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LINE-UP: Chelsea team to play Southampton

 

By now everyone has forgotten Chelsea’s win over Arsenal, and is instead focusing on what happened against Newcastle United and Porto.


The midweek Champions League game against Portuguese side Porto was supposed to be an easy win, yet Chelsea returned home with their tails between their legs following a shock 2-1 loss, to add yet more pressure on why last season’s run-away title winners were struggling to find their previous form.


During his press conference ahead of Saturdays match with Southampton the Blues boss to his credit stood up and took the blame for the clubs recent poor results.


“It’s the worst period [in my career]. I have never lost so many matches […] I get it as a fantastic experience—an experience that I don’t want to repeat,” he said of the form he and his team are enduring at present.


“To come after 15 years is too late but it’s helping me to be better. It is a great negative experience.”


When asked about the defensive mistakes his team has been making Mourinho said: “If [a mistake] happens in the first half we speak about it at half-time; if it happens in the second half we speak about it the next day,” he explained.


“We never speak after the game. I go to the press, they go to the shower. After the match I never have a bad reaction. It’s time to calm down and go home.


“[…] We speak openly, no prima donnas. When you make a mistake you have to speak about it. I call it ‘coaching’.”


Meanwhile Chelsea fans will be hopping for a win on Saturday after a rut which has gone on far too long.


As far as the Blues fans are concerned this has to be the week that Mourinho does not play Serbian international defender Branislav Ivanovic, and while the 31-year-old is a firm fan favourite at Stamford Bridge his recent performances show that he needs to be dropped from the team.


Also missing will be Striker Diego Costa who is serving a three-match ban for his behaviour during the match against Arsenal, which has also led to him being dropped from the Spanish national team.

 

Chelsea - Football tactics and formations


Goalkeeper

With Thibaut Courtois still out injured the hard working Asmir Begovic will need to be at his best if Chelsea are to come out of this match with all three points.

Defence

We expect to see Branislav Ivanovic dropped for the match, which means Caesar Azpilicueta will be on the right-wing while new boy Baba Rahman comes in at right-back. We also expect to see the return of Captain John Terry to the team in the hope that his experience alongside Gary Cahill will stop some of the blunders that have cost the team so dearly lately.

Midfield

Nemanja Matić and Cesc Fabregas also need to step up the game with the Serbian looking troubled at time and Spaniard Fabregas failing to deliver the kind of runs we saw from him last season.

The biggest disappointment so far has to be that of Eden Hazard who will not be expecting to pick up the PFA player of the year award this time round following a lacklustre showing nowhere near the class we all know he possesses.

Oscar and William will be called upon to provide some impetus from the team, and with Oscar being rested for the trip to Portugal we will be expecting big things from the Brazilian.

Attack

Mourinho has a choice of Loic Remy or Radamel Falcao with Costa being suspended, which has us thinking that Colombian international Falcao will get the nod over Remy.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Rahman; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Falcao

 

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