It's certainly an interesting team and tactics problem for Pochettino. A really cold blooded realist would be tempted to play a weakened side, on the theory that the winnable points are on the weekends, and there may be a danger in damaging the team's confidence just when it's finally found some. That's not very daring though. Some rotation would seem advisable. Asking the same players to play three times in a week isn't so much the issue as the implicit statement that everyone else is a distant second choice, which is a message Pochettino, to his credit, has been careful not to send. I'm a little leery of starting Chadli just because I remember how isolated he left Rose. I might add Lamela and rest Soldado. I'd keep Mason and Bentaleb. They were even better than I hoped, and they're both young. This might be a good game for Dembele or Capoue (in addition to Mason and Bentaleb). This game might seem like a good one to repeat the formation and tactics used against Arsenal--though Chelsea won't leave themselves as open.
Hard to predict and choose the line-up after the Everton performance. No one really deserves to be dropped but away to Chelsea you'd have to say that an extra defensive man in midfield (Stambouli/ Capoue) would be ideal to help nullify the likes of Hazard, Willian and Oscar. Mason and Bentaleb were superb and have the potential to be a great pairing for us over the years but Chelsea are a different kettle of fish to Everton and I think they'll need an extra hand.
I would guess Chelsea don't want to see us play the same way as we did against Everton. If we play more defensively, we might well be in the game longer, but our chances of getting a result might be (even) worse. They won't pour forward like Arsenal and leave themselves open. To score we may need to attack, so attacking seems like a better plan to me.
With all the results yesterday, we do actually need a win to stay in contact. Would like the boys to have a must-win attitude tonight rather than "can write this one off" .
Lloris; Chiriches, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Bentaleb, Mason; Lennon, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane. Vorm, Dier, Kaboul, Naughton, Chadli, Paulinho, Soldado. I guess Stambouli's got injured so that ends that arguement. Will be interesting to see how we line up, Eriksen played on the left on Sunday and we could conceivably set up in any order across that line of midfield.
Team: Lloris; Chiriches, Fazio, Vertonghen, Davies; Bentaleb, Mason; Lennon, Eriksen, Lamela; Kane Subs: Vorm, Dier, Kaboul, Naughton, Chadli, Paulinho, Soldado An extra midfielder makes sense and Lamela does tend to work reasonably hard. Of the two strikers, Kane probably works harder than Soldado too so although dropping the Spaniard isn't an easy call, it was a call that had to be made. Now lets go out there with no fear and 100% commitment and get as good a result as we can.
Not forgetting the obligatory dodgy decision by the ref/assistant that usually accompanies this game.
Sunderland took the lead against City at virtually the same time, too. 2-0, Drogba. For ****'s sake. Lloris not having a good game.
