Champions League Last 16 games - Feb/Mar 2015

[Balu]

Line up FCB: Neuer - Alonso, Ribéry, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Götze, Müller, Alaba, Schweinsteiger

Alonso & Schweinsteiger together on the pitch. I fully expect a boring game now, I don't think we've played a single good game when they started together. I hate that defensive line-up with only 3 attacking players.

/edit: oops, misread that, Ribery starts as well. I've no clue what kind of line-up that is without a 2nd centerback.

 

[Orc]

You're not a better side than Atlético are either. fecking hell, calm down and just watch the Champions League. You'll be put in your place soon enough, no need to make yourself look stupid too.

I haven't said that we're going to blow PSG off the pitch and go on and win the CL so I cant really see how I'd get "put in my place," but alrighty.

 

[Blackwidow]

Line up FCB: Neuer - Alonso, Ribéry, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Götze, Müller, Alaba, Schweinsteiger

Alonso & Schweinsteiger together on the pitch. I fully expect a boring game now, I don't think we've played a single good game when they started together. I hate that defensive line-up with only 3 attacking players.

Only one central defender - but I guess Alaba will be partnering Boateng as he is fast.

Lewandowski out.

Let me try to form a formation:
................Neuer
Rafinha - Boateng - Alaba
...............Alonso
Robben - Götze - Schweinsteiger - Ribery
................Müller

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I haven't said that we're going to blow PSG off the pitch and go on and win the CL so I cant really see how I'd get "put in my place," but alrighty.

You'll be put in your place meaning Chelsea, not you.

 

[Balu]

Only one central defender - but I guess Alaba will be partnering Boateng as he is fast.

Lewandowski out.

Yeah, I didn't realise it at first. Very weird line-up to be honest. We've never played Alaba as a centerback in a back four and we never played Müller, Götze, Ribery and Robben together in attack. It's really odd, not sure what to make of it.

Now I'm really pissed that I can't watch the game today . Should be interesting.

 

[ThierryHenry]

Yeah, I didn't realise it at first. Very weird line-up to be honest. We've never played Alaba as a centerback in a back four and we never played Müller, Götze, Ribery and Robben together in attack. It's really odd, not sure what to make of it.

Now I'm really pissed that I can't watch the game today . Should be interesting.

You've never played those four together? What do you mean?

 

[Barney]

We have a world class player in every position other than one or two,

Behave.

we have tremendous European success

You've won one Champions league and a Europa league. A lot of the side wasn't there for the former.

 

[Sied]

I ceched earlier, but nothing yet.

I enjoyed this, even if no one else did.

 

[Balu]

You've never played those four together? What do you mean?

I don't think we started any games this season with those 4 together in attack. It's surprising that we try something new in the first knockout CL game instead of using something proven that worked well so far that year.

 

[Piratesoup]

Line up FCB: Neuer - Alonso, Ribéry, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Götze, Müller, Alaba, Schweinsteiger

Alonso & Schweinsteiger together on the pitch. I fully expect a boring game now, I don't think we've played a single good game when they started together. I hate that defensive line-up with only 3 attacking players.

I fecking knew it... Pep can be annoyingly stubborn sometimes. He must have seen that it doesn't work, surely. Baffling.

 

[Orc]

Behave.



You've won one Champions league and a Europa league. A lot of the side wasn't there for the former.

I'm saying our players have success and experience, not saying the club overall.

Keeper- Courtois = world class
CB- Terry = world class
RB- Ivanovic = world class
LB- Azpilicueta = world class
CM- Fabregas & Matić both = world class
AM- Hazard = world class
Striker- Costa = world class

Okay, I exageratted a bit with my first statement. We have world class players in all but 3 positions.

 

[Balu]

Paris: Sirigu, Van der Wiel, Silva, Marquinhos, Maxwell, Luiz, Verratti, Matuidi, Lavezzi, Ibrahimovic, Cavani

vs

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa


and Shaktar: Pyatov, Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk, Fred, Fernando, Costa, Teixeira, Taison, Adriano

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I'm saying our players have success and experience, not saying the club overall.

Keeper- Courtois = world class
CB- Terry = world class
RB- Ivanovic = world class
LB- Azpilicueta = world class
CM- Fabregas & Matić both = world class
AM- Hazard = world class
Striker- Costa = world class

Okay, I exageratted a bit with my first statement. We have world class players in all but 3 positions.

You seriously think all of those players are world class?

Wow, you really are a moron.

 

[PedroMendez]

Line up FCB: Neuer - Alonso, Ribéry, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Götze, Müller, Alaba, Schweinsteiger

Alonso & Schweinsteiger together on the pitch. I fully expect a boring game now, I don't think we've played a single good game when they started together. I hate that defensive line-up with only 3 attacking players.

/edit: oops, misread that, Ribery starts as well. I've no clue what kind of line-up that is without a 2nd centerback.

one CB and no classic CF what a weird lineup.

 

[Lay]

PSG are underrated here. I would love to see them spank Chelsea, but it's unlikely.

I'm not sure if they're underrated. They're a fine side, but they're lacking cohesion and play in patches far too often.

 

[ThierryHenry]

I'm saying our players have success and experience, not saying the club overall.

Keeper- Courtois = world class
CB- Terry = world class
RB- Ivanovic = world class
LB- Azpilicueta = world class
CM- Fabregas & Matić both = world class
AM- Hazard = world class
Striker- Costa = world class

Okay, I exageratted a bit with my first statement. We have world class players in all but 3 positions.

How come such a world class team was completely dominated by Liverpool and City last month? Are they also world class?

 

[Orc]

You seriously think all of those players are world class?

Wow, you really are a moron.

Personal insults now. Ignore list it is.

 

[Hojoon]

I'm saying our players have success and experience, not saying the club overall.

Keeper- Courtois = world class
CB- Terry = world class
RB- Ivanovic = world class
LB- Azpilicueta = world class
CM- Fabregas & Matić both = world class
AM- Hazard = world class
Striker- Costa = world class

Okay, I exageratted a bit with my first statement. We have world class players in all but 3 positions.

You're definition of world class must be different to most people's.

 

[Pink Moon]

Ivanovic world class? Did people even watch the Spurs game or have we just accepted Cahill as the scapegoat?

I like Azpilicueta. He's a solid defender but is he world class?

Next we'll be getting told that Oscar and Willian are world class.

Edit: Absolutely no doubt in my mind that people calling that big diver world class are being fooled by the fact he gets forward a lot.

 

[Orc]

How come such a world class team was completely dominated by Liverpool and City last month? Are they also world class?

Real Madrid just lost to Atelti 5-0. Got dominated. Are their world class players suddenly not world class? Bayern were just dominated 4-1 by Wolfsburg.

Liverpool dominated us? Which side went through?

Which of the players I've named aren't world class?

 

[ChaddyP]

I'm saying our players have success and experience, not saying the club overall.

Keeper- Courtois = world class
CB- Terry = world class
RB- Ivanovic = world class
LB- Azpilicueta = world class
CM- Fabregas & Matić both = world class
AM- Hazard = world class
Striker- Costa = world class

Okay, I exageratted a bit with my first statement. We have world class players in all but 3 positions.

 

[Barney]

Personal insults now. Ignore list it is.

Don't be a baby. His general point is right.

Ivanovic world class? Did people even watch the Spurs game or have we just accepted Cahill as the scapegoat?

I like Azpilicueta. He's a solid defender but is he world class?

Next we'll be getting told that Oscar and Willian are world class.

Edit: Absolutely no doubt in my mind that people calling that big diver world class are being fooled by the fact he gets forward a lot.

Only one person is calling him world class.

 

[Blackwidow]

one CB and no classic CF what a weird lineup.

As our fullbacks are midfielders somehow, too - that is Pep's dream.... 9 midfielders, one defender and a goalkeeper, that is somehow the 10th midfielder...

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Paris: Sirigu, Van der Wiel, Silva, Marquinhos, Maxwell, Luiz, Verratti, Matuidi, Lavezzi, Ibrahimovic, Cavani

vs

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa


and Shaktar: Pyatov, Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy, Shevchuk, Fred, Fernando, Costa, Teixeira, Taison, Adriano

Luiz in midfield for PSG and Ramires in midfield for Chelsea? This match has already taken a turn for the worse and it hasn't even started.

 

[Pink Moon]

Don't be a baby. His general point is right.



Only one person is calling him world class.

He's not the only person to think it.

 

[Orc]

Widely considered the best LB in the league. How is he not world class?

Don't be a baby. His general point is right.



Only one person is calling him world class.

Again, Ivanovic is the best RB in the Premier League in my opinion. If he isn't he's very narrowly behind Zabaleta. How is he not world class? Name anyone who's clearly better than him in both phases of the game.

 

[LinkesAuge]

one CB and no classic CF what a weird lineup.

The same basic setup/idea was already used against Hamburg. Müller was the striker and Lewandowski played as LA so it's just Ribery replacing him (which I expected before the game already) and Alaba instead of Badstuber so one defender who is good on the ball for another one with the same qualities.

 

[Deleted member 78215]

To be fair to Orc, I genuinely can't think of many better fullbacks than Ivanovic and Azpi. They're not world class if considered from an historical perspective, but right now they probably are, such is the dearth of genuine quality in defence nowadays.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Here's the full list of players who Orc thinks is world class:
http://www.chelseafc.com/teams/first-team.html

 

[UweBein]

You've won one Champions league and a Europa league. A lot of the side wasn't there for the former.

Looking at the last 11 years there is not a side that has reached the semi-final of the CL more often than Chelsea.
That's a tremendeous achivement for Chelsea.

 

[Kentonio]

You're not a better side than Atlético are either. fecking hell, calm down and just watch the Champions League. You'll be put in your place soon enough, no need to make yourself look stupid too.

Aww you scousers are so cute. Remember just tap those little ruby red slippers together and spin around chanting '5 times la! 5 times!' and you too could be in the Champions League, Dorothy!

 

[Mogget]

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Not good news for Chelsea, I can see PSG scoring a couple now.

 

[NoPace]

Paris: Sirigu, Van der Wiel, Silva, Marquinhos, Maxwell, Luiz, Verratti, Matuidi, Lavezzi, Ibrahimovic, Cavani

vs

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Diego Costa

1. Luiz at DM at home or is it 3-5-2? Not sure about it either way. Might help on the counter, or just having Luiz follow Fabregas around all game, but not a very confident move for the home tie. I understand the reasoning, but depressing to see a genius like Pastore on the bench instead.

2. Is Lucas hurt? Hasn't he played well for them?

3. Ramires just sticks out there like a sore thumb. I've written about this elsewhere, but I really think Mourinho will replace both Ramirez + Mikel with one signing this summer (though maybe one of them sticks around until January or the next summer then leaves, although Chelsea's strong transfer record suggests they'll correctly sell them off while they still have value. The second Ramires' legs start to go he'll have very little) who also doubles as Matic cover.

 

[Mogget]

Looking at the last 11 years there is not a side that has reached the semi-final of the CL more often than Chelsea.
That's a tremendeous achivement for Chelsea.

I didn't post that.

 

[JSArsenal]

Ramires and Matic in midfield with Willian who on the wing.

Is Oscar injured or just the usual away in Europe defensive tactics from Chelsea?

Would love to see us go away to Bayern or Barcelona with a midfield three of Arteta-Ramsey-Coquelin, but that would require us to beat Monaco, the first two to get fit and Wenger deciding to go with such a defensive line up.

 

[NoPace]

Ivanovic world class? Did people even watch the Spurs game or have we just accepted Cahill as the scapegoat?

I like Azpilicueta. He's a solid defender but is he world class?

Next we'll be getting told that Oscar and Willian are world class.

Edit: Absolutely no doubt in my mind that people calling that big diver world class are being fooled by the fact he gets forward a lot.

Azpilicueta is not world class by any stretch, but Ivanovic is pretty damn great these days.

 

[Orc]

Azpilicueta is not world class by any stretch, but Ivanovic is pretty damn great these days.

He's world class defensively. Which is what a defender is supposed to do.

 

[sizzling sausages]

Is Cuardrado ineligible for tonight?

 

[Mogget]

He's world class defensively. Which is what a defender is supposed to do.

15 years ago maybe, that's all a full back was required to do.

 

[Pink Moon]

Azpilicueta is not world class by any stretch, but Ivanovic is pretty damn great these days.

Ivanovic is shit defensively.