Matchday XXXVI 4/26/03: Chelsea v. Fulham [R]

[GPK]

Chelsea 18-9-8 63 PTS, 3rd Place (-11)
Fulham 11-8-16 41 PTS, 16th Place (-33)

3:00PM Kickoff
10:00AM EST

Live on PPV

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)

[GPK]

Chelsea v. Fulham replay on Wednsday April 30th at 8PM EDT on Fox Sports World

Chelsea @ West Ham is also on PPV next Saturday, May 3rd at 10AM EDT

Chelsea v. Liverpool match is on PPV Sunday, May 11th at 11AM EDT.

So its all TV in the US from here on out gentlemen. Come on you Blues.

[Clan]

The "trouble" at the moment is going to be who to pick up the front.
Can't say that Hasselbaink did anything of note against the toffee lads to deserve a start ahead of Zola, Gudjohnsen either.Playing 2 games in 3 days was probably the reason for the combined start forthe ace hit men from yesteryear...oh, it was only a few months ago?Sheesh, how time seems to fly.

Anyways.
Fulham.Local derby.Gonna be plenty of kicking on the field, the type of game for big lads who can take a knock and keep on moving.
I'm thinking that Zola to play in behind Cole and Gudjohnsen would be it for me.We need to win so get 3 strikers on the field right away instead of later in the game when it's 0-0 and looking dire for us as they play their 9-0-1 formation.

What do i expect Ranieri to pick?
4-4-2 with Zola and Hasselbaink up the front :rolleyes:

[BridgeMonkee]

I reckon Mr. Ranieri will go with Eidur and Jimmy and Zola and Cole to come off the bench when needed. That seemed to work and CR knows that.

I reckon we should get Stanic on for the first 25 mins and get him to kick and jostle and upset as many people as possible without getitng a red and then bring on Gronks to run their dead legs ragged.

Jimmy, Jimmy... I wonder if he'll just manage to get his confidence back for these last few games and score some blinders. I don't think there is anyone in the league who can hit the ball as hard as he can when he's on form. For some reason, this season, he seems to want an extra touch on the ball everytime he gets it. I hope he just gets back to being the best goal scorer in the league. Certainly the best goal scorer we've ever had.

[Clan]

Um...Jimmy Greaves might have a thing to say about that Monkee ;)

Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen (http://www.cfc-net.co.uk/Images/results_detail.asp?ID=1430) on the upcoming game.

[Clan]

Another goal scoring legend (http://www.btinternet.com/~cfcwallpaper/Images/HallOfFame/p_dixon.html) from yesteryear.

[Clan]

----------------Cudicini---------------

Gallas----Terry----Desailly----Le Saux---

De Useless---Lampard---Petit----Gronks

-----------Jimmy-----Zola----------:rolleyes:

[Clan]

First ten mins all Chelsea.
Big match up today i think will be Gronkjaer against perhaps the best right full in the league in their Irishman Finnan.
Gronks speed should win out but he's a crafty player.

Le Saux just wouldn't have the legs for the full game to keep going around him and would eventually have required a sub with Gronks to have the beating of him.Not a bad tactical decision by the gaffer to just get Gronkjaer on from the get go and save the substitution.

Petit booked in the 4th min.

Hasselbaink through one on one.........BAH, misses...
Zola put him through-no surprise there.
Would Cole have scored?
Who knows, but Hasselbaink is out of form and confidence and this is exactly why i would have him on the bench and would have put Cole and Gudjohnsen up the front.

(watch for Hasselbaink to score a hat-trick now)

[Clan]

Owen puts the 'pool ahead.

Baggies 0-1 'pool

[Clan]

Still 0-0.
Fulham playing like Milan in the Cl....as many men as possible behind the ball and hope for something (undeserved) on the break.
Can't say as i'm surprised by this at all.
We are trying though and have had a chance or two, still, if it stays like this it is in their favour as we get frustrated and they gain in confidence.

Hope we don't go in at the half like this.Ranieri will simply have to being on a third striker to get something going if so.Something i think he should have done right from the onset of the game.

[Clan]

Ranieri switches Gronkjaer-who is having a good game on the left with De Lucas whi isn't on the right.
Now he can be useless on the left instead:rolleyes:

Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
HERE we go.
Zola crosses...who else?...ball is literally bundled into the net from a crowd.Terry hits the post with a shot and it goes in of Goma?
Terry suspected of handball.

[Clan]

Fulham having the better of the game now since we scored-they are out of their shell it would seem.
Cudicini makes 2 great saves to keep them out.

Boa Morte booked.

Would really like to see another goal for us as they are still a dangerous team on the break.
Gronkjaer playing well on the right now-De Lucas not mentioned since moving to the left......

1 min stopage time

Bollox.
Sunderland 0-1 Newcastle.

There's the whistle.
Half-time.
Deserved lead no doubt...Please take De Lucas off at the half and bring on [fill in blank] instead.

[Clan]

Baggies 0-2 'pool.

And as i write this it's..

Baggies 0-3 'pool.
Barros and owen.

Well that games all wraped up it would seem.
Critical we get all the points now.

[Clan]

...for that second goal.
We are playing well...chances for Hasselbaink-Gallas-Terry all go amiss.

Subs warming up.

Gronkjaer geting booked.

De Lucas simply has to come off.

NO.....NO....No.....
He takes off Gronkjaer and leaves De useless on!!!!!

Gudjohnsen on.

Saying Gronkjaer may have a calf pull.

[Clan]

Terrible play by Desailly lets in Boa Morte to score.

1-1

Liverpool knock in their 5th with no reply.

It doesn't get any worse than this.
We really need to score again.

Morris and Melchiot on.

De Lucas and Gallas off.

We're trying...but trying isn't geting it done here as Liverpool continue to close the gap not only point wise, but now goal difference wise as well.

[Clan]

But the bloody score from the hawthorns is starting to look like it.

Baggies 0-6 Liverpool.

Huff and puff......thats our tactics.
Lost the plot we have.
Should have started with three strikers out there.

Hope we get a late one.

5 mins plus stopage time left.

[Clan]

Crowd streaming out of the stands...WTF?

[Clan]

Fulham nearly take all the points as Collins scrapes the bar with a screamer.

Gudjohnsen pushes a shot wide.

We go forward yet again......Fulham pick it up.
Not looking good.

2 points droped.

Renders the West Ham match meaningless as we now have to beat Liverpool at home in the last game of the season to make the Champions league.

[bmw9983]

How do tiebreakers work for spots?

We are tied with Liverpool now - IF we win next week and they lose we are up 3 points...then if we lose to them in the last game we'd be tied again...


If the goal differential is the tiebreaker we'd still win (assuming we can maintain our lead in that, we are +30, they are +22)

If it is head to head, then they would win if they beat us twice.

I am not the most knowledgeable, but in this situation, shouldn't that make the Hammer game very important?

[Clan]

Goal difference is the first one mate--as opposed to goal differential which was a system we used up untill the late 60s.

Next is head to head.

Then i believe it is goals scored

After that i'm not sure but i think it's something like goals scored against each other.
There's probably a link to it on some premiership site.

(goal differential was number of goals scored divided by games played)