Chelsea v. Fulham

It's Thursday, and I think we are ready to get this one started.

Starting XI:

------------ Keller ------------

Baird -- Hughes -- Boca -- PK

Seol -- Davis -- Smertin -- Bouzza

------- Dempsey -- Kamara -------

Bench:

Niemi
Stef
Healy
Murphy
Davies

I think Baird is going to play a GREAT game. Why do I think this? Fulhamish. That is why. We are going to down the street and playing a squad in utter turmoil. This is the time for crazy stuff to happen.

I'm going bold here and stating a win for the Cottagers. 2 - 1 with goals from Kamara and Seol.

 

I hope so, but I wouldn't bet on it. He had a shocker last night. His confidence must be seriously low and to make it worse the crowd are really on his back. I hate to say it, but I think the majorty of fans have made up their mind and are not trying to help Baird. I know that when ever he was near me I called out encouragement but all I could hear was abuse.

LS has done really well with his buys, on the whole I would say that each of the chaps he has bought in has been an improvement on who was there with the exception of Baird, but he must has something for LS to go for him so lets hope he finds his feet and turns it around.

Thank you very much for the 3 points Chelsea....

 

Agreed 100%. I think a player will be more inclined to continue to play poorly after many negative reviews, than to turn it around. It's just something about the mentality of sports.

I've been a pretty big naysayer of Baird, but I do admire the guy. Yes he is probably our weak link on his side, but he still goes out there every game and you can see that he is TRYING and giving it his best. I will never fault someone for not being up to par with the league in terms of skill, but I will not tolerate someone who just gives up.

So essentially ... I like Baird's effort to do what is right. So I am still willing to give him a chance to find his form.

 

RE: Re: Chelsea v. Fulham

I think if Baird had been pushed off the ball he would have gone flying and a free kick would have been awarded to Fulham! PK is too hard for his own good.

 

What I would like to see:

---------------------Niemi--------------------
---Baird----Hughes----Boca----Konch---
--Volz/Seol---Murphy---Smertin---Bouazza--
------------Healy------Kamara------------

Honestly, I'm beginning to think that Baird's biggest problem is that Simon Davies does nothing to slow down attacks in front of him. By all accounts, Baird looked great in the preseason friendlies (with Rosenior playing RM in front of him). I posted a story about this the other day, and Rich at Craven Cottage Newsround had some similar thoughts, saying that the midfield is just as much at fault as the defenders.

I'd like to see Seol get a shot on the right wing, Volz has been a Chelsea killer and would actually be my first choice, but he seems to have fallen out of favor for whatever reason.

Anyhow, this is as good a time as any to take some points from Chelsea, and hopefully our guys will be up for it.[/url]

 

Like your line-up qd, but think LS will go with Superhero (hopefully he'll regain his powers, and Davies). The one surprise might be Stefan getting a run out at some point in the game. The reason for this is because Pompey is next and he HAS to play against them.

I'm relegated (sorry no pun intended, okay it was intended) that we may never see our favorite German again on the pitch. If Baird continues on his current run of play, and LS refuses to play Volzy maybe its time to give the youngster Omuzusi a shot.

Hate to say 1-3 to the Scum, but I'll reiterate that the following four fixtures are games that the team will turn their season around on.

 

If you're going to dump* a young, promising attacking fullback who the crowd (at least somewhat) liked in favor of another one who was an unknown quantity (to an extent, in that he hadn't played in the Premier League) because the new guy plays a more defensive style and that's what the coach wants out of his outside defenders, I think it's unfair to then say that the new fullback is underperforming because, on top of his more defensive nature, he's also not getting enough support from the wing midfielder on his side of the field.


* To be fair, reports are that Seol has been decent in his first few appearances, so maybe "dump" is a harsh word in that value seems to have been received in return, but it was clear all along that Rosenior wasn't in LS's plans.

 

That's a really interesting point of view re: Baird/Davies. I'm not sure I buy all of his arguments, but he made me think. Thanks for posting it.

 

I thought Davies looked really good on Wednesday. The work rate of Davies in particular we excellent, we was up and down the wing all game. When we first bought him I wondered why, but I was very impressed with him.

Having said that, when Dempsey went to the right after we bought some strikers on he was awsome, richardhkirkando does not have him in the starting line-up and unless he is injured I don't know why. He seems to have an understanding with both Healy and Kamara. He also does his defensive duties.

I would go:

------------ Keller ------------

Baird -- Hughes -- Boca -- PK

Dempsey -- Davis -- Smertin -- Bouzza

------- Healy -- Kamara -------

 

I just want to add that Baird is crap.

 

2-1 to Fulham

Goals - Boca (18') and Kamara (44')

 

cska london havent lost at home in like 30 years, but the best chance to break that streak is saturday.

unless grant has been able to completely turn that locker room around in a week, the only thing that will beat fulham is the chelsea's players own talent - which there is a lot of.

baird will start and do something foolish (again). niemi will also do something foolish (again). boca too (again). demp will score, as he seems to be the only one who can on the road (barring lehmann's gift to healy).

1-1 draw

ps andypalmer - check your pm's

 

I didn't see the game last night, but I've always preferred Dempsey in the middle (either as a forward or midfielder). I only went with Healy/Kamara in my lineup since they didn't go 120 minutes. Dempsey's form has been great though, and he should continue to get plenty of minutes.

 

so question for some of the Jedi here.....if we did get the win....would our fans rush onto the pitch in pure elation and stab our flag at the center spot??? That would be freakin awesome!!!! hehehe

 

Why the hell CAN'T Fulham beat Chelsea? And none of your logical or smart answers about how they have all this talent and they're at home and they're Chelsea and we're Fulham. I don't want to hear that.

One of the beauties of sport is that on any given day, anything can happen. OK, so it's incredibly unlikely that Fulham will get 3 on Saturday. That doesn't mean it is impossible. Everything to gain, nothing to lose. OK, so Chelsea has bought a couple of players. OK, so they are kind of a big deal. Well, I say big deal to that. Last I checked, you can't buy heart, you can't buy workrate, you can't buy character and while they don't have the points, Fulham has more of it than Chelsea could ever dream of having.

 

OH WHERE, OH WHERE, HAS THE "SPECIAL ONE "GONE?
OH WHERE, OH WHERE, CAN HE BE?
OH WHERE, OH WHERE HAS THE "SPECIAL ONE" GONE?
SINCE HE SAID "@#%$ YOU" CHELSEA!

 

No, the fans will be penned in, especially given what happened at the Cottage. There will be a row of security and a fair few police to prevent the fans mixing. Chelsea would also make every effort to identify the invaders as a £4000 fine can be handed out and a life time ban.

Also, the best way to get up Chelseas nose would to be magnanmous. "You played really well old chap, maybe you'll have better luck when you try at the Cottage. Never mind, another year without a title isn't that bad, we've never won one you know. This Grant fellow he's no Jose." Yep, that'll piss them off.