PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V MANCHESTER UNITED

TACTICAL BRIEF
Former Chelsea winger Clive Walker knows all about games at Stamford Bridge in which the lower-placed side took all the points. He's hoping the Blues can upset the form book on Sunday.

'It is a cliché because it's true,' he says: 'Form goes out the window in matches such as this, most definitely. For the best part of decade this has been the most important fixture of the season.

'We can't say this will decide first or second place as it has in recent years. The distance we are behind them - 12 points - has seen to that. So it's not a "six pointer."

'But this is always a very, very big game for both teams - the players as well as the fans - and it is important to get one over them. We felt aggrieved at the result and the scoreline at Old Trafford, so let's turn the tables with this one.

'Our creativity wasn't really there against Swansea and it's difficult to conjure chances without creativity. We've only had it where everything falls into place and the team becomes greater than the sum of its parts in fits and spurts within games this campaign.

'But a match like this, a win against a top-of-the-table United, perhaps it could give the players the boost of confidence that can create that buzz. Who knows what might come out of it in the league and Champions League.

'I expect John Terry and Frank Lampard to make it back in the side, stand up and be counted as always, as Petr Cech will.

'Obviously we are without Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole - two others you might look at on these occasions. But it might not need a host of those players to earn a result. And others might just make a name for themselves.

'JT and Lamps will know we are expecting a performance from them and they won't mind that, they'd been able to deliver time and again.

'At his best Michael Essien is another player in that bracket but it might still be too early for him to deliver one of those performances where he takes the game by the scruff.

'We want to see him with his head down, grinding his way back to the top level, fully focused.

'Ash's absence is a different matter. He's played 65 league games on the trot and André Villas-Boas might be reluctant to slip a novice like Ryan Bertand into such a big game against the likes of Valencia.

'He's played Paulo Ferreira and José Bosingwa out of position on the left, and for my money Paulo has done the better job.

'Valencia is a real handful however. He has pace, creates chances and needs to be countered with experience and pace. Maybe that tips towards Bosingwa, with Branislav Ivanovic at right-back. He might even decide to play Gary Cahill there.

'If Anders Lindegaard is ruled out I have no doubt David De Gea will play over Ben Amos, despite the well-publicised mistakes. Sir Alex may feel he has to give him another vote of confidence. That might present us with an opportunity, as we like to put in crosses.

'De Gea won't like those decision-forcing balls. We should whip the ball in as much as possible: low, high everywhere. Everyone knows he's not the best at dealing with crowds.

'We also need to come charging out of the blocks. We've conceded nearly half of our first-half goals in the opening ten minutes of games and United are lightning fast starters.

'A player like Ramires running beyond their back four as early as possible, turning defenders, would put them on the back foot and us on the front foot.Obviously we haven't got Ramires as he's injured and a big miss, but we still have the people to do that. Our momentum can be too slow and we need to be pinging the ball forward from the outset.'

Chelsea v Manchester United