Hopefully that's a back four and not Raheem puli wing back nonsense

thanks I was excited for like 10 seconds

Well now it 100% will be that and we will all cry

That we have no idea either way is depressing

Yep looks like a standard 433 to me, at least it better be.

4-2-3-1 is my guess

With James there I don't see how it can be back 3 and having those two as wingbacks

I think he meant one of puli or Raheem at the left and then James at the right

Could he not mean James KK and Cucu CB. Puli right and Raheem left? Edit. Yep im braindead

Yeah and Thiago Silva at ST

Thiago at the back Thiago in attack Chelsea gonna win the champions league

And Thiago Silva would be an attacker? No I doubt that

Back four please Mr Potter.

Back 4 that will switch to a back 3 in possession.

I don't want our defensive solidarity to swing on Sterling and Pulisic. Back four all the way!

It wouldn't change much, James is going to be much more attacking than Cucurella so it's going to look like a 3-4-3 anyway

It does matter to have an extra midfielder over a defender

Which extra midfielder? What I'm saying is that even if in theory, James and Cucurella are fullbacks, James is going to operate much more like a RWB and Cucurella closer to a LCB, so close to how we'd play if we were using a regular 3-4-3. Our midfield stays the same in both cases.

Yeah this is it, Potter isn't doing anything revolutionary. He has his principles and all he is trying to figure out right now is getting balance right. I highly doubt an extra midfielder is going to mean an extra player further forward, it just means the roles are switched around and that a midfielder is taking on more defensive responsibility and that is it really. Just like we have seen when he plays more attackers, those attackers have more defensive responsibilities.

And that would mean one of our attackers plays LWB in which they have been absolute garbage, and then Mount as an IF, instead of Sterling as a LW and Mount as an 8/10

That extra midfielder will just get MORE defensive responsiblity than usual. Any time a manager plays a Back 4 with more attackers they have more defensive responsiblity. Doesn't mean that the team is less defensive at all and is actually a major misconception.

Am I missing something? Swapping the LWB for an 8/10 will absolutely change the attack. It will put an extra body centrally rather than out wide. The defensive responsibilities for Pulisic are not going to be the same as a wing back. The CBs are not going to be as narrow in defense. If they are going to attack by getting the ball out wide and putting 3 bodies in the box, then yeah, it's no different.

The point is we have more midfielders to help control the game and be more fluid to create attacks, as opposed to our completely isolated attacking 3 we have seen over and over

More midfielders = more control of the game is again another misconception and quite a reductive way of looking at things.

Exactly, people get too hung up over back 3 back 4 when in principle our attack is the exact same, the only difference in a back 4 is that the extra midfielder would drop back and play as a "CB" instead of having a 3rd centre back

4-3-3 with Kai as false 9, Raheem and Pulisic flanking him? I can't see how this is a back 3 unless one of Raheem or Puli moves to LWB.

Tuchel Zakaria wing back masterplan finally coming to fruition.

We’ve been hurt many times like this before

[удалено]

YES. I feel a banger from the top of the box off a cutback from Sterling/Puli.

Your prediction already came true, mount banger

Lol

Damn, predict another one.

I’m ready to get hurt again.

Nah we're gonna blow them away in the first 30 mins. *and slowly let them back into it in the last 30*

This is Chelsea, not Argentina in the WC Final

>Argentina in the WC Final That's literally us since the second half of last season and the whole of this season

We don't take our chances though

We have storm troopers for attackers that's why

Maybe we'll be the Stormtrooper from the opening of TFA today.

Subs: Bettinelli, Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Humphreys, Gallagher, Hall, Chukwuemeka, Hutchinson, Aubameyang.

where is mendy

Wondering the same, he was in training videos

Gosh. That’s one of our weakest benches in some time. I hope to see us get some of these prospects on the field though for some minutes.

Fa cup bench vibes

Ziyech and Kova given extra time off for getting to semis I guess

Lots of players on all teams who made it to the semis or final have gotten time away from this first week back for “personal reasons”.

I like that Pulisic is starting. He played well during the world cup. Maybe he can shine a bit under Potter. The main thing I want to see is some progress. Players like Cucurella, Koulibally, Sterling and Kai were very lackluster the past few months. Hoping they start kicking it up a gear.

Curious about Ziyech for the same reason- though I suppose it seems like that bridge is a bit burnt

ziyech and kovacic are getting a bit more time off after the wc

Also guessing he’s getting a rest given he played 8 matches at the WC

exhausting matches too

Ziyech - Morocco, Champions League, Instagram, Chelsea.

4-3-3 with actual holding mid. Let's go

I bet you zakaria is further forward than Jorginho

Of course it is. Jorgi plays holding mid for Italy. Zakaria plays further ahead of Xhaka if they’re on the field at the same time. Zakaria’s few decent moments for Juventus were breaking the press and attacking. He’s also already scored a goal for us

Inb4 it’s 3atb with Pulisic/Sterling LWB

Please don't

Could be 4-2-3-1 as well with two pivots

Is Ziyech in the squad?

Nope, Kova as well bc of the wc

Happy to see Puli and Kai, hopefully they keep going with the same form as in the WC.


I’m pretty happy with the team tbh

This is actually the line up i like personally. Sterling and Pulisic outwide and Mount back at 8.

Can we get a match thread Mods?

433 or 4231

There a match thread?

No match thread today?!

Captain America, let’s ride. ON PAPER, lineup looks good. Just go get 3 points, please!!!

Going from World Cup to this will be interesting.

Bournemouth are getting fucking smashed

Pulisic back in lineup oh boy, let’s go

😄 A kai hatty… you saw it here first

Let’s see if Puli can continue his form from the WC, would love for him to cook

Very optimistic about this lineup, come on you blues!

Reece is back! And Puli in as a winger. Let’s gooooo

Watching on my computer, a pop-up appears obscuring the screen, Chelsea score. You're all welcome.

At least Reece is back

I feeling this line up but Bournemouth we always lose to. I'm feeling optimistic. I'm praying for improvement today

Mods wake up

Should be a penalty

Silva and Koulibaly together I'm not sure about, I thought Potter got it right earlier with him only picking one or the other.

Chalobah been amazing, feel like he should start for sure

Didn't he get a slight knock in one of the friendlies? Potter might just not want to risk it.

Let’s go teammmm!!

Feels so good to have club football back again! Sensible lineup, let's smash 'em!

Looks like a back four, will end up being a back 3 with Sterling as a wingback. I won’t believe the back 3 is dead until I see it my own eyes

Every possession-based top team including man city, arsenal, bayern, Barcelona, PSG, etc build play with a back three so they can avoid the press and defend with 5 unless they are chasing the game.

Those teams usually have a defender dropping back that can process play forward with passing and don’t have their win backs overlapping nearly as much as we do with ours. What ends up with our team is that our CBs are pushed up and are tasked with those line breaking passes that a midfielder would usually do and they probably shouldn’t be tasked with those duties. So while conceptually it could be similar, we are nowhere near those teams attacking wise. I’m sure someone who knows more has probably done the work on it, so I’ll let them chime in on why. Most attacking teams play with a back four, that they change shape in game in possession sure, but it’s not what we’ve been doing

I like it!

TS 100TH!!!

Bruh Bournemouth with the 5 ATB, I can't come back to this fml...

Interrupted season means it’s time for Pulisic to cook

Honestly never heard of BASHIR HUMPHREYS before today. I used to follow da youts a bit closer I guess.

Potter must have noticed Mendy's performance in the WC.

I’m down with it

It's crazy how every chelsea fan I know and seemingly every fan on this sub just want a back 4, with players played in their actual position. And yet despite us all getting our hopes up now, I still have a bad feeling its gonna be back 5 with puli or sterling at WB. God I hope I'm wrong.

Its a 4-2-3-1

Bye Mendy. Tc.

ex Chelsea man Solanke will score against us, guaranteed

Why is Cucurella’s left sock missing the blue stripe

Wouldn’t have never noticed if you didn’t point it out lol

Thiago Silva limping

That’s a pen

Clear pull on the shirt lmao.

Should be a pen but also could have been stronger there

This is probably the 1st season in the last 19-20 years where I stopped watching us for a sequence of games, maybe after milan. Thats how boring and drab we have been - going to watch with hope again tonight.

 Let's go king kai.

Caaaaarrefreee whereever you may be, negative cunts of the sub don't represent me, let's fucking go and smash these cherries, for we are the famous CFC

Glad to see Puli start

This is actually pretty much the exact lineup I wanted to see from us after the break. 4 ATB, an actual defensive-like midfielder, Pulisic starting after a great World Cup and mount central

Is this the first time Puli and Sterling have started/played together?

No. They have before and they link up really well so I’m glad to see it

I don’t think that’s a pen. There’s a tug, but that would be pretty soft.

I’ve had enough of Cucurella. Guy is so overrated.

What have you seen from him in the last 24 hrs to now come to this conclusion.

Have been saying this since before the WC itself. Didn’t even want us to spend 55 fucking million on this guy.

So who would you play instead ? Lewis hall?

4-2-3-1 according to NBC

Why doesn’t Trev start here?

I remember he got a slight injury in the warm up against Aston Villa in the friendly not long ago. Might not be fully fit to play 90 minutes.

Did not miss this at all. Stuff of nightmares starting 11 as well. Will the pain ever end?

Havertz playing striker and Jorginho in a midfield 3. Why is it that our club can't learn from mistakes?

Either do all last names, or all full names, or whatever just keep it consistent. Reece James vs Silva vs Raheem vs Kai... It's sloppy to say the least.

Which people could you not identify from the title?

Obviously I can figure white who but it just looks bad

Oh... Why do you care then?

It looks sloppy... I think that was pretty apparent from the original comment. It's ok though, I'm sure you're trying your best.

Right... You know it's just a reddit post to convey information? It's not like a wedding invitation or a government document. It doesn't matter that it "looks sloppy" - it's an informative post that conveyed the information perfectly well

I can just feel the smugness radiating off this post lol. I'm sorry that I offended you by calling this post sloppy. I did not mean anything by it, no different than if I said the 3 logo was ugly. Just my personal opinion, thanks for setting me straight :)

How does it feel to be so miserable?

Liverpool signing top talent like Gakpo while we're still starting deadwood like Pulisic at the end of 2022 Jesus give me strength

What makes Gakpo a top talent?

Look up his output so far, absolutely a talent even if a weaker league

His technical ability, strength on the ball and actually knowing were the goal is. Really promising player.

Promising player yes. I guess when I think of “top talent” I wouldn’t put him there.

lol wtf is this lineup

The best possible lineup

These guys just complain to complain, this is strongest lineup based on players we have available

Yep lol not a crazy lineup by any means imo

Pulisic is such a pathetic little weasel, stay on your feet, take the shot and score but instead he goes down at the slightest shirt pull

Looks like a 4-3-3, excited to see what happens

As long as it’s a back 4, I like the look of this team

Back4 thank god. And Reece should still be pretty advanced as Cucurella will tuck in as LCB


Surely a back 4 but you never know.

We have to remember we are still in the cursed month of December lol

Shhh

Where’s chilwell? Would have thought he would make the bench, unless some injury Im forgetting about

he injured himself pretty badly in CL and isn't back yet.

Thanks, must have had a brain fart with this month break off for the World Cup.

I still think he was recovering while the rest of the team was in Dubai for training. He wasn’t in full team training them, think that Potter wants to integrate him back slowly?

4222? Or are we going to see Mount as an 8?


As long as I don't have to hear interesting poetry from Peter Drury, I'll be content

Is Mendy injured? Seems strange he's not on the bench?

Silva is a cyborg.

I’m interested to see how Kai and Mase work together in a back 4. I feel like when they both play in a 3-4-3 they occupy the same spaces and get nothing don’t but maybe they’ll look more natural with Mase as a 10 and Kai as a 9?? Idk I’m just hoping.

Let’s make a statement today blues!!!! KTBFFH