Only a week and a bit to go! Anyone know if this match be on Sky TV? Given the current signings...do we have a hope in hell? Are we likely to sign anyone in the next 10 days that might change our chances? Finally, your predictions...

Not on Sky
If they play poorly and we play our best then possibly can nick something
probably won't play if we do sign someone in next 10 days
Chelsea 3-1

It's live on Sky Ireland so plenty of streams available.

One we need to win.

ablueclaret wrote:One we need to win.

I agree, lose this and we are down

Best time to play the so called big boys is early on IMO.
Catch them cold, with players having clocked up plenty of air miles, jet lagged , whilst playing in different conditions to the UK against usually poorer/different teams to what we will be.

They won't be fully into gear and possibly not at full strength.

Any points are bonus points.

Absolutely

MACCA wrote:Best time to play the so called big boys is early on IMO.
Catch them cold, with players having clocked up plenty of air miles, jet lagged , whilst playing in different conditions to the UK against usually poorer/different teams to what we will be.

They won't be fully into gear and possibly not at full strength.

Any points are bonus points.

Good points. Although Chelsea were pretty imperious when we played them early on last season. Think we did catch Liverpool cold though having said that

We have to be looking to win away matches from the start, it is the way we must approach away matches this year with a much greater degree of belief and commitment.
We could surprise a few.

It'll certainly surprise me.

claretdom wrote:I agree, lose this and we are down

Wow!!! Lose the first match against a top team and we are down? Good job Sean and the team don't have that attitude.

ablueclaret wrote:We have to be looking to win away matches from the start, it is the way we must approach away matches this year with a much greater degree of belief and commitment.
We could surprise a few.

I agree we need to win more away matches this season, and I am sure the team always set out to do so, however we can't expect to beat Chelsea. If we don't win, it is only the first game and means little.

LoveCurryPies wrote:Wow!!! Lose the first match against a top team and we are down? Good job Sean and the team don't have that attitude.

I believe this to be a WHOOSH.

Well i certainly hope it is!

As mentioned above, remember that first game at home to Chelsea a few years ago. Probably the best anyone's played against us that I've seen.

Might be different this time though.

We played Chelsea [away] in the first match of the Owen Coyle PL season [if I remember correctly] I was down there to see it.

Patterson missed a very early one-on-one and after that it really was one way traffic - Drogba and Anelka cut us to pieces and we lost 3-0, but it could have been 9-1.

I think we'll get no points again, but not get battered.

No Hazard.

ClaretEngineer wrote:I believe this to be a WHOOSH.

Well i certainly hope it is!

I think you might be right

Well at least Matic won't be there to get send off.

'...We played Chelsea [away] in the first match of the Owen Coyle PL season [if I remember correctly]...'

we lost 2 - 0 at Stoke 1st game of Coyle PL season...then lost 3 - 0 next away game at Chelsea

ClaretEngineer wrote:I believe this to be a WHOOSH.

Well i certainly hope it is!

What is a WHOOSH?

I was replying to a poster who said if we lose the first match, we will go down. My reply was glad Sean and the team don't have that attitude. Which part of that do you disagree with?

LoveCurryPies wrote:What is a WHOOSH?

I was replying to a poster who said if we lose the first match, we will go down. My reply was glad Sean and the team don't have that attitude. Which part of that do you disagree with?

I think said poster posted the comment with his tongue deeply implanted into his cheek.

If the comment was serious from said poster then I don't take issue nor disagree with your response.

claretblue wrote:'...We played Chelsea [away] in the first match of the Owen Coyle PL season [if I remember correctly]...'

we lost 2 - 0 at Stoke 1st game of Coyle PL season...then lost 3 - 0 next away game at Chelsea

Then lost the next game 4-0 away to Liverpool and the away game after that was a 5-0 at Spurs

On that trend I was dreading the following away game, a lovely trip down the M65, even more than I should have been

hampsteadclaret wrote:We played Chelsea [away] in the first match of the Owen Coyle PL season [if I remember correctly] I was down there to see it.

Patterson missed a very early one-on-one and after that it really was one way traffic - Drogba and Anelka cut us to pieces and we lost 3-0, but it could have been 9-1.

I think we'll get no points again, but not get battered.

I remember going to that match. It was like men against boys with players like Wade Elliott and Robbie Blake just bouncing off Ballack and co.

Wasn't that way about 10 months earlier.

wilks_bfc wrote:Then lost the next game 4-0 away to Liverpool and the away game after that was a 5-0 at Spurs

On that trend I was dreading the following away game, a lovely trip down the M65, even more than I should have been

That's correct, I remember putting my coupons on and mis calculating my stake. I ended up with £2 left over and asking for the odds on Burnley to win. The cashier i knew asked if u was mad and stated we had lost 2, 3 and then 4 nil away from home.
As the value was crap for a couple of quid, I said I'll see if the pattern continues and I backed 5-0 spurs.

I even lost the slip , but due to the faffing they remembered me and paid out anyway, after a form to fill in.

We'll tear them apart to make up for last season!

MACCA wrote:Best time to play the so called big boys is early on IMO.
Catch them cold, with players having clocked up plenty of air miles, jet lagged , whilst playing in different conditions to the UK against usually poorer/different teams to what we will be.

They won't be fully into gear and possibly not at full strength.

Any points are bonus points.

Hope you are right, Macca.

2014/15 we played Chelsea at Turf, went 1-0 up - and then Chelsea turned it on for a few minutes, 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3. The gulf was enormous. Later in the season we went to Stamford Bridge and with a "fighting performance" (did anyone add up all the minutes when JM was upset?) and a great goal from Ben Mee we got a great point.

Last season, after we'd beaten Lpool at home, we were pulled apart by a very well prepared Chelsea - and their new manager. Their tactics were to play the ball from wing to wing, quickly, which, of course, stretched our defensive lines (all of them). We were well beat. Then back at the Turf, we again gave Chelsea a game and a great free kick from Robbie Brady (home debut and first start, I think) we got another point from the Champions.

Jack Cork will be up for the game back at Stamford Bridge, all the Burnley team will be up for the game, because Sean Dyche will prepare them that way. We have a stronger team than 12 months ago - we might, just might, catch Chelsea with a surprise. As always we will need some luck to get a result. It's going to be an exciting "2nd season."

UTC

Chelsea could also look at us as a difficult 'small' team. Get Burnley out the way early before we have a settled team and got ourselves organised.

Tickets are now on 'General Sale' ie no loyalty points required.

The following is from the website:

'...Ticket Purchasing Details

The methods of sale are In Person.

The final day for posting is 9th August 2017 at 2pm. We will not post any tickets after this date...'


What do they mean by 'In Person'?

Why would they require people to visit the ticket office (which restricts many potential fans)
and then say they'll not post out any tickets after 9th August - surely if 'In Person' means visiting the office then they wont have to post any out!

watched them against inter last week, although beaten they did look good, on the break especially. having said that, they didnt look that solid at the back so maybe we can exploit this slight weakness as long as we havnt conceeded 3 or 4 goals first, lets get at em clarets!!!

Last remaining tickets on General sale....just in case.