Closed Stoke City v Chelsea

[DONI. 1,291]

[different level 1,056]

0-2 win for us. The game will be much easier than you think.

[Laylabelle 9,292]

0-2 win for us. The game will be much easier than you think.

Lets hope it aint as easy as QPR was....they aint lost at home yet...we're shite...eek really

[edetarod 2,155]

who cares, we lost to QPR at home

[different level 1,056]

Lets hope it aint as easy as QPR was....they aint lost at home yet...we're shite...eek really

Everton also hadn't lost on Goodison Park until they met us. Stoke most certainly are no pushovers, but being that scared of them is odd.

[Pizy 17,860]

Anyone else just see the apparent lineup Rafa's employing tomorrow?

Martin Lipton tweeted "1 FB, 2 wingers, 2 in center, and 8 forwards."

Math doesn't add up but should be interesting.

[Land 331]

Marin against stoke....are you guys crazy? This is like the one and only game I would like to see Oscar in the wing.

[Jase 43,479]

A fair few of our players would be playing at the Britannia for the first time - Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Marin and Azpilicueta. They could be in for a very rough ride.

[Land 331]

@SkyBet_Dale Big issue. Expect Cech back in goal, Lamp in MF, Ram on right of 3 (no Oscar) and Ba up top (no Torres). Ivan at RB if JT plays

the horror.....

[Corner 456]

A fair few of our players would be playing at the Britannia for the first time - Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Marin and Azpilicueta. They could be in for a very rough ride.

I thought Mata had played there last season?

[Kinol 337]

Some people seem to think that it will be a easy game. Dont forget that Stoke are unbeaten at home this season in the league...

[Jase 43,479]

I thought Mata had played there last season?

We played Stoke away in our first league game last season. Mata yet to join then. Only did so about 2-3 weeks later.

Some people seem to think that it will be a easy game. Dont forget that Stoke are unbeaten at home this season in the league...

Yeah and their last home league defeat was all the way back in February 2012.

[Jase 43,479]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn7vQZZGmSE

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

This! According to me Oscar is a pure Nr 10, i dont get people who want him in the Pivot or Rafa who want him on the wing. He is the one in the Squad who has the most potential as a Nr 10, Not Mata and not Hazard.

Disagree, for me Hazard has the most potential on the number 10.

Hazard is a different type of number 10 then Mata/Oscar.

He doesn't drop deep as often as them. He stays high, trying to run between the lines, finding pockets of space to exploit.

He's plays more as a second striker rather then a distributor.

He needs a deep lying playmaker playing behind him though to find him in those tight spaces. ( and a striker who can hold on to the ball would be nice too)

Hazard is at his best when he's able to run at the central defence from a central position. Take the Swansea game for example.

The chances he created all came from him either running at pace towards the central defence or him already standing in front of the central defence.

If you want to get the best out of Hazard you have to play him in the nr 10 spot.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Anyone else just see the apparent lineup Rafa's employing tomorrow?

Martin Lipton tweeted "1 FB, 2 wingers, 2 in center, and 8 forwards."

Math doesn't add up but should be interesting.

Where will he get 8 forwards from?

[Corner 456]

We played Stoke away in our first league game last season. Mata yet to join then. Only did so about 2-3 weeks later.

Yeah and their last home league defeat was all the way back in February 2012.

Ah I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

[Pizy 17,860]

Where will he get 8 forwards from?

Great question.

Maybe this is the first instance where we'll see Ba and the waste man up front together?

[xPetrCechx 13,546]