Closed Shakhtar Donetsk v Chelsea

[Stats 6,981]

Does our team really weakns that much with players like Azpi, Stu, Terry, Lampard, and Moses?

ex lineup:

Cech

Azpi Cahill Terry Cole

Mikel Lampard

Moses Mata Hazard

Sturridge

If we post that lineup i feel equally confident picking up 3 points.

It doesnt weaken us IMO but do we need to make over 3 changes to a winning team in a game like this. Also I am not saying that the players who would come in are awful or wilweaken us but I know for a fact RDM will start Torres over Sturridge again IMO and can't see Ivanovic being dropped for this game

[Reddish-Blue 2,224]

I personally would love to see this lineup against Shakhtar:

Cech

Ivan - Cahill - Terry - Bertrand

Mikel - Romeu

Mata - Lampard - Hazard

Sturridge/Torres

[Rmpr 8,977]

I personally would love to see this lineup against Shakhtar:

Cech

Ivan - Cahill - Terry - Bertrand

Mikel - Romeu

Mata - Lampard - Hazard

Sturridge/Torres

I have asked it against Spurs, got rage posts about Lamps.

[edetarod 2,155]

Sturridge please

[TheCount 146]

I personally would love to see this lineup against Shakhtar:

Cech

Ivan - Cahill - Terry - Bertrand

Mikel - Romeu

Mata - Lampard - Hazard

Sturridge/Torres

Really dont know why this is never used, thats a position lamps would be far more used to as well.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Tough match for sure.

They were able to draw juventus away. I watched some parts of the game. They hav some good attacking midfielders.

so we must watch our backs.

Oscar, luiz and ivanovic need to rest for this one.

They have played even in the international matches. Especially oscar, he is still adapting to his defensive role in our team. So he needs to be fresh for manchester.

Cesar-cahill-terry-cole

Mikel - lampard

Moses/marin -mata- hazard

Sturridge

Sturridge needs his chance, torres has played forever he can come from the bench.

I'm afraid of the mikel-lampard pivot, but we need ramires rested for man utd, and I think lampard can handle this.

3-1 to us

[OneMoSalah 8,615]

Shaktar arent mugs so severely weakening the team will give us problems tbh.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,742]

If Moses and Marin cant be used in congested fixtures like this, then we should not have bought them IMO.

Sturridge

Moses

Azpilicueta

Need to be three playing today tomorrow at the very least....Wouldnt hurt to give Romeu a run out next to Lamps,Mikel,or Ramires either.

[Land 331]

Oscar must be rested,he needs to have scholes on a leash.

[TheCount 146]

Oscar must be rested,he needs to have scholes on a leash.

Tho i dislike oscar, nothing would please me more then him to ruin scholes

[Magic Lamps 11,452]

Utd is the team with even fewer centre midfielders than us, so it could be nice to overpower them there but imo any of our midfielders could play both games and still get the better of that ginger fella.

Like the idea of Lamps playing in the hole against shakthar, they'll probably not prepared for this, as lamps usually goes deep to help build-up play we mostly will have an extra man in midfield. IMO we need width in that game, when we can not avail ourseleves of our creative players. Marin and moses can offer exactly that rather than mata and the others. IMO Torres should not get a game at all. Bet sturride would have done better all the time.

cech

azpi-cahill-terry-Bertrand

------Romeu-Mikel-------

Moses----Lamps----Marin

------------Studge----------

should give them a game and us a narrow win. Tactics are crucial

[Land 331]

Why would anyone dislike Oscar?

[Kieran. 6,317]

Tho i dislike oscar, nothing would please me more then him to ruin scholes

Why don't you like Oscar?

[TheCount 146]

Why don't you like Oscar?

Too small, not tough enough (least their can be something done about this) too much of the same thing with hazard and mata, has a tenancy to dive, not a ideal PREMIERSHIP replacement for lampard either. He can only play in an *ideally* attacking possessive style, so in that regard his versatility in the position he plays wont suit every type of game we have to play, something lampard in his prime could do. He also represents a move away from a style of football i loved, to a more "barca" style which i personaly dislike. He also looks about 12 and isn't very intimidating on the field, neither does he look like a future leader of men.

Say that he's technicaly great and all, he just isnt what i think is needed to compete year in year out in the very physical PL, a plan B is needed for his position, by no means sell him, but rotate where needed.

[Blue Armour 4,165]

It'd be 3 games in 8 days. That's how you exhaust players. No team in the world sticks with the exact same starting XI every game that matters. It's just not possible.

Agreed and also, it makes it easier for other teams to figure your attack out. That's what happened when we kept playing Malouda, Drogba and Anelka over and over in 2011. Rotation is important.

[Tomo 21,681]

? Lampard was playing big tough games before rami was even on a adult team.

Some of the treatment of the older experienced legends around here is disgusting,

No wonder teams like arsenal win fuck all and are left with no leadership or experience with this kind of attitude flying around.

Chris Sutton was also playing big games before Drogba became a pro, does that mean we should have re signed him and gave him Drogs place in Munich?

On this basis we should consider asking Dennis Wise out of retirement and stick him in the double pivot alongside Lamps for this one. Infact lets play Lampard every game until he decides otherwise purely out of gratitude because he use to be the best in the business.

Lampard is a Chelsea legend, that is not even up for debate, but we have to face reality, this is 2012 not 2005, Lampard is not the player he was and no longer good enough to play 3 times a week.

Giggs is a United legend, but he has been taking pelters from United fans this season, not because United fans have fell out of love with him but because their not letting sentiment get in the way and can see that these days Giggs is no good anymore.

Lampard still has something to offer but eventually there will be a day where that isn't the case and he will be in every sense of the word a passenger (like Giggs now), will their be fans that slate other fans for merely pointing that out?

Moving on to the game, Shaktar's home record is stupidly good, stupid rotation and we will drop points, i think one of Azpi or Ryan should come in, Terry aswell but apart from that im hoping for same again, keep the momentum going for United.

[Ryan Fong 2,776]

Say that he's technicaly great and all, he just isnt what i think is needed to compete year in year out in the very physical PL

The idea of "Premier League = Physical" is so outdated. Plus, Oscar is combative as hell.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Too small, not tough enough (least their can be something done about this) too much of the same thing with hazard and mata, has a tenancy to dive, not a ideal PREMIERSHIP replacement for lampard either. He can only play in an *ideally* attacking possessive style, so in that regard his versatility in the position he plays wont suit every type of game we have to play, something lampard in his prime could do. He also represents a move away from a style of football i loved, to a more "barca" style which i personaly dislike. He also looks about 12 and isn't very intimidating on the field, neither does he look like a future leader of men.

Say that he's technicaly great and all, he just isnt what i think is needed to compete year in year out in the very physical PL, a plan B is needed for his position, by no means sell him, but rotate where needed.

Weird post. Tenancy to dive? he did so in just one game. Replacement for Lampard? he isn't, he plays in a different position, and is a completely different player.

Future leader of men? lmao, does he have to be? as long as he continues to produce for the club, what does it matter. There will be other leaders on the team.