Originally Posted by
Seto
Who mentioned saving guys? You have to look at the bigger picture. All the main guys will play for sure, this is a game to be won. But after a gruelling pre season (who the fukk goes to Asia and the USA for pre-season?), this team is not yet ready for a full 90 minute effort at a high intensity, or at least would rather avoid it. See where winning the first 4 games by scoring 4-5-6 goals a game got the 2010/11 version of Chelsea.
Jose's Chelsea teams always held on to leads very well and won a boatload of games 1-0 or 2-0. This isn't Real Madrid where you need to provide the fans with 5-0 batterings to keep them happy. So unless this game proves to be bumpy (ie Villa score first), no reason not to just coast to victory by applying the needed pressure in 1 or 2 key 10-15 minute spells and keep working our way into this thing. Batterings are more due for February or so.
I've rarely seen a team that looked as out of sorts as Hull on Sunday, they absolutely look like the worst team in the league at the moment. It was the ideal opportunity to score those 4, 5 goals or whatever. If there was going to be a blowout in those 2 games, it would've been Sunday.
I would be very surprised to see the game go over UNLESS Villa scores first.