Closed Crystal Palace v Chelsea

[Jase 43,479]

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
PRE-MATCH DISCUSSION AND LIVE CHAT



English Premier League
29th March, Saturday, 2014
Selhurst Park
15:00 Kick Off (UK time)

[didierforever 7,349]

Very important not to drop points here. One week rest too (a rarity).

Can't even be botheres to guess the tean cos I simply never get it right. Hope united can do us a favor by making coty drop a couple or a o points.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Wont be easy at all but hope we win.

Cech

Ivanovic-Cahill-Terry-Azpi

Matic-Lampard

Schurrle-Willian-Hazard

Ba

[Magic Lamps 11,446]

This is the kind of game we use to fuck up after such a glorious big point win vs le arse

[De_ChrapQaa 192]

i was actually more confident going into arsenal game that to this... fingers crossed for manutd (can't believe i just said that)

[Jase 43,479]

Against a Tony Pulis managed side? Oh my. They'll surely sit deep and defend most of the time and we could have our usual problems of breaking such lesser sides down again. Hopefully that won't be the case and can get an early goal or two to force them out. Otherwise, it could get edgy the longer it stays 0-0..

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Please, just win.

[The_Flash 1,144]

A MUST win. You just absolutely humped Arsenal 6-0 don't keep doing what you keep doing, beating the big teams and drop points to the little.

MUST TAKE 3 points!!!

[Rmpr 8,977]

We'll win...

[Jase 43,479]

Worth reminding that Liverpool will face Spurs at Anfield and City go to Arsenal next weekend as well..

[silviupastean 135]

must win these kind of games. basically we have 7 more games in which we have to pour our hearts out!

[boshman 1,073]

Just win, any win, anyway, any how!!

[Sovieticus 743]

Start Schurrle instead of Willian. That should do the trick.

[Green Lantern18 54]

Iv'e been looking forward to this reverse fixture for quite some time, because i was hoping to go the game since i do not live too far from Selhurst Park.

Having said that i am 100% committed to Chelsea, but i do have something of a soft spot for

Crystal Palace. This all started when i first became interested in Football and Chelsea in the 90's. In this same period i first learned about Crystal Palace, who came to my school and put on some training sessions for my class. Iv'e always been grateful for that.

Other than that one memory i have about this fixture was that Drogba scored his first goal for Chelsea in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd9TVi802og

Against a Tony Pulis managed side? Oh my. They'll surely sit deep and defend most of the time and we could have our usual problems of breaking such lesser sides down again. Hopefully that won't be the case and can get an early goal or two to force them out. Otherwise, it could get edgy the longer it stays 0-0..

I'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way, at the moment i'm confident when going into games against the big teams. Because we usually do well in those types of games, but against the smaller teams the team doesn't always perform in the way that we all know it can.

[The Chels 2,502]

Hopefully the management actually work on the players' movement in the week's preparation leading up to this game. You see the way in which Liverpool, City and LOLArsenal break through smaller teams parking the bus, and a lot of it depends on the players making runs, opening gaps, stretching play and creating options as opposed to our usual more static ball-to-the-feet approach.

[nachikethas 1,149]

Most dangerous game. London derby with a proper team who know defending is what required against us.

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

CHELSEA FC - HEAD TO HEAD vs CRYSTAL PALACE FC - via http://soccerbase.com

CFC vs CPFC

http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=536&team2_id=646&teamTabs=h2h

CHELSEA FC CURRENT RECORD AGAINST CPFC - EPL

MATCHES/GAMES PLAYED - 33

CHELSEA WINS - 15

DRAWS - 14

CRYSTAL PALACE WINS - 4

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP 1997/1998 - SEASON

CHELSEA FC HIGHEST WIN AGAINST CPFC:

WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 1998 - CHELSEA FC 6 - 2 CPFC

[laeth 527]

Hopefully the management actually work on the players' movement in the week's preparation leading up to this game. You see the way in which Liverpool, City and LOLArsenal break through smaller teams parking the bus, and a lot of it depends on the players making runs, opening gaps, stretching play and creating options as opposed to our usual more static ball-to-the-feet approach.

This is why Schurrle (and Salah when acclimatized) actually balances the team out quite nicely. Hazard, Oscar and Willian are too similar; we need someone who makes runs in behind and -- as you say -- can stretch the play. I think we should only ever play two of Oscar, Willian and Hazard going forward. Probably means Willian / Oscar rotating a bit more.