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Sheva to score again?

If we all are under the impression that we have really settled down and the worst is over, may be we should stop and see what happens in this match. After a series of matches with lower league oppositions, win against easily winnable wigan and a bad loss to Livepool, we face a stiff opponent in this mid-week clash. Some good team news is that Maka is back and Ballack is back too, for those who think it is also good news!

With some impressive efforts, Mikel and Diarra should find their place (if I were Jose). Because I want Diarra to play in the midfield, I opted for Paulo as the right back. With Mikel, Maka and Diarra as the mifielders, we have players who dont fancy a shot themselves and provide service to Lamps, Drog and Sheva. If Jose is going to pick Ballack ahead of Diarra, Ballack should really justify his inclusions with a match-winning performance otherwise it would be injustice to Diarra who played very well in the one good chance he was provided.

Between Bridge and Cole, I would take anyone. Both are equally good but you can say that Cole definitely has played more big matches, has played under much more pressure. Also, Cole will not get bullied by the physical Blackburn and would counter them with his physicality. Probably, Essien is playing his last match as a centre back in this match. By all probabilities, Captain John should be back for the Charlton match.

Isn’t Sheva among goals now? It would do him a world of good, if Sheva scores another one this match. Like the Jose-Roman stories were put to rest, the Press would start writing something more interesting than a loss of form of a 30-million striker.

Blackburn are a physical team who would try to break Chelsea’s rhythm by hard tackling and fouling and provoking. As champions, we have played them all and beaten them all. So that should not be a problem. When we played them away this season, we came out with a handsome 2-0 win with Drogba scoring one of his finest goals of this season.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKin8LBBjF4[/video]

For Blackburn, Benni McCarthy is the man to watch. He played under Jose in Porto and Ricardo considers him as a great player but also says we have to win against Blackburn:

They are strong as a team, but we play at home and we have to win this game. If you are the second-placed team and you want to go to the first place, you have to win against Blackburn and after you have to win at Charlton away. Both of them are important. The confidence now is growing, because we are winning and we don’t concede goals. Our players are playing as a team, we are playing better now, so we have to carry on

‘We dont concede goals’ – That’s the most important thing. Also, to see Cech, Carvalho, Maka and Essien in the team should give a lot of confidence for the midfield and attack to really go for a resounding win. We have been playing some very good efficient football over the last few matches. We have been able to control the game and dictate the pace at our will. We should keep that momentum going and continue to with our 60% possession and kill the opposition attacks well in advance that Cech has another peaceful game.

Now, it’s Lampard’s turn to talk about how inevitable Jose is for himself and for the club:

Jose is a great manager, and I love to play under him for so many reasons. He has given me lots of confidence and been great for the team. For me, he is a joy to work under and I have a great relationship with him personally – so he’s great to work for. It’s hard to imagine life without him – but that’s football.

This is his third season now, but the minute he came in he created a spirit and an atmosphere which is what we needed. We didn’t have a winning mentality particularly at the club before that, and he brought that to us. That is why we have been successful for the last couple of years.

Tonight, I was struck with absolute horror when I realised that Liverpool are only 2 points below us. We know that we have a home game on hand but still it was a nasty feeling when I looked at the table.

Time to show up. Another 2-0 would do me good.

[tags] Chelsea, Blackburn, Jose Mourinho, Ricardo Carvalho, Benni McCarthy, Premiership, Liverpool[/tags]