Closed Swindon v Chelsea

[Eidur the Spider 4,515]

Looking forward to seeing Mata, De Bruyne and Essien get starts! It's up to Mata to show Jose why he is the Special Juan! The Bison back in blue can't be bad! Will miss the first 15/20 due to work but if I come back and we are a couple to the good then I'll be chuffed with a more composed start.

Gotta thrash these and build some confidence for a tough test against the Spuds which I am nervous about!

Keep in the winning habit chaps

[zolayes 14,489]

Chelsea FC ‏@chelseafc46s

Steve Holland "There may be an opportunity for one young player to be involved tomorrow". #CFC

Ake???

[xPetrCechx 13,565]

Chelsea FC ‏@chelseafc46s

Steve Holland "There may be an opportunity for one young player to be involved tomorrow". #CFC

Ake???

Why With Holland?

[xPetrCechx 13,565]

Mourinho doesn't care for League Cup

really, lol?!

[Jase 43,479]

Why With Holland?

Why can't it be Steve Holland? It's only 1 game. Surely, you can survive without having a press conference with Mourinho for once?

[Pizy 18,515]

Missed the Basel match so this will hopefully be my first time seeing Willian play in a Chelsea shirt. Hope to see both he and De Bruyne running at players as many times as possible. I hope we play as aggressively as possible and don't just assume we'll win. Go for an 8-0 or something.

[xPetrCechx 13,565]

Why can't it be Steve Holland? It's only 1 game. Surely, you can survive without having a press conference w/o Mourinho for once?

I want Jose....

[zolayes 14,489]

I want Jose....

I think he is at home ....sitting on his eggs

[Pizy 18,515]

He probably just didn't feel like answering the same 3 questions over and over again like he's had to recently.

[Jase 43,479]

I think he is at home ....sitting on his eggs

His feathers currently aren't soft enough to nurture thos eggs..

[Liquidator 5,176]

Near Wiltshire so some distance in some direction from London..

81 miles East of London..haha my geography is crap thought it was near Birmingham...

West isn't it?

[zolayes 14,489]

West isn't it?

half way to Wales

[Sidzeret 2,257]

Schwarzer

Azpi Luiz Kalas Bertrand

Van Ginkel Essien

Mata De Bruyne Willian

Eto'o

Would be surprised if Mata wasn't on the wing.

Eto'o needs goals, but could quite easily see Ba or Torres playing this one.

Azpi, Bertrand, Van Ginkel, Essien and Schwarzer need domestic starts. Kalas might get a shot although who knows?

Yea, there is no point in playing Mata in the #10 role just so that he is comfortable there. He wants him to adapt to the winger role now that Oscar is the preferred man in the hole.

It would be ridiculous to play him in the centre and lose his place again in the team to Oscar for the Spurs game.

A solid performance from Mata guarantees a 'Mata- Oscar- LW' combination against Spurs. Wouldn't be surprised if we get to see the MaZaCar amigos starting next week against Spuds.

[robsblubot 3,573]

Starting players like Luiz, Mata, or Willian in a match like this accomplishes nothing. If they all play great, what does that prove?

The same way Everton game was much tougher than Fulham's, this one will be far less challenging esp for the defenders. If we are going to play the youngsters, at least some of them, this is the match to do it.

[ChelseasMessiah 304]

I'll be happy to see the boys who haven't played - for a reason or another - the full ninety minutes, regardless of the result.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Starting players like Luiz, Mata, or Willian in a match like this accomplishes nothing. If they all play great, what does that prove?

The same way Everton game was much tougher than Fulham's, this one will be far less challenging esp for the defenders. If we are going to play the youngsters, at least some of them, this is the match to do it.

It gives them a chance to put into practice what they've been working on in training. It also gives them the chance to show their character and prove to the boss that they can react correctly to adversity, and step up to the challenge he's thrown down.

[robsblubot 3,573]

It gives them a chance to put into practice what they've been working on in training. It also gives them the chance to show their character and prove to the boss that they can react correctly to adversity, and step up to the challenge he's thrown down.

There won't be any.

Is it fair to start player X against City away from home and then start player Y against say a Crystal Palace and measure their performance equally? Especially when talking about a defensive player? One had no pressure, the other was being tested at all times against world class strikers.

[mtowle182 79]

I see all these lineups with Mata in the middle but since he wants Juan to adapt to a play style where him and Oscar can still exist maybe he won't start in the middle. Who knows.