I am writing this tonight because when I get home from work tomorrow I don't want to go anywhere near my PC until the game is over. I plan to enter my house, drop my bag, pour a drink, take either a bath or shower then have another drink and another drink and another drink etc etc..... and drink until the game is over.
There is the strong possibility that you won't hear from me again until sometime Wednesday evening. Now if you notice every now again WE'VE GOT MOURINHO during this article, I am not going to apologise because we have WE'VE GOT MOURINHO.
WE'VE GOT MOURINHO
And if there is a man that can gets us through this 2nd leg in the Mestalla, just like he got us the draw in the Nou Camp, then WE'VE GOT MOURINHO.
The squad arrived in Valencia yesterday and the first of many breaking news stories today is that Essien MIGHT NOT play. The second of the breaking news stories is that the scourge of Chelsea (remember Monaco 2004), Fernando Morientes HAS BEEN passed fit to play tomorrow night.
Whether or not Valencia choose to play him we will still have to wait and see. WE'VE GOT MOURINHO. As for Valencia's coach Quique Sanchez Flores (what a name - he could do well opening up any shop down the Kings Road) he said "Morientes is fit to play. Its now up to us to decide if he plays from the start."
Backtracking or playing WE'VE GOT MOURINHO mind games from the 1st leg, Quique Sanchez Flores then said "We will have to limit the supply line to Drogba and Shevchenko. We must be sure to keep them away from our area as much as possible. Its not easy to mark a player like Drogba, but we'll need to stay on top of him and mark him well."
WE'VE GOT MOURINHO
Flores continued by saying "I predict a very similar game to the one at Stamford Bridge - physical, hard-fought and decided by small details. Nothing will be settled until late on. In this competition there is no room for error."
WE'VE GOT MOURINHO
Flores concluded by saying. "I wouldn't say we are invincible at the Mestalla, because we have lost games there, but we are a difficult side to beat in our own stadium and if Chelsea want to go through, they'll have to work very hard."
WE'VE GOT MOURINHO
Bear in mind that Valencia have knocked out Liverpool, Arsenal and Leeds in recent years at the Mestalla.
WE'VE GOT MOURINHO
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Jose Words
Speaking after Chelsea completed their training session at the Mestalla, Jose spoke first about Michael Essien. He said "Essien is part of our plans. Yesterday when Michael was saying he wanted to travel, I asked on holiday or to play and he said to play. I hope I am happy with the session because I want him to play."
Essien completed the hour-long session which was concentrated on ball-work.
Continuing in his Mourinhoesque style, Jose said "The pressure from the supporters doesn't kill. The problem is to play well and to get a good score and if we play well, we can get that good score. There was pressure in Barcelona this season and we played well there.
"I have played here with Barcelona and the supporters do not score the goals. I imagine they will support their team and they will do a good job on that, but they don't get goals. There is only one occasion when the supporters scored a goal and that was the Liverpool fans against us in the Champions League.
"Of course I expect the pressure and good support but we are experienced and relaxed."