Chelsea FC True Blue

Chelsea vs Blackburn Rovers Match Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:35:00 +0000

Chelsea and Roberto di Matteo had the pleasure of watching Bayern Munich field a full strength team against Borussia Dortmund in the final of the DFB Polkal Cup. This match also saw the defence of Bayern Munich exposed to the full extent, thus giving Chelsea manager a great insight into the team ahead of the match between the two clubs next week, in which Bayern Munich are the favourites according to the football odds. However, it will be relegated Blackburn Rovers this week. Roberto di Matteo revealed prior to the match that he will be making lots of changes to the team.

However, it should not lead you into thinking that the team will be comprised only of young players and reserve team players. The interim manager has said that he would be fielding the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres, who still can compete for a place in the starting line-up next week. As a result, one can expect a mixture of youth and experience when they take on Blackburn in the final match of the season. Of course, the players who were suspended from next week's match will also be involved.

Speaking ahead of the match in the Friday's press conference, Roberto di Matteo said,

"It is going to be a mix, one or two youngsters and some of the other guys that need a game as well. We have to find a balance, there are also going to be players who are going to be involved next Saturday."

It has been a very tough season in the last few months with games regularly coming up within three days. The effect really showed in the second half of the FA Cup final against Liverpool. Some may say that Andy Carroll was the reason for Liverpool's dominance in the second half, but according to me, the tired midfield was the reason for Chelsea being unable to keep the ball. One can expect Chelsea to be at the top of Blackburn today given that Roberto di Matteo will be making massive changes.

I for one would wish to see Romelu Lukaku start the match. The Belgian almost scored against Liverpool, and he displayed everything from pace to power at Anfield. He has not been given the necessary chance to show his skills this season, but he will surely get a run out against Blackburn. Ryan Bertrand has also established himself as the backup to Ashley Cole. Expect him to start against Blackburn as well.

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Match Preview, 21st April, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:09:00 +0000

Revenge was certainly mentioned a lot ahead of the meeting with Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. Even though the aftermath of the immense victory over the Spaniards has reduced the attention, one should also look at the match with Arsenal in the same context. Despite being highly successful against Arsenal over the past couple of seasons, we head into the match at the Emirates Stadium having been defeated 5-3 earlier in the season. True, we're much better team now than under AVB, but this crop of Chelsea players still have a lot to prove before they head into the Euro 2012. A lot of people interested in Euro 2012 England betting will be keen on this match due to the number of English players involved.

Roberto di Matteo suggested during the pre-match press conference that he will be utilising more of the squad on Saturday, which means that one can get to see the likes of Essien, Malouda, Bosingwa, and Ferreira all get a piece of action.

Chelsea's Chief executive Ron Gourlay appeared to suggest that finishing in the top four was far more important than winning the Champions League or the FA Cup. However, it seems that di Matteo already has the Barcelona match in mind. I too would have chosen this decision because the Champions League hopes is still in our hands, while the prospect of finishing in the top four certainly is not.

A high line against Arsenal in the 5-3 defeat helped Theo Walcott make the most out of John Terry’s lack of pace, but Roberto di Matteo is unlikely to repeat the same mistake. In many ways, this match could actually be a preparation for the Barcelona match. Arsenal's style of play and the size of the pitch are in many ways similar to that of Barcelona.

The biggest advantage in terms of a top four finish is the fact that both Tottenham and Chelsea play only after we have finished. It is also easy to forget that Arsenal are also in the race as well. The defeat at the hands of Wigan has certainly changed their outlook on the top four finish.

Arsenal, though, will be delighted at the prospect of not having to face Didier Drogba, who has been the nemesis for Arsene Wenger on numerous occasions in the past. The striker is more likely to be rested having played two games in such a short span of time and also with the Barcelona match in mind.

Match Preview: Chelsea vs Bolton, 25th Feb, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:39:00 +0000

Prior to appointing Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would have hoped that Chelsea would be at least better than Bolton Wanderers in terms of form. However, Chelsea's recent form is actually worse than the 19th placed team in the Premier league table. It is not surprising to know that Bolton are rated highly by the Betfair Football Odds this weekend.

Chelsea have no victory in the last five matches, and it is going to be a month without a victory for Villas-Boas if they fail to beat Bolton this weekend. Despite struggling down at the bottom of the table, Bolton have two wins in their last five matches.

John Terry's absence at the back is certainly working against Andre Villas-Boas and his tactics. As good as Gary Cahill may be, he is certainly not going to be a substitute for John Terry. Chelsea's captain has been ruled out for up to 4 weeks.

One of the biggest advantages Chelsea have this weekend in the context of the Premier league table is the fact that Arsenal do not play until Sunday. Further, they'll be heading into the North London Derby against Tottenham in the worst possible fashion. There is every chance that Arsenal might lose the match, but Chelsea need to be ready in order to take advantage of any slipup from Arsenal.

After the 3-1 defeat against Napoli, the FA cup seems to be the only hope for a trophy this season. However, Chelsea should not take eyes away from the fact that there is still a competition left for the fourth spot. Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Liverpool are the competing teams.

Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole were dropped by Andre Villas-Boas for the Napoli match. There have been reports of a fallout between Ashley Cole and Andre Villas-Boas. It remains to be seen if the manager and the player can sort out their differences by the time the match kicks off.

Trying to clear out of the players, who were extremely influential in the José Mourinho, is all well and good, but one should also try to get results in between. This is something that Andre Villas-Boas has clearly lacked in, while he has also not displayed the authority needed to oversee a transitional phase.

Perhaps, it is a job not to be meant for a 34-year-old with just one year of managerial experience at the top level.

Champions League: Napoli vs Chelsea Match Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 04:05:00 +0000

If Chelsea's recent form is anything to go by, then this could be the last match for André Villas-Boas as the Chelsea manager. The former FC Porto boss said when he took over in the summer that winning something was a requirement and not an expectation. He also said that failing to win the Premier league or the Champions League can be considered as a reason to sack him without second thoughts. Based on his own admissions, André Villas-Boas will be out of the Chelsea job if Chelsea capitulated in the same way as Arsenal did at the San Siro last week.

Despite the recent form, this match is expected to be very exciting. If you do not want to miss out on the Chelsea Tickets for the return leg, you can get the tickets for Chelsea vs Napoli at TicketBis for just £162.40.

After the disappointing 1-1 draw with Birmingham City during the weekend, it is very much expected that Fernando Torres would be dropped for this match. The former Liverpool striker was said to be extremely unhappy at his substitution at half-time. Even though Didier Drogba did not make much of a difference as a player, he is expected to get the nod ahead of Fernando Torres. For me, though, Chelsea's major weakness lies in the midfield. There is absolutely no creativity from the central midfielders at Chelsea.

Part of this reason may rest on the fact that André Villas-Boas is constantly rotating his players in midfield. One week Frank Lampard is playing and in the next week, he isn't. Selecting three defensive midfielders for the home match against Championship team Birmingham also did not help matters either.

Contrary to reports, this match is not a do or die game for Chelsea. A score draw would be a great result away at Napoli given the way the Italian team has dominated the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the group stages. Napoli have a formidable forward line up and their primary strength is to play on the counter-attack. Chelsea can totally destroy their tactics with an early goal, which would allow us to play on the counter-attack. A score draw would also mean more of the same in the second leg.

It is almost going to be a month since Chelsea's last victory. However, this is certainly one fixture André Villas-Boas will be happy to come out with a draw.

Find Chelsea tickets on sale is extremely tough nowadays, but you can get it on TicketBis. They also offer football match tickets of almost any European club.

Chelsea Complete Gary Cahill Signing

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:41:00 +0000

Chelsea have finally completed long-awaited signing of Bolton defender Gary Cahill. The two clubs agreed a fee of £ 7m almost 2 weeks ago, but it has taken such a long time for the player and the club to come to terms regarding the personal terms.

The initial reports that Gary Cahill wanted around £ 100,000 a week has not been proved untrue, as the England international has signed a contract worth around £ 80,000 per week. He has signed a five-year contract with the club, and it is surely a massive investment on the part of Chelsea, as they could cost around £ 30 million in total during the length of his contract.

"Chelsea is a massive club that looks to win trophies season in, season out. This is the right move for me at the right time. It is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can't turn down," he said after signing the deal.

A niggling issue is the fact that Chelsea paid £ 7 million for a player whose contract runs out in the summer. Chelsea could have got him for nothing in the summer, but have in fact ended up paying 50% of his transfer value. Surely, this sounds like bad business for Chelsea.

However, homegrown players certainly do not come cheap and the fact that he is only 26 years old sweetens the deal further. Chelsea seem to have made this investment on the assumption that Brazilian defender Alex would be sold in the next couple of weeks. QPR, however, seem to be the only club interested in the 29-year-old.

Our neighbours seem to have tabled a £ 3.5 million bid, which could prove interesting if they step it up to £ 5 million. Based on this transfer fee, Chelsea would be spending only £ 2 million on a player who is also much younger.

Cahill is also a tennis fan, and there is no doubt that he will be looking forward to the 2012 Australian Open. He would be watching live Australian Open as a Chelsea player for the first time.

Does Villas-Boas Need Help? Anyone Thinking Hiddink?

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:57:00 +0000

Andre Villas-Boas has stated that he does not need a helping hand, as he tries to steer Chelsea away from one of the worst possible season in recent years. I had initially thought that the failure in the Premier League would make us a force to reckon with in the Champions League, but that hope has clearly come crashing after the 2-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund.

The sudden availability of Guus Hiddink has presented Villas-Boas with a variety of questions to answer. Among them is the possibility of having Hiddink in a supporting role for Villas-Boas. The Portuguese, who has only three full years of managerial experience, has rejected such possibilities by saying that he believes in his players and himself.

Ahead of the match against Wolves, Villas-Boas said,

" I don't solve problems on my own, I solve problems with my group of people and my group of players. I just hold on to my self-belief and the belief of my players."

The defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund leaves us in a very difficult position. Chelsea are most likely to qualify in the second place, which would then pit us against the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona. Chelsea can bid goodbye to any chance of winning the Champions League with this kind of form against this class of opponents. We haven’t made it into December yet, but the situation already looks very bleak indeed.

A few seasons ago, a couple of Chelsea players (Lampard, Terry, Drogba, and Kalou) were caught up in a boxing fight in London. Perhaps, these Chelsea players are fond of boxing and like to watch live boxing. Maybe, they should use these techniques to bring us out of trouble.

In my opinion, the arrival of Guus Hiddink would only bring in more trouble to the situation if the Dutchman arrives as a sporting director. If he becomes the next manager, then well and good. However, as long as AVB is the manager, he should be allowed to make the decisions himself.

A win against Wolves alone will not solve Chelsea's problem. It demands a run of consecutive games so that the talk of Guus Hiddink returning to Stamford Bridge goes away once and for all. Only then will Villas-Boas get the necessary support from the media and, most crucially, Roman Abramovich. Villas-Boas may claim that he does not need help now, but he definitely does seem to need it. Ideally, that help should come from the players, starting this weekend against Wolves.

Can Villas-Boas Survive The Sack?

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:35:00 +0000

After the defeat to Liverpool, the honeymoon period for Andre Villas-Boas seems to be well and truly over. For AVB, it is now the period where plenty of questions will be asked of his tactical and managerial ability.

Each manager has their positives and negatives. However, I am yet to fully see the best of Villas-Boas – except for in the QPR match when Chelsea dominated with 9 men. Apart from that, Chelsea haven’t been brilliant in any match so far. We have looked good only when the opponents have been catastrophically weak – take the case of Bolton and Genk.

One my biggest disappointment with him came this week when he appeared to suggest that Abramovich would not sack as he had paid £13 million to acquire AVB and it would cost another sack load for sacking him. I don’t know Abramovich personally, but even I can tell that this amount of money is insignificant for a man. It is ludicrous to suggest that Abramovich would be content without any improvement just for the sake of about £20 million.

It has become customary for Chelsea to struggle in the autumn just as Arsenal do near the end of the season. It has always been due to the occurrence of a scandal involving a high-profile player or an injury crisis. Even though there has been the Terry’s racism issue this time around, it seems to be of significance only for visiting fans.

People may argue that AVB should be given more time – I have been part of that bandwagon for managers myself in the past. However, this time, the situation is more critical. It would be harsh to suggest that AVB is totally out of his depth, but it has appeared that way many times this season. He has also been very arrogant with his attitude. It reminds me of Rafa Benitez sometimes. He and we all know that the defensive highline is not at all

working; what should he do? Change it. He hasn’t been doing that.

It was quite apparent in the first half of the Liverpool match that Mikel is NOT a first team player. Get him out of the team for God’s sake. I would be satisfied even with Raul Meireles, although Josh McEachran would be preferable.

Hiddink’s availability – is the script written by a God? – also makes it extremely unlikely that AVB will carry on beyond January if results don’t improve.

One of the best decisions AVB has made during his short Chelsea career is to give proper chance to Daniel Sturridge. I just hope that he is here for a long time to make more such impacts.

About the Author

Bharath Ram is a professional blogger and a freelance writer. An ardent Chelsea fan, Bharath Ram also writes for other sites like the Daily Sports Mag

Chelsea Defensive Woes: How Can It Be That Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:56:00 +0000

A lot has been spoken about the bad defending in the Premier League, but I think Chelsea are in the league of their own. In the past 10 matches, Chelsea have kept a clean sheet on just two occasions – against minnows Genk and in the League Cup against Fulham.

Frankly, I cannot understand how a defence containing Petr Cech and John Terry can perform so badly for such a long time. Chelsea conceding against Genk yesterday is probably the final straw for me. I am extremely frustrated and lost for words in explaining the predicament.

Strangely, it is difficult to put a finger on a certain aspect. Sure, many people would point to the fact that we are fourth in the table and are on course for qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League. However, Chelsea have conceded a mammoth 15 goals in the Premier League so far, which is a staggering 1.5 goals per game. This is a statistic that alone will tell you that Chelsea are not good enough to win the League this season. It is proven by the nine-point advantage that Manchester City have over Chelsea.

Maybe the fault rests within Villas-Boas' 4-3-3 formation. Even though it has been in use during the majority of the last seven years, maybe Villas-Boas is using a slightly attacking version of it. Certainly, Ramires, who plays on the right side of the three in the midfield, attacks a lot more than others who used to play in that position did. In fact, I would say that he is on par with Lampard in terms of the preference given to attacking.

Maybe, it is with Mikel, who is simply not good enough to play in the 4-3-3 formation. As Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole are always on the attack, a lot depends on the defensive midfielder to shore up the defence. His pace and ability to read the game have always been the weak links for Mikel and he will never be able to replace Claude Makelele.

It is hard to pinpoint the cause for the recent defensive troubles to just one aspect. It has been a combination of various issues and Chelsea need to sort it out quickly before this League campaign vanishes into thin air.

About the Author

Bharath Ram is a professional blogger and a freelance writer. An ardent Chelsea fan, Bharath Ram also writes for other sites like the Daily Sports Mag

Valencia vs Chelsea: Match Preview, 28th Sept 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:24:00 +0000

One of the major questions ahead of the Champions League group match against Valencia is whether the two consecutive matches played with only 10 men will affect the team or not? Chelsea had a man sent off in both of the matches against Fulham and Swansea.

It should in theory not be too much of a problem because the teams that played against Fulham and Swansea were extremely different. Further, Torres played only 40 min on Saturday, and he is more likely to start against Valencia given that he will be unavailable for selection for the next three Premier League matches.

Playing Valencia in the Champions League is certainly not new to Chelsea, as we have been there in recent seasons. However, this will be a totally different Valencia team. The team we last played in 2007 was reeling under heavy financial crisis, but the current team was top of the Spanish la Liga only a fortnight ago. The draw with Barcelona and defeat to Sevilla may look poor on paper, but make no mistake about it, Valencia were extremely unlucky to lose both matches.

Chelsea, though, seem to be coming to the level we have anticipated when Villas-Boas took over, although slowly. The 4-1 win over Swansea may not be the most inspiring result in the world, but it was one that proved that the players are capable of dominating a match even with 10 men. Valencia could only draw their opening match against Genk, which will put us in an advantageous position should we get some kind of a result at the Mestalla.

Chelsea achieved the all-important home win over Bayer Leverkusen, but it will become an advantage only if we get some kind of a result.

A lot has been spoken in the British tabloids about the future of Frank Lampard. Villas-Boas said after the Swansea game that it will not be long before Lampard returns to the starting line-up. The Valencia match could well be that and Frank will be looking to show why he has been regarded as one of the important players for Chelsea over the last seven years or so.

My prediction: Chelsea to draw 1-1

Predicted Team Line-ups:

Valencia (4-4-1-1): Guaita; Maduro, Mathieu, Rami, Bruno; Víctor Ruíz, Banega, Costa, Aduriz; Jonas; Piatti.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Meireles, Lampard; Mata, Anelka, Torres.

Last Meeting: Chelsea 0 - 0 Valencia

Kick Off Time: Valencia vs Chelsea 00:15 BST

Venue: Estadio de Mestalla, Valencia.

Shown live on: Ten Action Plus at 11:30 IST (India) and Sky Sports HD1 at 16:00 BST (UK).

Which Garmin Forerunner

Chelsea vs Swansea: Match Report, 24th Sept 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Chelsea have showed against Swansea that the defeat against Manchester United was simply down to luck more than anything else. The 4-1 win is made even better knowing that we played for most of the game with 10 men, as against Fulham in the Carling cup.

Fernando Torres started where he left off by scoring quite a brilliant goal to get things started at Stamford Bridge. However, his afternoon was to last only 40 min after receiving a red card for his two footed challenge on Mark Gower.

It was a huge blunder, but it clearly looking like a striker's challenge more than anything else. Torres was having a good impact, and it is sad to see him miss the next three matches. AVB, however, does not seem to be short of goal scorers, but none would have imagined Ramires being one.

His start to life at Chelsea was slow, but he is becoming one of the important players of the team. His first goal signified everything that is good about him now – counter-attacking football and energy. These two are in abundance with the Brazilian youngster, and Chelsea made full utilisation of it.

Didier Drogba came on late in the match to score an important goal. Drogba will be the leading man in the next few matches, and it is vital that he gets a lot of confidence from the goal. It seemed as if he was never missing from the team.

The worrying aspect from the Swansea match has to be the inability to keep a clean sheet. We have kept only two clean sheets so far this campaign, while the goal we conceded against Swansea has almost an exact replica of Chris Smalling's goal last week. Clearly, there's a lot of work to be done in the defensive side of things, especially set pieces.

Further, Villas-Boas has to work out a policy in order to make the defensive midfielder a bit more effective. John obi Mikel – playing in the defensive role – was so poor that he often was responsible for slowing down Chelsea's play. At home, Meireles seems a much better fit in that role, or even Josh McEachran for that matter.

Goals:

Chelsea: Torres 29, Ramires 36 & 76, Drogba 90+4

Swansea City: Williams 86

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Meireles (McEachran), Ramires, Anelka (Drogba), Mata (Malouda), Torres.

Swansea (4-5-1): Vorm, Williams, Taylor, Monk, Rangel, Britton (Routledge 46), Sinclair, Dyer (Dobbie 71), Allen, Gower, Lita (Graham 59).

Man of the match: Ramires – outstanding on the ball, brilliant runs, good passing, and last but not least, two goals to the good.

Next match: Wednesday, 28 September 2011, Valencia vs Chelsea (UEFA Champions League).

Manchester United vs Chelsea: Match Report, 18th Sept 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:28:00 +0000

Manchester United 3 – 1 Chelsea

The score line does not always tell the story and the 3-1 defeat against Manchester United was certainly a case of one. Despite the defeat, it definitely ranks as one of the best games I have seen Chelsea play in recent times. There were chances aplenty for both sides and it was largely due to the inept defending from both teams. Even though Chelsea conceded three goals, our defending was rather well in comparison with Manchester United's defence.

Chelsea were clearly the better team when it came to creating chances, but not so good in terms of taking them. In fact, Manchester United had three shots on target and scored three goals in the first half, whereas Chelsea had almost 5 clear-cut chances and failed to score none.

People seem to be intent on criticising Fernando Torres, but one of the greatest disappointments has to be Lampard. Of course, Lampard covered a lot of ground, but effectiveness matters more than distance covered. Lampard was not defending well, nor was he involved in attack. AVB took the right decision in taking off Lampard at the end of the first half, with Anelka introduced in place of him.

It produced an instant result, as Anelka fed an quite impressive ball to Fernando Torres, who finished quite impressively. Torres was heavily involved in the first half, but it was the first major time he showed glimpses of his old self. From then on in, it turned out to be one of the most engrossing encounters in recent times, as both teams decided to totally forget defending. United received a penalty, which they failed to convert, thus giving a lifeline for Chelsea with the game at 3-1.

However, any hopes of getting something from the game completely evaporated from both fans and players after one of the greatest misses of all times. Fernando Torres put through on goal by Ramires jinked past the oncoming David De Gea, thus creating an open goal. Then, one of the most astonishing moments happened as he failed to miss from about seven yards. The miss was so catastrophic that it seemed to suck out the will to get an equaliser.

A 3-1 defeat may sound extremely bad on Chelsea's part, but it should not take anything away from the huge number of positives. Chelsea may be trailing Manchester United by five points, but on this display alone, I can say that the title race is clearly not over.

Man Utd vs Chelsea: Match Preview, 18th Sept 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:28:00 +0000

It may be only five games into the season, but Chelsea and Manchester United playing each other always brings a lot of tension and excitement. Manchester United have made a great start to the season, and unsurprisingly, Chelsea are the underdogs heading into the match. As the youngest manager in the division, Andre Villas-Boas, 33, will be taking on Sir Alex Ferguson, 69, the oldest manager in the Premier League.

Man Utd have scored an astonishing 18 goals in the four matches that they have played. An interesting statistics reveal that no team has managed to win the league after making such a promising start to the season. In fact, we experienced a similar start last season, only to win nothing in the end. Chelsea, on the other hand, have made a steady start to the season, with the best performances coming in the last two matches against Sunderland and Bayer Leverkusen.

Villas-Boas brought about a noticeable change in the tactics, which involves getting at least three players in the box when playing in the final third of the pitch. This has been a major weak link in the last few seasons, with the lack of options in the box ending an attack abruptly. It is something that Manchester United do rather well, and I certainly admire them for doing so.

Wayne Rooney is clearly the danger man, but Chelsea do not have any such player on sparkling form, although there could be a case for new signing Juan Mata. Torres looked alright against Bayer Leverkusen, and Chelsea certainly need a big performance out of him. It is also vital for him if he is to prolong his Chelsea career, with rumours already speculating that he could either be sold or swapped for Alexandre Pato in January.

Didier Drogba has been ruled out, which puts the onus on either Nicolas Anelka or Fernando Torres. The most interesting position, though, has to be defensive midfielder. Does AVB go for Mikel with his inability to contribute in attack, but better in terms of defence, or does he go for Raul Meireles who is the vice versa.

My prediction: Chelsea to win 2-1

Predicted Team Line-ups:

Manchester United (4-4-1-1): De Gea; Smalling, Jones, Ferdinand, Evra; Nani, Anderson, Giggs, Young; Hernandez; Rooney.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Meireles, Lampard; Mata, Sturridge, Torres.

Last Meeting: Manchester United 2 - 1 Chelsea

Kick Off Time: Manchester United vs Chelsea 16:00 BST

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester.

Shown live on: ESPN at 20:25 IST (India) and Sky Sports HD1 at 16:00 BST (UK).

Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen: Match Preview, 13th Sept 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:56:00 +0000

Just when you thought that it could not get worse for Fernando Torres, he is once again set to warm up the bench for the match against Bayer Leverkusen. The first match of the Champions League group stages will also see the return of Michael Ballack to Stamford Bridge. It is quite a momentous occasion for the German midfielder who spent four years with Chelsea, although it wasn't as successful as he would have hoped.

The Champions League has become more than Holy Grail for Chelsea and Roman Abramovich, but I am certainly tired of watching every season's hopes turn to dust. It looks as if the failures of recent seasons has become a mental block in many ways. The only way to eliminate this mental block will be to go by a game as it comes without setting any goals as such. Here is what Villas-Boas said in the press conference ahead of the Bayer Leverkusen match:

"I don't think there's a mental block. There's some kind of unpredictability that can take you all the way to the final sometimes. Other times it doesn't.
Our time will eventually come. We just have to focus on making it one of our objectives, as it has been for the past few seasons."

Chelsea finally seem to be coming into form, as demonstrated by the consistent performance against Sunderland. It was probably the first match, in which they played for the full 90 min. Villas-Boas will certainly want that to continue against Bayer Leverkusen as well, although the Manchester United match on Sunday will certainly be on his mind. The Sun reports that Lampard, Terry, and Anelka will be left out of the squad with this game in mind.

We are already without Ramires and Drogba, and resting these three experienced players may put Chelsea at a slight disadvantage. Without Drogba and Anelka, Torres should be the next in line to start. However, the comments he made recently about the team has certainly singled out the Spaniard. Torres claimed that the Chelsea midfielders had become old and were very slow, which is something that I agree with, but it seems that the club has decided to take action.

Bayer Leverkusen finished as the runners up last season, and they look on course to repeating the feat. It is certainly going to be a difficult match, but Chelsea have the strength in depth to overcome Bayer Leverkusen, who are certainly not short of confidence.

My prediction: Chelsea to win 2-0

Predicted Team Line-ups:

Bayer Leverkusen (4-5-1): Leno; Schwaab, Reinartz, Toprak, Castro, Balitsch, Rolfes, Renato Augusto, Sam, Bender; Kießling.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Ivanovic, Cole; Mikel, Meireles, Malouda; Mata, Kalou, Sturridge.

Kick Off Time: Chelsea vs Bayer Leverkusen 00:15 BST

Venue: Stamford Bridge, London.

Sunderland vs Chelsea Match Review: Do Or Die For Torres

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 06:36:00 +0000

Despite facing the so-called lower opposition in the first three matches, Chelsea have certainly failed to convince that we are indeed the main competitors to Manchester United for the title, although we have managed to get seven points out of a maximum nine. It is a decent return, but one that cannot be compared with the kind of performances that Manchester City and Manchester United have been putting.

However, the value of three points will be evident only when you don't get it, and I for one, am extremely happy with the start Chelsea have made this season.

It is of paramount importance that Chelsea get three points against our next opponents Sunderland given that we face Manchester United next weekend. It is probably a good time to play Sunderland, who certainly have not started the season in the way Steve Bruce would want them to, despite spending a lot of money in the summer.

It has been 10 years since Chelsea last dropped points at the Stadium of Light, and given Sunderland's poor form, I expect Chelsea to fully run out comfortable winners.

For once, Andre Villas-Boas will not have the selection headache when it comes to the central strikers, as Drogba has been ruled out of the match. He does have Daniel Sturridge back into contention for selection, and he is one player I am expecting a lot from this season. He was by far and away the best player in the pre-season, and he will certainly inject a lot of pace into the team.

Kieran Richardson has been playing in the defence for Sunderland, and it is certainly a weak spot that can be taken targeted. His positioning and tackling was totally out of order against Liverpool, and players like Mata and Sturridge could take advantage of it.

Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet since losing Petr Cech to injury, but his return should provide the balance to the defence.

Despite the poor form, Sunderland should not be taken lightly, as they showed in the 3-0 defeat that they inflicted to us at Stamford Bridge last season.

My prediction: Chelsea to win 2-1

Confirmed Team Line-ups:

Sunderland (4-5-1): Mignolet; Bardsley, Brown, Bramble, Richardson; Larsson, Cattermole, Gardner, Colback, Sessegnon; Bendtner.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Meireles,

Lampard; Mata, Sturridge, Anelka.

Last Meeting: Sunderland 2 - 4 Chelsea

Kick Off Time: Sunderland vs Chelsea 15:00 BST

Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland.

Shown live on: ESPN at 19:00 IST (India).

Chelsea’s £125 Million Spending Spree: Will It Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:14:00 +0000

The age of the Chelsea squad has often been at the centre of attention and Roman Abramovich seems to have chosen the easy way round it: spend.

The year 2011 has seen an incredible amount of changes done to the squad that very much reflects the initial years of the Roman Abramovich era. Around £50 million has already been spent on the squad this summer in addition to the £75 million outlay that Roman Abramovich sanctioned in January. The spending spree is definitely not over, as the transfer of Luka Modric could potentially add another £30 million to the bill.

Obviously, this is just pocket change for a man who has just blown almost £500 million on a boat, although some would prefer it to call it as the largest yacht in the world.

It is incredible amount of money that simply gone unnoticed given the frantic transfer activity amongst the trio of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City. Now it seems that Chelsea are targeting Porto right-back Alvaro Pereira as a replacement for Yuri Zhirkov.

However, it has to be noted that only one of the £125 million spent so far has gone to a player over 25 years of age; he is Fernando Torres. It clearly shows that Chelsea are definitely looking to the future, which is important especially given that the UEFA Financial fair play rules coming into effect soon.

One big question that needs to be answered is whether Chelsea can replicate the same kind of success by buying a huge quantity of players over a short period of time? Has it brought the right dividends?

It is too early to tell, as only two of the six signings have played for the club so far. This season would be a great tool to calculate if Roman’s money has been invested wisely, or if it has done down the drain. This spending spree would only work if some of the players like Kalou and Ferreira leave the club. They have spent too much time at the club without doing anything.

We did it in 2004, but only time will tell if it can be repeated or not.

Chelsea Make £16.5 Million Bid For Alvaro Pereira

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:10:00 +0000

After making four signings for close to £50 million this summer, Chelsea are set to continue the spending spree with another £16.5 million bid for FC Porto wingback Alvaro Pereira.

Alvaro Pereira is an attacking wide player, who is more than capable of replacing Florent Malouda on the left. According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are reportedly keen to offload the French winger, who arrived at Chelsea for £13.5 million in 2007. Daily Mail reports that we are ready to sell the French winger for just £5 million.

At just 25 years of age, Alvaro Pereira is a perfect buy for Chelsea. He is capable of playing in the defensive positions, while playing further up the field is also something that he is quite adept with. In short, he is the perfect replacement for Zhirkov: someone who can do a job when called upon.

Even though his release clause is at £25 million, it is highly unlikely that Chelsea would be willing to conduct any talks at that price. The same now seems to apply for Modric as well. We are already looking at other options, with the likes of Raul Meireles or Joao Moutinho on the cards.

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Chelsea Agree £23.5 m Fee For Juan Mata

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:22:00 +0000

A few days ago, Andre Villas-Boas said that Chelsea need to sign two more players before the end of the transfer window. Now, Chelsea could not have been much quicker in fulfilling half of the statement after agreeing a £23.5 million deal to sign Valencia winger Juan Mata.

Chelsea FC released the following statement on the official site today:

"An agreement has been reached with Valencia CF for the transfer to Chelsea of midfielder Juan Manuel Mata. The move is now subject to the player passing a medical and agreeing personal terms."

He is just the sort of the player we need right now. The pace and skill are second to none and he will perfectly complement Florent Malouda. I expect Villas-Boas to play Mata on the right-hand side, with Malouda hugging the left wing.

One of the reasons why the 4-3-3 formation has been slightly ineffective over the years is due to the lack of proper wingers. Ever since we sold Arjen Robben in 2007, Chelsea have never replaced him. Up until now, converting strikers like Anelka and Kalou into wingers has worked on occasions, but it has been largely hit and miss.

Juan Mata is the perfect player we need right now, and the fee of £23.5 million does not sound a lot for a player who is only 23 years old now. He has the best years ahead of him and he can only get better.

Here is a short clip showing what he can do:

I would especially recommend watching at 0:48. It is exactly the sort of play that we used to get from Robben.

Chelsea vs West Brom: Match Report, 20th Aug 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:42:00 +0000

Chelsea 2-1 West Brom

Goals:

Chelsea: Anelka 53, Malouda 83

West Brom: Long 4

Image Credit: Zimbio

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario, Cole, Bosingwa, Terry, Alex (Ivanovic 66), Ramires, Lampard, Mikel, Torres (Drogba 59), Kalou (Malouda 35), Anelka.

Formation: AVB used the 4-3-3 for the 1st 35 minutes. After Malouda's arrival, Chelsea seemed to be using a 4-1-3-2.

West Brom (4-3-3): Foster, Olsson, Shorey, Tamas, Tchoyi (Odemwingie 75), Morrison, Brunt, Reid, Mulumbu (Dorrans 87), Scharner, Long.

Formation: Roy Hodgson used the traditional 4-4-2 formation, although West Brom played a formation very similar to 4-5-1 when they did not have the ball.

Key Match Stats:

Man of the Match: Nicolas Anelka - he scored Chelsea's first goal and came close on a few other occasions as well. His movement was good and was one of the few who became brighter as the match wore on.

Next Match: Saturday, 27 August 2011, Chelsea v Norwich, 15:00 (Barclays Premier League)

Get the reactions from the match here.

Chelsea vs West Brom Reactions: AVB Tactics Does The Trick

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:40:00 +0000

What a way to get the first victory, and I cannot say anything more than. Footballers is a game of two halves and it was none more so demonstrated by yesterday's match more than anything else. The way Chelsea played in the second half against West Brom was nothing short of brilliant, but the same cannot be said of the first.

Image Credit: Zimbio

I really don't know what the players were thinking when they stepped onto the pitch; passes were going astray and the defending was horrific. Visiting teams do not often take advantage of such lapses, as our play usually improves after a few minutes. Against West Brom, though, it was very different as Shane Long took advantage of Alex's mistake to score as early as in the fourth minute.

You would have thought that it would be enough to wake up the players, but you would have been wrong if you have thought so because Chelsea continued to lumber ahead. Andre Villas-Boas had managed Chelsea only for around 120 minutes, but already, serious questions were asked of the manager. The response came in the form of a substitution in the 35th minute, which very much reminded me of the José Mourinho days.

Mourinho was never afraid to make a change even after 10 minutes, and AVB proved that his disciple was not too different either. Salomon Kalou had started his second consecutive game, but he was even worse than in the match against Stoke. Naturally, he was the man to make way for Florent Malouda. Despite this change, our play improved only a little, although they were considerably on top going into the half-time break.

We had a total of 24 shots during the match, but I presume most of it came during the second half because it was 40 minutes of exhilarating football from Chelsea.

In the second half, wave after wave of attacks hit the West Brom defence and they finally cracked open. Nicolas Anelka scored in the 53rd minute, although he was largely helped by a deflection. It was his first goal since February. Once Anelka had scored, it seemed to be a question of only time for the arrival of the second goal. It came through Bosingwa flashing a lowball across the face of the goal, which was turned in by Florent Malouda with 7 minutes of normal time remaining.

Villas-Boas had the first victory in the bag, although he was made to work quite hard than he would have imagined. The tactics and substitutions clearly show that AVB is no slouch, and he could very well be the perfect Jose Mourinho replacement that we have been searching for.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas reactions after the match:

"Today it was a very emotional game and the emotional part of the game was the main difference from the first half to the second half. In the first half, we suffered a little bit with anxiety because we conceded the first goal too early, and we couldn't express ourselves.
"We had a fantastic second half and played in their half and created numerous opportunities. We were dominant like we should have been in the first half."

Chelsea vs West Brom Preview: Villas-Boas Searches For First Win

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 05:58:00 +0000

Andre Villas-Boas takes over his first game in charge at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea entertain one of our favourite opponents - West Brom. Last week's draw against Stoke was by no means a bad result, but it could become one should Chelsea fail to win against West Brom as well.

We started last season with a 6-0 win over West Brom, but it will certainly be a lot tougher this time around. West Brom - managed by Chelsea's current assistant manager Roberto di Matteo - had just returned to the Premier League, but they have certainly made good progress under Roy Hodgson.

However, it seems that he cannot make his team maintain clean sheet. West Brom had only two clean sheets throughout last season, which certainly does not read well to their hopes of getting anything from this game.

This is probably the perfect game for Fernando Torres to kick-start his Chelsea career, as he looked very much like his old self against Stoke. The form shown by Torres, though, gives Villas-Boas another problem: keeping Didier Drogba happy. I once again expect Torres to start the game, with Drogba on the bench.

January 2, 1978 was the day West Brom last took any points off Chelsea. It has been one Chelsea win after the other since then.

One of the major problems for Villas-Boas is the injury to Petr Cech - who could be out for four weeks at the most. However, the international break that starts from next week onwards could not have come at a better time. Either Hilario or Ross Turnbull could start the match, although I suppose it will be the former due to his experience.

There is a slight chance that new signing Lukaku could be included into the squad.

Chelsea played with three traditional strikers - Torres, Drogba, and Anelka - during the last 25 minutes against Stoke. It would be interesting to see if Villas-Boas decides to go for the same from the start itself, which will not be surprising given Kalou's poor performance against Stoke.

My prediction: Chelsea to win 3-0

Predicted Team Line-ups:

West Brom (4-5-1): Foster, Olsson, Shorey, Tamas, Tchoyi, Morrison, Brunt, Reid, Mulumbu, Scharner, Long.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Torres.

Last Meeting: West Brom 1 - 3 Chelsea

Kick Off Time: Chelsea vs West Brom 17:30 BST

Venue: Stamford Bridge, London.

Shown live on: ESPN (UK and India).

Win Amazing Prizes With Yahoo! Your Goals Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:10:00 +0000

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Chelsea’s Offer For Mata Rejected; Modric Getting Closer

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 06:47:00 +0000

Last week Andre Villas-Boas spoke about the need for two more midfielders, and it looks like Chelsea have stepped up their interest in securing the same. Chelsea's interest in Luka Modric is well documented, but the manager spoke about signing a new winger. It seems that the club has zeroed in on Juan Mata. The Valencia winger was linked with Arsenal a few weeks ago, but Arsene Wenger recently confirmed that their interest in the winger has ended.

A good quality winger is at the forefront of our needs especially considering two factors: Florent Malouda's age and Salomon Kalou's poor performances. Kalou often does well in one out of the 10 matches he plays, which is not the sort of quality we are after.

Mata, though, is very different at least in terms of La Liga form. He has everything that you can ask from a wide man -pace, skill, low centre of gravity and excellent crossing. He scored nine goals last season and also contributed by the way of 15 assists as well.

A £22 million buyout clause in his contract lapsed only a few weeks ago, which may have been the primary reason for Arsenal withdrawing from negotiations. However, it is unlikely to prevent Roman Abramovich from missing out on the player. Chelsea's initial offer of £18 million plus £4 million in add-ons seems to have been rejected.

The transfer window shuts in just more than 10 days, so Chelsea will likely increase the bid in the coming days. According to Skysports, Valencia are reportedly holding out for £25 million.

Luka Modric's situation also seems to be turning in favour of Chelsea after Harry Redknapp admitted that he would be willing to let the midfielder go for around £35 million. This is certainly not too far away from Chelsea's valuation. A swap deal involving either Salomon Kalou or Yossi Benayoun has also been mentioned a lot.

One should certainly not be surprised by this, as this is very much reminiscent of the situation that Tottenham put themselves in during the transfer embargo involving Dimitar Berbatov. Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy clearly knows that the price increases as the transfer deadline nears.

Stoke City vs Chelsea: Match Report, 14th Aug 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:04:00 +0000

It has been nine years since Chelsea failed to win on the opening day of the season, but that streak is now over after Andre Villas-Boas' men could only draw against Stoke. Villas-Boas started with Fernando Torres ahead of Didier Drogba, and it proved to be a great decision, as Torres seemed back to his best, although he did not score.

Supported by wide players Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou, Fernando Torres was the only bright aspect in a dire first half. Of course, there is only so much that one man can do. It was proved by the fact that we had not come close to testing Begovic in the Stoke City goal.

There was a lot of movement and one touch passing football from the players, but it led them nowhere.

However, the team improved vastly in the second half and continued to dominate both possession and chances. Mikel pushed forward rather than just sitting in midfield and it was the difference after the restart.

Anelka came on to see his effort come back off the bar, but most of the disappointment came from the referee and the Stoke players. For once, I agree when Arsene Wenger says about the playing style and attitude of Stoke City, as it is just appalling. For me, there is no difference between the teams managed by Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis - they are just utter rubbish.

Chelsea were denied a clear-cut penalty on three occasions. Drogba came on, but had limited effect on the match.

Chelsea had 11 shots on target and 9 shots off target. They alone demonstrate that only one side wanted to win the game and they were playing in blue.

This may be two dropped two points, but considering the situations and the fact that the Britannia Stadium is a very difficult place to visit, one can take a lot of positives from the game.

One of the most important among them is Fernando Torres, who looks fitter, sharper, and hungrier than ever.

Match report:

Team line-ups:

Stoke City: Begovic; Huth, Shawcross, Woodgate, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington; Jones, Walters.

Scorers: Nil

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Malouda (Anelka 65), Kalou (Drogba 75), Torres (Benayoun 89).

Scorers: Nil

Man of the Match: Fernando Torres

Next Match: Saturday, 20 August 2011, Chelsea v West Brom, 17:30 (Barclays Premier League)

Villas-Boas: Chelsea Need Two More Players

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Andre Villas-Boas has once again confirmed that Chelsea are trying to sign two players in the transfer window. No prizes for guessing who one of them will be, as we have been linked with Modric for quite a while now. Andre Villas-Boas revealed to Skysports that he would also like to buy a winger.

One thing that does seem to be certain is that Chelsea are clearly not interested in signing a British player for now. Back under the José Mourinho days, Chelsea often had a lot of England internationals like Joe Cole, Shaun Wright Phillips, and Wayne bridge in addition to the current crop.

As of now, though, we have only three players who now play for the England national team. Just when having a home grown player in the squad is of primary importance, Chelsea seem to be interested in signing only foreign players.

Either way, it looks like Luka Modric will be joining Chelsea after all. According to Daily Mail, Tottenham are reportedly interested in considering an offer in the region of £35 million, which seems fair enough for a player who has five years left on his contract.

Villas-Boas also dropped a hint that Chelsea could try and sign Samir Nasri under the noses of Manchester City. City are thought to have agreed a £25 million fee for Samir Nasri, but the Frenchman is a player well worth pursuing considering that he is cheaper and also much better - in my opinion - than Luka Modric.

Villas-Boas failed to reveal the winger whom Chelsea are apparently interested in. Alexis Sanchez was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but he has signed for Barcelona. Maybe, Villas-Boas will turn to his former club FC Porto, but it could well be Neymar back in the frame after assistant manager Roberto di Matteo was seen scouting the Brazilian in a recent international match.

Stoke City vs Chelsea: Match Preview, 14th Aug 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bharath Ram) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Andre Villas-Boas will take charge of his first official game as the Chelsea manager, but he could not have opted for a much worse fixture than Stoke on the opening day of the season. It could have been well and good if Chelsea were playing at home, but the Britannia Stadium is always one of the tough grounds for visiting teams.

Stoke have changed their style of play a little, with the addition of wingers like Pennant and Matthew Etherington. Hence, they can either hit with the long ball from Rory Delap or they could cross the balls to inflict the same kind of danger.

The selection headache that caused a lot of problems for Carlo Ancelotti after the arrival of Fernando Torres does remain for the match against Stoke. Torres was doubtful for the game after getting injured while on international duty with Spain. However, he seems to have recovered sufficiently to take part in the match, although it remains to be seen if Villas-Boas will actually take him over Drogba.

Drogba has not played much as a starter during the pre-season and the match against Stoke will probably be a clear indication of where Villas-Boas places him in the context of the current Chelsea team. With no great transfer activity in the summer so far, there is very little to see any spark within the team. If Torres manages revives himself, he would certainly feel like a new signing.

Stoke will certainly give Chelsea some problems, but it is not something new for the current crop of Chelsea players. Also, we have managed to avoid defeat at the Britannia Stadium for the last 10 times that we have visited there. Given the way that the team performed in pre-season, it is highly unlikely that Chelsea will come back without all three points.

Even though we have a fully fit squad, I am extremely disappointed that Daniel Sturridge is suspended for the match. He has been extremely good in pre-season and I cannot wait to see him this season.

My prediction: Chelsea to win 2-1

*UPDATE*

Confirmed Team News:

Stoke (4-4-2): Begovic; Huth, Shawcross, Woodgate, Wilson; Pennant, Whelan, Delap, Etherington; Jones, Walters.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Lampard, Malouda, Kalou, Torres.

*UPDATE*

Last Meeting: Stoke City 1 - 1 Chelsea

Kick Off Time: Stoke City vs Chelsea 13:30 BST

Venue: Britannia Stadium, Stoke.

Shown live on: Sky Sports HD1 (UK), ESPN (India).