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Fan Focus: Chelsea fan Graham is expecting the Champions to dish out a thrashing

It's the final game of the season which means it's our last chance to catch up with the opposition. Rory spoke to Graham from fellow SBN site We Aint Got No History, and he reckons that the champions will run riot this weekend.

Sunderland v Chelsea - Premier League Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

RF: Many pundits have said that the lack of European football has been one of the reasons Chelsea have had an edge over other sides at the top. With that in mind, do you think Conte will have to make sure there's more strength in depth next season, if he's to replicate this years success?

GM: Even if Chelsea didn't have Champions League football I'd think we'd need to strengthen to replicate this year's success. The club's been relatively injury-free this season, and that's something you can't rely on year to year. Everything went right this season and that's not going to happen again. I'd expect Chelsea to spend big this summer - they're probably not going to make the same mistakes they did in 2015.

RF: Speaking of transfers, do you expect Diego Costa to leave in the summer? He certainly doesn't seem to be fully settled but, that said, Conte has handled him brilliantly.

GM: Yes. If someone was offering me three or four times my salary to move elsewhere I'd be a little unsettled too, and Costa seems like the sort of person who both really understands what money can do for a family and has limited loyalty to a football club that, ultimately, sees him as a commodity. So he'll be off, and good for him! He turned up, did a job, got paid, and now someone else will pay him more.

RF: Chelsea have a very good model of loaning out their many youngsters and with us being in the Championship next year, we'll probably be looking into bringing in some young, hungry, loanees with a point to prove. Is there anyone in your ranks who you expect to go out on loan next year who could do a job for Sunderland?

GM: It's a little difficult to say, since loanees don't generally find themselves on the radar until they've had success at at least Championship level, and anyone who has an outstanding season in the Championship is probably unlikely to return there. Right now I can't think of an equivalent to, for example, last summer's Tammy Abraham. That's not to say that there won't be loanees with incredible seasons for Championship clubs - it's just difficult to work out in advance who'll do it.

RF: Back in December you said former Sunderland man Marcos Alonso had experienced a "mixed" campaign, so far. With the season now at an end, how would you rate the gorgeous left back?

GM: He's been hugely important, stepping up both sides of his game since the last time these sides met. His one on one defending has improved, and as everyone's understanding of the system has improved he's been better going forward too. Also, he takes one hell of a free kick. When he misses games, we all notice.

RF: With this game being a bit of dead rubber, what sort of team and approach do you expect Chelsea to have? Any unexpected danger man we should have our eye on?

GM: Conte put out a B team against Watford, but with the Premier League wins record in sight the Blues will be going hard for a win anyway. It'll be more open than we're used to seeing from Chelsea games, and there'll be a lot of individuals trying their best to grab a goal (Terry and Azpilicueta both got their first goals of the season on Monday). I'm guessing that someone like Nemanja Matic could be one to watch - he's due another screamer or two.

RF: It feels ridiculous asking this, but is there any Sunderland players at all you'd be "worried" about? I suppose one or two may be putting themselves in the shop window.

GM: No. Most of them are pretty useless, doubly so when they clearly can't be arsed to play for your club. And even if they were any good, there's nothing stressful about this match. The league's already more than won.

RF: To finish off, can we have a score prediction please?

GM: 5-1 to Chelsea.


You can check out We Aint Got No History on their website and follow Graham on Twitter.


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