Closed Wigan vs Chelsea

[edetarod 2,155]

1-1 Terry

hopefully Sturridge starts

[cchuka 99]

Is Marin fit to play?

[Strike 6,961]

Mikel

end of.

[Ollie 4,400]

Ok, business time. Dunno why everyone thinks it will be easy tho, we were terrible against them last season in both games and didn't deserve to take 4 points off them. It will be very tricky but i think we'll get the job done this time, i can't see us losing again really. I hope Marin is fit, he'd cause them more nightmares on the right than Ramires would.

[cfc93 3]

(4-2-3-1) Cech-Iva-Luiz-Terry-Cole Mikel lamps Ramires Mata Hazard Torres. Hard to see Di Matteo changing it at all from the Community Shield! However, i would like to see Sturridge starting but am not expecting it.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Cech

Ivan - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Lamps

Marin - Mata - Hazard

Torres

Only replacing Ramires for Marin because Wigan will park the bus. I don't want to drop the bad performers because dropping someone off 1 match is stupid and those kinds of things ruin the entire season for some players. You have to show some faith. If they perform poorly again then fair enough, even the player himself will understand at that point.

Luiz should start for sure imo, if our midfield is lacking again then we will need someone else to bring the ball up from the back against the Wigan bus.

Depending on the scoreline, maybe a debut for Oscar as well if somehow he makes the bench. Hopefully we score a couple early goals so Mata can be rested as well.

[Jase 43,479]

Mike Jones will be officiating this game. Same ref who officiated the controversial home win against Wigan last season...

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/match-officials-appointments-august-18-22.html

[J.F. 1,484]

something like this.

[Hutcho 8,443]

Cech

Ivan - Luiz - Terry - Cole

Mikel - Lamps

Marin - Mata - Hazard

Torres

Only replacing Ramires for Marin because Wigan will park the bus. I don't want to drop the bad performers because dropping someone off 1 match is stupid and those kinds of things ruin the entire season for some players. You have to show some faith. If they perform poorly again then fair enough, even the player himself will understand at that point.

Luiz should start for sure imo, if our midfield is lacking again then we will need someone else to bring the ball up from the back against the Wigan bus.

Depending on the scoreline, maybe a debut for Oscar as well if somehow he makes the bench. Hopefully we score a couple early goals so Mata can be rested as well.

I see what you are saying, but i think this is also a problem of our play... Our midfield shouldn't be lacking and that is the problem we should address and not try to find extra options from defence... That is where problems can get caused especially if our midfield doesn't fill in... I think the age old cliche of build from the back is key here, if we can be solid then we should have more than enough out of Lampard, Marin, Mata, Hazard, Torres and if we need Luiz to help out at CB we may have bigger problems... Imo if we keep a clean sheet we win this game.. Not saying Luiz isn't a good defender though atm when things arn't exacly going great for us we need to be solid at the back and that is the main thing we have had over the last 6 years or so in that when we have a bad game we can still grind out results...

[Pacquiao 1,834]

I would play

Cech

Ivanovic - Luiz - Terry - A.Cole

Essien

Ramires - Lampard

Hazard - Torres - Mata

with Lamps and Rami playing as box to box midfielders and Hazard and Mata coming inside and drifting around behind Torres, with Ivanovic and Ash bombing forward as well.

Wigan 0-5 Chelsea

Torres x2

Hazard

Mata

Lampard (Pen)

[Krypt 241]

Just hoping we can bag a few goals , dont want to drop points there like last season. After yesterday i am generally excited about the start of the season , should be a good ride. lets get off to a good start !

[Kojo 4,676]

Actually I'm very confident here, i think we can win this one 4-0 and have an impressive victory.

We can still get fucked on the counter attack though, i think it's wise to move Ramires into the double pivot instead of Lampard. And put Lampard CAM, let Mata come on later on in the game. I think we can badly wound the Wigan defence.

If Hazard can stretch the defence because he has that talent and sticks out wide it will leave gaps in for our other players to slot a pass in, Lampard is very capable of that. Especially Mata and Oscar, but unfortunately Oscar wont play this one, i've just found out he's playing a pointless fucking friendly one day before the game...

Wish Romeu could play, but he seems to be dead still. Get that lad back in form and we are laughing.

[Django 83]

Torres supposedly called up for a Spain friendly on Thursday.

[Nando 106]

I just hope Romeu gets involved this season. Also thought about Luiz in front of the back 4, but there's no room for experiments in our first game. So, I expect the same 11 as agains City.

However,

my line-up:

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

-------Ivan-Luiz-Terry-Cole

---------Romeu-Lampard

----Sturridge-Mata--Hazard

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

[mtowle182 79]

that would piss me right off. honestly fuck these pointless friendlies

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I'm actually confident for this one because we are bound to be on much higher fitness level with all the matches we've played so far against strong sides. Hope we keep a clean sheet.

[Laylabelle 9,296]

that would piss me right off. honestly fuck these pointless friendlies

And right before the start of the season.Who the hell thought that up?! Fingers crossed and all..

[Rambo 1,729]

Should we play Ramires or Moses on the right?