John Terry made the point after the match that they had done a lot of
John Terry made the point after the match that they had done a lot of work, pre-season, on different formations and this preparation has been given a further dimension by Joe Cole's growth into a serious player. Yesterday Cole began in midfield - nominally as Frank Lampard's partner ahead of the anchor, Michael Essien, but in reality playing between the lines as a support striker. Covering the whole width of the pitch he saw a lot of possession and, but for a fine save by Mike Pollitt, would have put Chelsea ahead after 14 minutes.The only time the champions came closer in a tight first half followed a foul on Cole, Leighton Baines magnificently clearing Hernan Crespo's glancing header off the line from the resultant free-kick.If Cole was Plan B, Plan C rang a few bells with anyone who remembered Dave Bassett's Wimbledon as Didier Drogba arrived to partner Crespo. With Duff's form also fitful, and Wright-Phillips so far just a bit-player, Mourinho's 4-3-3 system would appear to be suffering from clipped wings.But his Chelsea team are adaptable.
With Eidur Gudjohnsen coming on to play in the middle, Asier Del Horno, the left-back, was asked to push up on the flank in Robben's stead.It was not exactly a vote of confidence in a player who, troubled by injury, has struggled to recapture last season's scintillating form and fell foul of Mourinho's control freakery when quoted suggesting he may leave Stamford Bridge. Even though Robben responded in the programme by claiming these tales had been invented he clearly remains out of favour. With Damien Duff having been withdrawn with an Achilles injury, and Shaun Wright-Phillips absent, Robben was the only authentic winger available to a Chelsea side struggling to break Wigan's resistance Yet off he came. Jewell's complaint was that Chelsea had not given the ball back after Wigan kicked the ball out of play so Lee McCulloch could receive treatment. Mourinho, using the emotive word "cheating", which has cost him a fine in the past, said this was on his direct orders as the Scot was faking injury.So no one asked him why Arjen Robben had been hauled off before the hour.
However, Mourinho, who has said he never goes into a press conference without having schemed how to manipulate it, might admit sometimes even a winning manager wants to create a smokescreen. Thus Mourinho ratcheted up the row. By the Chelsea manager's hypothesis his Wigan counterpart achieved his aim as most of the Sunday prints focused on their verbal spat rather than Wigan's fourth successive defeat. "Sometimes a manager, when he loses, has to say something, to put the attention on something else," Jose Mourinho said on Saturday night in reference to Paul Jewell's complaint that Chelsea had been "unsporting". Substitutes not used: Warner (gk), Helguson, Elrich, N Jensen, Pearce.Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).Man of the match: Heskey.Attendance: 27,579.. Substitutes not used: Maik Taylor (gk), Pandiani.Fulham (4-5-1): Crossley; Rosenior, Knight, Goma, Bocanegra; John, Legwinski, Christanval, Malbranque, Radzinski; McBride. Bruce was relieved to hear another old colleague, and indeed ex-Fulham player, will not be lying in wait. "Andy Cole is suspended for next Saturday," he beamed, colour returning to his drained cheeks.
"Maybe our luck is changing."Goal: Butt (84) 1-0.Birmingham City (4-4-1-1): Vaesen; Tebily (Jarosik, 70), Cunningham, Upson, Painter; Johnson, Butt, Clemence, Lazaridis (Pennant, 55); Dunn (Clapham, 75); Heskey. Mention of Saha, Butt and Bruce was a reminder that, intriguingly, Birmingham's last home games of the year are both against United, in the Carling Cup and Premiership.Before then, they return to Manchester to face City. However, with Brian McBride even more isolated than Heskey, and scant attempt to exploit the weakness of Olivier Tebily or the inexperience of the excellent debutant Marcos Painter at full-back, the manager must take responsibility.He was lacking two important players, Luis Boa Morte and Papa Bouba Diop, trusting that their return against Blackburn next weekend will reinvigorate Fulham. Their form at Craven Cottage will probably be crucial to their prospects of survival, for this loss left them with an away record of six defeats, three points and no wins: relegation form.There should be no pressure, Coleman asserted, to sell their assets during next month's transfer window, as they did two seasons ago when Louis Saha left and fourth place became ninth by May.
