Fulham Preview: Past v Present
COME ON CHELSEA
By Since66
February 14 2011
It will be like an old boys reunion at the Cottage tonight, down by the Riverside, as Chelsea travel the few miles to take on Fulham, hoping for a win that will see the Blues return to fourth spot. Not only is there Mark Hughes, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Kevin Hitchcock and Ray Lewington - all Chelsea Legends - on the management team, there is Eidur, Duffers and Sidwell all expected to line-up against their former employer.
Let's not forget Gael Kakuta, his loan deal excludes him from appearing this evening.
After his dismal debut against his old club last weekend, Fernando Torres will be looking to start repaying the hefty £50m price-tag placed on his head by the two clubs on transfer deadline day.
Everything always looks better after the horse has bolted through the open-gate, but despite the hype, excitement and near hysteria created by Torres' move, I really wish Ancelotti had the bottle not to start Torres (and it was something I had thought of during the course of the day), because playing your first game for your new club against your old club where he was once a hero, was always going to be difficult and so it proved.
One of two things were going to happen last Sunday. Torres getting off to a flying start and Torres the fluffer duffer (although it wasn't his fault).
Unfortunately the latter proved pivotal and the whole day and scenario may have had an affect on the rest of the team.
Take the Branislav/Cech incident in the first-half as an example. I really thought Ivanovic was going to deck Cech and of course the mix-up between the two in the second-half which created Liverpool's winner really summed up Chelsea's and the fans bad day.
Chelsea have no fresh injury worries after the International midweek matches and it is expected that David Luiz, who made such an impression when he came on as sub last week, will start alongside The REAL England Captain with Ivanovic moving across to right-back.
For Fulham, Dickson Etuhu is unavailable after International duty and Bobby Zamora is still working his way back from a broken leg.
COME ON CHELSEA
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Drogba on the bench
Team
Cech
Ivanovic
Luiz
JT (c)
A Cole
Essien
Lampard
Ramires
Malouda
Torres
Anelka
subs: Turnbull, Ferreira, McEachran, Mikel, Drogba, Kalou, Sala
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Schwarzer
Baird
Hughes
Hangeland
Salcido
Duff
Murphy
Sidwell
Dempsey
Dembele
Johnson
Eidur not starting then?
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You've got to get your act together otherwise the filth may finish in the top 4 again
Europa League here we come
if it carries on
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Support was excellent throughout - drowned out the Fulham!
I was very close to the pitch. When you see Drogba up close (warming up) you really realise what a fearsome powerhouse he is - I can just imagine what it's like to be a defender and have him running at you. Funny moments with Eidur warming up - gave us a wave but discreetly in front of his new employers....then a few shouts of "yiddo, yiddo!" which brought a smile to his face.
Standing throughout no problem.
"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.