I know it wont be an easy game and Iâm sure that Chelsea will start as favourites, well there we have our first plus. Bruce could play 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1 but I think he will go 4-4-2, why on earth would I think that on history this season? Well I think the scramble for that striker was down to Bruce admitting that the Gyan Sess experiment is not working and never looked like working. Add in our failure to land a LW and we now have Richardson and Sess, Colback is not a LW and Larssen can play there but is badly needed RW. It would be stupidity indeed to me to bring in Bendtner and not use him properly and at the same time give Gyan to work off him. Even if OâShea does not make it, I have a feeling he will, with Elmo,Bardo,Brown,Bramble,Turner and Richardson we are near full strength so I expect a solid back 4. Midfield with Catts alongside either of Colback, Gadner and Vaughan should be OK and the key will be Larssen and Sess on each wing, both can cause problems and both can create chances. In Bendy we have someone who is good in the air, Gyan is not, can hold the ball, Gyan can not so can score and create chances. I expect Gyan to flourish off those chances. The team will be desperate to kick start our season and both strikers will be desperate to score and claim top striker spot. Chelsea have better players but this could be a good time to meet them. Right, pull me apart boys and girls but please be gentle.
I agree Syd, Chelsea are beatable, but not sure we have gelled enough as a team to dominate areas of the pitch, particularly midfield. Defence, hopefully O'Shea will be fit and with Brown, Bramble and Bardo we should be combatitive enough to make it difficult for them. He has got to play Bendtner and Gyan to keep Terry and Co busy. Midfield? Larsson will need to create and defend against Cole's runs. Equally whoever plays on the left side has to do the same and keep Bosingwa under control. If they play three middle men against our two .... Catts and one other, that is where we will struggle! It is a difficult choice for Bruce, we must match them in the middle if we are to stand a chance and for this reason I think he will delay playing 442 and go for a 451 as follows: Mig O'Shea - Brown - Bramble - Bardo Larrson - Gardner - Catts - Colback - Richardson Bendtner
OK on the past 2 and a bit seasons, what makes anybody think SB, is going to pick the right team and motivate them with the right tactics. He could still play Rico at LB he could still play Elmo at right wing and he could still play Gyan and Sess in the middle and still persist with Catts even after he has given a crucial free kick away and had a yellow card. He will wait till we are 1 or 2 down then he will take players off and throw forwards on i.e. Bendtner will come as a sub along with Conner W and Ji Dong, with Gyan coming off along with Elmo and Rico, carrot top will hen take Rico's place at LB. I hope I eat my words at 5.00pm on saturday
not your main problem, if we win I intend to kiss the first man I see in a hat, I'm behindddddd youuuuuuuuuuuu
Mig O'Shea Brown Bramble Bardsley Larsson Colback Gardner Sess "Bendy" Gyan Never going to happen though. We have a choice of Catts, Colback, Vaughan and Gardner for the central slots. For me I'd start with Colback as he's been our best player this season this far and Gardner as I think he'll be turn into a top signing once he gets a goal and his confidence up. He can score from range and sometimes it takes something special to beat the top teams. I really want Vaughan to be given a chance but not v Chelsea IMO. Catts will start however. He is so inconsistent it is unbelievable. I want to see him do well but he's looked off it lately. I think we can get a point. Its the type of stupid thing we'd do. Doom gloom then a point against one of the top teams in the country. Fingers crossed. 1-1 "Bendy" to bag a debut goal!!
Seems that all this Gyan' Sess fever is finally settling down. Was never going to and never will work...(could say it told you so, but i won't rub it in) With Bendtner we finally have a chance to take to pressure of a flailing Gyan, and maybe this could be the making of him. I have harped on about how Gyan was a hinderance to the team for long enough. Not because he is a bad player, but because there is an over reliance on him, and the style of play didn't suit him. Well now he has substantial help. Furthermore hopefully Sess will be pushed out to the l'w, so there is that major problem sorted hopefully. Larsson has to stay r'w, surely that's what we got him for. All looking pretty good so far, then Gardner and Catts in c/m, (some may shout for Colback and rightly so), but we can't play everyone. Then that leaves our problem area. The defence. You may cry and shout we are ok here, but we are not. We are playing Chelsea, which means Drogba/Torres etc, and we have in defence to play them? Brown is a sure starter, same as Bardo (on which side is anyone's guess), then it'll probably be Bramble who hasn't played to much lately, and a choice of ****ing dumb and dumber to fill the last spot. Mig in goal, well considering a vast majority were calling for Westwood to be given a chance, which he was and duly dropped again says a lot. So imo forwards sorted, midfield sorted, defence more than iffy, and a g/k none of us can make our minds up about. Then there's Chelsea, a squad of vast talent in every position, but sometimes can be caught out (as we know). Terry and Lampard are not what they were, Cole is just a twat and was ran circles around at the bridge. Who will play forward for Chelsea? against our iffy defence, that is the key battle. Although i have us down to lose on Argus predictions, i still have us to score a couple of goals, in what im sure will be the game of the weekend. Now await the backlash. edit...this is taken as o'shea is unfit.
I would take a draw now. I just hope we give them a game 3 pts would be fantastic. ------------------Mig----------------------- Bardo-----Brown-----Bramble-----O`Shea Larsson---Catts------Gardner---------Sess -----------Bendtner------------------------ ------------------------Gyan---------------
Do not disagree with your team much 78' but maybe Colback instead of Catts. However honestly what team do you think SB will pick
On what evidence Neil? Sess has been our best, most consistent performer this season so why do you think Bruce would drop him? I don't - I think Sess will be playing without any dadow of a shout!! I also think a lot of our fans underestimate Catts ability to break up play against the big boys - he'll be massively important to us this weekend - much more so than Colback. Him and Gardner in centre mid for me
I will lay very short odds that Cattermole will play ahead of Colback (and rightly so IMO) - I like Colback but Cattermole is a much better player and breaks up play much better. Colback might, when given time, get a better pass away but how much time are we likely to have on the bacll at the weekend? I'd play a midfield of Larsson Gardner Cattermole Sessegnon
If we play a 4 man midfield we'll get over run. Bruce has been negative all season so.far so I can't see him suddenly going 4-4-2 against one of the best teams in.europe. Id agree with a 4-5-1 to start. .........................Mig..................... bardo.....brown.......bramble....oshea.. ..........................catts............................. larssen....gardner.......colback.......sess... .......................Bendtner......................... I have a very good feeling about Bendtner, I think he's going to.be a revelation in red and white.
Oh to be a manager, we all know the right team and formation but we dont all agree, the joys of being a football supporter.
