That is of course the problem with the Europa League, but it’s a problem that will have to be managed if we are try and replicate what we achieved last season.
I’m not talking in terms of the result at Stamford Bridge, although another 2-0 win would be very welcome indeed, but I mean generally. The Europa League can take it’s toll on a squad over the course of a season, but with nine changes made for the match and a whole host of key players left out of the squad altogether I’m hopeful that, at least for now anyway, the impact of trip will be minimal on our squad.
I guess we haven’t got long to find out just how fatigued our squad is but at this early juncture of the season I wouldn’t be overly pleased to hear it as an excuse for an awful performance should one transpire at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. Hopefully that won’t be the case anyway…
Enough waffle. Team news, as ever will be published below as and when it becomes available, and if you happen to stumble upon any streams of the match then please feel free to accidentally post a link to it in the comments section below.
Let’s do this.
Howay the lads!
Chelsea: Petr Cech; Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Ashley Cole; John Obi Mikel, Raul Meireles; Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Ryan Bertrand; Fernando Torres
Subs: Ross Turnbull, Michael Essien, Oriol Romeu, Frank Lampard, Ramires, Oscar, Daniel Sturridge
Newcastle: Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon; Hatem Ben Arfa, Yohan Cabaye, Vurnon Anita, Jonas Gutierrez; Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse
Subs: Steve Harper, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Sylvain Marveaux, Romain Amalfitano, Gabriel Obertan, Ryan Taylor.
were gonna get hit on the break a lot in this half
M(Quote)
very difficult for Benny he is playing alone. Cisse is really poor Simpson very poor especially in pass and cross
HBA39(Quote)
nice try benny
kimtoon(Quote)
GET IN !!!!!!
(just practissing for when we score. 😳 )
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
wow man, we lost the ball there and there was just a HUGE gap in our centre mid… 😯
Munich Mag(Quote)
He is really the best player in the pitch,
HBA39(Quote)
Jonas should of slotted that through for Ba who was free there.
kimtoon(Quote)
cisse doing some stupid stuff
HBA39(Quote)
Why simpson continues with this long ball for noone
HBA39(Quote)
Howay Pardew make the change man. Obertan on, Cisse off, HBA pushed 20 metres further forward. HBA is being stifled sitting on top of Simmo… 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿 👿
Munich Mag(Quote)
wtf this is awful
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Sorry like, but Simmo has absolutely nothing to add going forward. 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
A few real sloppy balls are breaking down our attacks 👿
Big Dave(Quote)
cant make any changes ’til at least 60th min.
Pardews Law 👿
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Spineless and devoid of any kind of enthusiasm…
Munich Mag(Quote)
Still masters of the poor corner 😉
Newkie(Quote)
fucking crappy corners and crosses!
M(Quote)
cabayes corners are *****
Big Dave(Quote)
Chelsea are no great shakes either, that’s the pisser… We have shot ourselves in the foot so many times today… 👿
Munich Mag(Quote)
Deary me wtf is going on with cabayes corners ❓
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
telt ya, we need Raylor on NOW
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
and again! **** me sideways
M(Quote)
Typical toon, stutter, stutter, pass the ball backwards, stutter stutter… 😥
Munich Mag(Quote)
442 has to go ,don’t care how much it upsets Ba. We are losing anyway so nowt to lose by changing it.
kimtoon(Quote)
yes at last Raylor coming on 😆
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Every decent attack comes down the left.
Right side is impotent.
JJ(Quote)
almost bought a pen there did wor benny
M(Quote)
come on Benny lad keep it up now
The only one of wor lads with any spark of flair
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Raylor THANK GOD
kimtoon(Quote)
GET HBA FURTHER UP THE PITCH YOU CRETIN ….
Munich Mag(Quote)
Ben Arfa has been incredible this second half… Best on the pitch for eitherside.
JJ(Quote)
Taylor’s distribution with head and foot has been **** today
M(Quote)
Benny needs to take a leaf out of Torres book and go down next time he’s touched in the box. 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
can Bertrand deliver all Chelsea’s crosses please
M(Quote)
Cisse’s passing is bad
Big Dave(Quote)
JJ….I’m afraid the commentators have decided today is Hazard’s day. Even though HBA has been excellent. 👿
Munich Mag(Quote)
Is it me or is Cisse well off the boil like. 😕
kimtoon(Quote)
big chance. Papiss way off form
M(Quote)
cisse should have scored AGAIN wtf he is so poor today
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
that was fucking clumsy Jonas
M(Quote)
ha ha shyte
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Sorry like, but we have been poor both games so far this season. Today we have been outthunk by Chelsea. They are nothing special…
Munich Mag(Quote)
just a **** coloccini
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Nope Kimtoon, you are spot on, look at Hazard and Torres movement compared with Cisse and Ba, we are not at the races.
ash1001(Quote)
Well we’ve done better in the second half. Too many players not performing. To get something at Stamford Bridge everyone needs to be on their game, and players like Jonas and Cisse most definitely aren’t!
toonsy(Quote)
Cisse’s other attributes have always been average, hence why 4-3-3 where he doesn’t need to pass much suits him so well. He is on poor form though.
Newkie(Quote)
agree MM, considering Roaman Abram has spent more than £1Bn on players since taking over, they are really just average.
We on the other hand are way below average 👿
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
still think if we get a goal and a bit of spark we could get back in this, but to me the only player showing a bit of spark is Benny
Big Dave(Quote)
We are playing with 2 ghosts upfront. Very difficult and Anita in invisible to
HBA39(Quote)
Does anyone think playing both Ba and Cisse, restricts Benny, seems to be that way today.
ash1001(Quote)
As bad as some may say we have been, I’ve seen quite a few things to be positive about.
What’s blatantly clear though is that we have no strength in depth
Desperately need one more striker/winger and a central defender.
Remy and Douglas please.
JJ(Quote)
marveaux on for santon
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Jonas pisses me off when he falls to the ground all the time.
JJ(Quote)
Santone coming off for Mareaux. Man oh man… cannot work that one out unfortunately… 😕
Munich Mag(Quote)
sticking with this 4-4-2 tho
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Pards must see this doesn’t work so why persist with it 😕 We didn’t look overly sharp against Spurs until we changed it either .
kimtoon(Quote)
Thunder and lightening ,lets hope Hazard and Torres get struck then 😉 😈
kimtoon(Quote)
perchino on for cabaye
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Douglas was **** through the week. its pace and movement we are short of + plus a bit of flair, cos other than Benny we are struggling.
ash1001(Quote)
would be nice if we had some other strikers so we could make a change up front
M(Quote)
Cabaye off for Perch…. the plot thickens… ❓
Munich Mag(Quote)
Jonas very stupid there
HBA39(Quote)
Much rather take Jonas off than Santon.
JJ(Quote)
mm ,think that’s cause of Cabs knee like.
kimtoon(Quote)
close. good save Krul
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Sorry like, I know I shouldn’t be too disappointed cos Chelsea at home are on paper a tough nut to crack. But we have shown nothing at all. Toothless and lacklustre up front, with our midfield and back four run ragged.
Munich Mag(Quote)
Kim that’s all we need Cabaye cream crackered… 🙁
Munich Mag(Quote)
what is that Anita?????
HBA39(Quote)
Chelsea are a proper disciplined side, everyone behind the ball when not in possession and unfortunately we’ve only really got one player who can actually break a defence.
Newkie(Quote)
Newcastle are just so slow, laborious and predictable. Boring football.
Munich Mag(Quote)
could play all weekend and still never get a goal.
👿
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Agreed Newkie…
Munich Mag(Quote)
**** that was our last chance I think
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Terrible scuff, terrible follow up. Should have scored.
Newkie(Quote)
SHITTT WHAT was that Demba Ba bigggggg misssss
HBA39(Quote)