Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Again, I say that this would be our best option since our midfield can rarely do anything but toss the ball from side to side...Mata and Sturridge haven't been exactly poor in the wide role...Besides, in the formation I mentioned, I was also referring to the full-backs joining in as wide attackers...The Drogba-Torres pairing is something we haven't seen this season, so I would like to see how it works given how we've tried almost everything else (besides playing McEachran in a league game of course)

But do we really want to see a 2 vs 2 in midfield when Spurs have arguably the best two man central midfield in the league this season in Parker and Modric? Also they can always create the 3 with Van Der Vaart dropping deep, we don't want to be outnumbered in midfield against Spurs at WHL. Sturridge and Mata have done very well playing in a front 3, asking them to play in a 4-4-2 means both would have to drop deeper and thus lessen their goal threat and usually a basic 4-4-2 (as this would be as neither Drogba or Torres naturally drop into the hole) mean that the wingers end up playing in a straight line (like Man Utd's widemen) and that is most certainly not Juan Mata's game and I doubt Sturridge would much enjoy being limited in his movement either. It would also mean that our defensive set up would have to be altered, key to stopping Spurs is stopping Gareth Bale, we saw last season that our approach of doing this involves the right back (Ivanovic Im assuming) and Ramires coming across to double up on him, Ramires is key here as he has got genuine pace to match Bale and is very disciplined in his defending, playing a 4-4-2 means that he wont double up on Bale and Sturridge would have to assist Ivanovic in dealing with the Welsh winger and defending isn't Daniel's strongpoint (as we have seen this season). All of that and the obvious problem being that when VDV drops into the hole, we wouldn't have a marker to track him unless you want one of our centre backs to follow him and create space for Spurs quick players to exploit. A 4-4-2 has not really worked for us ever since Mourinho, now isn't the time for a 4-4-2.

[eldo 868]

Hopefully yesterdays result can motivate us to beat the yids.

[Blue Armour 4,278]

But do we really want to see a 2 vs 2 in midfield when Spurs have arguably the best two man central midfield in the league this season in Parker and Modric? Also they can always create the 3 with Van Der Vaart dropping deep, we don't want to be outnumbered in midfield against Spurs at WHL. Sturridge and Mata have done very well playing in a front 3, asking them to play in a 4-4-2 means both would have to drop deeper and thus lessen their goal threat and usually a basic 4-4-2 (as this would be as neither Drogba or Torres naturally drop into the hole) mean that the wingers end up playing in a straight line (like Man Utd's widemen) and that is most certainly not Juan Mata's game and I doubt Sturridge would much enjoy being limited in his movement either. It would also mean that our defensive set up would have to be altered, key to stopping Spurs is stopping Gareth Bale, we saw last season that our approach of doing this involves the right back (Ivanovic Im assuming) and Ramires coming across to double up on him, Ramires is key here as he has got genuine pace to match Bale and is very disciplined in his defending, playing a 4-4-2 means that he wont double up on Bale and Sturridge would have to assist Ivanovic in dealing with the Welsh winger and defending isn't Daniel's strongpoint (as we have seen this season). All of that and the obvious problem being that when VDV drops into the hole, we wouldn't have a marker to track him unless you want one of our centre backs to follow him and create space for Spurs quick players to exploit. A 4-4-2 has not really worked for us ever since Mourinho, now isn't the time for a 4-4-2.

You raise a good points about the lack of a holding midfielder to check VDV/Modric's advances and the fact that one of Torres/Drogba will have to drop deep...these are flaws, but in an attacking sense this could send the Spurs back four all over the place....If Sturridge can work well as he can, and if he works in tandem with Ramires and Ivanovic, it could be Bale and Ekoto that are pegged back...Oriol would have more work but in my formation I except both Ramires and him to restrain their attacking runs and help out defensively..Our attack will mostly be involving our front four + LWB/RB and the occasional run into the box by Ramires...so that our CM's won't be out of position when there's a counter

[Kojo 4,676]

Cech

Ivanovic-David Luiz-Terry-Cole

Ramires-Romeu

Sturridge-Mata-Malouda

Drogba

Time to test Mata down the centre and give someone responsibiliy of the left wing, as much as the useless Malouda will play bad, he is our only option i suppose, and can come back and defend, since Cole hasn't had a good season. Ramires and Romeu, will offer drive and pace, sometimes i hate Ramires tackles, most of the free kicks scored against us this season have been from his bad tackles. But lets hope he has a good day with his tackling, like he had against Liverpool when we lost 2-1 at the Bridge. Plus might offer some pace.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

You raise a good points about the lack of a holding midfielder to check VDV/Modric's advances and the fact that one of Torres/Drogba will have to drop deep...these are flaws, but in an attacking sense this could send the Spurs back four all over the place....If Sturridge can work well as he can, and if he works in tandem with Ramires and Ivanovic, it could be Bale and Ekoto that are pegged back...Oriol would have more work but in my formation I except both Ramires and him to restrain their attacking runs and help out defensively..Our attack will mostly be involving our front four + LWB/RB and the occasional run into the box by Ramires...so that our CM's won't be out of position when there's a counter

Thing is though that playing a midfield 2 instead of 3 would actually limit the amount of full backs could go forward and without Juan Mata drifting infield from the left flank and with less runs forward from our central midfielders it means there is a huge gap between our midfield and our strikers and neither Drogba or Torres play deep. Some teams are made for a 4-4-2, we don't have the players for it, particularly when the two strikers in question have played the vast majority of their careers as lone strikers and who, whenever they have played together, always seem to take up eachothers spaces, Drogba in particular has always looked a bit lost on where to run whenever he has played as part of a front 2.

[YuriZhirkov 106]

Lennon is out for injury now against sunderland, hope he miss the game against us..

[Blue Armour 4,278]

Thing is though that playing a midfield 2 instead of 3 would actually limit the amount of full backs could go forward and without Juan Mata drifting infield from the left flank and with less runs forward from our central midfielders it means there is a huge gap between our midfield and our strikers and neither Drogba or Torres play deep. Some teams are made for a 4-4-2, we don't have the players for it, particularly when the two strikers in question have played the vast majority of their careers as lone strikers and who, whenever they have played together, always seem to take up eachothers spaces, Drogba in particular has always looked a bit lost on where to run whenever he has played as part of a front 2.

Drogba and Anelka played well together in the 4-4-2 diamond because neither striker had to drop deep unlike in the 4-4-2 which Carlo tried to use in his last season with us...in the 4-2-4 they should not have to drop deep as both CM's will remain more or less static, just passing the ball to the wing-backs/wingers to start the attack...But yeah, there are better options than Drogba-Torres out there for strike partnerships...Maybe Sturridge could do a good job with Drogba, but then we'd be short of a good right winger...

[Laylabelle 9,351]

Loosing this one be super super shite seeing as t'd put Spurs 5 points?Above us and with that game in hand

They need to go into this game with the same attitude they did against Valencia and City and nothing like yesterday!

Be nice to go into the xmas run in 3rd place...

[eldo 868]

We will beat them.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

We will beat them.

Because we'll be 'lucky'. Lmao.

[Hd123 5]

It really pisses me off that we battled so hard against Newcastle, Valencia and City and blew it with the lazy performance and garbage substitutions against Wigan.

[Wavy Crockett 190]

-------------------Cech------------------

Ivanovic-----Luiz------Terry-----Cole

------------------Romeu----------------

----------Meireles-----Ramires--------

Sturridge---------------------------Mata

------------------Torres------------------

This lineup we win, any other we lose it really is that simple right now.

yeah this looks fine

hoping we wont get humiliated, I guess a 1 or 2 goal defeat would be okay with me

[Blue Armour 4,278]

It really pisses me off that we battled so hard against Newcastle, Valencia and City and blew it with the lazy performance and garbage substitutions against Wigan.

Don't really think the subs were garbage (even though they played like that) since they were obviously brought in to defend the lead, but otherwise share the sentiments of your post....

[Swedish House Mafia 508]

Lennon and Bale injured. We'll win.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Yeah, Lennon's out, Bale and King are question marks.

[ultrachiek90 13]

Not confident about this one, though we will be lucky to get a point. I don't understand why AVB has given time to build Chelsea, whereas other former Chelsea's managers didn't. This is far the worst start by Chelsea under the Roman's era, yet AVB, who constantly makes tactical errors, is still given shitloads of chances to stick around and make 'magic' happens. He is no Mourinho, importantly, he doesn't deserve to manage a big team like Chelsea. I'm ready for any dispute with whoever supports the donkey, he needs to pack up his bags and get the fuck out of here. We need someone who knows what he is doing, definitely not some newbie who thinks he's da shit cause he won the league once with Porto.

totally agree with u mate. hes proven to be shit for many games this season

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Not confident about this one, though we will be lucky to get a point. I don't understand why AVB has given time to build Chelsea, whereas other former Chelsea's managers didn't. This is far the worst start by Chelsea under the Roman's era, yet AVB, who constantly makes tactical errors, is still given shitloads of chances to stick around and make 'magic' happens. He is no Mourinho, importantly, he doesn't deserve to manage a big team like Chelsea. I'm ready for any dispute with whoever supports the donkey, he needs to pack up his bags and get the fuck out of here. We need someone who knows what he is doing, definitely not some newbie who thinks he's da shit cause he won the league once with Porto.

Yeah. Let's fire him.

Let's bring back Hiddink, and when he has bad results, let's fire him. When Mourinho comes back and Terry's still playing and we're failing, let's fire him.

I think you should email your CV to Roman.. It seems you have the credentials to belittle his Porto accomplishments.

[Rambo 1,729]

If we don't pull another Wigan, we will win