Closed Sunderland v Chelsea

[The only place to be 11,313]

Are you going mate?

No. Wish I could but this time of year is just a nightmare for midweekers. It's fortunate that the Christmas matches are either at home or pretty local.

You taking your little'un to his first away match is going to be special though. I'm getting to that point where mates are taking their kids to their first matches and it's such a special thing (although the cost of those little kits is extortionate). A mate of mine brought his to his first England match at Twickenham a few weeks ago and brought a new meaning to the phrase 'wetting the baby's head'.

Trying to think who my first away day was against....got a feeling it might've been Leeds or maybe Arsenal. The lesson from this - take photos because memory's aren't what they used to be.

[Special Juan 27,103]

No. Wish I could but this time of year is just a nightmare for midweekers. It's fortunate that the Christmas matches are either at home or pretty local.

You taking your little'un to his first away match is going to be special though. I'm getting to that point where mates are taking their kids to their first matches and it's such a special thing (although the cost of those little kits is extortionate). A mate of mine brought his to his first England match at Twickenham a few weeks ago and brought a new meaning to the phrase 'wetting the baby's head'.

Trying to think who my first away day was against....got a feeling it might've been Leeds or maybe Arsenal. The lesson from this - take photos because memory's aren't what they used to be.

Yeah will sure get some photos, I will post some here after the game. My boy is Chelsea daft, and I mean daft, plays FIFA constantly, wears the kits, drinks drinks from his CFC water bottle, Chelsea bed covers, curtains and CFC lunch box for school

Fun times, I will keep an eye out in the future if I see you are going to any away games and if we are both going I will meet you for a pint, may even buy you one.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Yeah will sure get some photos, I will post some here after the game. My boy is Chelsea daft, and I mean daft, plays FIFA constantly, wears the kits, drinks drinks from his CFC water bottle, Chelsea bed covers, curtains and CFC lunch box for school

Fun times, I will keep an eye out in the future if I see you are going to any away games and if we are both going I will meet you for a pint, may even buy you one.

Sounds like a plan.

Strangely your kid sounds a lot like me....like, me now. Nice to see him being raised properly. Honestly despite my faltering memory, every time I go to matches I get taken back to me and my old man walking from Chelsea Embankment (when you could actually park there) to the Bridge. It's a really special thing and away days are even better....unless it's Millwall away and mounted police end up on the pitch.

Cherish it

[Barbara 15,149]

There are two matches Arsenal are bound to lose points this month: City away (dec 14th) and Mourinho home (dec 23rd)

That's why it's so important for us to do well in those matches now because on the 23rd we could have a real chance to be at the top of the league.

They also have some tricky matches against Everton home (dec 8th) and Newcastle away (dec 29th).

I think we left the trickiest behind us with Southampton and I hope we play well against Arsenal and Liverpool. I just wish Mourinho didn't approach those two games defensively as he did with ManUtd and Tottenham. We took risks in the League Cup match against Arsenal, even if they were missing some key players (so were we).

That's why doing well tomorrow, Saturday and then against Crystal is so important. We should approach those three matches as the most important in the month because they're the ones that can provide us with chances to end the year the top of the table. That's the one thing preventing ManCity from leading the table right now. They had losses against teams from the bottom half of the table away and if they lost it's because those teams can challenge. So we take them seriously, but also treat them as finals. Then it's in our hands against Arsenal to grab that top position.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Torres to start this one and then bring in Ba for Stoke.

Ba's pretty much the perfect #3 striker, offers something completely different.

[AndersonBLUE 819]

And Hull are sky high on confidence right now, let's hope they give Arsenal a run out

[iceboy 992]

Very true what Jose said for Hazard, obviously he is happy with his contribution.

[Soul Caliber X 27]

This is not aired in India, not even on delay. Star Sports have six channels and they only show three matches. annoying.

[mac.bo 48]

Cech

Azpil Cahill Terry Cole

Mikel

Willian Ramires Schurrle

Mata

Ba

Think we will need to rotate 3/4 every game to keep energy levels high , and thankfully barring cm we have better numbers than last year . Come on Chelsea lets continue were we finished on sunday !!!

[Pizy 17,860]

And Hull are sky high on confidence right now, let's hope they give Arsenal a run out

They won't.

That's the type of match that's Arsenal's forté. They always smack the minnows around. It'll probably be a 4-0.

I'm not expecting Arse to drop many points against anyone other than the top sides.

[AndersonBLUE 819]

They won't.

That's the type of match that's Arsenal's forté. They always smack the minnows around. It'll probably be a 4-0.

I'm not expecting Arse to drop many points against anyone other than the top sides.

True, they been very consistent so far.

[aerlgenx 49]

Ba over Torres =)

[iceboy 992]

Ba over Torres =)

I would start Ba against Stoke.

[Starman60 1,343]

A very important match in my opinion. Poyet will get Sunderland up and running. I just hope its not against us. These are the matches we need to win and I think we will... 0-2 to the Blues. Lets put a nice little run together before we have to play the Arse!

PS..Why start Ba in front of Torres??????? He played well against Southampton and will get the goals his displays deserve. Playing well for the team I think.

[edetarod 2,155]

A very important match in my opinion. Poyet will get Sunderland up and running. I just hope its not against us. These are the matches we need to win and I think we will... 0-2 to the Blues. Lets put a nice little run together before we have to play the Arse!

PS..Why start Ba in front of Torres??????? He played well against Southampton and will get the goals his displays deserve. Playing well for the team I think.

exact same thing could be said about Ba

[Phil Driver 503]

Impossible to pick a team because rotation is the name of the game at the moment,but we need to win and whoever is picked needs to perform and secure the win however it is achieved ,long ball ,great football,kicking match, whatever is served up over the christmas period you need to deal with it and come away with the points if you want to win the league.

We have not been up to it in recent seasons, I am sure Jose knows what to expect and has the experience to deal with the different challenges this period brings .

[iceboy 992]

Cech

Same-back-four

Ramires Mikel/Lampard

Willian Mata Hazard

Torres

[Sidzeret 2,257]

Torres to start this one and then bring in Ba for Stoke.

Ba's pretty much the perfect #3 striker, offers something completely different.

Absolutely. Turned the tide against the Southampton game. Solid striker.

Lukaku-Torres-Ba for next year looks pretty decent.