The Pre-Season Thread

[ulsterchelsea 3,213]

Someone is gonna be happy on his 9th birthday. That price tho for a friggin friendly 

 

[Starman60 1,343]

Bought two tickets today for Chelsea v Arsenal at the Aviva today and paid out a hefty €187 for them. I was planning to give one to my mate and we would knock a good night out of it. The wife asked me did I get my ticket and I replied "Yes, I got two" she replied "OH great, I've never been to a game and as thats our 34th wedding anniversary so I'll go with you". I haven't the heart to tell her it wasn't for her !!!!!! well what the fuck was I to say ????????????

Well she better wear the jersey and shout for the blues or its divorce

[Unionjack 7,531]

I dont care whats happened last season with our lads but unless they really do have their hearts set on leaving you can bet every single one of them will be trying to impress Sarri on his 1st training session.

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2018/7/13/video--looking-sharp-in-the-sun

[mccg 1,528]

lol

[Vesper 27,310]

Matt Law's Chelsea briefing

Chelsea rule themselves out of pre-season cup By Matt Law Football News Correspondent

Sarri at the friendly between Chelsea and Perth Glory in July (credit: Darren Walsh/Getty Images)

Chelsea are set to skip this summer’s lucrative International Champions Cup in favour of tailoring their own pre-season plans. The Blues have already confirmed they will play one pre-season game in Japan in July and that is expected to be followed by a second match in Asia. It is also anticipated that Chelsea will hold a European training camp to prepare for the new season. Ironically, the planned schedule would be far more in keeping with the wishes of head coach Maurizio Sarri, who is expected to have been sacked by then. Sarri was dismayed by Chelsea’s pre-season programme last summer, which saw him fly with the squad to Australia immediately after his appointment. “I would change it completely, if I can,” said Sarri ahead of this season. “I arrived in the middle of July, so the problem was there. I accept it, but, for the future, it will be better to change it. But my perfect programme of pre-season is not completely in line with the programme of the club. So we have to arrive at a compromise.” The Blues played Perth Glory before competing in the money-spinning ICC against Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Lyon. Chelsea’s final friendly against Lyon took place on August 7, two days after the Community Shield defeat to Manchester City and four days before the start of the Premier League season. It seems a compromise between the commercial needs of the club and the football requirements has been struck with the trip to Japan keeping sponsors Yokohama happy. And fewer matches at Chelsea’s choosing, in venues they are happy with, together with a European training camp, should keep whoever is in charge of the team satisfied. With another new head coach potentially in charge and Chelsea needing to make up ground on Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, this year’s pre-season preparations need to be right.

[mccg 1,528]

Chelsea in talks over Japan friendlies versus Barcelona and Kawasaki Frontale

https://www.goal.com/en/news/chelsea-in-talks-over-japan-friendlies-versus-barcelona-and/s5d2brbxgvlh15byd969ld87z

[mccg 1,528]

UEFA probes Manchester City over potential Financial Fair Play breach

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11657973/uefa-probes-manchester-city-over-potential-financial-fair-play-breach

About time the heat was away from us ffp ffs lol

[Vesper 27,310]

On 07/03/2019 at 8:30 PM, mccg said:

UEFA probes Manchester City over potential Financial Fair Play breach

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11657973/uefa-probes-manchester-city-over-potential-financial-fair-play-breach

About time the heat was away from us ffp ffs lol

I hope Shitty and PSG get a giant bollocksing and are ripped apart over this shit. Their criminality makes us look like mere toddlers who shat our panties and then lied to the nanny about it whilst sitting on our parents 10K quid couch (is that a little too personal? LOLOLOL)

[Kodeww 0]

 

Interesting conversations, I'm new here hello everyone.

[NikkiCFC 7,580]

@Vesper you wrote a couple of times worst possible scenario for us but imagine this? Playing 6 games before EL group stage.

 

[Vesper 27,310]

6 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

@Vesper you wrote a couple of times worst possible scenario for us but imagine this? Playing 6 games before EL group stage.

 

arrrf EL qualifying, the last thing a weak, fucked up, depleted teams needs

so hope we get deferrals

I cant take another 6000 minutes watching the same dregs roll over and play dead every other half and thsi time with ni Eden to bail them out

it is literally insane that a team with a billion and a half quid in market value (between main squad and loan army) of players may play in the EL qualifying rounds!! Most teams we will be around will be worth less for whole roster than we paid for Bats or Bakayoko alone

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Why are we playing New England Revolution on 16th may in USA?

Just 4 days after PL ends and two weeks before EL final (if we qualify)

The only explanation I can see is if we bring Pulisic so soon and he plays this match in new club in his country, but even then its stupid. Players need some rest ffs.

[Jase 43,479]

7 minutes ago, BlueLyon said:

Why are we playing New England Revolution on 16th may in USA?

Just 4 days after PL ends and two weeks before EL final (if we qualify)

The only explanation I can see is if we bring Pulisic so soon and he plays this match in new club in his country, but even then its stupid. Players need some rest ffs.

The timing is questionable but it's a charity match for a good cause.

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/03/04/new-england-revolution-and-chelsea-announce-15-may-for--final-wh

And no, Pulisic is highly unlikely to join along as Dortmund's season isn't over by then. 

[nyikolajevics 2,422]

47 minutes ago, BlueLyon said:

Why are we playing New England Revolution on 16th may in USA?

Just 4 days after PL ends and two weeks before EL final (if we qualify)

The only explanation I can see is if we bring Pulisic so soon and he plays this match in new club in his country, but even then its stupid. Players need some rest ffs.

Why not? Still we'll have 13 days to get ready for the EL-final, it's not like the boys should have jetlag.  If we didn't have this match there would almost 20 days between the Leicester game and the EL-final, which is ridiculous.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

24 minutes ago, nyikolajevics said:

Why not? Still we'll have 13 days to get ready for the EL-final, it's not like the boys should have jetlag.  If we didn't have this match there would almost 20 days between the Leicester game and the EL-final, which is ridiculous.

Well its common to have that pause between end of season and CL/EL final. Its not like this match will be of any bigger challenge than trainings we do every week. 

The players will have very busy schedule ahead for the may and the last thing they want is another meanlingless trip to Usa only 4 days after PL end. 

[Jase 43,479]

9 minutes ago, BlueLyon said:

Well its common to have that pause between end of season and CL/EL final. Its not like this match will be of any bigger challenge than trainings we do every week. 

The players will have very busy schedule ahead for the may and the last thing they want is another meanlingless trip to Usa only 4 days after PL end. 

The Europa League final usually takes place before the league season ends, at least from a Premier League perspective, but that's not the case this season.

In the case of the Champions League final, it'll be worse if at least one of the English sides reach it because there will be a 3-week break between the last league game and the final. Other leagues finish a week or two later than the Premier League.

EDIT - Final day of each top 5 league + the cup finals...

May 12 - Premier League
May 19 - La Liga/Bundesliga
May 26 - Serie A/Ligue 1
May 29 - Europa League Final
June 2 - Champions League Final

[BlueLyon 9,359]

29 minutes ago, Jason said:

The Europa League final usually takes place before the league season ends, at least from a Premier League perspective, but that's not the case this season.

In the case of the Champions League final, it'll be worse if at least one of the English sides reach it because there will be a 3-week break between the last league game and the final. Other leagues finish a week or two later than the Premier League.

EDIT - Final day of each top 5 league + the cup finals...

May 12 - Premier League
May 19 - La Liga/Bundesliga
May 26 - Serie A/Ligue 1
May 29 - Europa League Final
June 2 - Champions League Final

EL finals have varried for past few years. 2015, 17, 19 were played at end of may, 16, 18 were played in mid may. CL usualy follows about a week later always. 

Its true La Liga sides have less break because la liga ends later, but PL was in this situation for years. Its nothing new.

Its good to have extra game inbetween but in this case just 4 days after playing every couple days, this game wont be useful at all. Its 13 days break till EL final, even if we play another game which is still enough to kill our tempo if that was the case. 

I would understand if we played this game one week after Watford and one week before EL final in Europe, not USA , so it doesnt affect us but keeps us in shape.

[nyikolajevics 2,422]

41 minutes ago, BlueLyon said:

 

The players will have very busy schedule ahead for the may and the last thing they want is another meanlingless trip to Usa only 4 days after PL end. 

Only 4 days? Well boo hoo, they have to go and play a charity match after only 4 days of rest. They earn 60-200k pounds a week, I don’t feel sorry for this match interrupting their 3 weeks rest.

They will still have plenty of time to get ready for the EL-final(if we qualify).