1/28/03 Matchday XXV: Chelsea v. Leeds [R]

[GPK]

Chelsea 11-8-5 41 PTS, 4th Place (-11)
Leeds 9-4-11 31 PTS, 12th Place (-21)

8:00PM Kickoff
3:00PM EST

Live on Fox Sports World (http://www.foxsportsworld.com/world/programschedules/fsw_epl.htm)

Tape delay coverage at 8PM EST on Fox Sports World

Live on Big Blue (http://www.chelseafc.co.uk/StatPage.asp?id=big_blue_radio)

CFC Official Web (http://www.chelseafc.co.uk/Next_Match.asp)

News on Soccernet (http://www.soccernet.com/england/clubs/chelsea/index.html)

TEAMtalk-Chelsea (http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/Team_News/0,1562,14,00.html)

BBC-Chelsea (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/default.stm)

[mst77]

Marcel Desailly returns to the squad tonight following suspension, but Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink still hasn’t recovered from the ankle injury he suffered at Old Trafford ten days ago.

Robert Huth drops out of the squad to make way for Desailly and is with the reserves at Charlton.

The first team squad is: Cudicini, de Goey, Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Terry, Babayaro, Zenden, Gronkjaer, Lampard, Petit, Morris, Le Saux, Zola, Gudjohnsen and Cole.

Leeds are reportedly concerned about Lucas Radebe, and are already without injured Jonathan Woodgate. But Danny Mills is available following suspension.

I'd like to see Zenden a bit more, but I think CR deliberately did not start Jesper on Sunday so that he would be at 100% tonight. So once again we get the back line question, do we play our best 3 (JT, Dessa, Bill) with Bill at RB or stick with Mario, Bill and Dessa? I think CR will stick with MM at RB.

We'll probably see:

----------------------------Carlo-----------------
Melchiot---------Gallas---------Desailly-------Baba
Gronkjaer--------Lampard-------Petit------Le Saux
----------------------Zola--------Eidur-----------

Subs: EDG, JT, Cole, Zenden, Morris

The team played well with Zola at LW and Cole and Eidur up front, but I don't think CR will ever play that against a good team as it invites them to attack or left side too much. I'm looking for 2-0 tonight (Gudjohnsen, Gronkjaer) and someone getting sent off.

Conveniently enough, I have a scheduled "Doctors Appointment" ;) at 3 PM today...

[BridgeMonkee]

I really ************ing hate Leeds.

I predict...

Chelsea 7 Leeds 0

[bmw9983]

Unfortunately that wont come to pass...

Leeds 1 - Chelsea 0

Kewell (18)


Baba out - Cole in on 35 minutes...

[bmw9983]

1-0 at halftime, Chelsea totally dominating the game, but Leeds lead off their only shot on goal...

Come on lets pick it up in the 2nd half!

[BridgeMonkee]

a Rant

I have never seen such a one sided game with the team playing the better,
losing 1-0
Leeds have had ONE shot on goal and the kunts scored
Chelsea have had ELEVEN
Morris should have scored
Chelsea have been all over these wretched norven kunts
The ref is a nightmare
We should have had two penalties!!!
Young Carlton Cole gets booked – but what about that kunt mills – book him for diving? Did you see the way he went down? Lol
Chelsea started sooo well, though I seen signs of the midfield losing it’s shape – Morris in particular seemed to lose his way as the game progressed –


I fecking hate Leeds
I really fecking hate Leeds

[BridgeMonkee]

what a fecking goal

[BridgeMonkee]

Has too

[Metro-Lager]

'Twas a beauty, I must admit...

[bmw9983]

What a game! Too bad I was following soccernet's matchtracker...i'll have to catch the replay tonight...oh well, a well needed 3 points!

[BridgeMonkee]

Chelsea 3 Leeds 2 :D

Goal Attempts:
Chelsea 19
Leeds 5

The BEST team won!

The team played well, everybody played well today. I think Morris faded towards the end of the game - I was very surprised to see him picked ahead of Petit to be honest, especially as we were not playing with our usual back 4.


Btw – I’m getting a little fed up with “Server Busy - Priority Access Denied”
This site is really S L O W

[Juanele]

It was an entertaining game. I'm glad I watched it. The "chilena" goal was fantastic. I do have one question (sort of off-topic), how has De Lucas worked out for you guys?

[Clan]

Well, on the basis of the whole game there is no way anybody can't say we didn't deserve the win.
Going on the fact that Leeds were 'orrible in the first half, yet still led, i say they diddn't deserve all three.Should they have got 1?
******** no.
We never gave up trying to get the win..they never tried to do anything but kill the game and come away with a point.

That Mills is a dirty ********.I always knew he was a bad one, but christ he is throw back to the olden days when the full backs..he is a full really ain't he?...would do everything, including bad tackles behind the refs back to get at a player.

Cudicini...did okay.

Gallas...Flipin star performance from him again.Really excells i that outer back role as opposed to a half back.He uses the freedom to get forward quite well and produced something that i didn't know he had, a feckin thunderbolt of a shot.

Desailly...Marvellous.
Terry...see above.

Babayaro.....um,was geting caught out and in position to much.

Gronkjaer...decent, but can't pass the ********in ball still.
Zenden...should have started on the right.Brought excellent clearences from the defence when came on.Jespers best pass was to a geezer half way up the Harding lower.

Lampard...MOTM...nuff said.

Morris..well, bless him, he tried.

Le Saux..good game down the wing again but was always worried he would get sent off.Covered back quite well but seemed to lose something without the security of having Baba behind him.

Cole...still learning, needs to practice holding up the ball and running up the middle full out with speedy wingers.Big man would make a great target, except when gronkjaer crosses (see above)

Gudjohnsen..in and out of the game i thought,
Goal of the season so far.Much better than the juggle and belt by Di Canio.

Zola...great game, pity he tired.

[Clan]

Originally posted by Juanele
It was an entertaining game. I'm glad I watched it. The "chilena" goal was fantastic. I do have one question (sort of off-topic), how has De Lucas worked out for you guys?

In short...he hasn't.

[Juanele]

Originally posted by Clanblue
In short...he hasn't.

Ah, thanks. That's too bad, he showed a lot of promise at Espanyol.

[mst77]

off had we lost or even drawn that match. Terry got caught napping on the first goal and once again the defense failed to clear a corner leading to the 2nd. Other than those moments we had them on the ropes the entire time.

Lampard involved in all 3 even if Matteo gifted us the last. Leeds were lucky not to have let in 5. Gallas' screamer right before the half was a shock, he needs to try that more often if he can put that much speed on the ball. Baba had a bad match, Desailly and Gallas were solid, Terry had a very good match asidxe from the first goal.

Lampard was strong, I thought Jody did well but this match was begging for Petit to unlock the center of Leeds defense, there wasn't much tackling in the center of the pitch it was all on the wings.

Gronks was OK, I have to disagree with you a bit Clan. If you noticed he had his man beat almost every time, but he had to hold the ball up agai before delivering it bc no one was running to the box. By then his man had closed him down again, ut he still had 1 or 2 decent crosses. Sure he had some howlers too but I'd rather have him than Quique or Stanic out there.

Zenden showed some more all-around attacking skill again, I just want to see him put in one tackle in a blue shirt though. Le Saux was average, and so were the forwards aside from Guddy's overhead smash. They got in great positions but just didn't have the killer touch. 19 shots, man that's a lot.

Mills and Smith are still dirty little kunts, Viduka was a baby today and Kewell was obviously the pick of their team.

That makes 3 times this year we have come back to win 3-2, we used to hang our heads in previous years when encountering situations like this. I am more and mor impressed with the attitude of this team, they are much more resilient than they used to be. This could be the start of another long run, lets put a few more in this weekend.

By the way, the pitch looked good. There were a few slips by the players and you could see some seams when up close, but overall a good job.

De Lucas - you can have him back if I was the boss.

[GPK]

Originally posted by BridgeMonkee
Btw – I’m getting a little fed up with “Server Busy - Priority Access Denied”
This site is really S L O W

Spend the $30. You'll never get that message. This one had me dancing around my living room.

It will be sometime before we get to see the Blues again on the tele here in the states.

What a goal.

[Achtung]

I case you guys missed it, Gudjohnsen's goal was featured in the Top 10 on Sportscenter tonight. Very pretty indeed.

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Yes and a great atmosphere in the ground. Yes I was lucky enough to be at the Charlton game too when we came back to win 3-2 it helps make up for the late goals at pool and manure. I think the support has become more resilient too, in previous years the ground would have become quiet but after the Leed's scores the crowd got right behind the team.

I remember posting at the start of the season that Galas was looking good going forward, and playing wide does give him more opportunity to do that. He is a great all round footballing talent , he has pace, control and is strong. I know last year he said he preferred to play in the centre but perhaps he will get a taste for the freedom to get forward and maybe even score a few more goals.

Lamps gets better and better, I must admit I was slow to take to him, but he was often played out on the right in his first season, he is definitely a center mid.

I too would have liked Petit to have played but to be fair to Morris he has been a pleasant surprise this year and played much better then I expected. Last year I would have said let him go but he is a useful squad player.

I have been a bit disappointed in De Lucas, he started the season well. I know he is supposed to be a wide player but I think he has played his best games at centre mid.

Roll on Saturday evening when we can look back on 6 points in a week against out bitterest rivals.

[BridgeMonkee]

Originally posted by GPK
Spend the $30. You'll never get that message. This one had me dancing around my living room.


Firmly believe the internet should be FREE (also I'm very tight, unless I'm in pub and then I'm generous, but also tight).

Was a great day for football. It would have been a travesty IF leeds got a point - they deserved nuffink.

Gronks and Zenden both looking good to me. At last!!? maybe? I began singing their respective praises when they joined us and then (a year or two later) I got fed up with them and I went on the turn with them. Now I would be soo happy if they could get their sh1t togever. I want then to do well, I just haven't seen that Pires, Ljunberg, Beckham, Giggsy qualities consistently - and they do NEED to be as good as those players if Chelsea is going to be First. We'll wait and see, they have the rest of the season to prove they are worthy. If not we'll need NEW wingers for next season.