The two most successful English sides in recent years come together at the Theatre of Dreams; Chelsea and Man United have shared the last seven league titles between them and the trend could yet continue. The two sides have begun this season in contrasting fashions with Fergusona��s United sweeping all in their wake whereas Andre Villas Boasa�� Londoners have been steady at best. However, no one will be ruling out the Blues; most often than not, Chelsea have reserved their best for the Red Devils. In fact Chesea have taken most points off Manchester United than any other team in the Premier League era. Now the Portuguese-led Chelsea arrive in Manchester in a bid to wrestle away the league title from Uniteda��s grasp, it goes without saying a win at Old Trafford would go a long way in achieving those ambitions.
Here at TheHardTackle, we join our resident Chelsea author Karan Yadav (KY) and Manchester United author Nipun Malhotra (NM) for a bit of friendly banter. As a gracious host, NM lets KY shoot his questions first.
1)A�A� Manchester United have started the season well, but so have your dear neighbors. Do you deep down feel that the noise from the a�?noisy neighborsa�� will eventually drown out everything else,A� and United will have no choice but to make way for them as the strongest team from Manchester? How comfortable are you with this idea?
NM: City have arrived on the big stage and I must say we all saw that coming. It would be plain foolish and delusional not to respect the threat they now pose. The Bitters are no more mere also-rans; they are now the front runners.A� However, at United nobody is losing any sleep with the way Mancinia��s City are performing. In the past the likes of Blackburn, Arsenal and your lot have threatened to topple United over but Ferguson has always responded in style. Anyways at this early a stage in the season I think it would be best if we just look at ourselves and try and improve in the areas we can. Also, didna��t we beat those noisy neighbors just a few weeks ago at Wembley and fairly comprehensively too? So, no, we arena��t that worried, not as long as Fergie is here anyway.
2)A�A�United, generally, are used to beginning a new campaign slowly, and finishing emphatically. What, according to you, is the reason behind Uniteda��s whopper of a start to the season this time? Please shed some light on various possible contributing factors – Sir Alex, the form of Wayne Rooney, a tactical change in the way United are playing, if at all, and the new found chemistry between the players.
NM: Well, it was a pleasant surprise for all of us to be honest. Looking at the fixture list, we needed a good start and boy did we get one. Yes, traditionally we have been slow starters and I can only remember the season 06-07 as the exception in recent years, when we began all guns blazing.
The reasons behind such an emphatic start can be attributed to a great pre-season as well as the influx of the youth who have flooded the team with exuberance and energy. Ferguson went for an overhaul of his title wining side to freshen things up and so that there isna��t an ounce of complacency creeping into the system. United have no doubt benefited from Rooneya��s outstanding form but players like Anderson have stepped up their game and grabbed the challenge by the proverbial scruff of the neck. The movement by this young side is much better and thus the player on the ball always has multiple options to pass to. Players are zipping the ball around at pace and precision and generally the tempo of our game has been difficult to live with for the opposition.
3) United failed to land Wesley Sneijder. Central midfield was a priority all summer long but it wasna��t addressed. However, with Cleverley playing well, this failure to bring reinforcement has been quickly forgotten. Do you think Tom is the answer to your problems? How well do you rate him? Moreover, with him now being injured, do you feel this void will come back to haunt you?
NM: Sneijder was a dead certainty to be a United player, wasna��t he? Well, the papers seemed very confident and so there was a lot of hope in United circles of adding the Dutchman to our arsenal as we definitely lacked quality in the central midfield last season.A� However, the move never materialized and going into the season, we were all apprehensive although with Fergie in charge fairly confident as well.
A�But so far all our fears have seemed ill founded with Cleverley and Ando dominating games as well as adding flair to our play. Cleverley hadna��t really been tested on the big stage before and had never played as a CM in a two man midfield and so I was fairly apprehensive about the enormity of the task handed to the young lad. But Tom has responded well to the challenge and stolen a march on the likes of Carrick and Gibson. Ita��s a pity though; Kevin Davisa�� foul challenge has sidelined the starlet for at least a month. Carrick and Fletcher will get a chance now to reclaim their spot and give the manager some food for thought when Cleverley returns to fitness.
4) Whom do you consider to be the single most important threat in the Premiership title race a�� Man City or Chelsea a�� and why? Do they have a potential Achillesa�� heel?
NM: Four games into the season and it seems like a three horse race at the outset, the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea. Although the press is going on lyrical about City and United making it a Manchester affair, for me Chelsea still represent the biggest threat. The single most important reason for this is the fact that Villas Boas has players under his disposal who have been there and done it before. The likes of Drogba, Lampard, Terry, Cole and Cech have all performed when the going gets really tough, the a�?squeaky bum timea�? as our manager likes to call it.
However, from what I have seen of Chelsea so far, they have looked rather bland although like most Chelsea sides solid as well. Perhaps Villas Boas needs a bit more time to model the Stamford Bridge outfit in the exact way he wants to.A�
A�5) The game at Old Trafford this weekend will be first real test for not just Chelsea but also for Man United. Will Ferguson fall back on his usual Chelsea-specialists such as Park and Giggs or will he stick to the same combination? Is there any one battle on the pitch which can potentially decide the outcome of the war, come Sunday?
NM: I think Fergie will go for it this time, although with Cleverley out, Carrick will come in to add assurance to the midfield. Also, Giggs and Park started in the midweek game against Benfica, while Ando and Young rested it out. That should definitely give some indication of Fergiea��s thinking but then again with the Scotsman always expect the unexpected.
A�
There are fascinating battles all over the pitch as always with these two sides involved, Ashley Cole and Juan Mata down the left wing are perhaps the two that Fergie needs to keep an eye on. Over the years Valenica, Park and even Fletcher have been deployed to stop Chelseaa��s marauding runs down their left wing but this time I can see Ferguson deploying the likes of Jones and Nani with the intent of pushing Chelsea back and taking the attack to the opposition.
A�
Wea��ll be going for it all guns blazing, we are the Champions and we shall not be moved!
NM: Enough ofA� grilling me, it’s your turn in the hot seat!
Chelsea’s Ivanovic and United’s Nani face-off, literally!
1) The transfer window came to a close 2 weeks back, was it a satisfying foray by your club into the market? Chelseaa��s interest in the Croatian midfielder at Spurs was hardly candid, but you guys failed to bring your number 1 target to the Bridge and instead got Raul Mereiles, deadline day panic buy, eh? Also are you confident of the squad you have at your disposal now? Where do you think you could possibly come up short?
KY: For me personally, the summer was an extremely satisfying one. Firstly, the philosophy appears to have undergone a drastic shift a�� from superstars at their peak to young players with enormous potential. Yes, Luka Modric was Chelseaa��s number one target to add creativity in the center of the park; however, I didna��t want the club to spend more than 25-30m on him, which was his true value. When the media started reporting that Chelsea are willing to pay upto 40m on him, I was unhappy for two reasons a�� one, all the good business on other transfers would be nullified by one wrong move, and secondly, a 40m 25-year old player would have hindered the progress of Josh McEachran. Raul Meireles was Chelseaa��s back-up option, and for 12m, he is one astute buy. He can play in various midfield roles and can offer at least a couple of years of good service. Ergo, although the club failed to bring their number one target, Meireles is not a panic buy a�� hea��s a reasonable purchase. I would have said that the right wing remains a concern, but with the emergence of Sturridge as a right-forward, Ia��m not too worried. All in all, Ia��m pretty satisfied with the Chelsea squad.
2) Although, Torres assisted a couple of goals in midweek in the Champions League win against Leverkusen, he has hardly set the world on fire at his new club. After he signed for you guys, United fans feared the worst but he has somehow managed to stay rather ineffective, just like his final days at Merseyside. What do you think is wrong with the Spaniard? Torres recently went on in an interview about how the Chelsea set up was too slow for his liking, do you concur with his views? Does the blame lie with your style of play or with Fernando himself?
KY: Yes, Fernando is perhaps the biggest puzzle in front of the Chelsea management, but the fans have been remarkably patient with him. The blame lies with three parties a�� Roman Abramovich, our midfield, and Torres himself. Roman had been a big fan of him for a very long time, and when he became available, Roman couldna��t resist himself a�� the price was inconsequential for the owner, but the same price has put tremendous amount of pressure on the player. The Chelsea midfield, especially before the transfer window, clearly lacked creativity. Torres, who relishes space and relied on his burst of pace to shrug off defenders before finishing emphatically, has clearly not benefitted from the slow build-up play and the absence of defense-splitting passes. However, rather than feeling sorry for himself, the Spaniard should definitely have tried harder, more regularly. Lack of confidence at the end of last season was understandable, but after a solid pre-season, and with Chelsea signing players such as Mata and Meireles, in addition to adding Sturridge to the line-up, Torres should have started scoring by now. He has played well in patches, but I think he has forgotten what a devastating player he used to be. Believe you me, if he doesna��t do well this season, not only will he lose his place on the Spanish National Team for good, but Chelsea will also cut their losses and sell him. He should understand this, dig deep, back himself, and repay not just the club but also the fans for their patience.A�A�A�A�A�A�
3) Andre Villas Boas is the new man at the helm, the revolving door at Chelsea finds a new entrant, but we all know who really calls the shot at Stamford Bridge. What are your expectations from the Portuguese? Is he the right man for the job and if he is the chosen one, how long will he get to prove his mettle?
KY: The departure of Carlo Ancelotti did not go down well with a lot of fans a�� I was one of them. However, the appointment of Villas-Boas, the subsequent overhaul of the entire coaching staff, medical staff, and scouting network, and the change in the transfer policy makes me see sense in the events. This is Blue Revolution v 2.0.
The management was ready to look beyond the team that was built by Jose Mourinho and had bore his stamp ever since. They wanted to bring in younger players and build a team capable of playing solid yet attacking football. They wanted someone who was as hungry for success as they were, someone who had his entire career in front of him and was willing to leave no stone unturned to make his mark on world football. In Villas-Boas, they saw that man, who in-turn saw his deputy in former legend Roberto Di Matteo. The 33-year old Portuguese is a very intelligent man a�� he is tactically as adept as he is at bringing the best out of his players. Moreover, the club got to know him very well between 2004 and 07 a�� when he was Mourinhoa��s top man in the coaching staff. So, ita��s not just his exploits with Porto which attracted the club towards him. If my understanding is correct, Andre Villas-Boas is here to stay. Otherwise, long term prospects such as 19-year old Romeu, 18-year old Lukaku, 19-year old Courtois and 20-year old Davila wouldna��t have been signed. A�A�
4) What do you make of Uniteda��s strong start to the season, were you expecting such an onslaught, or were you taken aback by our storming beginning to the new campaign? Also do you feel media is jumping the gun a bit by calling it a two-horse race, goodness sake we are just about four games into the season, surely Chelsea will have a say in the title race. Furthermore, do you think it might benefit you lot as the pressure seems to be of Chelsea with all the attention focused on the two Manchester clubs?
KY: Frankly, I havena��t seen a United side play better football a�� even if I consider the golden generation in their peak and the days of Cristiano Ronaldo. And indeed, I have been surprised to see the team play so well as a unit. With the media calling it a two-horse race, the pressure is certainly off Chelsea, and I love it! After a long time, Chelsea are not the team to beat in a new campaign. Honestly, I dona��t think it will be that simple for the Manchester teams. However, if Chelsea win the title this season, it will be a mighty achievement a�� the rivals have never been any stronger.
5) Leta��s talk about the big duel this weekend, the Blues travel to Old Trafford to face a rampant United. How do you think Chelsea will line up both in terms of personal and team formations, Does Villas Boas have something special up his sleeve? Also, who is the one man from each side you would pick as the key for their respective side?
KY: Villas-Boas will line Chelsea up in a 4-3-3 formation, mainly because United play a 2-man midfield, so a man advantage initially in the center of the park can help the team settle quickly. Then depending upon the situation, the manager will make the necessary tactical/personnel changes. I expect a starting eleven comprising of Cech-Bosingwa-Luiz-Terry-Cole-Mikel-Meireles-Lampard-Mata-Sturridge-Torres to start. The key man for Chelsea will be Juan Mata a�� the young Spaniard is capable enough to put the growing reputation of either Smalling or Jones to test. A breath of fresh air in the Chelsea attack, Mata will start on the left flank but will continue to look for channels of space through the centerA�or on the opposite wing. While for United, Rooney will again be the key man. Last season, Chelsea were not able to properly mark Wayne Rooney in his free role behind the center-forward. On Sunday, Villas-Boas will be extra careful that the Englishman isna��t allowed to extend his already impressive goal-tally even further.
Anyway, Ia��m looking forward to seeing a controversy-free game this weekend, with Chelsea showing mental fortitude in their approach. Villas-Boas has never batted an eyelid in the face of a challenge a�� thata��s why he is here a�� and come Sunday, a challenge is what he will have.
I just cana��t wait for the kick-off. Bring it on, United.A�
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