Pompey Preview: Warming to Guus and Essien Scores
COME ON CHELSEA
By Since66
March 3 2009
My oh my wasn't Guus a busy boy yesterday. First he conducted a training session, then a pre-match Pompey press conference which was broadcast live on Chelsea TV and then he shot up to Villa Park to watch the reserves and then I guess he travelled down to the South Coast to join the first team in readiness for tonights game at Fratton Park.
Guus is proving to be super-human. Since he agreed to take-over 1st team duties he had overseen every Academy game, every reserve game and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he hasn't been at every Chelsea Ladies game too.
At Aston Villa last night in a game that Ricky Carvalho played 60 minutes and Essien played the full 90 minutes, by all accounts Essien played well and he scored Chelsea's third goal.
Hiddink was accompanied by Ray Wilkins and if you have read Jamie Redknapp's bits and pieces in a well-known national newspaper which is not a red-top, the players are 'enjoying' Wilkins and reserve team coach Paul Clement's input to the first-team training regime.
Redknapp said, "Three wins under Guus Hiddink for Chelsea, but its not about the man at the top. Word reaches me that Ray Wilkins and reserve team coach Paul Clement have had a big impact on the training ground. The players are enjoying their fresh input."
Chelsea have played Pompey twice already this season - in the League and the Carling Cup - and won both games 4-0 home and away, somehow with Pompey's problems well-documented, I expect a difficult time tonight.
Pompey are recovering from the Tony Adams era and are progressing upwards under caretaker-boss Paul Hart.
Last season at Fratton Park the two teams drew 1-1. Prior to that result, Chelsea had won the previous four Fratton Park Premiership encounters, 2-0.
I am gonna stick my neck out and go for another 2-0 Chelsea win and that's because its SINCE88's birthday today.
HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY SON
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Should be a tough game tonight as it usually is at Portsmouth. They are fighting for thier lives at the moment.
If we can get an early goal thier heads might go down - fail to score and their confidence will grow throughout the match.
By the way,Anelka is OUT with a damaged toe so the question is,who will Guus play? Malouda or Quaresma? Hopefully the latter.
I´m going to go with your prediction of 2-0.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.