MHL 47

Multiquote or Quote isn't working for me right now: @Jamesgodfrey - Great view, been up there myself and it gets a bit fresh that high up. It was far better at Sunderland when they gave us behind the goal at the opposite end. @kellzfresh - Creating lots of chances, Mata playing for the majority of those two games, coincidence?? A bit poor at set pieces, Jose will sort that out. Only watched on MOTD but we looked fluent enough. Pat Nevin was giving Dowd a going over on the Chelsea TV live commentary, for being inconsistent. Namely, giving free-kicks to Sunderland for certain things and not giving us free-kicks when similar things were happening to us. I'd disagree, Dowd is very consistent in doing that to us, particularly harsh on JT usually. Hazard looked excellent last night, I've thought he's been a bit below last seasons standard generally this season. Although his overall goal tally isn't bad. Lampard looked decent on the highlights and Ramires looked his usual 'run twice as far as anyone else' self.

Attack their weaknesses. Play down the sides of the centre-halves (O'Shea & Wes Brown), get the wide midfielders to do what it says on the tin and stay wide, don't narrow their defence. Keep Cattermole away from Mata (if he starts) to provide space for Mata to operate in, by deploying a decoy runner (Ramires?). Play balls into channels for the forward, if the full-back tucks in tight to his centre-half use the wide men. I get the feeling Poyet will play 5 at the back and this might be similar to playing at home and trying to break down a 9-man defence, with them playing on the break. One of our better performances beats their best, so tactics and all that aside, the players need to turn up firstly and foremostly. A small niggling doubt is that Jose might be tempted to make a few changes to keep us fresh, the doubt being does this break any continuity we have?

Well, it all turned out all right in the end. In 2004 James Beattie scored in about 13 seconds against us - we ended up winning that one as well. For as well as Southampton played in the first half, they created nothing. It was a decent defensive performance apart from that one brain-dead moment. Ivanovic reacted well after his 'moment' on Tuesday and was superb. I thought the Ba substitution changed the game, he did really well when he came on, with a real determination about his play. Great work rate from him. If we can squeeze a win mid-week, we're right in there and can try and put some pressure on L'Arse, building nicely into our game with them just before Xmas. Just an interesting little thing about the first goal from a match goers perspective, one that the TV cameras' might not have picked up. Just before S'ton kicked off JT was waving Cech out of his six yard box, wanting Cech's starting position to be higher up the pitch. Cech did nothing, if he'd had a higher starting position he'd have probably gotten to the ball before the opposition player. Terry went ballistic at him.

There maybe are a few who have strength of character, or are already financially secure enough (more likely in my view), to badly enough want to prove themselves. AVB took very few risks because: He'd had two managerial jobs, one generally perceived as successful and the other that was neither good or bad. Even if our role was in fact poor there's enough ammo for the scenario to be perceived by most as AVB just being the latest 'casualty' of the Chelsea managerial merry-go-round. He's inherited a good squad with a team that was regarded as improving. His reputation may have been slightly effected by his time with us, but not disastrously so. Proving doubters wrong may have been in there a bit, however there wasn't that much risk in my view. It would appear that he took little risk financially, and therefore my own feeling is that the Rottenham job was convenient.Now, personally and only from what I see and have heard (which may well be scurrilous rumour) it sounds like he's an odious little ego-maniac with some nasty ways about him and this may have tainted my view. RDM's scenario is a bit different in that he possibly knows himself he'll not get a gig like ours again and any other job he does get will be a massive step down the ladder in terms of employment package, that's why I'd do the same in his scenario. He'll get a job - if he wants one, at the end of his deal. It's just that it won't be one that's near the one he had with us. He's had his two years money from us plus the years on the deal he'll get with his new job, guess at 3 years. That'll be 5 years money as opposed to 4, if he took a job now - equals no-brainer to me

If, and given the choice, what would most here do in a similar scenario? Draw your money, no stress, no risk or take a pay cut of two-thirds probably(?) and run the risks that football managers take with their careers. It's a complete no-brainer. Also take into account these are life changing sums of money in this scenario. If RDM wasn't already in a financially secure place before his appointment as manager with us, he should certainly be if he 'sits on his hands' and waits for the deal to expire. It's exactly what I'd do. Finally for those who put out that AVB has a different mind-set. He's allegedly on the same deal at WHL, only his salary is slightly lower with results based incentives bringing the package up to what he earned at Chelsea. No big risk taker or morally different than most.

Yep, mine arrived yesterday. Fair play to SD, not a hint of a problem from them. Beer owed to WHS from me.

Logic and results over the last 9 seasons tell us that we win 50% of the time we visit there. Played 10, won 5. Premier League title winning years included and since Roman acquired the club. Logic and football don't always equate. That's why Wigan hold the FA Cup.So you may follow your logical path and believe we ought to win, but we might not. Be a big boring if what we logically think will happen on a pitch always did, wouldn't it?

The above is very true, our record up there is not great. Also it's the first game in a month (I'm not even going to say the months name!)where over the last few seasons we've performed poorly. Hopefully Jose's return will put an end to that nonsense. Let's hope they have a long and hard game tonight. I'd like to squeeze Mata into the starting line-up. Would keep Ramires in the starting eleven and perhaps give Hazard or Schurrle a rest. The great thing is just how difficult the players performances are making picking a starting line-up. Hopefully it will a long and happy trip home for the travelling blues.

Snapped one up, thanks for that.

City would be my tip for the title this year, they've the strongest squad and some of the best players - This is a real test. Kompany not playing would be a real bonus, defensively they are far less formidable and you can get at them through the middle, especially when they play Javi Garcia at centre-half. I hadn't spotted at just how slow he is until very recently. Draw their full backs forward, or at least the one on the side that Garcia covers and try to hit them on the break down his side. Toure has given us problems almost every time we've played them recently and for this reason alone I would consider replacing Lampard with Luiz in midfield alongside Ramires. We've got a more mobile midfield with hopefully a defensively minded edge. Luiz is also a good passer of the ball and can hit accurate balls into the channels. City will struggle to run through us or pass by us with these two. The other choices I would make is a Terry, Cahill central defensive partnership, left back should be the best defender out of 'Dave' or Bertrand. I would play Mata through the middle, with Hazard and Oscar filling the wider roles, maybe flicking Oscar and Mata around if required. Schurrle would be available to rotate with the wider players and Lampard or Mikel to come into the central area's if injury or bookings dictate this. Torres should start. With a bit of luck City will have a really tough game this evening, with the pitch causing them a good few additional problems.

To get the thread back onto Chelsea player performances, there was Essien's performance in the CL where he had Gerrard completely and utterly in his pocket. One of the most powerful midfield performances I've witnessed from a Chelsea midfielder. This wasn't the Gerrard of today, this was when Gerrard was a true box-to-box performer. Essien never gave him space to touch himself, never mind touch the football. One of this Chelsea supporters great regrets was not being able to watch more of an injury free/injury spoiled Michael Essien.

Drogba away at Liverpool when we won 4-1 is right up there. On his game and his day he was almost unplayable for the opposition.

Pleasant!

Exhibition stuff now!

Spoiled by the bunches of ***ts that tend to sing it these days.

Sounds like a damn horror story to me!I'd rather listen to nails scratching on a chalk board.

Just my small attempt at lightening up the thread.

In response: 1. Time will tell, he's done enough to earn my trust 2. Hazard, in my opinion, is in a poor run of form. He had a hamstring tear at the end of last season and hasn't looked fit since. I hope it turns for him soon 3. KDB looks extremely promising, he started the first game of the season and fully contributed to one of the two best performances of the season thus far, however his performances since have looked to lack application and effort - just my opinion of course. If he wants to make himself a better player and win titles and if I were lucky enough to be in his position I'd listen to Jose and give it a go. He's not a crappy manager and I trust him implicitly, I'd never doubt the effectiveness of him or the majority of his methods.

I believe some Chelsea fans may think of Peter Osgood in the same way.

Yep, you may be onto something here. Let's get rid of JM and get Enzo Scifo in to manage us. We can have Jean Claude Van Damme in to be the fitness trainer, Eddy Merckx can drive the team bus, green energy of course - he can peddle the damn thing! Herge can write the programme notes, and while we're at it' let's get rid of that silly old lion mascot Stamford and get Tintin in to do the job. Our theme tunes like 'Blue is the Colour' and 'Blue Day' can be binned off and we can have Plastic Bertrands 'Ce plane pour moi' in it's place, he'll kick the shit out of Suggs anyday. The players can eat moules-frites, waffles & Belgian chocolate, sod all that healthy pasta and chicken stuff. And finally...........................................that silly old statue of that Peter Osgood fella can be melted down and we'll have that little boy pissing himself put up instead!!

Standard tactics from Jose, remember the CL presser when the hacks wanted to discuss something other than the game and he says to them "why does no one ask me what my team is?" One of them then does and Jose says "it's too late now" laughs and buggers off out of the interview. Do as you would be done by, the press conferences are to discuss the game, not anything else 'controversial' a hack can make up or try to exaggerate. If I were KDB I'd shape up. Jose was right, he was poor at Swindon. And I'd trust Jose's judgement as regards training. Edit:- Also remember the more they're talking about him (he's spoken about this before), the less they're talking about/putting pressure on the players. Make no mistake this is a really big game tomorrow.

They clearly targeted Hazard and Torres on Saturday. Hazard was fouled 3 or 4 times by Walker alone in the first half and at least two or three times more by others.The referee, and as they generally seem to be doing this season, took a lenient approach at first. Then as soon as he gets the first card out, he goes into 'frenzy' and starts booking every other foul. Mike Dean the drama-queen then does what he does best, makes a big decision (only that he gets a fair few incorrect) that changes the pattern of the game. Poor first half from an attacking perspective from us, miles better in the second half. Good, quick, forward movements of the ball combined with a solid Ramires, Lampard base. Suspect I will get pelters from Mikel's fans, but as soon as he was subbed we looked a more positive team, and didn't suffer defensively or in terms of ball retention because of it. No surprise to me that our two most positive halves of football this season have come with Mikel off the pitch - 1st Half v Hull and 2nd Half on Saturday.

Quite a bit of noise coming from AVB, nothing as yet from our man and I hope it stays that way - until after the game at least! Hopefully the 'talking' will be done on the pitch with the same end result as the same fixture last season.

This could well be a tight affair. They've got the best defensive record in the major European Leagues this season, I believe they've only conceded one goal in nine games. Add the fact that we're not banging goals in for fun at the moment and there are the potential ingredients for a tight game. Just hope that our defence holds up. Try and isolate Dawson and play a game that will release our strikers through the channels, support the striker with a player who's role is to occupy the other centre half whilst attacking. Midfield areas are vital and we cannot allow them space at all. So therefore I think Jose may be tempted to play players who he can rely on to press the opponents when they have the ball and break forward. We may well try to play on the break. Looking forward to the game, got good seats in the front row of the upper-tier, should be a good 'un.

Listening to Jose it's clear he rates Mata but wants more from him. Smacks very much of Joe Cole and that turned out OK until JC had the bad knee injury, he wasn't the same player after that. There have been rumours that people in the club (back to last season) have felt that Mata went missing in the really big games, this might explain the stance being taken? Oscar/Mata - Each has their own special set of abilities and both can be played together, therefore I believe it's not an 'either, or' scenario. Having watched Ramires play centrally and advanced, he doesn't have the guile and passing ability that Oscar and Mata possess. Yesterday's game being a prime example. It is fairly clear that we will start most games with one striker, Oscar has probably been our best performer thus far this season and deserves his starting place. My own way of dealing with the scenario would be to make whatever exact point Jose is making with Mata and then go with a Ramires or Mikel plus Oscar as our central pairing in midfield, Hazard and De Bruyne in the wide areas, these are interchangeable with Willian and Schurlle and then have Mata in a role in between the midfield and forward. Oscar and Mata can also interchange positions during the course of any game.