Chelsea V. Liverpool *1st Leg*

Quote:

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Damien Duff will be absent from the Champions League semi-final first leg but William Gallas returns.

Duff’s slight hamstring injury means Eidur Gudjohnsen pushes forward to join Damien Drogba and Joe Cole in attack. That leaves a space for Tiago to come into midfield. Arjen Robben will begin the game on the bench.

Gallas has recovered from the back injury that forced him to miss the Fulham game and will play left-back.

Milan Baros is considered fit enough to start for Liverpool having come off in their last game with a knee injury. He is expected to play as a lone striker in front of a five man midfield that will be anchored by Igor Biscan with Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard pushing forward in central positions.

Harry Kewell returns to an attack-minded substitute bench after a lengthy absence through injury.


Chelsea are expected play in a 4-3-3 formation as follows:



1 Petr Cech
2 Glen Johnson
6 Ricardo Carvalho
26 John Terry (c)
13 William Gallas
30 Tiago
4 Claude Makelele
8 Frank Lampard
22 Eidur Gudjohnsen
15 Didier Drogba
10 Joe Cole

Substitutes: 23 Carlo Cudicini, 29 Robert Huth, 14 Gérémi, 5 Alexey Smertin, 16 Arjen Robben, 9 Mateja Kezman, 24 Mikael Forssell.


Liverpool are expected to line-up in a 4-5-1 formation as follows:

Subs: Dudek; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traoré; Garcia, Alonso, Biscan, Gerrard, Riise; Baros.

Subs: Carson, Warnock, Nunez, Smicer, Le Tallec, Kewell, Cissé,

The referee is Alain Sars of France.

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Its on CoolStrean (Guangdong Sports) but for some reason i couldnt even get ESPN to open up :blink: .

Either way im hoping for a Chelsea win at the Bridge, maybe 3-1, its a shame about Duff and i would have though Robben would have started but Joses the manager and not me.

Dam i missed this. I got an alarm call out at work half way throught the first half.:strop:

i didn't watch it either, but apparently Gerrard guffed in Lampard's face, whilst shouting: "i'm England's number one midfielder!"

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...rdgetty203.jpg

nah, i'm just yanking your crank, in the picture Frank is just thinking about Cisse's wonky leg

I had the misfortune of watching this drivel. I suppose in the next leg both teams will need to attack and it might be a bit more watchable but I have a sneaking suspicion that Liverpool will be content to sit back, again, and let Chelsea come at them - making for another snorefest 'cos Chelsea like to do the same thing when playing away.

I'm supporting PSV anyway, the least boring team left in the competition :01:

it was drama, luckily i only watched the game while doing some other stuff....
So boring British football... it's time they throw out the french/portugese/spanish and italian coaches it's sad they spoil the once so exciting british soccer...


BBBOOOOORRRRIIING.

i agree with Manker that PSV is the less boring team left. That game (AC Milan - PSV) had, thanks to PSV, some exciting moments. :)

I hadn't thought of it like that - but it does seem as if the foreign coaches over here are making their teams play ultra-defensively :ermm:

Have to exclude Wenger 'cos Arsenal are good to watch, definitely can't say that about Chelsea nor Liverpool - but then it probably explains why both teams are left in the competition while United and Arsenal are knocked out.

Bah!

I disagree with all the Chelsea are so boring and defensive. If anything they are a few midfield team. There defence is solid as a rawk, but the midfield (Robben, Cole, Lampard, Duff) are all attacking players. Gudjohnson is a very good forward, Drogba has been a real disappointment. But for me one of the best players of the season who will never win an award is Claude Mackelele. He has held the Chelsea midfield together, as Terry, Bridge, Lampard, Duff, Robben, Cole, Gudjohnson & Ferera push forward he stays back and is one of the best tacklers in the game. He is also a very fair player, no diving no fouling no miss play. Right now he is up there with the best players in the English game.

Lets do a tally, 4 defenders are defensive minded, then theres Mackelele, so thats 5 very defensive players.

Then for attacking theres Duff, Robben, Cole, Gudjohnson, Drogba, Lampard, so thats 6 (ofoucrse Cole, Robben & Duff cannot all be player but you get the idea. If you wanted to count the defensive subs Carvalho is defensive while Glen Johnson is a hopeless tackler but shows signs of making good forward runs, so he is more of an attacking Ashley Cole type player.

If you think of the players they all produce great football and most are attacking.

Duff, Cole & Robben - Great blistering runs along the flanks to assist in most of Chelseas goals this season.
Lampard - Forward runs in the middle of the pack and the middle link between both flanks.
Terry - Gets in with the odd goal with a header.

To much writing :(

It's not the players I'm having a go at, it's the manager :unsure:

With someone like Wenger organising the tactics, Chelsea would be a magnificent team to watch with all their flair players. As it is Mourinho organises the team in such a way that the 4-3-3 becomes a 4-5-1, or more like a 5-4-1 if Makelele is playing.

In the main, watching them play is boring, particularly if they are playing another defensive minded team that have competent midfielders - like Liverpool.

The second game against Barca was a joy because Mourinho had to abandon his defensive strategy because the midfield couldn't get near Ronaldinho, that game is an example of how Chelsea would play if they had an attack minded manager.

Mourinho is inexperienced and sorts the Chelsea tactics in the same way as he organised Porto. I say that in five years he will tailor the tactics to the players available to him - rather than imposing his ideology onto the team, no matter who is in the side.

Yeah, Usually the 4-3-3 is really a 4-3-2-1 With the usual back 4, then Gudjohnson, Lampard & Mackalele and then the 2 is Cole, Duff & Robben (Pick 2) and Drogba as a lone striker.

I think this will change over the summer when Chelsea decide to pick up a decent striker, i think it will turn to a more 4-4-2 or a real 4-3-3.

4-4-2
Cech

Bridge
Galas
Terry
Fererererea

Duff
Lampard
Mackelelele
Robben/Cole

Drogba/Gudjohnson
New Striker

Or he might decide to drop Mackelelel for big games (Lets face it he's not that young like 36 or something) and have

4-4-2
Cech

Bridge
Galas
Terry
Fererererea

Duff
Lampard/Mackelelele
Robben/Cole

Drogba
Gudjohnson
New Striker

It all depends on the signings this Summer, after playing Football manager for 3 days straight i have to say young Brazillian star Robbenho (he recently had his mother kidnapped and wants to get out of Rio De Janerio), he is tipped to be the new Ronaldinho.

Or Adriano the Inter Milan striker, he seems a good finnisher.