Bolton
Wanderers manager Dougie Freedman has said that his players will not be
intimidated by Chelsea.
The Championship outfit will take on the Premier League leaders in the third
round of the Capital One Cup at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The Trotters will head into the encounter as the underdogs and on a run of
poor form, having slipped down to just a place above the relegation zone
following a 1-0 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Freedman understands that it will be a tall order for Bolton to win at
Chelsea, but insists that his players will give Jose Mourinho’s team a run
for their money.
"In terms of playing Chelsea every season, this gives the players a taste,"
he told the Daily Telegraph. "This is what the great game of this country
gives us.
"We can get put against teams from a different division with very different
finances. We are playing one of the best teams in Europe.
"Chelsea are the best team in the country. The league says so. They've grown
since Mr Mourinho got them last year. They will prove to a lot of people
that they are the best team in this year.
"Mr Mourinho works with 22, 23 players and no matter who he picks the chance
of them being an international player will be very high. I'm going to say to
the players: 'We've worked hard for this. This is what you could be playing
against.'
"We will give Chelsea respect but we won't be in fear of them. Mr Mourinho
is one of the best in the business. He's proved that many times.
"I'll be encouraging my players, but also I'll be looking to my left to see
how he's moving, his actions towards what's happening. I will be learning
from this experience, growing from this experience, no matter the result."
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