By dixon9
April 1 2007

I’m expecting the two R´s in terms of the team to face Watford tomorrow – Rest and Rotation although with recent injuries we don´t have as much fexibilty as we´d like.

We are in the energy sapping final straight of the season now with Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League games to play at an average of something like a match nearly every 3 days. 

The BBC preview gives some interesting statistics – Watford have only won three Premiership games all season - we have only lost three.   Watford have the weakest attack (19 goals scored) against the strongest defence (19 goals conceded).  We need to be careful though.  Watford probably haven’t given up just yet with regard to avoiding relegation and a wounded animal – no matter its size – can give a nasty bite. 

The Vicarage Road side, with less back up in terms of quality than we have in their squad, will also probably have their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United in the back of their minds more than we will with ours against Blackburn, so Boothroyd has a dilemma tomorrow – go all out for the 3 points to avoid relegation, conserve energy and play something like a 4-5-1 and hope for the point…..or rest some key players for the semi-final and sacrifice this game?

 

Again, we need the 3 points, and again, the Mancs play before us, so all Chelsea eyes will be staring fixedly at television screens at home or in the pre-match watering hole, whilst taking slow considered gulps of their favourite nectar.  We now have 999 all-time Premier League points – I’m expecting us to go over the 1000 tomorrow and it is imperative that we do so if we are to retain the albeit slowly diminishing hope of retaining our champions crown.

 

So, who do we have available for selection and who will we rest?  Well, I’m sure José will use all 3 substitutes and the likes of Drogba/Shevchenko, Lampard/Ballack and Robben/Wright-Phillips will probably share halves or play 65 minutes. Certainly, Lampard will not start or come off in the 2^nd half and Bridge is also injured so Ashley Cole should start.  Essien is still carrying that knee injury so young Mikel Obi given his responsibilities.  Joe Cole is set to return in about 2 weeks so he´ll obviosuly not play.

 

Watford have defender Stewart to return after a calf injury and DeMerit will also probably feature after international duty for the United States.

 

Uriah Rennie is the referee tomorrow – let’s hope he has a good game.

 

Watford (from): Foster, Lee, Mariappa, DeMerit, Shittu, Powell, Stewart, Mackay, Doyley, Chambers, Williams, Mahon, Smith, Francis, Bangura, Williamson, Cavalli, Priskin, Bouazza, Henderson, Kabba, Hoskins.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Geremi, Ferreira, Diarra, Terry, Carvalho, A Cole, Boulahrouz, Lampard, Ballack, Makelele, Obi, Wright-Phillips, Shevchenko, Drogba, Kalou, Robben.

I reckon we’ll go 4-4-2, starting with:  Cech, Diarra, Terry, Carvalho, A Cole, Lampard, Wright-Philips, Mikel, Ballack, Shevchenko and Kalou.  If we take a comfortable lead I’m sure we may even go something like 4-3-3 or even 3-5-2.  As I said before, Lampard will only play a half or 65 mins along with Shevchenko being exchanged for Drogba and possibly Robben for SWP.

Prediction? We get excited because Blackburn snatch a point at Old Trafford but Watford’s De Merit scores first in the first few minutes!  (I can just see it now!).  We’ll win 1-3 or 1-4 though.  Ashley Cole and Shevchenko amongst the scorers.