UK Football

Sunday is set to hold the match of the season up to this point.  The champions Manchester United are off to a rocky start, with only one win in 5 matches.  Whereas Chelsea should be in the middle of an adjustment year, under new manager Scolari, but the London club looks stronger than ever and seems to demolish everything in their paths.  I know it’s early, and I may be mentioning come May about United’s ability to come back from a rocky beginning.  Anyone remember last season?

My first thought for this match is that it’s not a bad one for Chelsea to lose, and in fact may be more in their favor.  The media has been placing unfair pressure on every Chelsea home fixture for a long time now, as Chelsea have a perfect record of no losses at Stamford Bridge that has stood for a good long while now.  But I think that hurts the club as much as it could be a mental edge, because Chelsea draw too much at home, and as we’ve seen the past two years, too many draws put Chelsea out of a championship.

Honestly Scolari would do well to get his team a loss at Stamford Bridge, and then refocus the squad into always netting the three points at home more often than the one. 

That doesn’t mean anything of the sort will happen of course.  Chelsea looks the extraordinarily more likely side at the moment, given the recent run of play in the League.  Sure Berbatov is back from his knee injury, and Cristiano Ronaldo will play a part if not from the beginning at some point.  But Chelsea have stout defenders.  Carvalho is easily having one of his best starts since putting on a Blue shirt, and John Terry is always a solid fullback, especially up against the likes of Wayne Rooney.

My ideal starting eleven for such a fixture?  

Manchester United 4-4-2

     Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov up front of course.

     Cristiano Ronaldo on the right flank, with Hargreaves to hold in midfield and Tevez in place of Scholes to favor United’s attack, and because he always starts from midfield when he attacks anyway,  while Giggs brings up the left.  

     Evra on the left, new boy Johnny Evans and Rio Ferdinand in the central, and Wes Brown starting right back.  Because Brown can deliver a great cross, unlike Gary Neville who wasted at least five in the Champions League fixture.

 Chelsea 4-5-1

     Anelka up front alone, as that makes for his best performances. 

     Stick Joey Cole on the right to start and let him roam, transforming the team into a 4-4-2 at times, because that’s when Cole is best.  Malouda on the far left, also with the option to roam.  Deco, Lampard and Ballack all in the central midfield.  

   Defense, no question, Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, and Ashley Cole.  No differentiation needed whatsoever.  

Look for United to put up a fight, but likely drop off under the constant pressure Chelsea can deliver.  2-1 or 3-2 Chelsea wouldn’t be an unlikely scoreline here.  At any rate it will be tight.

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