In part one of his interview yesterday, Salomon Kalou reflected on his season so far and his best goals. Now he looks at the weekend game and the Chelsea team's form…
When Chelsea drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane back in December, many observers thought both teams contained the other well tactically in what proved to be a tight game.
Talk beforehand was of how Chelsea would play against Gareth Bale who had scored and caused problems in the corresponding match the season before. With
Branislav Ivanovic needed in central defence back in December,
Paulo Ferreira was selected at right-back and played high up the pitch against the Tottenham winger, supported on the right of midfield by an improving
Ramiresand wide right of the Chelsea attack by
Salomon Kalou, and the damage of the previous season was reduced.
For the rematch at the Bridge on Saturday, Kalou may well play again on the right of the front three, the position he has occupied for the past three games, but Bale could drop to left-back following a hamstring injury to regular full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Some will say the Tottenham player can provide a different test running from deeper and Kalou weights up what his own job might be on Saturday.
'If he [Bale] does go to left-back and attacks a lot then there is a space behind him,' notes Kalou. 'It is hard to do both, the way you attack is not the way you defend, and I think he is more a left winger than he is a left back now as he hasn't been playing that position for a while.
'It is going to be a great game,' the Ivorian adds. 'Tottenham are a good team with some great players and it is a London derby. It is a fight all the way along to the end of the season now and we can pull off a good game. We must focus on our own game because it is very important to keep Manchester United under pressure until Sunday when they play their own big game against Arsenal. Everything is possible in football and we have to believe that.'
Chelsea's form since being knocked out of the Champions League has been exemplary with three wins out of three and nine goals scored with just one going past
Petr Cech. Spurs since their defeat to Real Madrid have drawn both their games, letting in a combined five goals.
With top spot in the league some way off when the European campaign ended, Chelsea's season could have fizzled out but fortitude and determination came to the fore.
'Mentally we have been strong and also it is because we have players back to their top form,' points out Kalou.
'We have quality players in the team but if they do not have the confidence to play at their best level it is difficult to win games. It is very important that they have now found their confidence and that has helped the team a lot.
'We have the experience of winning, we have been there a lot before, and that is why we can pick up the fight and come back towards the top.
'The season is long and you can always have good times and bad times and we had the bad time in November and December which was longer than usual, otherwise we would be at the top by now. But we are still fighting although we know we can't make a difference if Man United win all their games, but you never know in football and we have to continue to play our best.'
ﾆｬﾊﾊﾊ、、、
love, Salou!!!
