Demba Ba

[BlueLion. 21,491]

If Arsenal get dumped in Europey, that could prove as much a distraction in the league if not more.

It's easy to say play the reserves and the team will be fresh for Sunday, that sounds logical on paper but in practice doesn't work like that, see Spurs last season for example.

Exactly, when you put it that way we did phenomenally well to play Thursday-Sunday every week in 2012/13.

It comes down to squad depth, and Arsenal simply cannot compare with us on that.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Keeping them in is far more important. Us going out of the UCL in 2009/10 helped us win the league. United had two mammoth matches against Bayern and if you look at their performances after those two matches you can see why we won it. They played Bayern away on a Tuesday, then had a Saturday, 12.45pm kick-off at Old Trafford against us. Then they played Bayern on the following Thursday, and went to Ewood Park and drew 0-0 with Blackburn.

The same applies to us last season - those two Atletico semi-final matches were massive distractions to our league performances (the Sunderland game was utterly horrific). That's why we want them to stay in, if we go out early.

It works both ways, but I'm happy for Arsenal, Liverpool, City to stay in the UCL as long as us this season, if not longer if we go out early.

And look at Liverpool last year. No way they finish near the top if they had to play a bunch of CL games. I don't care about other clubs losing, I care about us winning and it's better for Chelsea if other Premier League sides don't get knocked out early.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

And look at Liverpool last year. No way they finish near the top if they had to play a bunch of CL games. I don't care about other clubs losing, I care about us winning and it's better for Chelsea if other Premier League sides don't get knocked out early.

Precisely. I mean, if you want to win the UCL, unless you have an absolute freak of a squad and/or the competition in the league is stale, there is almost no way you can win that and the league title. Bayern, Real, Barcelona etc. all have ridiculous squads and the rest of the teams in Spain and Germany, though good (I'd never be so presumptuous to dismiss quality teams like Atletico, Dortmund, Schalke, etc.), you'd expect a Bayern or Barcelona side to make 4/5 changes and still win handsomely in 90% of matches.

The same applies for if you want to win the League. You almost have to choose one or the other. That's why our league performances were so horrendous, for the most part, under di Matteo in 11/12. Our squad back then was hardly special, I still sometimes wonder how the fuck we did it, but one of the major reasons was what would normally be important league matches, like Arsenal away, were moreorless useless for anything other than practising how we'd line up against the European big boys.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Still cant believe we sold him for only 3m, while fucking buttner went for 5m.

Besiktas owned us on this one, we should get at least 7mio for him.

[didierforever 7,349]

Still cant believe we sold him for only 3m, while fucking buttner went for 5m.

Besiktas owned us on this one, we should get at least 7mio for him.

???

We sold him for 6mil (4.8mil £).

Buttner went for 4.4mil £.

[Muzchap 8,966]

???

We sold him for 6mil (4.8mil £).

Buttner went for 4.4mil £.

Never let facts ruin a good argument

[Special Juan 27,106]

Good luck tonight son. :blue scalf:

[Special Juan 27,106]

Nearly

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Sign him up

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Son of a bitch. Torres's brother at Chelsea and a Beckham-Laudrup's love child at Beskitas...

[Special Juan 27,106]

Fuck me he's all arms and legs but what a fucking menace.

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

Haha, that first shot was insane.

[stroey 2,525]

Haha, that first shot was insane.

https://t.co/RkWBmnhGYe

[LAM09 6,558]

He played well tonight in the first half.

[Las7 951]

"Sometimes when you are at a club with a lot of big stars, the name counts for more than the statistics. Unfortunately, it was like that in my case. "

Demba Ba wasn't happy being 3rd choice and barely playing, he might not been good enough but he is certainly better than 3rd choice.

Decent match yesterday and he is a pretty decent character - hope he knocks out the Arse

[Myself 793]

that shot vs arsenal.

[Yeboii 1,844]

If that would have gone in... Maybe one of the best goals ever?

[stroey 2,525]

“I could have stayed. I would have had a better position this season because I spoke to Jose and he was impressed with the end of the season I had. He told me I would have a better position this season, but I just wanted to go and enjoy.”

(Demba Ba)

It seems he could've been the 2nd striker.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-transfers-fernando-torres-need-4124962