West Ham vs Chelsea K/O 12:45PM Sky Sports 2

GavRedKing

Huge game for Rafa and Chelsea in the early kick off on Saturday, Chelsea's early Saturday kick offs against Spurs and Arsenal both produced victories away from home so hoping we continue this trend.

Chelsea haven't won in 6 attempts in the league and will be desperate to return to scoring and winning ways.

West Ham have a good defensive record so far and are sitting pretty in 10th its scoring goals that has been their main problem.

West Ham Possible line up :

Jaaskelainen
Demel Reid Collins O'Brien
Jarvis Diame Tomkins Taylor
Nolan Carroll

Chelsea possible line up :

Cech
Azpilicueta Ivanovic Cahill Cole
Miekl Ramires
Mata Oscar Hazard
Torres



I'm hoping we can sneak it but this game will be another real test for Rafa looking for his first goal and win.

Smart money would be on a draw but I'm goign to say 1-2 Chelsea.

Will I Amnt

Good chance of drawing another blank in this one. The Hammers have been excellent at the back particularly Demel and McCartney when they play.

A must win for Rafa and I'll say they should sneak it, maybe 1-0.

Leiva

Rafa has shored up the leaky goals so I can see the attacking formation getting some joy in this one.

0-3 Chelsea.

GavRedKing

I'm expecting a draw but we really need to win to keep in touch with both Manchester clubs and to keep WBA and Spurs behind us.

Hoping Rafa drops Bertrand and brings back Mata, if not then Marin may play some part in this game.

Luiz is suspended so Cahill has a battle on his hands with Carroll, West Ham have scored the most headed goals so far in the league and we've leaked the majority of our goals from headers, something like 35-40% of goals conceeded have been headers, not a good stat that.

If we score first I think it will be comfortable in the end but its 0-0 at half time I think West Ham will get something from the game.

In another stat, Torres has scored 8 goals against West Ham down the years, more then another team in the EPL.

MUSEIST

0-0

MUSEIST

GavRedKing wrote: »

I'm expecting a draw but we really need to win to keep in touch with both Manchester clubs and to keep WBA and Spurs behind us.

Hoping Rafa drops Bertrand and brings back Mata, if not then Marin may play some part in this game.

Luiz is suspended so Cahill has a battle on his hands with Carroll, West Ham have scored the most headed goals so far in the league and we've leaked the majority of our goals from headers, something like 35-40% of goals conceeded have been headers, not a good stat that.

If we score first I think it will be comfortable in the end but its 0-0 at half time I think West Ham will get something from the game.

In another stat, Torres has scored 8 goals against West Ham down the years, more then another team in the EPL.

Don't be silly, torres will not score:rolleyes::P

Crann na Beatha

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GavRedKing

MUSEIST wrote: »

Don't be silly, torres will not score:rolleyes::P

Took him out of my Fantsy Football team, he'll definetly score and probably a hat-trick too.

WindmillWarrior

Yep, he always scores against us, no matter what form he's in! Still, West Ham are a different animal under Big Sam, so I'd expect us to be tight at the back again. Going forward we are missing creative players like Vaz Te and Benayoun big time. Jarvis is off form/not match fit and Taylor is just a bit sh*t. Carroll, the moany bitch, is not really doing it either but he'll make it awkward for defenders as he always does which may allow Nolan in to capitalise. Set pieces will be quite dangerous as well. All in all I'm going for a tight 1 nil win to the good guys

GavRedKing

I think my money is going go on under 2.5 goals in this game anyway.

Luckycharms_74

Should be a good game of football. The pressure will be on Rafa now to win. I fancy Chelsea to win 2-0.

Francie Barrett

Been three games since Chelsea have scored a goal. It's going to be hard to get off the mark against a Hammers team who will probably relish playing an out of form Chelsea. Low scoring 1-1 for me.

Hammer Archer

We always seem to get other teams/managers/players out of a rut. For that reason I'd expect Chelsea to win and Torres to score at least once. Can't see us having the creativity to score.

RayCon

Gambling sites blocked in work ... what price Torres anytime scorer ?

WindmillWarrior

RayCon wrote: »

Gambling sites blocked in work ... what price Torres anytime scorer ?

Was gonna back that myself! I'd be very interested to see. Those sites are blocked for me as well

RichT

To add a bit of spice, apparently Rafa and Sam don't get on........

When at Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers there was no love lost between Rafa Benitez and Sam Allardyce. When West Ham host Chelsea tomorrow lunchtime their rivalry will finally resume and we are sure there remains no love lost between the pair.

Rafa Benitez is not a fan of Sam Allardyce's style of football, here he is speaking a couple of years ago, ridiculing the now West Ham boss. -

"I think it is a model for all the managers around the world, their style of football, his behaviour,"

"It is the perfect model for all the kids and I'm sure all parents will enjoy this model and encourage their kids to be the same. The style of football, I think, Barcelona are thinking of copying."

Ouch. You can see why Allardyce will be desperate to pile the pressure on the new Chelsea boss tomorrow, still searching for his first win.

But that isn't all. Their feud goes back further than that, when Benitez was accused of making a dismissive 'game over' gesture when his Liverpool side went 2-0 up against Blackburn in the first half of their fixture at Anfield. (Naturally it was Fernando Torres who scored the goals).

Allardyce complained post-match: "The unfortunate gestures from Rafa Benitez after the second goal. I wanted to clarify his gestures. I think you'll see them as pretty dismissive to me and to Blackburn Rovers' team as a whole.

"I think they are disrespectful and quite humiliating.

"I waited to have a word with Rafa Benitez in his room after the game but as usual, and unfortunately, he didn't turn up.

"What I expect is a little more respect from a fellow manager."

Big Sam found a welcome ally in Sir Alex Ferguson, who was all too gleeful given the opportunity to sink the boot into Benitez; this was shortly after the former Liverpool boss' infamous 'Fact' rant against the Scot.

Ferguson went to town: "The game is hard enough as it is without a fellow manager trying to do, what seemed to be, an undermining gesture."

"You cannot forgive contempt, which is what he showed Sam Allardyce last weekend. When Liverpool scored their second goal he signalled as if the game was ­finished. I do not think Sam deserved that. Sam has worked so hard for the LMA [League Managers Association] and he's had a weakened team. I just thought it showed contempt.

"In my experience no Liverpool manager has ever done that. It was beyond the pale."

But was there another explanation?

Steve Gerrard claimed so, sticking up for his manager. He said: "We had the set-pieces up on the board before the game and he had told Xabi to do a certain free kick. He did the opposite but we scored from it, so he was basically saying, ‘Don’t listen to me, do your own thing."

Neither manager will want to lose tomorrow, and even if the game is another dull 0-0, the prospects of fireworks off the pitch makes the encounter a simply 'must-watch' affair.

SOURCE

Gonzovision

Torres is 5/1 FGS and 7/5 aanytime

LETS BE AVN IT

2-1 West Ham win . Can feel a big game from Jussi tomorrow.

solarith

Would love to see Marin on. Hazard or Oscar but not both.


If I had my way, and I never will...

---

Cech

---

Azp -- Ivanovic -- Cahill -- Cole

---

Ramires -- Romeu

---

- Marin

---

Mata -

---

Hazard

---

---

El Nino

---

GavRedKing

gonzovision wrote: »

Torres is 5/1 FGS and 7/5 aanytime

Enhanced special in the local Paddy's, Torres anytime and a Chelsea win 7/1, worth a punt at that value IMO.

Throw a cheeky €20 on it there on my break.

GavRedKing

solarith wrote: »

Would love to see Marin on. Hazard or Oscar but not both.


If I had my way, and I never will...

---

Cech

---

Azp -- Ivanovic -- Cahill -- Cole

---

Ramires -- Romeu

---

- Marin

---

Mata -

---

Hazard

---

---

El Nino

---

I think Mikel has to play, I threw a stat up showing West Ham have the most headed goals in the league and we've shipped most of our goals due to headers, unless the Zonal marking works I'd be playing Mikel.

agree with the rest though, think its time to start Marin, if he doesnt do it sub him for Moses.

solarith

GavRedKing wrote: »

I think Mikel has to play, I threw a stat up showing West Ham have the most headed goals in the league and we've shipped most of our goals due to headers, unless the Zonal marking works I'd be playing Mikel.

agree with the rest though, think its time to start Marin, if he doesnt do it sub him for Moses.

Fair enough, either or. Not a massive difference. Mikel is better at the defending side and Romeu is better with the ball. Really neither are world class.

GavRedKing

solarith wrote: »

Fair enough, either or. Not a massive difference. Mikel is better at the defending side and Romeu is better with the ball. Really neither are world class.

They'res a definite case for Romeu to play, he'd move the ball alot faster and I can imagine West Ham will line up to attack us but also be cautious so Romeu would be better suited to launch counter attacks then Mikel.

Agreed, neither are world class but given that Rafa's not long in charge its hard to predict what his XI is.

Sgt Pepper 64

Daily Fail is saying Oscar will only be on the bench, and Moses will start in his place

Get ready folks - its gonna be Rafas rotation policy!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2241117/West-Ham-v-Chelsea-Oscar-dropped-Rafa-Benitez-Victor-Moses-set-replace-him.html

solarith

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Daily Fail is saying Oscar will only be on the bench, and Moses will start in his place

Get ready folks - its gonna be Rafas rotation policy!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2241117/West-Ham-v-Chelsea-Oscar-dropped-Rafa-Benitez-Victor-Moses-set-replace-him.html

I'm ok with that.

GavRedKing

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Daily Fail is saying Oscar will only be on the bench, and Moses will start in his place

Get ready folks - its gonna be Rafas rotation policy!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2241117/West-Ham-v-Chelsea-Oscar-dropped-Rafa-Benitez-Victor-Moses-set-replace-him.html

solarith wrote: »

I'm ok with that.

Ya, me too.

We need to shake it up a bit and a guy attacking the FB's should do it.

Panthro

I'm feeling a 2-0 win for the Blues is long over due.
G'wan the Blues!

Santi101

gonzovision wrote: »

Torres is 5/1 FGS and 7/5 aanytime

Money better spent elsewhere you'd suspect. Torres is a joke these days.

RichT

Teams snagged off twitter so apologies if wrong...

WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen, Reid, O’Brien, Collins, Demel, Nolan, Tomkins, Jarvis, Noble, O’Neil, Cole

CHELSEA: Cech, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Moses, Hazard, Mata, Torres.

solarith

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, Moses, Torres.

According to Twitter. I suspect Azp and Ivan will be switched


Edit - ah, you beat me funker.

double GG

Mata and Ivanovic to score for Chelsea. Kevin Nolan to score for West Ham.

2-1 Chelsea/.

Sgt Pepper 64

LINE-UPS - West Ham v Chelsea (1245 GMT)
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien, Tomkins, Noble, O'Neil, Nolan, Jarvis, Cole. Subs: Spiegel, Taylor, Diame, Maiga, Spence, Fanimo, Moncur.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Moses, Hazard, Mata, Torres. Subs: Turnbull, Ferreira, Bertrand, Romeu, Oscar, Marin, Piazon.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Jelle1880

Hope West Ham pull it off, can't see past a convincing Chelsea win though...

edit: Big Sam said Carrol is out for 6/8 weeks, big blow.

Crann na Beatha

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Francie Barrett

Can see Chelsea losing this.

Jelle1880

**** off, **** defending once again.

Mars Bar

That's a decent goal

klose

Nice assist by torres, good through ball by moses just before too.

Is benayoun injured?

Panthro

that'l do!

Sgt Pepper 64

Get in there! First goal of the Benny era - and lots more to come!

We love you King Benny!

markie29

that was too easy for Chelsea...no one marked from the throw in and they alloed Torres and Mata in with no challenge too.

But saying that it was a good goal by chelsea

Crann na Beatha

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mike65

Has the shed end exploded yet?

Crann na Beatha

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mike65

Phoenix wrote: »

Huh?its at Upton Park

I was referring to the website!

MUSEIST

Nice goal, good to finally see some precise passing by chelsea:)

Jelle1880

'Rafa Out' banner and chants of 'There's only one Di Matteo'.

Stay classy Chelsea.

Sgt Pepper 64

Yet, still the fans sing "One dimateeooo" at 16 mins!

Rayne Wooney

Still singing Di Matteo songs? I think it's time to get over it

Crann na Beatha

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MUSEIST

Jelle1880 wrote: »

'Rafa Out' banner and chants of 'There's only one Di Matteo'.

Stay classy Chelsea.

Yeah, how dare they chant the name of the manager that won the holy grail (CL) and a club legend, idiots