Andy Carroll reveals Sam Allardyce has already worked out how to beat Chelsea
Chelsea take on West Ham at Stamford Bridge in the next game of the quadruple Jose Mourinho had referred to over the holiday season and West Ham will come here full of confidence. So much so, Andy Carroll has revealed that Sam Alllardyce has already worked out how to beat us.
West Ham are flying this season and full credit to them. They sit fourth in the league, eleven points behind Chelsea and two points clear of fifth placed Southampton.
People talk of "Big Sam" and the way his teams play football and I guess it's down to your own personal preference as to whether or not you agree. For the most part their football has been good and effective without Carroll in the side. They have got the ball down and passed it. They have shown a flexibility to their game we never really associate with Big Sam.
With Carroll up front tomorrow, you can be certain there will be plenty of high balls fed up to him for others to feed from him. Chelsea will need to deal with the threat he poses.
So to Carroll and his comments on Allardyce. He said:
"He knows how to beat managers, their tactics. He knows what they are going to do against us. It's just a game of chess, really, looking a move ahead.
It is different tactics, different teams. He's not the same every week. Different things. Obviously he wants a win, but you've got to watch the teams, how they're playing, how we're going to break them down and win the game.
He's got loads of different ways of attacking, we've got loads of dimensions to go forward. We can do anything. That's what our qualities are at the minute.
All this great football coming from the manager. He's brought in some great players. He's changed the team around a lot, and the players he's brought in have settled in nicely, and all the lads are buzzing about at the minute, and it comes from that really: the manager's choice of players and how he wants to play now.
We're playing great football, and I think any team that we play against is going to be worried about us. We've got more than one attacking option. Play it on the floor, play it in the air, down the sides. Obviously we're in the position that we are in the league, and that's well deserved.”
I have to say the game tomorrow is as tough as we have had so far this season. As Carroll says, West Ham have bought well in the summer and have some really effective players. Chelsea need to be at their best to beat them.
Carroll receives a lot of criticism for this style of play but demonstrated his ability with the ball at his feet in the last game West Ham played at the weekend. Gary Cahill and John Terry need to keep Carroll quiet if we are deal with the threat they pose.
If not, it could be a long afternoon for all of us!