Venue: Old Trafford
Date: Monday, August 26 2013
Kick-off: 20.00 BST.
Our game this weekend sees us travel to Old Trafford this evening to face Manchester United where Moyes’ first home game in charge pits him up against Jose Mourinho in his first trip back there as Chelsea manager. Should be fun.
Not a word I might usually associate with these meetings but for once, it isn’t one of our players with a circus in tow. Wayne Rooney, their wantaway striker who hasn’t asked to leave although actually might have, but isn’t for sale, or at least not to Chelsea in the next million years, yes, that Wayne Rooney – well he might get a starting place, although quite how he’ll manage to maoeuvre himself round the pitch with 300 camera lens’ and several tripods up his a*rse is beyond me. Either way, let’s hope he’s not too distracted to pay attention to third offer after the game.
Seriously though, there’s already so much hype over this one, we’ll probably barely notice the dubious penalties, red cards and 7 minutes added on.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, United’s David Moyes says “There is lots I’ve been looking forward to: taking the team on tour, leading them at Wembley. But to do it (lead the team out) at Old Trafford for the first game against Chelsea is a thrill, it really is. I think they have started strongly. But it’s what you’d expect from them because they’ve got good players and a good team. There’s not much change to the team except the manager’s changed.”
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho meanwhile, does a bit of reminiscing, saying of today’s opponents “I lost, I won, I drew. I knocked them out of the Champions League, I was knocked out in the Champions League. I have everything against them. Maybe I won more than lost. Maybe. But playing Man United – I always say the same – gives me pleasure. I like it. Last year we were playing them, in the Champions League knockout stages and everyone in Madrid was with some tension. ‘At the early stage of the Champions we have to play Man United’. I was happy. I like (it). I like the stadium, I like the opponent, I like the difficulty of the game. I like it very, very much.”
SQUAD NEWS
For United, Rafael (hamstring), Powell (leg) and Fletcher (bowel condition) are all out, whilst Nani (groin), Ashley Young (ankle) and Javier Hernandez (hamstring) are not expected to be involved. Evans (illness) will get a late test. Wayne Rooney, United’s Wayne Rooney who categorically won’t be sold to us, not in a million years, could well get a starting place.
For Chelsea, Kalas (broken leg) is out and David Luiz (hamstring) is doubtful. Lukaku could get a start, in which case we can expect to see Torres pouting on the bench.
TEAMS
UNITED (possible): De Gea; Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra: Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Cleverley; Welbeck, Van Persie.
CHELSEA (possible): Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole; Hazard, Lampard, Ramires, Mata; Oscar, Lukaku.
LAST SEASON
United 0-1 Chelsea (5th May 2013)
PREDICTION
From 42 Premier League games, this fixture has given us 13 United wins, 14 Chelsea wins and 15 draws. Last season, we won this fixture (0-1) and lost at home (2-3). So, given there never seems to be much in it, this might come down to which manager plays the game smartest – or how many we can stop RVP scoring!
Blue is the colour
