Chelsea Legend 11

Feel the loss to Villa, however controversial, came at the right time. 14 straight unbeaten we were bound for a slip up now its about staying focussed and playing the right way! There is no room for error anymore so I expect Jose and JT to have the boys well up for this one. What's on paper doesn't matter, its a derby and both teams desperately need the points! I think we have the mettle to do it, we've been the Premier League's best team against the big clubs and truly I don't see that changing on Saturday. This game will come down to who wants it more (as most contests do) and for my money Arsenal just don't strike me as a team who possess that type of mentality. They are good value for the draw but I feel we'll win if Hazard and Eto'o are the best players on the pitch! They should be too, we're at home and haven't lost there in God knows how long. It will have everything to do with being clinical when the few opportunities present themselves. 2-1. Hazard, Schurrle - Chamberlain I think the squad picks itself at this point. Luiz and Matic holding, Oscar in the no.10.

All-time record in the Q-finals and also how we faired head to head. Chelsea FC (ENG) Last QF: 2011/12 (won 3-1 v SL Benfica) QF record: W6 L2 This season: W6 D0 L2 F15 A4 Top scorer: Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres (3) European head-to-heads v Real Madrid W2 D1 L0 F4 A2 v Barcelona W4 D5 L3 F18 A18 v Dortmund N/A v Paris W1 D1 L0 F3 A0 v Atlético W1 D1 L1 F7 A6 v Bayern W1 D1 L1 F7 A6 v United W0 D1 L2 F2 A4

I feel we're destined for a Real Madrid draw... I just feel it. I wouldn't mind facing PSG or obviously Utd.

IF Chelsea draw Atletico does anyone think Courtois will be allowed to play in it?

Sure but as Jose has said many times Oscar is our no.10. He is in that position more than anyone else if you ask me. On Schurrle I agree he often is the forgotten man but at the same time he doesn't always time his runs properly either. I chalk that up to lack of playing time and familiarity with the squad. For me Oscar's biggest problem is when he's going forward with pace he rarely has his head up to look around its always down and as a result he misses some easy passes or aimlessly crosses into an area where no one is. If he just gets his head up( A la Juan Mata) he will be much more effective in the final 3rd.

Here I am thinking we're analyzing the finer points of the game... Like most people do win or lose.

The two people I found most frustrating in the final third were Oscar and Willian(This may be due to accumulative subpar performances though) Eto'o was my man of the match and Hazard was Hazard once again. Muslera did have a pretty good night too! Did well to keep Hazard off the scoreboard with the curler from the left. Willian tested him from the top of the 18 but shot right at him, Lamps had a nice header from Oscar which he also did well to keep out. Not to mention Terry's left footer on the set piece... The problem I had with Oscar is the stuff that you would expect a no.10 to notice and do without question is the stuff that he just isn't doing right now and it gets frustrating... When you have a man open to play in DO IT! Don't wait and wait to the opportunity is gone. When you have open men who are in a better position than you to score PASS IT! Its not rocket science.

It gets defensive when you start talking about stuff that I never even brought up....

Why are you so defensive? calm down, I like Oscar too and yes he did will to make the assist for Eto'o but he was particularly poor in the final third in the 2nd half when we had numbers on the break. Did that part of the game pass you by? When he did well to get to the byline and beat his man only to fire a ridiculous shot from a poor angle when he had open men inside the 18? Or when we broke 4v3 and he could've slipped in Eto'o but he dwelled on the ball and squandered a great opportunity? I don't care where a player originates from, I carry no bias to country of origin... I just want the best for Chelsea and since December Oscar has been real poor! No finishing and extremely ponderous in the final third. He has to improve and yes NOW would be a great time since we are in a title push and in the quarters of the champions league. We don't have the depth of squad to have any passengers at this point so yes it would be great if he would step up his game and play closer to his potential given the circumstances we're in.

Oscar was extremely frustrating to watch in the final 3rd... poor decision making and taking way too long to make them too. I know he's young but he needs to get better in that area of the pitch and fast. Sometimes he doesn't even have his head up to see where the pass should go, he just blindly fires it into the area hoping someone is there when a better option is there if he'd look.

I see what you're saying but I think you've been a bit harsh. Fatigue is a factor for sure at the beginning of the year Oscar made Mata expendable, no easy feat. Ramires has been ineffectual for a long portion of the season now, he hasn't provided near enough spark in the midfield as he has in the past. Not sure what the problem is with him but I have to agree when he's in possession I get a bit nervy. Willian needs to start finishing and/or making that telling pass. Its all fine and good that he is running around a lot and making it tough for the oppo to play out the back but end product has to come to the fore NOW! Can't wait for it anymore. Luiz is being kept out by the best defensive pairing perhaps in the world right now... He's good and may have a role to play once he's back in. Matic and Luiz may be the partnership we need to start moving the ball quicker.

I for one would've taken off Willian for Schurrle... That bit us. Its the first decision he's made this season that I questioned. We were too ponderous when we needed to be direct in attack too.

I think it does matter. It wasn't a stonewall handball if the linesmen gives it when he's blindsided its a poor decision to award since he couldn't have had a good sight of it. I think it was Foy anyway, he looked like he awarded the goal and after protest took it away.

I think ponderous is the word you're looking for. We just kept trying to play it over the top and got caught offside way too many times. When we were in possession we werejust ponderous, never looked to be incisive. I also thought, that even without the goal, Delph was man of the match. He took away a lot of space and made a hell of a lot of tackles

I forgot what it felt like to have so many dubious decisions go against us... Thanks for the reminder, Foy almost had a season where you hadn't completely robbed us. Okay about the game as a whole, did Foy make the call on the Matic handball or was it the blind sided linesmen? After seeing it million times it looked like a handball but only if Foy makes the call. Thought we lacked a bit of cutting edge up top, Torres, Ba, Hazard and Oscar just looked off the pace today... Never really threatened them in good areas. From the outset it looked like a draw. Ramires... What has happened to Ramires? He has been poor for quite some time now. Might be blessing in disguise to have Ramires out perhaps now we can see more of Matic and Luiz in the holding positions? Azpilicueta was my man of the match. Willan's sending off was extremely soft and changed the outcome of the game which to be fair I thought was looking like a draw. Don't have any time to dwell on a tough loss, Galatasaray and Didier are next, a loss here could be crippling to our title hopes. Just put it out of mind and carry on.... UP THE CHELS!

Its a Derby...

Lord knows Zlatan or Suarez aren't cunts.... anyways. Do you even think before you type? So falling short of acquiring Jesus Christ at striker no one will do... Why are you even here commenting then? Just to shoot down what other people think would work? You have absolutely no clue.

I never once bashed Sturridge. I striker is supposed to be selfish most of the moves are fashioned for them to get the final touch anyways. You guys kill me you're screaming for a striker and when the options are presented you're screaming about who they are. Who do you want?

You could say that about any striker in our 30M price range. Hell you can say that about strikers in the 50M range... There are no sure things or guarantees. Pretty much agree with everything else though

I don't understand the problem people have with Costa only having one good year? He is now in his prime years which is when you would expect him to start scoring consistently. Also when he does it for much longer the price only continues to rise! The goals he's scoring make me think he could be the difference between us going out at the q-finals of the CL and making it to the finals. He is scoring unbelievable goals not just tap ins stunning goals... Don't ask me though I'm of the opinion any striker will do, Costa, Balotelli either would be more than fine.

Let's not get carried away here. We would be fine with either striker they both do things at a very good level.

Ya at the beginning of the season in the middle of 3 games in 8 days Villa came to the Bridge and put in a good showing. These names were involved in that fixture 1 Cech 2 Ivanovic 24 Cahill 26 Terry 3 Cole 7 Ramires 8 Lampard 11 Oscar 10 Mata 17 Hazard 19 Ba Substitutions18 Lukaku 14 Schurrle 16 van Ginkel I would be surprised if Cole, Ba or Lampard even play this game, Mata is gone too. So if you ask me they will be facing a VERY different Chelsea team who aren't trying to figure out what it is Jose wants but are putting in the types of performances that win titles. We will have to be clinical and also very disciplined, I have a feeling there may be one of those shitty cards again that make the day difficult for us. Cech Ivanovic - Cahill - Terry - Azpilicueta Matic - Ramires Willian - Hazard - Schurrle Eto'o This squad has the speed and physicality to deal with whatever Villa throw at us and the guile to go there and nip a result... Ramires may be rested for Lamps in this one too. Nothing is easy in the prem but I just feel like we're finding ways to win comfortably even when not playing our best football. There is going to be a point real soon when things start to click again and I feel it will start with the trip to Villa Park. Just a hunch...

This is Rodriguez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIHe9by9tFA This is where the fuss started http://talksport.com/football/chelsea-line-wolfsburg-starlet-cole-replacement-13111868562 http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-want-ricardo-rodriguez-ashley-2807316 http://www.ftbpro.com/posts/kenny.smith/565688/chelsea-show-interest-in-wolfsburg-left-back-ricardo-rodriguez

Weird. Azpilicueta is arguably the best LB in England right now...

So is he gonna sign a 14 yr contract? That is a really foolish way to look at an investment.