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DEEP IN MY HEART
Chelsea vs. Middlesbrough, 30th March 2008, Stamford Bridge, Premier League
James Keen
It's been a while since we scored at Stamford Bridge and it's been a long time since Chelsea lost at home in the League. These are two records that categorically spell defeat for Boro.
But in recent weeks the focus of my writing has been on the 'Typical Boro' factor and how, no matter how hard you try, it's impossible to predict the outcome of any Boro game with any sort of certainty.
The neutral, the lay person and the pundit will all put this down as a Chelsea win, a small step on their way to a challenge for the title. But anyone familiar with 'Typical Boro' will have this down as a game where we can befuddle all and sundry and walk away with a narrow win.
And you know what, we really can win it!
Okay, well, maybe not win it but I think we've got an excellent chance of a nil all draw.
Chelsea's legions have been in action this week. Many of their first team were on show in England's 1-0 defeat to France and so they should be a little more jaded than the Red Army, Stewey D apart.
There have been problems at Chelsea all season, yet they have maintained a realistic title challenge. So, no matter what, we will have a tough game.
We all know though that Boro enjoy playing the big boys and will go to Chelsea still desperate to make amends for recent shortcomings.
That is in spite of draws away to Arsenal and Villa, results that could've been better but performances that were heart warming.
We are an unforgiving lot sometimes.
A lot has been said of our FA Cup exit and with semi-final day approaching, I'm sure the feelings will start to flood back again. But we are getting like moaning old women the way we've reacted.
That result is going to be one that we can use against our boys for a good twelve months I'm sure.
Yeah, maybe we have taken things a little far.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton, and Derby are all sides that dropped out without a whimper against a lower league side.
We don't hear their fans moaning do we?
Or maybe we're not listening hard enough. Typical men, eh?
So Chelsea will await the arrival of their northern friends 'Typical Boro', ready to dispatch them without much fuss. They will be hoping to keep their own fans off their backs and more importantly off Avram Grant's back.
The one thing Chelsea's English boys don't like is 'it up 'em' and so we need Cattermole and Boateng to get stuck in on Lampard, Young to smack Joe Cole and Ashley Cole, and Pogatetz and Wheater to kill or eat the rest.
It is a battle of good versus evil, red versus blue, north versus south, Labour versus Conservative, grit versus guile and, more importantly, it is us versus them.
The south hate us. We are the blemish on the Premier League that, I'm almost certain, are one of the reasons that we get bullied by the press and the Premier League.
They want rid of us, it's too far to travel and it's too cold.
Mark Lawrenson has us down for a 3-0 defeat, which isn't surprising.
If Lawro's predictions ruled the league table Boro would be second bottom. Sky Sports have us down for a 2-0 defeat. It's time to prove them wrong. Do they know nowt about 'Typical' us?
I saw an interesting stat this week - if the Premier League table was determined from just the first forty-five minutes, we would be sixth but based on our second half performances, we would be nineteenth.
It seems obvious where our problems lie.
We keep it tight in the first half, sneak a goal and then slack off in the second half.
We need a 'typical' first half performance but a second half performance completely out of the ordinary if we are to come away with something.
A win will prise us away from the relegation battle once and for all. Is there a better place to get it?!
C'mon Boro!
The Outcome: Despite my bravado, I can only see one winner in my head: Chelsea 1-0. My heart, meanwhile, tells me to believe that we can claim a 0-0 draw.
Last Season: Chelsea 3-0 Middlesbrough, Drogba 45, 83, Xavier 66 (o.g.) (10/2/07)
Boro Form (most recent result first): WDDLLW
Chelsea Form: WDWWLW
Probable Teams:
Boro: Schwarzer, Young, Pogatetz, Wheater, Huth, O'Neil, Cattermole, Boateng, Downing, Aliadiere, Tuncay
Chelsea: Cech, Ferrera, Cole, Terry, Carvalho, Lampard, Essien, Cole, Wright-Phillips, Drogba, Mikel
Man to Watch: Didier Drogba
RETURN TO DEEP IN MY HEART INDEX HERE
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