Chelsea (3-0) Olympiakos Discussion Thread

No nonsense in the 2nd leg. Start Mikel instead of Makelele, Anelka and Kalou instead of Joe Cole and Malouda and then watch these Greeks try to play 10 behind the ball.

I'm suprised you took the Carling Cup so seriously and put out a 'weak' side.

TM wrote:I'm suprised you took the Carling Cup so seriously and put out a 'weak' side.

That was arguably our best XI last night, except I'd have Anelka instead of Malouda. I guess the players are confident they can win at home, but a 1-1 or 2-2 in the 2nd leg would make last nights tactics all the more infuriating.

563 posts verses 33 posts....

The game last night was pretty dire to be honest - Chelsea are in the driving seat, but they have to be careful and wary of the away draw.

Tweedle wrote:563 posts verses 33 posts....

The game last night was pretty dire to be honest - Chelsea are in the driving seat, but they have to be careful and wary of the away draw.

What do you expect, Inter v Liverpool was a much more glamorous tie on paper. There are also more Liverpool (and Inter) fans than Chelsea fans on this board (no Olympiacos fans too).

It was pretty dire. I expected Olympiacos to react to the crowd and come after us, but they seemed happy with 0-0 from the start. In the end it looked as though we did too.

3 of our last 4 CL games have ended 0-0 now. Grant's playing Mourinho's team with Mourinho's tactics, but isn't being as successful with it as Mourinho was.

S4P wrote:
What do you expect, Inter v Liverpool was a much more glamorous tie on paper. There are also more Liverpool (and Inter) fans than Chelsea fans on this board (no Olympiacos fans too).

On Dutch tv only the Pool - Inter match was shown, we didn't have much choice....

Last 10 games:

Olympiacos : WDWWWDWWDW
Chelsea : WWWWDDWDLW

Larissa 0-0 Olympiacos
Olympiacos 2-1 Skoda Xanthi
Iraklis 1-2 Olympiacos
Olympiacos 1-1 Panathinaikos
Olympiacos 4-0 Panathinaikos
Ofi 0-1 Olympiacos
Olympiacos 1-0 Aris
Apollon Thessalonikis 0-0 Olympiacos
Panionios 0-4 Olympiacos
Olympiacos 1-0 Ergotelis
Olympiacos 0-0 Chelsea
Olympiacos 2-0 Iraklis

Chelsea 1-0 QPR
Chelsea 2-1 Everton
Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham
Birmingham 0-1 Chelsea
Everton 0-1 Chelsea
Wigan 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea 1-0 Reading
Portsmouth 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
Chelsea 3-1 Huddersfield
Olympiacos 0-0 Chelsea
Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea
West Ham 0-4 Chelsea

Champions League record 07-08:

Olympiacos : DWLDWWD
Chelsea : DWWDWDD

Olympiacos 1-1 Lazio
Chelsea 1-1 Rosenborg

Werder Bremen 1-3 Olympiacos
Valencia 1-2 Chelsea

Real Madrid 4-2 Olympiacos
Chelsea 2-0 Schalke 04

Olympiacos 0-0 Real Madrid
Schalke 04 0-0 Chelsea

Lazio 1-2 Olympiacos
Rosenborg 0-4 Chelsea

Olympiacos 3-0 Werder Bremen
Chelsea 0-0 Valencia

Olympiacos 0-0 Chelsea

S4P wrote:Terry and Lampard will play the Carling Cup final, so leaving them out tonight makes sense. If I were picking the team, I'd play:

Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole; Makelele, Essien, Ballack; J Cole, Malouda; Drogba

(Carling Cup final : Cech; Belletti, Carvalho, Terry, Bridge; Mikel, Essien, Lampard; Kalou, Anelka, Drogba

Got 10/11 correct in both matches. Not bad I guess.

My expected line-up for Wednesday:

Cech; Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole; Mikel, Essien, Ballack; Joe Cole, Malouda; Drogba

(Though I personally would play 4-4-2 with Joe Cole-Essien-Ballack-Malouda and Drogba-Anelka)

as long as the greeks dont fluke a goal and then park the bus we should be ok. score first and it will be an easy 2/3-0.

Lordanger wrote:as long as the greeks dont fluke a goal and then park the bus we should be ok. score first and it will be an easy 2/3-0.

so instead chelsea to score first and then park the bus?

So how's Alex settling in so far ?

He looked out of his depth in his first Chelsea matches, seems like he's gradually improving into a first choice CD....although nothing like the player he was at PSV.

110% wrote:

Lordanger wrote:as long as the greeks dont fluke a goal and then park the bus we should be ok. score first and it will be an easy 2/3-0.

so instead chelsea to score first and then park the bus?

yup

Axeslammer wrote:So how's Alex settling in so far ?

He looked out of his depth in his first Chelsea matches, seems like he's gradually improving into a first choice CD....although nothing like the player he was at PSV.

He isn't doing badly and the defence was definitly solid when he was deputy for Terry; problem for him is that now Terry is back, Alex warms the bench. I like him as a player and he is definitly a big threat from set pieces (both shooting form extreme distances or with his head in the box) but Terry is captain so Terry plays, merited or not. R Carvo is our best CB so he has to start in the big matches.

110% wrote:

Lordanger wrote:as long as the greeks dont fluke a goal and then park the bus we should be ok. score first and it will be an easy 2/3-0.

so instead chelsea to score first and then park the bus?

We won't park the bus at 1-0.

Axeslammer wrote:So how's Alex settling in so far ?

He looked out of his depth in his first Chelsea matches, seems like he's gradually improving into a first choice CD....although nothing like the player he was at PSV.

He's looked very good so far, considering his shaky start and his 1st season in English football. I still maintain Terry for (most of) the Prem games, Alex for the Champions League alongside Carvalho.

Lineups:

Chelsea

* 23 Cudicini
* 3 A. Cole
* 4 Makelele
* 6 Carvalho
* 8 Lampard
* 10 J. Cole
* 11 Drogba
* 13 Ballack
* 20 Ferreira
* 21 Kalou
* 26 Terry

Olympiacos

* 71 Nikopolidis
* 2 Patsatzoglou
* 5 Júlio César
* 6 Stoltidis
* 9 Kovačević
* 11 P. Djordjević
* 14 Żewłakow
* 18 Antzas
* 28 Ledesma
* 30 Pantos
* 35 Torosidis

Cudicini

Subs: Hilario, Essien, Alex, Malouda, Wright-Phillips, Belletti, Anelka

S4P wrote:Cudicini

Kalou? Ferrira whats going on here s4p? i have money on your boys

Hope Alex stays on the bench. Would mean I get points for Fabregas.

Anyway nice attacking Chelsea team. 4-3-3, with Makalele DMF I presume?

L r d wrote:

S4P wrote:Cudicini

Kalou? Ferrira whats going on here s4p? i have money on your boys

Cech has a thigh injury apparently.

Sensible to play Kalou in this game. He can get beyond the full backs.

Ferreira seems an odd one to me. Maybe AG's going for the experience.

If he fails tonight, he could be out of a job this summer (depending on the league position). Massive game for Avram.

May I also add WHYTHE f@ck IS ESSIEN ON THE BENCH?

S4P wrote:May I also add WHYTHE f@ck IS ESSIEN ON THE BENCH?

Just realised that also. Not to sure on that one, but at least Mikel isnt going to get a minute

S4P wrote:May I also add WHYTHE f@ck IS ESSIEN ON THE BENCH?

Blame Baron Greenback.

Come on Djordjević make my day! Come on Kalou....

L r d wrote:

S4P wrote:Cudicini

Kalou? Ferrira whats going on here s4p? i have money on your boys

Same!

I think its gonna be sneaky 1-0 win to chelsea.

Ricardo Jol wrote:Come on Djordjević make my day! Come on Kalou....

It's our lucky day. A match with 2 players being capable of playing some real footy. Usually I'm happy with one

are they currently playing the music from the 28 days later fillum?

Dunno, my stream sucks & Dutch tv opted for Real v Roma

any match updates would be great

Ballack scores a header. 1-0.