Coleman fears being crushed by Chelsea

CHRIS COLEMAN fears Chelsea will run up a “cricket score” if his Fulham players fail to raise their game for tonight’s Carling Cup quarter-final at Craven Cottage.

The Welshman did not mince his words after Fulham lost to Blackburn at home on Saturday, a result which lifted Rovers off the bottom of the Premiership.

It left Coleman to question whether his “arrogant” squad had the stomach for a relegation dogfight following a third successive league defeat.

With a trip to fellow strugglers Norwich at the weekend, Coleman admitted he could have done without having to try to get the better of their west London neighbours tonight.

And he warned unless each and every one of his men are up for the challenge, a repeat of the 4-1 thrashing the Cottagers suffered on their own patch during last month’s league meeting would be very much on the cards.

“When you play against teams like Chelsea who are strong in all departments, you have got to hope maybe they have a shady day and all of your players perform.

“The last time we played them, our players weren’t really on form and they were on fire and we ended up getting battered.

“Tomorrow night we have to dig in and the longer it maybe goes on and they haven’t scored, we will grow in confidence.”

Coleman is aware Blues boss Jose Mourinho will rotate his multi-talented squad.

But he admits it is not a luxury he is able to afford, with the likes of keeper Mark Crossley, Luis Boa Morte and Collins John out injured, while centre-back Zat Knight is suspended following his red card against Blackburn.

Should Fulham pull of an unlikely victory tonight, Coleman feels it would be the perfect tonic ahead of Saturday’s crunch Premiership showdown at Carrow Road.

The club, meanwhile, yesterday responded to reports linking former Pompey boss Harry Redknapp with a move to Craven Cottage by posting a statement of denial on their website, giving Coleman and his assistant Steve Keane their full support.

Meanwhile, Wayne Bridge, Alexei Smertin and Mateja Kezman are all expected to feature for Chelsea, with Carlo Cudicini replacing Petr Cech in goal.

It is a policy which has put Chelsea five points clear at the top of the Premiership, into the next phase of the Champions League and the last eight of the Carling Cup.

But unlike many squads, the Chelsea players have all accepted Mourinho’s policy of resting players for certain games.

The side which runs out tonight is likely to look markedly different from the side that beat Fulham 4-1 last month.

Mourinho confirmed: “We are now in a time of rotation. My decisions are always taken in relation to the next game. I will leave out a player who I am thinking of playing in the next game. The players must always think only of the game being played but I have to think further ahead.

“The whole team understands this mentality and knows it is for the best.”

Few of them could argue with his decisions so far this season as Chelsea hunt silverware on three fronts.

Mourinho knows he has to win a trophy this season and that is why he takes the Carling Cup so seriously.

Failure to end the campaign without a trophy would undo all the good work produced by everyone at the club from billionaire owner Roman Abramovich downwards.