And we need Hazard to get injured on International duty. Chadli or Vertonghen to crock him during training?
Going political for a moment......as the Russians ( Czar Pukin) are ticking off everyone with the Ukraine crisis,will all Russians in Britain be told to leave our shore,Oilman included? Would Herr Mourinho take over the club and become the first owner /coach/manager.........
I doubt Putin likes Abramovich much, he pretty much fled as soon as Putin started rounding up the oligarch's and sending them to jail if they didn't give back some of the national resources they conned from the country under the old regime.
And I say we've drawn our last two games against Chelsea (at home, admittedly) and for once, as far as I'm concerned, have a little less pressure than our opponent does (in my own unique opinion). Nobody expects us to get anything out of this game. Chelsea, on the other hand, can't drop points at home against #5 team in the league without bringing their title hopes into question. If we set up not to lose we will, I think. Whatever we call our formation, we need Ade and either Eriksen or Soldado. Otherwise we'll give Chelsea so little to worry about they'll give us too much to worry about. One odd thing is that we'd certainly do better trying to counter, yet Mourinho loves to counter, even at home. So that means, to me, the team that loses the possession battle may have the tactical advantage. More reason to start two of three of Ade, Soldado and Eiriksen. The one thing that's been different with Sherwood is that we have been dangerous countering pretty consistently. We'll very likely need to get a goal or more on the break Saturday.
Is kaboul fit? If so.... Lloris, vertongen kaboul Dawson walker, Lennon paulinio sandro chadli Siggy Ade However I expect townsend dembele and bentaleb to all start...personally I think bentaleb needs a breather, dembele needs dropping as he is not delivering and imho townsend is hype over substance
We looked so much better the one game Kaboul played, I can only hope he's fit...while expecting he isn't, along with Eiriksen, and seemingly everybody else who steps in and has a good game or three for us, by whom I mean Chiriches. Does our training consist of juggling chain saws and swallowing knives? I can't understand how so many people manage to hurt themselves so often. There's a bold move, naming Gylfi to start. I'll be shocked if he gets a run out.
Given Paulinho has to go to SA, I could see it as a good time to go with a 4-3-3 ... Bentaleb Sandro Dembele Lennon Ade Soldado Or else maybe Lennon Dembele Sandro Townsend Ade Soldado Dembele never looks like he can be bothered against weaker teams, and then keeps turning into our best performer against the best ones.
Dembele is one of our best ball winners and retainers on his his day, forms a little off atm I know, but you can't not play him in this one I think, we need players with that attribute because Chelsea are going to have the ball more than we are, especially with Sandro not ready for 90 yet.
What's peoples thoughts on Paulinho. I just don't get him at all. One good game against Stoke at home that's it. Was expecting big things from a Brazilian international but he's been a big let down IMHO
I think that a lot of our players have been a let down, largely because there's no rhyme or reason to a lot of our team selections and tactics. We lack any real creative spark throughout the side, especially when Eriksen's missing, and there's no playmaker in the side to dictate the pace of the game or pick out our danger men. It makes us rather one dimensional. We can hurt people on the break, but we often lack the ability to draw teams out enough to hit them like that. We're too slow in possession, uneasy at the back and we've often lacked leadership. Our continuity's been appalling too, as we've had so many injuries throughout the season.
I'd agree with the gist of the above. I don't believe that previously good players, like a Paulinho, have suddenly become bad players. I do think, however, that he along with some others, seems disillusioned, confused, lack belief in what they're being asked to do, etc. That's down to poor management and poor coaching.
I do think the biggest problem is that a coherent team is still only just emerging. Still, Paulinho is an odd one. He's been able to do two things which impress me: win balls and retain them through dribbling skill, and set up and score the occasional goal, usually with a backheel. The thing is, every so often (home opener against Swansea, for example) he was a monster ball-winner, just took over the game--and then most others he doesn't have much impact. He's not as good as either Soldado or Eiriksen in a creative role, but then again he's not too bad either, he will create the occasional good chance, and score one, as well.
