Closed Chelsea v Sporting Lisbon

[Liquidator 5,176]

No. You are really doing a bad job at it.

Can I have tips to improve or will you just ban me?

[Jase 43,479]

Can I have tips to improve or will you just ban me?

Why should I help you with your task?

[different level 1,056]

Just a game to relax and rest some key players as the festive period is coming close. Might play Cesc though, I think he just had his 5th yellow and is going to miss the match against Hull next week.

[Tautvix 1,321]

I am not like a lot of here. I want us to win so it's not a friendly. Surely play our second line up but never go to pitch to lose. Or if someone doesn't care about the result - better don't watch the game.

[iseah100 5,612]

I am not like a lot of here. I want us to win so it's not a friendly. Surely play our second line up but never go to pitch to lose. Or if someone doesn't care about the result - better don't watch the game.

not give up the game. But the group is won and if we can rest our key players we should and give young guys key exposure it would be beneficial to the team.

Cech

Ivanovic-Zouma-Cahill-Luis

Mikel-Ramires

Salah-Willian-Schurrle

Remy

[Tautvix 1,321]

not give up the game. But the group is won and if we can rest our key players we should and give young guys key exposure it would be beneficial to the team.

Cech

Ivanovic-Zouma-Cahill-Luis

Mikel-Ramires

Salah-Willian-Schurrle

Remy

Hmm... That's exactly what I said.

[didierforever 7,349]

not give up the game. But the group is won and if we can rest our key players we should and give young guys key exposure it would be beneficial to the team.

Cech

Ivanovic-Zouma-Cahill-Luis

Mikel-Ramires

Salah-Willian-Schurrle

Remy

GC should not be on the pitch. he definitely needs a rest!!!

[zolayes 14,489]

not give up the game. But the group is won and if we can rest our key players we should and give young guys key exposure it would be beneficial to the team.

Cech

Ivanovic-Zouma-Cahill-Luis

Mikel-Ramires

Salah-Willian-Schurrle

Remy

TOP TEAM PIC .. just hope you are right //

[mannyfreshh 164]

Ok I'm over the Newcastle game. Let's play our back ups and hope for no serious injuries.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

This match may mean nothing to us but it may be a decider on who qualifies with us. Even if Jose wanted to field a team of youngster, he couldn't because UEFA would probably punish us. Plus, put yourselves in the shoes of the shoes of the Schalke fans. We need to try to win this match while still resting some key players, especially Hazard.

[Tomo 21,751]

This match may mean nothing to us but it may be a decider on who qualifies with us. Even if Jose wanted to field a team of youngster, he couldn't because UEFA would probably punish us. Plus, put yourselves in the shoes of the shoes of the Schalke fans. We need to try to win this match while still resting some key players, especially Hazard.

If we play within the squad listed we should be fine, furthermore we have done our job it's not our fault if the other teams haven't done there's.

There was a similar argument with United a few years ago in 2009, they had the league wrapped up and faced Hull who were in a final day relegation scrap, why would they play there first team and knacker them out for the CL final they had 3 days later for Newcastles sake?

Clubs have to protect there own needs first and foremost.

[didierforever 7,349]

This match may mean nothing to us but it may be a decider on who qualifies with us. Even if Jose wanted to field a team of youngster, he couldn't because UEFA would probably punish us. Plus, put yourselves in the shoes of the shoes of the Schalke fans. We need to try to win this match while still resting some key players, especially Hazard.

oscar, willian, GC, JT, iva, azpi?

hazard might have played every minute but players like iva, oscar, willian,azpi are the ones who put the most yards in the match. those guys deserve a rest too. and who cares about uefa? let them "punish" us. i mean, i am pretty sure we can pay a whatever fine in thrown our way.

fair point about schalke, but to be honest, our players NEED the rest. also playing players like schurrle and salah, who will be trying to prove something will be better than playing a tired, ragged, uninspired hazard and willian.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

If we play within the squad listed we should be fine, furthermore we have done our job it's not our fault if the other teams haven't done there's.

There was a similar argument with United a few years ago in 2009, they had the league wrapped up and faced Hull who were in a final day relegation scrap, why would they play there first team and knacker them out for the CL final they had 3 days later for Newcastles sake?

Clubs have to protect there own needs first and foremost.

oscar, willian, GC, JT, iva, azpi?

hazard might have played every minute but players like iva, oscar, willian,azpi are the ones who put the most yards in the match. those guys deserve a rest too. and who cares about uefa? let them "punish" us. i mean, i am pretty sure we can pay a whatever fine in thrown our way.

fair point about schalke, but to be honest, our players NEED the rest. also playing players like schurrle and salah, who will be trying to prove something will be better than playing a tired, ragged, uninspired hazard and willian.

It's an ethical issue, though, isn't it? Like putting the ball out when a player is injured, your best interest is to keep the ball and attack the team while they're a man down, but if you don't someone doing that to you in the future, you kick the ball out.

If I know Jose, I think he cares about fairness and sportsmanship. Obviously, he'll rest players, I expect about 5-6 changes (Remy, Zouma, Cech, Salah, Schurrle, Luis) but all are first-teammers. Talking about starting Baker and Boga is just nonsense, imo.

[didierforever 7,349]

It's an ethical issue, though, isn't it? Like putting the ball out when a player is injured, your best interest is to keep the ball and attack the team while they're a man down, but if you don't someone doing that to you in the future, you kick the ball out.

If I know Jose, I think he cares about fairness and sportsmanship. Obviously, he'll rest players, I expect about 5-6 changes (Remy, Zouma, Cech, Salah, Schurrle, Luis) but all are first-teammers. Talking about starting Baker and Boga is just nonsense, imo.

fair enough. i agree that baker/boga/any attacking youth player wont start cos we have plenty of options in that department. but i do expect a couple of youngsters in defence.

we are very short of options in defence and playing this amount of football is asking for injuries. wont be suprised if one of ake/christensen starts.

we will line up something like this

cech

azpi zouma christensen/ake luis

mikel rambo

salah cesc schurrle

remy.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

fair enough. i agree that baker/boga/any attacking youth player wont start cos we have plenty of options in that department. but i do expect a couple of youngsters in defence.

we are very short of options in defence and playing this amount of football is asking for injuries. wont be suprised if one of ake/christensen starts.

we will line up something like this

cech

azpi zouma christensen/ake luis

mikel rambo

salah cesc schurrle

remy.

Forgot about Ake, but I am certain that Jose will start with at least one experienced CB. Can't play in Europe with a pairing of Zouma and Chrustensen. I think Matic will start because he had a rest today and will rest again next week against Derby.

[Billy. 2,742]

play 11 players that will not be playing vs hull simple

[stroey 2,525]

Cech

Chris Iva Zouma Luis

Mikel Cesc

Salah Baker Schurrle

Remy

Need to rest as many players as possible.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Although it would be not fair to Schalke and RDM, we have to make some changes to freshen up the team in this match. The way to respect other teams is that by winning this match.

[Jase 43,479]

I really doubt Mourinho is going to change the entire starting XI and start playing the youth lads in this game. It's a dead rubber match but still a match that I'm sure Mourinho and the players would like to win, especially after what happened yesterday. I'm expecting him to put out a similar side that played against Strawberry in the Capital One Cup - mixture of youth and experience players in the XI.

Also, for the record, it's a complete BS that we have to take into account of the other sides' predicament when selecting the XI. It should be about us and only us. If we beat Sporting and help Schalke, then good. If not, then whatever. Too bad for them. After all, when we were in a similar situation two seasons ago, we blamed ourselves for the group stage exit and not Shakhtar for failing to beat Juventus, didn't we?

[LAB 1,030]

Many of those shouldn't even be on the bench for this: Hazard, Willian, Oscar, JT, GC, Iva, Azpi, Tibo, Matic, Cesc, Diego. This is a perfect match to get the youth and regular subs more minutes.