Chelsea v Portsmouth : Three points no matter what!

Tonight Avram Grant returns to Stamford Bridge since his sacking from Chelsea after the Champions League final. It will be his first chance to come to the Bridge to try and claim some sort of revenge or to show Chelsea that he wasn't a flash in the pan and deserved to stay on as Manager. He said before tonights game:

"I thought I needed to continue because the team was on the way up. Every month, it was better but the owner took a decision and I have two choices – to look back or look forward."

Some will argue that he got to the final with Jose's team and another reason because of Steve Clarke and his influence over the players at the time. But you cannot take that away from him and his record at the Bridge. Avram's record at Chelsea as Manager was played 54, won 36, drawn 13, lost 5 which is not bad at all. He definatley steadied a rocky Chelsea ship at the time and will be looking to do the same at Portsmouth in very different circumstances. Michael Ballack for one has spoken of Avram and the job he has to face now and he said:

"Of course it is a totally different situation at Portsmouth. He came to Chelsea and he had fantastic players and a team that plays for the title and the Champions League title. Now he is playing at the bottom but he has experience and he can manage that situation."

Since he has taken over Portsmouth he has lost his first two games to United and Villa but picked up three points at home to Burnley and last weekend managed a draw at Sunderland. There is no doubt he will be looking at our shaky form in the last two weeks and will look to cause an upset tonight.

Chelsea need the win no matter what tonight. Tonight we welcome back Alex and Kalou into the squad and there are rumours that Ricardo Carvalho could be rested and Didier Drogba faces a late test on his back after injuring it in training yesterday.

Now after my article yesterday in response to Ian Wright and he rant about Chelsea fans having no class its a time for all of us including the boo-boys to get behind the team tonight and show them the support they have become used to at the Bridge. We need to have some patience with our game, let the boys get on the ball and do their stuff tonight and hope we get our title hopes back on track.

Avram will know the players strenghts and weakenesses and its important that we defend as a unit tonight and make sure there are no more stupid errors that cost us! Carlo Ancelotti also spoke to the press yesterday ahead of tonights game and he said:

"'No game is easy. We had the problem with Wigan, Aston Villa and Everton. Nothing is easy in this football, English football is very competitive, every team has the possibility to create a difficulty if you don't have good concentration and motivation.The teams try to play open, even against strong teams. In Italy teams defend deep, only counter-attack. In England is different, you can find teams that can come to Stamford Bridge to play open. Every game is a challenge for me, but I prepare the game like an Italian game. I look at the other team and want to find the negative aspects and positive aspects.'

We need to keep hold of the ball and look to feed Lampard / Joe Cole (if he starts) to open up the Pompey defence for the likes of Anelka and Drogba (Kalou if he doesn't pass his fitness test) to get on the end of and attack their goal.

I am not sure that Ancelotti will make too many changes to the side that started against Everton on Saturday. Dependant on Drogba's back, Kalou will be on standby and as I have said and to what has been rumoured this morning, Alex in for Cavalho but that's about it. I do have to say that Malouda is unlucky at the moment as he has been playing well apart from giving the ball away once or twice and is the man who has to make way for Joe Cole / Deco who play at the tip of diamond when Ballack and Lampard play either side. You never know tonight, Malouda could play behind the front two which would be strange..

One thing remains. I am going out on a limb here to say, I really don't care how well we play tonight. I just want three points to get back ahead of United and right now I will take a 1-0. At this busy time of the season its important to keep getting points on the board so TO ALL THE BOO-BOYS IN THE TERRACES, get behind the boys, if it takes till the 90th minute to get the points then so be it.

CAREFREE & KTBFFH EVERYONE!