chelsea to field weakened team.

[SPIDERBOY]

The way I see it is,he knows Chelsea ain't gonna win the league and he's looking for excuses.
IF he fields a weakened team and they lose,he can then sit there in front of the cameras all smug with that stupid smile on his face saying summat like "I did not lose the league,I gave it away,it's not important".......he's in a win-win.

 

[the god Gerry Gow]

Not sure why everybody is suddenly up in arms.

Their focus has always been Champions League success, as indeed is ours.

The only people who give a toss about winning the league are, as usual, the long suffering fans

 

[dancity19]

Not sure why everybody is suddenly up in arms.

Their focus has always been Champions League success, as indeed is ours.

The only people who give a toss about winning the league are, as usual, the long suffering fans

Understand that.

I think the issue is just how weakened his team may be. If it is a defence of Ivanovic,Cahill,Azpilqueta and Cole, then that isn't too bad.

It's where the team may have a defence of Kalas,Mikel,Christensen and Ake. That would be a huge issue, and hugely disappointing. The league is all but over for them, but not totally. If we had a slim chance, I doubt we would ever play a team like that against a rival.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

Not surprised as soon as they lost to sunderland I knew it was chumps or nowt for them

 

[Dubai Blue]

Not sure why everybody is suddenly up in arms.

Their focus has always been Champions League success, as indeed is ours.

The only people who give a toss about winning the league are, as usual, the long suffering fans

Understand that.

I think the issue is just how weakened his team may be. If it is a defence of Ivanovic,Cahill,Azpilqueta and Cole, then that isn't too bad.

It's where the team may have a defence of Kalas,Mikel,Christensen and Ake. That would be a huge issue, and hugely disappointing. The league is all but over for them, but not totally. If we had a slim chance, I doubt we would ever play a team like that against a rival.

I really don't think he'll go that far as they still have a slim chance of pulling this off. He'll play the strongest side he can without compromising his team's chances in the Champions League. Can't ask for any more than that. But you're right, it would be bang out of order if he takes things too far.

 

[che_don_john]

If a club is restricted to a 25-man squad, then the manager is absolutely entitled to pick any 11 players he wants from that 25. Mourinho doesn't have any obligation to us and he doesn't owe us anything. For us to be relying on him to do us a favour at this stage of the season is kind of desperate; the league was in our hands and we blew it, end of.

Having said that, I suspect he'll escape the sort of punishment handed out to Ian Holloway and Mick McCarthy when they fielded 'weakened' teams. When Alex Ferguson changed his team it was called rotation; when Holloway/McCarthy did it they had the book thrown at them. If the Premier League must impose this 25-man squad limit then fair enough, but then they shouldn't also get to judge which players managers should pick.

 

[Dubai Blue]

Having said that, I suspect he'll escape the sort of punishment handed out to Ian Holloway and Mick McCarthy when they fielded 'weakened' teams. When Alex Ferguson changed his team it was called rotation; when Holloway/McCarthy did it they had the book thrown at them. If the Premier League must impose this 25-man squad limit then fair enough, but then they shouldn't also get to judge which players managers should pick.

The rules have changed since those instances. You're right; he can now legitimately pick whatever players from his squad that he chooses, which is the way it should be.

 

[LPoolFan]

Mourinho puts himself in a position where he can't lose yet again.

If he gets a result he's a genius, if they lose then he's already laid the groundwork in terms of excuses.

Or it's all bullshit and he fields the same team he would have done regardless.

Either way he's a twat.

 

[aguero93:20]

Mourinho puts himself in a position where he can't lose yet again.

If he gets a result he's a genius, if they lose then he's already laid the groundwork in terms of excuses.

Or it's all bullshit and he fields the same team he would have done regardless.

Either way he's a twat.

If he puts out a really weak team and gets twatted 7/8-0 and then Atleti go through on Wednesday he gets sacked, Abramovich doesn't do humiliations on any grounds.

 

[supercity88]

Mourinho puts himself in a position where he can't lose yet again.

If he gets a result he's a genius, if they lose then he's already laid the groundwork in terms of excuses.

Or it's all bullshit and he fields the same team he would have done regardless.

Either way he's a twat.

If he puts out a really weak team and gets twatted 7/8-0 and then Atleti go through on Wednesday he gets sacked, Abramovich doesn't do humiliations on any grounds.

Yeah that's the thing, Mourinho quite clearly states that he is just the manager and any decision on fielding a "weaker" team has to come from above him. Abramovich will look at our fixtures and think - tough, they could drop points and can look at Liverpool's and think, beat them and they may well drop points at Palace too. They aren't so far out of it that they cannot win it. They will try to win the game, and have enough players available to do so. They managed to beat PSG by altering their formation, they have plenty of players to rotate in and out, and if I was on the verge of the Chelsea side I would play my heart out to try and win a place in the side for the second leg, and possibly the final... they have plenty at stake on a personal level - not concerned they will "throw" the game. I think they will go there and get a result.