Closed Chelsea v Liverpool

[Hybrid Angel 2,130]

Good line-up, aside from Zouma at right-back. Now lets go and win this.

[stroey 2,525]

And pretty sure Ramires is a really great attacking midfielder. Some people just don't see it.

I am not saying Mikel is Pirlo 2.0, but he certainly can pass, that's my point.

[DYC. 7,542]

No Rlc on the bench....run of games in 45 minutes.

Why don't people ever learn? Don't listen to the promises.

He should go out on loan. His game time at first team level is embarrassing. His peers are leaving him well behind.

[lucio 5,418]

And you guys have all those pretty attack theories as if we had ever played wide in recent years even when we had better FBs and currently look well drilled and with attackers looking great. I mean, the only problem our strikers and AMs (except Willian) have not been nearly close to decent is because we lack a RB like Baba. Yeah, I can see him making a whole big difference.

Sorry, but our problems in attack run much deeper than this obsession with width that never, ever, ever in recent years actually happened with Chelsea. Playing baba would make no difference in the attack, that's not how we play and having him in defense would be a nightmare, although ad DYC. said, Zouma may not defend all that well in the right.

I'd start with the same lineup, but switched Zouma and Azpilicueta

we had width under ancelotti , malouda and cole , set up loads of goals. and pretty much all our good attacking displays this term , have featured baba (walsall , maccabi , stoke). so i have no idea why he wouldn't improve the attack.

[Barbara 15,149]

What is depressing about this lineup in general is that if you take away Zouma who is only playing because Iva is injured, that's exactly the same team we had two years ago with the exception of Costa (and that's only because we currently don't have any of the strikers we had two seasons ago, thanks God for that).

That shows how much we regressed as a team. The same way that team of two seasons ago wasn't good enough, this one won't ever be.

Matic, Fabregas, Pedro - who were theoretically our best signings (keeping Costa out of it because he's actually in the team) being all benched (Pedro would have been benched even if not injured), just show how the squad management both by the manager (last two years) and the board (last transfer window) has been poor.

We took several steps back and I applaud the posters who saw this coming a long time ago (I couldn't).

We overachieved last season with this tactics and players. There are some serious misfits and while I think we might need some new players next season, it's imperative we have a new manager with new ideas. It's not that Mourinho is bad, it's just he needs some time off of football to reinvent himself. He lost the plot, both tactically and emotionally (given the things he says and does).

[cfcs most wanted 657]

I am not saying Mikel is Pirlo 2.0, but he certainly can pass, that's my point.

Hey i wasn't using sarcasm, i was supporting your comment

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,761]

I thought Ramires sucked guys?

[cfcs most wanted 657]

And pretty sure Ramires is a really great attacking midfielder. Some people just don't see it.

I proved my point within three minutes

[Adnane 1,101]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

WHO NEEEDS BABA WHEN U HAVE AZPI !!!!

[Barbara 15,149]

we had width under ancelotti , malouda and cole , set up loads of goals. and pretty much all our good attacking displays this term , have featured baba (walsall , maccabi , stoke). so i have no idea why he wouldn't improve the attack.

I guess you missed the word I used a few times when talking about it: recent. It's been a lifetime since that happened and Malouda had been a rollercoaster, one I'm happy we didn't have to deal with for longer than necessary.

Oh yeah, Walsall and Maccabi are just like the challenges we needed to show a good attacking display. Not only I disagree those were our best attacking performances, but giving the attack any credit when they played those teams and didn't score at least 5-6 goals is a travesty.

Haven't watched Stoke though, so you might have something there, although I read Hazard (playing through the middle) and Kenedy were the keys to our attack looking better. Haven't read one single mention of Baba.

[Hutcho 8,443]

Come on boys! Lets do this.

[Melanicus 5,208]

Ramires scoring the important goals since ever.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Rambooo

[bethos1 802]

Nice to see Hazard play in the middle again though

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,761]

Mikel-Ramires have shown up!

[Sastha 21]

streams plz

[Chelsea Buzz 487]

Yes Ramires and almost Mikel! Great start!

Up with the Chels!! :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Hopefully we keep the lead, without fabregas I'm confident that we can defend better if we decide to park the bus in the 2nd half.