CheLOLsea

[southbank1871]

It's just typical Mourinho bollocks to use as an excuse if/when they lose on Sunday.

[soggy biscuit]

It's just typical Mourinho bollocks to use as an excuse if/when they lose on Sunday.

This. He regularly does it.

[No Fixed Abode]

All this talk of Chelsea naming a "weakened" side at Liverpool......surely with the money spent and the squad of players they've got, then whatever XI they put out isn't weakened, is it?!

Well, they're all good players, but if you're not playing regularly in the first team, then it's weakened from that perspective as a players match sharpness isn't quite there, plus rumours of Kalas, Christensen, Ake, all inexperienced players starting. It's good for their development though.

[No Fixed Abode]

It's just typical Mourinho bollocks to use as an excuse if/when they lose on Sunday.

Of course, Mourinho is the only manager to use excuses.

[Sanguine]

Bit disrespectful to the Premier League, and to Chelsea's fans though. But then Chelsea fans have been brainwashed into ignorant silence by the way the club is run, I'd be surprised if 50% still want to win the league.

[No Fixed Abode]

Bit disrespectful to the Premier League, and to Chelsea's fans though. But then Chelsea fans have been brainwashed into ignorant silence by the way the club is run, I'd be surprised if 50% still want to win the league.

No different to what any other club would do, given the circumstances of injuries, suspensions. Any club can name any team they like, they're all registered players available for selection. Nobody is worried what the Premier League think, you've got to look after number one. The same Premier League who doesn't help clubs in Europe by moving domestic fixtures....

[Hoop Blah]

All this talk of Chelsea naming a "weakened" side at Liverpool......surely with the money spent and the squad of players they've got, then whatever XI they put out isn't weakened, is it?!

Quite a difference between weakened and weak though.

They've a squad built to deal with the demands of Champions League football as well as the Premier League. All the carping on about Liverpool have it easier, whilst true, totally overlooks who's job it is to put together a squad to compete on multiple fronts. It's not like it's a surprise to them that they've had to play in all these competitions is it?

It's just typical Mourinho bollocks to use as an excuse if/when they lose on Sunday.

Agreed. More nonesense from him to cover up for both his and his teams poor performance.

[TBM]

Salah, Matic Lampard and Mikel will all play against Liverpool, as they can't play on Wednesday. I wouldn't say those players would weaken the team

Ok Mikel maybe, but the other 3 would walk in to Liverpools side most weeks

[Sanguine]

Bit disrespectful to the Premier League, and to Chelsea's fans though. But then Chelsea fans have been brainwashed into ignorant silence by the way the club is run, I'd be surprised if 50% still want to win the league.

No different to what any other club would do, given the circumstances of injuries, suspensions. Any club can name any team they like, they're all registered players available for selection. Nobody is worried what the Premier League think, you've got to look after number one. The same Premier League who doesn't help clubs in Europe by moving domestic fixtures....

All very well and Mourinho will do as he pleases, but were I a Chelsea fan I'd be questioning why the best players at the club can't summon up a bit more energy for the last (potentially) four games of the season. The league isn't lost yet.

The fixtures argument is moot - another clever Mourinho trick. For every day you bring the Liverpool game forward, it is a day's less rest for players after the game in Madrid.

[Hoop Blah]

Salah, Matic Lampard and Mikel will all play against Liverpool, as they can't play on Wednesday. I wouldn't say those players would weaken the team

Ok Mikel maybe, but the other 3 would walk in to Liverpools side most weeks

They don't get in Mourinho's first choice side when it's available though (apart from Matic), so by definition it's weaker isn't it?

All good enough to play at the top level yes, but not their strongest side, so weaker.

[No Fixed Abode]

Bit disrespectful to the Premier League, and to Chelsea's fans though. But then Chelsea fans have been brainwashed into ignorant silence by the way the club is run, I'd be surprised if 50% still want to win the league.

No different to what any other club would do, given the circumstances of injuries, suspensions. Any club can name any team they like, they're all registered players available for selection. Nobody is worried what the Premier League think, you've got to look after number one. The same Premier League who doesn't help clubs in Europe by moving domestic fixtures....

All very well and Mourinho will do as he pleases, but were I a Chelsea fan I'd be questioning why the best players at the club can't summon up a bit more energy for the last (potentially) four games of the season. The league isn't lost yet.

The fixtures argument is moot - another clever Mourinho trick. For every day you bring the Liverpool game forward, it is a day's less rest for players after the game in Madrid.

The Premier League could have postponed the Liverpool game until the two semi-finals against Atletico were played, then we might not be in he scenario of playing a weakened team.

[Royalclapper]

Think he said he was going to play a 'weekend' team

[Hoop Blah]

The Premier League could have postponed the Liverpool game until the two semi-finals against Atletico were played, then we might not be in he scenario of playing a weakened team.

What a daft idea and a stupid precedent to set though. The fixture list is drawn up well in advance and shouldn't be messed with to that great an extent to give one team an advantage over others.

[6ft Kerplunk]

The fixtures argument is moot - another clever Mourinho trick. For every day you bring the Liverpool game forward, it is a day's less rest for players after the game in Madrid.

If Madrid had beaten them 3-0 and they were ony a point behind Liverpool he'd be moaning that the Liverpool game hadn't been moved to Monday.

[southbank1871]

It's just typical Mourinho bollocks to use as an excuse if/when they lose on Sunday.

Of course, Mourinho is the only manager to use excuses.

I didn't say he was the only one, but he's probably the worst manager in the Premier League at doing it.

[No Fixed Abode]

The Premier League could have postponed the Liverpool game until the two semi-finals against Atletico were played, then we might not be in he scenario of playing a weakened team.

What a daft idea and a stupid precedent to set though. The fixture list is drawn up well in advance and shouldn't be messed with to that great an extent to give one team an advantage over others.

Yes, let's not help the English sides competing in Europe.

I don't see what difference it would make to Liverpool, other than Chelsea having more recovery time to make the Premier League fixture a more level playing field.

[southbank1871]

Surely Chelsea are quite handsomely rewarded for competing in the Champions League, meaning they should have ample resources to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts?

[Silver Fox]

Yes, let's not help the English sides competing in Europe.

I don't understand why that would happen?

Plus the Liverpool game is on Sunday and the Madrid game is Wednesday, these are professional athletes, can they really not manage to play twice a week?

[No Fixed Abode]

Surely Chelsea are quite handsomely rewarded for competing in the Champions League, meaning they should have ample resources to build a squad capable of competing on all fronts?

Same as Real then, but their fixture gets moved to help them. Can't see why you're arguing about helping English teams in European competition.....

[No Fixed Abode]

Yes, let's not help the English sides competing in Europe.

I don't understand why that would happen?

Plus the Liverpool game is on Sunday and the Madrid game is Wednesday, these are professional athletes, can they really not manage to play twice a week?

Again - it's helping English sides in European competition with more prep time. Or is it the fact it's Chelsea. Definitely the latter.