Chelsea 2 Borussia Dortmund 0 (2 - 1 on aggregate)

[ROTG]

2 hours ago, boratsbrother said:

Forfana, and others we signed this season are players we brought to develop over the next few years,  not to solve shortcomings in the team this season.

Correct, hence why he is not in the CL squad. 

Edited March 5, 2023 by ROTG

[Original 21]

11 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I hope that Potter sticks with 3 at the back; it makes are more solid at the back, especially without Silva and it also gives us back Chilwell and James as attacking threats, which is one of the biggest strengths of our squad. Hopefully, James is fit to play this one. Sadly, I guess we have no choice but to play Havertz again, because we can’t throw Fofana into this one.

Kepa

Chalobah - Koulibaly - Fofana

James - Kovacic - Enzo - Chilwell

Sterling - Havertz - Felix

If James is fit I expect this could be right. I thought Kovacic playing deeper to Enzo worked quite well yesterday. Chilwell was very good and Sterling was lively. Not sure if Mount is fit whether Potter will try and accommodate him somehow. 

[JaneB]

@Bob Singleton

@ROTG

Be nice 😉

 

[Ham]

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-fc-kai-havertz-graham-potter-borussia-dortmund-b1064829.html?s=09

Talks like Havertz is untouchable.

[kev61]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-fc-kai-havertz-graham-potter-borussia-dortmund-b1064829.html?s=09

Talks like Havertz is untouchable.

Talks like he is stating the obvious.Nobody suggested Havertz was solely responsible for lack of goals,but he is a contributing factor.

Give someone else a chance Graham - I promise no-one will hold it against you.

[Michael Tucker]

18 minutes ago, kev61 said:

Give someone else a chance Graham - I promise no-one will hold it against you.

Well they will, as we all know. Doesn't change the obvious - that Havertz is poor.

[kev61]

God only knows what's going to happen in this game.A couple of weeks ago I thought I could see green shoots - now it's giving me(more) grey hairs.

Honestly speaking,if we don't give a good account of ourselves  I will stop watching our games until we improve dramatically.

Maybe I'm a super leftie,but I can't abide the money in football.

[FrankLampard8]

7 hours ago, kev61 said:

Maybe I'm a super leftie,but I can't abide the money in football.

Genuine question, how do you feel about the money in movies and music? 

I always find it odd when people moan about footballer's being paid too much. Football generates that amount of money and it has to go somewhere. I would much rather it end up in the pockets of the players who are the talent and largely working class boys who worked hard to get where they are than to the already rich owners and companies involved at the top.

[asvaberg]

My thinking hat says:

                          Kepa

        Fofana - KK - Chalobah

RLC(unless James is fit).....Chilwell

       Enzo - Kovacic - Zakaria

              Havertz - Felix

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by asvaberg

[CarefreeMuratcan]

16 minutes ago, asvaberg said:

My thinking hat says:

                          Kepa

        Fofana - KK - Chalobah

RLC(unless James is fit).....Chilwell

       Enzo - Kovacic - Zakaria

              Havertz - Felix

 

I'm certainly James is fit, and was rested on Saturday for this game. 

[martin1905]

Champions league qualification is so important to the club for the revenue it brings in but to us fans it's all about games like this one, the mid week match days, under the lights, normally a better atmosphere, some of the best performances we have ever produced, playing Europe's elite. It's what we live for as fans. It's why we go all over the country and Europe, spending thousands every year. It's what it's all about.

And yet I don't even want to go.

We face a team that has won 11 in a row and  sit joint top of the Bundesliga.

We have just about done enough to avoid relegation. It would be so Chelsea to turn them over yet there really is no chance, which is a real shame. 

 

[asvaberg]

3 minutes ago, martin1905 said:

We have just about done enough to avoid relegation. It would be so Chelsea to turn them over yet there really is no chance, which is a real shame. 

 

 

Oh, we can if we play Felix up front with Havertz 🙂

[martin1905]

12 minutes ago, asvaberg said:

Oh, we can if we play Felix up front with Havertz 🙂

I'm not sure playing two players upfront together that don't score or assist is the answer.

It's a real shame we haven't done more to get Mudryk up to speed for this game. The thinking behind the switch to 4231 with Mudryk and Sterling either side of Felix made a lot of sense and was exciting yet Mudryk has hardly played the last three games. 

It could have really worked, if not Mudryk then Madueke on the right and Sterling on the left. The last three games has seen one of Ziyech, Mount and Felix playing one of the wide roles. 

That system with quick wide players, supported by two of the best full backs in the world, with Havertz and Felix interchanging through the middle had a lot of potential and would have made a lot of sense against Dortmund who do not do well against a high press with relentless pressure coming from out wide. 

[Mark Kelly]

2 minutes ago, martin1905 said:

I'm not sure playing two players upfront together that don't score or assist is the answer.

It's a real shame we haven't done more to get Mudryk up to speed for this game. The thinking behind the switch to 4231 with Mudryk and Sterling either side of Felix made a lot of sense and was exciting yet Mudryk has hardly played the last three games. 

It could have really worked, if not Mudryk then Madueke on the right and Sterling on the left. The last three games has seen one of Ziyech, Mount and Felix playing one of the wide roles. 

That system with quick wide players, supported by two of the best full backs in the world, with Havertz and Felix interchanging through the middle had a lot of potential and would have made a lot of sense against Dortmund who do not do well against a high press with relentless pressure coming from out wide. 

A coach who claims to be building for the future persevering with players who won't be part of the future to the detriment of those that will , the crazy crazy world of  Graham Potter

[asvaberg]

@martin1905 So your ideal lineup with our current available squad is:

                        Kepa

James - Fofana - KK - Chilwell

             Enzo - Kovacic  

   Mudryk -  Felix-   Sterling

                     Havertz

 

I don't see us score 2 or more goals with this either, unfortunately.

This is a cup game - we need to score 2 more than them.

We don't need a manager in post-match interview excuse himself with "phrases". If we're out, we're out - of the most important of our tournaments this sesaon. Exit is failure - season end  and what we then have to fight for is to avoid relegation. 

He has to leave, really.

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by asvaberg

[CarefreeMuratcan]

35 minutes ago, martin1905 said:

Champions league qualification is so important to the club for the revenue it brings in but to us fans it's all about games like this one, the mid week match days, under the lights, normally a better atmosphere, some of the best performances we have ever produced, playing Europe's elite. It's what we live for as fans. It's why we go all over the country and Europe, spending thousands every year. It's what it's all about.

And yet I don't even want to go.

The Leeds result has given me confidence. I very much am excited about going. Going with my Dad. It's bringing back all the goosebumps and memories of Stamford Bridge CL games of this magnitude I have gone to in the past going back to my teenage years in the 00s, to my early adulthood in the 10s, to now being a married man in the 20s decade. 

Arsenal 2004, Monaco 2004, Barcelona 2005, Munich 2005, Liverpool 2005, Liverpool 2007, Liverpool 2008, Benfica 2012, Galatasaray 2014, PSG 2015, PSG 2016, Barcelona 2018. All the nostalgia, all the emotions, the atmosphere of the Bridge, the lights contrasted with the pitch black sky. Even the games we have lost are more memorable to me than hum drum league games we have won. There is something special in the air with competitive Champions League knockout games, something very special indeed. 

It's a very different era to those previous occasions. But the supporters are still here and on these nights the atmosphere at the Bridge is transcendental, and I'm sure it will be again tomorrow night (we certainly will be trying near the front of the MHL). 

[asvaberg]

I wish I shared your optimism, @CarefreeMuratcan 🙂

[Mark Kelly]

3 minutes ago, asvaberg said:

I wish I shared your optimism, @CarefreeMuratcan 🙂

Reading @CarefreeMuratcan posts is the only thing that give's me hope these days !

[Rob B]

1 hour ago, CarefreeMuratcan said:

I'm certainly James is fit, and was rested on Saturday for this game. 

Sterling has to play for me.   I'd go....

                                                            Kepa

                                Fofana   Koulibaly  Chalobah 

                    James          Kovacic          Enzo          Chilwell 

                                   Sterling    Felix   Mudryk

[martin1905]

1 hour ago, asvaberg said:

@martin1905 So your ideal lineup with our current available squad is:

                        Kepa

James - Fofana - KK - Chilwell

             Enzo - Kovacic  

   Mudryk -  Felix-   Sterling

                     Havertz

Something close to that, yes.

1 hour ago, asvaberg said:

 

I don't see us score 2 or more goals with this either, unfortunately.

I don't see us scoring  2 or more goals in any game with any lineup under this manager.

1 hour ago, asvaberg said:

This is a cup game - we need to score 2 more than them.

We don't need a manager in post-match interview excuse himself with "phrases". If we're out, we're out - of the most important of our tournaments this sesaon. Exit is failure - season end  and what we then have to fight for is to avoid relegation. 

He has to leave, really.

 

100%

Edited March 6, 2023 by martin1905

[Bob Singleton]

From the press conference:

Pulisic in the squad, Reece James trained and a decision to be made tomorrow, but too early to see a return of N'Golo Kanté

[chara]

Somehow of late all and any necessary forays and important future appointments seem to unerringly coincide with a Chelsea game.

T'was so on Saturday and again for this game...and aside..watching the second half later Saturday evening I was reminded of a school playground full of enthusiastic kids playing "crowd" football.

Cleverly though thanks to my humble request  Mrs C has rearranged the Vet appointment to 4-10 pm giving a good margin of time from the end of the game at approximately 2-45pm...... my smugness faded somewhat as I realised it is a Cup game and I assume extra time and penalties could feature.?...lost track of all the competition rule "adjustments"..still extra time played?..or straight to pens?

Good sense or leaving myself open for another gut punch?

[Bob Singleton]

20 minutes ago, chara said:

[SNIP]

my smugness faded somewhat as I realised it is a Cup game and I assume extra time and penalties could feature.?...lost track of all the competition rule "adjustments"..still extra time played?..or straight to pens?

[SNIP]

Yes, extra time, then pens if still level.

Havertz is  our main penalty taker now that Jorginho has left (announced in the press conference today), along with confirmation that the players have all been practising penalties in training 🙄

[Sciatika]

I have often thought it odd that a manager rules anyone out. Why would you do that? Surely you want to keep the opposition guessing even if some of those guesses are obvious. 

[chara]

3 hours ago, Bob Singleton said:

Yes, extra time, then pens if still level.

Havertz is  our main penalty taker now that Jorginho has left (announced in the press conference today), along with confirmation that the players have all been practising penalties in training 🙄

Again..makes a lot of sense to let everyone know who the penalty taker will be now...unless of course it's a bluff to throw off the opposition..or maybe it is H and it's a double bluff ..they think it's a bluff but it's not or perhaps it IS a bluff and it's really Kepa or that's a suggestion but a bluff and really it's...ahh ... ..the way to madness..my head hurts now.