The Blues are a step away from Wembley but it'll be a big step. A trip to Old Trafford is what awaits them (and a replay if necessary). It's never easy to travel to the home of the league leaders (especially when you are in terrible form) but the Blues are taking the FA Cup seriously. The match will kick off at 1630hrs GMT on Sunday 10th March. Both teams are coming to this match after losses in Europe. So what do Chelsea do? What will be interesting is if Man United will allow Chelsea possession and use their pace to counter Chelsea or will United look to dominate possession. Chelsea have been pretty poor with possession recently. Many people are expecting Hernandez to start but personally I think Van Persie might start. Manchester United have played their previous two games at Old Trafford so they haven't been traveling and they will be playing for the first time since Tuesday while Chelsea traveled to Bucharest and then have a trip to Manchester and moreover played two days after Man United. Also why won't Man United field their best squad against Chelsea (Hernandez isn't a regular starter for United but does have a good record against the Blues having struck five in his last six games against the Blues in all competitions) as Man United are 12 points clear on top of the table and are in only one other competition. If Man United can't with the treble they will now aim for the English Double.The Reds have had more rest and will be aiming for an English Double. Also on Sunday Chelsea's defenders will have to have their eyes on the back of their heads. They will have to be careful and extremely watchful of Van Persie's movement. He isn't finding the net like he did earlier in the season (1 goal in 8 games and no goals in the past 5 games), but he too has a reputation for scoring goals against Chelsea, but it isn't exactly a scoring drought for Van Persie. Chelsea will have to be wary of Man United's long balls to set up counters or set up Van Persie for the volley. If Van Persie even receives the slightest amount of space a player with his finishing ability is likely to bury in the ball in the net. Ferguson could use this game as a chance to give Van Persie and Hernandez some more confidence. John Terry will definitely rally the troops and constantly order the troops around and keep them organised and generally direct them. So it is essential that he starts and even though he may not be the fastest defender in the world against Man United's quick counterattacks but his game is built around reading the opponent's game and Chelsea need leader for these tough trips especially when the team is struggling. It is essential that the Blues get an early goal. An early goal will quieten the Old Trafford crowd making it easier to play. Chelsea might play the following lineup. Cech Azpilicueta-Ivanovic-Terry-Cole Lampard-Luiz Moses-Mata-Oscar Ba Well Torres not starting is a no brainer (I don't think I need to explain anything more there). Personally I am only confused about two positions and those are a) whether to start Oscar/Hazard B ) Could Cahill possibly start ahead of Ivanovic. Let's start with a) Hazard didn't have the best of games against Bucharest but nor did most of the team. Both have been playing really well so it is confusing which of them to start. Moses should start since Chelsea need a player with work rate so he can track back and support the defense and provide them extra protection. Also he didn't travel to Bucharest so he has had more rest especially since he didn't start against West Brom. Oscar though has a better work rate than Hazard. Also for B ) Cahill has a reputation for excelling in the big games and has made some great game winning tackles and clearances. Despite that Ivanovic (even though he got sent off in the previous League meeting) will still start since he has been a reliable player and covers up for others. Lampard's leadership will also be essential in this game and in the past few weeks has been better than the most of the rest of the team. Luiz is a player full of desire and playing him is always a gamble but you have to take these risks for big matches. Hopefully he'll not dive into tackles so easily and will be careful since United could exploit his weaknesses. Also what I fail to comprehend is why the Blues always bring Torres on in dire situations? Why would one bring on a player who has constantly been struggling to score goals when you need a goal? Moreover, I would also like to point out that Moses too can play at CF so Benitez doesn't have to bring on Torres if there is a situation when he desperately needs a goal. Moses did a really good job scoring goals for Wigan (which played a huge role in their survival in the 2011/2012 season). Also Mikel could be useful if Chelsea have the lead and are looking to grind out the result in the end. Ramires' pace can be useful. In a game like this the Starting XI isn't enough but the substitutions are too and Benitez's counter part Ferguson is a master at this. It's not going to be easy for the Blues but hopefully a tie against Ferguson might just be the thing to fire Benitez up as he has been struggling and has failed to motivate the team. He will relish the chance to beat his rival in his own ground. Click here to view the article
