[Archived] Rovers V Chelski

[bazza]

I'm going to the game. I forecast we get beat.

But I don't mind losing if we have played good football. These days I never see it.

I hope Sam gives the likes of Jones, Hoilett, Kalinic, Van Heerden and Olsson some pitch time. Maybe even Brown in for Robbo. They can't do any worse than the first team stiffs.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Funnily enough 1864 I just said the same thing to the missus. 3-0 at the Emirates. Looking for some positives, Arsenal have struggled of late since they lost Van Persie and Bendtner to injury and don't look the same force. They looked good going forward but the final ball was always behind the forward/winger and they had to check enabling Chelsea to get back. Still a comprehensive victory - although Arsenal had two goals ruled out which could have made it a more interesting game.

Wednesday will probably depend on the team Ancelloti puts out. Chelsea have Man City away next Saturday and this may be seen as a priority over Rovers in the League Cup. Because of this, I doubt we will face the same side that battered us at Stamford Bridge.

It could be interesting if Anelka and Drogba are rested becuase we will get to see how well placed they are to cope without Di Santo in January. Good performances from their reserve strikers might convince Ancelotti that he can do without Franco for at least the rest of the season.

We should play the best team available. Anything other than that and we may as well not turn up.

This isn't Gillingham, Peterboro or Forest.

Would like to see Kalinic, Mcarthy and Roberts up front but I guess thats just asking for trouble. Probably be Kalinic on his own!

[bazza]

If Roberts plays up front we might as well just ........... fit a giant perspex funnel round their goal to aid his shooting and pray to god no-one runs into it.

[thenodrog]

Given the massive difference in the quality of the squads, highlighted by the fact that that our first choice striker can get nowhere near their 1st X1, the odds are stacked steeply against us. But such is the quirky nature of football that todays 3-0 victory over the Arse on their own patch may actually work for us.

[jonv]

Admittedly I've been lurking around a few of the Chelsea supporter forums. It's quite odd reading that many fans actually share a love for more than just there own club. They seem to be happy that they have backups in the league and the cup in case there adored 'Chelsea' don't do as well as planned. If only football results depended on a clubs fans honour and heart

Anyways most are under the sense that the Carling Cup would be a distraction and are hoping for a reserve or youth team to be put out. They are also still, extremely confident of getting a result.

How depressing.

A win out of nowhere is all we can hope for. A Villa like performance? The build up to the games in the league always have the majority of supporters going for a draw at best against the Money 4. I just hope we play out of our skins and Chelski highly underestimate us (after the 5-0 drubbing at Stamford).

Robinson

Salgado Nelsen Samba Chimbonda

Emerton N'Zonzi Grella Pederson

McCarthy Kalinic

[Steve Moss]

I'd swap van Heerden of MGP and Roberts for McCarthy. At this stage of the season, I want McCarthy fit for a sale in January and would not risk him. Ditto MGP.

[ABBEY]

Would that be the same peds who put such a good cross for samba to head wayward?

[Blue blood]

I can't wait to see Jason Roberts working his arse off upfront on his own with Di Santo not being eligable to play. No service + Roberts up front on his own = no chance

Agree. If Roberts starts alone up front we would struggle to score against any premiership team, much less one of Chelsea's ability.

If we play anything other than the best 11 available we will get trounced regardless of who they play. If we play our best 11 our chances up from nil to slim.

Assuming Dunn doesn't recover & Di Santo injured, I'd go for the following team:

Robbo

Chimbonda Samba Nelsen Givet

N'Zonzi Grella

Emerton Pedersen

Benni Roberts

With N'Zonzi & Grella in the centre plus Peds & Emerton on the wings we have a very defensively solid mifield, which will be needed vs Chelsea. I'd play Peds instead of Diouf, as both have been poor, but at least Peds can be arsed to defend - which will be needed vs Chelsea. Our lack of creativity would be somewhat offset by playing 2 up front, and whilst I'd love to see Kalinic actually play, I think he and Benni up front together would probably not have enough presence. Benni has to start as he's the only one I'd be confident of scoring a chance against them.

Overall this is on paper a great chance to progress to the semis of a cup. We're at home, this is Chelsea's 4th competition and will put out a weakened team, and really have nothing to loose. Unfortunately reality is Chelsea's reserves are quality and we're guarenteed to play at least 30 mins of shocking football which will be more than enough for them to do the damage. Still nothing's certain I suppose.

[trueblue]

The Carling Cup is all that we have left to play for this season, and we have to do it vs the best team in Europe. Nightmare.

Are we out of the FA cup already then?????

[CrazyIvan]

Are we out of the FA cup already then?????

In some people's minds yes we are. I also reckon some think we are relegation fodder and will disappear as a football club within 5 years.

Personally, I think the FA Cup is a great opportunity. Yes, Villa away is tough but we can't write it off just because we're playing them.

[jonv]

it's hard to get excited about any game when you just don't know what rovers team are going to turn up.

[broadsword]

Surely most fans will anticipate a thumping for us?

I'd say 3-0 to Chelsea, which is quite close, really.

[tcj_jones]

Dunn doubtful, Di Santo ineligable? Even if Chelsea do play a weakened side, I see a thumping on the horizon.

Rovers 0 Chelsea 3.

Starting to regret my decision to travel up for this one, to be honest.

[BRFC95]

I have got tickets for this game and I will be coming up straight from work. Having looked at the other fixtures that night there seems to be a lot of southern teams heading up the m6 and all the Man Utd southern fans as well so thinking it might be a bit of a nightmare journey.

Coming back will be just as bad so was thinking about driving back to Solihull early the following morning - has anyone ever done the m6 at about 6 in the morning? On a good run I can do it in 2 hours but otherwise I am going to be late for work!!!! Any previous experience of that nightmare motorway would be appreciated!

I'll be setting off from Coventry at 3pm.

Travelling to Coventry every morning at 7am takes between 2.5 and 3 hours. I should imagine travelling at 6am you should do Solihull in well under 2 hours.

[RibbleValleyRover]

3-0 to Chelsea, too much class for us.

Hand on heart i wouldn't be that devastated if we got knocked out, we are playing in my view the best side in Europe at the moment and with our problems in the league i would rather focus on survival.

I will say this on the game though, don't play Dunny. Its likely he won't be 100% fit so it would be foolish in my view to play him in this fixture especially if you consider the opposition and the likely result. I'd rather rest him and get him fit for our league campaign, if Dunny plays and picks up a serious injury then we lose our only creative player in the side. If we do get involved in a relegation battle we are going to need players like Dunny to stay up.

[only2garners]

Shouldn't Rovers1995's preview be the one that's pinned here?

[rovers1995]

I thought that, was it that bad

[jonv]

[1864roverite]

Rovers to employ a 1-5-5 formation

Going for a penalty shoot out win but only on the basis that it will be Chelsea missing them

[BRFC1995]

My thoughts exactly, yet another few weeks of family banter about just how far we've fallen and how dire we are. At the end of the day given our approach to date against the big boys I have no faith in us getting a result of any kind.

So sod it play most of the kids and those who we signed in the summer so we can actually see if they are any good or not.

------------Robbo-------------

Salgado--Samba--Jones--Olsson

-------N'zonzi--Grella--------

Hoillet------Dunn---Van Heerden

------------Kalinic-----------

If Roberts plays up front we might as well just forfeit, either that or we fit a giant perspex funnel round their goal to aid his shooting and pray to god no-one runs into it.

i'd sooner we risk no actual first teamers, bar grella and andrews, definitely not our 2 best in dunn and samba

......................BROWN..................

SALGADO.......JONES....???????........OLLSEN

..............GRELLA.....ANDREWS............

............HOILLET.......VAN HEERDEN..........

.................KALINIC......................

[ABBEY]

i'd sooner we risk no actual first teamers, bar grella and andrews, definitely not our 2 best in dunn and samba

FRIGGIN NORA!!!! THIS IS THE ATTITUDE AND THE MODERN FANS WAY OF THINKING THATS SLOWLY BUT SURELY KILLING NOT JUST ROVERS BUT FOOTY IN GENERAL!!!!! ITS A CHANCE OF PROGRESSING TO THE SEMIS AND A CUP FINAL FFS!!!!! THIS STATEMENT IS THE MOST PATHETIC ONE ON HERE IVE EVER READ!!!!!!!!!!! WE SHOULD BE FULL STRENGTH GOING OUT FOR VICTORY NOT BENDING OVER AND TAKING ONE FROM THE RENT BOYS

[RibbleValleyRover]

FRIGGIN NORA!!!! THIS IS THE ATTITUDE AND THE MODERN FANS WAY OF THINKING THATS SLOWLY BUT SURELY KILLING NOT JUST ROVERS BUT FOOTY IN GENERAL!!!!! ITS A CHANCE OF PROGRESSING TO THE SEMIS AND A CUP FINAL FFS!!!!! THIS STATEMENT IS THE MOST PATHETIC ONE ON HERE IVE EVER READ!!!!!!!!!!! WE SHOULD BE FULL STRENGTH GOING OUT FOR VICTORY NOT BENDING OVER AND TAKING ONE FROM THE RENT BOYS

Answer me this Abbey, would you play Dunny in this game? Imagine if he plays on Wednesday and gets an injury that means he is out for the rest of the season, we are talking about our only creative player in the squad.

If we are involved in a relegation battle we will need players like Dunny, its not like we will have money to spend in January in all likelihood.

I'm sorry but from what I’ve seen this season a top half finish will be difficult for Rovers, we could quite easily get caught up in a relegation battle especially if we get some serious injuries.

Now answer me this would you take a League Cup semi final, final or cup win even if it meant we were relegated? Considering our finances and the basic fact that we rely heavily on being the premier league, relegation could be a disaster that this club might never recover from.

I think most fans understand the gravity of the situation and would take survival over a cup triumph.

[Laurence]

FRIGGIN NORA!!!! THIS IS THE ATTITUDE AND THE MODERN FANS WAY OF THINKING THATS SLOWLY BUT SURELY KILLING NOT JUST ROVERS BUT FOOTY IN GENERAL!!!!! ITS A CHANCE OF PROGRESSING TO THE SEMIS AND A CUP FINAL FFS!!!!! THIS STATEMENT IS THE MOST PATHETIC ONE ON HERE IVE EVER READ!!!!!!!!!!! WE SHOULD BE FULL STRENGTH GOING OUT FOR VICTORY NOT BENDING OVER AND TAKING ONE FROM THE RENT BOYS

spot on!

[ABBEY]

Answer me this Abbey, would you play Dunny in this game? Imagine if he plays on Wednesday and gets an injury that means he is out for the rest of the season, we are talking about our only creative player in the squad.

If we are involved in a relegation battle we will need players like Dunny, its not like we will have money to spend in January in all likelihood.

I'm sorry but from what I’ve seen this season a top half finish will be difficult for Rovers, we could quite easily get caught up in a relegation battle especially if we get some serious injuries.

Now answer me this would you take a League Cup semi final, final or cup win even if it meant we were relegated? Considering our finances and the basic fact that we rely heavily on being the premier league, relegation could be a disaster that this club might never recover from.

I think most fans understand the gravity of the situation and would take survival over a cup triumph.

it would depend if hes fit. if hes fit he'd play ,as would the rest of the first team which conveniently never asked me about.....as for choosing a cup win or relegation,you wouldnt get me to choose as i wouldnt choose relegation and i also wouldnt choose a rovers cup loss either. IM VERY FED UP OF THIS NEGATIVE DEFEATIST CLAPTRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RibbleValleyRover]

it would depend if hes fit. if hes fit he'd play ,as would the rest of the first team which conveniently never asked me about.....as for choosing a cup win or relegation,you wouldnt get me to choose as i wouldnt choose relegation and i also wouldnt choose a rovers cup loss either. IM VERY FED UP OF THIS NEGATIVE DEFEATIST CLAPTRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your entitled to your views Abbey and i respect the strong stance you are taking on your viewpoint. The risks are far too great for me, i'd rather lose the cup game, come out unscathed in terms of injuries and focus on the league. I see that as the main priority when you consider we are as poor as a church mouse.