Chelsea (A) pre match

[Deeg67]

5 hours ago, Silva Fox said:

Need a good start, get the fans on their backs.

Not starting two holding midfielders would be a big help with that.

[themightyfin]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

I am calm my FFS was in response to yours. I’ve also had a few agree with me.

 

I'm saying mainly in response to those predicting a big win that after today’s showing they need to find their shooting boots because with Vardy hardly getting a look in and the rest just shooting blanks we aren’t going to be racking up the goals. FFS!!!

Yes. We all saw what you said! Each to their own. 

[Wymsey]

Iirc, believe LCFC have quite a poor record at Stamford Bridge over the past few decades (?).

Hope the curse is erased further in a week's time.

[TeaMen Tom]

I will be seeing the Foxes in person for the first time at this one. They can't lose! 

[reynard]

If we play like we did against Wolves then the best we can hope for is 0-0.

 

 

[Tom12345]

My preferred lineup which will surely be different to Rodgers:

 

Schmeichel

 

Pereira Soyuncu Evans Fuchs

 

Albrighton Ndidi Tielemans Barnes

 

Perez

 

Vardy

 

Subs: Ward, Chilwell, Amartey, Maddison, Hamza, Praet, Nachos

 

[Tom12345]

6 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

Not starting two holding midfielders would be a big help with that.

I think Hamza was meant to operate much further forward to press high but also to go back to help Ndidi out with possession once Ndidi wins the ball back. I suppose Maddison or Tielemans can do that too but this would restrict their freedom up front.

 

If Rodgers want to continue to play that tactically, perhaps he can also try Silva or Praet?

[st albans fox]

Surely we will be more conservative at Chelsea than we were yesterday .........against teams we expect to be competing with at the top end, we can not afford to lose. I think yesterday showed how intent we are on making it into that top 6. I would expect a similar approach or even preat I/o Perez. Yesterday,  Chelsea were closing down and pressing a lot more than last season. They ran out of gas  but will be fitter next weekend. 

[Deeg67]

1 hour ago, Tom12345 said:

I think Hamza was meant to operate much further forward to press high but also to go back to help Ndidi out with possession once Ndidi wins the ball back. I suppose Maddison or Tielemans can do that too but this would restrict their freedom up front.

 

If Rodgers want to continue to play that tactically, perhaps he can also try Silva or Praet?

I think it would work better with either guy, because both of them are always looking to play the ball forward. Hamza just doesn’t do that at this point- his instinct is to bunt the ball back to one of his defenders. Two guys doing that is an obvious problem.

[ultrafox]

The game can't come soon enough!  I'm getting withdrawal symptoms already!

 

I wish we had a midweek game this week!

[Buzzell]

They looked crap against Utd but it was the first game back. Taking any points from Stamford bridge would be a good result.

[RowlattsFox]

We need to be braver and play Ndidi or Choudhury. Tielemans is better in a deeper role, he isn't a number 10. Barnes in for Choudhury to begin with. 

 

Even go with diamond of Ndidi, Praet, Tielemans and Maddison if you want to try it. Either way though we only need one enforcer. 

 

We will definitely be more of a threat away from home. Got to get the balance right and hopefully that comes as season progresses. 

 

 

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Do we soak up the pressure and hit them on the counter or take the game to them? 

 

Will be be interesting to see

[Johnthefoxrayner]

14 hours ago, Suzie the Fox said:

Would be happy with a draw away from home against a top 6 club. But if the players are more upto scratch than they were today and based on Chelsea's performance v Man Utd we could quite conceivably win. 

They didn't look like a top 6club yesterday, they were dreadful, 3points for the foxes next week, when we play them, 

[Fox42]

Can see this being another 0-0 yet that of a different kind in terms of match performance. 

[Nicolo Barella]

12 hours ago, That_Dude said:

Saw the highlights and they were truly awful at the back even if they hit they the woodwork twice. The Christensen-Zouma pairing was a disaster and they should never have let Luiz go. We could get a good result if they play like this.

 

That said Rüdiger, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi and Willian will be back next week and Kanté will play the whole game, so...

Loftus-Cheek is out until November at least, and Hudson-Odoi won't be ready either. 

 

That said, the two big ones are Rudiger and Kante. If even one doesn't start next week, I think we're in with a real chance. 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

This won't be a walk in the park like some are saying. Chelsea hit the post twice in the first half and were on top against United until the second goal went in, at which point they fell apart. If we win it will have to be a bit of a smash 'n' grab, like last season.

[Nicolo Barella]

That Diamond/shit 4-3-3 really didn't work out. No width at all. It's not fair to expect Chilwell to hold down the entire left flank, providing offensive width and covering for Soyuncu (Ricardo can do it but he's one of the best RBs in the world). I wouldn't mind if we started with Hamza/Ndidi in midfield again (worked a charm last year against big teams) but Maddison can't start on the wing. Has to be Albrighton or Barnes. 

[That_Dude]

1 minute ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Loftus-Cheek is out until November at least, and Hudson-Odoi won't be ready either. 

 

That said, the two big ones are Rudiger and Kante. If even one doesn't start next week, I think we're in with a real chance. 

I thought they were already fit, my bad then.

 

They're going to play imo unless Lampard wants to lose his job in September. It won't be the same team that played against MU and they'll be seeking for revenge after the OT trashing. We still can get something if Lampard keeps on being that tactically naive.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Brendan is streets ahead of Lampard tactically, but they still have a very good squad. 

 

Not winning yesterday means we need to get something here, 1 point from 2 games isn't a good look even if it is from tricky opening fixtures. 

[Bert]

9 hours ago, Wymeswold fox said:

Iirc, believe LCFC have quite a poor record at Stamford Bridge over the past few decades (?).

Hope the curse is erased further in a week's time.

2 wins there this millennium I believe. Both wins came keeping a clean sheet. 

 

They're there for the taking there’s no doubt about that. Imagine they’ll go all guns blazing with it being Lampard’s first home game in charge. 

[Ric Flair]

I think Praet will come in for this which hopefully will mean we shift Maddison back inside along with Tielemans in their usual role. Praet can operate as a narrow left sided midfielder and tick the diamond box for Brendan. We cannot leave Chilwell to conjure up all attacks down that left side, it would be ok if he was as good as Ricardo but he isn't, it's leaving us totally inept down one side of the pitch. This isn't an overreaction after one game, we saw it numerous times last season when Puel tried it and then Rodgers has seemingly taken over the baton after a superb first 7-8 games.

 

Harvey Barnes performance yesterday was so refreshing to see, I felt he ended last season a bit meekly and you sensed Rodgers wasn't quite as enamoured with him as Puel had been. He's now being challenged to earn his spot and I hope he forces his way in, we badly need his movement and ability to play wide left and drift across the forward line, he should suit Rodgers fluid style where his attacking midfielders all interchange. I noticed his first touch seems to be improving too in pre-season, this is key for him under Rodgers as he must be able to play those fast one two's.

 

Schmeichel

 

Ricardo

Evans

Boss Man (Soyuncu)

Chilwell

 

Ndidi

 

Perez

Tielemans

Maddison

Praet

 

Vardy

[Guest]

They could have been 3 up at half time. If they get an early goal against us I think you'll see a very different Chelsea team to that second half side.

 

Hopefully Zouma is their CB again.

 

Hopefully Kanté can't play - but I bet he does.

 

A point away a Chelsea would be a better result than 3 points at home to Wolves.

 

Liklihood is we'll only have 1 point after 2 games but I'll go for a 0-2 victory in the hope that we can score first.

[sacreblueits442]

37 minutes ago, Bob Weasel Fox said:

Do we soak up the pressure and hit them on the counter or take the game to them? 

 

Will be be interesting to see

.. I really do not think that we are in any way looking to play the counter attack. 

  What was second nature to us has gone and we are a more pragmatic team. We have changed our style and with this certain aspect of our play has now been side lined. 

 The Vardy press has been curtailed, Hamzas' energy restrained (all things that lifts a team, when in action). We can't have both as they require two different discipline, but we needed to step up a gear but couldn't find that crucial moment within the game. 

[sdb]

I'd play the same system as yesterday tbh. Think we'll get a lot more counter attacking joy out of a more expansive, attacking opposition.