Before

For the second weekend running I think we’re going to get beat. With the addition of Evans and Bardsley we’ve tightened up in defence but our goals-for tally has undergone a simultaneous demise with us failing to score in seven out of our last ten games. In the matches I’ve seen recently Kenwyne has been fighting a lone and usually fruitless battle upfront and I really don’t think we’ll get any change out of Chelsea’s defence if we play 4-5-1 this afternoon. We’ve got nothing to lose so let’s play a more attacking formation. At this stage it looks like Edwards will be on the bench and with his flair he can always pull a goal out of nothing. Our rivals have some difficult games too with Boro and Reading playing away to Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. Fulham are at home to Everton tomorrow and I can’t see them getting a point there while in the Lancashire derby I hope Wigan beat Bolton. The Mags are away to Birmingham on Monday and whatever happens it’ll help our cause and we need all the help we can get.

The Game

As I tuned into Radio Newcastle via the internet I was pleased that Edwards had made the starting line-up and that we were playing 4-4-2 but wondered where Richardson was. We started positively and won a corner in the first minute, seventy-nine minutes earlier than in last week’s game. I was surprised to hear that O’Donovan was starting as I thought Prica or Chopra would have been better but he did well to get the better of Terry and then be brought down in the area. There was a loud roar for a penalty but none was given. Chelsea then put us under the hammer and though we defended resolutely Terry put them one up in the ninth minute. Reading were also one-up at Anfield.

Chelsea were playing a lot of fancy possession football but we continued to fight and in the 27 th minute Reid came close to scoring with another great free-kick but Cudicini made a great save. Bardsley and Collins were pushing up more than usual and we were getting Chelsea rattled - Drogba and Cole had a bit of a heated exchange at one point, so that they were probably happier to hear the half-time whistle than us. Liverpool had equalized by then and at half-time things were looking pretty good for us.

There were no changes at the break and the second half began as the first had ended with us storming forward and the crowd in good voice. Collins went close, O’Donovan was getting some good mentions and we were defending solidly too. Just after the hour-mark Edwards was subbed by Prica and I fancied him to score. After a period of Chelsea pressure we went close when Cuducini again saved well after great approach work by Reid put Whitehead through. After Yorke had replaced O’Donovan in the 73 rd minute he made a great pass to set Kenwyne up but Cuducini saved well once more. I didn’t think Harte would ever get a game for us again but on he came for Leadbitter in the 85 th minute. In the dying minutes Yorke and Jones combined well again and the resultant header went just over the top and we battled to the end.

Afterwards

So, another defeat, as expected, but a decidedly better performance from us. We had a number of good chances and Gordon didn’t have much to do against one of the top sides in the league. Reading and Derby both lost so we haven’t lost any ground there. After we get the Villa game out of the way next week, which I think we’ll also lose, we have a realistic chance of winning the next six games. I think we’ll get at least ten points from them and of course those games include matches against Bolton, Newcastle and Fulham so our gain would be their loss. Our last game, against Arsenal, doesn’t bear thinking about. There are three things I’m hoping for by the end of this season:- staying up, of course; finishing above Newcastle; Derby failing to pass our worst ever points tally. Only the first one really counts. See you at Villa.

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