Closed Fulham v Chelsea

[kellzfresh 7,229]

On Chelsea's official site it said 6 a.m!

Damn!! No where near enough rest for saturday.

Jose MUST ROTATE or we are doomed

[The_Flash 1,144]

Please play Torres, not because he is any good but Etoo is worse.

[Jase 43,479]

Fulham v Chelsea Match Preview by @Strike.

[Steve 10,227]

Press conference about to start

[Tomo 21,736]

I wouldn't be so sure about that (would rather face Cardiff if we have to). Fulham, especially under Martin Jol, have always been poor-average side or horribly out of form but forever turning up against us and as Alex has mentioned earlier, with this being a derby and their first home game under a new manager, it's going to be a tricky one.

Under Jol in his first season, they finished 8th level on points with Liverpool and only a few behind Everton. Which in that season we got two 1 1s against them.

Last season we drew 0 0 at home when they were still pretty decent but from Jan onwards there form totally nosedived because off players stagnating and since then we have had 2 comfortable wins without playing that great ourselves.

Dont get me wrong there is like always a chance off dropping points, but new manager or not, this won't be as hard as facing them back in 2011 and 2012 was, we are better and they are worse.

[Jase 43,479]

Under Jol in his first season, they finished 8th level on points with Liverpool and only a few behind Everton. Which in that season we got two 1 1s against them.

Last season we drew 0 0 at home when they were still pretty decent but from Jan onwards there form totally nosedived because off players stagnating and since then we have had 2 comfortable wins without playing that great ourselves.

Dont get me wrong there is like always a chance off dropping points, but new manager or not, this won't be as hard as facing them back in 2011 and 2012 was, we are better and they are worse.

That practically goes out of the window when the game starts. Regardless of whether they good or bad now, as I said, they'll somehow still turn up even when their form is horrendous, like now. Has happened in the past and won't be a surprise if it happens again. And besides, having just played 2 days in Turkey and Fulham have a week off to prepare, this could well be an advantage for them.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

We have to score early, lack of rest could haunt us in the 2nd half.

I think we need to rotate a few players. Luckily oscar will be fresh for this

[Pizy 18,515]

José wasn't in a very cheery mood there was he?

Said the players haven't trained yet so we can probably expect some pretty dour football for parts of this one due to tired legs. Luckily Matic and Oscar will be very well rested and hopefully Luiz is fit and could maybe slot into midfield.

Should still have more than enough to handle the worst side in the league.

[robsblubot 3,577]

David Luiz in defense; Ramires/Matic and Lamaprd (if fit) or even Oscar (if fit) as a CM.

Against a weak side - Fulham are the weakest - you gotta press high and go all-in from the get go. We have to have enough players committed and going forward to overwhelm them. Arsenal does that very well when playing at home, though they mistakenly try to do the same away too.

[Yeboii 1,844]

I'm not entirely confident about this game.. Fulham have a new, good manager in Felix and they are due a freak victory.. Our players are tired and not really in good form..

Hoping for Salah/Schurrle instead of Hazard

[xPetrCechx 13,565]

No Training?!

Bad feeling.

[Wfisheruk 22]

They trained at 5pm at Stamford bridge,late training was to let the players have more rest and do light gym work,and training at Stamford bridge because the hotel is on only round the corner for the players afterwards.

[didierforever 7,349]

Anyone who wants DL in defenxe should be tested for mental stability

[bushman 2,043]

I hope Jose plays Cole & BA tomorrow. Several players should be rested, I feel.

[robsblubot 3,577]

Anyone who wants DL in defenxe should be tested for mental stability

Scolari and a bunch others are already waiting in line.

Anyone who expects JT and Cahill to play every single game until the end of the season should be tested as well.

You increase the odds of scoring by incurring into more risk (of conceding)... very simple concept if you think about it. You do that by committing more players forward, like unleashing an attacking-minded defender if you've got one.

I'll make it very simple: David Luiz would play in midfield even though officially he will start in defense. It also helps that we play a defensive-minded fullback next to him.

That's how Brazil overwhelms the smaller teams in the WC (by committing players forward) and we should learn how to do the same - cannot drop points (by not beating) these bottom feeders.

[Laylabelle 9,405]

Did dream we lost 3-0 lol think Cech went on a stroll or something...bloody hope not!

[Sidzeret 2,257]

No! We'll concede half a dozen goals if we play that....too much space between the two CBs!

Matic and Luiz, both between them.

[didierforever 7,349]

Scolari and a bunch others are already waiting in line.

Anyone who expects JT and Cahill to play every single game until the end of the season should be tested as well.

You increase the odds of scoring by incurring into more risk (of conceding)... very simple concept if you think about it. You do that by committing more players forward, like unleashing an attacking-minded defender if you've got one.

I'll make it very simple: David Luiz would play in midfield even though officially he will start in defense. It also helps that we play a defensive-minded fullback next to him.

That's how Brazil overwhelms the smaller teams in the WC (by committing players forward) and we should learn how to do the same - cannot drop points (by not beating) these bottom feeders.

Is scolari our coach? Oh wait!!! That ego maniac got his ass fired 5 years ago.

Anyways when a person writes something in a "talkchelsea" forum and moreover in a match thread, it becones quite ovvious that he would be talking about chelsea. But I can see why you would bring brazil into the mix, since that is the ONLY defence left to luiz in defence.

Let me enlighten u here. We are not brazil. We don't play this way AT ALL. Jose likes solidity at the back and well to think he ll tactically ask luiz to break rank is a laughable idea to me. I don't know how u got the idea of us playing this way but I can wager ANYTHING that this won't be it.

Also considering the fact that we are top of the table, I would say we do know how to beat lower teams. Also I really wanna know who we should drop to incoprate luiz. Our captain, without whom we did drop points at wba and looked like a fish out of water against city or one of our defender of the season who well has been consistently brilliant for 2 and a half months now.