Chitchat The Official TCSS Thread

[THE_CHANSTER]

Anyone bet on Asswipe?

We love Wenger!

A lot of fans blaming Wenger but frankly injuries to key players and players themselves have let him down. They have just not performed, Giroud being a case in point.
CL qualification will be tough but I think they have an easier run-in of games than Everton.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Final Score:
West Ham 1 - 2 Liverpool. Two Gerrard penalties.

and the Reds go marching on...

I think they will win the league. A big surprise indeed.

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

Chris Hughton (Norwich City) has just received his pink slip...

 

[Falcao]

Atletico's Costa in fitness battle to face Barca

By Tim Hanlon
BARCELONA Tue Apr 8, 2014 3:06am BST

Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa leaves in the pitch after injuring his right leg during their Champions League quarter-final first leg match against Barcelona at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona April 1, 2014. REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

(Reuters) - Atletico Madrid hope to have talismanic striker Diego Costa back fit against Barcelona on Wednesday when the La Liga leaders bid to pull off another Spanish surprise by reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

Spain's Costa has hit 33 goals for Diego Simeone's side in a remarkable season for Atletico, where they have come out of the shadows of their more affluent neighbours Real Madrid and La Liga champions Barca.

They picked up a 1-1 draw in a typically hard-fought battle at the Camp Nou in the Champions League first leg last week, where Costa limped off with a hamstring strain in the first half.

His replacement Diego hit a stunning shot from distance to give Atletico a valuable away goal before Neymar grabbed a draw.

Costa has been receiving intensive treatment with the aim of being ready for the home leg and is progressing well. However, with further crucial games ahead, Atletico's medical staff are wary of him coming back too soon and aggravating the injury.

Arda Turan is also a doubt with a groin strain and if he does not recover then his place on the right wing would likely go to Diego with Adrian Lopez possibly replacing Costa.

Adrian came on as a substitute and looked lively during an otherwise tired Atletico display in a 1-0 home win over Villarreal on Saturday that kept them a point clear of Barca at the top of the Spanish championship.

"I am prepared, we are all ready for when we have to play. Any opportunity in this team is important and you have to be ready to take it," Adrian told reporters.

"It has been a great season so far and we are all pleased. We have done very well but we need to keep going game by game. Now we are up against Barcelona in the Champions League and we will play it as though it were a final.

"The first leg was a good result but the tie is very open still. We know what Barcelona are capable of doing and we will have to have a great performance if we are going to qualify for the semi-finals. We will have to fight from start to finish."

PIQUE OUT

Barcelona were also below their best but beat Real Betis 3-1 at the weekend with two more goals from Lionel Messi and remain on Atletico's shoulders with the two sides also still to meet at the Camp Nou in La Liga.

Their main injury concerns are at the back where Gerard Pique is missing with a hip injury so Marc Bartra could again deputise with Carles Puyol out long term.

Barca also have to finish the season with veteran goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto after Victor Valdes was ruled out with a knee ligament injury.

"It was a tough game (at the Calderon) where we put in a great effort and now for the return leg we will be in perfect condition," Pinto told Barca TV.

"It is likely to be a tight game, the same as the first, and small details will make the difference. We hope that these small details will go for us."

(Editing by Mark Meadows; [email protected]; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters Messaging:; [email protected])

 

[Falcao]

Chelsea will outscore PSG, says confident Mourinho

By Michael Hann
LONDON Mon Apr 7, 2014 8:59pm BST

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho looks on during a news conference at Stamford Bridge in London April 7, 2014. REUTERS-Stefan Wermuth

(Reuters) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is in no doubt his side have the scoring capabilities to overturn a two-goal deficit in their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris St Germain at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

The English outfit failed to find their rhythm in a 3-1 defeat at the Parc des Princes last week and Mourinho labelled Javier Pastore's late goal "ridiculous" while bemoaning his lack of "real strikers".

But the Portuguese coach, who has never lost a quarter-final tie while in charge of Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, is certain his side can outscore their French counterparts.

"I believe (that Chelsea will progress to the semi-finals) and my players believe, and that's the most important thing," Mourinho told reporters at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

"If you ask me if we are going to win tomorrow, I say yes. I think we are going to win. In the end of the two legs I think we are going to score more goals than them."

Despite Mourinho's assurances, Chelsea's strikers have failed to impress this season. Samuel Eto'o, who has scored all his 11 goals for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, is unlikely to play a full part on Tuesday as he has a hamstring injury.

A lack of faith in Fernando Torres and Demba Ba meant that Mourinho deployed German winger Andre Schuerrle as the lone front man in Paris.

PSG have their own problems up front, with talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing with a thigh injury, but Mourinho said a club with their riches should be able to cope.

"Eto'o didn't play the first game and I'm not sure he will play the second game," he continued. "Ramires is suspended, (Nemanja) Matic and (Mohamed) Salah cannot play in the Champions League and we are not crying.

"The fact that a multi-millionaire club that buys players and players doesn't play one important player like Ibrahimovic, I don't think it is a problem."

PSG coach Laurent Blanc has promised that his team will attack Chelsea from the first whistle, but Mourinho did not seem phased by his opposite number's aggressive tactics.

"They can say they come to attack, but maybe they don't cross the midfield line," he added. "Maybe they say they come to defend and they find spaces and they score goals, you don't know.

"The only thing that I know is that if we don't score a minimum of two goals we have no chance."

(Editing by Mark Meadows; [email protected]; +44 20 7542 7933; Reuters Messaging:; [email protected])

 

[Falcao]

Ronaldo a serious doubt for Dortmund clash

By Mark Doyle
Apr 7, 2014 7:42:00 PM

The Madrid talisman reportedly left training after just 20 minutes and it is now unsure if he will be fit to face the Bundesliga giants

Cristiano Ronaldo is a serious doubt for the second-leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday after the forward limped off of training on Monday.

The Portuguese star left the training ground after just 20 minutes on Monday with pain in the patellar tendon in his left knee, the same injury he suffered in the 3-0 win in the first-leg against the Bundesliga giants and also kept him out of his side's fixture against Real Sociedad at the weekend.

Ronaldo was treated by the club's physiotherapist immediately after leaving the field and, while the club have not officially ruled him out of Tuesday's match, Carlo Ancelotti did insist earlier that he would not feature unless he was "100 per cent" fit.

"Regarding Cristiano, he feels that he is at 100 per cent, so we are confident that he will feature," the former AC Milan boss told reporters beforehand. "We will not risk him, though.

"Cristiano always wants to play and I want him to play. But he is a professional and knows when he can't."

With a three-goal lead in hand, Madrid appear to have one foot in the semi-finals.

However, Ancelotti is taking nothing for granted, primarily because Dortmund will be buoyed by the return of star striker Robert Lewandowski from suspension.

"We are close to reaching the semis," Ancelotti acknowledged. "It's the biggest motivation you can have.

"But Lewandowski returning makes this a different game. His presence lifts his fellow players."

Lewandowski scored all of Dortmund's goals in their 4-1 first-leg victory over Madrid in last year's semi-final tie between the two sides.

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

Gotta love Mourinho's mind games. Sadly, it won't be enough to save Chelsea from getting booted out of the CL tonight.

 

[jw5]

Jose, outscoring PSG by 4-2 or 5-3 ain't gonna be good enough...................

LOL ................. LOL

 

[GoldenDragon]

Gotta love Mourinho's mind games. Sadly, it won't be enough to save Chelsea from getting booted out of the CL tonight.

1-1 final score. If they cant score in the EPL, how to in the CL?

 

[LEGEND]

If PSG plays attacking football tonight, they will die very jiaklat. Chelsea will hit them hard hard with counter attacks. :o

 

[Falcao]

Guardiola: Manchester United will park the bus again

By Stefan Coerts
Apr 8, 2014 11:12:00 AM

The Bayern trainer thinks David Moyes will opt for a defensive approach once more and believes it will be a close encounter

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola expects Manchester United to sit back in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

The Premier League champions held the Bavarians to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last week with a rather defensive strategy and the Spaniard is expecting his Red Devils counterpart David Moyes to employ similar tactics in the return.

"I think they will sit very deep. They play very defensively and always look to counter – it is something they do very, very well," Guardiola said at a press conference.

"It's never easy against English teams. United are a very big team. Before the first game, everybody was talking about Bayern, but now people know that Manchester can win in Munich.

"But we're playing at home. That's an important factor. If we win, we are through. If not, we are out. It will come down to small details. Our players know, after the experience in Manchester, how United play. My players know their strength and weaknesses. "

Guardiola then went on to discuss the possibility that the tie will be decided by spot kicks and stressed that the mental aspect of the game could play a major role.

"Penalties are less about technique and more about courage," the former Barcelona boss mused. "It is all in the head."

Bayern will be without key players such as Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara due to suspension and injury and Guardiola admitted that he has limited options to choose from.

"We only have 14 first-team players so I have not got too many options," the former Spain international confessed.

 

[Neptune]

Jose, outscoring PSG by 4-2 or 5-3 ain't gonna be good enough...................

LOL ................. LOL

thanks for the information.

 

[DannyLumSSC]

ManU will win if kagawa plays. But too bad kagawa is BANNED. Lolx.

 

[jw5]

Here's another piece of information.
If Real Madrid score first, which they are perfectly capable of doing, Dortmund need to score FIVE!

thanks for the information.

 

[Neptune]

Here's another piece of information.
If Real Madrid score first, which they are perfectly capable of doing, Dortmund need to score FIVE!

To which Robert and co. is capable of doing. Thanks for the information again.

 

[jw5]

If 5 without further reply, difficult, very difficult..............................

To which Robert and co. is capable of doing. Thanks for the information again.

 

[LEGEND]

Take Chelsea -3/4! Hoot Ah!

 

[Lumix]

If 5 without further reply, difficult, very difficult..............................

Impossible is nothing.

At the moment

Dortmund 2 RM 0

Chelsea 1 PSG 0

 

[Lumix]

Chelsea 2 PSG 0

Dortmund 2 RM 0

Come on BVB !!

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

Looks like Mourinho's done it. Unbelievable!
and it looks like Real Madrid will hang on.