The Chelsea game

[lake district canary 4,816]

Is this a game we could do without?  After the excellent match against Arsenal, we struggled in the next two matches which set us off on a bad run. Can''t help but think that this could be the same - put out as strong a team as possible, put up a good show but still probably lose - and then struggle the following week. Or is that just me being pessimistic?

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

Just write it off and put out a reserve team.

[Highland Canary 78]

Assuming we have just enough to stay up this season, there’s nothing left this season to play for. So, put out our best team and see what happens. Will also provide a platform to maximise sales proceeds for Maddison, Pritchard, Klose and Olivera.

[Ginja 43]

Honestly at this stage it would be better if we could just drop out, Chelsea will beat us and it''s a needless game that could cause us injury problems and like the Arsenal game, which also was the start of our very poor run

[paul moy 235]

I''d like to see our strongest team and a potential Cup run, as the play-offs are probably a pipe-dream anyway.  If we play a weakened team I will lose even more faith in Farke, as my belief is that we could win this game.  A Cup run also gives us TV money etc, so to deliberately throw that chance away would be a catastrophe.

[Mello Yello 2,571]

If you''re not actually attending the game and just watching it on the tellybox I wouldn''t worry about it.......I''m sacrificing 15 of my personal pounds to attend said game......Because in cyber and tellybox space........No one can hear you "BOOOOOOO!"......

[Cantiaci Canary 610]

[quote user="Highland Canary"]Assuming we have just enough to stay up this season, there’s nothing left this season to play for. So, put out our best team and see what happens. Will also provide a platform to maximise sales proceeds for Maddison, Pritchard, Klose and Olivera.[/quote]

^^ totally agree ^^

[Fr. Chewy Louie 140]

We''ve got a few players who could do with some game-time - Wildschut, Naismith, Martin, Stieperman, Wes, Jerome, Husband, McGovern - who are all first-team contenders if not necessarily first choice.

Add in Raggett and Vrancic and you can still put out a pretty strong team while giving a few a rest.

[Mello Yello 2,571]

Yup, a televised platform for future sale of assets.......I just hope those saleable assets don''t get severely crocked........

[ghoul 13]

I just can''t see us winning this with current tactics and squad... I would rather we didn''t park the bus and likely lose anyway So why not just throw caution to the wind and play 3 at the back something like:

-mcgovern-

-martin-2 of zimmerman/klose/stieperman/husband-

-pinto-reed-trybul-vrancic-murphy-

-wes or naismith-

-watkins-jerome-

[......and Smith must score. 1,589]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Is this a game we could do without?  After the excellent match against Arsenal, we struggled in the next two matches which set us off on a bad run. Can''t help but think that this could be the same - put out as strong a team as possible, put up a good show but still probably lose - and then struggle the following week. Or is that just me being pessimistic? [/quote]No LDC, you''re never pessimistic. Deluded perhaps but never pessimistic [;)]Truth is we''re going to get beat whichever team we put out. I''d be inclined to go for a full strength line-up which will probably keep the score down which in turn will help the player''s confidence for the remainder of the season.Oh. and I don''t want to see us mullered on live TV....[:D]

[lincsy88 106]

Have paid £15 for my seat I would rather see us pull a full strength team out. Bristol City have a league cup semi final against Citeh to contend with before us so will be more tiered so why not put the first 11 out, try and keep score and down and morale up as people have alluded to and not disgrace ourselves on TV.

[westcoastcanary 173]

Does how the players feel about it not come into it? If you were a player, wouldn''t you jump at the chance to test yourself against a top team, even a weakened top team? The performance against Arsenal suggests so.

[ricardo 8,033]

Perhaps I heard wrong but my understanding is that Naismith will never play for the first team again.A strong rumour from two months ago of trouble in the camp.

[Yellow and Green 352]

The difference between this game and the Chelsea game is that the players would have a full week off to recover - as opposed to only a couple of days after the Arsenal game.

Having said that, the last few games have been the first time that we have had our starting eleven fit and available, so I''d be happy for Farke to put out a second team to avoid anymore injuries.

[Guest]

With there being no midweek game, I''d be surprised if Farke didn''t play our best starting line up. Chelsea will probably win comfortably regardless. But you never know in the cup.

[paul moy 235]

It''s a Cup game and of course we can win it, especially as I''m sure it''s one game Oliveira will be up for.  As I''ll be watching it in a pub in Reading with my Chelski mate, I want a good performance, and that means the strongest possible line-up. 

[AJ 1,358]

I would say put out a decent squad without compromising the league, but right now it''s impossible to say what Farke will do. We''ll probably start the game with no recognised strikers or something daft.

I''m guessing

Murphy Watkins Vrancic Naismith Wildschut

Reed

Stiepermann Klose Zimm Martin

McGovern

[daly 551]

Can these overpaid over-rated footballers play 2 games in 5 days.

If they and the Ashes Cricket team spent less time in the night clubs they would be able to run for 180 minutes in one week

[daly 551]

Al

Watkins Vrancic and Naismith and Reed

be like playing Chelsea with 7 men

Put out the best side sp they can perform before 25000 and at least try to give Chelsea a game

[westcoastcanary 173]

[quote user="daly"]Al

Watkins Vrancic and Naismith and Reed

be like playing Chelsea with 7 men

Put out the best side sp they can perform before 25000 and at least try to give Chelsea a game[/quote]Vrancic and Reed both played in the excellent performance against Arsenal (so, incidentally, did Husband). I suppose your opinion is that we "didn''t give Arsenal a game"?

[Rock The Boat 1,332]

[quote user="AJ"]I would say put out a decent squad without compromising the league, but right now it''s impossible to say what Farke will do. We''ll probably start the game with no recognised strikers or something daft.

I''m guessing

Murphy Watkins Vrancic Naismith Wildschut

Reed

Stiepermann Klose Zimm Martin

McGovern[/quote]McGovern up fron as a lone striker will never work, but i like your thinking, AJ.

[Nexus_Canary 1,206]

Put out the under 18''s and be done with it.

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

[quote user="ricardo"]Perhaps I heard wrong but my understanding is that Naismith will never play for the first team again.

A strong rumour from two months ago of trouble in the camp.
[/quote]

That''s interesting Ricardo, if so I just hope we can get him off the books this month, frankly I hope that anyway.  If he''s a cause of disharmony in the squad then it makes it even worse that we''re clearly paying a top wage to someone making zero actual contribution on the pitch.

[......and Smith must score. 1,589]

[quote user="Its Character Forming"]

[quote user="ricardo"]Perhaps I heard wrong but my understanding is that Naismith will never play for the first team again.A strong rumour from two months ago of trouble in the camp.[/quote]

That''s interesting Ricardo, if so I just hope we can get him off the books this month, frankly I hope that anyway.  If he''s a cause of disharmony in the squad then it makes it even worse that we''re clearly paying a top wage to someone making zero actual contribution on the pitch.

[/quote]Or zero contribution off the pitch if this is true.

[paddycanary 579]

I''d expect to see the same team that started against millwall. Wes or Vrancic might sneak into the starting 11. Farke went for it against arsenal and has mentioned several times that he values cup games. If I was a player, I''d love a crack at Chelsea. Yes, form dipped dramatically after the emirates but general squad fitness looks better now, with less midweek games. Have a go! A win would be great for squad morale.

[Tumbleweed 106]

Chelsea will play a reserve side but even with our first team, whatever that is, I expect Chelsea to win easily. But I would rather it not be embarrassing as I think confidence especially in defence is low and the best for us is to go out with some pride and not a mullering.

[Making Plans 957]

[quote user="lake district canary"]Is this a game we could do without?  After the excellent match against Arsenal, we struggled in the next two matches which set us off on a bad run. Can''t help but think that this could be the same - put out as strong a team as possible, put up a good show but still probably lose - and then struggle the following week. Or is that just me being pessimistic?

[/quote]Not like you LDC. After all, everything is possible and unlike the League we only need to win 6 matches to lift the FA Cup.[:)]

[lake district canary 4,816]

[quote user="Making Plans"][quote user="lake district canary"]Is this a game we could do without?  After the excellent match against Arsenal, we struggled in the next two matches which set us off on a bad run. Can''t help but think that this could be the same - put out as strong a team as possible, put up a good show but still probably lose - and then struggle the following week. Or is that just me being pessimistic?

[/quote]Not like you LDC. After all, everything is possible and unlike the League we only need to win 6 matches to lift the FA Cup.[:)][/quote]

Ahh, you got me there. I suppose when it comes to it I will get enthusiastic about the possibilities, but playing a Chelsea reserve side (they play on Wednesday so it looks as if they will rest their main players) doesn''t seem to me to be any great opportunity - it boils down to being just another round three cup game, no disgrace to lose it and no great shakes if we win it. Ok so it''s "Chelsea". Meh.

[Van wink 2,994]

I hope we play our best available team and try to win, that seems to have been Farke’s philosophy so far with cup games and I hope he doesn’t change it.

The Arsenal game was a turning point in our season, sadly for the worse, maybe this game can be a turning point for the better !