View from a Blue
This week we have Rasmus of TheChels.Org giving us the rundown on all things Chelsea. Enjoy!
1) Not a bad start to the season! Were you worried when Burnley took the lead in your season-opener?
I was very worried for the full three minutes it lasted before we were back on equal terms again. It was the first game of the season, and you never quite know what to expect. My hopes were very high, and I really feel we should be seriously challenging for - if not winning - the Premier League this season, so obviously to go to Burnley and lose on the first day would've been a pretty bad start. However, seeing as we were level within three minutes of their goal (and ahead within seven) I calmed down fairly quickly again.
2) Have you been surprised by the attacking style you've seen so far this season?
I have, yes! As I mentioned before, I really think this could be our season in terms of winning the league, but I was half-expecting it to be with the oft-criticised "park-the-bus" method that Mourinho is so often associated with. For us to go and score six goals at Everton was simply unbelievable - I thought we might go there to play for a draw, if I'm perfectly honest! However, it seems that Mourinho's mentality this season is quite similar to the one he possessed while at Real Madrid, where every week he was expected to not only win, but to win with style and with plenty of goals. So yes, I am surprised - but quite positively so, of course!
3) Are there any players we should watch out for in particular this weekend?
Diego Costa has really hit the ground running at Chelsea, more than we could ever have expected. Four goals in his first three games is a pretty decent return as I'm sure you'll agree, and now he's just won the Barclays' Player of The Month award - his confidence must be sky-high, so I think he would be the obvious one to "watch out for" because he'll take some stopping. Cesc Fabregas has really settled in well as well, and if you don't keep an eye on him, he'll cause you a lot of trouble.
4) As for ourselves, is there anyone in particular you think your team will need to be wary of?
Gylfi Sigurdsson has always been a player that I've really admired, and I was very happy to see him go back to the Swans. He's certainly started the season well, and I think he's your main threat right now, and Nemanja Matic will have his hands full on Saturday for sure. Wilfried Bony is also a player that I really, really like - but his start to the season hasn't been as convincing as Gylfi's. However, I think it's just a question of time before he starts firing, and it would be stupid of us to not keep an eye on him!
5) How do you think you'll fare in general this season?
As mentioned, I'm predicting a really good season for us. Many
supporters will probably agree with me that if we don't win either the
Premier League or the Champions League this season, it has to go down as
a failure. The potential is there for truly great things, we have a
fantastic squad and perhaps the best manager in the world - so I believe
that if we stay clear of major injuries to key players such as Hazard,
Costa or Matic we'll do really well this season and walk away from it
with some silverware.
I'm not going to predict anything like a treble or
a quadruple, because quite frankly football just doesn't work that way.
In the cups it just takes one bad game to exit the competition, and of
course we are capable of losing as well despite our strength in depth.
Therefore I'm the most confident about winning the Premier League, as
everything is not decided on a single game, but over the full course of
38 games. Having said that, I think we'll do really well in the other
competitions too, and we'll definitely be capable of winning one or
several of them.
6) Do you think you'll be looking to keep things similar to how you've played so far this season, or will Jose make changes against the Swans?
It will be a similar approach, I'm sure. Diego Costa is an injury doubt, but having just brought in Loïc Remy, we now have a decent backup striker. Don't get me wrong, I love Didier Drogba as much as the next Chelsea supporter, but let's be honest - he is past his glory days. Technically he's still a fantastic player and can produce real moments of magic, but the pace is gone. He was never one to rely purely on pace of course, but it does play a big part for any striker. I imagine that we'll be looking to score goals on Saturday, especially seeing as we're playing at home - so yes, expect more of the same.
7) You've been very busy in the transfer market this summer - who've been the stand out signings?
All of our signings have been terrific so far. Diego Costa is the striker that we've needed for several years now, Cesc Fabregas the brilliant pass-master in central midfield that Ramires etc never were, Filipe Luis is one of the best fullbacks in the world and will be extremely useful over the course of the season, and Thibaut Courtois (who quite technically of course isn't really a new signing) is the best young goalkeeper in the world. Loïc Remy is as needed as Diego Costa was, purely because you cannot just have one goalscorer in your squad.
If Costa was to break his leg, we'd have previously been in big trouble - I like to think that's not the case anymore, as Remy is a very capable goalscorer from what I've seen from him over the last few seasons. I don't think it's fair to really single out one new signing as the main signing - but if you were to force me to answer it, I'd probably go with Diego Costa, as he has taken the Premier League by storm so far.
8) Do you feel there are any weaknesses in the current squad?
Our squad is very strong now. We have two good players for every position, which ideally is what you'd want. However, it would be a real blow if someone like Cesc Fabregas got a long-term injury, seeing as none of our other deep-lying midfields have the same range of passing as he does. Having said that, they have qualities of their own - Ramires can sprint up and down the pitch for ninety minutes, Mikel and Matic are fantastic at keeping possession, Oscar could perhaps drop deeper allowing room for Willian further up front... There are options for us, which will be needed as this season will presumably see us play sixty plus games.
9) Lastly, what's your prediction for this weekend's match?
I'm really looking forward to the game. The only two Premiership eams with 100% records clashing will surely make for an interesting match, and I'm certain that
we'll witness some brilliant football. Both sides like to attack, both
sides have players capable of producing special things, and both sides
will be brimming with confidence. I doubt it'll be an easy match for
Chelsea, but I back my side to do the business none the less.
We're at
home, and we're getting better every game. Everyone seems to be on top
of their game and hungry for success. It won't be a huge win, and it
will be nothing like the game against Everton. I think our defence will
have been told off by Mourinho for letting in 3 goals so easily, despite
the fact that our attack scored double that. I'm really hesitating
between a 2-0 win and 3-1, but I will go with the latter simply because
everyone loves goals, right? [I love goals but I don't like the scoreline! - Ed].
Massive thanks to Rasmus for taking the time to answer these questions. You can follow him on Twitter @ChelseaRumours, and have a look at his website TheChels.Org