Chelsea vs. Southampton - Possible Line-up + Prediction

redditmedia.com

Chelsea host high-flying Southampton on Sunday afternoon, with the Blues hoping to get back to winning ways after a poor defeat in the Champions League midweek.

Click here for the latest from the Chelsea camp - on Soccerlens.com

Falcao Back on Chelsea radar, but is he the answer?

backpagefootball.com

Here we are again, approaching yet another transfer window; and none other than Radamel Falcao is once more being linked to Chelsea.

After Jose Mourinho was spotted at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels watching Belgium succumb to Falcao’s Colombia last Thursday, rumours have been rife concerning the current state of the super-striker in Monaco. Predictably, these rumours have recently manifested into supposed bids and pre-contract discussions with the 27-year-old.

Surely even the most gullible Chelsea fan will not fall victim to the Sunday Express’ exclusive report that Falcao has ‘struggled to adapt to the lack of atmosphere at home games’; but considering the endless striker situation at the Bridge, you can’t blame the paper for trying their luck.

Click here to read my article on why Falcao may not be the answer to Chelsea's striking woes, on Soccerlens.com

Team of the Weekend: Suarez & Torres Feature In Attack-Minded XI

The Daily Mirror

It was a weekend to savour for the majority of the top clubs in the country, with goals aplenty for some of the Premier League’s most feared marksmen. Clean sheets were scarce commodities, as strikers up and down the country ran riot; just another day for one of the greatest football leagues in the world.

The story of the weekend came from Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea beat the formidable Man City 2-1, thanks to a fortuitous late goal from recent goal-machine, Fernando Torres. A mix-up at the back from the City defenders allowed the Spaniard to nip in and steal all three of the points for the Blues, sending reverberations around the Premier League. A potentially critical result in the grand scheme of things; one that may come back to play a big part come the business end of the season.

The red half of Manchester had a little more luck, but just barely, having fought back to win 3-2, after being behind twice at Old Trafford against a stubborn Stoke side. Arsenal maintained their lead at the top of the EPL with a hard fought 2-0 win over manager-less Crystal Palace; with the Gunners playing with ten men for the best part of half an hour at Selhurst Park.

Luis Suarez continued his rich vein of form, smashing three past a bewildered West Brom, on the way to a thumping 4-1 win; and Spurs snatched a 1-0 win over Premier League new boys, Hull thanks to a late penalty from big money man, Roberto Soldado.
 

Click here for the ‘Football-Talk’ Team of the Weekend: Gameweek 9

The ‘Football-Talk’ Team of the Weekend: Gameweek 6

 

All things change, and following a weekend of surprise results among the teams at the top of the table, that change may be closer than once thought!

Both Manchester clubs came unstuck against lower sides in the division, once more proving the depth of quality that currently resides throughout the Premier League.

United arguably had the biggest upset, with their 1-2 defeat to West Brom at Old Trafford a real eye-opener, and an equally real kick in the teeth for beleaguered boss, David Moyes. The Scot has barely readjusted the seat in the dugout since the departure of the stalwart Sir Alex Ferguson, and the walls have already started to come crashing down around him.

After last week’s abysmal loss to City, this latest defeat will have only increased the enormous pressure on the former Everton man.

Manchester United’s haul of seven points from their opening six matches represents their worst start to a season since 1989-90!

City themselves suffered the ignominy of a shock defeat away to Villa that same Saturday, as a likely win was snatched away from them after some typically poor away day defending from the Citizens.

Spurs and Chelsea shared the spoils at White Hart Lane, after a hotly contested 1-1 draw. Arsenal and Liverpool lead the way at the top, with both sides collecting valuable 3 points away from home.

Click here for the ‘Football-talk’ Team of the Weekend: Gameweek 6

 

Photo: theliverpoolword.com

Wayne Rooney – Chelsea’s Missing Jigsaw Piece? How He Would Fit In At Stamford Bridge

As the Rooney transfer saga rumbles on, I take a look at how he may fit into the Chelsea side, and examines the impact he may have on the Blues.

Check out the article here, on football-talk.co.uk

Chelsea’s Striker Curse: Could Schurrle and Cavani be the cure?

 

Chelsea have secured the signing of German international striker, Andre Schurlle, for £18m on a five year contract. But there are whispers in the wind, and talk of bigger fish to fry; of goliath transfer fees, and a wavy-haired, South American ‘Matador’. Yet another superstar striker may be arriving at Chelsea to finally dispel the malevolent idea that Chelsea’s mega-strikers fall desperately from grace with a whimper.

Click here to check out my article on Chelsea strikers, past, present, and future, on soccerlens.com

Photo: givemefootball.com

What Chelsea Can Learn From Borussia Dortmund’s Success

As Dortmund march towards the Champions League final, I examine how Chelsea’s similar make-up could see them benefit from similar team unity.

Check out the article here, on football-talk.co.uk

Photo: puma.com

Spotlight on Rafa: How Chelsea Have Performed Under the ‘Dead Man Walking’

 

 

Following Chelsea’s nail-biting victory against Arsenal on Sunday, Rafa Benitez now has 17 matches as boss under his hefty belt following his appointment as ‘interim’ manager at the end of November. With tension in and around Stamford Bridge showing little signs of abating, can Benitez hold up the stats and argue to have been harshly treated by the Chelsea faithful so far?

 

Upon taking the role, Benitez knew that expectations could be whittled down to read: ‘Challenge for all honours whilst guiding us into the top three, and get the best out of Fernando Torres’.

 

With the fans refusing to back the man charged with rescuing their season, it was only ever going to be the results that would change opinions.

 

Under the Spaniard, Chelsea’s season can fairly be compared to a ‘Big Drop Tower’ rollercoaster ride from the fairgrounds. Reaching lofty heights in one spell, only to come sliding dramatically down the next; Chelsea’s puzzling inconsistency is far from what is expected.

 

 

 

Scoreless draws at home to Manchester City and then Fulham saw Benitez’s start to life in blue begin with a nervous shuffle rather than a sprint. A catastrophic meltdown against West Ham saw only an increase of the Chelsea fans’ enmity, and the 16^th minute of every game was now an homage to the fallen Roberto Di Matteo. Benitez’s presence on the bench was seen with as much dissension as a slug on a crisp lettuce leaf.

 

 

 

Yet there was hope of a revival after the 6-1 crushing of Nordsjaelland in the Champions league, with Torres on the score sheet, even though other results saw Chelsea crash out of the competition. Yet with the ignominy of becoming the first holders to relinquish their prize in the group stages, coupled with losing the World Club Championship final against an average Corinthians unit; Benitez’s Chelsea CV was looking worse and worse with each passing week.

 

Minor resurgences are wholly common during this season for the Blues. The 8-0 demolition of Aston Villa, coupled with big wins away against Southampton and Leeds in the cup gave fans real optimism. But they proved to be false dawns with results such as last week’s 2-2 draw at home to Southampton, a bitter pill considering that they held a two goal lead at the break.

 

 

 

This almost malignant ability to disappoint has been a feature of the teams sent out by Benitez since November. Their sometimes sublime football is too often complemented by a lack of fight and staying power. This is not aided by Fernando Torres’ absolutely perplexing attitude/application/fortitude when leading the line for Chelsea.

 

Torres’ previous performances this season can be summed up by kindly saying he continues to show flashes of his former self, but Sunday’s game against Arsenal proved once more that he is so far away from being that top Premier League striker that we are fast forgetting.

 

 

 

Wandering tragically around the pitch like a man looking for his lost cat, his contributions were limited to passing the ball behind teammates, and sometimes out of play; once overrunning a promising attack into the grateful arms of Szczesny, and skewing a volley so badly wide that fans were probably wishing it was even Gary Cahill who had had the chance, but he was behind the Spaniard, dismally holding his head in his hands. It was another poor show from the once feared striker, one that will fill his boss with frustration.

 

Benitez’s answer must be the ‘stop-gap’ striker, Demba Ba. The electric Senegalese front-man’s goal-threat cannot even be compared to the now jar-headed Torres. With 3 goals in his first 5 games, it doesn’t take a genius to know that his inclusion in the starting eleven is fast becoming essential.

 

As it has been quite vociferously put over the past few months, Benitez is keeping the chair warm for the next permanent manager. There is no real chance of his ‘Interim’ status changing at the end of the season, unlike his predecessor. The man to take over the helm will not be Pep Guardiola, who agreed to join German giants Bayern Munich last week. There is a growing rumour of Jose Mourinho’s possible reappointment, which would certainly quell the unrest amongst the poisonous masses on the King’s Road.

 

 

 

Harry Redknapp said on the eve of his QPR side’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, “You’d have to be a real dope to mess it up with that group of players”. While we all must think the same, Benitez probably knows he cannot actually win with his group of players, or to put it better, he cannot succeed, not in the long run.

 

The win over Arsenal has once more thrown up the dream of recovery; but Chelsea’s rehabilitation still has quite a way to go, and Benitez and Torres’ inevitable departure may just be the medicine.

 

Links and Photos: Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, hullcc.gov.uk, jamaica-gleaner.com, BBC Sport