The Red and Blue Soccer Chat - 1/31/24

The Red and Blue Soccer Chat

Welcome back, Reds and Blues! January has flown by, and the games are coming thick and fast now. Cup competitions and mid-week games are furthering the congestion. How are our teams managing the workload?

Chelsea recovered from their shock away loss in the Carabao Cup to give a rousing home performance at the Bridge. Boro did themselves no favors, but Chelsea came to do a job and had things wrapped up before halftime. Chelsea followed that up with an energetic but ultimately goalless display against Villa in the FA Cup, so they will need a good performance in the return leg at Villa Park to advance. But they have a stiffer test ahead of them today when they travel to Liverpool. Much has been made of Chelsea’s recent, steady improvement. Today’s exam will give us a better idea of whether they have had fortunate scheduling or are truly on the path toward a resurgence. 6 games over the next month will also show us their strength in depth.

Manchester United cannot seem to get out of their own way. Given a favorable draw against a much lower league side in the FA Cup against Newport County, things appeared to be smooth sailing as they jumped into an early 2-goal lead. But silly goals either side of halftime made things a bit tense before Antony scored (and then promptly over-celebrated) and then Hojlund finished things off. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford opted to play schoolboy tricks with the headmaster after calling in with the “brown bottle flu” following 2 nights out. The matter has been addressed and considered over, but Rashford – typically professional and quiet – has yet again angered manager and fans at a time when neither have the wiggle room or patience, respectively, for such frivolity. A Thursday encounter away at Wolves followed by a Sunday home test against Moyes and West Ham should give the other returning players more chances to get back on form. But their February is as full as anyone’s, and it is well past time to be worrying about the names on the sheet.

We’ll be drinking away our Seasonal Affective Disorders and dreaming of sunshine, so join us live from Chatham Tap Fishers at 7pm, follow along on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

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