dayokanu:

Who did Toores score a brace against?

Lampards goals were the only ones scored by the team vs 6th placed team. Remind us the last time Torres scored the decisive goals vs a top side

debosky: Even when he's 40?

Lamps is still quality, but he needs to be managed well to get the best out of him over a longer period. He can't expect to be starting as regularly as before if Chelski is realistic.

Ibime:

Over longer period when they want to ditch him at season end.?

Save story. Lamps is marathon man. He never needed a rest in his Chelsea career so no need to start now just cos his passport says 1978! Leave that story for Wheelchair and Diaby who pick up knocks and strains!!!

lalaboi: Did Senegal not qualify for the nations cup?

CFCfan:
Senegal didn't qualify. Cote d Ivoire knocked them out in d last qualifying phase.

Andre Uweh:
They were disqualified actually. Though they were on their way out before violence erupted in Dakar.

coogar: a swallow does not make a summer, you bastards!!!

Havilah93: happy new year to all chelsea fans....


Hope 2013 will be better than '12

CFCfan: ^^^
What about Mikel?

El Guapo:

My Lampard's Omission is not borne outta the heated Up arguements on here but Ideally a tactical decision.
Ramires Would need to do enough Covering for 'Experimenting Luiz' and tracking down Tarabat's Runs - Frank at his age wouldn't do all that.

Ya Views

Ibime: Time to give you some tactical schooling.

Ibime: Finally, Im sorry to say Ramires should never be allowed near Chelsea central midfield EVER again!

Wrong Assumption Sir.

He deserves a fair Chance in the Pivot cos he Understands the role berra than U and Lampard.
In order to play this position effectively, both of the Central DMs MUST remain behind the ball. When we have possession, they are there to set the tempo of the game and recycle the ball to keep the game ticking over at a fast pace. They need to be making fast and sharp 1 or 2 touch passes, less is definitely more here. The attacking players cannot function properly unless they get the ball quickly, the quicker they receive the ball, the more space they have to work their magic. The defensive midfielders should never be making runs in advance of the ball and should be moving horizontally across the pitch simply creating angles in order to give and receive passes. It is imperative that these two players are always available to receive a pass and recycle the possession. Both function like a twin, Interchangeably doin the Pivot work.

When Frank plays in the defensive midfield position he is
constantly making runs in advance of the ball, he ends up
sitting in between the striker and the central attacking midfielder in search for goals
and his double figure tally. He simply doesn’t have the
discipline for this role.

This causes 3 main problems for the
team;

1. There is one less option in the centre of the park for us to
keep the possession, instead of always being available and
helping the team keep the ball, he is actually a hindrance to the
team because he turns the formation into an extremely unbalanced 4-1-3-1-1. He leaves
Mikel on his own which significantly reduces passing
options from the middle as he will only have angles on for half of the passes (either to the right
or to the left).
2. His advanced runs close off all the space that our free role
player has to work with because he will bring a marker
with him. That is 2 more players in the small intricate space that Mata/Hazard have to operate in.
This essentially nullifies our attack.
3. This leads to the play being broken up and the opposition
going on the counter attack.
Lampard is now so far forward that there is a gaping hole through the middle which Mikel has to attempt to fill and we get
exploited - Shey u watch the Super Cup game against Falcao?

El Guapo:
He deserves a fair Chance in the Pivot cos he Understands the role berra than U and Lampard.
In order to play this position effectively, both of the Central DMs MUST remain behind the ball. When we have possession, they are there to set the tempo of the game and recycle the ball to keep the game ticking over at a fast pace. They need to be making fast and sharp 1 or 2 touch passes, less is definitely more here. The attacking players cannot function properly unless they get the ball quickly, the quicker they receive the ball, the more space they have to work their magic. The defensive midfielders should never be making runs in advance of the ball and should be moving horizontally across the pitch simply creating angles in order to give and receive passes. It is imperative that these two players are always available to receive a pass and recycle the possession.

El Guapo:
When Frank plays in the defensive midfield position he is
constantly making runs in advance of the ball, he ends up
sitting in between the striker and the central attacking midfielder in search for goals
and his double figure tally. He simply doesn’t have the
discipline for this role.

El Guapo:
This causes 3 main problems for the
team;

1. There is one less option in the centre of the park for us to
keep the possession, instead of always being available and
helping the team keep the ball, he is actually a hindrance to the
team because he turns the formation into an extremely unbalanced 4-1-3-1-1. He leaves
Mikel on his own which significantly reduces passing
options from the middle as he will only have angles on for half of the passes (either to the right
or to the left).

El Guapo:
2. His advanced runs close off all the space that our free role
player has to work with because he will bring a marker
with him. That is 2 more players in the small intricate space that Mata/Hazard have to operate in.
This essentially nullifies our attack.

El Guapo:
3. This leads to the play being broken up and the opposition
going on the counter attack.
Lampard is now so far forward that there is a gaping hole through the middle which Mikel has to attempt to fill and we get
exploited - Shey u watch the Super Cup game against Falcao?

debosky: ^^

When Chelski finished 6th and lost 10 games last season, how many games did Lampard miss? Or is this new loss-stopping power something that Lamps developed in 2012/13?

Any phool can twist statistics to show what they want - heck there was a time in 2010/11 that the statistics showed that Arsenal didn't lose games with Johan Djourou on the pitch. We all know that's a load of tripe, just like your attempt to imply that Lampard is the difference between winning and losing games for Chelski.

El Guapo: One thing U can Xpect from a Redknapp team is Work ethic and am Sure QPR would fancy a Point against Us later today.

So lemme know frm u Ladies who u think will fit Well in the Starting Eleven against Rangers.

For me, Victor Moses needs to come back into the starting eleven. His direct attacking style on one side with Eden Hazard on the other provides us with plenty of options going forward and natural width. Juan Mata should continue pulling the string in the middle of the park once again but if anything, we could see Mata rested for this one with Oscar playing in that position as the latter would provide more Physical Presence in that Crowded Midfield. If you were to ask me, I would like Rafa Benitez to go with the following eleven players to start today's game:

Turnbull, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole, Luiz, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, Moses, Torres.

My Lampard's Omission is not borne outta the heated Up arguements on here but Ideally a tactical decision.
Ramires Would need to do enough Covering for 'Experimenting Luiz' and tracking down Tarabat's Runs - Frank at his age wouldn't do all that.

Ya Views

Ibime:

Lampard missed a heck of a lot of games last season, first being sidelined by AVB, then being rested in the Prem by RDM who put all his chips into Europe.

debosky:

When Chelski finished 6th and lost 10 games last season, how many games did Lampard miss? Or is this new loss-stopping power something that Lamps developed in 2012/13?

debosky:

All this megedefegede and you can't answer a simple question?



Please provide the games won with/without Lampard stats. Along with goals conceded. Was Lampard absent when Chelski was hammered 5-3 at SB?

nateevs:
Certainly not absent when we were hammered 4-0 as well by AM. And yes also present in the final of the CWC.

debosky:




Please provide the games won with/without Lampard stats. Along with goals conceded. Was Lampard absent when Chelski was hammered 5-3 at SB?

Ibime:
What a very foolish analogy.

If you bothered to check, Lampard was not one of two defensive midfielders in that game, rather he was in the no10 position behind the striker and scored and assisted in that game, and by far Chelsea MOTM. Direct your question to the two deeper lying midfielders (Ramires + Mikel) as to how they conceded 5 goals.

One thing is for sure, you can go back in history and pull up any game (false use of stats), but the record shows Lamps is consistently good whilst Mikel/Ramires are consistently poor. What has Chelsea achieved in terms of league consistency since Ramires joined in 2010? The only time we finished 2nd was when he got dropped in Lotti's last season. Mikel? pffft. 6 years and cannot convince anyone.

Well ya'll keep chatting. One thing is sure, the midfield is Lampards going forward after Mikel and Ramires' massive failure during his absence. Ramires will be sent back to the wing, whilst Mikel would play second fiddle to Luiz if he proves himself.

nateevs: I will pick the exact same team as you did and for the same reason you've provided.
The only dude I am worried about is Turnbull.

Yeah Bro anyone would be worried about Ross, Key reason i would love having Luiz/Ramires In the Pivot then Cahill and Branislav been at their best, Jxt for Safety Sake.

Goodnews Is Big threats like Zamora, Park and Should be Johnson arent available.

@Ibime, Bro i need not say much about Lampard's Flaw in the Pivot. He's one of my favorite in the game but not in Our Present System.

In a 4-2-3-1 Setup :

- The Fullbacks Push Up
- The Cbs are near the halfway Line
- The Central DMs are 10-15yards in the Oppositions half
- The 2 Wide Attacking players are near the Corners of the box

. . .and the Vital Cog of the Formation are the guys in the Pivot - Nwanne, U and I know too well that a Man Claiming to be 34 Cant hold On to such Hectic role, Unless i heard u Mention Zanetti - Kill the Sentiment Jor!