I think its better to rest Drogba for this match and start with Scheva and Anelka/Kalou in 4-4-2 formation. I also would like to see some tactical experiments and chances given to Alex , Ferrera or Bridge in the back 4.

My start 11 would be

Hilario,Terry,Bridge,Ferreira,Alex/Carvalho,Ballack,Mikel,Essien, Lampard,Scheva,Kalou

Bench: Rhys,Alex/Carvalho,A.Cole, J.cole, Anelka,

If no goals are scored for 6o min, then rivert to 4-3-3 by bringing on J.Cole for Mikel/Essien.

——————-Hilario—————-
—Belletti—Terry—Carvalho—Bridge—
——————Mikel——————-
———–Essien——-Lampard———-
——————Cole——————-
———-Anelka——-Kalou————-
Subs:taylor, Alex, Ballack, Malouda, Sheva

We expect to win this match. There is no alternative.

Everton (a), earlier on in the season, I would have settled for a draw but any slip up now takes the title out of our grasp for good. We’ve already dropped points at home against Everton this season when we shouldn’t have done (although Cahill’s goal was worthy of the equaliser) and we can’t afford to do it again.

The next five games will decide whether our season will be one of success or failure. Let’s hope it’s the former!

@Den
with due respect to J.Cole’s motivation & ability, i dont think he can put his best in attacking CM. He is at his best when he dribbles and runs down the flank. We have to bring Kaka to the bridge if you go for 4-4-2 diamond. As per the squad, Lampard best fits the spot, so i would swap for lampard to cole and play ballack in your starting lineup.

Now onwards all the game’s are important for us,we have to use our squad carefully.Sheva should be Starting for this match, give him a chance.

Plz No Drogba in starting lineup because nowadays he is selfish ,and he want’s to take all free kicks,also never pass ball to teammate when there is chance to score.

lampard,joe cole, ashely cole,carvalho ,makalele all r rested next matches.

My formation goes like this

4-4-2

——————————-————————Hilario—————————-——————-

—————Ferria—————Terry—————Alex—————Bridge—

—————Essien——-Ballack——Mikel—-Malouda——————

————————————-Anelka——-Sheva——————————-—————

Subs:taylor, Jcole, lampard, SWP, Drogba

THE TIMES UK says we are looking for GK signings on loan.

i go with the same formation as above

@moiblue

I believe lampard is to slow to play atthe tip if a diamond in prem league games, ballack is aswell. My friend you have got it all wrong, Joey Cole plays his best football when at the tip and playing a free rolse just roaming behind the front 2. Some good news today. Chelsea are negotiating for David villa to come to the bridge next season. Looks lke we will play with a 4-4-2 next season.

I will choose this 11 against Wigan with resting some players for ManU match on coming Sunday.But we can’t afford to loose or draw. Grant has the strong enough second choice players to beat mid-tablers if he select wisely his first eleven.But he has to be more aggressive on the selection.His 4-3-3 style doesn’t suit some of our top players.The one who is more happier than ever on his position is now Joe Cole.Looks like Grant believes that Joe is the man who can score goals,win games on his own, and create chances.I can totally agree that Joe has been outstanding this season.But giving him best position hurts a lot of our players.I don’t think Lampard is satisfied with his current role.Also Drogba is not comfortable on his lone role.I wish Grant could use Lampard and Drogba combination rather than lone striker with 2 wingers.Kalou plays his best when he plays as a striker.Fortunately,he is much improved than last year which he scores many goals.

————Hilario———-

Ferriera–Terry–Alex–Bridge

————Mikel————

SH.W.P—–Lampard—–Malouda

—-Anelka——–Shevchenko–

Sub:Joe Cole,Essien,Belletti,Kalou

Grant may rest some of the key players like Ballack,Joe,Drogba,Makelele.But he will substitue SH.W.P,Malouda for Joe and Kalou if the team doesn’t create chances or score goals until 60′.Recently, we started well scoring a goal within opening a
few minutes but ended draw or lost with conceding some late dramatic cheap goals.

HAVE U HEARD?????????
GALLIANI OF AC MILAN HAS CONFIRMED DEALS HAVE BEEN STRUCK TO SIGN RONALDINHO AND SHEVA!!!!!!

I WANT TO SEE A 4-4-1-1 FORMATION!!!!
—————–hilario—————
ferreira—–alex—–terry—-bridge
—————————————
SWP——ballack——–mikel—malouda
————lampard——————-
———————-anelka———-

i think that the anelka-lampard partnership is better than the lampard-drogba partnership. Against man city lampard was outstanding when he played with anelka because they are both not selfish players like drogba!!!
anyway gd luck to the mighty blues!!!
2-0

i think we will win comfortably. if we score in the first half, make it 3-0 or 4-0. no matter who plays in the starting 11, we will win big.

don’t have too many hopes on arse beating manreds. manu will beat them with some margin.

The important thing is to WIN………..at this point i don’t care how we play……….own goals,luck whatever we should win……..hope gunners do us a favour though manure have to play the mighty west ham.
i will start sheva,anelka in a 4-4-2 and rest either of terry,carvalho…………bridge should play.malouda should have a chance and ballack can be rested

if bruce buck’s interview is to be believed then avram is as good as gone……clarke is goin to leave and lampard’s future is dependent on next manager and his contract demands.
DID ANYONE WATCH BAYERN VS GETAFE?
*Getafe went down to 10 men in 6th min………got the lead and it nedd a howler from getafe keeper to bring bayern back in 89th min…………the match went into extra team….getafe scored 2 goals in 2 min but bayern courtesy luca toni’s brace in et went to semifinals on away goal rules………..if laudrup is what we are looking at then he is looking more and more convincing.

@BC

I M Really happy for sheva that he is going to a club which respects him………

Hilario

Belletti
alex
carvalho
bridge

swp
essien
mikel[for once let's try how good is he in his official role i.e playmaker]
malouda

sheva
anelka

TBF why do you think mikel’s official role is playmaker? why? so many players have changed their roles and positions in their career and have been more successful with the latter. mikel is a brilliant defensive midfielder.

being a defender or defensive midfielder is in no way inferior to being a playmaker or attacking midifielder.

grant has something against sheva. despite the propaganda JM played sheva a lot of times and he even scored in JM’s last match in charge.

it is avram grant who has ruined sheva’s career at chelsea by bringing in anelka. at least he must have sold off sheva in january. looks like he simply wants to humiliate him to prove a point.

@BC

you must be joking to call gerrard an ordinary player. Season after season he has proved himself as a great player especially this season. Ronaldo has been exceptional this season but have you noticed success of torres and the reason behind that is gerrard. look at his fitness , plays almost all games a season. Creative passes , free kicks , awesome scorer , great penalty taker, doesnt dives around what more is needed to make him more than orninary if not extra ordinary. Liverpool isnt in PL race doesnt means his contribution can be neglected

Just that he is committed to liverpool and doesnt wants to change clubs makes such players less in news and talked by other club fans. 1 st match of the season liverpool is drawing villa and gerrard scores a stunning freekick in last few mins, remember his pass to torres against chelsea and most recently 1st leg against arsenal the crucial away goal. 10 goals and 10 assists for a midfield player isnt ordinary BC.

if lampard had played full season we would have seen his name too. Gerrard is just like what is lampard for us and may be much more.

cheers

Nihongo! You got me wrong there. I like Gerrard myself. I’m not saying that he is an ordinary player. No way. All I’m saying is that he gets to sweep the awards - from MOTM to these biggies - even when his form is ordinary and does not do anything special. Of course, it is the professionals who choose but I’m saying tht I’m surprised.

If you were to make a shortlist of 8 players for this years PFA awards, would you have chosen Gerrard? I wouldn’t have.

And what about these names?

1. Santa Cruz 14 goals and 6 assists in 31 matches, playing for a team like Blackburn (didn’t get to play as many matches as Gerrard)

2. Carlos Tevez 16 goals and 8 assists plus crucial roles in numerous attacks in just 31 matches.

There are some more.

I’m not saying Gerrard has played poorly or something. I’m just saying that there are more deserved players that could have taken his nomination.

agree to that BC!!

but i think they might some reservations as to how many strikers and how many midfields else it might be all strikers right.

in midfield if you have to choose 3 names whom would you have taken then?

i am surprised there arnt any defenders there. ferdinand had a terrific season so did ricky.

Guys! Just started a rumours section. It’s right up there in there in the menu bar on top (below the header). Share your views on those rumours there.

@CREW

*TBF why do you think mikel’s official role is playmaker? why? so many players have changed their roles and positions in their career and have been more successful with the latter. mikel is a brilliant defensive midfielder.

MAKELELE AT 35 IS A MUCH BETTER CDM………mikel doesn’t knows how to tackle……….i have no object if he becomes a cdm but he originaly got the position of playmaker in which he shone for nigeria and got his fame as a bright,young talent………he came second to messi in awards at u17 tournament and look at the difference between them now………..i just want to try the lad in that position….that’s it

*being a defender or defensive midfielder is in no way inferior to being a playmaker or attacking midifielder.

ok……….let’s get this straight i have nothing against defenders…….carvalho is one of my fav players and so is maka.i don’t know what you have read between my lines that makes you think so.

@CREW

*grant has something against sheva. despite the propaganda JM played sheva a lot of times and he even scored in JM’s last match in charge.

it is avram grant who has ruined sheva’s career at chelsea by bringing in anelka. at least he must have sold off sheva in january. looks like he simply wants to humiliate him to prove a point.

SHEVA’S CAREER AT CHELSEA HAS BEEN DESTROYED DUE TO MANY FACTORS WITH AVRAM GRANT ERA THE FINAL NAIM IN HIS COFFIN AS A CFC PLAYER

1.Roman

It was a bad buy due to mainly his price tag,his reputation and most importantly that he was not going to fit into our system.
ac milan plays very slow,positional game with creativity….we play the complete opposite.his price tag means that he has to deliver from the word go and his reputation means he is expected to be premier league top-scorer in the first season itself.

2.Mourinho and the squad

my point will have a lot of assumptions………..if tabloids were to be believed sheva and ballack were treated as outsiders mainly due to their salaries……ballack at some point has admitted that sheva is the only friend he has made at stamford.
mourinho gave him a good run of game but lost patience with him too soon which explains him being played out of position and media outbursts by jose.
if sheva had been supported by jose as much ballack was supported and given a similar run of games in position then maybe………but then it’s an assumption

3.service provided
i have been crying here for ages lampard can never provide that service which kaka and pirlo provide……..lampard is a more goal oriented player and i have struggled to notice any defense splitting pass by him.
second he was a brilliant set-piece taker and got many goals from them in seria

4.avram grant
he decide sheva’s service was no longer required when sheva was showing vast improvement in form

2

Mikels natural position is a CM playmaker, I think next season he could play in that position as we are changing to a 4-4-2. wow it will be a creative midfield with mikel, modric, Vdv, diego lol

@TBF

i don’t agree with you.

1. It is NOT roman: As a professional footballer who had played for about 8 seasons of football should know know things mentioned by you about the difference in styles of football. Sheva was not brought in without his consent. He had an option of staying as a great in Milan. It was his choice as well to move to Chelsea. It was not Roman’s fault.

2. It was NOT mourinho and the squad: he was treated very very well for someone who was brought against the wishes of mourinho, if reports were to be believed.when sheva was in a poor run and came under press attack, jose even said that sheva will play as long as he scored and he kept his word. it was not mourinho’s fault or the squad’s fault that he was missing sitters from 2 yards. jose even went out of the way to allow roman to appoint a special trainer for sheva, a translator for sheva etc. jose had to bend his rule so much for sheva and he allowed all that. jose even played sheva in crucial matches and not just in pointless fixtures.

3. It was NOT the service provided: No. If he had made use of whatever services he was provided and had the conversion ratio of a good striker, he’d have got himself about 25 goals. why do you think that the whole chelsea establishment should change for one striker who was not willing to learn and adapt. As an intelligent and professional footballer, he should have understood how Chelsea play and adapt himself to our game instead of looking for clones of kaka and pirlo here.

4. It was NOT avram grant: AG could have given sheva more chances. lot of players improve in their second season in a new league. this season he really improved and showed some form. grant absolutely killed his career unless milan comes to the rescue. i don’t have a problem with AG not playing him but he has been sidelining him with such humiliation of a great player is what is bad.

it was not grant’s fault fully that sheva would leave now but he was the only one who could have saved it. he was not willing to work on sheva. because, grant does not want to work at all. if someone has already worked and created the finished product he is happy to consume and take the credit.

@TBF

mikel has evolved into a superb midfielder - in defence and attack too. if you say he can’t tackle, i’m sorry, that’s what you feel. he is a very good footballer who would be a complete footballer in a season or two. yes he makes some bad tackles every now and then. that’s ok.

he will be our own paul scholes. wait and see.

@ 24 Den
you cant have a midfield of 4 playmakers because that is soooo wrong
there will be no defensive person in there to trackback etc!!!
u have to have an attacking minded person and a defensive minded player
eg. fabregas,flamini//////// gerrard,mascherano/////////lampard,ballack,makelele///////////scholes,carrick!!

@Crew

*if you ask me,mikel should be tried to convert to pirlo sort of player who can play deep and create defense splitting passes…….and assist as well in defense but not as cdm but playing second fiddle to a specialist cdm.

*honestly i don’t think sheva has a single problem with attitude…………he always tries his level best and gives his 100%.mourinho didn’t bend any rule for sheva……….they were bend when israeli came in as manager.
as for his missing sitter,the only clear cut sitter i can remember is vs rovers in fa cup semis when he lost his footing completely and was almost instantly subbed.[which was unfair IMO]

@TBF & Crew

No I don’t agree with AG comments. Not that I am hardcore AG fan. But Sheva played as a firt choice striker when Drobga was injured ahead of Pizzaro. In the Aston Villa game, he was injured and that was the crucial nail in coffin.

Now with Anelka & Drobga back and with rumours surrounding Drobga & Sheva moves to Inter and AC, why not play with the player who is going to stay with u - Anelka.

I read a rumour about Adriano - come and get me plea , with inter offering 7 MM and Adriano for Drogba. I hope Chelsea rejects it . They should got for 15 MM atleast and include Balotelli in that swap deal. Balotelli is 17 year old, very pacy and would be behind cruz, ibra,drobga , crepso in starting lineup at inter, why not bring him to chelsea.

for the adriano deal i would be happy if it was 2milliom+adriano+balotelli for Drogba
cuz really if it was balotelli+adriano+15milion then it would be too much!!

Chelsea 3-2 Birmingham
Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Johnson, Ben-Haim, Carvalho, A Cole; Wright-Phillips, Essien (Mikel 69), Lampard, Malouda (Sidwell 82); Kalou, Pizarro (Drogba 63).

Reading 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Ferreira (Pizarro 45), Ben-Haim, Carvalho (Johnson 30), A Cole; Wright-Phillips, Sidwell (Mikel 45), Lampard (c), Malouda; Kalou, Drogba.

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea(4-4-2) Cech; Essien, Ben-Haim, Terry (c), A Cole; Wright-Phillips (J Cole 76), Mikel, Lampard, Malouda (Alex 85); Kalou (Pizarro h-t), Drogba.

Chelsea 1-0 Pourtsmouth
Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Essien, Ben-Haim, Terry (c), A Cole; Wright-Phillips (J Cole 74), Mikel (Belletti 64), Lampard (c), Malouda; Pizarro (Kalou 62), Drogba.

Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Belletti, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole; Essien, Makelele (Kalou 62), Mikel (Pizarro 52); Wright-Phillips (J Cole 62), Drogba, Malouda.

Chelsea 0-0 Blackburn
Chelsea (4-4-2) Cech: Belletti, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole (Ben-Haim 87): Wright-Phillips (Malouda 55), Sidwell (Mikel 55), Essien, J Cole, Kalou, Shevchenko

Chelsea 1-1 Rosenborg
Chelsea (4-4-2) Cech; Belletti, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole (Ben-Haim 72); J Cole (Wright-Phillips 72), Makelele, Essien, Malouda; Kalou, Shevchenko.

Man utd 2-0 Chelsea
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Ben-Haim, Terry (c), A Cole; Essien, Makelele, Essien, Mikel; J Cole (Pizarro 75), Shevchenko (Kalou 59), Malouda (Wright-Phillips 68).

as you can see mourinho wasnt doing to well in the 4-4-2 formation so as soon as avram came he thought of copying mourinho’s previouly used (against aston villa) 4-3-3!
but i loved watching chelsea in their 4-4-2 and as u can see there was a defensive mid and an attacking mid. Kalou was used in the middle and drifted wide just like anelka can do!

Roman should splash money on one player surely and that player is Athletico Madrid’Aguero…that guy has all that Chelsea needs and what Roman craves for…he has serious pace, great flair,very good passer, and he knows how to weave pass through the defenders to score goals….his partnership with Anelka and J Cole can be great…

On the Mikel argument:

I don’t think Mikel is as good as some here believe.

Mikel is too slow for the EPL - This is the reason for so many bad fouls as well as bad passes.
He doesn’t have a creative mind and most of his passes are sideway and not that intelligent.He is vey much defensive oriented(slow thinker and lack of game reading).
I watched him playing in the African nation cup and he was woeful.
I would not keep him in CFC .
Maka at 35 is by far a better player and contributor to the game.

On the other hand Kaloue has the potential to become a good striker.Let him play more and let him have someone who can comunicate with him via short passes and he may grow to be a
great striker.

My team for any given game to the end of the season:

…………………….Check/Cudi/Hilar…………………….

Esien/Beleti/Feriera…….Carv/Alex……Tery/? …..AC/Brdg

Balak/JC………..Maka(60mnts)/Essien………..Lamp/Kalou…

JC/Anelk……………Anelk/Drogb/Chev……………..Kalou/Maloud

Quoting TBF @ 34397

@CREW

ballack at some point has admitted that sheva is the only friend he has made at stamford.

I think the above may be some more tabloid nonsense. Ballack and his family have been snapped several times coming out of Lampard’s house & Ballack said Lampard had helped him settle into London.

Sheva was never suited to the Premier League; he was too old and had lost his pace.

As for ickle Stevie G., there is a very pro-Liverpool bias among the UK media. Their ex-players dominate the airwaves and tabloids. Even ManU & Arsenal don’t get the worship L’Pool gets from the commentators. Gerrard is a good player, not a great one; he forgets his instructions & goes for personal glory instead of playing for the team. He thinks he’s Roy of the Rovers & can win single handedly. I will say this for Liverpool - they have produced the two best divers I’ve ever seen - Gerrard & Owen.

We should dominate the match at home against Wigan no matter who we field against them. They truly are an average at best side and given our superb home record in the league I can’t see anything but Wigan heading back home to Lancashire with a defeat and extending their baron spell at The Bridge to 24 years.
I have to say though that perhaps this should be the match where Sheva is brought back into the fold. Looking at our next few games, we play Wigan at home, Everton away, Liverpool away, United at home and Liverpool at home. The only game that I would possibly start Shevchenko in would be the Wigan game and if he has a good game then start him against Everton too. This would keep Didier and Anelka fresh and also give Andriy the chance to earn a few minutes too boot.
On the issue of the United V Arsenal game I have my own opinion on how I would like this to go and how I see it going - they’re both the same by the way!
I see United and Arsenal drawing - it would be nailed on if it was at the Emirates - this would mean that a victory against Wigan would see us just one point behind United going into the next round of matches.
After this we need to beat Everton and United should claim three points against Blackburn next weekend although a draw is a distinct possibility. We will then go into our game against United the weekend after safe in the knowledge that a victory at home will take us two points clear of the Red devils and the home support will be vital in achieving just that.
Then on, equal or better United’s point total and we are more than definitely BLUE CHAMPIONS once again!

@31 mike ayad

No I don’t want adriano at all . I would prefer cash + balotelli.
If Mourinho goes to Inter, then it is definite that Drogba would go there and why not cash .

Probably Lampard and Caravarho would follow.

Just trying out GRAVATARs! If you want to have your own picture or logo to be updated instead of the default doll, go to http://www.gravatars.com and update a picture for your email address. It takes less than a minute.

Quoting TBF @ 34379

@BC

I M Really happy for sheva that he is going to a club which respects him………

I too hope so. Shevchenko was just so badly in need of respect, and even after working hard and starting to score good goals (and some brilliant ones), he is still behind Anelka in selection (though Anelka hasn’t been particularly good either).

Good luck to him at San Siro, where we have all seen his best, and the folks at Milan love him to death (may not be any more, because in football fan’s terms, his transfer to Chelsea is like cheating fans)

I have to agree with you Sumesh, Shevchenko needs to return to Milan and end his career there. The amount of love that those fans have for the man is incredible, when he left for us a couple of seasons ago, there were a number of dedication videos posted on Youtube which I remember seeing. Some of them were rather moving actually, to such an extent that I felt as though we had stolen ‘their’ player.
Contrary to your view however, I feel that no matter how Shevchenko was to end up performing for AC if he does return - and it seems that reports are leaning that way - the fans of Milan would love him just as much. To put it in perspective, say if Zola had left us and returned before the end of his carer, would we love his any less? I doubt it.
Good luck to Andriy wherever he ends up, just like Kezman he worked hard but it just wasn’t to be and you can’t ask for much more.

for the rest of the season, once essien and cech are eligible, this in my view, should be the core starting line up. It’s obvious that the toad is too afraid to swith to 4-4-2, so lets stick with his 4-3-3. Am looking at a midfield that accomodates all four of maka, lamp, Ballack and essien- but with essien moving into the role of joey on the right flank (in a midfield cum attacking winger role) while Joey and kalou are made to alternate on the left. This always gives room for further modifications like introducing anelka to change the shape back to 4-4-2 while taking out either maka, or joey, or ballack or whoever is not performing.

———————–cech—————–

-Belleti/Ferreira—–carvalo—-Terry—-A Cole

———————Maka/Mikel——————

————–Ballack—————–Lampard—-

—–Essien—————————–Joey/kalou

———————drogs/Anelka—————-

@ 26 Crew

“it was not grant’s fault fully that sheva would leave now but he was the only one who could have saved it. he was not willing to work on sheva. because, grant does not want to work at all. if someone has already worked and created the finished product he is happy to consume and take the credit.”

Spot on. Grant gleams about his team’s victory, when it is actually Mourinho’s work of building team-work and team spirit, playing together etc. and of course some determination by players that win CFC matches.