Here's mine GK Courtois LD Dave CD Ake RD Zouma LW Alonso RW Moses Mid Chalobah DM Loftus Cheek RM Willian LM Pedro Str Michy Costa can watch on Sky, Luiz have a breather, Cahill suit himself, Kante sit on the bench which means he will only have to come on last 5 mins. Matic/Fabregas can play with the kids, Couldn't care if we win or lose, but we need to find out if these kids are really any good. I don't think they are, apart from Ake, but that's another story. Go your hardest.
If Conte starts Costa & Cahill, we will get beat handsomely. With your team CP, we can have a fighting chance both for the Cup & league title also. Conte needs to integrate Zouma in the mix real fast. If we have any hope for winning the title. So this semi will be a good stage to bring Zouma closer to match fitness
I wouldn't be adverse to playing a false 9 but I think Kante and Luiz should start. This is a massive game and could inadvertently impact the title race as well. Spurs have a mid week game like us and will definitely still play their best 11 available. We should follow suit (perhaps Costa aside).
I would go with a side that can win personally: Courtous Moses Dave Luiz Ake Alonso Kante Fabregas Willian Hazard Pedro
thank fcuk Gents. Some of our mates, make it as if I am crazy. No Costa & Cahill - we may still win the title!!
Sorry C.P. Usually i agree with most of your posts but i have to differ here. Can't believe you said you couldn't care less if we win or lose ! I think you started following the Blues around the same time as myself....an F.A. cup semi was something you dreamed of getting to those days. I for one want the team that has got us to within a whisper of a "Double". COURTOIS, AZPI, LUIZ, CAHILL, KANTE, MATIC, MOSES, ALONSO, PEDRO OR WILLIAN, HAZARD, COSTA. I would gladly play your team for the last couple of games of the season, if, and it's a big if, we have the title in the bag ! From a "non expert" come on the Chels !!!
I would rather win than lose Naas, but would much rather win the League title. The performance against Man U and Palace showed we lack guile, and especially the players to change things. The team looked jaded and out of sorts from the front to the back. Perhaps you're right, and going hard at Spurs might wake them up, but another loss would bring the shades down all around. Looking at my post it does seem a bit lacking in character, so let me correct it by saying I do hope we roll the Spuds and will not be happy if we don't. Incidentally it was around 68 or 69 that I saw my first match at the Bridge. Before that , while living in Sydney, we watched the Arsenal at home cause my grand dad used to play for them a million years ago. Moving to Chelsea soon converted me to a Blue. Not sure if it was the team or the Kings Road dollies, but I stuck !!
I see where you're coming from C.P. but i think we can win both. The Palace game was a shocker but i think there is always the potential for a result like that near the end of a long season. The Utd match was much more worrying for sure as we hadn't a shot on target....the first time in 10 seasons i believe. The first reason was Jose's tactics. He had the full court press down to a tee and his players were excellent in the execution to be fair. The other reason could be down to something which in fairness to Conte he made nothing of. There were reports in some of the papers that there was a virus in the Club during the week and some of the players were affected. This might go some way to explaining how lacklustre the Team were in general. (Alonso pulling out before k.o. not feeling well tends to back up the stories). In any case i think playing Spurs at Wembley will ignite the team again. Hopefully Costa comes good on Saturday. The Chinese "silly" money turned his head and he will go at the end of the season but he still needs to see it out with professionalism and pride. P.S. When you mentioned the King's Road Dollies that famous picture of Rachael Welch in Ossie's football top came to mind. Ah those were the days !!!
A very nice dose of common sense Naas. No doubt Conte will pick his first 11 and ignore my "expert" advice, so I will be up before dawn eyes glued to the match. A bit of form from Costa would be a major bonus. Fingers crossed. PS Did you ever go to the Aratusa in Kings Road? Mate of mine was a member and got me in occasionally. Always saw either A Rolling Stone, A Beatle or a Chelsea Footballer !!!! Those were the days !!
Not as well connected as you C.P. you posh git !!! Traveled over from Ireland to the Bridge from '77 onwards. Used to do at least 4 games a season....spent almost every penny i had following the Blues !!! Only good thing was you never needed to have a ticket organized as you just had to turn up at "The Shed". My favourite game attended from that era was our game against Spurs in '78 when they had Ardiles and Ricky Villa. They won 3-1 but the atmosphere on the Shed was brilliant that day. I almost got caught in the middle of a riot as there was a large mob of Spurs in with us and it kicked off big time !!! Big change from these days....they ring each other up to organize a ruck !!!
Ardilles and Vila were top class, and Ardilles reminds me a bit of Zola, my all time favourite Chelsea player. Both small, both extraordinarily talented, brilliant technical players, creators and scorers, they had everything. And who could forget Villas' Wembley goal when he turned a defender inside out to score a stonker. Pity they were at the spuds, but hats off to talent like them. They were also under the cloud of the Falklands war being "Argies", but still won people over.
Be interesting to see who gets brought in. Zouma, Ake, Terry? Ake probably most suited for that side of the back 3 but it's a step up for him.
That's how I see it too. Ake has to be given a run though, he looks tailor made for our new set up. He's a versatile kid but he needs to be given a position and a chance to play. Surely he's not on the "sell" list? My only criticism of Conte is his use of subs. Too little too late , and too much like for like. Understandable to a degree, because he has got us within touching distance in his first year, but when he really needs to change things around, he always seems to reach for Willian or Fabregas.
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/683/...conte-ake-is-ready-to-step-into-cahills-shoes looks like Conte is going to pick Ake. Good luck to him!!
Gotta be Ake, better on the ball than Zouma and left footed too so gives us more balance. Need a left footer at wing back though so if Alonso is out i'd put Ake there and move Azpi across and put Zouma right defence. No idea what we were thinking with Azpi at LWB against United, they're our only wide players but he can't use his left foot! I'd go Courtois Moses Azpi Luiz Ake Alonso Kante Matic Cesc Pedro Hazard Costa needs a break, form is dreadful.