Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1

[My Blood Is Blue]

Please use this thread for all posts relating to our Premier League match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge before, during and after the game.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 16:30 hours on Sunday, 13th August 2023 (Local UK time/date) (Live on Sky Sports)

[Blue Moon]

Wouldn't miss this one for the world. Favourite match of the year.

[Mark Kelly]

12 minutes ago, Blue Moon said:

Wouldn't miss this one for the world. Favourite match of the year.

This and Spurs and possibly now Arsenal and Brighton are the games I really want to win each season . 

[Blue Moon]

And of course Wet Spam. Love winning that one. Know a load of Hammers round here, and they really loath it when we win

[My Blood Is Blue]

I go on holiday the day after this one, so I'm hoping I go off with a grin on my face, looking for Liverpool fans around the pool to wind up!

[Thiago97]

3 hours ago, Blue Moon said:

Wouldn't miss this one for the world. Favourite match of the year.

Interesting you say this, cos it is my most hated match of the season. When it came out first game, it really pissed me off. I love the start of the season, the games normally played in sunshine etc and you really want to get off to a good start with a home Saturday kick off at 3pm, 

Sunday 4pm against the team I despise losing to more than any is not how I want to start the season. The only positive is it is gone and out the way.

[Mark Kelly]

9 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

Interesting you say this, cos it is my most hated match of the season. When it came out first game, it really pissed me off. I love the start of the season, the games normally played in sunshine etc and you really want to get off to a good start with a home Saturday kick off at 3pm, 

Sunday 4pm against the team I despise losing to more than any is not how I want to start the season. The only positive is it is gone and out the way.

The biggest issue for me is how often we outplay them but just can't win , grrr!

[Blue Moon]

Oh ye of little faith - just think of what it would be like if we beat them ... 

[MickyDroy]

I think we get beat here. Liverpool have a lot of quality in their side and I think we have left a lot of issues unadressed.

[Ham]

29 minutes ago, MickyDroy said:

I think we get beat here. Liverpool have a lot of quality in their side and I think we have left a lot of issues unadressed.

They've had a lot of upheaval too.  

[Sciatika]

I think it's important that recent arrivals are told how important this game is to the fans. They may know, but there's no harm in reminding them. In my book, it's probably second only to Spurs. It has been since their CEO tried to blame us for Heysel.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Sciatika

[Miguelito07]

2 hours ago, Sciatika said:

I think it's important that recent arrivals are told how important this game is to the fans. 

I think Poch will do this for every match. Such a difference between him and Potter. 

[chara]

Natural OG pessimist but I think Chelsea will not prevail in this fixture..not quite the right area but my forecast is a slow start to the season with much gloom from us regulars but a change about early/mid Sept and a decent season from there on.

[Ham]

1 minute ago, chara said:

Natural OG pessimist but I think Chelsea will not prevail in this fixture..not quite the right area but my forecast is a slow start to the season with much gloom from us regulars but a change about early/mid Sept and a decent season from there on.

Funnily enough I'm of the opposite opinion.  I think we'll win this and the next 5 or 6 before clubs suss us out a bit.  

Then there's November/December but maybe that annual horror show was just reserved for the previous group of players.  

[chara]

4 minutes ago, Ham said:

Funnily enough I'm of the opposite opinion.  I think we'll win this and the next 5 or 6 before clubs suss us out a bit.  

Then there's November/December but maybe that annual horror show was just reserved for the previous group of players.  

Hard to disagree but I'm hoping The Poch new broom will confuse other clubs and all the new names will be hard for coaches to quote pre match tactic talking!

My main wish is for dignity and pride in the shirt...as ever always hate losing but go down fighting not just whimping away .

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, chara said:

 

My main wish is for dignity and pride in the shirt...as ever always hate losing but go down fighting not just whimping away .

In a nutshell.

Showing a bit of fight and desire and generally the crowd will be behind you .

The mindset is already changing which is great to see , Enzo for instance said that with the new coach there is a new focus , to win the league !

[Ham]

Dippers shipping goals. Issues on the right side of their defence. 

Mudryk must be licking his lips. 

 

[chrisb]

I know them losing today has no bearing on our game against them but just seeing them lose makes my day.

[Blue Moon]

6 hours ago, Sciatika said:

I think it's important that recent arrivals are told how important this game is to the fans. They may know, but there's no harm in reminding them. In my book, it's probably second only to Spurs. It has been since their CEO tried to blame us for Heysel.

For me, it's been since their supporters marched up the Fulham Road singing IRA marching songs, and we were criticized by the police for suggesting in song that they return to their desirable residences in the North-West, and highlighting (also in song) their homicidal practices - while apologizing that they couldn't do anything about the Scousers as there were too many of them (about 2-300). God help the Met if there is ever a riot in London.

16 minutes ago, chrisb said:

I know them losing today has no bearing on our game against them but just seeing them lose makes my day.

Put a smile on my face, that's a fact ...

[jasonb]

1 hour ago, Blue Moon said:

For me, it's been since their supporters marched up the Fulham Road singing IRA marching songs, and we were criticized by the police for suggesting in song that they return to their desirable residences in the North-West, and highlighting (also in song) their homicidal practices - while apologizing that they couldn't do anything about the Scousers as there were too many of them (about 2-300). God help the Met if there is ever a riot in London.

What season was that?

[chara]

13 minutes ago, jasonb said:

What season was that?

Take your pick!

[My Blood Is Blue]

Well, it wouldn't be a Chelsea match without having at least one player to sweat over the fitness of, Nkunku... will he or won't he? I'm presuming he will be fit and therefore I expect the lineup for this match to be:

Kepa

James (c)  -  Silva  -  Colwill  -  Chilwell

Gallagher  -  Enzo

Sterling*  -  Nkunku  -  Mudryk

Jackson

 

*I'd rather he wasn't playing, but with Madueke injured and the other options lacking a lot of experience, I think Poch will go for someone who knows the league.

[Miguelito07]

48 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Well, it wouldn't be a Chelsea match without having at least one player to sweat over the fitness of, Nkunku... will he or won't he? I'm presuming he will be fit and therefore I expect the lineup for this match to be:

Kepa

James (c)  -  Silva  -  Colwill  -  Chilwell

Gallagher  -  Enzo

Sterling*  -  Nkunku  -  Mudryk

Jackson

 

*I'd rather he wasn't playing, but with Madueke injured and the other options lacking a lot of experience, I think Poch will go for someone who knows the league.

I think Gusto will start

[chiswickblue]

1 hour ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

Well, it wouldn't be a Chelsea match without having at least one player to sweat over the fitness of, Nkunku... will he or won't he? I'm presuming he will be fit and therefore I expect the lineup for this match to be:

Kepa

James (c)  -  Silva  -  Colwill  -  Chilwell

Gallagher  -  Enzo

Sterling*  -  Nkunku  -  Mudryk

Jackson

 

*I'd rather he wasn't playing, but with Madueke injured and the other options lacking a lot of experience, I think Poch will go for someone who knows the league.

Gallagher may be our oldest CM, but do you really think he's the best fit alongside Enzo? In a 4231 I think that Gallagher leaves too many gaps to play at no.6. Santos may be very young but he looks the best suited to the no.6 role alongside Enzo that we have at the moment - which says something about our midfield recruitment! Gallagher, Casadei and Chukwuemeka all look better at no.8, so in this formation they are only really reserve no.10 options. Lewis Hall hasn't really been given a go in midfield and it sounds like he'll be on loan in the Championship. 

Otherwise we wait and see if Ugochukwa is the missing piece in the jigsaw, or if we will sign someone else.

[My Blood Is Blue]

2 hours ago, chiswickblue said:

Gallagher may be our oldest CM, but do you really think he's the best fit alongside Enzo? In a 4231 I think that Gallagher leaves too many gaps to play at no.6. Santos may be very young but he looks the best suited to the no.6 role alongside Enzo that we have at the moment - which says something about our midfield recruitment! Gallagher, Casadei and Chukwuemeka all look better at no.8, so in this formation they are only really reserve no.10 options. Lewis Hall hasn't really been given a go in midfield and it sounds like he'll be on loan in the Championship. 

Otherwise we wait and see if Ugochukwa is the missing piece in the jigsaw, or if we will sign someone else.

Do I think he's the best fit in the 2 alongside Enzo? No, probably not, but as you say it's slim pickings at the moment. What I will say is that Gallagher has the most experience out of the options we have and he also knows the league and club better than the rest as well. We're going to have quite a few new starters in this match, so I think where he can Poch will pick players that understand the league.

2 hours ago, Miguelito07 said:

I think Gusto will start

I'm not sure he will, based on the reasons above. I think he'll probably come on as I don't think James will have a full 90 in him, but Poch will want to start with our strongest team against Liverpool.