DI MATTEO: LOCAL OPTIONS
Posted on: Mon 09 Apr 2012
Roberto Di Matteo has described
squad rotation as imperative as Chelsea's season continues on three fronts, but he admits there is one player he finds hard not to include in his starting line-up.
Juan Mata has begun all but one of the games since the Italian was put in charge of team selection, the exception being the home league match against Stoke when the Spaniard was introduced in place of
Raul Meireles with only 38 minutes played.
Should he play tonight at Craven Cottage then it will be his 50thgame of the season for club and country combined.
'Mata is a very important player for us,' acknowledges Di Matteo.
'He unlocks situations for us and he is enjoying himself. He is a young man, he has plenty of energy, and I have given him a rest here and there and I have taken him off a few times. We just have to try to get going and win games, and have all the players available, fit and healthy.
'I made a number of changes against Wigan to try to start the game with a high tempo, but we didn't quite manage to do so,' he admits.
'We as a group have a target and we just need to focus on that. We have five weeks left and if we finish the season successfully that will prove positive for everybody involved, including the ones who haven't played so much. But as far as I am concerned a lot of players have been involved in my time so everybody is getting a chance and getting playing time.'
Sunday's training will have finalised team selection with decisions made over whether
John Terry,
Frank Lampard or
Ashley Cole can return from injury,
Ramires from illness, and whether any of those who played against Wigan must be rested.
Plans are also made for dealing with the Cottagers' in-form Clint Dempsey who reached 21 goals for the season with two at Bolton on Saturday. The American equalised at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day after Mata had opened the scoring but last season at the Cottage missed a late penalty having been fouled by
David Luiz. That match ended goalless.
'Dempsey has been having a terrific season and we will try to put a tactic together to stop him, but it isn't just him, Fulham have got other very good players as well,' says Di Matteo who doesn't think our neighbours' mid-table position equals reduced motivation.
'Fulham are playing at home and it is a London derby and the rivalry is strong.
'The spirit of our group is very good at the moment and we all realise we need to get points. For us it is another crucial game, I don't think we need any extra motivation.
'We are chasing in the league and we will still be chasing until the last game of the season, I don't think there is any doubt about that. We are pleased that we are a little closer to Tottenham now but it is still going to be a difficult task.'
PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: FULHAM V CHELSEA
Saturday's spirited win against Wigan may have lacked intensity and pace, as manager Robbie Di Matteo observed, but that is often the case after a midweek in Europe. It is all about obtaining the three points and the mission was accomplished with
Juan Mata's 11th goal of the season, his first in the league for two months.
Chelsea have weathered the demands of the Champions League very well so far,
winning eight of the ten domestic fixtures which have followed. The remaining two were the losses at Old Trafford and Loftus Road.
KEYY STAT
Fulham are playing their 50th game of the season, which kicked off on 30 June with their Europa League qualifiers.
What may concern the manager is the persistent habit of conceding goals in the 80th minute or later. Wigan's was the 19th in all competitions this season.
Thankfully the Blues have developed a similar habit that has helped resolve several difficult moments.
Mata's winner was the fourth scored by Chelsea in the closing 10 minutes of normal time in the last four matches.
The weekend success means Chelsea have earned more Premier League points per game against the Latics than any other team. The next highest yield is against today's hosts, Fulham.
Branislav Ivanovic appears to have taken over the instinct, once favoured by William Gallas, of lurking near the penalty spot at set plays - it was how he came to be on hand to stab the ball past Ali Al Habsi on Saturday.
Four Chelsea defenders - Ivanovic, John Terry, David Luiz and Gary Cahill - have now weighed in with 16 goals between them this season - a vital contribution.
Di Matteo has quickly reached double figures in games at Stamford Bridge helm. The first ten have produced a remarkable parallel with those of
Guus Hiddink, another temporary appointment, in 2009.
Four seasons ago Hiddink opened his account with an identical eight wins, one draw (to Juventus) and one loss (Spurs). The Dutchman went on to secure a semi-final meeting with Barcelona and won the FA Cup by beating Everton. Can our Italian boss go one better?
The race for the Champions League
Remaining games: All have six games to play
Arsenal: Wolves (a), Wigan (h), Chelsea (h), Stoke (a), Norwich (h), West Brom (a).
Tottenham: Norwich (h), QPR (a), Blackburn (h), Bolton (a), Aston Villa (a), Fulham (h).
Chelsea: Fulham (a), Arsenal (a), QPR (h), Newcastle (h), Liverpool (a), Blackburn (h).
Newcastle: Bolton (h), Stoke (h), Wigan (a), Chelsea (a), Man City (h), Everton (a).
....
Back to the present, and Chelsea are looking to extend our unbeaten run against Fulham (12 games) and are looking for a fourth victory in six games at Craven Cottage since our last defeat there in March 2006 when Luis Boa Morte scored the only goal.
Although Fulham is the oldest London team in the Premier League, they were originally in the Southern League, and this is only the 22nd season that Chelsea and Fulham have been in the top flight together.
Our 0-1 defeat at Craven Cottage in March 2006 is the only reverse we have suffered there in 16 games in all competitions since our neighbours including George Best and Bobby Moore defeated us 1-3 in April 1976.
Our last 10 league meetings at Craven Cottage
2001/02 Drew 1-1
2002/03 Drew 0-0
2003/04 Chelsea won 1-0
2004/05 Chelsea won 4-1
2005/06 Fulham won 1-0
2006/07 Chelsea won 2-0
2007/08 Chelsea won 2-1
2008/09 Drew 2-2
2009/10 Chelsea won 2-0
2010/11 Drew 0-0