Chelsea v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[silhillvilla]

Anyone confident of being able to predict Sherwood's team and tactics for the game?

Are you allowed to field 2 goalkeepers ?

[Risso]

Anyone confident of being able to predict Sherwood's team and tactics for the game?

4-4-hatstand

[adrenachrome]

Chelsea are 1/3 on , we are 15/2 .

Marathon Bet are now offering 10/1 against us according to Oddschecker.

[Villa in Denmark]

I wonder if it is possible that the manager who loses of this game loses his job?

One club would be decisive, the other would dither and procrastinate for weeks.

I think you'd be surprised.

Chelsea have next to nothing to gain by caning Moanrinho now unless they can get Ancelotti back in before someone else nabs him.

There is no way on earth that they're going to win the league and they've got as much chance of going on the sort of run that would get them back into contention for a CL spot under him as anyone else.

Their problems are he'd reckoned on 12 months more from Terry and at least the same from Ivanovic plus, going on apearances, Matic is still celebrating last season.
2 of those problems can't be addressed by a change of manager.  That's a chequebook out in January to alter that.

[Villa in Denmark]

Anyone confident of being able to predict Sherwood's team and tactics for the game?

Are you allowed to field 2 goalkeepers ?

I think he'll go the other way

11-0-0.  No goalkeepers to make us more attacking, but 11 across the back to "make us more solid"

Bacuna-Hutton-Illori-Sanchez-Richards-Okore-Lescott-Clark-Crespo-Richardson-Amavi

[footyskillz]

Wilkins may be able to offer in sight into Chelsea and how they play and what they may do. So all may not be lost as there can be hope as both teams out of form maybe a scrappy 1-0 villa or 0-0

[cheltenhamlion]

Illori?  It lives!

[Goldie.7]

If Gabby, Westwood and N'Zogbia are all in the starting line-up, start making your plans from around 3:25pm because you will NOT need to wait around till 5:34pm.

[Hillbilly]

Goalkeeper
Richards - Not Lescott - Not Lescott - Amavi
Veretout - Sanchez - Gana
Gil - Grealish
Ayew

[postal]

Goalkeeper
Richards - Not Lescott - Not Lescott - Amavi
Veretout - Sanchez - Gana
Gil - Grealish
Ayew

OK team of available players, but there seems to be a gap at the back...  so normal team then 

If the centre mid run and battle, there's a chance.

[martin o`who??]

I`m betting that "The special one" is secretly thinking "Thank God we`re playing the Villa". - basically we`re the go-to club for any manager under pressure, forward who hasn`t scored yet. etc.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I normally put Villa down for a win on the pre match threads, very occasionally a draw, but never a loss.

Except for this one.

[Ads]

I would go with;

Guzan

Amavi, Clark, Crespo, Richards

Veretout, Sanchez, Gana

Traore, Ayew, Grealish

I think he will go with;

Guzan,

Amavi, Lescott, Richards, Crespo

Veretout, Sanchez, Westwood, Gana

Grealish, Gestede

This being a diamond formation in the middle, with Grealish closer to the striker, which I don't think would work. Still, I'm not going to start pouring scorn on something he's not done!

I think we need real pace to punish them at full back, as Ivanovich looks shot. Its critical that we come out with a real tempo and keep them from scoring for as long as possible. You cannot create an atmosphere that works in your favour when you concede in the first couple of minutes like Liverpool.

Chelsea are under huge pressure and there has probably never been a better chance in the past five or six years of going to Stamford Bridge and winning.

[FiveKenMcNaughts]

6-1 home win, 5-0 at half time, they take pity.
Club Statement, 1pm Sunday.

Feeling really confident about this one...

[rob_bridge]

Team pick

Bunn
Steer - just in case
Lescott
Richardson
Hutton
Bacuna
Gil
Sinclair
Gabby
Gestede
Sherwood
Wilkins