Chelsea 4 Manchester United 3

[JaneB]

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

The match is scheduled to kick off at 20:15 hours on Thursday, 4th April 2024 (Local UK time/date) (Live on TNT Sports)

[blueboy1905]

Calling it now. We are gonna get spanked.

[Mark Kelly]

If United bring their blind supporters side they'd still beat us .

Ten Hag may be crap but we've got Eleven Hag the human spacehopper.

[Sciatika]

I think we need to go 3 at the back for Thursday with Disasi, Silva and Badiashile and Cucurella RWB.

[Chelsea_Matt]

I think we should play 
 

Petrovic Cech

then get on the phone 

 Clarke JT Lord Percy Azpi Gallas Cahill Le Saux

Makalele Kante

confident we’d get a 0-0.

[Sciatika]

At their ages, I'm not.

[Chelsea_Matt]

21 minutes ago, Sciatika said:

At their ages, I'm not.

Compared to our current “team”, I am.

[Proud-Blue]

On 01/04/2024 at 16:16, Sciatika said:

I think we need to go 3 at the back for Thursday with Disasi, Silva and Badiashile and Cucurella RWB.

Honestly, our defence has been so horrendous over the last few weeks I'm not opposed to a system switch to a back three, regardless of whether it is injury-enforced or not. We'll just have to rely even more on Palmer for creativity. 

It may also allow us to more safely play Silva in the team. I know he's not been faultless, but we need some kind of leadership in defence to stop these ludicrous mistakes. 

[Max Fowler]

Draw

[Max Fowler]

12 minutes ago, Proud-Blue said:

Honestly, our defence has been so horrendous over the last few weeks I'm not opposed to a system switch to a back three, regardless of whether it is injury-enforced or not. We'll just have to rely even more on Palmer for creativity. 

It may also allow us to more safely play Silva in the team. I know he's not been faultless, but we need some kind of leadership in defence to stop these ludicrous mistakes. 

Club won't allow it since his wife spoke out. He is being sidelined.

[Proud-Blue]

1 hour ago, Max Fowler said:

Club won't allow it since his wife spoke out. He is being sidelined.

Do we have direct evidence of that? He's also been injured and on poor form.

[Max Fowler]

14 minutes ago, Proud-Blue said:

Do we have direct evidence of that? He's also been injured and on poor form.

No, I am speculating.

[CarefreeMuratcan]

I was looking at the table (sorry) and what is crazy is we have 2/3 games in hand over most the teams in front of us. So we didn't need to be outstanding, just a little competence and we would be comfortably be in the European places. West Ham are there for goodness sake. But we have been shockingly bad. 

United have been as bad as us I reckon but they have shown that little competence that we have totally lacked which is why they will comfortably get Europe and maybe even outside chance of CL. 

[asvaberg]

7 hours ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

I was looking at the table (sorry) and what is crazy is we have 2/3 games in hand over most the teams in front of us. So we didn't need to be outstanding, just a little competence and we would be comfortably be in the European places. West Ham are there for goodness sake. But we have been shockingly bad. 

United have been as bad as us I reckon but they have shown that little competence that we have totally lacked which is why they will comfortably get Europe and maybe even outside chance of CL. 

Yes, we could be in 7th place IF we win our 2/3 games we have "in hand". With another manager I would look at this as an opportunity. But with the one we have now, my realistic hope is 1 point out of these 3 games. 

[Max Fowler]

There's no secret why West Ham are above us. They have a lot of Premier League experience and a few characters who know how to fight. But they are also still playing in Europe. 

United actually generally play worse than us but they have a higher capacity to win games playing badly, also. because of their experience.

7 hours ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

I was looking at the table (sorry) and what is crazy is we have 2/3 games in hand over most the teams in front of us. So we didn't need to be outstanding, just a little competence and we would be comfortably be in the European places. West Ham are there for goodness sake. But we have been shockingly bad. 

United have been as bad as us I reckon but they have shown that little competence that we have totally lacked which is why they will comfortably get Europe and maybe even outside chance of CL. 

 

[Mark Kelly]

38 minutes ago, Max Fowler said:

There's no secret why West Ham are above us.

 

Spacehopper

[My Blood Is Blue]

With our games in hand we could move up into contention for a European spot, but we’re in 12th for a reason and it’s because we’re so painfully inconsistent and just not very good.

I have no idea what the result will be tomorrow, part of me thinks we’ll be up for it and we’ll get a result and the other part of me expects a horribly comfortable win for Man United.

Presuming Gusto is out, it will either be Disasi, Gilchrist or Cucurella at RB. My guess is he will go with Cucurella.

Petrovic

Cucurella - Disasi - Badiashile - Chilwell

Enzo - Caicedo

Palmer - Gallagher - Mudryk

Jackson

[Mark Kelly]

As Mason Mount walked up the stairs to take his seat in the Old Trafford directors' box ahead of Manchester United's Premier League game against Everton in March, he was met halfway by England assistant manager Steve Holland. It was the 21st consecutive game that Mount had missed due to a calf injury sustained in training during the November international break, and Holland was eager to know how the midfielder, a regular for England when fit, was coping.

"It's been tough," said Mount, reflecting on an enforced absence of more than three months. It was something of an understatement.

In less than a year, he has dealt with: leaving Chelsea, his boyhood club; moving to Manchester, far from friends and family; picking up an injury after just two competitive games; losing his place in Erik ten Hag's team; and suffering a longer, more serious injury setback. Tough, certainly, but bordering on a nightmare for a 25-year-old footballer.

Mount has missed so much football since his £60 million transfer last summer that it prompted a running joke on social media that fans had "forgotten he played for United." Sources have told ESPN that the sentiment hurt Mount, and it wasn't a coincidence that United's social media team posted a picture on the day he returned to training last month.

It's been particularly hard, according to sources, because he'd been so desperate to make a good first impression at his new club. He's often seen stopping his car for autograph hunters as he leaves United's Carrington training ground and, according to one source, raised £20,000 for charity earlier in the season by auctioning off a mascot experience, including the chance to walk out with him before a game at Old Trafford.

According to sources, Mount has found the transition from Chelsea to United difficult to navigate. He's been keen to win over the fans as quickly as possible, while also trying to remain respectful to the Chelsea supporters he left behind.

 

Mount was disappointed by the characterisation that he left Stamford Bridge for financial reasons when, according to multiple sources, the decision was made way above his head.

Chelsea's owners were under pressure to raise money during last summer's transfer window, and as an academy graduate entering the final year of his contract, Mount was viewed as the perfect solution to generate a much-needed cash injection. According to sources, rather than Mount rejecting numerous contract proposals made by the club, Chelsea were inviting offers as early as December 2022.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, according to a source, was in regular contact with Mount from January 2023. At one stage, meanwhile, a source said that talks with Arsenal got so advanced that Mikel Arteta privately told his coaches that a transfer to the Emirates was "a done deal."

A year on, there are similarities with Chelsea's treatment of Conor Gallagher.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has said on numerous occasions that the club want him to stay, but behind the scenes, Chelsea have encouraged interest in the England midfielder, particularly from Tottenham Hotspur. Like Mount, Gallagher will enter the final year of his deal this summer and it remains a possibility that, whether he wants to or not, he might have to leave.

 

Mason Mount has only made seven starts across all competitions since joining Manchester United last summer. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

With Mount's departure from Chelsea still raw, sources say he has purposely done almost no interviews. There is, however, an acceptance that he'll have to address the move at some point soon, if only to ensure that supporters understand his side of the story.

Mount will return to Chelsea for the first time on Thursday, with the possibility that he could get a frosty reception from the same fans who watched him lift the Champions League in 2021 and win Chelsea's player of the year award in 2021 and 2022. He will arrive at Stamford Bridge with at least a chance of starting after coming off the bench for the last 10 minutes at Brentford on Saturday and scoring his first competitive goal since Chelsea's 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in December 2022. If he gets the nod against his former club, it will be first start since November.

 

 

Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag and his staff have been impressed with Mount's determination to get back as quickly as possible.

Despite only having a couple of days of training under his belt, he volunteered to make himself available for the FA Cup tie with Liverpool last month after Casemiro's late withdrawal from the squad. Ten Hag agreed on the understanding Mount wouldn't play but, with the game going to extra time, he was asked to come on for the last 15 minutes to add some much-needed energy in midfield.

Sources have told ESPN that during his injury layoff, Mount asked to be part of team meetings that he wasn't required to attend in an effort to make sure he was up to speed with Ten Hag's instructions and ready to return as soon as possible. It meant long days at Carrington and, according to sources, there were many occasions when he was the last player to leave.

Being on a different training and rehabilitation schedule than his teammates has often made his first year at United a lonely experience. Close family members have made sure they visit him in Manchester every couple of weeks.

Finally fit again and potentially back in the team, there's hope among those closest to Mount that he'll find the end of the season a much easier, and happier, experience than the beginning. He has not given up hope that a late run of form could yet see him force his way back into the England squad (he's not played for his country since the World Cup quarterfinal defeat to France in December 2022) for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer, but first he's aiming to put his difficult start to life at United behind him.

 

 

[My Blood Is Blue]

 

 

[east lower]

34 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

As Mason Mount walked up the stairs to take his seat in the Old Trafford directors' box ahead of Manchester United's Premier League game against Everton in March, he was met halfway by England assistant manager Steve Holland. It was the 21st consecutive game that Mount had missed due to a calf injury sustained in training during the November international break, and Holland was eager to know how the midfielder, a regular for England when fit, was coping.

"It's been tough," said Mount, reflecting on an enforced absence of more than three months. It was something of an understatement.

In less than a year, he has dealt with: leaving Chelsea, his boyhood club; moving to Manchester, far from friends and family; picking up an injury after just two competitive games; losing his place in Erik ten Hag's team; and suffering a longer, more serious injury setback. Tough, certainly, but bordering on a nightmare for a 25-year-old footballer.

Mount has missed so much football since his £60 million transfer last summer that it prompted a running joke on social media that fans had "forgotten he played for United." Sources have told ESPN that the sentiment hurt Mount, and it wasn't a coincidence that United's social media team posted a picture on the day he returned to training last month.

It's been particularly hard, according to sources, because he'd been so desperate to make a good first impression at his new club. He's often seen stopping his car for autograph hunters as he leaves United's Carrington training ground and, according to one source, raised £20,000 for charity earlier in the season by auctioning off a mascot experience, including the chance to walk out with him before a game at Old Trafford.

According to sources, Mount has found the transition from Chelsea to United difficult to navigate. He's been keen to win over the fans as quickly as possible, while also trying to remain respectful to the Chelsea supporters he left behind.

 

Mount was disappointed by the characterisation that he left Stamford Bridge for financial reasons when, according to multiple sources, the decision was made way above his head.

Chelsea's owners were under pressure to raise money during last summer's transfer window, and as an academy graduate entering the final year of his contract, Mount was viewed as the perfect solution to generate a much-needed cash injection. According to sources, rather than Mount rejecting numerous contract proposals made by the club, Chelsea were inviting offers as early as December 2022.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, according to a source, was in regular contact with Mount from January 2023. At one stage, meanwhile, a source said that talks with Arsenal got so advanced that Mikel Arteta privately told his coaches that a transfer to the Emirates was "a done deal."

A year on, there are similarities with Chelsea's treatment of Conor Gallagher.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has said on numerous occasions that the club want him to stay, but behind the scenes, Chelsea have encouraged interest in the England midfielder, particularly from Tottenham Hotspur. Like Mount, Gallagher will enter the final year of his deal this summer and it remains a possibility that, whether he wants to or not, he might have to leave.

Mason Mount has only made seven starts across all competitions since joining Manchester United last summer. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

With Mount's departure from Chelsea still raw, sources say he has purposely done almost no interviews. There is, however, an acceptance that he'll have to address the move at some point soon, if only to ensure that supporters understand his side of the story.

Mount will return to Chelsea for the first time on Thursday, with the possibility that he could get a frosty reception from the same fans who watched him lift the Champions League in 2021 and win Chelsea's player of the year award in 2021 and 2022. He will arrive at Stamford Bridge with at least a chance of starting after coming off the bench for the last 10 minutes at Brentford on Saturday and scoring his first competitive goal since Chelsea's 2-0 win over AFC Bournemouth in December 2022. If he gets the nod against his former club, it will be first start since November.

 

 

Sources have told ESPN that Ten Hag and his staff have been impressed with Mount's determination to get back as quickly as possible.

Despite only having a couple of days of training under his belt, he volunteered to make himself available for the FA Cup tie with Liverpool last month after Casemiro's late withdrawal from the squad. Ten Hag agreed on the understanding Mount wouldn't play but, with the game going to extra time, he was asked to come on for the last 15 minutes to add some much-needed energy in midfield.

Sources have told ESPN that during his injury layoff, Mount asked to be part of team meetings that he wasn't required to attend in an effort to make sure he was up to speed with Ten Hag's instructions and ready to return as soon as possible. It meant long days at Carrington and, according to sources, there were many occasions when he was the last player to leave.

Being on a different training and rehabilitation schedule than his teammates has often made his first year at United a lonely experience. Close family members have made sure they visit him in Manchester every couple of weeks.

Finally fit again and potentially back in the team, there's hope among those closest to Mount that he'll find the end of the season a much easier, and happier, experience than the beginning. He has not given up hope that a late run of form could yet see him force his way back into the England squad (he's not played for his country since the World Cup quarterfinal defeat to France in December 2022) for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer, but first he's aiming to put his difficult start to life at United behind him.

 

 

Hope he has a wonderful time at Man Utd, but I also hope that he trips up the steps coming out of the tunnel and does the ankle again 👿

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, east lower said:

Hope he has a wonderful time at Man Utd, but I also hope that he trips up the steps coming out of the tunnel and does the ankle again 👿

It is concerning the narrative regarding his leaving Chelsea and Gallagher supposedly being offered around , not sure if this is journalistic 2+2 = 5 or theres a modicum of truth in it. 

 

[east lower]

8 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

It is concerning the narrative regarding his leaving Chelsea and Gallagher supposedly being offered around , not sure if this is journalistic 2+2 = 5 or theres a modicum of truth in it. 

 

Could be either way to be honest, who knows what the owners thought processes are?

I’d not be overly concerned about him leaving, if we did get top-dollar for him - which knowing how all interested parties will already be aware of our position and we’ll get low-balled!

He’s gone off the boil a bit, plus as the season is wearing on his limitations are being seen. Don’t get me wrong we’d have been worse off without him, but there’s scenarios that could present themselves where it wouldn’t be a disaster if he went. As regards the latter bit I’d say the same about Enzo to be frank.

However, both would be conditional on having two experienced, quality midfielders to replace them.

[asvaberg]

1 hour ago, east lower said:

Hope he has a wonderful time at Man Utd, but I also hope that he trips up the steps coming out of the tunnel and does the ankle again 👿

I see what you mean but sometimes it is ok too feel sorry for someone. Just like when I found a big, fat Rattus Norvegicus right in the forest path the other day. He was not dead, but he couldn't moved the back part/legs and was clearly in heavy pain. So I felt sorry for him and made sure he went to Rattus-heaven with a knock on his head.

Not sure why this comes to mind when we talk about Mount (or ManUre)

😁

Edited April 3 by asvaberg

[east lower]

19 minutes ago, asvaberg said:

I see what you mean but sometimes it is ok too feel sorry for someone. Just like when I found a big, fat Rattus Norvegicus right in the forest path the other day. He was not dead, but he couldn't moved the back part/legs and was clearly in heavy pain. So I felt sorry for him and made sure he went to Rattus-heaven with a knock on his head.

Not sure why this comes to mind when we talk about Mount (or ManUre)

😁

The Norwegian Brown Rats 🐀 the little beggars. Feed the birds where I am and those blighters follow. Couldn’t and wouldn’t poison them though, even though they do carry the risk of Weil’s disease. There are faster and more humane ways of dealing with them.

Mount - We can but judge him on what we saw and perceived, until or if the truth is ever known - what’s the PC phrase these day’s - their version of the truth 🤐is told. 
 

But, I will listen to your words of wisdom - I hope it’s a slight but meaningful sprain! 😉

[east lower]

2 hours ago, asvaberg said:

I see what you mean but sometimes it is ok too feel sorry for someone. Just like when I found a big, fat Rattus Norvegicus right in the forest path the other day. He was not dead, but he couldn't moved the back part/legs and was clearly in heavy pain. So I felt sorry for him and made sure he went to Rattus-heaven with a knock on his head.

Not sure why this comes to mind when we talk about Mount (or ManUre)

😁

Rattus Norvegicus - Also the title of one of the best punk bands albums in the 1970’s (first one of The Stranglers).

 

Edited April 3 by east lower