By Since66
January 13 2009
Is this a game that Chelsea need right now or is this a game that Chelsea need to get their recent bad form and past away results out of the way?
I not to sure of either, all I and every Chelsea fan know is that Chelsea got a 'tonking' at Old Trafford on Sunday and prior to that two draws away at Everton and Fulham - at Fulham conceding a last minute equaliser from the problematic set-piece.
At Man Utd on Sunday, Chelsea conceded two goals from the problematic set-piece and against Southend United at Stamford Bridge ten days ago, Chelsea were undone from a long throw which wasn't defended at all and Peter Clarke stooped in low to head past the diving Cech. Lets make one thing clear, Roots Hall will be packed to the rafters with 12,500 fans and these League One footballers will be up for it and Chelsea HAVE to make sure that they ARE up for it too. NO player must be found wanting, each and every player wearing the Blue shirt will have to match and better the effort that their counterparts will produce. We have to be better in every department than Southend and we will have to cover, as a team as as unit, every single blade of grass and battle for nintey minutes and hopefully extra-time will not be an option - penalties yuk - we do not want penalties. Burnley and Man Utd spring to mind as classic penalty failures! After the game on Sunday Mikel gave an insight of Scolari's plans for Wednesday night. He said, "I know the manager wants to rest a couple of players." Michael Mancienne and Franco Di Santo were both given forty-five minute run outs in the 1-1 reserve draw against Fulham on Monday night and to me this suggests they will both be in the squad and it wouldn't surprise me if Di Santo starts. Di Santo was unlucky when he came on for the last minutes ten days ago, and almost scored a dramatic last-minute winner but Steve Mildenhall saved well to his right. Wednesday night IS Southend's FA Cup Final, they are no mugs and not so long ago they dumped Man Utd out of the Carling Cup. Chelsea beware!! 



