MrExcalibur100

I posted the line-up I'll like to see, but it's not going to happen so we might see: the normal back 5 Matic Fabregas Willian Oscar Hazard Remy I'm not really getting the Zouma in midfield business that was probably sparked by Neville's comments. He played there in two games only because Matic was suspended . We don't need Zouma to take care of Felliani, we have Matic. It's not even something Mourinho should contemplate, even against Barcelona, and Man United are not Barcelona. It's very wrong for a big club to do that at home, especially when other options are available. But this is the reputation Mourinho has built for himself. i.e a manager only concerned with playing defensively in the big games. (As if Mourinho even sets up the team to play defensively at Stamford Bridge). Anyway, now that is sorted. I'll go with Matic and Fabregas. That midfield duo has won us a lot of points this season, even against big teams. The team that has been the best by far in the division should not be the ones shitting themselves about more defensive cover. Besides, Ramires is hardly an improvement defensively next to Matic, and he's the only viable option. Fabregas needs to play the position he has thrived in all season. We need him in the deep-lying playmaker position, spreading passes and starting our attacks. It's up to him to play well. Ramires. Oscar has been getting a lot of attention but Ramires has been absolutely diabolical all season, and even stretching back to last season. He certainly doesn't deserve to start this game in any position. Whether Next to Matic, were he offers little defensive cover, is positionally clueless and a terrible passer. He also doesn't deserve to start on the right wing ahead of Willian, who has been one of our best players for a while now. Ramires will be better coming off the bench when his energy and pace on the counter can prove useful. I also think Oscar is best served doing a pressing job on Herrera. We need to cut off those supply lines from its base, and Herrera is the guy to keep a close eye to. The rest of the team is pretty straightforward. No Carrick, Rojo, Jones or Blind is an enormous boost for us. That's two of their centre-backs absent, meaning the inexperienced Blackett or Mcnair next to Smalling. And probably Shaw at LB, who hasn't played for weeks. I won't mind Azpilicueta starting at LB because I fully expect Mata to drift in centrally more often than not, and a right footer on the left side will find it easier to close him down. I believe JT can do a job on Rooney as he usually does. He is their best player and main threat. With Hazard, Remy, Willian and Fabregas, we should have enough quality to destroy their weakened defense, provided we take the game to them from minute 1. We need to get Hazard on the ball from an early stage for obvious reasons. We need him running at them from the word go. I believe we will beat them if Remy is fit enough to start and if we can find Hazard in good positions. With Drogba there, I'm unsure. His presence just makes everything slower, less fluent, less movement and more laboured. Also more direct, which obviously doesn't suit our playing style at all and is incredibly frustrating. It's a late kick off, so I'm expecting the atmosphere to be incredible. Winning here will virtually guarantee the title and shut a lot of people up who seemingly this game is only about how United can beat us. C'mon Chelsea!

We shouldn't be satisfied with a draw at home considering our next game is a very difficult away match at the Emirates.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/9807888/thibaut-courtois-better-than-david-de-gea-david-seaman-claims

Some football fans like to throw dirt at Serie A, but the level of Bundesliga, Bayern aside is atrocious. This is supposed to be the 2nd best team in that league.

0-3. Game over. Tie over.

And as I type that, he smashes a shot against the post in anger.

Schurrle is still struggling to get back to his best since his return to Germany. Not great so far.

Gaitan will be another Willian/Cuadrado. Far from world class or/and being a goal-scoring threat. Hopefully, the story is based solely on us scouting him rather than genuine interest.

That guy is such an unprofessional piece of shit, it's a joke. He doesn't even believe a word of what he is typing, which is the saddest part. Too bad a once respectable newspaper like the Guardian has now become the least respectable paper and a downright laughing stock. There's a lot of anti-Chelsea stuff out there, but they take it to new, unprecedented levels of envy, hate and jealousy.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/apr/16/eden-hazard-player-of-the-year-jose-mourinho#comment-50555355 More typical anti-chelsea bullshit from the Guardian and their idiotic anti-Chelsea writer, Mr Doyle. If you guys can please go to the link and thumbs up my comment "JamestheElder". This cunt deserves to be put to shame.

What is Coutinho doing on that list ahead of Matic, Fabregas and Cazorla? That's ridiculous.

*Made to look.

Reus should be our primary transfer target, now that Klopp will be leaving. This team is crying out for another consistent goal-scorer in our starting XI. We should go all out for him.

Pep will be worse, I think in the Premier league. The guy is too much of a fundamentalist to his system. But at least he has a system. What is Mourinho's system in big games? In all seriousness now, I'm asking a honest question. Whatever "system" it is, it doesn't befit a big team like Chelsea. Anytime I remember the way we played in the 1st leg, it makes me sad inside.

As for Guardiola, 2nd season in a row his team is getting humiliated. A good manager but very overrated.

PSG are getting absolutely annihilated. Yes, we aren't Barcelona, but the manner in which we played in the 1st leg was terrible. Maybe if we took the game to them, we could have gotten a win. And don't even get me started on the 2nd leg. PSG aren't a great team. We made them look better than they actually were. Tactically, it was a very poor performance by Mourinho in both legs.

I just hope he's near the starting XI vs Man utd. Not good enough in the pivot or on the right. Pointless at the moment, much more so than Oscar. He can come off the bench against tired legs.

Of course, Mourinho is completely hamstrung by the Oscar and Ramires dilemma. Very different from the situation I described above, were he actually has good options he's not playing enough. The problem with these two Brazilians is neither are good enough. They can play better than they've shown in recent months/years, obviously, but they've had their chances and blown them continuously. Neither are Chelsea standard and neither will get near Madrid or Barca's first team. Oscar is the lesser of two evils, at least he can pass a ball, so I'll go with him for majority of our matches till the season ends.

It's the lack of rotation or even willingness to try something different with our fullbacks in every game that really perturbs me. Such a glaring weakness that hampers us attacking wise. Ivanovic looks tired and he's been garbage for weeks. He really isn't that good. Jose seems to think he's Maicon when he isn't. Azpilicueta, excluding the odd game is done as a left back; He's the most limited left back in the league. He also looks very vulnerable and beatable this season unlike last season. He was given quite a torrid time by QPR, and not for the first time this season. Why can't Mourinho try for once, Azplicueta at right back, you know in his ACTUAL position?! He's fantastic in both attack and defense in his real position, a complete fullback and a monstrous athlete. He showed that in his first season here under RDM and Benitez. His passing, technique, crossing and composure on the ball exquisite. Better than anything I've ever seen from Ivanovic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX5C5hQJff8 (I think some of our fans have forgotten how good Azpilicueta was in the 2012/13 season. Benitez made him the starting RB over Ivanovic and he was boss that season) Same thing with Filipe Luis. We all know how good he is technically. He has a great game, then he's not given a game in a month, which is unfair. Like Azpilicueta (when played in his right position) Filipe Luis is one of the most complete full-backs in the world. I'm not sure some of our fans are aware how good that player is. We have two of the top 5 most complete fullbacks on the planet, but they never get a game together. Very strange. I'm entirely convinced we will be able to stretch defensive teams better if we make this adjustment to the XI. Right now, we're playing with a right back at left back and a former centre back at right back, with a front 3 behind the striker that all want the ball to feet. It makes it easier for defensive teams to defend against us. Look at Arsenal (hate to compare us to them, but they are a good example), Bellerin and Gibbs bombing down, stretching teams, or United with Blind and Valencia supporting the attack at every opportunity, not just as decoy runners, but making an impact in the final 3rd. We have personnel in the team that can make us much better without compromising elsewhere i.e in defense in this case. I'm sure Mourinho already knows all this. What's amazing is he's failed to do anything about it. Is he picking both for their defensive qualities alone and underestimating the damage a fullback can do in attack? I think so. But the 1st problem is our attack needs refreshing, apart from Hazard, we're struggling, and this is the most obvious position in our team Mourinho can tweak to refresh our attack and power us to the title. The 2nd problem is neither player, for deferring reasons is solid enough to warrant that, and even if they were, modern football demands you integrate both your fullbacks as much as possible to your attacking play/organised attacks. My preferred back four will always be - Azpilicueta, Cahill , Terry and Luis. I've seen enough this season to be sure of that. Hardworking and complete. Not what we have now were the LB struggles to even make a forward pass, let alone a cross, because he's playing on the wrong side of the pitch. Or were the RB lacks composure on the ball a reliable delivery, and is generally an unreliable defender but is picked week in week out without fail, regardless of form or performance in the previous match. If he makes this changes, I'm almost certain our football will be better.

100 mil plus Bale, Isco and James and we'll think about it. Deal?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNffb-6HII4

Mourinho in the organised attacks department offers nothing and that's how it's been all of his career. That's why he's thrived more with the less technical, talented teams he's had and had the most success with the physical and robust teams because those teams are very comfortable playing direct, rudimentary football. The only way I see Mourinho's 2nd coming being a long, fruitful relationship is if he gets an attacking coach, who knows what he's doing and who he'll let work his stuff. I think the PSG tie as a whole showed all the weaknesses of Mourinho as a manager for all to see.

I'm surprised this thread hasn't been bumped. I guess most of us are used to his non footballing displays nowadays. He should be the first player sold in the summer. Can't attack, defend, cover, pass. Lacks composure and is a walking booking. Can't do anything. Fabregas covers better, ffs.He's even worse than Oscar on vacation and is IMO, currently the worst player in the team. Get rid.