Record points total

[WILF]

I think that Chelsea will get between 95-100 pts this season
They have an excellent keeper in Cech
A very good defence with Terry, Gallas, probably A.Cole
In midfield Makalele is immense,Lampturd does what Jose wants,score goals, and Ballack although possibly disruptive off the pitch is a superb player on it.
Up front, Drogba is effective, Sheva and Crespo are class

They have won 2 Prem titles on the bounce and so are confident and feared, many teams will beat themselves against Chelsea, same as against us and Manure at different points in the past.

Maureen is a limited manager but organises them well and motivates them

So as we are due to win no 19 it means we are going to record a record pts
total for ourselves and the Prem.

We have a much better manager and the best squad for many years, look at our improvement last year, I am looking forward to our best ever season

[El Jefecito]

I'm hoping that Chelsea will be transitioning to 442 this year. It'll take time for them to adapt, and I believe that Mourinho will struggle with the nuances.

Here's hoping anyway

[univofchicago]

I'm hoping that Chelsea will be transitioning to 442 this year. It'll take time for them to adapt, and I believe that Mourinho will struggle with the nuances.

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Ballack and Shevchenko are quality additions, but I really do feel that the departures of Duff, Gudjohnsen and Crespo (hopefully) is going to take the balance out of their side (at least temporarily).

I think Shevchenko will fit in very well, but I've got doubts about Ballack. Not that I doubt he is a good player. But I just think that his style of play won't be suited to the physical nature of Chelsea's game. Ballack likes to stay around the centre-circle area and distribute long or short balls left and right. He does it very well but just seem a bit stagnant at times. I've also noticed that he struggles a bit when the game turns physical and there isn't much space for him to work the ball.

I reckon Mourinho will start with Makelele-Lampard-Ballack as his three CM at the start of the season. But I also expect Ballack to find it hard to adapt for the very reasons stated above. That is why I am hopeful Mourinho will struggle a bit to find the right formula.

[dww]

I fully expect Mourinho to start with the same 4-1-2-2-1 type formation he has used since he came. I would expect the starting midfield to be as you say and they are lucky as their first two games are Man City and Middlesborough who are not overtly physical sides. I can see Essien comin back into the team for Blackburn though.

I don't see how they will loose balance due to Duff going as he was out a lot last season and was rarely in good form. I thought they struggled to get Gudjohnsen to fit into their formation (hence his playing in midfield) so I doubt that will be disruptive either.

I would guess that the biggest problem they would face is bringing in so many players all at once, as all their signings this season demand a first team place. Previously Mourinho has been able to merely tinker with the team he had, with a lot of the assimilation of new players already done for him by Ranieri. Still I think he is a great manager and they will be at least as good in the league this year and almost certainly better in europe than last year.

[univofchicago]

I don't see how they will loose balance due to Duff going as he was out a lot last season and was rarely in good form. I thought they struggled to get Gudjohnsen to fit into their formation (hence his playing in midfield) so I doubt that will be disruptive either.

Yeah, perhaps. Thinking about it again, it is the addition of Ballack that really fuels my optimism that Chelsea is going to need some time to find that balance.

I think Mourinho's decision to let Duff go is significant with respect to the balance in the side because it implies that Mourinho may be more inclined to use other formations (2 up front or 2 in the middle) rather than the much proven 4-1-2-2-1. If Mourinho had decided to stick with the usual formation, I doubt that he would have let Duff go because they need four quality wingers to make it work on a consistent basis. Duff's departure means that Mourinho has concrete plans to use alternate formations which may mean sacrificing one of the wingers for a centre forward; the need to have four wingers becomes not as important.

This is just my hope. Like you, I think Mourinho will do a good job of finding that balance but I've tried to think of a silver lining in their summer transfer activities.

[Morse]

I think that Chelsea will get between 95-100 pts this season
They have an excellent keeper in Cech
A very good defence with Terry, Gallas, probably A.Cole
In midfield Makalele is immense,Lampturd does what Jose wants,score goals, and Ballack although possibly disruptive off the pitch is a superb player on it.
Up front, Drogba is effective, Sheva and Crespo are class

They have won 2 Prem titles on the bounce and so are confident and feared, many teams will beat themselves against Chelsea, same as against us and Manure at different points in the past.

Maureen is a limited manager but organises them well and motivates them

So as we are due to win no 19 it means we are going to record a record pts
total for ourselves and the Prem.

We have a much better manager and the best squad for many years, look at our improvement last year, I am looking forward to our best ever season

They will concentrate on Europe this season, and they are also going 442 as well...we will close the gap Wilf.

[dww]

Yeah, perhaps. Thinking about it again, it is the addition of Ballack that really fuels my optimism that Chelsea is going to need some time to find that balance.

I think Mourinho's decision to let Duff go is significant with respect to the balance in the side because it implies that Mourinho may be more inclined to use other formations (2 up front or 2 in the middle) rather than the much proven 4-1-2-2-1. If Mourinho had decided to stick with the usual formation, I doubt that he would have let Duff go because they need four quality wingers to make it work on a consistent basis. Duff's departure means that Mourinho has concrete plans to use alternate formations which may mean sacrificing one of the wingers for a centre forward; the need to have four wingers becomes not as important.

This is just my hope. Like you, I think Mourinho will do a good job of finding that balance but I've tried to think of a silver lining in their summer transfer activities.

The thing is that last year the most effective player in the positions you wuld expect to find a winger was Joe Cole. He isn't a winger really and I think that considering this Cole, Robben, SWP and Kalou could be seen as the four players in question.

Sadly I think this means that Jose has the option of starting with very conservative changes and slowly introducing 4-4-2 when necissary as he did at the end of last season.

I have to say that I have a perverse optimism that as Chelsea did as well as they did last year there is little room for improvement in terms of points even if they improve their play. We on the other hand have intoduced potential solutions to many of the problems we had last year. I defenitely think we will be closer to them. Beating them is another matter.

[Red_Polo]

Their time is up

1st Liverpool 92
2nd Chelsea 89
3rd Man Utd 88

[Le Chacal]

Mourinho is one of the best managers in Europe. To say he's limited is absurd...I dont think we can reach the 90 points mark...

[univofchicago]

Beating them is another matter.

I think that is the key. Just losing those 2 league games to Chelsea meant a 12 point spread. Other differences (i.e games against other clubs), if any, were marginal.

[dww]

I would say Mourinho is in the top two or three managers in the world. However I would say he is limited as considering how much money he has had to spend his purchases have been less than inspired.

Nearly all the best signings since Abramovich took over Chelsea were made by Ranieri.

[univofchicago]

Mourinho is one of the best managers in Europe. To say he's limited is absurd...I dont think we can reach the 90 points mark...

I think Mourinho is a great coach but not necessarily a great manager. One big difference between English managers and continental coaches is that managers here have more of a say (most of the times absolute) in who they decide to bring in. Besides Drogba and Carvarlho, there isn't a player (in my opinion) that has been at least moderately successful. The 'new' successful players that have been brought in during the Ambramovich era are mainly players that he had inherited (Terry, Gallas, Lampard) or brought in by Ranieri (Robben, Cole J, Duff, Makelele, Cech).

Also, I do think we can reach the 90 points mark

[univofchicago]

I would say Mourinho is in the top two or three managers in the world. However I would say he is limited as considering how much money he has had to spend his purchases have been less than inspired.

Nearly all the best signings since Abramovich took over Chelsea were made by Ranieri.

Yeap. You beat me to it!

[dww]

Good to know someone agrees with me.

[univofchicago]

Their time is up

1st Liverpool 92
2nd Chelsea 89
3rd Man Utd 88

I prefer a bit of cushion at the top, so that we can concentrate on the Champions League Final and also give the young boys a run out.

1st Liverpool 98
2nd Chelsea 89
3rd Man.United 81
4th Arsenal 77

How about that?