I look at it:

1. Both our keepers average - Give defence no confidence.
2. Terrible defence - No settled formation, no cohesion and always look like conceding.
3. Non-combative midfield - Terrible tackling, woefully slow and often can't pass for toffee.
4. Forwards - The shining light; Aguero is a goalscorer supreme, Sane is an exciting prospect and Sterling can be a world beater if he stops bottling it.

Can we beat Chelsea? Of cause we can but I do not have very high expectations of achieving such a result.

 

[mosssideblue]

Would love us to win tomorrow, we have the ability/talent within the team but based on events this season it may go pear shaped.

Clichy and Otamendi are not good enough based on recent performances imo. Expecting the usual stonewall penalty not to be given by the man in black.

Would play Zabba and Vinnie tomorrow. We need leaders and fighters on the field and both have these qualities in abundance.

We owe the chavs after the game at our place.

Zab doesn't have the legs anymore and would be torn a new one. Vinnie simply isn't match fit and Chavs away IMO certainly wouldn't be the game to start him after such a long lay off

 

[2001bluesky]

I personally think Sterling should be dropped for this and De Bruyne should play from the wings.

 

[MarsLlama]

Unless he has deliberately kicked it in our own nets its disingenuous to blame an individual in a team game

I disagree. Statistics suggests that there's a 50% chance he'll make another bad mistake, from which we can infer that it's dangerous to play him.

 

[MarsLlama]

Seems like you received the script or came from the future. Do you mind sharing lottery numbers?

Haha no I only do stuff that's easy to predict.

 

[Bluep*ss]

From the MUEN...............

James Robson
Given how impressed Guardiola was with Yaya Toure's appearance from the bench against Arsenal, it's fair to say he'll be back in the starting XI against Chelsea.
The question then is whether Fernandinho drops out, or plays at right back - as he has on several occasions since the turn of the year.
In my mind that would be harsh on Jesus Navas, who was superb against Arsenal and my man-of-the-match.
Guardiola was also impressed - enthusing about the winger's display.
Eden Hazard will be another major test, but Navas has earned the right to keep his place after that showing at the Emirates.
Raheem Sterling, on the other hand, might not after getting the hook at half time.
Guardiola could play Kevin de Bruyne in a wider role and use Fernandinho and Toure together in midfield.

 

[MarsLlama]

Again we will have to agree to disagree here. Wasn't Kompany always held up as a perfect example of a defender who could play out from the back? Indeed he used to be a midfield player who could play a bit. A fit Kompany is better than every centre half we have at the club. We have nothing to gain not playing him but everything to gain by playing him.

You would think so. But there has to be a very good reason why one of the best managers of all time isn't playing one of the best City defenders of all time.

 

[Blue Smarties]

From the MUEN...............

James Robson
Given how impressed Guardiola was with Yaya Toure's appearance from the bench against Arsenal, it's fair to say he'll be back in the starting XI against Chelsea.
The question then is whether Fernandinho drops out, or plays at right back - as he has on several occasions since the turn of the year.
In my mind that would be harsh on Jesus Navas, who was superb against Arsenal and my man-of-the-match.
Guardiola was also impressed - enthusing about the winger's display.
Eden Hazard will be another major test, but Navas has earned the right to keep his place after that showing at the Emirates.
Raheem Sterling, on the other hand, might not after getting the hook at half time.
Guardiola could play Kevin de Bruyne in a wider role and use Fernandinho and Toure together in midfield.

Sounds like a tit. Drop Sterling, one of our best players this season, whilst playing Navas / argues to play KDB out wide.

 

[MarsLlama]

Only marginally more scary than Zabba against Hazard. One will be out of position all the time the other will be murdered for pace.

I wouldn't mind Navas at RB again, what's the worst that can happen? He was actually excellent against Sanchez and offered two good crosses.

 

[eversince 76]

Don't understand the negativism on here regarding different subjects.

Chelsea-CITY:
Small chance we win the title because we are too inconsistent and the gap is simply too big. So imho we can play without too much pressure tonight and try to go for what would be an upset if we win. If we loose or draw our remaining fixtures are due to make us finish in the top 4 (and the scum outside the top 6 ...).
We are away and our awayrecord is better than the one at home. We haven't got the best defence (nor the worst), but we have a team that can outscore any opponent. Even on a small pitch being Stamford Bridge. And who knows, we might even get a refereeing decision our way (ok, maybe I'm taking it too far now ...).

VINCENT KOMPANY:
We've played so many games without him I can hardly remember when he played a few back to back for 90 minutes. He has been training with the squad long enough to start him. If he breaks down, nothing will change in a way. If he doesn't, he might be rusty and not up to the standard we know he can be. But it would still be as good as what we can put in defence right now. And who knows he might play a great game and his presence reflects in a positive way to the other teammembers. Kompany is to the squad and fans what Puyol has been for Barcelona when Pep was manager over there. Just play him if he is matchfit and his head is up to it, and let's see where it ends up.

NAVAS AT RIGHT BACK:
Clearly he was put in there vs Arsenal because he was expected to cope with Sanchez. He did wonderfully well and was even in the mood to go out and attack Zaba-like. Zab knows how to play Hazard, but I do remember Zab finds him a tough opponent. Maybe Navas would actually be a better option for this particular game. And I wouldn't be surprised if it's Hazard chasing Navas instead of the other way round.

YAYA:
I understood Pep leaving Yaya out vs Monaco and Arsenal becaue of the movement they have in midfield going by their style of play. Chelsea plays differently and this suits Yaya more.

OUR AIM:
Our aim should be finishing top 4 and play a FA-cupfinal at Wembley. Oh, and beat the filth at our place. Anything better than that is a bonus.

TEAM:
Caballero
Navas-Stones-Kompany/Kolarov-Clichy/Kolarov
KDB-Yaya-Silva
Sterling-Aguero-Sane

Chelsea 1 (we simply can't keep a blank sheet) - CITY 2 (Aguero, Yaya)