Luckily enough for Chelsea we have our next Champions League game on match day four against Genk in the return game that took place a couple of weeks ago. Genk weren't anything special at the Bridge if we are being honest and this should be another three points for Chelsea tomorrow.
However, playing sides in the Champions League on their own turf at their own ground can turn out to be a very different story.
Chelsea are reeling from the wrong end of an eight goal thriller at Stamford Bridge and will be looking to get out on the pitch and put things right to make a statement.
With our defensive performance in mind and the game coming so quickly after Saturday I wonder who AVB will decide to start with tomorrow. I can see plenty of changes being made with a hard trip to Blackburn on the horizon at the weekend.
I believe that because Genk were that bad against us at the Bridge, AVB will rest players for this one. With this starting eleven we would still see, Lampard, Sturridge, Terry, Mata, Torres, Mikel and Turnbull on the bench with plenty of options to choose from.
What do you think and who would you pick to start the game tomorrow?
I am asking the question here because of our poor defensive displays of late. In my previous post where I have asked you to give your opinions on what you believe is our strongest back four, and this follows on from that.
We all know Roman wants to see attacking football and being honest AVB has delivered fantastic football at Chelsea. Everything going forward is so much better than last season and no one can deny it is.
The question remains about our philosophy and our balance in defensive areas. It sure is entertaining to see eight goals in a game of football but that's when you win the game. OK, you may have a worry or two about conceding the three goals but scoring five and taking three points is huge WHEN YOU WIN THE GAME. When you are on the receiving end of things you have to take notice and begin to find out what went wrong.
The problem here isn't just a one off though is it. We let in three at Old Trafford and haven't kept a clean sheet since Stoke away on the opening day of the season!.
Like I have said, everything going forward through midfield to our forward line has been great and for me I wouldn't change anything. I love the interplay between our players, the freedom to move about the pitch to create their own space and to express and enjoy themselves.
There comes a time however, where we need to make a decision about our back four. If you have an opinion on who is our strongest defence then please post your thoughts on my last post on here. What I am asking is whether or not we need our right back to push forward in addition to Cole down the left hand side or if we need to stick to a solid base.
Ever since I have been playing and watching the game of football there has always been a belief that if you are to be a successful side you need a solid defensive base to build from. Nobody wins anything if you continue to concede goals.
So I am asking you another question today Chelsea fans and again, I would love to hear from as many of you as possible:
Should AVB now set up his defence to defend first and leave the midfield and forward line to get forward to create and score goals?
After watching what happened on Saturday, what happened against United and the fact that we haven't kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since the opening day of the season against Swansea I would love to hear what you the Chelsea fan reading this believes is our strongest back four.
For the majority of this season we can pretty much name our starting line up in the Premier League and that's a defensive line of:
Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole.
We now have to question is that our strongest? I don't think it is. Let's have a look at our options.
BOSINGWA:
Now I have my doubts about the defensive capabilities of Jose Bosingwa however, he has impressed me with his influence in games going forward. The more I think about it, the more I am wondering if the fact that Bosingwa is in the side in defensive areas, if that has something to do with not having kept a clean sheet for so long.
IVANOVIC
It's no secret that Ivanovic is a strong defender but the question will always remain for me what's his best position?. I know he has spoken of wanting to play in his preferred position which is centre back but after doing so an amazing job under Ancelotti playing right back, being voted by his fellow pro's into the Premier League team of the season in that position, we now have to consider moving him back there.
TERRY
Terry plays for me every time and not just because he is our Captain. People are having a pop at him for the fourth Arsenal goal where he slipped but I ask you to watch it again, Malouda played a ridiculous ball nowhere near him and he would have always been trying to catch up to RVP who was on it like a flash. Terry plays because of his voice, his organisation, his tackling and reading of the game.
COLE
Without question Cole starts too. We need his experience there in that position. At times he has been found out but Cole very rarely gets beat by an opponent. His attacking strength down that wing is something we need more than Bosingwa on the right so Cole starts for me every time.
LUIZ
David Luiz is someone else who reads the game really well. How many times since he has been here have we seen him nick the ball ahead of the opponent and start an attack going. I know he is rash in the tackle at times but is still a good defender who will continue to get better and better. There was a time on Saturday I was calling for AVB to replace Bosingwa with Luiz to get him down that right hand side as the distribution of the ball is first class with Luiz. The question remains does he play right back or centre half?
ALEX
Alex is a strong defender as we all know and someone, a couple of seasons ago, who was guaranteed a first team start next to JT by playing well and forcing Ricardo Carvalho on the bench. Alex hasn't really got going this season and has had his injury problems. He has already been talking up a move away from Chelsea but could a return to first team action force him to change his mind?.
BERTRAND
Ryan is a talent of that there is no question and is backup to Cole. We have to be honest here and state on record that if Cole is injured or rested, that's when he plays.
FERREIRA
Paulo Ferreira is a loyal defender and will get his ten or so games in various competitions during the course of a season these days. Should we now be looking at Ferreira ahead of Bosingwa purely and simply because he is a better defender?
So there we have it, eight defensive options to choose from to sort out our woeful defending of late. For me two of those positions are nailed on and they are Terry and Cole. It's the other two positions that we need to decide on.
At this moment in time we need defensive stability. We need a base to build from and we have to ensure we stop conceding goals as soon as possible.
With that in mind I would take Bosingwa out of the side and replace him with Ivanovic and bring Alex/Luiz in next to JT. It's a major toss up between the two of them but we need pace at the back and Luiz is quicker than Alex.
It's something we have to consider. So you have seen the options and you all know yourselves who should be playing in your minds so I would love to hear from as many of you as possible on this, even if you don't normally post comments on websites.
Answer the question in the title of this blog post:
It's news I wanted to hear this morning and hopefully it will give AVB and the players a kick up the arse that they have needed for a while now when it comes to our defensive mistakes.
AVB "apparently" has given the players (as a collective and not pointing out individuals) a major dressing down yesterday at Cobham after our woeful defensive performance on Saturday against Arsenal.
I had written after the game "AVB's bubble has burst" and I stand by that today. We can no longer think that it's OK to not keep clean sheets as long as we score more than the opposition.
In this article, it states that AVB had a major rant at the players for broken promises and not carrying out his tactical instructions during the game.
Let's be honest, something needs to happen and happen fast as we have conceded eight goals in two games against United and Arsenal and that's unheard of!
Let's hope his "dressing down" gets the message across!
I have stated that AVB's bubble has burst in the title of this post and this is exactly what has happened yesterday. For too long we have seen our defensive deficiencies and we knew we had been struggling to keep clean sheets. After conceding three a Old Trafford we were worried but the fact we played so well in attacking United it was more or less played down.
Chelsea haven't kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since our first game away at Stoke. The likes of West Brom, Norwich, Sunderland, Swansea, Bolton, Everton and QPR in addition to United had all scored against us.
For too long we have had this gun-ho approach to our attacking style, more or less with the mentality of "if you score, we will score more than you" and against the lesser sides in the League (no disrespect to them) it will work but we have played two of the big guns and have conceded eight goals and have lost both games.
Yesterday the bubble burst as far as waking up to our defensive errors. We can no longer paper over the cracks and concentrate on our attacking play. This is the biggest wake up call, we need a balance all over the pitch and thank god it has happened this early in the season. We have time to sort things out and get it right.
I was optimistic ahead of this game that we would get the right result. I stated in my match preview that we had to keep RVP quiet and that never happened. I also stated that we needed to also watch Theo Walcott. I hate it when I am right.
It was a pulsating game with both sides ripping each other wide open in the first half. Chance after chance was being created and wasted, especially Gervinho as he slid the ball wide from 8 yards.
You have to give credit to Arsenal for the way they played. They have had their problems this season, have seen some big big names leave but Wenger has stuck to his guns and kept his philosophy and yesterday they proved they are a side to be reckoned with.
As for Chelsea, we seem to do everything right in attacking areas, at times we do look solid but then are ripped apart for whatever reason. It's so frustrating.
I can speak of all the goals now and go through them one by one, but you have all seen them, we all know how we conceded each one and being honest you have to hold your hands up to Arsenal and say fair play and credit where credit is due, you were ruthless in the second half and deserved the win.
When Arsenal broke on us late in the game, and at exactly the same time, my mates and I said "5-3" which is unheard of. Somehow we just knew we would be punished.
One them said to me after the game "that's our league challenge over with" and "both these sides won't win it compared to City this season" and I think after watching how we defended I thought the same for the first time this season. We can only imagine what City would do to us if we played them tomorrow or yesterday!
For now, the bubble that AVB had surrounded himself with about our defending has burst. It's a big important time for Chelsea to sort out these problems and in a way I thank Arsenal for exposing them in such a manner so that AVB HAS TO sit up and take notice.
I though conceding three away at Old Trafford was bad enough, to conceded FIVE at home for the first time ever is a hell of a lot worse.
In a couple of hours we will see THE biggest derby game we have each season, it's Chelsea v Arsenal. Now I know some people will say Spurs is bigger but I disagree purely and simply because of the fact that it's been us two flying the flag for the Londoners in the Premier League since it all started in 91.
Chelsea v Arsenal always has something special no matter if it's at our place or at the Emirates. Form literally goes out of the window in this one and more often than not it comes down to one player producing the goods to get the result.
Last season we shared the spoils as we beat them here and they beat us at the Emirates so it's a difficult one to call this afternoon and once again it could just come down that piece of magic from someone to win it.
ARSENAL
You always know what you are going to get when you face Arsenal. Going forward they can create anyone problems and the rest of the Premier League is sitting up and beginning to take notice of the fact that Robin Van Persie is scoring goals on a regular basis once again. He has beaten us before with two goals at the Bridge to win the game and we will have to make sure we keep him quiet this afternoon.
For me, Theo Walcott is wasted out on the wing and should be playing through the middle with RVP but for now will be up against Ashley Cole and this will be a tussle I am looking forward to seeing. Park and Gervinho I haven't seen too much of this season and I would think are still getting used to life in the Premier League.
Today will be about the midfield battle once again and in my opinion looking from the outside in, Alex Song is their most important player at the moment. I know they have Frimpong and the other youngsters coming through, but Song provides experience in the middle, does a fantastic job and will be looking to spoil our passing game and get things going for them this afternoon.
I think we all know that Arsenal have suffered with their defence in recent seasons. Vermaelen is a big plus for them today being their best centre half. It will be interesting to see how the Mertesacker gets on next to him this afternoon up against our forward line.
I am hoping that Szczesny in goal is kept busy this afternoon. Arsenal seem to have solved their goalkeeping problems and he is doing well so far. He is only young and will get better and better.
Forget how they started the season, Arsenal are on form, winning games and scoring goals and ARE a very dangerous animal this afternoon. There is no question we have to up and at it this afternoon against them if we are to get a result today!
(Chelsea fans! Why not go and try the brand new Indian Restaurant in Fulham Broadway The MASALA ZONE after the game today. Opposite Barclays Bank. Mention you saw the advert here!)
CHELSEA
I think we are now getting to a point apart from maybe two positions where we can pretty much pick our strongest side now, based on AVB's previous team selections. Normally we would have Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry and Cole as our back four. We know Bosingwa is suspended today so it will be interesting to see what happens there. For me, Ivanovic plays right back and either Luiz or Alex play next to JT.
We all know the issues JT has at the moment but expect a big battling performance this afternoon. I have no doubt he will be up for this one.
I said one or two positions are up for debate, one of them is centre back next to JT and the other is the holding midfield role. The norm for the last few seasons has been Mikel. This season is a different story. AVB wants Chelsea to use the space in between the lines and to move the ball forward quickly and you have to hold your hands up and admit than Meireles seems to do a better job WITH THE BALL in that position.
In addition to Meireles, Romeu has been great there in the games he has played so competition for that position is better than ever.
I would go with Meireles there again today and I am thinking maybe, with being rested in midweek, HE WILL get the nod this afternoon.
We had great news that Ramires is back and available today and he WILL start in my view. His industry in the midfield and energy levels will be needed today and he gets the nod as in most games this season.
Frank Lampard also starts for me once again as he has hit a great run of form of late and his performances from when he was dropped until now have got 100% better. Frank is defiantly back and will be expected to get in and around the box today. The most important thing with Frank is his link up play now with Torres. Look out for that today.
Our front three pick themselves. To be fair, Florent Malouda has been doing well and I have been impressed with his attitude of late. You can tell it's been hard for him to lose his place in the side but he is going about things the right way to get back in. He has played well but will be on the bench once again. Kalou, Drogba and Anelka all need to up their game cause at the moment they just aren't doing it!. It's easy as Drogba is suspended today for that stupid tackle last week!
As I said, the front three pick themselves with Juan Mata starting left, Fernando Torres who is well and truly back on form, through the middle and Danny Sturridge wide right. The movement, link up play and runs off the ball from Torres and Sturridge could open Arsenal up all game and if we play like we did in the first half against Bolton, could score a few goals today.
TO SUM UP.
It's important that Chelsea start much better than we did at QPR last week. To their credit they got in our faces, closed down the space in midfield and made it difficult for us to play our football. Arsenal will do the same today and will look to create us plenty of problems. We have to keep Walcott and Van Persie quiet and shut them down and take them out of the game, if we don't we could be in for trouble. We haven't kept a clean sheet in a while and it would be great to do it today!.
Like I said, this is a difficult one to call with both sides having the potential to beat anyone put in front of them on their day. I am expecting a good, entertaining game this afternoon and I have a feeling their will be plenty of chances.
Let's hope Chelsea play as well as we can and win the game. We need a massive three points and what better time for a Mr Torres to get on the scoresheet once again to give us exactly that!
(FANCY A FLUTTER? CLICK ON THE LIVE ODDS TAB AND HAVE A BET NOW ON THE GAME TODAY)
We had some welcome news from the club today with the news that Ramires is back and available for selection for the Arsenal game. We have missed Rammy lately. He has missed games against Everton at home, away, Genk at home and QPR and in especially his energy.
The little fella has been in great form this season, scoring goals and playing a big part in our season so far. I am sure that he will step straight back into the starting eleven but who will drop to the bench?
For me i'd go with the Meireles, Ramires and Lampard trio in midfield tomorrow with Meireles in the holding role!.
One thing is for sure, he will be itching to get back playing. The Arsenal at the Bridge isn't a bad game to make your comeback now is it!
Have any of you tried Bodugi.com yet?... It's the worlds first social betting site... They cover all premiership games and european leagues and have a saturday afternoon Big Game which involves all the 3 pm kick offs every weekend. Basically everyone plays for their chosen stake ( including play for free) and have to predict a result , a correct score and three anytime goalscorers in each game... The leaderboard moves with every goal that goes in and it gets very interesting as it gets to 90 minutes.
As well as guaranteeing prizes of £1k in the big game, this saturday they are offering money back on all games involving Chelsea vs Arsenal...if Arsenal beat Chelsea! Sounds like decent insurance to me!
During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.1 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate, with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. In addition, Movember is aware of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas supporting the campaign and men’s health cause right across the globe, from Russia to Dubai, Hong Kong to Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro to Mumbai, and everywhere in between.
No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, getting them to act on that knowledge thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.
In 2010, over 112,000 UK Mo Bros and Mo Sistas got on board, raising £11.7 million.
Big steps have been taken towards changing attitudes and habits relating to men’s health around the world but there is still much to be done to catch up with the women’s health movement. Via the moustache, Movember aims to fulfill its vision of having an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health, by continuing to spark conversation and spread awareness of men’s health each year.
So I have decided to take part this year and would like as many of you to donate to the cause and to follow my progress. I will post updates every couple of days to show you all exactly how I am getting on so please be kind enough to donate to this amazing cause!
Tomorrow lunchtime Chelsea take on the Arsenal at Stamford Bridge with three points a must especially after losing despite a gallant effort against QPR. With City beating United and everyone else in sight at the moment, we need to keep right on their coat-tails and it's important that we win this tomorrow.
As we all know, Arsenal on their day can beat anyone, have hit a run of form of late and will be looking to take three points themselves tomorrow. With Robin Van Persie scoring goals and Chelsea struggling to keep clean sheets it could be a difficult game for us.
(Chelsea fans! Why not go and try the brand new Indian Restaurant in Fulham Broadway The MASALA ZONE after the game tomorrow opposite Barclays Bank. Tell them you saw the ad here!)
The good thing about our result against Everton the other night was that AVB made 10 changes to the side that started against QPR and Ashley Cole, John Terry, Mikel, Lampard, Raul Meireles, Juan Mata and Fernando Torres have had a free week to rest up ready for tomorrow!.
With all this in mind I just wonder how AVB will approach this one. It's important that we remain as solid as we can at the back but at the same time play with the same attacking flair we have seen under AVB and cause Arsenal as many problems as possible as they aren't the best at the back!
Today the CPO members will meet with the club officials to discuss the clubs offer to buy back their ownership of the freehold of the land Stamford Bridge sits on and Chelsea's future depends on what happens today.
Everyone has an opinion on this whether they are a CPO member or not and it has been a story that has been running in the media ever since the offer was made on October 3rd.
Both sides have been campaigning their causes and a reported £250,000 shares have been brought since the announcement was made which is more than in the last seven years!.
It all comes down to each CPO member and their own opinions. Everyone is entitled to one and that should be respected. No matter how this all turns out, each member should stick to what they feel inside about the offer, their instincts and their own judgement whatever it may be.
This is why, no one knows how this is going to go. In a short time from now, we will have the outcome and I really mean this, Chelsea's future depends on this moment.
So, to all of you that are CPO members reading this I would love to hear your take on things and also to anyone else who is a Chelsea fan and wants to voice their opinions on this for once!. Now is the time to make yourselves heard!
This morning as you wake up and wonder what the latest is with the John Terry situation and the so called race row that is going on will have your attention drawn to the latest headline in The Sun this morning.
The headline is as follows:
No I said yesterday on my blog that if these comments were made that JT is supposed to have said allegedly, then why didn't any other black player from both sides on that pitch speak up and react to it?. I am sure they are proud of their race and anything untoward is said by anyone no matter who it is, I would expect them to kick off. They never did and it speaks volumes to me.
So it's no surprise to me that Ashley Cole will be used as a witness when JT is called to see the FA as they make their official enquiry into the allegations against him and will state that he never heard any racist comments.
I really hope that this is sorted out and JT is proven innocent so we can all get on with the football.
A delighted AVB spoke to Chelseafc.com after the game and praised the commitment of his players who had to face another long period of the game with ten against eleven men. In what I believe is a massive win for us tonight, AVB said:
"I think we were very committed, showed strength of character and resilience once again. We went down to 10 men unfortunately once again and made things even more difficult but were able to triumph under difficulty. This is extremely good signs for us and shows the squad is committed with the trophies.
We got one of the most difficult draws, Everton away after a dramatic and motivational win at Fulham for them, and with one of their strongest sides showing they wanted to go through.
To be fair we had good chances to kill off the game, couldn't find it, got the first goal and had good chances. Then we had to fight because Everton had quality chances as well, we had 10 men and were as compact as possible but Everton had the desire and motivation and were on top, and we had to hold on until extra time arrived.
We managed to get things right in possession, and what satisfies me is that the players' talent comes out in this situation and they were able to find excellent positions with 10 men. Then when the numbers got even they found better spaces and eventually we got the goal we wanted.
We were able to not only play good football but again to show commitment and desire and physical effort because it's again a game of 120 minutes after a game with nine men and it shows we are progressing as a team and it's very, very gratifying for everybody."
He is right, we have been really impressive with the way we played at QPR with nine men and once again tonight. Some "pundits" say that to play against 10 men at times is more dangerous that with 11 but for me it's easier as the side that has just had a player sent off usually sits back and looks for something on the counter attack.
OK tonight we did play like that as Everton came at us, but when we did have the ball, we still got forward and created plenty of chances once again.
We really have improved as individuals and as a unit under AVB and I really am looking forward to Saturday against the Arsenal who themselves have found some form of late.
Game by game Chelsea impress me which is different to last season. Let's hope it continues on Saturday. The positive thing to remember in all this is that Cole, Terry, Meireles, Mata and Torres will all be fresh now after not being involved tonight.
For now, AVB is right, our desire and commitment to the cause tonight was unquestionable!
What another great result for Chelsea tonight. Everton away is a hard place to go and get a result, especially having to make the long trip up north in midweek!. This was a game that had everything, three goals, two players sent off and two missed penalties. There was plenty of goal mouth action too and once again frustratingly we failed to keep a clean sheet!
Nico Anelka missed a penalty in the first half after Josh McEachran was brought down by a rash challenge from Heitinga. We took the lead as a Kalou cross was fumbled by Mucha in goal for Everton and the ball found it's way into the net.
Second half, Louis Saha (the scourge of Chelsea) was brought down inside the box by a silly tackle from Ross Turnbull and as the penalty was awarded, Turnbull was shown red!. Lukaku was hauled off for Petr Cech to take his place in goal and thank god we had him there. Leighton Baines fired his penalty straight at Cech who blocked his first attempt, as the ball came back to Baines, Cech was up like a flash and was there to block it for a second time as Baines hammered it goal wards. The ball rebounded up in the air and Tim Cahill headed wide!. Great first couple of touches from the big man!.
Chelsea with ten men needed to dig in and we did once again. On the back foot as Everton came forward with wave after wave of attacks, we managed to break on them and Nico Anelka shot straight at the keeper.
Everton continued to press and got their rewards as Louis Saha managed to get in front of David Luiz with a run towards the near post and directed his header from a Coleman cross inside the near post to make it 1-1.
Everton on the up continued to come forward. Drenthe clipped the bar with a free kick and fired wide from a tight angle and they missed an open goal from a free header eight yards out!.
Into extra time and this is where Chelsea managed to re-group and get their foot on the ball once more. Ivanovic forced the keeper into a save from outside the box, and Malouda and Anelka tested the keeper again. Then, Drenthe was shown a second yellow card to level things up ten a side which helped!
Chelsea nicked the win as Danny Sturridge on for Kalou, pounced on shot from Malouda parried directly into his path by Mucha and he slid the ball home into the far corner under the keeper.
AVB described the win as "massive" and he was right. With Arsenal, United, City, Liverpool, Blackburn, Palace and Cardiff with us in the draw for the quarter finals, Chelsea are looking to kick on.
The last two games have asked questions of our squad of players in testing times and they have come out of them with flying colours. You cannot deny our teamwork, hunger and desire.
This was massive and we are in the quarter finals!
AVB has rang the changes and introduced three youngsters tonight starting against Everton with some big guns on the bench. JT didn't travel along with the suspended Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa. Ramires isn't ready to play.
The starting Chelsea team is as follows:
Turnbull, Ivanovic, Alex, Luiz, Bertrand, Romeu, McEachran, Malouda, Lukaku, Kalou, Anelka.
On the Bench:
Cech, Lampard, Torres, Mata, Mikel, Ferreira, Sturridge.
The fact that AVB hasn't named the squad that has travelled to Goodison has left all of us wondering exactly how he is going to approach this one tonight. His press conference yesterday was interesting as he said:
"Our challenge is to win the most amount of trophies possible so this is a game to win. On the bigger picture, Arsenal comes up after a Premier League defeat and we need a response, but the Carling Cup is important as well. We have adopted the policy of playing the most amount of youngsters as possible in this competition and we will try to stick to it but our commitment is to try to win the game."
Keeps us all guessing doesn't he!. He is saying that he wants to win this competition, involve as many youngsters as possible but at the same time making sure he picks a side that can go out and win the game.
He also also spoken of the fact that with 11 men we never played well at QPR and is looking for a better performance adding pressure and an expectation on the players to perform. Do we really think that all of the youngsters will get a game? I can't see it to be honest.
We have to take some things into consideration about the game tonight just like AVB will before he selects his eleven players. First of all this is Everton away which has ALWAYS been a tough game for Chelsea, Everton will put their strongest side out tonight, Didier Drogba is now suspended and Fernando Torres only played a week ago so ahead of Arsenal could Torres be given an hours run out?. Romeu is the same, only played last week and is fresh compared to other players who played most of the game at QPR on Sunday. John Terry is one game away from being suspended so if he gets booked tonight he misses Arsenal.
There is plenty to think about before AVB picks the team but I cannot help but think back to his comments above, he wants to win this competition and get our hands on the first trophy available this season. I think he will pick a strong side tonight and surprise people.
Without question, we need to start the game better than we did against QPR. We need to expect the same treatment from Everton as QPR dealt us, they will close down the space and fight for every ball. We need to compose ourselves and play our game, get the ball forward early and as quickly as possible and create early chances to get a foothold in the game.
It will be a time for cool and experienced heads in the intimidating atmosphere at Goodison. Everton will be up for the game so we have to ensure we are too. Will AVB select his strongest available eleven or play the experienced fringe players alongside some youngsters tonight?
I think it's fair to say that Josh McEachran's minutes on the pitch in the first team this season have been limited to say the least. I fully expect McEachran to play tonight against Everton away in the League Cup but, as seemingly the case this season, a return to the bench for the Arsenal on Saturday.
Josh has more or less played against Fulham in the League Cup and that's been about it. Even in that appearance Josh made a great impression and was unlucky to have his goal disallowed.
AVB spoke last week about the situation with Josh and seemingly opened up to the possibility of allowing Josh to go out on loan in January to gain important first team experience. The problem is, where can we loan him out if that is the case and ensure that he will get exactly that?.
Of course Championship clubs come to mind but you have to wonder about doing that. Josh has immense talent and dropping down a division could turn out to be detrimental to his progression. I believe that if he goes out on loan, it should be to a Premier League side that CAN offer him first team football. He really is that good, we should only ever consider a Premier League side.
With that in mind, it seems that Brendan Rodgers is very keen to take Josh to Swansea and for me it would be an ideal move. There is a report posted here about the story and add's a personal dimension to how this could possibly work by revealing that Josh McEachran's girlfriend is the on screen sister of ex-Chelsea player Scott Sinclair. This could become an important factor.
The more I think about it, the more I think that Josh will be sent out on loan. He has asked to go out on loan before the season started and was told by AVB that he was part of his plans here. I think the Meireles signing has played a massive part in keeping Josh on the bench at the moment.
So if AVB decided the best thing to do is to loan Josh, would Swansea be an ideal destination in order to help him progress like Sturridge did at Bolton? What do you think?
As we all know, there has been a story in the press surrounding a situation between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand after they had "handbags" with each other during our "heated" West London derby with QPR at the weekend.
As a result, QPR have asked the FA to investigate the situation along with the police also getting involved after a "member of the public" made a complaint against our Captain.
As you can imagine, when the news of this broke yesterday the press and media have picked up on it and it's all over the written press, Internet sites and the visual media.
When the video footage of the incident was doing the round on the Internet and in the media, John Terry issued a statement almost immediately which read:
I've seen that there's a lot of comments on the Internet with regards to some video footage of me in today's game. I'm disappointed that people have leapt to the wrong conclusions about the context of what I was seen to be saying to Anton Ferdinand.
I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him. I responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term. I would never say such a thing, and I'm saddened that people would think so.
I have known Anton for a long time and spoke to him about it after the game and there was no problem between us. I congratulated him on their win. He has not accused me of any wrongful remark. It was clear it was all a misunderstanding at the time. After the result today, I am saddened to be dealing with these wrongful allegations.
I am the proud captain of one of the most internationally diverse teams in the Premier League and I absolutely believe that there is no place for racism in sport and indeed in any walk of life.'
Now after seeing the video footage and after speaking with Neil Warnock, Anton Ferdinand and QPR have decided to report the issue to the FA and announcement was made yesterday afternoon.
The FA can confirm it has received a complaint relating to an alleged incident of racist abuse in the QPR versus Chelsea fixture at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011. The FA will now begin to make enquiries into this matter. The FA takes seriously any allegations of discrimination and abuse of this type. No further comment will be issued at this time.
Now The SUN is running an article today with quotes from "a QPR source" referring to Anton Ferdinand stating the following:
"He admitted the two players had been winding each other up. But he insisted he never heard Terry mouth anything racist at him and that the pair never had any conversation along those lines during the match.
The first he knew about the race issue was when Ashley Cole came into the QPR dressing room and told Ferdinand that Terry wanted to talk to him.
A Rangers source revealed: "Anton went to see JT, who explained some video footage had appeared on the Internet that made it look as though he had said something racist. JT strongly denied saying such a thing and said to Anton 'Everything's cool between us, isn't it?'
Anton, who at that stage didn't really know what JT was talking about, said everything was fine and that there was no problem." Yet that situation changed when Ferdinand switched on his mobile phone and saw the video footage for himself.
After news of the FA getting involved now and an official investigation taking place, JT issued a statement which said the following:
"I welcome the FA inquiry and look forward to clearing my name as soon as possible. Until then I have no comment."
The club backed him also by releasing a statement shortly afterwards. The statement from the club reads:
"John has issued a statement categorically denying any allegations of racist abuse. We stand by John and his statement.
Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discrimination abhorrent and we are proud of the work our players and staff undertake campaigning on this important issue. We look forward to the conclusion of the FA’s investigation.’
AVB had his say when he was asked about the situation and referred to the conversation between Ferdinand and JT in his press conference today:
"John Terry has put out his statement and we fully back him, He is confident about it and he spoke to Anton after the game. Anton was present in our dressing room and for us it was an end of story. It is just a great misunderstanding and it is blown out of all proportion.
The clubs are in touch with each other and for us the matter is over. We fully back the player.
John Terry represents his country at the highest level, internationally, and people who represent their country should have fuller support, instead of stories based on speculation.'
To me anyway, it seems that this whole thing has been blown up out of all proportion because of the clip being posted on the Internet after the game. Now do not get me wrong, I do not and cannot condone any form of racism in life not just in football and if people thought at the time he was being racist then I understand the reaction.
For me there is one important thing I want to point out here. If John Terry had said what he is being alleged to have said in such a manner that is being portrayed by the press and the media, then wouldn't you have thought that the other black players on the pitch for BOTH QPR AND CHELSEA would have reacted to it and pulled him up on it?.
The problem is, JT says that he thought at the time that Ferdinand had accused him of a racist slur and responded aggressively by repeating what he thought he was being accused of. He explained that to Ferdinand and there was no issue. Ashley Cole is expected to come forward as a witness by JT to clarify that he never said it.
I just think the fact there was no reaction at all from any of the other black players on the football pitch at the same time, within ear shot of JT speaks volumes for me.
JT has welcomed the investigation and so has the club. Let's see what happens.
I have said time and time again on my blog that the more I hear from AVB, the more I like him. Take yesterday's developments in his pre match press conference ahead of the Everton game tonight, he was asked to comment on the fact that Chelsea have been charged with the standard "failure to control their players" charge after receiving seven yellow cards and two red cards in the game in addition to being asked himself, to explain comments he made after the QPR game about Referee Chris Foy.
He responded by saying:
"I don't think I said anything I shouldn't have, I was cold, emotionally, and chose the right words, and I never doubted the referee's integrity. It is a game refereed by humans, so human mistakes will always be present. I am not questioning the referee's integrity but his decision-making in this game.
The fact is that, at the moment, we are paying heavily in terms of major decisions. Maybe this is what the FA do not want to hear from me: phrases like, 'the referee has influenced heavily three of our games.' But [Foy] didn't show consistency. There was no coherence in the decisions he was making. I will stick to my words and reiterate that the same criteria were not applied to both teams.
If you decide on one route, you have to stick to it for the rest of the game and I have full evidence that wasn't the case. He set the route by giving a soft penalty early in the game but then did not follow that route. That is why I am disappointed. Chris, in this particular game, was card happy and didn't show a pattern to what he's done in the past. What happened in this game was surprising given what he'd done before.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy with the referees, It's just that it's been happening quite a lot for us. It's been a pattern in three games. But we have to do better, too. We expected to play better at QPR when we had 11 men but we were not good enough. So we take total responsibility for that."
(Source)
Fair play AVB you are spot on and thank you for saying so. Dare I say it, but are we seeing the backs-to-the-wall mentality beginning to establish itself in recent days?.
The Referee was a joke and influenced by the partizan crowd for a couple of decisions. I am right with AVB on this one and the fact he says he has full evidence will be interesting to see what the FA make of it!.
However, knowing the FA expect AVB to have the book thrown at him as I can't see the situation being reversed and the Ref being demoted to the Championship for poor performance!
I have to say there has been one summer signing that is quietly going about his business and not getting alot of attention at the moment and that is Raul Meireles. Is it me, or has he just slotted straight into our side and gives the impression that he has been playing here for years?
Meireles has been different class and has really added another dimension to our midfield. His work rate is excellent, his passing is great and can play literally anywhere we ask him to.
At times he has filled in playing the holding role or has been used to good effect pushing further forward. You just get the impression that this guy is enjoying playing here.
Like I said, Meireles hasn't been getting alot of attention since he signed and I'm quite happy with that, his performances have been really good and the thing to remember is that he will get better and better.
For me, it's a great signing and an absolute bargain! What do you people think?
OK, we crack on this week with our trip to Goodison Park to take on Everton barely 10 days after beating them at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. We know that Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole are all suspended for this one, Essien and Hilario are out injured but we have Fernando Torres back available if need be.
For me the League Cup is intriguing as far as how AVB approaches the game tomorrow. I have a side my heart would love to pick for the game and one my head wants me to pick and it's weird isn't it. AVB has suggested that he wants to use this competition to give the youngsters a go but at the same time has also suggested that this is a trophy he wants us to win. If we do want to win this competition then this game is important and we have to go up there with a strong side to win it, anything less and we will lose this one.
So with that in mind and the fact that we are at Everton which we all know is no easy game at all I am just wondering who will start the game?.
I tell you what, I will post both sides I have spoken of. First of all the team my heart thinks should start the game and then the one that my head is telling me he will play, and this is the team that I believe won't be too far off tomorrow night..
The side my heart picks is:
Turnbull, Ferriera, Ivanovic, Alex, Betrand, Romeu, McEachran, Meireles, Malouda, Lukaku, Anelka.
The side my head picks is:
Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Alex, Ferreira, Romeu, Meireles, Lampard, Mata, Torres, Sturridge.
It's difficult because we want to see the youngsters but I really think this game is too big to play them at the moment. Mata and Sturridge didn't play alot of the game on Sunday so will start. Torres after not playing for a week will get a run out ahead of Arsenal, Ivanovic in for Bosingwa and Alex and Ferreira will come in for JT and Cole.
I think after his performance against Genk, Romeu will get another start and it will be interesting to see just how well he does.
So to all the Chelsea fans reading this, what do you think? Do you have the same selection problems as me with one in your heart and one in your head?
Would love to hear your points of view on this and your selections.
We have lost two games this season at United and last Sunday at QPR but even though we lost I came away from both of those games with a feeling that our players are right behind our manager. For example at Old Trafford we were right up against it being 3-0 down, but came out and took the game to them, believed in what the manager wanted us to do and really impressed me.
Against QPR again up against it but for different reasons and playing with just nine men, we came out and really took the game to QPR as if we were playing with eleven men and once again really, really impressed me. I said it at the time and I will say it again, how many sides do you know that would have done the same away from home in a derby game?
Both those games showed me and all of you Chelsea fans that our players really are right with the manager. Forget all this rubbish when he came to the club about his age, AVB is so tactically aware that everyone (apart from one or two) want to give their all for him and for the team.
This season it's a very different Chelsea compared to last. There is a confidence in our play again, a certain kind of swagger that we haven't seen here for a while and on the pitch we are a different animal.
As a manager all you can ask for is that your players believe in what you are trying to do, and to give their all for you. The signs so far are really good and despite a couple of setbacks, we will continue to grow as a football team once again.
There has been many times since David Luiz joined Chelsea that I have debate with people about where his best position is. For me it's playing where he is at the back, with the game in front of him as he reads the game really, really well.
Others have suggested to me that he should move forward into a holding midfield role as he is too rash at the back and would be better suited with his ability with the ball at his feet and his passing.
Up till now, I have always said that I tend to disagree as I felt that if he moved further forward the game would be around him and he wouldn't be as effective.
Yesterday, Luiz gave away his third penalty by making another senseless and rash decision in the box and it cost us as Helguson dusted himself off, got up and scored from it.
There were signs in the game that he had lost his head, was losing his cool and again made some rash decisions. I do feel that maybe this was because by then the players thought they were up against 12 men with Referee Foy continually giving QPR the decisions. Luiz was a lucky man.
There were also times when he was undone defensively especially for the Bosingwa sending off but for me Drogba was as much to blame in that instant for losing the ball in the first place. Luiz came forward with the ball, passed to Drogba who remained on his heels and allowed the QPR defender to step in ahead of him and win the ball. Luiz retreating back fronted up to Taarabt but made a half hearted challenge as he the ball was slid passed him with ease and we all know what happened afterwards.
In the second half a couple of times people went passed him easily and it was a concern but then again, he was already on a booking and knew he couldn't dive in.
Going forward with the ball, Luiz is impressive and late in the game he nicked the ball in front of SWP in the right back position, flicked the ball over a challenge to saunter past two players and came forward with the ball to the edge of the box and played a lovely ball into the path of Anelka who made a run behind the defence and into the box. Anelka's touch wasn't great but managed to compose himself and float a cross into the box for guess who?, David Luiz to hit an acrobatic overhead kick goal wards with force it has to be said, onto the foot of Frank Lampard and the ball was deflected over the bar!
Luiz has plenty about him with the ball at his feet. It just the fact that he keeps making rash decisions in defensive areas. Given time learning from the likes of JT that will become a thing of the past as he matures as a footballer and a defender but for now I am asking all of you that have seen David Luiz play the following questions:
Didier Drogba's tackle yesterday that earned him a straight red card for me was scandalous. It's because he deserved it, I said it as soon as he did it and replays showed that even Frank Lampard knew it.
I simply cannot get my head around why he did it, especially after knowing that Jose Bosingwa had already been sent off and we were down to 10 men!.
Maybe Drogba was frustrated during the game because just like Everton last week, he simply wasn't in the game. His attitude was bad enough last week when he strolled around the pitch for 95% looking like he couldn't be bothered!
Listen, I know people will come on here and defend Drogba because of his services to our club and I have no argument with that. I realise what he has done for us in the past and just how important he has been for us but all I am saying is that as soon as Jose Bosingwa was sent off, he should have known just how important he was to become for us for the remainder of the game!.
Instead, it seems to me his head isn't right and he made a stupid, stupid tackle that let himself, the manager and the players down and thank god John Obi Mikel went over and had a pop at him as he walked off the pitch. I personally would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that dressing room at half time and I hope someone really made him realise what he has been like the past couple of games.
We all know there is speculation about his future, and reports are he wants a two year deal but is only being offered one year. He thrived last season when Fernando Torres struggled to get his form. Now the shoe is on the other foot he really needs to pull his finger out, get his head right and commit to our cause for the remainder of the season.
Someone said to me the other day it seems as though Drogba was reached his peak at Chelsea and is now slowly on the way down the other side. Judging by his performance against Everton and the needless and senseless tackle made yesterday I am beginning to agree with them.
The best thing Drogba can do for me is come out and issue an apology to the manager, his team mates and the fans and I want to hear him state on record that he let us down and apologise.
I want to start this post by saying credit to QPR for the win. The way they started the game against us was fantastic, OK it wasn't pretty but they stopped us playing and hats off to them. Chelsea never had time and space to move the ball forward quick enough and if we did our players were closed down time and time again. Yes there were some feisty tackles coming in but we have to live with it and for the first 25 minutes we could never find our rhythm.
I think if you had asked anyone beforehand about the game everyone predicted a Chelsea win, even QPR fans I know expected it and the most loyal of their supporters would have had worries about this one in the back of their minds so to come away with the win is massive for them. Enjoy the three points QPR for now cause at the Bridge it will be very different.
Chelsea only had themselves to blame along with some frustrating decisions from the Ref Mr Foy. The penalty conceded by David Luiz was stupid and needless once more (more on that later today) and Helguson scored from it.
The Bosingwa sending off to me looked harsh as both he and Wright-Phillips were pulling and tugging at each other. I have to say if he gives a foul there as he did, it should have been a yellow card and not a straight red. How many times have we seen tackles like that before in this league and a straight red card being given? He got that wrong big time.
Then the Drogba tackle was ridiculous (also more on this coming up shortly on the blog) and put us right up against it. As soon as Drogba went off, for me it looked like it was game over and I was fearing the worst.
However, I have to say and I think most football fans whoever you support will agree, that Chelsea's performance with just nine men on the pitch was outstanding and the fact we still took the game to QPR for more or less the whole of the second half deserves a lot of praise.
We still created a couple of chances with one being a point blank header from Anelka. If he headed the ball downwards he would have scored but only managed to glance the ball straight into the hands of Paddy Kenny!.
We had a couple of penalty shouts too but with the way the Ref ran the game yesterday, we were never ever gonna get them!.
OK we lost the game, but for me sitting here this morning it's a very similar feeling as after losing against Manchester United the other week. The way we played second half showed me that the players are right with each other, right behind our manager and to the managers credit he has them believing in themselves and each other.
How many sides would you see with nine men away from home in a fiery derby take the game to the opposition without Sturridge and Mata who were withdrawn after both players got sent off!?
I am proud of the lads for the way they kept going yesterday. I think we deserved a draw out of the game but in football these things happen.
We just need to pick ourselves up, re focus and concentrate on Everton away on Wednesday and then Arsenal at the weekend. Like I said though, I know we lost, but the signs I am seeing from our players are good and there is plenty to be positive about moving forward!
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