Closed Chelsea v Sparta Prague

[Afca129 2]

Could you do me (and loads of Ajax supporters) a favour? Win this one! Of course my side has to win in bucharest as well, but it would be a great match between Ajax and Chelsea! My plane tickets have already been booked

Where do you guys stand against Ajax anyway?

[bushman 2,043]

What can one say about tonight´s game ?

I just hope, Rafa wakes up & rests many players here.

Much more important clash on 24th against Citeh & players should be ready for it instead of piddle around with Sparta tonight.

[Liquidator 5,176]

Would you like to demonstrate what was factually wrong about my statement ? Didn't you know that Rafa personally telephoned El Nino when the player was at AMadrid and asked him to come to the UK and LFC and paid slightly less than 20 million for him and that el Nino then proceeded to score at will from open play - without penalties or free kicks - to become the fastest player to reach 50 for LFC - and then some? Didn't you know that on this basis Chelsea offered and paid 50 million for him - even though his scoring had slowed after Rafa had left LFC?

What exactly was wrong with my statement? Perhaps I should add that el Nino is on record as saying that Rafa is the best manager he has ever had.

Some of you people live in a bubble of blind hatred about Rafa and el Nino that even the statement of the plain facts cause you to throw your dummies out of the pram. The cause of your hatred is pathetic - let's see - Rafa a rival manager made comments seven years ago in response to Mourinho's stream of invective that the supporters lack passion for their club. Rafa was right. There have been innumerable examples of posters on here wishing that Chelsea loses so that Rafa will be blamed.

I don't get the point you are trying to make. So what if la mierda has said that Rafa is the best manager he has ever had? Surely he would say that if under Rafa was when he had his best form? Just because Torres says Rafa is the best it does not mean that he is. We don't have to think he is because Torres thinks he is. There are many better managers than Rafa. Look at some of the managers that Torres has played under: Del Bosque, Hodgson, Ancelotti, Benitez, Villas-Boas, Di Matteo. His best form was under Benitez so does it really surprise you that Torres says Benitez was the best manager he has ever had, despite the fact that Del Bosque, Hodgson and Ancelotti are superior to him?

Yes, plain facts do cause us to throw our toys out the pram. Do you honestly expect us to be happy that the board appoint a manager who, in the past has said:

We don’t need to give away flags for our fans to wave — our supporters are always there with their hearts, and that is all we need.

It’s the passion of the fans that helps to win matches — not flags.

If Chelsea are naive and pure, then I’m Little Red Riding Hood

perhaps if he had apologised in his first press conference for his bitter remarks we would be slightly more welcoming towards him. However, why is he at a club that he has said over the years that he hates, one that he took swipes at at every opportunity while managing the bin dippers? Why would he move here if he loves Liverpool so much and said he would never manage us out of respect to Liverpool? I'll tell you why: He is a greedy wanker who is only here for money. He has no intention of helping us to win something and why should he? Its an interim contract. He does not have a genuine passion for the club like past managers, he's just here to take a big fat pay cheque come the end of May.

And what has his disgusting decision to manage a side for which he has no respect brought?

• Getting turned over at home by QPR and Swansea and failing to beat relegation candidates such as Southampton and Reading
• Going from being 4 points off Manchester United when Di Matteo left to 16 points now
• Losing the CWC final with an appalling display
• Being taken to an FA Cup replay by a side 2 divisions below us

On top of that, we have seen some awful substitutions from the 'tactical genius', including substituting on defenders when we are chasing a game and the persistent inclusion of Fernando Torres in the starting XI. Tell me, Rupert, if Fernando Torres is so amazing, why has he been consistently awful since 2011 when we signed him? As ElTigreProdz as pointed out, his goals under Rafa have hardly been on any significance/ importance and it has been obvious that he has not even been trying in some matches. Against West Ham he failed to jump for headers, make runs for Hazard, Mata and Moses, did not track back and just had a general 'don't give a fuck' attitude. Tell me, Rupert, is that what we paid £50m for? I stand by players that try but when I am spending my hard-earned money on watching these players (and consequently contributing towards their wages) is it really fair that I have to put up with players not giving their all? If Fernando is so amazing because he scored some goals at Liverpool, why has he struggled so much here? If he is not getting service, why did Demba Ba manage to score 2 goals on his debut and continue to score? (And break his nose competing for the ball against Newcastle, the sort of commitment and passion that we never have and never will see from Torres) If the manager that Torres did so well under is here why are we not seeing signs of the most feared striker in Europe returning? I wouldn't say a handful of goals against tin-pot Leeds, a Mexican club I have never heard of and Nordsjaelland is striking fear into defenders across the country. Would you?

[Rmpr 8,977]

I just don't seem to care about this match.

Didn't care about the first leg either, strange...

It is not strange, it is just Europa League.

[Leif 6,006]

Kinda want to go to the Ajax game assuming we both qualify. You just can't pass up European football in Amsterdam. The atmosphere created by the build up to the games AKA 'green stuff' is perfect

[BlueLion. 21,491]

90+ minutes of Torres, can't wait!

He'll score tonight. He always does when I go and watch Chelsea.

[Rmpr 8,977]

He'll score tonight. He always does when I go and watch Chelsea.

Good game Alex!

Where are you going?

[Jase 43,479]

Can anyone tell me please what time the match is? The channel that is covering the match says 19:30 GMT, the time on the main page here says 19:45 GMT and my live score app says 20:05 GMT!

EDIT: The official website says 20:05, so I guess that's the right one.

There is a reason why this is where it is...

Europa League Last 32 Second Leg
21st February, Thursday 2013
Stamford Bridge
20:05 Kick Off (UK time)

[Stingray 9,441]

Ok! I am hopin for a comfortable, quiet win (3-0) where a number of players can be rested without any hassle, youngster can get a piece of teh action, no injuries, good substitutes (rotation is vital now) and Torres suddenly regains his Liverfoolian form.

Also, I would love to see Narnia sometimes :-)

[Hutcho 8,443]

Ok! I am hopin for a comfortable, quiet win (3-0) where a number of players can be rested without any hassle, youngster can get a piece of teh action, no injuries, good substitutes (rotation is vital now) and Torres suddenly regains his Liverfoolian form.

Also, I would love to see Narnia sometimes :-)

Lol, I'll take just the win and some key players being rested... Good luck with the narnia thing though...

[Pizy 18,907]

Am I the only one who literally couldn't care less about tonight's game?

My attention is solely fixed on Man City. Genuinely worried about that game. Lose that and Spurs will likely go back ahead of us and as thrash as Arsenal are, no way will they lose to Villa, so they can come within 2 points of us.

The Europa League is such a distraction. It'll work in City's favor that they missed out on it.

[bushman 2,043]

@pizy

You are not the only one. I am with you.

EL = waste of time for peanuts, I feel.

If Chelsea can finish in 2nd, the club will make more money than winning EL, I believe.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Am I the only one who literally couldn't care less about tonight's game?

My attention is solely fixed on Man City. Genuinely worried about that game. Lose that and Spurs will likely go back ahead of us and as thrash as Arsenal are, no way will they lose to Villa, so they can come within 2 points of us.

The Europa League is such a distraction. It'll work in City's favor that they missed out on it.

Nope. You're spot on.

[Stingray 9,441]

@pizy

You are not the only one. I am with you.

EL = waste of time for peanuts, I feel.

If Chelsea can finish in 2nd, the club will make more money than winning EL, I believe.

Does this mean if we actually would win it, than you guys cannot celebrate it?

[Leif 6,006]

I look forward to every single game we play - fuck logic or how it affects the other comps we're in. I really do. Even if we were to be down by 8 goals after the first leg, I'd still be excited for the return leg always. I care about this game. I can't be the only one, right?

[Stingray 9,441]

I look forward to every single game we play - fuck logic or how it affects the other comps we're in. I really do. Even if we were to be down by 8 goals after the first leg, I'd still be excited for the return leg always. I care about this game. I can't be the only one, right?

I am right there with you, man :-)

[The only place to be 11,313]

Does this mean if we actually would win it, than you guys cannot celebrate it?

Question.

We reach the final and play that on the Wednesday, but we're tied for fourth spot with Arsenal and play Everton on Sunday.

Do you rest the players for the Everton game?

[The only place to be 11,313]

I look forward to every single game we play - fuck logic or how it affects the other comps we're in. I really do. Even if we were to be down by 8 goals after the first leg, I'd still be excited for the return leg always. I care about this game. I can't be the only one, right?

I suppose if 'fuck logic' is the starting point then that's fine.

I'm hoping Frank and Bane run the London Marathon course tonight because fuck logic. But when you factor logic into it and take account of liking us play the best teams in Europe, having more time to focus on the league wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

[Stingray 9,441]

Question.

We reach the final and play that on the Wednesday, but we're tied for fourth spot with Arsenal and play Everton on Sunday.

Do you rest the players for the Everton game?

That is actually a whole lot of conditional thinking. I say: tackle the problems when they arise and don't fret up on what might possibly, with a chance, coincidentally, probability-wise be the case. One can get all psycho doing that :woo:

Also: I think supportship/being a fan is far from rational. I wonder if we would be rational how many fans Chelsea would have this season. So, just let us love our team, let us enjoy when they play. I will grant you your objections as well with the utmost respect - because after all, there is logic in 'em.

KTBFFH, my friend!

[We Hate Scouse 10,326]

Question.

We reach the final and play that on the Wednesday, but we're tied for fourth spot with Arsenal and play Everton on Sunday.

Do you rest the players for the Everton game?

It depends who we're playing in the final....

What if it's a team like Dnipro then we play a few key players and rest a few.

What if it's a Chelsea Vs Tottenham final, do we risk losing a European cup to them by resting the players?

What if we tell the players to man up and play for their wages?

To many what ifs to answer that question