FA Cup 4th Round: Wigan v Chelsea Preview
By dixon9
January 25 2008
Chelsea travel away for the third consecutive time – this occasion for the good old FA Cup which we currently hold. Wigan are usually a feisty side with plenty of discipline under new manager Steve Bruce. We’ve never lost to them at the JJB Stadium. Still, no chicken counting here, we are a bit on the depleted side and will need to put in as competent performance as we did at Everton in midweek.
I can remember us losing to them in 1980 though and on another occasion thumping them 5-0 away in a replay with Kerry Gold netting 4 – at the time, the Wigan manager proclaimed Dixon “the best centre-forward in the league.”
It would help matters tomorrow if Ballack is fit. His calf strain was supposedly “minor” so I expect him to run out in the starting line-up although we’ll obviously be missing Terry, Shevchenko and Lampard through injury along with Drogba, Essien, Mikel and Kalou through the ACN.
Heskey is back from injury (and he normally reserves his better performances for us) and defenders Edman and Figueroa have both received international clearance to play.
I don’t know much about either Edman or Figueroa but we can suppose we are going to face a stiffer defence than normal – or might Bruce decide this is not the time to make drastic changes with unfamiliar faces in the rear guard for the Wigan players?
Taylor will be the only Wigan absentee.
As for our possible line-up there really isn’t much room for change as the starting 11 and the subs bench will virtually be the only players that are available and new signing Ivanovic is probably a week away from full match fitness.
Ballack will probably come in for Sidwell and I just wonder about Ferreira.
Our Portuguese defender has been on the bench for the last few matches and used to get rotated with Belletti; however, this hasn’t been the case recently. Although I prefer Belletti I reckon Grant may give Paulo a run out tomorrow.
Cech may be allowed time off to visit his first new born in his home country so Cuducini may feature.
I would like to see Sinclair get an airing. Come on Grant! At least put Scotty on the bench!
So I would guess something like:
Cuducini, Ferreira, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole, Makelele, Ballack, SWP, Malouda, Anelka and J Cole.
Prediction? 0-3! Anelka to open his account with a brace.
Wigan (from): Kirkland, Granqvist, Palacios, Sibierski, Kilbane, Heskey, Koumas, Brown, Aghahowa, Valencia, Boyce, Scharner, Bramble, Olembe, Cotterill, Skoko, Melchiot, Bent, Edman, Figueroa, Pollitt.
Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Ferreira, Belletti, A Cole, Bridge, Carvalho, Ben-Haim, Alex, Sidwell, J Cole, Malouda, Pizarro, Anelka, Wright-Phillips, Makelele, Ballack.
I remember the league cup howler when we lost 4-2, I was there and tomorrow going to the JJB means that I will be visiting another of the many clubs that have had two grounds(in my lifetime - forget Emirates XI they have had more grounds than Kit-Kat has had breaks).
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Yep! Gradually traditional grounds are being replaced with souless domes or even replicas of other stadiums (Arsenal´s is a copy of Lisbon´s) which is a great shame.
The Woolwich have had 4 different grounds and 4 different names so far but QPR ha ha ha! have had around 20!!!
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.