Last year’s equivalent fixture was possibly one of our best performances of the season. We left Chelsea reeling. If memory serves me correctly Maiga scored two goals. I doubt he will even be on the pitch this afternoon. What an absolute disappointment he has proved to be this season. I suspect this will be another strikerless lineup, as Carlton Cole has failed so far to prove he is worth a place in the starting lineup. But how much longer can we really go on for without playing with a striker? At some point I think Sam is going to have to bite the bullet and make a choice and stick with it. The 4-6-0 lineup looked like a masterstroke after the Spurs game, but since then it hasn’t worked at all. Perhaps we are starting to realise that Vaz Te meant more to us than we thought.
Jussi will be looking to prove that he isn’t a Joe Hart, and that his errors against Norwich were a one off. If not, Adrian may well be licking his lips in anticipation. The main selection dilemma is at left back where Rat is out and Joey O’Brien may not be fit. I think therefore that George McCartney may well return to the starting lineup after far too long on the sidelines. George has been very unlucky with injuries and it will be good to see him back if he gets the nod.
Up front, if that’s the right expression, it will be interesting to see which two Sam picks from our three wingers. Personally I would definitely pick Joe Cole because at least he knows where the goal is, unlike Jarvis or Downing, neither of whom can be said to be prolific.
People keep saying this is a good time to be playing Chelsea. I’m not so sure.
UPDATE: Here’s the lineup Jaaskelainen, Nolan, Tomkins, Collison, Morrison, Noble, O’Brien, Collins, Demel, Downing, J.Cole
Subs: Adrian, McCartney, Jarvis, Maiga, Taylor, Diame, C.Cole