Chelsea Vs Blackburn (Early Team News and will include scores)

smuckers

Team appears to be

Cech, Terry, Carvallho, Bridge, Johnson, Smertin, Lampard, Makelele, Duff, Kezman, Gudjohnson.

Bench: Cudicini, Robben, Cole, Gallas, Tiago( or SP Geremi)

The match is on Setanta.

thejollyrodger

4-0. Duffer scores !!!

thejollyrodger

Robben is on the left hand side and is making a great impression. Sounds like he is better than Duff.

smuckers

It was an emphatic win, Robben did v well when he came on could have scored 2. Great goal by Duffer.

PHB

Sorry but when I was watching this game I just couldnt get over how uneffective Robben was.

Besides that one pass to the outside which was then crossbared by Kezman, all his crosses never got near anyone.
He did lots of them, and got past people, but there was no end product.

smuckers

But he added Speed, acurate passing, twists and turns, and his first touch is sublime.

thejollyrodger

I only heard the match on Today FM. Robben sounded like he was fairly motoring down the left wing, but its too early to judge him. He could well be a problem for Duffer but I guess the competition will do him good.

Very poor opposition for Chelsea today so I wouldnt read too much into performances. Early days yet for Murinho but he looks like a good manager at this stage.

eirebhoy

Robben looked fantastic when he came on, he ran past players with the ball in his 30 minutes on the pitch today more than Duff has all season. I thought Duff was told by Mourinho not to run past players but surely he would have told Robben the same thing. I hope its not a new Duffer we're watching this season. You used to hear the crowd get excited with Duff on the ball but not in his last 2 games.

Mourinho looks like he really rates Duff, as soon as I saw Robben was coming on I thought it was Duff that would be off. Same when I saw Kezman on. He left him on to see how he plays with Robben as I don't think he wants to drop either.

Delighted for Eider, great player.

smuckers

I feel sorry for Kezman, I think his first goal will come soon but he has to improve his first touch.

bizmark

Why doesnt he want duffer to run past people ?

eirebhoy

bizmark wrote:

Why doesnt he want duffer to run past people ?

You misread my post. I've seen Duff in th majority of his games this season and he is playing very conservative football. Running past players is what makes Duff but he just doesn't seem to be doing it. He either changed his style of play or Mourinho is not being extra safe and not allowing him run by players. I hope its the latter but its the same with Ireland too (other than the minnows. I'd say Haas and Gallas were expecting more).

growler

just back from the game and i have to say Robben looked excellent, he'll be a big influence on Chelsea this season and he and Duff may rotate. The crowd still get excited every time Duffer gets the ball , he's definately a big favourite. Parker acquited himself well bar a few erratic passes and Glen Johnson certainly looked well able to compete for his place.



However Blackburn were bloody awful so no real test there.

Good laugh hearing the chelsea crowd singing " Boring Boring Chelsea"

bizmark

eirebhoy wrote:

You misread my post. I've seen Duff in th majority of his games this season and he is playing very conservative football. Running past players is what makes Duff but he just doesn't seem to be doing it. He either changed his style of play or Mourinho is not being extra safe and not allowing him run by players. I hope its the latter but its the same with Ireland too (other than the minnows. I'd say Haas and Gallas were expecting more).

Ah right sorry

maybe mourinho was right when he said duffer has a mental block after his injury might not be 100% yet ?

growler

he's fouled at least 10 times a game, players are generally wise to his ability and don't give him the opportunity to pass them , i'm sure managers instruct their players to take him down if there is any chance he'll get away from them ( can't find any stats to support this anecdotal claim) .

He did a lovely nutmeg on one of the blackburn defenders today though !

eirebhoy

growler wrote:

he's fouled at least 10 times a game, players are generally wise to his ability and don't give him the opportunity to pass them , i'm sure managers instruct their players to take him down if there is any chance he'll get away from them ( can't find any stats to support this anecdotal claim) .

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player?id=7779&cc=5739

8 fouls suffered in the premiership all season (not including the Blackburn match). If this was last season that would be a lot higher.