TheDrowningMan

Yep, definitely. We're struggling for ideas here, and need to unsettle them.

Worth looking for the red against him now - Draw the foul wherever possible.

That was cynical, should have been a yellow.

We're not going to keep getting chances like these against Chelsea. Need to put some away, and fast.

Fuck, fuck, should have scored.

Fuck, feels like calamity is lurking around every corner.

You just wait until the match itself...as long as it's level, or we're only a goal up, it's going to last for a week. If, god forbid, they squirm their way into the lead, you'll wonder how a 90 minute match lasted only 15.

Chelsea 23 Schwarzer 28 Azpilicueta 03 Cole 21 Matic 02 Ivanovic 33 Kalas 15 Salah 12 Mikel 19 Ba 08 Lampard 14 Schürrle Substitutes 09 Torres 16 Van Ginkel 22 Willian 24 Cahill 27 Aké 40 Hilario 47 Baker

Same team as last week, Sturridge on the bench.

If both teams win every match before the final game, I'll go into it certain that Pardew will be the one having flashbacks to 1990 at the end of it. I'll start to believe it when it's impossible for us to be caught.

Van Gaal is a fine nutcase & a good manager, but he peaked at the latter in 1995. An accomplished boss, yeah, but one you turn to in order to steady a ship? Hmm.

As as has been said, if we win, there's definitely a chance of that. We cock up, and City will thump them.

Hah, I was thinking along similar lines. I think any chance of City dropping points before the season is out has gone out of the window. We lose one or draw two and they're champions. That's more or less fact.

Surprise! Mourinho has essentially confirmed that he won't be fielding a weakened team on Sunday. From the BBC:

I still don't think Mourinho has ever intended to play anything but his strongest side. It's just a shit attempt at luring us into complacency so he can be lauded as a master psychologist in the event that they win. It's essentially a reheated version of the old Ferguson "he won't be fit" charade.

Yep. Despite having been in charge of a Milan side who beat us in a CL final, Chelsea, now at Real Madrid and potentially a target for the Mancs, what has he done to prompt genuine contempt ala Ferguson or Mourinho? Nothing. Same with Roberto Martinez. I wish the club nothing but failure on the pitch, but that's a result of genuine rivalry. He's doing his best by the club by having them play quality football, not stirring a hornet's nest.

I notice Daniel Taylor of the Guardian thinks Mourinho might be needling Abramovich as part of some sort of silly-bugger game. Essentially, if he arrives at Anfield with a full-strength team, he's made it clear that it will be because he was overruled by Roman. Maybe he's got his eye on a vacant job.

Bullshit. He'll play the best team available.

The weekend game is much bigger for Mourinho than this. He's rested players tonight and he's more likely to rest them for the second leg than against us.

Are you surprised? I said that beating us would be his priority - it's just the type of character he is. He'll be off down the touchline if they beat us, guaranteed. It'll be seen as righteous vengeance for 2005.

He's been injured, but he's very close and I'm sure he'll be back at the weekend.

Unless he plans on sacking Mourinho before the game, I doubt that means much. Mourinho will do what he wants, even if it gets him the sack. He'll burn down any Bridge if doing so will sate his ego.

Yep, as I suspected, Mourinho getting "revenge" for 2005 will definitely be a higher priority for him than winning the CL. That's just the type of character he is. I don't think anyone could reasonably refute that. I don't know if tonight's Chelsea will consist of the best players available to him, but Sunday's definitely will.

Spurs fans wouldn't approve of his brand of football.