Chelsea Vs New Castle Preview

                   Chelsea vs New Castle at Stamford Bridge- 8^th February 2014.

After a near complete performance, against Manchester City we are up against New Castle. Magpies are one of the teams which we lost this season. We have a clean record against the Top 6 teams. Even though all the results matters, one wonders, what would our position in EPL if we could have either got full points against 2 West(Brom and Albion) or got our wins against either New castle or Stoke.  But I am sure Jose will pass the message to the team – Not to be complacent against the bottom teams.  

Team’s recent form

Chelsea: WDWWW vs Newcastle United: LDWLL

New Castle would be without Yohan Cabaye who has been transferred to PSG and would miss him as a play maker which was widely evident in the match against Sunderland which they lost 0-3. They are also flooded with injuries and suspensions which have resulted in Poor performances off late. However one thing which NewCastle United can look forward is that they have won three out of their last four games against Chelsea and they will surely be looking forward to break the home record for the Blues side this term.

Our Tactics-

I am not predicting the teams or tactics because Jose knows what’s best for the team.

Probably a try J

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (C), Azpilicueta; David Luiz/ Ramires, Matic, Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Eto’o

(4-2-3-1)/4-3-3

Jose would most probably revert to 4-2-3-1 with Oscar making a return and it would be a toss-up between Ramirez and Luiz. Torres has been training and if he is fully fit he might figure in the first line up. We had a great performance against city, but every time, our team is on a high, we somehow end up losing full points against lesser quality teams. We need to ensure that we convert the half chances and end up scoring more and more goals. Ideally against city, we should have got 3 or more J. New Castle is not a team which would sit back and defend much like what West Ham did. However they were successful in frustrating Arsenal in not conceding the goal till half time. Chelsea has been playing really good pressing and counter attacking game and I expect this to continue.

Although some week, we expect Chelsea to take win easily, somehow we drop points. This time around I expect new castle to raise the Bar so that we could raise even more and secure a confident victory.

Other Significant matches.

Liverpool- Arsenal (Liverpool Win)

Norwich-City  (City Win. If city manages to loose points! We will wait and see…)

My Prediction-2-0 Win for Chelsea. Would love to hear yours!!

KTBFFH!!!!!

Follow me at @bluechamprocks

Arsenal vs Chelsea

Hello All………

The Venue is Emirates and we are up against the best and consistent team this season. And it is Arsene’s Arsenal 23/12/2013.

Form coming into this All Important Match

Chelsea- Has been off color, since November and continues to take it forward in December too. Having Scrambled against Crystal Palace, and also lost against, Sunderland in the league tie, they are clearly the second favorites in this games according to football pundits. We have been defensively poor according to Mourinho team standards. Attack, the same story continues, but my opinion is that we have Attacking midfielders who are capable of scoring and hence the lots of goals are not coming from our strikers. However most importantly as a team, when we fail to score, it’s a Concern for all.

Arsenal- The most consistent team in the league and top of the table since September. Very Classy Striking force, ably supported by the Midfield –Ramsey, Ozil and Cazorla/Wilshere. Although all seems well with Arsenal, if you look at their results against the Top 5 teams, they seem to crack against the Big Boys. Everton, Southampton, Man City, Manu. Would Chelsea be next in the list- To be seen!!

Team Line Ups 

The key Battles which would Shape the match.

Ozil vs. Ramirez & Mikel- Ozil has been their most influential player this year.  Along with Ramsey, Ozil has been Arsenals main weapon in Chance Creation. If either of Ramirez or Mikel could stop Ozil, Arsenal’s might find difficult to go. We did play good defense against Yaya Toure, if we could repeat the performance tomorrow, it would be interesting.

Torres vs. Arsenal Defence- Arsenal defence has been extremely good this season. However tomorrow, they would find it Challenging because of this unique quality of Torres in stepping up a bit more against big names and free flowing teams. Arsenal would be without Koscielny,and mineral might find it difficult. Torres is sure to find lot of spaces tomorrow and there lies Chelsea’s Chance.

Other key battles include Mata vs. Flamini. However I feel Ramsey would advance and If Flamini could stop Mata or Oscar whoever plays in Center, Chelsea would find it Hard to create Chances.

Chelsea Defence- Our Defence has been leaking goals, this season which is unlike Mourinho’s teams And it certainly is a concern considering the free flowing football which Arsenal continues to play. Sagna, has been in tremendous form and  the runs and the crosses he makes has been contributing to Arsenal’s Success. If Chelsea could block, the 1 Touch plays which Arsenal often does in the “D”, then we have a great Chance.

Wenger- Mourinho- Although Wenger has never defeated Mou, this is his best Chance.  The team he has developed and the football they are playing on papers is superior to what Chelsea are in currently. However Mou is a  tactical Genius and he knows what It takes to win big games.  My only Concern would is, Mou has told that the Christmas results doesn’t matter much and probably if he has a defensive ploy tomorrow, we would be in for trouble.

Still, I feel we are a team which when pushed against the wall suddenly turns it around. And would repeat it once as well. With Liverpool and Man City ahead, this would be one of the crucial encounters and one to look forward this Christmas. Hoping Chelsea would give us a perfect Christmas Gift …

On Papers Arsenal would Win.

But with All of us Cheering the team , We would definitely Win Yet Again J….

Happy Xmas to all!! Cheers & Have fun……………..

Follow me @bluechamprocks.

http://bluechamprocks.blogspot.in/

Chelsea Vs Southampton- Preview

Stamford Bridge -1^st December 2013

To start off few interesting facts which might decide the course of the match.

1) Mauricio Pochettino’s side have allowed their opponents fewer shots on target against them than any other team in the top division (35)

2)Southampton has scored six headed goals in the Premier League, the joint-most in the top flight along with Liverpool. 

3)Saints have conceded just seven goals in their last 11 Premier League away matches.

For me these are Chelsea’s exact problems right now and Southampton Strengths.

In the last match Southampton were solid defensively. An impressive 35 of 41 attempted tackles were successful, but there’s only one stat that matters, and they were unable to beat Szczesny.

Coming to Chelsea, we would win convincingly if we do address the following issues.

1) Bring Azpi to the Right and bench Ivanovich since he is not in good form.

2) Play Bertrand or “In Form” Cole instead of experimenting with Azpi (Even though he is playing great)

3) Mikel- Ramirez should pair in the midfield. In case Lampard plays he should play higher up the pitch and not in the defensive mid field.

4) And I Say this- MATA Factor should come this time. What mata Brings is Creativity. Playing against one of the best defense this season, Mata’s innovative play would bring Chelsea the much needed boost up front. I hope Mou thinks the same. Basically bring Mata, Oscar, Hazard in (Oscar can rest for this match); Schurrle would be a good choice if Torres is ready to go coz two of them match well.

Expected Line up-4-2-3-1            

Defense	Defensive Midfield	Attacking Midfield	Striker
Azpi-Cahill-Terry-Cole	Mikel-Ramirez	Schrrule-Mata-Willan/hazard	Fernando Torres

Those people who were, going ablaze by our win against west ham must know one thing. West ham is having one of their poorest runs under Big Sam and they are not a very strong defensive unit. So this match is a must win match for us. Because,

1) Top two teams, Arsenal and Liverpool has a series of tough matches coming and we should try to close in, so that at the “ONE Fall” we take advantage

2) Man City and United are right behind us and being Champions they know what it takes to be Champions.

On a Final Note, let’s look at player influence board last time this teams met and chart clearly shows, who had the most influence last time.

Looking forward to your Comments and Inputs.

Follow me at https://twitter.com/bluechamprocks

EPL'13-14 - New Castle Vs Chelsea- Preview

                                                                        VS

New Castle United vs. Chelsea - St. James Park on 2^nd November 2013 @ 6:15 PM IST

(ESPN & ESPN HD for India)

It was before my all-important marriage day, when I had last missed an EPL Chelsea Match. A match which Chelsea lost 3-2 . This very match was played at St. James Park. All the hard work and momentum which Chelsea gained, during Benitez era, was lost with this match. Exactly after  9 months,  same place, same team & this is precisely what Chelsea want to to focus- Win & Maintain Momentum.

Lot of talks about Chelsea winning the EPL, has begun to surface after our win against Manchester City.  And many of us Chelsea fans have also begun to think so. But ,the likes of New Castle can always surprise us. But the best thing we have is Jose Mourinho. I think he would help the players guard against this complacency and add to the fact that he has never won @ St. James Park, one can believe that, this would be one hard billing for New Castle United.

JOSE'S RECORD AT ST JAMES' PARK: 0.7pts/game, 0.3gls/game, Win ratio: 0 per cent(Source : Daily Mail)

Let’s take a stock of how things are stacking up for Chelsea, Post Manchester City match. Would also give my perspective about the players as well.

Striker- 

Beast Torres is back!!!! He has shown us a full picture of what he is capable of and all the doubts regarding his ability has been well & truly put to rest. Now football pundits all over the world, would ideally, want to report on his consistency. I think words from the coach that he is one of the most hardworking guys in the team can ensure that he finds consistency and goals more often. The difference, I find in current Torres is that he getting physically better , tries to force through the defenders, cuts them and continues his runs rather than stopping and falling down, a frequent scene last year. Expect him to further up his ante in the coming games.

Chances of Jose giving a game to BA in the starting lineup- Not quite sure. Probably as a SUB against his older club

Attacking Midfielders-

1) I am super impressed with Willian on his work rate. He is truly a Jose Type player working hard equally in both Defense and Attack. Many a times I saw him protecting the ball near the D in the match against Arsenal. I think Willian is kind of becoming Ramirez V2 in his work rate. End 2 End worker.

2) I was not particularly impressed with Oscar’s performance against, Man city last Sunday. Probably because Fernandinho overshadowed him and because of the physical prowess of the Man city CDM, he was not able to make his charismatic moves. Still played better than Hazard. I think being a Favorite of Jose, he would start the match.

3) Probably because I am a huge fan of Mata, I would want him to start each & every match. Because whenever he is in, Chelsea seems to play a very creative game. Technically when the opposition plays attacking football he seems to be at his very best. (Even Oscar is not that fun to watch). He has also showed Jose in the last match why he cannot be discarded at all. 

(In case if mata doesn’t play, Schurrle might- I am just learning Schurrle. He has the pace, but I cannot find the creativity which would complete him as a player. He works well defensively too).

Defensive Midfield

Ramirez- For him, I can give endless writing on his work ethic. Simply Superb and he has actually flourished under Mourinho.  One aspect which I felt he can work better is his tackling. Probably he can take few cues from the next player in the list-

John Obi Mikel- If this pair comes together; expect our midfield to be at its best in terms of stability. Mikel with his great defensive abilities gives that touch assurance to our mid field to combat counter attacking teams and against New Castle, I think he would definitely play. Need to be bit creative though. Take it from Ramirez- Classic example of mutual learning :-)

Defense

Ashley Cole- Reliable as ever, however in this season I felt he has lacked pace. Because last season, I have seen him making endless end to end runs along with Hazard, and this time probably since the tactics have changed he might have adjusted as well.

Jerry & Luiz- Expecting Terry and Luiz to start again. Because of his consistent performances, people want JT to play for England side (how quickly things can change). However I don’t see this happening and would be more than happy Captaining the Royal Blues.  With Luiz, I was always interested in knowing how Jose responded, after his blunder with Cardiff. Gary Cahill has played Back to back games, and i expect Luiz to start. 

Ivanovich/ Dave- However I also have a feeling Jose would also test a formation with, Ivanovich in place of Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta operating at the right back. Would be interested to see how this pays off. (What you think guys)

New Castle  United

As far as New Castle is concerned, I don’t have much knowledge on their modus operandi. However from the matches where I have seen , 2 standout players are 

1)Yohan cabaye

2) Loic Remy

These guys have got awesome potential. However the lack of support from the other players, contribute to their incompleteness and that's why this team is inconsistent. 

My Prediction: Chelsea Win 3-1 or 4-2 (I prefer a 4-2 win because I would always want Chelsea to score more and more goals. Not conceding thought :))

.

Cheers guys!!!! Have a good Footballing Weekend…Hoping to see Chelsea at the top this weekend…

EPL'13-14 - Chelsea Vs Manchester City - Preview

It’s the Super Sunday @ Stamford Bridge and we have a potential title decider match for this EPL Season and believe me this is gota be a cracker!!!!

When: Sunday, 27th October 2013(Significance of this date...Read further!!)

TV Telecast : ESPN HD & Star Cricket @ 9:30 PM

Teams Formation & Expected Starting line up

Joe Hart	Peter Cech
Zaballeta	Ivanovich
Kompany/Demichelis	Luiz/Cahill
Nastasic	Terry
Kolarov	Cole
Yaya	Ramirez
Fernandinho	Lampard/Luiz
Nazri/Navas	Mata/Schurrle
David Silva	Oscar
Negredo	Hazard
Aguero	Torres
(4-2-2-2)	(4-2-3-1)

Man City was a difficult nut to crack last season.  However I hope this time it would be different - "Jose Factor" and going by the team performances this season, I believe this is THE Factor. 

In the pre match  conference, when asked, whom he wanted to Win, in EL- Classico, he told Real Madrid. Thats why i love this guy and just see the passion he has!!! Hear it Real Madrid Fans!!!!

Team

Defense: 

Going by our previous performances,(Except for David Luiz Blunder) the defense looks very reliable(Touch  However this would be the biggest of all tests, against the wealth of attacking options which Man City possess.

A big Boost for Man City is the reported return of the Captain and their best defender Vincent Kompany. When this guy is there, Man City play as an entirely different team and he really makes a big difference, not only in his position but on others like Nastasic.  If he is not there, then its advantage Chelsea.

The Key factor- Kompany's Fitness. 

Defensive Midfield

In the Midfield- Yaya!!!I think he is the best player of Man City this season and last season, still remember because of him, we could not tame Man City. Together with Fernandinho, the mid field is rock solid.

We have Ramirez and Lampard starting in almost all the matches and lampard in his new role as deep lying midfielder is slowly adapting to the same. Ramirez, is the most hardworking of all players and he is going to be very crucial in feeding in balls to our attacking options. Another perspective that, Luiz or mikel might be in the DM. But i feel mikel doesnt have the pace to match YAYA and Fern. Even lampard for that matter. Hence this is an area which might see some changes. Depends on the Master tactitian MOU :-)

The Key Factor- Block Yaya supplying Balls to Aguero and team

Attacking Options- 

Mancity as always, has got a good mix of attacking options. Nazri & Silva are one of the best creative attackers. They have two kind of strikers. Negredo- Strong & Tall in Air , Aguero- Creative attacks

Chelsea- When our match is up against an open team, we play one of the best Counter attacking football and this is where, Hazard- Oscar-Mata would thrive and there lies our best chance. Torres is slowly getting his best touches under Jose and needs to be seen whether his consistency can be maintained in EPL as well. However i think Torres would do it :-)

Key Factor- Chelsea Trio vs (Vulnerable Man-city Defence + Kompany Fitness).

And of Course : 

As a chelsea fan, i am just waiting for this match to start...!!!!!!2-1 or 3-2 in favor of BLUES!!!!

(Significance of the date- Last year, this was the date which started our Downfall,against ManU and i expect Chelsea to pickup from where we left last year. Life comes in as a circle.)

Swansea Vs Chelsea Semifinal - League Cup

Till last week, chelsea had a sure shot on the the league cup, until the bad night at Bridge when there were 2 defensive lapses and we had to pay the price for that....Now its time to payback...

An interesting fact before drilling to the details(Got it from a news source)- Chelsea has paid more for Eden hazard, than the whole of Swansea put together. This basically explains the fact that who needs more trophy....

Battle Ground @ South Wales..

Chelsea- To Overcome a 2 Goal Deficit from Home in an Away match

Swansea - Get a draw and march to wembley

What we can expect- We are in a similar situation, when we were trailing against napoli and overturned a 2 goal deficit and marched ahead in the champions league. Whether we can do it:? Yes its absolutely possible..

Provided you put the right set of "Firing" Players. Firing because, we need to Fire and peak at the right time. 

I guess , if Rafa is again considering to so called Rotate, then it calls for trouble. But with all due respect to him, stability is there in the team with exception to the striking area and the striker. Will JT get a game , needs to be seen. But the defense looks fine with Azpi, Cahill, Ivanovic & "New Player" Cole(He wants more trophies...hear it!!!)...I guess Chelsea instead of absorbing more in the defence needs to cut it out in the CDM. For that they would prefer David Luiz to come in..(instead of who..thats a difficult question)....Absorbing in defense as they did against arsenal and barca, looks very risky...JT playing is more than welcome....

Team - With exception to CDM and Striker (Either two of Ramirez/Lampard/Luiz and Demba Ba needs to be in)..the team would be  the same as we played against arsenal.

My Prediction(What i want)- A 0-3 Win for Chelsea which might take them ahead...

What might happen(I am Ok with)- 0-2 win which would proceed for Penalties 

But 

Which can Happen(I m not all ok) - A boring draw or Win for swansea(2-0)..

Cheers!!

Post match Chelsea vs Arsenal

A win is always a win ... So congrats...Chelsea good job in the first half. My prematch, preview had gone for a toss with luiz and Demba ! It was scary . Anyways it's rafa's way of rotation and as long as Chelsea wins, there would be no issues .. This would be a very short analysis!

1st goal- nothing like it! That was one of the best cross and best finish I had seen in this season- azpi and mata! Glorious

2 nd goal- as for the second goal, amidst some controversy..frank lampard is always there and I still don't remember, as to why Chelsea by any chance would let him leave. I understand that Chelsea can get a mid fielder who has the technical skills of frank, but it's difficult to get a person who would have a leadership impact which is always needed for tht team! I guess lampard should be allowed to finish the job at Chelsea/

About second half- I still believe that, Chelsea had to shore up its defences in the cdm which would have been possible had there been a David luiz. Torrez missed a golden Chance and BA missed one but in attacks chances are bound to get missed.

For Torres , he needs more confidence and he needs to understand he needs to play first time shots rather than show skills at defender which he is not at all good at. Fernando,you are a striker plz strike!!! He doesn't have balance and strength which is also important in the D or just outside when you have to outwit strong bodies. His best skills is in the air and the first touches and shots. The more he plays the better confident he would become.

I would appreciate rafa because he has shown that he can survive at a difficult club like Chelsea even when the environment has not been very friendly for him! Good work and that's the way to go!!!!


Looking forward for the next match against reading which would be quite interesting provided reading also has a free flowing attack and it can act as boon.

Regarding the title I must admit that , we are off target this season. But there is always a very slight chance , some luck which had made us the euro champions


Good luck! Cheers