WEST BROM THE WORST HUNTING GROUND FOR CHELSEA COACHES

The unhappi­est of hunting grounds await Chelsea at a rather trying time. Three losses and one draw is the record at the Hawthorns since 2011.

 Two of those three losses preceded man­ager firings. While Mourinho is not at all likely to suffer the same fate as Andre Villas- Boas or Roberto Di Matteo did, he also has not managed to find a win there since return­ing to Chelsea.

 No time like the present to break that streak. Normally fast starters, Chelsea are off to their worst start to a league campaign since 1998. That year, Chelsea finished 3rd, just four points off the leaders. Chelsea are also off to the worst start for a defending cham­pion since Manchester United in 2007. United of course went on to win the Premier League and Champions League double.

 Today will mark Mourinho’s 300th match in charge of Chelsea. He will be just the fifth manager in the club’s history to do so, and the first since Dave Sexton reached that milestone in the early ‘70s. Others include David Cal­derhead, Ted Drake, and Tommy Docherty. Good company.

 West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster is still recovering from the ACL injury suf­fered in March. Every­one else is available, including new signing Salomon Rondon, whom we had the pleasure of meeting in the Europa League a couple years ago, when he still played for Rubin Kazan.

 Dating back to last season, West Brom have just 3 wins in their last 11 Premier League games. They have yet to score a goal this season.

 Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois has been confirmed to resume his first-choice goalkeeping duties after serving a one-match suspension. Victor Moses and Oscar remain sidelined with minor injuries. Their absence, in addition to the team’s flagging form could see new boy Pe­dro in action right away.

 Mourinho’s more cru­cial and certainly more watched decision will be in defense. Chelsea’s tried and trusted four­some is having serious issues and a shake-up is quickly becoming overdue. John Terry might have already retired, if some reports are to be believed.
 Still, it would be suprising to see another new arrival, Baba Rahman get into the game straight away.