Footy Season predictions

[dimi]

Duh! I mean Supporters !laugh! making them angry now...

[Bob Singleton]

Premiership:Chelsea
Championship:Birmingham City
League 1:Leeds
FA Cup:Chelsea
Carling Cup:Chelsea
Champions League:Chelsea
UEFA Cup:AC Milan

Why Chelsea for all four trophies? Simple... with a squad ravaged by injuries, call-ups to the African Cup of Nations, upset by the sacking of a talismanic manager and having to put up with Avram Who? Chelsea came within a whisker of the Premiership and Champions League behind a supposedly far superior Man Utd team, lost mainly due to a tactical blunder by Grant to Spurs in the League Cup and due to complacency to Barnsley.

Man U haven't improved their squad, and it's doubtful that Ronaldo will provide quite as many goals as he did last season (injury notwithstanding). SAF has yet to sign a centre forward who nicks the ugly goals in the box the way van Nistleroy did, so while still a very potent attacking force, the squad reached their plateau last season, while Chelsea have the ability to improve thanks to the attacking flair of Deco.

[Bob Singleton]

Sam Slater wrote:

> If Chelsea sign Kaka and get a 5pt+ gap before Man Utd get
> Ronaldo fit again then you'll claim the Premiership; otherwise
> it's another hatrick of titles to Man Utd. Arsenal will be
> close again but there best bet is fighting it out with Spurs
> and Liverpool for the FA Cup.
>
> How are Chelsea lining up with Deco in the side, anyway?
>
> ---------------------Cech----------------
>
> Botswinga----Carvalho-----Terry-----Cole
>
> -------------------Essien----------------
>
> -----Cole---------Ballack-----Lampard----
>
> ----------------------Deco---------------
> -------------Drogba----------------------
>
> ?????
>

From watching the pre-season games on TV, irrespective of whether the formation was notionally 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 it actually looked more like a 4-2-2-2

In front of the back four was a holding midfielder. Deco was actually playing quite deep, almost alongside the holding player and was bringing the ball out of defence, allowing the two central midfielders (Lampard/Cole or Lampard/SWP) to go forward and support the two forwards. Width was provided by the full-backs.

I wouldn't be surprised to see, subject to everyone being fit, a line up of

---------------------Cech----------------

Bosingwa----Carvalho-----Terry-----Cole/Bridge

---------Essien/Mikel-----Deco-----------

-----------Ballack-----Lampard-----------

-------------Drogba----Anelka-------------