Closed Liverpool v Chelsea

[Ankit 3,176]

Since Rafa joined Chelsea it has become a better team than LFC this season. Chelsea should beat LFC on Sunday based on form. But this will be a high pressure match for a number of reasons and the pressure may affect the performance of both teams.

Chelsea have the best manager - Brendan Rogers is only a wet-behind-the-ears apprentice compared to Rafa never having won any trophy apart from a play-off from the Championship with Swansea. He is from Mourinho's coaching staff at Chelsea. He seems to have Mourinho's belief that matches are won by PR or in press conferences - but he lacks the nasty jealous edge of much of Mourinho's utterances. Rogers is not very good at making in-game decisions. He sticks to a rigid formation. He doesn't seem to have control over his team. Hence LFC has been very inconsistent this season - sometimes attacking with verve and scoring freely and the next week unable to get going.

At their best LFC attacks at speed and with some trickery. Suarez is the leader and the highest scorer but his shooting can be wild an innacurate and he wastes a lot of chances. He also fails to pass to team mates in better positions. However, he has a knack of nutmegging defenders and scoring from impossible angles. He would enjoy nutmegging Terry and drawing a red card and penalty from him but doubt that Rafa will select Terry.

Since January, LFC have been joined by Coutinho who is probably their greatest threat after Suarez. He is tricky, direct and aggressive. He outshines Oscar - as a 20 year old Brazilian. He is due for another goal.

Sturridge from Chelsea has settled well and has had some very good games, adding a dimension to the LFC attack. But he is not a guaranteed starter due to his inconsistency and injuries. But this match will motivate him and he might do damage.

LFC will attack at speed from the start. If things go their way early on then I think they could win this match. But their attacks often come to nothing. They lack composure and accuracy in front of goal and have many near misses (e.g. see my remarks about Suarez). If I were manager I would take them by surprise and attack them from the start but in a controlled way suffocating their midfield.

Their midfield is weak and uncertain under pressure and they can be overrun if Chelsea attack as a unit. Their central defenders are suspect. Carragher is on his last legs. Agger has been inconsistent. Their full back Johnson is also inconsistent.

Torres will feel the pressure and I think Rafa will consult him before selecting him. I think he would get the better of Carragher and co this time, but I'm not sure of his temperament in this one. Demba might be a better choice for starter with Torres to be brought on in the second half.

The crowd will give Rafa an enormous welcome. They love him not only for his great skill and achievements as their greatest manager in the last 24 years but also because he is a good, honorable man who has contributed to the community and quietly donated 100,000 pounds of his own money for the Hillsborough cause and much more to other causes in the Merseyside area. They will then cheer Rogers - not because he is held in the same esteem as Rafa but to show Chelsea away supporters how to behave towards a manager even if he comes from a rival team.

LFC have played far fewer games than Chelsea and should be fresher. But they lack motivation. They have played lately as though they are on holiday. It will depend on whether this game rouses them and whether they get off to a good start. They have not scored lately. They should be capable of 1 or 2 especially from a penalty. Chelsea should be capable of 2 or 3.

My first prediction is for a Chelsea win of 3-1 but would not be surprised if it is 2-2

[Pizy 17,860]

I'd love to see Luiz in midfield with Ramires. He's confidence should be sky high and he's looked sharp going forward lately.

Back line with Azpi, Iva, and Terry should be more than adequate.

[Rupert 130]

For those interested - Rafa's record against LFC is 3-0. When he was manager of Valencia he not only won the Liga twice and the UEFA Cup he also trounced Liverpool three times in European competitions. His team was so brilliant in those matches, completely dominating, that the LFC supporters applauded and LFC started to pursue him as manager (rejecting Mourinhuo in the process). Chelsea is not so completely Rafa's team as Valencia was, since he did not buy any of the players and has not had a pre-season with them, but Rafa will know LFC's weaknesses.

[bushman 2,043]

Reminds me of Malouda - always shifted to a higher gear when the final part of the season approached.

They all do. The amount of games, sometimes I do not blame them much.

[Backstreet09 499]

Chelsea 3-2 with Ferda scoring the winner :blue scalf:

[Santiago. 1,500]

Chelsea 3-2 with Ferda scoring the winner :blue scalf:

You wish

[yuvala 2,167]

Chelsea 3-2 with Ferda scoring the winner :blue scalf:

You wish

I wish ...

[AndersonBLUE 819]

We can win this but liverpool always play a blinder against us.

[Rupert 130]

Since Rafa joined Chelsea it has become a better team than LFC this season. Chelsea should beat LFC on Sunday based on form. But this will be a high pressure match for a number of reasons and the pressure may affect the performance of both teams.

Chelsea have the best manager - Brendan Rogers is only a wet-behind-the-ears apprentice compared to Rafa never having won any trophy apart from a play-off from the Championship with Swansea. He is from Mourinho's coaching staff at Chelsea. He seems to have Mourinho's belief that matches are won by PR or in press conferences - but he lacks the nasty jealous edge of much of Mourinho's utterances. Rogers is not very good at making in-game decisions. He sticks to a rigid formation. He doesn't seem to have control over his team. Hence LFC has been very inconsistent this season - sometimes attacking with verve and scoring freely and the next week unable to get going.

At their best LFC attacks at speed and with some trickery. Suarez is the leader and the highest scorer but his shooting can be wild an innacurate and he wastes a lot of chances. He also fails to pass to team mates in better positions. However, he has a knack of nutmegging defenders and scoring from impossible angles. He would enjoy nutmegging Terry and drawing a red card and penalty from him but doubt that Rafa will select Terry.

Since January, LFC have been joined by Coutinho who is probably their greatest threat after Suarez. He is tricky, direct and aggressive. He outshines Oscar - as a 20 year old Brazilian. He is due for another goal.

Sturridge from Chelsea has settled well and has had some very good games, adding a dimension to the LFC attack. But he is not a guaranteed starter due to his inconsistency and injuries. But this match will motivate him and he might do damage.

LFC will attack at speed from the start. If things go their way early on then I think they could win this match. But their attacks often come to nothing. They lack composure and accuracy in front of goal and have many near misses (e.g. see my remarks about Suarez). If I were manager I would take them by surprise and attack them from the start but in a controlled way suffocating their midfield.

Their midfield is weak and uncertain under pressure and they can be overrun if Chelsea attack as a unit. Their central defenders are suspect. Carragher is on his last legs. Agger has been inconsistent. Their full back Johnson is also inconsistent.

Torres will feel the pressure and I think Rafa will consult him before selecting him. I think he would get the better of Carragher and co this time, but I'm not sure of his temperament in this one. Demba might be a better choice for starter with Torres to be brought on in the second half.

The crowd will give Rafa an enormous welcome. They love him not only for his great skill and achievements as their greatest manager in the last 24 years but also because he is a good, honorable man who has contributed to the community and quietly donated 100,000 pounds of his own money for the Hillsborough cause and much more to other causes in the Merseyside area. They will then cheer Rogers - not because he is held in the same esteem as Rafa but to show Chelsea away supporters how to behave towards a manager even if he comes from a rival team.

LFC have played far fewer games than Chelsea and should be fresher. But they lack motivation. They have played lately as though they are on holiday. It will depend on whether this game rouses them and whether they get off to a good start. They have not scored lately. They should be capable of 1 or 2 especially from a penalty. Chelsea should be capable of 2 or 3.

My first prediction is for a Chelsea win of 3-1 but would not be surprised if it is 2-2

What a crowd of babies. You failed to get Rafa sacked. You failed to get Torres dumped. And now you pretend you are not hanging on every word I write. The fact is that when you are done grunting like a bunch of bully boys you have nothing to say. I was right and you were wrong. You based your Jose agenda about Rafa on a bunch of lies. You don't have the guts to admit it. You don't represent my Chelsea and the Chelsea of millions of decent supporters. I was here (i.e. at Chelsea) long before most of you and will be here long after you have gone.

[Tomo 21,681]

@Rupert, What do do you mean we have became better than Liverpool this season?

We have been better than Liverpool for the last decade.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Chelsea 3-2 with Ferda scoring the winner :blue scalf:

I would love that to be quite honest!

If we win, top3 will be a very realistic possibilty...

[robdog 2,084]

@Rupert, What do do you mean we have became better than Liverpool this season?

We have been better than Liverpool for the last decade.

I'm sorry, but when did lpuke was ever ahead of CFC in the table? If l'puke was ever better than CFC, then why did the dirty red scousers get swept by WBA? In fact who was more League titles Lampard or Gerard? JT or Carragher? People (not you Tomo) really need to put the bong down before typing.

[Mustafa 885]

We will beat them 2-0 and Luiz will to an extreme tactical foul on that cunt Suarez.

As much as i would love that... i hope it doesnt happen because he probably will get booked and he is on 9 yellow cards and 1 more and he gets a 2 game suspension

[The Skipper 20,593]

You don't represent my Chelsea and the Chelsea of millions of decent supporters. I was here (i.e. at Chelsea) long before most of you and will be here long after you have gone.

You are not a Chelsea fan, stop lying.

[Kezza 1,965]

@Rupert, What do do you mean we have became better than Liverpool this season?

We have been better than Liverpool for the last decade.

You are right, therefore don't expect a reply.

[Ankit 3,176]

@Rupert, Look there is one thing to be respectful towards your rival players and coaches and i do respect all of them. But there is another whole different thing to ass lick another opponent and if you do that you aren't really supporter of your own club. You ass lick Rafa and Torres. Torres is fine but the way you hold Rafa in such high esteem as if he is the greatest manager alive. If that's the case, why was he jobeless for 2 years?
You call yourself a Chelsea fan and then go on and say Jose is not a great manager. The manager who wrote the golden period of our club? Seriously , why would a Chelsea FAN say something like that about Jose! Unless, you aren't really a fan of Chelsea. :eyebrows:

Oh, yeah i don't have the gut to admit that Rafa is better than Jose. I'll choke to death before i say that.

[Ollie 4,400]

Remember the old days of teletext? Took this picture on my phone back in the day lol.

Nowadays i use the 'text' button on my remote to switch the living room light on. How times change, eh.

Anyway i think we'll lose.

[Special Juan 27,099]

I see the media are all over Rafa and his sentiment for Liverpool this morning.

Makes me sick.