Barcelona v Chelsea (The European Classic) (Oct 18 & 31)

Tuesday week isn't it?

We have the league cup games next week.

Aye, forgot that

Damn it, no one cares about the stupid league cup

Tweedledum wrote:Damn it, no one cares about the stupid league cup

Maybe - But bare in mind that many of our young players currently in our first team have gained invaluable experience from the Carling Cup.

We can also use it for the slightly unfit players like Senderos, Baptista etc...

Is Baptista almost fit again?

i thought he was out for a couple of weeks...

TeamSpirit wrote:As a side point - lets put a bit of perspective on this.

Chelsea won't play much better than this.

Barcelona won't play much worse than this.

Yet the score was only 1-0... either Chelsea start taking those chances o0r

It's been the same for the whole season, which is really frustrating. I think in every game we've played (excluding Liverpool and Man City) we should have scored 2-3 more goals (including Boro, even though we deserved to lose that one)

I think some people are underrating just how well the defensive part of our game worked yesterday. Everyone has admitted we were excellent, but I think that Barcelona were poor because we made them play so. We always had 8 outfielders behind the ball when defending, and doubled up on their wingers, closed them down instantly, thus giving the Barca attack little to no chance of playing.

Tweedledum wrote:Aye, forgot that

Damn it, no one cares about the stupid league cup

Especially as we face Blackburn away. Not only could we very easily go out, but I can also see 2-3 of our players getting injured in that one.

To be fair, the Barcelona website has been very fair too. I was expecting them to say Barca were unlucky not to win/get a draw, but they did all but congratulate us and say we deserved the win.

Chelsea deserved the win, but I thought it was a dire game.

chelsea were better...

S4P wrote:To be fair, the Barcelona website has been very fair too. I was expecting them to say Barca were unlucky not to win/get a draw, but they did all but congratulate us and say we deserved the win.

The website is always fantastic, very very neutral on almost all match reports and articles. There's only an occasional lapse when they're writing about Real Madrid

If you want some really biased writing to the point of being absolutely hilarious, check out the official Real Madrid website. I haven't read the Getafe match report, but I'm sure it'll paint a totally different picture to what the game actually was like!

If you want some really biased writing to the point of being absolutely hilarious, check out the official Real Madrid website. I haven't read the Getafe match report, but I'm sure it'll paint a totally different picture to what the game actually was like!

http://www.realmadrid.com/articulo/rma34241.htm

I've seen worse Mind, if that was what they are pleased to describe as doing 'their best to get back int o the game' ........

With just 5 days to go, Chelsea is looking excellent again. Creating a ridiculous number of chances (unfortunately not putting 80% of them away mind you ) and conceding few goals.

10 wins and 1 draw in 11 games.

Looking forward to the game, hopefully we will be the ones singing after the game and taunting Chelsea fans in the metro!

And S4P can you tell your fellow Chelsea fans that we are the current European Champions, it was a bit pathetic that they were singing "Who are ya?" at us. Maybe they thought we were Espanyol

cule wrote:And S4P can you tell your fellow Chelsea fans that we are the current European Champions, it was a bit pathetic that they were singing "Who are ya?" at us. Maybe they thought we were Espanyol

I was there that night too cule, it was indeed a brilliant night wasn't it?

(My flag that was on my seat pre-kick off is hanging on the wall just in front of me )

Where were you sitting in relation to the Barça fans?
I was in the lower shed ,just on the left of the goal, a bit to the back.

It was a pretty good night, we didn't stop signing! My mates could heard the Barça hymn at the start of the game on tv And nobody gave a shit about the non smoking rule, even joints were being smoked in our stand lol

cule wrote:Where were you sitting in relation to the Barça fans?
I was in the lower shed ,just on the left of the goal, a bit to the back.

It was a pretty good night, we didn't stop signing! My mates could heard the Barça hymn at the start of the game on tv And nobody gave a shit about the non smoking rule, even joints were being smoked in our stand lol

I was West Stand Lower (just below the executive boxes). West Stand is obviously to the left of the Shed End. West Stand (lower and upper combined) holds the most number of seats (twice as many as the shed end obviously)

Are you still allowed to smoke in public places in Spain by the way (I never actually smoke in the football ground itself now. Just 1 before I go in and 1 after I come out, although I don't go to many games nowadays - due to the inflated prices and demand for tickets)

It's been banned in workplaces completely. In pub & clubs there has to be a smokers area, but I've never seen anyone respect the rule in clubs. In stadiums you can smoke everywhere and anything you want lol

cule wrote:It's been banned in workplaces completely. In pub & clubs there has to be a smokers area, but I've never seen anyone respect the rule in clubs. In stadiums you can smoke everywhere and anything you want lol

Yeah, most people do the same, although I prefer not to (even though my boss is cool with it, as at least 80% of workers smoke, and the others aren't bothered about passive smoking).

Any idea what your line up is most likely to be on Tuesday?

No idea tbh. I myself would start Puyol - Thuram as centre backs and Marquez infront of them, with Iniesta instead of Xavi and Saviola for Guddy.

Just the 1 striker, with Messi and Ronaldinho behind I assume?

As a lone striker, Gudjohnsen is poor. However, stick him as a forward playing just off another striker and he is an excellent player (I don't know if you've done this yet)

We always play with a lone striker, but with Eto'o out we could try a 4-4-2 with a diamond in the middle.

Marquez
Iniesta Deco
Ronnie

and upfront Guddy and Saviola, it would certainly surprise Mourinho and the others. Rijkaard won't have the balls to try something new so it'll be the same 4-3-3, hopefully the players will start giving a shit about the games.

I have a funny feeling they'll be very much up for this one. If Barcelona were to lose, and Bremen win, it means that Barca have to hope Chelsea win in Bremen, or beat Bremen at home (which could be difficult with Eto'o out, and the quality of their defence).

I won't be too bothered if we lose this one to be honest (although I obviously don't want to lose). We only need 1 win from 3 games to ensure qualification, and, with all due respect, playing Levski at home is all but a guaranteed win.

Of course, I'd like (and expect) to win the group, but seeing some of the teams who could well finish 2nd (Inter, Real Madrid, Benfica/Celtic etc), I'm not sure finishing 2nd puts you at much more of a disadvantage (although you have to play the home leg 1st)

Bremen's weakest point is there defence, they leave so many spaces at the back. I think we really need to win on Tuesday to get our morale back, hopefully a thrashing of Recreativo this Saturday will get the spirits up.

If our players perform then I think we will win even without Eto'o but if they are going to fuck around like Ronaldinho has been doing then we'll get destroyed.

I'm not really looking forward to visiting Upton Park,the Reebok Stadium and St James' Park so they better qualify for the knock out round!!

at least you'd get to come up north

I wonder if the Barca board (depending on how patient they were) would consider Rijkaard's position if he failed to qualify (absurd I know, but many clubs would)

no i think rijkaard should play the diamond as cule said...it would shochk mourinho and fuck up his plans

MightyBarca wrote:no i think rijkaard should play the diamond as cule said...it would shochk mourinho and fuck up his plans

I think Mourinho will be prepared whatever Barcelona do.

He's had scouts watching your team play/train about 2 weeks prior to the 1st match and probably has some watching you now.

If you play the diamond, maybe your team won't be used to it, and it won't work well.

I think you should, imo, stick to what you know best. It did after all, win you the CL last season.

No updates yet on Drogba or Shevchenko, but the team flies to Barcelona today.

Hopefully the Barcelona fans will decide not to spit in the faces of the Chelsea manager again. Fortunately Mourinho was mature enough to ignore it

By the way, what has happened to your turf? I saw the ball kept bouncing off the surface last night (and Deco picked half the turf up!)

I am surprised the London press and Jose Mourinho and the boys aren't up in arms over this

Nice interesting articles I've been seeing too: Marquez and Deco telling us we're shit compared to last year, and Ronaldinho saying "I'd love to join the blues". Shame Dinho, 'cause Chelsea doesn't want you .

If Drogba and Sheva play, I'd expect the same line-up:

----------------Hilario----------------------
Boulahrouz-Carvalho-Terry-Ashley Cole
----------------Makelele--------------------
----Essien---------------------Lampard----
-----------------Ballack---------------------
----------Drogba----Shevchenko----------

However, if they can't make it, I'd expect this line-up:

----------------Hilario----------------------
Boulahrouz-Carvalho-Terry-Ashley Cole
----------------Makelele--------------------
----Essien---------------------Lampard----
-----------------Ballack---------------------
----Robben----------------------------------
-----------------------Kalou-----------------

Where are these articles? I certainly haven't read them.