Updated at 11.00
TWO LADS FROM Dublin’s northside were more pleased than most when Scunthorpe United’s potential FA Cup third round opponents were revealed last month.
“I was watching the draw in my house with Stephen Dawson and Chelsea came out,” recalls Iron striker Paddy Madden.
“We knew we still had to get by Leyton Orient in a replay first but me and Ste started hopping around the living room with excitement!”
The League One club put in a thoroughly-professional display to come through that replay with a 3-0 victory and set up this afternoon’s glamour tie against the reigning Premier League champions at Stamford Bridge (2pm).
A year ago, Mark Yeates scored late on at the London ground to seal an unlikely win for fellow third tier outfit Bradford City in the fourth round of the competition.
The Blues, languishing in the bottom half of the table, have endured a somewhat troublesome campaign and 11 defeats before Christmas saw Jose Mourinho shown the door by owner Roman Abramovich for a second time.
Veteran Dutchman Guus Hiddink was tasked with picking up the pieces until the end of the season and they have already begun to show signs of improvement.
Firing on all cylinders or not, Madden is well aware that Chelsea will expected to win comfortably and the once-capped Ireland international plans to make the most of a rare opportunity to pit himself against some of the world’s top players.
“Most of us probably won’t get another chance to play at Stamford Bridge so we’ll enjoy the build-up but when the whistle goes we’ll make sure we have our professional heads on,” says the 25-year-old.
“It’s a good tie for the club financially as well as they’ll get a lot of money for it so it’s a positive all around.
“Chelsea were on good form last year and went on to win the league but Bradford put them out of the cup.
“We’re not going to say we’ll go there and win because they’re in bad form. It’s going to be a tough ask as you’re playing against a top Premier League team but we will make sure we are prepared properly give the best account of ourselves.
You never know, the FA Cup is full of surprises and we would like to replicate what Bradford did last year by getting into the next round.
“Growing up, I watched the Premier League and as a kid that’s where you want to play so to face them is great.
“Sure, we’ll give Chelsea the respect they deserve but if we end up beating them it would be amazing. We’re looking forward to the occasion and seeing what it brings.”
This month marks five years since Madden left Bohemians to join Carlisle United and the forward, who would later join Yeovil Town before arriving at his current club, appears to be in good place right now.
Under manager Mark Robins, he has been mainly played as a winger but still managed 14 goals in all competitions and 11 in League One so far this season — bettered only by the division’s top scorer Adam Armstrong.
The new defensive duties have taken some adapting to, but Madden is eager to constantly develop himself into a well-rounded footballer.
“I’m enjoying it but I’m playing in a different role to what I’m used to,” he says. “Most people would know me as a striker in a front two.
“We only play with one up top and the gaffer tends to go for a big man down the middle who will be about holding up the play, whereas I’m more of a last man who will run in behind.
He has me playing on the left or the right side, which is more defensive duties as you have to track back into your own box at times.
“So it’s limiting my chances during the game but my tally is good and 14 goals for a fella that is playing wide is a decent return.”
Inconsistency has been one of the main factors behind Scunthorpe’s current position Leigton Orient in the League One table (15th) heading into today’s cup tie but Madden believes they are only a couple of wins away from pushing for the play-offs.
“With the squad we have and the players the gaffer has brought in over the summer, we should be in the top six at least,” explains Madden. “So we are underachieving at the minute but we know that if we go on a run like we did in October we will be right back in.
“That’s the beauty of this league, you get a few wins on the bounce and you’re right back in the mix because everyone beats each other and you can never tell who’s going to win from the top to bottom.
We just have to keep positive and try and perform the way we are recently and we’ll start climbing that table again. I think our aim is still the top six.”
Madden welcomed the arrival of experienced Irish midfielder Stephen Dawson from Rochdale over the summer and he is sure the new club captain will leave everything out on the Stamford Bridge pitch later today.
“I grew up in the same area in Dublin as he’s from Airfield and I’m from Moatview, which are quite close, and I’m best friends with his younger brother Kevin (of Yeovil Town).
“It’s good to have him here. The gaffer made him skipper and he has been captain at nearly every club he’s played for.
“He’s kind of like a Roy Keane-type player who gets stuck in and leads by example. It’s a big plus for us having him.”
Beyond the Chelsea tie, Madden has his sights set on returning to the Championship as a fall-out with Yeovil manager Gary Johnson robbed him of precious game-time last time out.
I didn’t get a fair crack of the whip and only played five games in the Championship,” he remembers.
“Some people said I couldn’t play at that level and I would understand that if I played the full season and didn’t score but when you play so few games it’s a bit unfair.
“The next step hopefully is the Championship. I would love another crack at that because I know I’d score regularly in that league as well.”
