Drogba, Anelka or…

Will they continue to lead Chelsea’s forward line? (Picture: chickendinner.co.uk)

FIRST there was the debate on whether Nicolas Anelka can play upfront with Didier Drogba.

Since Guus Hiddink has taken over at Stamford Bridge, he seems to favour the Ivorian as the sole striker, bringing on Anelka in the second half when the chips are down or as a replacement for the burly Chelsea star.

How would you stop the Barca juggernaut?

How to stop Lionel Messi? (Picture: AP)

CHELSEA face an in-form Barcelona tomorrow morning (Singapore time) in the Champions League semi-final at the Nou Camp, and for the Blues, the match could not come at a worse time.

While the Premiership club have been revitalised with the appointment of interim coach Guus Hiddink, chalking up 11 victories in the Dutchman’s 15 games in charge, they face a Barcelona that had all but swept aside Bayern Munich in the previous stage of the competition.

A particular area to note would be Chelsea’s left flank.

Leftback Ashley Cole is suspended for the first-leg, after receiving a yellow card in the second-leg quarter-final against Liverpool. That flank just so happens to be the favourite hunting ground for Barca’s wonderboy Lionel Messi, who has grown from strength to strength this season, and surely a shoo-in for one of the contenders for the World Player of the Year award this season.

Without Wayne Bridge, who has since departed for Manchester City, Hiddink seems to be thinking of using Bosingwa to keep the mercurial Argentinian in check.

Problem is, Messi isn’t the only problem that Chelsea have to face. Strike partners Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry have been prolific in front of goal this season as well, scoring 27 and 17 goals respectively.

Given the situation, what would be your strategy if you were Guus Hiddink?

Are Chelsea’s title hopes dashed?

CHELSEA slipped further off the race towards the Premiership title this season with this morning’s 0-0 draw against Everton.

The Blues are still third in the league table right now, but are now six points off leaders Manchester United, who still have a game in hand.

Chelsea have to win all their remaining games, while hoping that United lose at least two games, and Liverpool to lose at least once, provided the Blues improve their goal difference dramatically in their upcoming games.

The London club now have five games left to play, with the London derby with Arsenal on 10 May one to note, especially after how the Gunners managed a 4-4 draw with Liverpool at Anfield yesterday morning.

Despite the magic touch of Dutch guru Guus Hiddink, are Chelsea’s title hopes dashed this season?

Reds vs Blues – the English version

THE question on the lips of most football fans by now is if Liverpool can mount another legendary comeback against Chelsea in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge tomorrow morning.

Bearing in mind Liverpool’s poor record against Chelsea (they have never scored more than two goals against the Blues in recent seasons), and the fact that Chelsea are playing at home, there is still widespread optimism that Liverpool can overcome these extraordinary circumstances to advance to the semi-finals.

But who can fault the optimism? After all, several factors do work in Liverpool’s favour – the Miracle of Istanbul, the memory of Hillsborough, and – not least – the fact that Chelsea conceded three goals in eight minutes against Bolton over the weekend.

If you were Rafa Benitez, what would be your line-up and strategy to beat Chelsea by three goals?

Or if you prefer to in Guus Hiddink’s shoes: what would be your strategy to shackle Liverpool, bearing in mind that Liverpool will probably find ways to circumvent Michael Essien’s shackling of Steven Gerrard?

Has Hiddink really got the Chelsea dressing room under control?

Salomon Kalou and William Gallas – foes now, teammates next season?
(Picture: Reuters)

SALOMON Kalou has caused a stir among Chelsea and Arsenal fans by saying that he is a fan of Arsene Wenger and is very open to playing for the current Arsenal manager (see story here).

The 23-year-old made the comments right after Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Juventus in the Champions League, and hot on the heels of recent revelations of a fractured Chelsea dressing room under the reign of former manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

While Didier Drogba has whined – one too many times – about wanting to leave in the past, and shocking rumours of a player mutiny (with Drogba, Petr Cech and Michael Ballack being fingered as the main culprits), Kalou is the first player outburst to come out of the Chelsea dressing room since the arrival of Guus Hiddink.

Will Hiddink’s magic touch bring Chelsea the European Cup this seaon?

CHELSEA continue their rehabilitation under Guus Hiddink early this morning with a dominant display against Juventus, winning their first-leg Champions League game by a solitary goal.

Didier Drogba was in particular form, scoring the winning goal and putting in a performance that seemed to suggest that he is back to the same level that he was playing under Jose Mourinho.

Can Hiddink’s magic touch last long enough for Chelsea to finally allow owner Roman Abramovich lift the European Cup this season?

After all, Vicente del Bosque did it on short notice with Real Madrid in 2000; Chelsea still have largely the same players as they had last year and Europe calls for more experience and is less demanding on ageing legs.

Q&A with Letter of the Weekend winner Dinesh Bora

When and why did you start supporting Chelsea?

Well I wouldn’t say I am a life long supporter of Chelsea but it started after the 2006 World Cup which piqued my interest in football. I decided to look up the players who had played in the tournament and found that a few of the top players had played for a Premier League side named Chelsea.

I was curious, who were they and were they any good? I later found out they had won 2 consecutive league titles and had spent alot of money buying many of their players.

Question of the Week (Hiddink’s formation)

THE POSTMAN’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: IMAGINE yourself in Guus Hiddink’s shoes and come up with your ideal Chelsea line-up for this weekend’s game against Aston Villa in the Premiership.

In your entry, provide your analysis on why you think this will be Hiddink’s ideal team, and send in pictures that illustrates your ideal formation.

Q & A with Letter of the Week winner Sunil Rai

When and why did you start supporting Manchester United?
I remember vividly the 1999 final. The 1st game I watched, not as a United fan, but as a curious sports fanatic, a mere onlooker. I have this tendency to support the so-called underdogs and this was the case in the 1999 final.

I recall my dad going off to sleep with 3 minutes to go but I was there clasping my hands offering every prayer I had, hoping fervently that a miracle materialises. And my God, it did. I don’t remember any moment in my life where I told myself, “OK I’ll support United”. It just happened.

It became an addiction. The charisma. The arrogance. The aura of invincibility. The ethics. The flamboyance. They had it all.

What is the most memorable football game you’ve watched and why?
Countless honestly. But the FA Cup final of 2006, when we lost in such fashion, will remain etched in my memory forever.

If you were Guus Hiddink, what would you do?

GUUS Hiddink faces an uphill task reunifying a fractured dressing room, while managing the demands of a ruthless and ambitious club owner, and not having the luxury of signing players he think would be helpful in reviving Chelsea’s fortunes.

If you were thrown in the hotseat, how would you reverse Chelsea’s slide?

THE POSTMAN LIM SAY HENG says: I say the first thing would be to show the same ruthlessness that Roman Abramovich has shown to his managers.

Sir Alex Ferguson has not survived the managerial axe for more than two decades by turning the other cheek when undermined by his own players, no matter how good they were.