English Premier League 2012/2013

Yeah, I don't think it's quite as foregone a conclusion as that. If we avoid any ridiculous fuck ups in terms of line ups we should at least give you a game even if you're at your best.

I just have a horrible feeling that we'll play one of Scholes or Giggs because 'their experience is vital in games like these' or play Jones at AM again (saying that I don't think he'd be a terrible idea in midfield and might be able to cope with Yaya, but it's a gamble) or persist with the rank average Lindegaard or the clearly off the pace Fletcher or do something generally quite stupid which will handicap us before we even start.

No, it isn't quite as clear-cut as that but my reasoning for saying that is quite straight-forward.

• When we play well, our style of play is the sort United tend to struggle with. We keep possession well, we press and we absolutely dominate midfield. To top that off, we have some very good strikers, all of whom - though Tevez and Aguero, in particular - are quick players who are intelligent off the ball something that your defence seems to struggle with.
• I certainly think that you can 'give us a game' but given your last few performances against us, especially the last Derby where you didn't even have a shot, it's not unfair to say that you haven't threatened us that much in the last few derbies. That said, RVP should be an interesting addition.

I entirely lost my train of thought half-way through that, so fuck knows if it makes sense.

Rafael Benítez believes he retains the support of the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, despite seeing his team endure a third winless match under his interim management at West Ham on Saturday, though the oligarch could yet offer Avram Grant a consultative role back at the club if results continue to deteriorate.

The loss at Upton Park extended Chelsea's run without a win in the Premier League to seven matches, their worst sequence since 1995, with Abramovich understood to have been infuriated by his players' second-half capitulation. There are concerns that Benítez, who remains the subject of intense hostility from the club's fans given his long-standing ties with Liverpool, has been unable to spark an immediate upturn in the side's form with Chelsea now 10 points behind Manchester United in the title race.

While there is no great desire to instigate further upheaval within the coaching set-up following the abrupt dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo less than a fortnight ago, Chelsea will consider more changes to their staff if results do not improve swiftly. To that end the possible reappointment of Grant – who had briefly been considered as an alternative to Benítez when the board deemed Di Matteo's time to be up – in an advisory role to assist the Spaniard has been discussed by the hierarchy.

The Israeli's return to the club would represent further antagonising an increasingly disillusioned fanbase, though that he is under consideration reflects the chaos currently gripping the European champions. Grant, a personal friend of Abramovich and previously the club's director of football, had controversially replaced José Mourinho as manager in the autumn of 2007 and went on to steer the team to the League Cup and, most notably, Champions League finals only to lose them both. His contract was terminated in the wake of the European Cup defeat by Manchester United in Moscow on penalties, with Grant later claiming he had turned down the chance to revert to his former position as director of football.

The 57-year-old has remained on good terms with Abramovich since and spent time in charge at Portsmouth, West Ham and Partizan Belgrade, but is currently available and in London having delayed a trip back to his home in Tel Aviv. While Grant has not been contacted formally over any potential involvement at Chelsea, it is understood he would be willing to take up an advisory role if the club came calling, though the specifics of any such position are as yet unclear.

I dunno, Dzeko would be the striker of yours I imagine would cause us the most trouble.

We struggle with Strikers who will dominate Ferdinand and Evans in the air and he's the only player you have capable of doing it. If we go with Smalling and Evans (which, again I can see the sense both in doing it and not doing) I really don't see Aguero and Tevez causing any more problems to them, providing they play well, than they would to any other defence (by virtue of the fact they're very good strikers). Evans is certainly smart enough to deal with most things (and hopefully yesterday was his occasional abysmal performance out of the way) and it wouldn't surprise me if Smalling would win a race against any of your strikers.

As for recent performances, last derby falls very much under the handicapped ourselves category. Scholes Giggs and a Park that hadn't played in about 3 months were always going to struggle. We then beat you fairly easily at the Etihad in the cup (the two goals you scored in the second half really masked how comfortable we were) and were ripped a new shitter at Old Trafford but actually were very unfortunate to be behind when Evans decided to get himself sent off (we'd hardly bossed it, but we'd shaded it and Balotelli scored against the run of play) so yeah, they've been tighter run things than you perhaps remember.

A fair point about the strikers but your memory's fucked if you think you beat us 'fairly easily' in the FA Cup. United were the best team in the first half but in the second half we were all over you - and if not for an unjust red-card, we would have won.

As for them being tight/tighter run things, not really. There have been parts in each game that have been close, or that United have looked the better team, but each time as the game has gone on we've taken control of it and started to dominate you. That even happened in the FA Cup semi-final (although we really rode our luck there) and we've improved immeasurably since then.

Balotelli dived to get Evans sent off so that was an 'unjust' red card too.

He came on the other day too.

I think we gave him a 5 year deal, so we're pretty much stuck with him. Apparently he's been a lot better recently too, actually turning up to training on time and staying out of trouble. Was pretty good when he was coming through in the Championship tbf.

Stopped watching after the red card (which i didn't think was even a foul) as the game was over. Shame as this could have been a decent match.

Only been watching intermittently but Santon looked really good during the first half. First time I've had a chance to see him play since he left Italy.

Marvauex was fucking awesome last night too, we played really well - admittedly against 10 men of Wigan.

I thought the foul was a penalty but never a red, penalty was punishment enough.