Closed Chelsea v Schalke

[zolayes 14,489]

REALLY looking forward to this game ... Im sure the Manure children will be looking forward

to early bed times this year

[Stats 7,059]

If he can handle PSG (he basically stopped their attack on his own) I'm sure he can handle Schalke. With Terry / Branna partering him he'll have someone to guide him through the game. Schalke aren't exactly in top form, nor is their attack great. Games like this don't get much better for young defenders

But why would we drop Terry or Cahill? City is obviously a tougher game but they are 2 important games and after the Schalke game is finished we have 4 days to recover anyway. Zouma can get his start in the COC in just over a week. Zouma had his good games last season like the one you mentioned but he also was very raw as well and shortly after he agreed to join us he was dropped a few times. Not that it means anything but I am just pointing out it is not just that simple where you bring in a 19 year old kid to replace your two top CB. There is no reason to do that right now. If Terry and Cahill are fit they must play. Tbh even if Terry or Cahill was likely to take a rest I think Ivanovic would come in at CB with Azpilicueta at RB. I don't think Mourinho will throw Zouma in for our first UCL game. Bolton will and should be his first start hopefully.

[y10edn 185]

Always play your best team, Costa is not a player that craves rest, JM had to convince him to be replaced after his hat trick against Swansea. You can drop Shurlle for not being up to scratch for William but resting a striker on song is not the best. Imagine what will be running through Pellegini's mind if Costa bags another hat trick on Wednesday (he definately wouldnt start Lampard in that case)

[Whiskey 173]

Thibaout

Azpi - Cahill - Terry - Luis

Ramires - Matic

Salah - Fabregas - Hazard

Remy

I think we can and should win against Schalke no matter what starting 11 we go with.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Schalke is getting slaughtered in the Bundesliga. They are an utter mess. While having a super easy group for the second year in a row is good, I actually miss having a challenge. Not a group of death or anything but one difficult team to at least get two marquee group games to really look forward to. The only way Chelsea will not finish first in this group is a screwup of historical proportions.

[The_Flash 1,144]

I want a good strong performance, few goals for us and a good win, good start to the campaign. I still

can't get over how far we got last year with no strikers.!

[iseah100 5,612]

Maybe rest JT, Hazard (45 minutes) and Costa.

[Chelsea? 892]

Is this a Carling cup game or a Champions League one? Think some people are getting the two confused

didn't think his line up was that crazy.

Think Shurrler and Luis will start this one though.

[Chelsea? 892]

Is this a Carling cup game or a Champions League one? Think some people are getting the two confused

didn't think his line up was that crazy.

Think Shurrler and Luis will start this one though.

[thekid9 418]

Tibo

Azpi Cahill Terry Luis

Matic Fabregas

Schürrle Willian Hazard

Remy

[thekid9 418]

I want a good strong performance, few goals for us and a good win, good start to the campaign. I still

can't get over how far we got last year with no strikers.!

Our strikers weren't that bad In Europe last season

Torres 4

Eto'o 3

Ba 3

[OneMoSalah 8,784]

Anyone thinking we should go and change 4 or 5 players just because we play Man City 4 days after is just daft and naive because sure City are good but its hardly like Schalke are a poor team that didn't cause us problems last season with very much a similar team other than Courtois, Fabregas and Costa.

This team has only been together for 4 competitive games, why rotate it? Especially with the form players like Costa, Fabregas and others are in? Costa is a striker and the more games he plays the more chances hes going to get to keep up this exceptional run of goals. Makes absolutely no sense to 4 or 5 change players. Sure take some of them off like Fabregas, Hazard and Costa after maybe 60 or 70 minutes if we are comfortable but not out of the team from the start, that would send Schalke the sort of message that shows we aren't too worried about the game and more concerned about the City match. Hopefully get a very strong performance, a very good good result and send out a statement to everyone else in the competition.

[thekid9 418]

Anyone thinking we should go and change 4 or 5 players just because we play Man City 4 days after is just daft and naive because sure City are good but its hardly like Schalke are a poor team that didn't cause us problems last season with very much a similar team other than Fabregas and Costa.

This team has only been together for 4 competitive games, why rotate it? Especially with the form players like Costa, Fabregas and others are in? Costa is a striker and the more games he plays the more chances hes going to get to keep up this exceptional run of goals. Makes absolutely no sense to 4 or 5 change players. Sure take some of them off like Fabregas, Hazard and Costa after maybe 60 or 70 minutes if we are comfortable but not out of the team from the start, that would send Schalke the sort of message that shows we aren't too worried about the game and more concerned about the City match. Hopefully get a very strong performance, a very good good result and send out a statement to everyone else in the competition.

PL is priority for me this season, need to regain our domestic crown!

Remy needs playing time, Ideal game...not as if he's not good enough!

[OneMoSalah 8,784]

PL is priority for me this season, need to regain our domestic crown!

Remy needs playing time, Ideal game...not as if he's not good enough!

Still doesn't matter what you think is Chelsea's priority, would you drop someone who has got 7 goal in 4 games? Or someone who has 6 assists in 4 games? If we had say injuries then yeah use the squad but we are 4 games into the season. Hardly like we've overused players already is it?

[BlueLyon 9,359]

We should go with

Cech

Azpi-Terry-Cahill-Luis

Ramires-Matic

Schurrle-Willian-Hazard

Costa/Remy

Certainly sub Costa, Hazard and Terry at one point when we lead comfortably with Salah, Zouma and Remy.

I would rest Costa and Hazard, but i think Mou will still play them because its important match. We play at Sb and they miss half their team; we need to take two goal lead as soon as possible and rest few players for City game. Oscar and Brana need some rest IMO.

VS CITY

we will probably play standard pl defence and then

Ramires-Matic-Cesc

Oscar-Costa-Hazard

Both Oscar and Ramires will play IMO because Oscar offers tactical awarness and will cover our back, while Ramires adds speed and stamina in midfield. Rest is more or less obvious.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Yes, we should not underestimate them, but they are bloody Schalke not Bayern or Dortmund who just beaten well 1-4 a few days ago, and just get 1 point from 3 match they played.

With all due respect to Schalke, I think the likes Remy, Ramires, Willian could do the job well against them. If they can't, they are not good enough to compete with our starting eleven.

[iseah100 5,612]

Courtois

Brana-Brana-Brana-Brana

Brana-Costa-Brana

Costa-Costa-Costa

[cosmicway 1,333]

Schalke put up a certain resistance last year, until the their goalie miskicked the ball.

Because of the silly performences against the Swiss before Schalke, there was some danger.
I don't fancy them, somewhat better than Galata Saray maybe but we got to be careful. On Sat we scored own goal and for a time it looked like Swansea were going to have a second rather than us equalizing. Swansea collapsed as soon as the second half started but that was their problem. I think we must be careful and avoid costly defensive errors.