Chelsea face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge tomorrow at lunchtime, and as always for a big game we wanted some information from the other side, so we got Dale O’Donnell from Stretty News to answer a few questions for us about how the Red Devils come into this game.
You can read my answers to his questions in the companion piece here.
Chelsea fans are getting to watch Man U fans go through the same nightmare we had a couple of years ago. Are you still clinging on to Jose’s sinking ship?
I always liked José but I was beyond naive to believe it would turn out different at United, perhaps due to a sense of entitlement and years of feeling we were untouchable. He’s not entirely to blame for our current struggles but he doesn’t help himself. Mourinho and his ways don’t suit United, but I’ll back a football man over our board any day of the week. Manchester United is a football club run by businessmen, who wouldn’t know a football even if one smacked them in the face.
Your loss to West Ham was striking, the lack of fight in that game was remarkable. I was stunned that Ashley Young was the only United player to be booked all game. Trying to fight your way back from 3-1 down you usually pick up a couple for professional fouls and you’d hope to see some frustration taken out in big tackles, but United just went limp. That was when I really began to believe the dressing room want Jose out – do you agree that the players have given up on him?
I reckon it’s split. Mourinho likes to challenge the character of his players and he runs a big risk doing that with player-power being an epidemic in football due to the money these stars earn. It’s not something I appreciate, though, as anyone who thinks a football club is run as a democracy is talking from their arse. What the manager says goes! The players are beneath him.
The weakness of this Chelsea team under Sarri has been at the back. Do you think you’ll be able to exploit that, or will Jose play too defensively to really get at Luiz and Rudiger?
Lol. We’re going to Stamford Bridge to play for a draw, let’s not pretend otherwise. A win would be surprising and, if it were to happen, it will come from an individual error. United have been so, so bad this season.
Eden Hazard is in perhaps the best form of his career – how are you guys planning to stop him?
This is Hazard at his best. It will take a defensive masterclass to stop him on Saturday and I’d fancy my chances against that United defence.
How do you think Saturday’s game will go?
I’ve predicted a 1-1 draw in my preview for Stretty News, but the closer I get to London I’m beginning to fear the worst. Fingers crossed we take all three.
