8/23/02: Matchday II: Chelsea v. Manchester United (R)

[GPK]

Chelsea 1-0-0 3PTS (5th Place, -3 GD)

8PM Kickoff
3PM ET

Pre Match on CFC (http://www.chelseafc.com/matches/next_fixture.shtml)

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

Not Pay-Per-View, so pubs should carry this match if they have DirecTV. Pre-Game should start at 2:30PM ET.

Big Blue Internet Radio (http://www.chelseafc.com/webtv/big_blue_radio.shtml)

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)

Last Season:

Chelsea 0 - 3 Man Utd 20/04/02
Man Utd 0 - 3 Chelsea 01/12/01

[Clan]

Local chat sites have Melchiot at full fitness and in the squad ahead of Ferrer.

Would be nice if its true.
Albert far to slow for the pace of the United players.

Is it just me or does it sem that all the manure players backed out of the friendlys and we will have a few knackered players out there.

Course it's early in the season yet and some could argue that it will help in match fitness and sharpness.

[GPK]

Anyone else going to catch this match on Fox Sports World? The wife and I are pumped....

Good preview on the BBC site (link above)

[BrianCappellieri]

SoccerAge Preview (http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/g6900.html)
SoccerNet: United wary of risking Ferdinand (http://www.soccernet.com/england/news/2002/0822/20020822mufcrio.html)

[Clan]

Originally posted by GPK
Anyone else going to catch this match on Fox Sports World? The wife and I are pumped....

Good preview on the BBC site (link above)

First match of the year on the Telly---got the trouble and strife, kids and the dog shiped out for the afternoon.....just me, the Telly and my good friend Bud.

Poll is the referee for the game.
This could be interesting given the fact that several of the united players can be overhyped for a game and his penchant for producing cards.
Maybe it's a good thing that GLS is out.

[BridgeMonkee]

What is the line up?
Terry is out through injury.
Desailly and Petit, our delicate part timers, did they play the full 90 for France?
Melchiot is he in over Ferrer?
did De Lucas tak a knock?
Is it going to be something like this > ?

Carlo

Melchiot Desailly Gallas Babba

De Lucas Lumpy Petit Bolo

Zola Jimmy

Zola on form.
Eidur at the ready?
Cole waiting for the chance?
Gronks?
Olll-ivera?

Whats the news dudes...whats the news?

[GPK]

4 hours til kickoff......Still no lineup, although many speculate the same team that started against Charlton..

Come on you Blues.....

[mst77]

I'd rather have a 80% fit GLS than another performance like last week from Baba. Zola or Eidur? Tough choice.

[Clan]

And i just walked in the door.

Time for grub some beer and a Chelsea win...although i think a draw is on the cards.

[Clan]

Chelsea will tonight line up in a 4-4-2 formation as follows:

23 Carlo Cudicini
15 Mario Melchiot
13 William Gallas
6 Marcel Desailly
3 Celestine Babayaro
21 Quique De Lucas
8 Frank Lampard
17 Petit
11 Boudewijn Zenden
25 Gianfranco Zola
9 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

The Chelsea bench is: 1 Ed De Goey, 2 Albert Ferrer, 22 Gudjohnsen, 30 Gronkjaer , 39 Cole

[brassmunky]

ah hell, i won't be able to watch. have to listen on ol' Big Blue

lemme know what's what! let's get it on!

[GPK]

Melchiot for Ferrer...everything else is the same from last week.

Lots of aerial shots of the Bridge...looks fantastic.

[The Year Was1955]

I was hoping Guddy would be ready, mustn’t be fit enough.

I know Zola has been playing well, but Guddy is still Guddy.

JFH + Guddy = goals. Simple as.

[The Year Was1955]

Ranners too defensive? Seems to be changing his ways don't he?

Thats the stuff Ranners :)

[GPK]

Yeah baby.

Wooooooooohooooooo

[The Year Was1955]

Going to be a top game, pace is electric already.

And wait for it...


1-0 :) Gallas.

[Clan]

Excellent pass from silvestre, but two defenders stand off and he deflects it in off Gallas.Probably would have bent in anyways...but the two just stood off.

1-1.
Totally against the run of play i might add.
Chelsea the better team all the way..but as we all know the better team doesn't always win the game.

[The Year Was1955]

And who can say we don’t deserve it?

But can Dessa and Petit keep up this pace all game considering they played mid week?

[Clan]

Great stuff and totally deserved lead.

Commentator starting to pyss me off with his comments.
"collectively united are the better team"....utter bollox.
They are absolutly one dimensional...big toe it up the field on the counter and let RVN leg it after the ball.

Great passing from Chelsea.Would like to see more of the ball played out wide to De Lucas and have him cross it in some more.
The United defence is severly lcaking against crosses.
They are totally at sea from the corners.

We must work the ball down the wings some more,
Petit needs to drop back into a defencive midfielder type of player to cut out the long ball from united.

Desailly and Gallas are solid at the back although Baba is giving me worrys.
He'll be lucky to stay caution free in the second half as Beckam has his number and he can only stop him by fouling him.

Zenden playing a blinder yet again and i can only think lack of sharpness is holding jimmy back with his first touch.He's not afraid to let 'em fly from distance though.

Zola having a great game as well and doing what i would like to see more of..cross the bloody ball in from the wings, it's killing united.

One more goal from us and i'll be happy as this is still a very dangerous united on the counter.
They are being well defended when trying to pass their way into our box.

Watch for more long balls from them in the second half.

Hope Ranners leaves this team on untill at least the 70th minute.
Although i'll bet that Zola won't make it much past the 60th.

Great stuff all the same.

[GPK]

Oh to be in SW London right now....

2nd Half on.