SCOLARI DROPPED DROGBA FOR SOUTHEND

Didier Drogba has been sensationally axed from Chelsea's side to face Southend United in the FA Cup as manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's adopts a get-tough policy. In the wake of the Blues' 3-0 mauling by Manchester United on Sunday, Scolari blasted that some of his players had only performed to "35 per cent" of their potential in the last five games.

 

Drogba's exclusion for the trip to Roots Hall has placed a huge question mark over the future of the Ivory Coast striker, who has been linked with a return to Marseille or a reunion with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

 

Scolari also hinted at more major changes after giving his squad of highly-paid players enough opportunities to impress him since the summer. The Brazillian insists he has the backing of his players ahead of what he is viewing as their biggest game of the season against Southend in the FA Cup.

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA

MAN UTD 3 – CHELSEA 0

Manchester United has issued an early warning to Liverpool as they destroyed Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford. The Red Devils begin the match nervously as the Blues seem to have made the earlier impact. Park Ji Sung and Berbatov missed the chances to open the scoring.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Cavalho were shown yellow cards as both Portuguese argued with each other. Nemanja Vidic scored from a corner right after Ronaldo's goal was disallowed.

 

Things were just not right for Felipe Scolari's team as Didier Drogba missed golden opportunities to bring them back into the game. Big names like Deco, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole also failed to impress. Wayne Rooney scored a second from Patrice Evra cross and Berbatov completed the Devil's feast with a lightning tap in from Ronaldo's cross,

 

BOLA BOYZ  MAN UTD  CHELSEA

LAMPARD WARNED DEFENDERS

The Blues' midfielder Frank Lampard has warned his team-mates they cannot afford any more basic defensive errors when they face Manchester United on Sunday.  Chelsea's unimpressive form in recent weeks has seen them slip three points behind leaders Liverpool at the Premier League's summit.

 

Defeat against the Red Devils at Old Trafford on Sunday could leave them six points adrift of Liverpool who face struggling Stoke. Chelsea have been working on defending from set-pieces in training this week as coach Luiz Felipe Scolari attempts to stamp out errors that are beginning to cost his team dearly.

 

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA

IT'S POOR FINISHING SAID SCOLARI

Southend became the latest side to make the most of Chelsea's home jitters and John Terry's enforced absence by claiming a deserved 1-1 draw in the FA Cup third round on Saturday. However, Luiz Felipe Scolari insists the absence of suspended Terry has not been the reason behind a string of defensive lapses.

 

The Blues dominated the game but once again their poor finishing let them down. Terry, banned for three games following his red card in the goalless draw at Everton, watched his teammates draw with Southend. But Scolari insists his absence was not a factor in another disappointing home draw, it was the consequence of missed chances.

 

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CHELSEA 1 - SOUTHEND 1

It is though a draw that may steal the headlines in Sunday's papers, as Chelsea's Stamford Bridge blues continued with Southend coming away from West London with a 1-1 draw. Chelsea dominated the match from the outset and took the lead through Salomon Kalou after he headed in Frank Lampard's corner on 31 minutes.

 

Southend defender Peter Clarke hit the bar on 82 minutes following teenage full-back Johnny Herd's cross. But Clarke would not be denied a second time as he headed Herd's throw-in in front of 6000 away fans.

 

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LAMPARD BELIEVES CHELSEA CAN FIGHT ON

Frank Lampard insists Chelsea have the fighting spirit required to mount a title challenge in the new year. The London side drew three of their four games over the Christmas fortnight and head into 2009 three points behind Premier League pace-setters Liverpool. Manchester United will overhaul Chelsea if they win all three of their games in hand, making the Blues' trip to Old Trafford on January 11 a vital fixture. Chelsea have dropped 11 points from their last available 21 but Lampard is confident they can rekindle the resilience that carried them to the title under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006.

 

Lampard, sporting the captain's armband with John Terry suspended, embodied that attitude at Craven Cottage where he was Chelsea's outstanding player. Unfortunately for Scolari the same attention to detail was not evident at the back as Lampard's best efforts were undone by poor set-piece defending.

 

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA

DROGBA LOSING FIRE POWER?

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has revealed he became disillusioned with football over the summer. Drogba had a troubled end to last season and was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, while he was criticised by fans for not trying hard enough. Moreover, the Ivory Coast international did himself no favours as he was sent off in the Champions League final defeat to Manchester United at the end of the campaign.

 

Chelsea had to suffer the ignominy of ending the season empty-handed after being on the verge of triumphing at home and abroad and Drogba admits he started to lose interest in the sport. The 30-year-old has struggled with injury and disciplinary issues this season and has been forced to play second fiddle to Nicolas Anelka at Stamford Bridge. Drogba insists he is happy to bide his time, although he admits he is baffled as to why the pair are not played in the same team more often.

 

BOLA BOYZ CHELSEA