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Official chelsea thread - Let the battle commence
Posted:
Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:32 pmby JBG
I'll start it off.
Read the thread in this link and see how they're running scared!
(Don't bring any of them onto our site, though)
Posted:
Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:00 pmby A.B.
Well since we had a thread pinned for our game against Juventus, I think we should have this one pinned as well. Post all team news here and whatever else that is related to the subject.
While it's great that we have come to the semi-final we shouldn't stop here, we can keep going and it will not be difficult but it's not impossible. We did silence Europe and the World by knocking out Juventus however there are those still who believe that it will be Chelsea vs. Milan, learning nothing from last years Champions League and that is ; anything can happen. PSV knock out Milan? Not impossible? Liverpool knock out Chelsea? Not impossible.
Both sides have a lot of work to do however we are very much the underdogs and I think that suits us because it gets us going. Chelsea are expected to be in the semi-finals because they've spent 200 million pounds on players while we have not spent near as much and were never expected to get thus far and therefore it's a bonus that we are here, however we can not settle and should keep going.
Post away.
Posted:
Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:06 pmby the return of HAS
A.B has started one aswell.
Posted:
Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:09 pmby JBG
(AB: I just merged the two together) 
Posted:
Thu Apr 14, 2005 11:30 pmby Woollyback
I was talking to my mate tonight who's a season ticket holder at the theatre of queens, he's absolutely convinced that we'll beat chelsea over 2 legs. In fact he's even going to put a bet on us to lift the trophy (anybody know what odds the bookies are giving?). His rationale is that he doesn't want us to win it, but if he makes some money if we do, then he'll have some consolation 
Anyway, enough about the dirties....
I think there are a number of issues in our favour for the semi final:
1) We will be billed as underdogs, which suits Rafa's tactics & mentality down to a tee. Just like the Juve game, imagine the effect it has on a team of players to be told by everybody "you're underdogs, you won't win, chelsea this, chelsea that"... You know every one of the lads will be giving 150% for the whole 90 minutes
2) We were absolutely robbed by chelsea at anfield in the league, and chelsea know it. There's a definite sense of injustice there to be put right
3) They have to come to Anfield in the second leg, where the atmosphere will be SENSATIONAL, the likes of which no chelsea fan (or player for that matter) will have ever experienced before. Anfield will be our 12th man that night
4) Hopefully our injury crisis will have eased by then so we'll have Gerrard & Alonso firing on all cylinders, with Cisse also available
I really, genuinely think we can do this Then if we are in the final ANYTHING can happen, even if it's AC Milan we're playing
Come on you reds!!
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:00 amby Igor Zidane
we are going to win this bloody thing its destiny,we've been written off all season ,right from the group stages until now, chelski really think there special,there gonna be coming down to earth with a big bang we have to use exactly the same tactics again no sitting back and trying to defend ,we will now have the ammunition to hit them where it hurts ,lets show them what real class and pedigree is.COME ON RED MEN.
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:33 amby 112-1077774096
guess what? lawro thinks we will lose. why is this man such a t!t
It is a wonderful endorsement of the Premier League that two English clubs are in the the last four of the Champions League, with one guaranteed to be in the 25 May Istanbul final.
Who will that 'one' be? Everything points to Chelsea.
I didn't think Liverpool would get past Juventus - and I wasn't the only one.
As good as they played in the first game, I thought we'd see the real Juve in Turin, but it never happened.
Over the two legs I can only really recall three good chances for Juventus and I was amazed by their approach.
But take nothing away from Liverpool who put in two fantastic displays and keep progressing.
Their results in Europe have been excellent. They've been winning their home games, which is always crucial, and have proved difficult to beat on the road.
But that sums up Chelsea as well, who are just so strong in every department and, unlike Liverpool, have replacements waiting in the wings if they have two or three out injured or suspended.
Chelsea have been even better defensively and carry a greater threat on the counter-attack, but Rafa Benitez doesn't need me to tell him that.
He has seen Chelsea three times this season at close quarters, losing each time, twice in the league and once in the Carling Cup final.
There's a feeling on Merseyside that they've not had the rub of the green against Chelsea in those matches and they're due.
Benitez has given Liverpool a passion and organisation in Europe which has been outstanding.
The big question is whether he can carry that into a somewhat parochial European match. Time will tell.
It will be a tight contest and the matches should be a wonderful advert for the Premier League, and for different reasons, it would be excellent for either team to reach that Istanbul final.
I can't honestly see how Liverpool can get there, but with the way that it's happening at the moment, who's to say.
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:44 amby A.B.
why is this man such a t!t
Good question.
When you look at Chelsea they have been impressive however they've lost two games in the knockout stages thus far and we've lost none.
Surprisingly we've conceded less goals than them.
Our main weapon is the fact that we are the underdogs, which really get's the players going. People said we wouldn't beat Leverkusen at home, they said that we couldn't beat Leverkusen on the road but we did it.
When the draw was made everyone placed their bets on Juventus to beat us convincingly at home and at Anfield, that didn't happen. The more we get written off the more our fire burns.
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 4:59 amby andy_g
and suddenly the 'impregnable' chelsea defence is leaking a few goals, and not just against the top european clubs, a little self doubt must be gnawing away at them now. and how nicely that coincides with us getting a top quality striker back in the squad. i see us putting 2 or 3 goals past them easily over the 2 games.
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:06 amby Judge
Woollyback wrote:I was talking to my mate tonight who's a season ticket holder at the theatre of queens, he's absolutely convinced that we'll beat chelsea over 2 legs.
top notch words woolly
theatre of queens 
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:53 pmby jymbojetset
Notice how the papers are changing? They seem to have realised (grudgingly) that there is another english team other than Chelski in competition. Finally giving Rafa some recognition (still saying SG will go though).
Also listening to radio phonein other day on way home from work - loads of scum supporters phoning in to wish us luck for semi final - never, never thought I would ever hear that.
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:02 pmby fivecups
jymbojetset wrote:Notice how the papers are changing? They seem to have realised (grudgingly) that there is another english team other than Chelski in competition. Finally giving Rafa some recognition (still saying SG will go though).
Also listening to radio phonein other day on way home from work - loads of scum supporters phoning in to wish us luck for semi final - never, never thought I would ever hear that.
I've noticed that change too.
I expect us to win this tie. If we come out the way we did against Juve in the first leg we'll rattle them.
In some ways our season this year parallels Chelsea's last year. It was there 'building' season. Remember there performance against Arsenal (the then dominant force in English football) in the CL last year? They went through because they wanted it more and they deserved the win.
We've deserved to beat Chelsea twice this year already. They've put in many average performances this year and narrowly scraped a draw or a 1-0 win. I think we'll beat them.
Only slight concern - Does anyone know when Arjen Robben is going to return?
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 2:49 pmby MilitiaRusher
unfortunatly, he could return on time for even the 1st leg. lets hope we would not be match fit then.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=330641&cc=4716
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:29 pmby Nando
this is the 1st time in our history the whole of the premiership is behind us, several of my man utd mates have said they back us and will support us, the same with arsenal fans as well no1 wants chelsea to win and its not only to do with pure hatred of chelsea but every1 does think we can beat chelsea over two legs, COME ON REDS!!!
Posted:
Fri Apr 15, 2005 3:39 pmby welshred
i hope robben will not be match fit for the game but then juve were going to tear our defence apart supposedly:)