Chelsea Legend 11

You don't think Keller will do everything in his power to protect that back four? I can see them wasting a shit tom of time too... Slowing an already slow game down. Champions league games are usually played at a pace that favours that don't want to come out... I feel we'll win but I'm not getting too cavalier about my predictions.

Ya I agree, he didn't really read the game effectively for my liking. Both he and Fabregas were caught way too high up the pitch and not really pressing the ball at all. In the first few matches Oscar was better at covering for Cesc when he marauded forward. Ramires is so crucial to the team I don't know why people dog him so much... He is precisely what that game needed and he executed it to perfection... Love him.

Everything is set for Hazard to shine bright tomorrow. Lots of talk of an extension, Sky doing a special piece on him, Jose giving him glowing reviews... I have a feeling this is the calm before the storm there is a Hazard warning on the horizon!

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I'm not taking any team for granted, if what we saw today is any indication of what to expect in the champions league its there are no easy games. Look at Ludogorets? deserved a point at Anfield, Olympiakos punishing Atletico(Moya is the keeper for them). Teams like Maribor and Schalke have nothing to lose in and its games like that where things get dangerous.

Gary Neville is the man. Always seems to see the game for exactly what it is... A shame he singled out Cesc but there was no denying we had trouble against Swansea partly due to Cesc not being disciplined. I'm not so sure it all just comes down to Fab though... In the previous games Oscar did a great job of playing off of him and filling in when Cesc did get go forward, on Saturday that was non-existent. The front four of Schurrle, OScar, Hazard and Costa didn't do a good job of pressing high and as a result Cesc tried to over compensate and it made things worse. He doesn't have to do that and will learn not, when the press is ineffective sit back a bit and wait for opportunities. One man pressuring the ball is never gonna work...

Yes and he still needs to prove himself.

Liverpool at home and City away. Those are the only ones I remember him being great in... Also the biggest games occur in the Champions League where he hasn't been scintillating, not for me at least. A player like Hazard needs to have more influence on decisive games, he hasn't for most of the Champions league for me.

Hazard needs to show that level of influence in the big games. He usually looks unplayable against the smaller teams but until he looks influential against the big teams in the big games(wednesday would be a good place to start followed by Sunday) he will be considered underachieving in my opinion. Its not about goals and assists for me(though I do feel he deserved a goal on Saturday) its about being highly influential in the build up of our attacks for me. Attract attention and find the pass that leads to the pass. He's been phenomenal in this regard and needs to show it on the big stage.

I wouldn't be so cavalier is all I'm saying and I doubt Jose will either. Football is a funny game in that one week you can look like the shittiest team in Europe and the very next you turn it on and smash Madrid... We have to prepare for the best Schalke, not the one who lost to a German opponent, thats how I see it anyway... when you underestimate you're opponent you are setting yourself for a fall(ask Utd who played MK Dons and got smashed 4-0) I don't care what the circumstances are this is the Champions League and no team is to be taken for granted. As far as the rotation I'm not against it, its making 4 or 5 changes before a big match that I'm opposed to. Even if we're targeting City its always best to have players carry on with the good form rather then sub them out and risk losing the continuity. Don't dismiss the fact this is still a team that is still finding its understanding of one another. When you bring in guys off the bench in large numbers the communication takes a lot longer to bed in, it becomes more about individuals and less about team. Its precisely why we almost NEVER run up the score in the League Cup and also why Jose goes with such a small squad. There will be time to rotate 4-5 players its just not before our first Champions League game... that's what my belief is anyway.

There is no limit, market dictates that. If Rooney is making 300k and Messi makes 401k then your guess is as good as mine.

If he does well he deserves an increase.

ummmm what? if he sees out this new contract he'll be 28-29 years old. We will effectively be paying a potential Ballon D'or winner 250k/wk for his best years, that's good value!

Its not like we play City on Saturday and its not like they aren't playing midweek as well. Its hardly a flogging at the beginning of the campaign anyways, these guys are professionals in top shape the fatigue settles in after Christmas right now they should be rearing to go. The time to blood in new players is in lesser games like the League Cup, matchday one is huge and I seriously doubt Jose takes it for granted. Last year we did and got our hides handed to us... I'm not sure how you can measure a team that we haven't faced vs. teams that we have. Every team has their own profile and present new challenges and its all about how we match up against what they like to do. Its not as easy as saying 'Schalke lost to a German team and we beat Everton so we should smash them' football is always gonna be about form and our XI is in a good run of form right now, no sense in chopping and changing the core of that side because we have a game on Sunday. There will be many cases this season where we will have to play two games a week and its something we have to be prepared for, not saying no rotation but I'm not a fan of making 4 changes from a winning side in an important match. We need to carry on with our positive play and build on the understanding we're developing.

Mikel is more likely to start in the champions league than he is at City. Could see Matic being rested for Sunday in favour of Mikel actually, makes sense since we're at home and won't need to play a lot on the counter.

I doubt VERY highly on matchday 1 that Jose will rotate the squad that much. The players you've mentioned are the keys to our success so far and lets not forget we're still developing our understanding and identity... Zouma and Luis will get in the League Cup and Remy may get a start in the Champions League because of Costa's hamstring, other than that its gonna be more of the same and rightfully so. We can't go into the competition underestimating our opponents, if we win our first 4 in the champions league then we can start to rest players since qualification is all but clinched.

We don't have Schurrle on the squad to dribble past people and link the attack. We have a squad, each player has different skills to bring to the table. Schurrle stretches defenses and provides direct runs to exploit teams on the counter. He's an average finisher though...

Mikel is a pretty decent shout he performs well in slower games and I imagine champions league will be played at a slower pace.

Way too much rotation. When you make that many you lose the team cohesion and don't perform as well Due to the lack of understanding on the pitch. I say one to two. And if we put this to bed early then we take off the key players. With city winless in the last two we can afford to take a draw in that fixture.

Nah that wasn't me I was glad we were looking to snatch him up, my problem with Cesc was all mental. Would have the killer instinct we need at Chelsea and is he coming to Chelsea for the right reasons? Footballing wise I knew he was quality for 27m. He is our glue guy for sure Hazard has been brilliant in the build up all season but having Cesc delivering the final ball has made us so complete. Looking a little disjointed in the pivot though, that's why we're so exposed at the back... I don't care though the football is looking brilliant. I wonder how teams are gonna contend with us now? If they sit back we'll kill them with the Cesc balls, if they come out we have the best pace and power in the league to smash them. Tough team to prepare for.

Not about what you mentioned. I was referring to Wenger preferring Ramsey and Ozil to Cesc.

I disagree he's best as a CM where he can dictate from deep. As a team we lose that cutting edge when he plays in the 10. Ramsey had a nice run of form but come on! Cesc is twice the player he is!

Its been a real revelation for me. He provides us with SOOOOO much space to operate. I guess my surprise stems from Chelsea never ever having a real deep lying playmaker. Its his position that makes us so dangerous.

The biggest surprise for me throughout the first 4 games is the difference Cesc Fabregas is making in our team. His quality is unrivalled right now, finds guys and picks the perfect weight of pass.

Cesc Fabregas or Aidan McGeady? I think people are paying too much attention to the net bulging and not to who's making the play for the goal... Fabregas has been FABULOUS this season! so deadly and putting the perfect weight on the ball.