Closed Rubin Kazan v Chelsea

[Milan 17,835]

FFS the pitch in Moscow is artificial, indeed. Please, no injuries to the players!

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Cech - Ferreira, Luiz, Terry, Bertrand - Benayoun, Lampard, Aké - Marin, Moses, Torres.

Subs: Turnbull, Azpilicueta, Oscar , Ivanovic, Mikel, Hazard, Mata.

We can afford to put only 50% into this game. Don't think I'm being arrogant, but we have one foot in the semi-finals, and the upcoming games are more important. We have to risk playing a far weaker team on Thursday to allow the likes of the Three Amigos and Dave the chance to rest. The team above has only Cech, Luiz and Bertrand starting from who played yesterday. It is good enough to go to Russia and draw.

[didierforever 7,349]

Score first and kill the game off. A team similar to the one on thursday will do with perhaps Ferreira at LB and Cahill next to JT if fit.

??? i think rambo,luiz and mata deserve some rest after playing 3 games in 6 days...

[CHOULO19 24,332]

??? i think rambo,luiz and mata deserve some rest after playing 3 games in 6 days...

I was too lazy to write it, but I meant something like: Cech, Iva, Cahil, JT, Ferreira, Mikel, Lamps, Hazard, Benayoun, Marin, Torres. That's what I meant by 'similar'.

[Ankit 3,176]

Sit back, absorb the pressure, tire them out, hit on the counter. A 1-0 win or a 1-1 draw fro us.

Pretty sure Mikel will start. Since it being an away game and we are defending a lead ,he is the only one providing cover for the back 4. Moses wan not even on bench for Sunderland, i hope there isn't any injury to him. Other than that, i hope Mata and Hazard stay in london, Oscar starts from bench. Paolo has to start this match Luiz also suffered a knock yesterday, hope fully we will play safe with him. Any chance of Gary getting fit?

Cech

Paolo JT Luiz Berty

Mikel Lampard

Moses Benny Marin

Torres

[Jase 43,479]

Since this match will be played in Russia, do note that the kick off time is way earlier. Game will start at 5pm UK time.

[Styles 9,790]

Anybody else who wouldn't mind a 2-0 loss here? Anyone? Just me then?

This is just another tournament that is wasting energy that we will somehow lose in ridiculous circumstances in the semi-final or the final itself.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Anybody else who wouldn't mind a 2-0 loss here? Anyone? Just me then?

This is just another tournament that is wasting energy that we will somehow lose in ridiculous circumstances in the semi-final or the final itself.

I might have thought like that a month or so ago, but we've shown we've been able to cope alright with the extra games and ultimately football is about winning cups. So long as we continue to manage the players as we have then why would we not want to continue our run?

In fact look at Torres - he had a good game on Thursday and then carried that form into the Sunderland game where he became the difference maker.

[Backstreet09 499]

We'd win this one quite handsomely #inRAFAwetrust #NeverSAYNever #TeamBieber

Torres to score another brace (: #Imagine #JohnLennonLAD

Oi, and, if we would win the Europa League, we'd still be called The Champions of Europe right ? #Curious

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Using hashtags on a forum should merit an instant ban!

[Liquidator 5,176]

Using hashtags on a forum should merit an instant ban!

#truedat

#chouloLAD

#LADinasuitoneminutehighvisibilityjacketthenext

[Backstreet09 499]

Using hashtags on a forum should merit an instant ban!

#totally

#I2nddat

#Cut4Choulo

[CHOULO19 24,332]

#truedat

#chouloLAD

#LADinasuitoneminutehighvisibilityjacketthenext

#totally

#I2nddat

#Cut4Choulo

You two are working my last nerve

[English Freak 456]

I might have thought like that a month or so ago, but we've shown we've been able to cope alright with the extra games and ultimately football is about winning cups. So long as we continue to manage the players as we have then why would we not want to continue our run?

In fact look at Torres - he had a good game on Thursday and then carried that form into the Sunderland game where he became the difference maker.

True, football might be about winning cups..but the priority should be making the top 4 at this stage of the season.

Europa league is a pointless competition, its just making our players more tired for PL fixtures.

Our squad doesn't have enough depth to deal with so many games in such a short period of time.

Arsenal are gonna make the top 4 cause their players are fresh and cause Wenger is determined to get UCL football for next season.

So it's pretty much a fight between Chelsea and Spurs.

Spurs have the fresher players with the likes of Parker, Assou-Ekotto having recently returned from long term injuries and then they have Holtby, Sigurdsson providing depth to their midfield.

At Chelsea, we have no depth apart from Bertrand. Benayoun has been useless, Marin just doesn't seem suited to EPL football & we lost our promising DM to a long term injury.

[Styles 9,790]

I might have thought like that a month or so ago, but we've shown we've been able to cope alright with the extra games and ultimately football is about winning cups. So long as we continue to manage the players as we have then why would we not want to continue our run?

In fact look at Torres - he had a good game on Thursday and then carried that form into the Sunderland game where he became the difference maker.

Fair enough. Things are getting really tricky with all these games and I'd sacrifice the Europa long before the FA Cup and top 4. Win this and we have to squeeze in another two games somewhere which is almost impossible.

[diskoviolente 425]

Although we have a good chance of getting into the semis here, I still don´t give a wet toss of a mental bollock about this competition. I can´t imagine any sort of celebrations if we should win this trophy. Where is the final anyway ? Somewhere like Arch´anglsk I´d imagine.
If we win and don´t face them in the semifinal I´d predict a Chelsea - Benfica Final.

[diskoviolente 425]

True, football might be about winning cups..but the priority should be making the top 4 at this stage of the season.

Europa league is a pointless competition, its just making our players more tired for PL fixtures.

Our squad doesn't have enough depth to deal with so many games in such a short period of time.

Arsenal are gonna make the top 4 cause their players are fresh and cause Wenger is determined to get UCL football for next season.

So it's pretty much a fight between Chelsea and Spurs.

Spurs have the fresher players with the likes of Parker, Assou-Ekotto having recently returned from long term injuries and then they have Holtby, Sigurdsson providing depth to their midfield.

At Chelsea, we have no depth apart from Bertrand. Benayoun has been useless, Marin just doesn't seem suited to EPL football & we lost our promising DM to a long term injury.

To be fair, it is not like that we don´t have any strength in depth, the replacements we have are not just as good. I mean Yossi for example, he is still a very good and experienced player I´d rather have than, let´s say, any Arsenal backbancher. Marin is a different story, a bit tragic.I think he can be good enough if he had more playtime which he won´t get because he is not good enough right now because he doesnt get enough...you see. Paulo is still a good backup. We really shouldn´t have let go of Essien AND Raul. Even if they are not worldclass they would make up for the numbers.

Maybe Nathan Ake can get some gametime in Kazan ?

[Milan 17,835]

Although we have a good chance of getting into the semis here, I still don´t give a wet toss of a mental bollock about this competition. I can´t imagine any sort of celebrations if we should win this trophy. Where is the final anyway ? Somewhere like Arch´anglsk I´d imagine.

If we win and don´t face them in the semifinal I´d predict a Chelsea - Benfica Final.

The final's in Amsterdam. And the winner will play Supercup next season.