Closed Liverpool v Chelsea

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

A couple things I need to get off my chest before the lunchtime kickoff, first we are better than Liverpool all over the pitch, if we lose or draw it will have more to do with us than it does them. They rested players midweek because that lot aren't used to playing in Europe and clearly can't hack it. Playing two games a week is normal for a top club and we have the players who know how to manage themselves in these situations.

I do feel 4-3-3 is the best way to attack this game, I would start with Ramires next to Matic and have Cesc in the 10 with Oscar on the right flank. This formation is highly adaptable and harder to predict should we look to play on the counter. I have a good feeling Liverpool will try and play the game at a slower pace since they will be without Sturridge. Liverpool are the ones who need this victory desperately not only for their pride, but also because a loss makes their Europa league hopes more daunting. Not to mention we'll be 15 pts past them before December. The conspiracy theorist in me says this game will have an incident that will greatly benefit Liverpool, mainly because a club like them can't be out of the title race that early... very bad for ratings if you ask me. If Sterling is in the box do not put a foot in, that will lead to an automatic pen and "Stevie G's redemption!" You know that's how they'd like to write it.

And yes everyone who said they will be highly motivated to get the victory are correct, they will be... Much like Arsenal was highly motivated to get the win after being shellacked 6-0. Who in that team has the bottle to step up and meet the occasion head on? How many of their starters this year were in the team that lost the title on Slippy's error? Well there's Slippy, Sterling, Skrtel, Mignolet, Henderson(though he didn't play) and coutinho? So just over half of their starters what of the other half? Will Lovren, Balotelli Moreno, Manquillo or Lallana be carrying the same motivation? I doubt it...

Costa has had a decent amount of time to work out the kinks since his last injury, I have a feeling he'll be amongst the goal scorers in this one. I'm also elated we'll be at full strength again with Remy able to come in and change the game(who's to say he won't be extra motivated to prove them wrong about him?)

We have the squad people, its about us this year. Every game we've performed poorly in this year has resulted in us taking points that to me is the mark of a great team. Jose loves these types of games and I have a feeling he will have the team WELL UP for this. Not saying this will be easy, not by any stretch, but we have the team and so long as we dominate the game in wide areas I have no doubt we will be victorious. Hazard and Oscar(if my lineup proves correct) will have to be our best players I feel.

anyways lets just take the three.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

‘I think my players are ready for it, at least mentally ready if not physically where they can have a little problem now and again, but the best way to do it is to think match after match and not about the difficulties.

‘It doesn’t matter if we are or are not in a disadvantaged position. What matters is we have to play there tomorrow at 12.45pm and we have to be ready for it.

‘What inspires us to win is our job. Every game you have to think about winning. This is the essence of football.’

I have a good feeling about this.

[robdog 2,084]

Here is Jose's presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv_rUv_qlgE

[Styles 9,790]

[Laylabelle 9,301]

You make it sound like City are mugs. They're a very good football team on their day, especially at Etihad... A draw was a great result.

The Utd game I seem to be the only one who thought we performed well and should've taken all three.

so are we.I'm not saying it isn't but we had chances to double our lead which didn't take which proved costly.Same with Man U.Need to avoid that tomorrow

Hey ho that games gone what matters is tomorrow.QPR we got lucky,strewsbury we were crap and Man U was poor.Need to step it up a lot especially with the break coming up

[Pizy 17,860]

Sneaking suspicion that the referee will have a huge say in this one. Most likely in Liverpool's favor.

Hopefully Eden is in "killer" mode like was against Maribor because if he is there'll be nothing Liverpool can do to stop him. I can already predict that they'll flood the midfield in an attempt to take Cesc out of the game.

Really can't predict what Rodgers is going to do here. Surely he isn't foolish enough to deploy Stevie G in a 2 man midfield? If he plays 2 up top we'll outnumber and dominate the midfield so I don't know if he'll do that. The only thing that really makes sense for me is for them to play 4-3-3.

I think we'll almost certainly see Ramires start for us.

------------------Costa------------------

Hazard---------Oscar----------Ramires

-------------Cesc-------Matic-------------

Azpi--------JT---------Cahill---------Ivanovic

------------------Courtois--------------------

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

so are we.I'm not saying it isn't but we had chances to double our lead which didn't take which proved costly.Same with Man U.Need to avoid that tomorrow They had 10 men yet seemed to gain the upper hand especially after their goal

Hey ho that games gone what matters is tomorrow.QPR we got lucky,strewsbury we were crap and Man U was poor.Need to step it up a lot especially with the break

Not sure I agree. The city game at no point were we in the ascendancy the sending off actually made the game slightly less lopsided... We weren't good on the day, city were fantastic and we got a draw.

I think we as supporters need to recognize that though on paper we look unbeatable, on any given day a team can be better. We're not dealing with Robots, there will be games where the opposition have the measure.

Having said that we need to pick up our play, having said that its not like Liverpool are setting the league ablaze!

[chelseafc9010 224]

We should high press them as much as possible, make them rely on Balo to hold the ball up for them and save them, and we know how that will work out lol

[Sidzeret 2,257]

"That's a foul, mate and offside too"....

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Hahaha brilliant summed the fucking scouse bastards in just one minute clip

[robsblubot 3,237]

Not sure whether it's been linked on this thread, but I thought it was a pretty good read:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/29945991

[Laylabelle 9,301]

Not sure I agree. The city game at no point were we in the ascendancy the sending off actually made the game slightly less lopsided... We weren't good on the day, city were fantastic and we got a draw.

I think we as supporters need to recognize that though on paper we look unbeatable, on any given day a team can be better. We're not dealing with Robots, there will be games where the opposition have the measure.

Having said that we need to pick up our play, having said that its not like Liverpool are setting the league ablaze!

agree that's what I mean.we have the ability to play bloody amazing but times of late where we've been iffy and that was one of them.

Think been easier to accept a draw more so at the time if hadn't been close to winning.same with Man U.Loosing the lead made it so annoying.

Liverpool haven't been amazing but qpr have been dire yet needed a pen to beat them.need a lot better performance tomorrow.

Urgh hope Gerrard don't score.never hear the end

[ChelseaFC12 134]

Haha this is gold.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

The official EA Sports combined line-up.

I know they are trying not to lose their Liverpool affiliated buyers and to respect them, but that line-up is a joke haha.

Skrtel over Terry (what an insult). Glen fucking Johnson over Brana lol. Coutinho over Oscar. Gerrard over Matic. Fucking hilarious. Sturridge and Suarez are the only Liverpool players in the recent history that can make it in a Chelsea team. And maybe Sterling knowing that there is no proper RW at Chelsea FC. Others are nowhere near Chelsea's standards ffs.

Skrtel, Johnson, Coutinho I bet Jose wouldn't even think about putting a Chelsea shirt on them even if they'd come for free and Liverpool would pay their wages.

[ChelseaFC12 134]

Glen Johnson ahead of Brana LOL! Gerrard ahead of Matic LMAO!

[Victor Von Doom 258]

The **proper** L/pool & Chelsea combined line-up:

Courtois

Ivanovic Cahill Terry Azpi

Matic Fabregas

Schurrle Oscar Hazard

Costa

[Special Juan 27,104]

Horse running tomorrow at Doncaster in the 12:40 called 'Gerrards slip'

[robsblubot 3,237]

The **proper** L/pool & Chelsea combined line-up:

Courtois

Ivanovic Cahill Terry Azpi

Matic Fabregas

Schurrle Oscar Hazard

Costa

agreed, but it really gets interesting once you start looking into the subs.... would Willian and Andre NOT start for liverpool? How about Cech or even Zouma?