[tombombadil]

This should be our mentality. In the words of the great Louis van Gaal. #WeGoForIt

 

[RDCR07]

Ole’s first real test..

Oh this again? I’ve lost count of how many first tests there are still date.

 

[Class of 63]

Going dizzy here looking at the League table trying to work out what's needed for Chelsea to miss out on T4, obviously them losing both remaining games would help, but ....

 

[starman]

De Gea
AWB Victor Maguire Williams
MCT Pogba Fred
Greenwood AM Rashford​

 

[Mcking]

Bring in Matic for McTominay from Palace. Dropping De Gea at this point of the season would be too controversial, and we don't want that. Fosu-Mensah offers more presence than Williams.

De Gea
AWB
Lindelof
Maguire
Fosu-Mensah
Matic
Pogba
Bruno
Greenwood
Rashford
Martial

 

[Mcking]

Going dizzy here looking at the League table trying to work out what's needed for Chelsea to miss out on T4, obviously them losing both remaining games would help, but ....

We beat West Ham, and Chelsea fails to beat Liverpool. Then Leicester beats us on the final day and Chelsea fails to beat Wolves. That's the only way I think.

Edit: think Chelsea are out too if they lose both games, and we draw with Leicester on the final day.

 

[sewey89]

I was all for dropping De Gea in the immediate aftermath of yesterdays game, but I think it'd put too much pressure on Romero and take the focus away from the game at hand.

De Gea
AWB - Maguire - Lindelof - Shaw (if not fit, Williams)
Matic
Bruno - Pogba
Greenwood - Martial - Rashford

 

[Zlatattack]

Need to play out full strength team. No messing about, win this and don't lose to Liecester.

People will get annoyed at the "first real test" comments and a lot of them are taking the mick really, but this is genuinely a test for us. We keep failing at every opportunity we have to grasp top 4. We failed at Southampton and i think there have been a couple of times this season where we were close and we failed. We need to ruthlessly take this opportunity. We can't be Spurs lik bottle jobs from 2005-2015

 

[joedirt87]

Oh this again? I’ve lost count of how many first tests there are still date.

it's a long test

 

[always_hoping]

Now would be a good time to produce a win like this against West Ham. Oh those were the days...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/697995.stm

 

[tomaldinho1]

Need to play out full strength team. No messing about, win this and don't lose to Liecester.

People will get annoyed at the "first real test" comments and a lot of them are taking the mick really, but this is genuinely a test for us. We keep failing at every opportunity we have to grasp top 4. We failed at Southampton and i think there have been a couple of times this season where we were close and we failed. We need to ruthlessly take this opportunity. We can't be Spurs lik bottle jobs from 2005-2015

Hear, Hear. This is exactly right - so far this season we've loved praising our players when they've been on a good run of games but every single chance so far to get into the top 4 we've bottled. It's now more a test of character (said in Brendan's voice), the pressure is really on and West Ham are a team we should 100% be beating.

 

[Strelok]

Oh this again? I’ve lost count of how many first tests there are still date.

Take it easy mate. It's just kinda a joke and a way to jinx here. Clearly didn't work against Sou though.

 

[Tom Cato]

Going dizzy here looking at the League table trying to work out what's needed for Chelsea to miss out on T4, obviously them losing both remaining games would help, but ....

If Chelsea lose to Liverpool and we beat West ham. Chelsea MUST beat Wolves in the last round or they are out of the CL if leicester gets a point v us

 

[Class of 63]

We beat West Ham, and Chelsea fails to beat Liverpool. Then Leicester beats us on the final day and Chelsea fails to beat Wolves. That's the only way I think.

Edit: think Chelsea are out too if they lose both games, and we draw with Leicester on the final day.

Yeah it's that, I think ...

We could afford to lose to West Ham as long as we get a point at Leicester.

I just hope if Wolves beat Chelsea, and Chelsea are losing at Anfield we don't agree with Leicester to play for a draw to knock Chelsea out of the T4, pfft, who am I kidding

 

[Class of 63]

Yeah it's that, I think ...

We could afford to lose to West Ham as long as we get a point at Leicester.

I just hope if Wolves beat Chelsea, and Chelsea are losing at Anfield we don't agree with Leicester to play for a draw to knock Chelsea out of the T4, pfft, who am I kidding

Chelsea play at Anfield on Wednesday, not the last game you idiot

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I wouldn't paint this as some kind of proof of Shaw's awesomeness.

I would.

 

[FrankDrebin]

The first 11 should be freshened up heading into this fixture.

 

[Baneofthegame]

Hopefully we obliterate them 4/5-0 now they are essentially safe. That way we have a buffer for the last game of the reason, which I think we will win anyway.

 

[KennyBurner]

Romero
TFM Lindelof Maguire Shaw
Matic
Scott Pogba
Greenwood Martial Rashford

De Gea, Laird, Tuanzebe, Williams, Fred, Lingard, Mata, James, Ighalo
​

Wan-Bissaka and Bruno need to be sat on ice for 7 days. Ideally, we'd do the same with Lindelof and Maguire but we just don't have anyone fit to step in for them. In an ideal world we'd get a couple of goals in the first half and take Pogba, Maguire and the front 3 off at half time.

Realistically, we can't and won't do any of that. Today was the day lads had to be rested but fortunately getting through to the final of the cup was more important and by picking exhausted players, we ensured that happe....

Rest Bruno after I captained him??? Feck off.

 

[Class of 63]

If Chelsea lose to Liverpool and we beat West ham. Chelsea MUST beat Wolves in the last round or they are out of the CL if leicester gets a point v us

And Wolves will need to win their last match if they want European football next season, unless the win the Europa League ....

God i'll be glad when it's all over T4 or not

 

[EwanI Ted]

If Villa win tomorrow I think West Ham will just try and keep it tight against us. If Villa beat Arsenal then West Ham become just about vulnerable should they lose heavily to us. They play Villa last day, and while big wins between relegation candidates are unlikely, 4-0 and 5-0 scorelines do occasionally happen. If they lose narrowly to us, then it leaves Villa needing something stupid like an 8-0 win, which will never happen. So I think Moyes will sit back and keep it tight, knowing even a narrow loss keeps them up.

Of course the worry is that Arsenal win or draw tomorrow (v likely) and West Ham come into the game with no pressure, at which point they can go for it without fear of consequences.

 

[Random Task]

How many posters would have been saying that a year back? It's quite hilarious

True, I probably wouldn't have said it myself, but it's clear we're missing his attacking play down the left flank. Williams (talented but not yet ready) & TFM aren't up to scratch.

 

[Crimson King]

If Villa win tomorrow I think West Ham will just try and keep it tight against us. If Villa beat Arsenal then West Ham become just about vulnerable should they lose heavily to us. They play Villa last day, and while big wins between relegation candidates are unlikely, 4-0 and 5-0 scorelines do occasionally happen. If they lose narrowly to us, then it leaves Villa needing something stupid like an 8-0 win, which will never happen. So I think Moyes will sit back and keep it tight, knowing even a narrow loss keeps them up.

Of course the worry is that Arsenal win or draw tomorrow (v likely) and West Ham come into the game with no pressure, at which point they can go for it without fear of consequences.

It works both ways though, they might well be on their holidays if that scenario plays out. It will be more down to the attitude our players show. If they can go back to the confident, fast paced football we played at the beginning of the restart then we'll blow them away, either way.

The problem is we've started to go back to the slow, risk averse shite we played for most of the season. OGS knows it too from the way he's been talking. He's been trying to drill it out of them since he arrived.

I don't know why it still happens...is it fatigue? Mental fragility to pressure? PTSD from the Mourinho days? Or maybe we're just not really that good a team?

The seesawing is really starting to feck me off though!

 

[Water Melon]

Imagine being screwed over by David Moyes first and Romelu Lukaku last

 

[Denis79]

Important that we play well and win, not because it's a must win game but so we don't enter another prolonged period of poor football.

 

[Yagami]

How many posters would have been saying that a year back? It's quite hilarious

Me!

 

[mitchmouse]

We need to win (obviously) and win big. the more goals we score, the bigger the room for error on Sunday. A 5-0 win would mean (oddly) that we could lose 2-0 and still be top four. Also I wanted to bury this lot as revenge for how fecking awful we were at the London Stadium (I hate that name so much). We made them look good that day and I want to wipe those smug smiles off their faces. We really should be able to win quite easily unless we start as we did on Sunday. Start with pace and meaning and we'll be fine. If not...

 

[mitchmouse]

Hopefully we obliterate them 4/5-0 now they are essentially safe. That way we have a buffer for the last game of the reason, which I think we will win anyway.

Leicester away jus feels like one of those games where we start slow or don't turn up at all. Need to win this to put all the pressure on Leicester

 

[Denis79]

Going dizzy here looking at the League table trying to work out what's needed for Chelsea to miss out on T4, obviously them losing both remaining games would help, but ....

Chelsea needs to acumulate 2 points or less in their remaining games while we beat West Ham and lose vs Leicester. If Chelsea lose both we need to draw vs Leicester for Chelsea to drop to 5th.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

Chelsea needs to acumulate 2 points or less in their remaining games while we beat West Ham and lose vs Leicester. If Chelsea lose both we need to draw vs Leicester for Chelsea to drop to 5th.

Now that scenario....

 

[Beans]

Ole has admitted he got the selection wrong. Now it’s time to put it right.

TFM at RB. He can counter Antonio’s pace. Fingers crossed Shaw has recovered but not getting my hopes raised. Williams if he hasn’t. It’s the CBs that concern me. The lack of pace ....

Midfield and up front ...as you were

What did he say he got wrong exactly?

 

[GDaly95]

I think we're in a perfect position here to react to yesterdays loss.

We're clearly fatigued, the form we hit a couple weeks ago won't come back, but I think it'll be so easy for the players to find motivation for one last push.

An early goal against this lot and we'll have top 4 in the bag. We'll go and batter them.

 

[Class of 63]

Chelsea needs to acumulate 2 points or less in their remaining games while we beat West Ham and lose vs Leicester. If Chelsea lose both we need to draw vs Leicester for Chelsea to drop to 5th.

Trying to imagine what it's like for fans of clubs who go into the last match knowing that if they win they might go down, but they might lose and still stay up, defendant on other results obviously, I honestly don't think my old ticker could take it

 

[Offside]

Chelsea needs to acumulate 2 points or less in their remaining games while we beat West Ham and lose vs Leicester. If Chelsea lose both we need to draw vs Leicester for Chelsea to drop to 5th.

If Chelsea draw their last 2, we beat West Ham and Leicester beat us, Chelsea will be 5th on GD.

 

[christinaa]

Just about any situation can be spinned in a way to show some sort of psychological advantage for either side.

- West Ham are safe: therefore they'll play under no pressure with the shackles off.
- West Ham are safe: therefore they won't give a feck and let us roll over them.
- West Ham are fighting against relegation: they'll fight for every blade of grass.
- West Ham are fighting against relegation: the stakes, the sheer pressure will paralyse them.

The truth is that we just don't know how they'll react to these situations. Not to mention different players react differently: some thrive under pressure but lose focus when nothing's at stake; others fold when the stakes are high but are unstoppable when they're just playing for fun.

I agree with you.

 

[Gerald G]

We just need to beat then and beat them well if possible. However, with the way we're playing, I can't see a big victory. Just need to get the win and avoid defeat against Leicester

 

[RedDevil@84]

Trying to imagine what it's like for fans of clubs who go into the last match knowing that if they win they might go down

I am confused. What is this scenario? Is it for Chelsea?

 

[SAFMUTD]

We should win, if possible by 3 goals, but I think we entered a bad patch again. So any win will do. I'm going with a 2-1 Martial and Greenwood.

 

[Class of 63]

I am confused. What is this scenario? Is it for Chelsea?

Yeah mate, if they lose their last two games they'll be relegated.

 

[Random Task]

It works both ways though, they might well be on their holidays if that scenario plays out. It will be more down to the attitude our players show. If they can go back to the confident, fast paced football we played at the beginning of the restart then we'll blow them away, either way.

The problem is we've started to go back to the slow, risk averse shite we played for most of the season. OGS knows it too from the way he's been talking. He's been trying to drill it out of them since he arrived.

I don't know why it still happens...is it fatigue? Mental fragility to pressure? PTSD from the Mourinho days? Or maybe we're just not that good a team?

The seesawing is starting to feck me off though!

We went 19 games unbeaten before yesterday's encounter.

Losing a one-off cup game against a team who had 2 extra days rest (which is a lot this hectic period of quick-fire games) does not amount to seesawing.