Scolari Thrown Into The Unknown

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Luiz Felipe Scolari will take a step into the unknown when he leads Chelsea into the Britannia Stadium on Saturday - and he is relishing the adventure.
Scolari has been preparing Chelsea to deal with Rory Delap's extraordinary long throws, a profitable tactic for Stoke this season but not one used too often at the top levels of Brazilian football.
Stoke narrowed their pitch during the summer to the minimum permitted dimensions of 100m x 64m and Delap's 37mph throws have helped create goals against both Everton and Aston Villa this season.
It certainly poses Scolari different questions to the free-flowing attacking threat of last weekend's opponents Manchester United.
Scolari said: "In Brazil, we do not play with this characteristic. Teams in the national competition don't have this style.
"We need to learn to play against Manchester United and against Stoke. It is a contrast. They play very differently and we have been talking about it."
Chelsea have had long-throw specialists of their own down the years, most notably Ian Hutchinson whose huge effort teed up David Webb to score the winning goal in the 1970 FA Cup final replay against Leeds.
The challenge of overcoming a team as direct as Stoke is not completely alien to Scolari.
Before winning the World Cup with Brazil and two Copa Libertadores titles, Scolari began his career playing and then coaching at state level.
As a player, Scolari was an uncompromising defender affectionately nicknamed the "wooden leg" and he won the Alagoano state title with CSA.
"I experienced that style when I played football in my state," said Scolari.
"It is the last state in Brazil and they play football in this same strong style. We are different to Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.
"There was also a lesson for us last week when Stoke played against Liverpool and got a draw."
After seven years as an international coach, with Brazil and then Portugal, Scolari is enjoying the day-to-day challenges of club football.
"This is very good for a foreign coach because every day we need to study the opposing team. I learn every day about players and systems and clubs," he said.
"For the coach it is very good to play this week against Manchester, then against Portsmouth then against Stoke. After Stoke, we play Cluj in the Champions League. It is good for a coach and for the players."
Chelsea will be without Joe Cole against Stoke but could have the likes of John Mikel Obi, Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole back in the side.
Scolari shuffled his pack for the 4-0 midweek Carling Cup win at Portsmouth and will continue to do so as Chelsea chase silverware on four fronts.
Scolari will retain a strong backbone to the team - Petr Cech, John Terry, Alex, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba all started at Fratton Park - but he insisted none of his big names are untouchable.
"I will rotate sometimes but it is impossible to change all the players. Five or six players need to play all the games," said Scolari.
"No (player is untouchable). I like all my players the same