Can you believe it? Still Kalou, Mikel, Anelka, Malouda & Drog IN. Danny, Josh, Lukaku, Yossi OUT. Can't especially fathom why AVB fancies Kalou over Danny? look at the other kid Danny at OT - just a shame?
Sturridge is seeing out a three match ban he picked up at Bolton last year Mata should help with width, and perk a couple of people up as well.
Did you really expect Lukuka to replace Drogba / Torres when he was only officially signed about 2 days before the West Brom game. Come on be serious. Sturridge is on a ban.
As SW6 said Sturridge is out for another game on Saturday due to his ban. Drogba has been on the bench the last two games so he's more of an out than an in. AVB would surely have picked Sturridge to start on the right hand side of the three had he not been banned so that leaves Anelka and Kalou as his only two options in that position. I agree that I wouldn't have started Kalou on Saturday, but he was soon hauled off when he played poorly. It would be a mistake to throw Lukaku in straight away. Like Josh he'll have to be introduced gradually into the team as will Romeu. Yossi will probably be leaving the club due to what he has said recently so that may be why he hasn't figured. Malouda did score the winning goal on Saturday, but his place is under serious pressure now we have signed Mata. I think the one thing that all Chelsea fans want to see is AVB being given time and having a pop at him after just two games is premature to say the least. He is going to have to face up to some the most difficult questions over the next couple of seasons if he stays. Drogba, Lampard and Anelka could all be sold and replacements found in that time and a rebuilding process is already under way and all this under the new FFP rules.
This helps a lot - to know that he will be back for the 4th match and not that AVB doesn't fancy him. But still, play a wooden post like chic pea instead of kalou which can get you more goals seriously.
I am afraid it is a sign of the times that a top team has one or two bad performances and it is the end of the world and the manager must go. Whatever is said to AVB, he will know that all the previous managers who have not won the Prem post- Abramovich have been sacked. That is why I fear he will not take too many risks and perhaps Josh may suffer, I do not know. I like the idea of the FFP rules, partly as they help Arsenal, but I like to think they are a good thing anyway. However Chelsea must know they can get around them unless they are unbelievably stupid because they have spent on Torres, Luiz, Mata, Lukaku etc since the start of 2011. I cannot see Chelsea making a lot of money from sales because although players like Drogba can still cut it, at 32/33 he would not go for big money. Greater minds than me have said you can drive a coach and horses through the rules.
