Seeing as nobody has started this thread yet I thought I'd get it under way. If Hughes has been working hard on the training pitch, or on his flip-chart at least, then I hope we don't get properly humped. A 0-0 would suit me at the moment but expect my obituary if we beat them again, I nearly karked it last season and don't think I can take the same again! My formation would be Cesar Bossingwa - Nelsen (Ferdinand out injured still?) M'Bia - Fabio Adel - Park - Granero - Hoilett Zamora - Cisse
i would have the same team apart from playing Mackie instead of Adel. Mackie is the sort of player you want for these matches and we be well up for it. and Faurlin for Park.
That midfield would get us killed. -----------------Cesar Boswinga--Nelsen---Mbia----Fabio Park---Faurlin/Diakite---Granero---Taarabt ---------Cisse-----Zamora The other option is to not play Cisse and put Faurlin and Diakite in the middle with Granero a bit further forward.
That looks like a "stick all our best players in the side" job. I think for the first half we need a bit more continuity from the city game, and probably can't play hoilett+taraabt together yet (certainly not against a team with so much potency in attack). If all is going well, i'd suggest we heavily utilise the bench even as early as half time. Feel Chelsea out whilst remaining solid in the first, win it from the bench in the second. Diakite assures us he's at training today, and if that's the case then he's got to play. If not, then we've got to play Faurlin, because park isn't a CM. I really wish we had the time to ease Ale back into the squad, but it's not looking like we can afford to currently. That shifts park to the wing in place of hoilett/adel, and i'd really be tempted to replace the other with SWP for a bit more defensive stability. Zamora should start alongside Johnson i think, who'll put in far more of a shift that cisse. this gives: Cesar Bossingwa - Nelsen M'Bia - Fabio SWP/Hoilett - Diakite - Granero - Park Zamora - Johnson Then potentially we could replace SWP with Adel at half time, and Johnson for Cisse. Hoilett could swap with Park late on if we're chasing the game. Alternatively, if we want Adel + Hoilett in the side, i'd quite like to see this given a go. Cesar Bossingwa - Nelsen - M'Bia - Fabio Diakite Adel - Faurlin - Granero - Hoilett Zamora I know there's been criticism of playing with a lone striker at home, but at least Zamora is more of a natural in thise role than Cisse. Plus playing a three man midfield would help compensate for the defensive shortcomings of hoilett/taraabt.
The other 3 are defensively responsible. Taarabt is more defensively responsible than Hoilett while SWP offers nothing at the other end. He played the last game against them at LR and made the perfect pass that lead to Boswinga getting sent off and tricked Drogba into lunging into him. Saying that, I wouldnt start him if the stories are true.
I can only see him coming on for the last hour if we are hanging onto a result, I could then understand him getting playing time over Taarabt or Hoilett.
Surely we need a tough old midfield with Granero / Faurlin / Diakite in the mix, playing Hoilett & Adel either side with Cisse up front? Cesar Bosingwa Nelson M'Bia Onouha/Traore Granero Diakite Faurlin Hoilett Adel Cisse But then what the hell do I know? All I want is an attacking pressuring performance with the mythical 110% effort
i hope we wont see Cisse up front on his own. I could understand. ----Diakite---- Faurlin Park----Granero----Adel/Hoilett ---------Zamora
He started ahead of Hoilett and Taraabt Vs city and looked reltively decent, as he did Vs Walsall and throughout preseason. SWP is a legitimate option, he's just a very easy target for boo-boys who don't actually watch what he does, and simply pre-judge him as crap before he's stepped onto the pitch.
Not really Grifter I'm judging him zero goals last season and endless running up blind alleys and losing possession......
But offers zero going forward. We can play Mackie on one side who has an attacking threat. Starting SWP is effectively saying we are trying to a 0-0 draw. Only Ephraim should be behind him in the pecking order because he is awful going forward. Hes been judged as crap because of his terrible 11-12 season hes done nothing to change our minds.
We should have a SWP drinking game where you have to down your drink when he a) cuts inside and its totally obvious his shot will be blocked but he still shoots anyway. b) cuts inside, does a 360 and loses possession. He hasnt even got a non league football brain in him.
Looking at the above posts, the point that jumps out at me, is that whoever starts, we will have the strongest starting 11 and bench in my living memory. MH has not yet managed to work out our strongest 11 and what formation to play them in, let's hope he starts getting it right sooner rather than later. We have so many options across the middle now, its incredibly exciting. Can't see Diakite starting considering all the rumours surrounding him and his poor form up to now. Also can't imagine us playing at home with Cisse not starting. Wish I was going on Saturday as this looks like a cracker. Beware that Chelsea look much much stronger now than they did last year.
I've tried to see the best in SWP over the months he's been with us but can't see any argument for him getting in the team, as a defensive or attacking option. If we want wide players who will track back we have Park and Mackie. If we want flair we have Hoilett and Taarabt. All four are far better overall than Baby Harvey.
