Chelsea 1-3 Aston Villa

[Kieran. 6,317]

Cech

Paulo-Luiz-JT-Cole

Oriol

Rambo-Raul

Danny-Torres-Mata

It's sad how vital Ramires is to our team. So glad he's back..

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

It doesn't ensure it but it definitely increases the likelihood of getting the 3 points because he has the ability to actual remain involved, present and visible for the best part of 90 minutes, a mad ability for a multi million pound striker.

Depends if he can be bothered to turn up ala Wigan.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Depends if he can be bothered to turn up ala Wigan.

Even against Wigan he still looked more menacing than Torres has in about 80% of his Chelsea appearances.

[YuriZhirkov 106]

Aston Villa is according to me been the biggest "disappointment" this season.. They play the most boring football in the leauge and they have been very weak against the better teams but if we cant win against Wigan or Foolham this game is gonna be hard. Hope Ferreira, Torres and Lamps starts.. Cech can have a rest this game after hes awful performance in the latest games.

Turnbull - Cole - Terry - Luiz - Ferreira - Lampard - Meireles - Ramires - Mata - Torres - Sturridge

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

Even against Wigan he still looked more menacing than Torres has in about 80% of his Chelsea appearances.

Did he? When I was watching it I thought we were playing with 10 men. This whole idea about Drogba being some sort of menace by just being on the pitch is a myth.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I'd say Torres deserves a run out. Put in a good (in this case we use 'good' as 'better than the shit we're used to') performance in the last game.

[Au blues 29]

Yurt,

I like your idea of Lamps playing a pseudo defensive mid but he would need to change his game to distribute the ball quicker and relinquish his natural desire to build up and get into the box to shoot as often as he does.I think that has been his issue this season he wants to work himself into the box thus slowing play down to achieve this( not only Lamps but most of our midfielders)

[Corazón De León 58]

We have to beat Aston Villa!!!!!!!!!! I hate this arrogant, annoying team but anyway, we've drawn the last 3 and we cant drop anymore points. Spurs won yesterday as well!!

I'm going to predict 1-1 though on the talksport prediction league! And put the insurance chip on it so I dont lose any points if the score is wrong and hopefully Chelsea win!

[Sheva. 5,373]

If Drogba starts this, then Torres will start on Monday, and vice-versa.

[Laylabelle 9,292]

Nop, he's out too.

Here...comes...ZORO!

Here comes whoever we drag from the crowd!!!

[Kezza 1,965]

No better way to celebrate the new year than with 3pts.

Mata-Torres-Sturridge for at least 70min.

I know its cliche, but i think this is Torres' chance

[The Big Drog 1,110]

No better way to celebrate the new year than with 3pts.

Mata-Torres-Sturridge for at least 70min.

I know its cliche, but i think this is Torres' chance

Honestly the "This time Torres will do it!" phrases is becoming almost as cliched as Liverpool's "This is our year."

[Shane 2,275]

Honestly the "This time Torres will do it!" phrases is becoming almost as cliched as Liverpool's "This is our year."

And what did you say when you used to support United?

[The Big Drog 1,110]

And what did you say when you used to support United?

Honestly you can't tell me that the "this time Torres will come good" phrase isn't wearing thin, not only that but saying it without any kind of justification is just ridiculous. He doesn't warrant a starting spot on merit.

I genuinely don't hate Torres, I've always been a fan of his but I honestly think that his signing might well be the worst in football history, Kaka would have run him close but he was excellent towards the back end of last season and this season too, unless Torres miraculously turns it around, ala Kaka, then you've got to face facts, Torres won't ever come good to the extent that we expected when we signed him and certainly not to the level we have come to expect from Didier Drogba.

[chrismada9 1,948]

We desperately need to win a game at the moment, but sadly, I don't see it coming from this game. I see this being yet another draw for us at best... unless we start learning how to take games by the scruff of the neck, dominate the midfield and make our chances count, the best we can conjure up here is maybe a 1-1 or a 2-2. For some reason or another, Villa are one of those sides who turn up and immediately know how to play against us. Agbonlahor and Bent are going to be tough players to track down, especially when our defence is leaking goals left right and centre, and when our only domestic clean sheet at home all season has come against Wolves.

Mata and Torres really need to start linking up, because much as I really enjoy Mata playing and seeing him creating assists here and there, I don't think his partnership with Torres is there yet. Maybe it's probably because Torres doesn't get enough games, or even to the fact that both of them get in each other's way, like when Mata scored our goal against Fulham out of nothing.. I seem to remember Torres going for a shot before Mata intervened and scored the goal himself.

I honestly agree with a lot of people on here when they say that we need to go by AVB's strongest set of players along with the right formation and then stick to it for the remainder of the season, because rotating the squad may be a good idea to keep everyone happy, but it just isn't the right approach.. it may have worked for Mourinho a few years back, but with a different manager, and a different philosophy altogether, it certainly isn't working now! What AVB needs to do with the players, is get them working on tougher training regimes on the pitch, along with different kinds of tactics, and then tell them, that if they're not training hard enough, they don't get to be selected for the next game...

[Paviour7 5]

I think Torres should start, He was one of the most determined players on the weekend which is something we don't see too often and could of scored a great goal off Mata's cross, he also held the ball up well throughout the match and the reason he was quite was because our midfield was ridiculously slow and lacked any penetration.

I was extremely frustrated and bemused at the tactics used against Fulham. I mean, sitting back and letting them come at us when they had one striker and a weak midfield was ridiculous, we really needed to press the game a lot more. AVB must have told them to do that so we could hit them on the counter, that's the only justification I can come up with.

We were EXTREMELY slow when we had the ball, there was no penetration into their defence, zero through balls to the strikers, Strurridge rarely got the ball in space, Bosingwa's crossing was abysmal. I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing and am now seriously beginning to question AVBs supposedly brilliant tactical mind. I think Lampard shouldn't be starting this next match, I think he is the main reason why our midfield is so slow.

Compare our ball movement to spurs, man city and united and you'll see what I'm talking about. They zip the ball around the field with purpose and accuracy while we pass it slowly and stay on the ball for 5 minutes before eventually playing it back. I'm also not liking the 4-3-3 - it means mata isn't being used effectively, he needs to be sitting behind the strikers, dictating play, more of a david silva role.

Lineup:

Cech

Bosingwa - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Romeu

Meireles - Ramires

Mata

Sturridge - Torres

[lecter 84]

How about resting Ash for a match or two? If we cannot rest him for games like these, then when can we?!

[Naked Mole Rat 437]

How about resting Ash for a match or two? If we cannot rest him for games like these, then when can we?!

He probably won't. He didn't rest against Wigan and Fulham, who are weaker than Villa. Bertrand wasn't even on the bench against Fulham or if I remember correctly against Wigan.

Anyway, it's very annoying that he's not getting a chance. If he isn't good enough, I'd like to at least see how bad he is. But he was decent the last couple times I watched him.