3rd Round 3PM Kickoff 10AM ET CFC Official Web News on Soccernet TEAMtalk-Chelsea BBC-Chelsea Upcoming Chelsea Matches 1/11/03: v. Charlton 1/18/03: @ Manchester United (Likely Live on FSW at 7:30AM ET) 1/28/03: v. Leeds United (Likely Live on FSW at 3:00PM ET)
Tough one Boro are a good side as we played them at the Bridge and beat them 1-0 after Baba scored. But they seem to have problems scoring goals up front. Maccerone should play, but I think Gallas and Desailly should have that covered. I hope CR doesn't rotate the team as much as he has done. I want Lamps and Petit in the middle and compressing the space in midfield. Our forwards should be Jimbo and Eidur. I don't think we should be play Zola, as he's looked quite tired and it would be a perfect chance to rest him for the F.A Cup game.
I agree and Zola's injury gives CR the perfect excuse to play Jimmy and Eidur with Carlton on the bench. Against Villa, Jimmy and Eidur showed some of their old link up play, especially for Eidur's first goal. No sign of Barca coming for Jimmy perhaps that will get him to buck up his ideas.
Former Chelsea midfielder Roberto di Matteo has stressed the importance of the current side winning their first trophy under Claudio Ranieri ahead of their FA Cup third-round tie against Middlesbrough. It was against Boro that di Matteo scored in the 1997 FA Cup final after just 43 seconds, setting his side on the path to their first major trophy since the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971. That gave the team immense confidence to progress even further under Ruud Gullit and then Gianluca Vialli. But while Ranieri has rebuilt the squad since then by blooding many younger players and taken them into the top four, they have yet to taste any success. Di Matteo, who led the side out before last season's FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal after being forced to retire, still sees similarities between the current team and the 1997 vintage. He declared: ''The club is less under pressure to win a trophy than they were five or six years ago as they have a different philosophy as to what the team must achieve in developing young players. ''But whenever you can win a trophy it's a wonderful feeling. It gives confidence to the players, management, the club and to everybody. ''Once you start winning, then you believe that you can win everything else.'' Di Matteo believes the squad have increasingly gelled this season following a summer in which only one player, Quique de Lucas, arrived. That was similarly the case in 1997 when, in their second season together, the likes of di Matteo, Gianfranco Zola, Vialli, Gullit and Frank Leboeuf started to turn on the style more consistently. ''Knowing each other helps a lot so you improve, the same is happening here now as there is only one new player here. It's like when you move to a new house, it takes time to settle in,'' he told Chelsea TV. Di Matteo sees optimism for the future and believes that the improved language skills of his compatriot, manager Ranieri, have helped. ''He got a lot of stick from the media and the fans, but although he hasn't changed much, he's improved his language skills a great deal and that has helped him a lot. Hopefully he will be successful as he deserves to be,'' he said. As for di Matteo's own future, he has a flourishing restaurant business but is considering a coaching course even though he is unlikely to enter management. ''I might do a coaching course. I'm not sure yet, but I'll probably do one as it's an experience to work with young players, although I can't see myself as a manager,'' he added. Although it was obviously painful to have to retire just before his 32nd birthday following a broken leg, Chelsea's FA Cup rematch with Boro still brings back sweet memories. Namely that incredible strike, setting a record for the fastest goal ever scored in a Wembley cup final. ''I remember Mark Hughes was right in front of me and wanted the ball. I thought 'shall I or shan't I play the ball to him?'' recalled di Matteo. ''It was all in a split-second but I thought 'no I'll shoot myself' so I just did. The celebration wasn't cool at all, it was just madness!''
Todays Team/bench Cudicini, Gallas, Terry, Desailly, Babayaro, Stanic, Lampard, Petit, Gronkjaer, Gudjohnsen, Hasselbaink Bench: De Goey, Melchiot, Morris, Zenden, Zola 3-5-2??
Bobbles and Bumps 4-4-2 Bill is playing at RB. I guess you have to include Stanic as he keeps scoring. Poor attendance. Seems like it'll be a scrappy and tough game, Borro seem to have come for the draw and get a replay up in Geordie land (or are they macckems?, what are they anyways?) .
Re: Found it hee-heee-hee...nice one whats up with our players inability to head the bleeding ball? Is Cole on the bench? I bet he can head the ball, and if the surface is total mud (which it seems to be), you have to put it in the air. 3 up front and the long ball game perhaps?
This link should work for all updates..... http://soccernet.espn.go.com/livescore/results?league=ENG.FA&cc=5901
Cole left out it seems Not even on the bench. Made squad as cover only it wouls seem. Glad the Jimmy and Eidur are starting together up the front.I think we really need to go with these two for the games in January.I tjink the age thing has caught up with the lil Italian, that and the fact that everybody is now keying in on him and he's geting the rough treatment of late from everybody. I see that gronks actually managed to cross a ball to a player rather than a fan in the Matthew Harding.
Big Blue So it's up....Doesn't matter for me because I get 2 seconds of action every 10 seconds.... ************in dial up.....
Mud, ball over the top, on your head son... Cole not on he bench...I read the line-up post again clan..I think he would have been ideal for this game. I'm not sure I'd risk Zola or Zenden on this surface, Gronks and Stanic are a little sturdier. Will Terry last the 90 mins?
Big Blue ok for me http://astream.net/live/football/chelsea.ram another useful link... http://www.radio-now.co.uk/listen_football.htm
First it was Zola Now we have Stanic on a tear? Fella seems to have the knack of being in the right place at the right time lately. Makes Ranieris decision to play him look a master stroke right now.
Mario Stanic Back on form...Was he ever really in form? Mario Stanic I just cant make him out to be honest. Never been a real big fan of his, certainly playing well today, able to mix it in the mud and grapple his way around the muddy surface. Borro have been real lame. no creativity at all...still we need to get another goal or two to make it secure. big blue is hilarious today...do they know they have no ads and we can hear everything they say?
Probably not. "it's a pain in the arse"...great comment. I suppose they could get in trouble with the authorities for that one. What do you think we should do up front for the next couple of games Monkee? Give Zola a little rest?
Rest the Zola for sure The next game is home against Charlton, on the same muddy pitch (we resurface the pitch after that game), so why not rest Zola and include Cole in the squad. Cole is a big strong lad and would be useful on that kind of surface, Zola would get clobbered. Eidur and JFH up front with Cole to come on. Whats happening with Forrssell these days? we don't seem to be getting involved in the transfer market window, as I thought really. IF we make the CL next season we should be able to pick up some useful midfield players.