Closed Chelsea 2-3 Man City

[Django 83]

Juan Mata is available ?

He's training today, and while he's not had pre-season, he's played in the Olympics so should be match fit. Can't see why he wouldn't be available, but maybe someone else knows a reason.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Would love to win some silverware to start off the season but if not, then I'm not bothered. Just want to see an improvement, that's all. We don't have to play attacking, just want to see improvement, that's good enough for me.

KTF!!

If Clichy is playing let's play Sturridge

[Term-X 7,891]

I don't want to see an improvement, I’d happily trade in a win against City for a loss against Wigan. Being humiliated at the hands of City isn’t worth thinking about (you‘d be surprised with the viewing figures world wide for the CS), and that’s what will happen if we don't play defensively.

[xPetrCechx 13,548]

Torres: We need to attack and we can!

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Torres: We need to attack and we can!

Oh the irony...

[Django 83]

I don't want to see an improvement, I’d happily trade in a win against City for a loss against Wigan. Being humiliated at the hands of City isn’t worth thinking about (you‘d be surprised with the viewing figures world wide for the CS), and that’s what will happen if we don't play defensively.

Really? I'd much rather get off to a winning start in the league.

[Peace. 4,352]

How is putting Ramires at RW gonna be of great help defensively unless he doesn't play his position correctly, yes he has great stamina, but really shouldn't be at RW, and not playing with Ramires at RW isn't acting like a kamikaze, it simply means that we have someone who is more adept to playing there... Unless you mean playing Ramires in the double pivot which is a different debate. Also i don't see your point of "Phasing out Ramires" as we have a long season he will have a role to play, we also have Romeu, who is at least our second best defensive midfielder... Also our defensive style of play which isn't that defensive, except we used that tactic in the champs, wouldn't be different except no Ramires at RW, which is not gonna go from being solid to being ripped a new one... Also there i see little reason to park the bus against man city, we have had a bad pre-season, which they have had aswell, they have got a more settled squad, but as i have sad in earlier posts, for me this is our last pre-season game and i would treat it like that....

First off, I didn't mention where he should play... And even if I did say he should be playing as a Right Winger, I don't understand why you question his eventual contribution in defensive duties. Drogba, despite being our striker, was one of our best defenders in our encounters against Barcelona and Munich. Actually, it doesn't matter where a player is played : wherever he plays, if he has defensive abilities, then he will bring a defensive value to the team (unless if he counts how many spectator there is in the stands).

Once again, I did not say that to not play Ramires as a winger was suicidal. I only said that to not include two defensive-minded midfielders in our team would be suicidal. Because as I said, if Ramires doesn't play this game, the only remaining midfielder with some defensive abilities is Mikel. It's just an impossible mission to ask him to do the defensive job all on his own.

When I said "phase out", I was only speaking of this game. Since I am not an english speaker, I don't know if it was the best suited term to use. But never mind. You tell there's also Romeu. But I don't know what business it has with Ramires ? Romeu is a DM. If he plays, then that means Mikel doesn't. So that doesn't solve the defensive problem in midfield.

Manchester City might had a bad pre-season. Honestly, I don't know their results, and I couldn't care less. However, this strictly means nothing, nothing at all. Each game is a different one. Otherwise, we would never ever beat Barcelona and Munich last year...

And you say that Ramires not playing on the wing means a player more adept is playing there. But, it doesn't mean that the player more suited to play there will bring a better defensive impact than what Ramires does ! I can't see one of our wingers/CAM being better in defensive duties than Ramires. Though, don't get me wrong, I am not pleading for Ramires as a right winger. I'd frankly rather in midfield, hence I want us to revert to 4-3-3, in order to keep a balance between attack and defense...

[Joker10 946]

Parking the bus would make guys like Mata, Marin, Hazard, and Torres ineffective as possibly they could look. Good luck defending with those players too. I would just play Ramires and Malouda on the wings, Essien, Mikel, and Lampard in midfield if that is the case.

Parking the bus looks good when u win, but when you lose it looks much worse.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Joker10

[Laylabelle 9,300]

First chance to win a trophy..hopfully we really go for this!Start the season in a great way!

[Naked Mole Rat 437]

Juan Mata is available ?

He should be, though I can't see why Di Matteo would want to start him.

[Hutcho 8,443]

First off, I didn't mention where he should play... And even if I did say he should be playing as a Right Winger, I don't understand why you question his eventual contribution in defensive duties. Drogba, despite being our striker, was one of our best defenders in our encounters against Barcelona and Munich. Actually, it doesn't matter where a player is played : wherever he plays, if he has defensive abilities, then he will bring a defensive value to the team (unless if he counts how many spectator there is in the stands).

Once again, I did not say that to not play Ramires as a winger was suicidal. I only said that to not include two defensive-minded midfielders in our team would be suicidal. Because as I said, if Ramires doesn't play this game, the only remaining midfielder with some defensive abilities is Mikel. It's just an impossible mission to ask him to do the defensive job all on his own.

When I said "phase out", I was only speaking of this game. Since I am not an english speaker, I don't know if it was the best suited term to use. But never mind. You tell there's also Romeu. But I don't know what business it has with Ramires ? Romeu is a DM. If he plays, then that means Mikel doesn't. So that doesn't solve the defensive problem in midfield.

Manchester City might had a bad pre-season. Honestly, I don't know their results, and I couldn't care less. However, this strictly means nothing, nothing at all. Each game is a different one. Otherwise, we would never ever beat Barcelona and Munich last year...

And you say that Ramires not playing on the wing means a player more adept is playing there. But, it doesn't mean that the player more suited to play there will bring a better defensive impact than what Ramires does ! I can't see one of our wingers/CAM being better in defensive duties than Ramires. Though, don't get me wrong, I am not pleading for Ramires as a right winger. I'd frankly rather in midfield, hence I want us to revert to 4-3-3, in order to keep a balance between attack and defense...

I am saying that if we have someone who is better in that position then it should help out the team more than Ramires being there... I personally cannot see us reverting back to a 4-3-3 which is why i said what i did, i also think that lampard will play in the double pivot with mikel... What i think and RDM does are two completely different things obviously, and i was simply saying it wasn't mad to think that ramires who was one of our best players last season could be left out, as i think its fair to say a 4-2-3-1 doesn't suit him... I agree he is very useful if we want to play defensively, though i am arguing that it is something we should not do... Drogba was amazing defensively, as he was dominant in the air, however the biggest help was that he was our out ball and had the stength to hold it up... We do not have that anymore, and torres, while sometimes tracks back, will not be able to perform that role anywhere nearly as efficiently....

[Blue-in-me-Veins 4,067]

i dont know what to say, what should we look for?? i dont see oscar hazard mata marin understanding each other in their first game of the season, i just dont. all i we can hope for is firstly no damn injuries last thing we need is panic buy! im not even sure whose gona be available and all so lets just experiment with something. weather its a formation or a tactic idc, i just hopes it works!

[HRiver 1,512]

If RDM is planning to park the bus, then:

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Essien

Mata - Lampard - Hazard

Torres

If he does not intend to park the bus:

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Lampard

Mata - Hazard - Malouda

Torres

I don't really care even if we lose, as long as it's not a humiliating defeat. Which I don't think that will happen. I can see City winning either 1-0, or 2-1.

[Laylabelle 9,300]

Yeah cant see it being a mega big scoreline..hope not anyway! We lost 3-1 to Man U and soon got over that and ones of those goals was scored with Little Shits face.Just hope they play like they care rather then seeing it as an outing or something annoyinh

[Santiago. 1,500]

If RDM is planning to park the bus, then:

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Essien

Mata - Lampard - Hazard

Torres

If he does not intend to park the bus:

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Lampard

Mata - Hazard - Malouda

Torres

I don't really care even if we lose, as long as it's not a humiliating defeat. Which I don't think that will happen. I can see City winning either 1-0, or 2-1.

What's the deal with Marin? still injured?

[Hutcho 8,443]

If RDM is planning to park the bus, then:

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Essien

Mata - Lampard - Hazard

Torres

If he does not intend to park the bus:

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Lampard

Mata - Hazard - Malouda

Torres

I don't really care even if we lose, as long as it's not a humiliating defeat. Which I don't think that will happen. I can see City winning either 1-0, or 2-1.

If we were actually parking the bus he would probably play:

Cech

Ivan Cahill Terry Cole

Mikel Lampard

Ramires Hazard Mata

Torres

Not what i would do if i was parking the bus but that is what i would imagine RDM would do...

[HRiver 1,512]

What's the deal with Marin? still injured?

I have no idea. I thought he still is.

[DDA 9,570]

Parking the bus looks good when u when, but when you lose it looks much worse.

When you when you when... when u loseeh you loseeh.. baddabingbaddboom!