Gérémi: We must keep the pressure on

Chelsea FC · Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 12:24 am

The response to the defeat at Tottenham has been strong — eight goals and two clean sheets in the 180 minutes of football since. Gérémi was right-back for those games and looks forward to the next derby challenge.

With West Ham as visitors to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, the target is a third successive home win.

The Cameroonian has rewarded José Mourinho’s decision to select him for the wins over Aston Villa and Watford with three assists over the two games.

He has told Chelseafc.com that in common with many people, he believed it was only a matter of time before the opposition net took a bit of a pummelling.

‘The fact we have been scoring lots of goal is good for the team and good for the strikers to have confidence, because we had been creating a lot of chances and we believe we were unfortunate not to score many. But now we have fortune on our side and we are scoring.’

‘I am enjoying myself because I am helping the team to win,’ he says, ‘and we have got the target; we have to put Man United under pressure. So we don’t need a mistake.’

The diamond midfield system utilised in the last two wins calls on the full-backs to provide width in the opposition half. It has suited Gérémi, a player who did similar for Real Madrid earlier in his career, as well as played on the right of midfield for Middlesbrough.

‘I have the possibility to go up and down, that is important for the team and that is the way the manager wants us to play,’ he says.

‘Normally when the ball is coming to my side I have to open up, give the width and if it is possible, go and cross. But if the play is on the other side, I have to get back and close down.’

The visit of West Ham recalls the last meeting between the sides at the Bridge, a dramatic early kick-off last April and a vital day in the quest for back-to-back titles. One-nil down and one-man down within 17 minutes, Chelsea powered back to win 4-1 in display of mental and physical fortitude.

Gérémi was right-back that day too.

‘West Ham had good fans,’ he recalls, ‘but in our stadium at Stamford Bridge, we had our twelfth man which was the fans.

‘We hope tomorrow they will be there, they will be massive and help us try to push on and get the result.

‘This game is a London derby and we have a lot of respect for West Ham but we play at home.

‘At home when we have ambition, we don’t lose many points.’

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Gérémi: We must keep the pressure on

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