Prioritise Barcelona or Chelsea?

[TCIB]

Prioritise neither. We are more than capable of playing two big games in three days and the rest of the season ahead. A ridiculous question. they are both important and can have the same level of priority as each other. Same number of days before each game from the last; do the same thing in each of the three days, have exactly the same preparation for both, exactly the same.

We could be capable of playing four big games in a row and placing exactly the same emphasis of importance on all of them. And in the coming years we may have:
Sat-Prem title run-in/decider...Tues-CL Semi-final...Sat-FAC Semi...Sun(8days later)-Prem title run-in/decider...Weds-CL Semi final.

All four would be given the same importance, as should Chelsea and Barcelona which is just two games the week after next.

Agreed verbatim.

 

[rushts]

Strongest 11 for both for me.

With all the games coming up in close proximity, i'd like to think that the high intensity training could/should be toned down. Just some jogging, set piece and formation work. I'm praying for no more injuries, they're bad enough picked up in a match but please no more injuries picked up in training.

 

[Danamy]

Which one's worth more money?

You'll then find your answer

 

[sir baconface]

We need to go for the League Cup, having got to the final. Premier League has always been number 1 priority. However, good performances against Barca would put us firmly on the global map. They would also give a feel-good factor that might benefit us elsewhere. Although the FA Cup comes bottom of my list, we don't want to give up on it, specially against Chelsea.

I think partial rotation is needed, fielding a strong team while resting one or two in every game. Maybe three against Chelsea. Although it worked against Bayern, putting out a load of second stringers generally gives me the shits. None of these games is trivial enough to serve up gift-wrapped.

 

[sam-caddick]

Which one's worth more money?

You'll then find your answer

This.

The Barcelona game in the eyes of the club, the board and the owner is the big one in my opinion.

After 2 embarrassing seasons in the CL we have the opportunity this season to really put a marker down in Europe and finally arrive so to speak.

We have to put up the best fight possible in that match with whatever team is available to us, getting battered because we are knackered from the Chelsea game will be poor judgement if you ask me.

Needs must, and this season the Barcelona tie is one of the biggest games of the season and one of the biggest in the clubs history, it's just a shame we have so many key injuries at the moment and the home tie is so soon after the Chelsea FA cup game.

 

[mammutly]

Might be a bit of a radical thought, but over 3 games there is the opportunity for 9 players not to play 90 minutes. If, for example, Silva and Negrado played 60 mins against Sunderland and we then switch to a defensive formation, doesn't that leave them fit and able to play against Chelsea? If top athletes can't perform at peak level for an hour on 3 occasions with 48 hours rest inbetween, then they aren't as fit as they should be.

 

[Stoned Rose]

The club will prioritise barca because the club puts realism, commerce and reputation before pointless revenge.

 

[mammutly]

The club will prioritise barca because the club puts realism, commerce and reputation before pointless revenge.

Pointless? Fuck off. There is passion in football and if beating Chelsea is pointless, we should all take out subscriptions to text commentary and evaluate the potential PR value of engaging in any particular chant before making a noise.

 

[Marvin]

The defence is OK because Keeper and Central defenders don't put in the mileage whilst we can rotate our full backs. We also have options up front with Jovetic, Negredo and Dzeko. It sounds like Fernandinho and Aguero may just make the Barcelona game.

The problem is who plays in midfield in these two games. Can Silva and Yaya play in both? I think we'll name Silva and Yaya as subs and bring them on in the 2nd half. Maybe Navas too.

 

[mammutly]

The defence is OK because Keeper and Central defenders don't put in the mileage whilst we can rotate our full backs. We also have options up front with Jovetic, Negredo and Dzeko. It sounds like Fernandinho and Aguero may just make the Barcelona game.

The problem is who plays in midfield in these two games. Can Silva and Yaya play in both? I think we'll name Silva and Yaya as subs and bring them on in the 2nd half. Maybe Navas too.

Other way around around for me, Marvin. We saw against Chelsea how important the midfield is in our attacking football and how a lack of pace and quality in that department causes problems. Demichelis can do a defensive job far better than he can contribute to offensive football. Ditto Garcia. I think the plan should be to get the lead and then defend it whilst resting key players.