Jase

Pot 1 will consist of champions from the top seven European leagues (based on UEFA's country coefficient ranking IIRC) and the Champions League winner. And if I'm getting this right, the other three pots will have teams lined up based on their club coefficient ranking - in other words, it will be similar to how teams have been seeded into pot 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the past years.

Deary me. Torres is gone and we're still trying to talk about him?! Seriously Tomo...

We have played them in Europe before actually, not in the Champions League but in the UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. UEFA Super Cup in 1998: Real Madrid 0-1 Chelsea UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971: Chelsea 1-1 Real Madrid Real Madrid 1-2 Chelsea (replay)

Not saying that we could have won the FA Cup and/or Champions League as well but better management of the squad would have at least helped us put in better performances and go far into the two competitions (we may even still have a chance to win it/them). Instead, we exited them in such meek fashion and with barely a fight.

That is what happens you don't rotate your squad and you suddenly throw in players who probably aren't fully fit and familiar with one another. Although, we should have never lost that tie having gone 2-0 up! Yeah but our performance wasn't encouraging, was it? We barely created any clear cut chances against 10 men for almost the entire game. We were just drifting through the match and hoping something happen for us rather than making things happen.

It's kinda scary to see how similar Mourinho and Simeone are in regards to their style of play and management in football.

So what...?

WHY ARE WE IN RED?! :rant:

But on the other hand, one can argue that the lack of rotation has cost us in the FA Cup and Champions League. Let's not forget that City managed to claw back that 8-point deficit by early January this year and we have been somewhat fortunate that they fell away so dramatically. Otherwise, we might be having a nervy end to the campaign when you see us putting in below-par performances and doing just enough to limp over the line.

Here we go with the Hazard to Real Madrid talk again. Just because Zidane is his idol, doesn't mean he has to join them. It's not like Zidane is still playing...

But we can't really underestimate the power of motivation now, can we? I mean, look what happened to us in 2011/12 when RDM replaced AVB.

Chelsea have no fit strikers ahead of trip to face Arsenal as Didier Drogba pulls out of Match against Poverty with ankle injury OH DEAR!!!

@Tomo, told you luckily we didn't have Villa in any of our remaining matches. With the way they are going right now, City v Villa this weekend is a major potential banana skin for City.

Yeah...keeping possession, controlling the game and creating chances despite doing nothing meaningful.

http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/chelsea/championship_star_reveals_chelsea_dream_and_jose_mourinho_loan_talks_1_4040871

Was looking at the permutations earlier and realised that IF we lose to Arsenal this weekend, we would then need 9 points from the last 5 games to win the title. That would make things really dodgy, edgy and nervy. Yikes!

Oh dear. He actually preached about the moral victory.

Don't forget that Ancelotti set Real Madrid up to play on the counter against Bayern last season too. Only had 28% of the possession in the first leg at the Bernabeu...

Can't believe Chelsea TV didn't do a short interview with him or something.

Wow. Good to see there's an argument about something else and not Mourinho.....

That's because I doubt they watch Ivanovic as often as we do and I suspect his goals play a huge part in that.

Right. Fair enough. Just saw the interview. Should have known better not to trust journalists!

And no word about his performance yesterday, especially in helping to set up the goal while being put under pressure?