Connect with us

Current Players

CHELSEA v West Brom: Preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Date: Saturday, 9 November

Kick-off: 15.00

 

No doubt about it, last weekend was one of the poorest games we’ve seen for a while and if it was under any other manager but Jose, we might have had real cause for concern. Mourinho wasn’t likely to accept the performance though and we looked to have picked ourselves up again with a win in Europe midweek.

Today though, it’s back to the bread and butter of getting Premier League points and with everyone around us doing well last week, nothing less than 3 points will do. So, as great as it will be to see Steve Clarke’s reunion with Jose at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, let’s leave the sentiment til later.

 

MANAGER’S VIEWS

Going into this afternoon’ game, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says of his opposite number “He’s a special guy in my career.  I think he had a good experience with me. He was more than an assistant coach, he was in control of training, match preparation, so he had a very good experience as assistant manager.  He knows that every match he plays I am with him and hope he wins, obviously tomorrow that is not the case.”

Whilst on the fixture itself, Mourinho says “I feel our match is very special because from every English team involved in Euro competitions, especially the ones involved in Champions League matches, we’re the only team that play Saturday. Everybody else has one more day to rest. Others play Tuesday and Sunday. Once more we’re really special and our game v WBA becomes the ‘Special Saturday’ not ‘Special Sunday’! It’s happening a lot with us.   The people who decide the fixtures, I think they laugh [at us]. They know what they can do and laugh because I can do nothing.”

Baggies boss Steve Clarke meanwhile, says “I don’t speak to [José] every week or text him every week but the friendship is good. I think when you’ve worked with somebody closely you build a bond and you take that bond through the rest of your life. But I haven’t seen him for well over five years. So it will be nice to catch up with him face to face as opposed to little text messages.

I want to get a positive result for Albion.  José is in the opposition dugout but it doesn’t change what I want to get from the game. I said before that Chelsea has been a big part of my career. I was there for a long time as a player and as a coach. But I have to be selfish and this week it’s been me preparing Albion to go to Stamford Bridge, hopefully to disappoint José, and that’s all I’m focused on.”

 

SQUAD NEWS

For Chelsea, van Ginkel (knee) remains out long-term and Fernando Torres (thigh) Is still injured. Eden Hazard should be allowed off the naughty step for this one though.

For West Brom, Billy Jones (hamstring), Zoltan Gera and Ben Foster all miss out, Scott Sinclair (hamstring) and Nicolas Anelka (groin) are doubtful, although Victor Anichebe (hamstring) is available again.

 

TEAMS

CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Cech, Cole, Cahill, Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires, Lampard, Hazard, Oscar, Schürlle, Eto’o

WEST BROM (Possible line-up): Myhill; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob, Sessegnon, Amalfitano; Berahino, Long.

 

LAST SEASON

Chelsea 1-0 West Brom (2nd March 2013)

 

PREDICTION

We’ve won all 7 games at home to West Brom in the Premier League, bagging 16 goals along the way and you have to go back as far as 1978 to recall the Baggies last win against us in a top-flight league game. So it might come as a bit of a shock for us to lose to them this afternoon but then it probably came as a shock to United when Albion beat them in September as well – or in other words, there are no certainties we’ll get three points this afternoon.

 

Categories

Archives

Blue is the colour

TheChelseaBlog.org is an honest insight to the World of Chelsea FC. Not always pretty, sometimes rather cynical, but always realistic.









Calendar

November 2013
M T W T F S S
« Oct   Dec »
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  
Chelsea News



Chelsea Blog FaceBook Icon Chelsea Blog Twitter
Chelsea News

More in Current Players