it's been a great few days to stroll around, chest stuck out, taking the piss out of all the puddle fans over here, dreaming of wembley etc etc...................... but i hope ML has gently but firmly focused the squads minds for chelski tmw. is chico going to be fit? i think a lot depends on him playing, tremmel might be a bit exposed if Monk or Tate partner Ash
Interesting to hear ML on the radio this morning stating that of the two games Chelski and Soton he would prefer to get 3 points off Soton. Nigel Adkins must be on borrowed time there having spent a small fortune in the summer and old Arri must be on the cards to step in there with a nice drive along the coast in the morning. So it could be the Swans putting the final knife in!
Mark Lawrence's prediction , thats it then we're doomed Quote: Swansea had a great win over Liverpool in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday that would have been extremely sweet for them against their former manager Brendan Rodgers. I think if any fans were questioning Swansea boss Michael Laudrup and the direction his side were taking, they are not doing it anymore. They have got a great draw in the last eight too, at home against Middlesbrough. The Swans played well against Manchester City last weekend too and had a couple of great chances at the Etihad Stadium before City scored what turned out to be their winner. Laudrup came out after the game at Anfield and said "this is my team now" in that he is only using a few players who were regulars under Rodgers last campaign. He has put his own stamp on their style and has left Rodgers under a bit of pressure. It has been an eventful week for Chelsea, starting with the sendings-off in their defeat by Manchester United and then the enquiry into what referee Mark Clattenburg did and did not say to their players. Since then the club have launched another investigation into what appeared to be a racist gesture by a fan when they beat United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday. The spotlight is on the club for all the wrong reasons and it is about time they got on with playing football. For all their attacking talents, Roberto Di Matteo's side will not find it easy against Swansea, though, and I think they are looking at a draw - which the Welsh side would probably take if they were offered it. Prediction: 1-1
I think he means that it shows more of the teams mental state if they can win away against the saints than home against Chelsea where they will have an unnatural high motivation and be overly psyched.
That made me laugh, well said PGF!................... Mr G you have excelled yourself, my favorite is Ashley Coal!.....................
My take is that he would prefer three points of Southampton as they are one of the teams we are competing against in our mini league. It is very doubtful that we will finish above Chelsea but, with due respect to Southampton, they are one of the teams we would expect to finish above and we need to keep them down there below us.
Chelsea team news from some football site. "Terry serves the final instalment of his ban on Saturday, while manager Di Matteo revealed fellow defender David Luiz would almost certainly miss the Swansea game though injury. That would mean Branislav Ivanovic being pressed into centre-back service in a new-look defence that would almost certainly see right-back Cesar Azpilicueta handed his full league debut, with Ashley Cole returning from injury on the opposite flank."
From Bucks Blue on Chelsea not606: "Luiz is out as he has 5 yellow cards.... Looks like an Azpilicueta, Ivan, Cahill, Cole/Bertrand back line"
A tidy match day thread there Mr Gullible I predict............. hat trick for Michu .............................. and................... Taxi for Petr cech ................. well not far out but a draw against the champs is acceptable.
Whoever we play on the wings today should go at Cole every chance they get and tease him into a two yellow dismissal. Or better. He is going to be exposed today.
Can't quite decide whether we've got a genuine chance in this game or if we'll get a good tonking. Chelsea have outstanding players.
Im not sure how the ref is going to manage. Knowing the media is going to focus on the ref, kevin friend i think his name is, it could really go against us as the ref will try his best not to come across as being biased against chelsea,which will mean he will give them everything !! On the other hand, the ref may well be getting ready to give cards out to them first chancr he gets, it is after all human nature to protect your own(referee;s) it sure will be intresting to see if he is a "friend " of ours today
Have to say lads a success story. Just got into ground after meeting FFS, SA9 and Bucks Blue (Chelsea fan) in the Harvester. Top blokes all around cannot speak highly enough quality posters and true gents. Bucks and his dad are top blokes , sorry I've had a few but ether are ate top blokes. Where were the rest of you ?
Dill, sorry I couldn't make it. The bloke that owns the ST I borrow didn't go away, so didn't have a ticket.
We'll get nothing from this ref. Bet he gives them a penalty. Williams having a good game (fingers crossed) Michu is offside alot.
