Chelsea v. Liverpool – beware the skies (and Neil Kinnock)...
Monday, 13 April 09, 04:41 PM · Comments (67)
Stevie Wonder, despite being eminently qualified to become a Premiership referee, was probably more of a fan at heart.
“Very superstitious, writing’s on the wall...”
When Drogba slotted away the fourth on Saturday, even those of us with the strangest of pre-match rituals designed to placate the gods of football might have been happy to walk under the proverbial ladder. The Lancashire side have had their moments (and points) down in SW6 during recent years, but surely not today?
Whilst it’s one thing to tentatively cast off one’s eternally pessimistic shackles for a moment of optimism at four-nil up, actively seeking to provoke the fickle hand of fate into giving you a dry slap round the ear is another matter entirely.
“Fuck your history, we’re going to Roooooome...” gradually grew louder around the ground.
What?
As woefully ill-judged and misplaced displays of premature triumphalism go, it was up there with Neil Kinnock’s belief that he was actually a stadium-filling rock star (or more specifically, the Prime Minister) at the infamous pre-1992 election Sheffield rally.
We’re alriiiiiiiight! We’re alriiiiiiiight! We’re alriiiiiiiiight! Comrades... Oh bollocks.
A cursory check of the fixture list reminded me that another ninety minutes against Liverpool and the small matter of Barcelona (barring a strange cosmic shift, or a few plates of very dodgy schnitzel in a Bavarian hotel) await before Roma’s ever-friendly ultras start sharpening their knives in anticipation.
As I ruminated on the possible consequences of irritating the all-powerful unseen being that can truly balls up a football match when you’ve been a bit too cocky, Kevin Windass and his rather large team mates conspired to get Bolton what was apparently a ‘consolation’ goal.
“Fuck your history, we’re going to Rooooome...”
Will you please stop doing that? As songs go, this is about as ill-advised as Gary Glitter picking “Thank Heavens For Little Girls” as his comeback single.
Momentarily my thoughts turned to Tippi Hedren, as they do so often on occasions like this.
As blonde femme fatale Melanie Daniels in Hitchcock’s masterpiece ‘The Birds’, Tippi tried to warn a diner full of doubting locals that ignoring the attacks from the air was foolish in the extreme. An elderly ornithologist, Mrs. Bundy – sort of Bill Oddie in tweed knickers and a twinset – suggested smugly that as a species, birds wouldn’t be intelligent enough to pool their resources and mount a more sustained assault.
The team and large sections of the crowd seemed to think much the same about Bolton.
A look at the screen was like watching the telegraph wires as the birds ominously gathered in numbers. We were reminded that Liverpool had stuck four past Bolton’s neighbours earlier in the day, just as they had done to Madrid and Manchester United – at Old Trafford.
And so the attack came; Cech and the defence ran around panicking as the airborne scavengers swarmed, pecked and pestered; the consolation goal became a worrying second and then a sphincter-tightening third in a matter of minutes. Somehow, after a period of suspense and tension that Hitchcock himself would have been proud of, the final whistle rescued us from a potentially humiliating result.
Yes, the rest of the non-Scouse speaking world believes that we’re going to cruise through the second leg on Tuesday to set up a globe shaking, stone cold box office thriller against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering football machine. Bookies would have you stake a pound to win a penny on Chelsea making the semis. Similar sort of odds would probably have been available at four-nil up on Saturday.
But frankly, this is Chelsea and we just don’t think like that – or at least we shouldn’t.
In between kick-off and around ten o’clock on Tuesday evening, Xavi Alonso will fall over more regularly than a drunk on a wet pavement, Steven Gerrard will presumably make an effort to extricate himself from Michael Essien’s back pocket and Clive Tyldesley will use the words “spirit of Istanbul” around five times per minute during the game whilst David Pleat pronounces Drogba’s name in an annoying fashion.
I have no idea whether Guus has any knowledge of late twentieth century British politics or the works of Alfred Hitchcock, but hopefully he will have seen the signs on Saturday and taken note. The early substitutions of Lampard and Drogba will (hopefully) not happen; Cech and his defence will have received a stern word in their collective ear. And we do have three away goals.
But if thoughts of an over-confident nature should enter our collective headspace, we might just remember that we are now acutely aware, just as Tippi was, that a deadly aerial bombardment could come at any time and really bugger up our day.
And let’s face it, who wants to wake up feeling Neil Kinnock on Wednesday morning?
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67 Comments · Add yours
And that just about sums it up, Jonathan!
I, like every other Chelsea fan, will be hiding my eyes under a cushion, wincing every time Torres gets the ball and praying like hell that the 90 mins passes as quickly as possible, without the need for Extra-Time, or worse still, penalties!
I am confident we will be ok, but this is ZCHelsea..... As we all know, anything could happen!
A brilliant piece which sums it all up perfectly. I'm also praying for a Jose esque, ultra boring 0-0. I wouldn't care if it's even a re-run of the 0-0 here last season against Liverpool under Avram i think, which was one of the worst games ever seen at the Bridge. Let's just hope we don't have to see a repeat of the Monaco disaster when we let a great position slip away.
Fair enough, I won't sing “Fuck your history, we’re going to Roooooome...” until well into injury time and provided we still lead by at least three goals.
Is it ok if I discuss with fellow season tickets holders, in hushed tones to ensure the players can't hear, the travel arrangements to Barcelona?
I'm probably more nervous about tonight's game with Poo, than any other previous ones. Strange I know, considering our healthy position. But the media seems hellbent on thinking only Liverpool and Stevie Me are playing tonight, all the talk seems to be coming from their players, as ours are seemingly cowering in the shadows.
Or perhaps our lot are quietly going about their buisness, plotting yet another tactical masterpeice, and drawing lots on who will man mark Stevie Me to get the plaudits tomorrow.
Anyway I'm off to stock up on Immodium, and move the sofa into a strategic position just in case I need it for the latter stages of the game.
Not going to the game Clive?
Reply to Mark25:
No Mark not tonight. Besides I've seen them so many times I begrudge paying for it.
"And let’s face it, who wants to wake up feeling Neil Kinnock on Wednesday morning?"
Well JD it depends. If as a result of an all night victory binge one wakes up in a comprimising position with a bald ginger welshman, well heigh ho that's the price one is willing to pay.
On the other hand if it has all gone wrong, then despite Neil's many caring and nurturing qualities, I agree that it wont suffice to stave off the enormous sense of loss.
Top quality stuff as usual JD. Music, 90's politics, Hitchcock and a bit of football. Masterful.
Yup. I'm not counting anything as a given tonight - we need to be very careful out there tonight. When the 90 (or heaven forbid, 120+ mins) are up and we're still standing, only then shall I celebrate.
With metaphorical tin helmet on and bayonet fixed I shall probably watch it with the sound turned down (to avoid the hysteria inducing commentary) and headphones on listening to something calming like Beethoven's Missa Solemnis very loud. I know this is how the serial killer is normally encountered in his lair at the end of those 2 part gore feasts they love on TV, but that is how it is. I'm not normal. I'm a Blue.
nervous....nervy...edgy...jitters...uneasy..squeashy feeling in the stomach...this is what I get for being True Blue!!!!!!
I am mad..why didnt Drogs make it 5-1???? why did we give 3 goals in 9 minutes@Bolton???
and most important...why are we not pompous..egotistical..arrogant..in your face..over cofident fans????
Folks, what are your plans for the evening? how will you be spending this Anxious evening?!!!
We should all get together & talk and pray??!!!
....I dont know waht i wanted to say...pls ignore the 'talking & praying' part... I thnk I will ust get a bottle of Whiskey & sleep though the game & read my favourite websie tomorrow?
Cmon all
Are we not being a wee bit self-indulgent getting ourselves in a tizzy about Liverpool
No real butterflies about tonight - the main thing for me is whether I stick by my prediction in an earlier post last week that we will win 3 - 1 aggregate (admittedly I predicted 1 - 0 at Anfield to us, and 2 - 1 at the Bridge). The trouble with sticking with my prediction is that result in us not winning tonight which goes against the grain. So I'll have to hope that I was wrong last week.
By the way I know many on this blog were whining about us playing Liverpool again - oh poor us, in yet another Champions League quarter-final and we don't get to play a team of our choosing - but I assume that was posturing - how many actually chsoe not to watch the match live?
Crazy game football, everybody knows it SHOULD be over, but we're all bricking it - and I bet it's the same from Liverpool supporters, they'll be thinking, 'you never know...'
An early goal from us should settle it. Rafa won't want to overextend his players with the Prem still up for grabs. But if they score... arses will go, big time.
The worry is that our anxiety gets to the crowd. Fans need to be bullish, just like we were in last year's second leg, when our belief swept the Scousers away.
I always wonder if the nerves we get are a specifically Chelsea thing. Did any othe club turn off the scoreboard if we were winning with ten minutes to go so fans didn't know when we were in the 89th minute? Would any other set of supporters shush the singing of 'We're going to win the league' when were ten points clear with four games left to play? Barmy really.
The problem is that none of us believe that we can dispose of Liverpoo, so easily just over the one game. Well, taking into account that we could barely score at Anfield, in our previous encounters, it is quite understandable that we do not believe our luck. However, we have to believe!!!
I guess some measured encouragement from the crowd for the team to stay positive and confident in an entirely un-Kinnock way, rather than nervy whistling for the game to end as soon as Torres first gets near scoring would be in order.
Still, anyone know if they're giving away more cheap nylon scarves tonight - or do I have to bring my own to cover my eyes with if it all threatens to go wrong?
@JD - in answer to your final question, err... Glenys?
Morning KJ_II
Another cracker sir.
There have been so many famous collapses over the years - I believe the phrase is called 'choking' - in line with the weekends event there was of course Greg Normans choking in the 1996 Masters to throw away a 6-shot lead and let Nick Faldo win the jacket measured up for The Great Shark himself. Jean Van Der Velde had an arguably more spectacular one in the 1999 British Open, where he even ended up trying to play a shot from the Burn on the 18th. And I do wonder if Chelsea have reverted to our former default position of being the Tim Henmans of football, along with England of course.
Golf is a much more unforgiving game than football. Rarely does a bad performance in golf get coupled with enough luck to beat your opponent. The percentages are much less....a 1 or 2% error in golf results in a shank or hook or a topped shot....in football it can still fly in like an inspired act of genius. Liverpool will need a superb performance and some huge helpings of luck tonight, whilst we would have to fall into the biggest Greg mode seen for some time.
I will lock myself away tonight and trust that Saturday's was a 'waking up and smelling the coffee' moment. If we win/draw then I'll do yet another Japanese soldier impression and emerge from the jungle of my hiding place and watch the ITV coverage on full mute!
Now look here chaps and chapesses, there’s been a lot of lily-livered nonsense posted here in the last few days. Time to show a bit of backbone. Let ‘em sniff a weakness and it’ll all be over before it starts.
We’ve already given ‘em a good mauling and they’ll be standing on the coach all the way down ‘cause of the bruising on the arse where we landed our size 11’s the other night.
Take it from me this is one game they don’t really want to have to play now. Forget all this Istanbul nonsense, we’re in the box seat and they face 90 mins of chasing around. For what? Another good hiding.
If Manure or the Arse were playing at home with a 3-1 lead from the away leg, the only question being asked would be where on the pitch to put the sofa so the boys could relax during the game.
So come on, solidify that watery bowel, put some fire in yer bellies, some steel in yer spine and tear into ‘em.
The Bridge needs to exude an atmosphere of undying self-belief and utter confidence. That feeds into the team and urinates on any of those fires the press are desperately trying to stoke up under the ‘Poo.
So no febrile, skittish, nailbiting, whining nonsense at the first sight of trouble. Solid unwavering support is what we want.
We are Chelsea fans and we don’t need botox to stiffen our upper lip, (although a little liposuction on the love handles always helps the tight fitting replica shirt look a little better.)
(Was that ok lads? Got go for a lie down now as I’m overcome with the jitters and the thought of becoming another chapter in the delusional myth that is Liverpool FC is making me quite queasy).
btw: Only arriving home just as the first Bolton goal flashed up on Final Score or SSN, I'd much rather watch, whatever the scenario, rather than blindly wonder what the hell is happening. The sensation of all ones vital organs congregating in one's back passage like a bomber crew ready to bale out, was almost too much for my aging frame to take
Crappy selection of PFA Player of Year nominees.
LINK
Anyone seen the nominees for PFA Player of the Year?
Shittest list ever.
Reply to PeteW:
Incredibly poor. Wonder what attendance at the ceremony from players from other clubs might be.
Voted for by footballers - enough said.
Give it to Giggs as a 'lifetime achievement award'. None of the rest deserve it.
And the young player award? What gives - Lennon's been around for years, Rafael's only played about two games and the Villa lads are in their mid-20s!
Reply to PeteW:
I fully expect Frank Lampard to receive more recognition in a nomination for the FWA award, which has vastly more intelligent people voting for it.
That list is fucking appalling. I second your notion, Pete - give it to Giggs. He's the only player on that list that I can actually stand.
Also, if nominations for Young Player of the Year started now, I wouldn't be surprised if it somehow went to Macheda.
To the pub. The plan is to get in there and get wrecked. Well, tipsy. Okay, it depends on the result. With any luck the beer will untie the knot of fear in my stomach. Fingers crossed we score first!
That was, unfortunately, brilliant.
We're screwed... Oh I hope Hiddink turns this game around somehow... Anelka on, Kalou off... Should have subbed Malouda... God I was hoping for an "easy" enjoyable evening, such a shitty day at uni today...
Two problems tonight:
1 - Hiddink's tactics which couldn't have been more wrong. I hope he saw how Vialli's plan to hold onto a 3-1 lead worked out when we played Barca. That ended in disaster and so far we're playing like a pub team. Can't even pass the ball let alone get out of our half. Liverpool deserve to go through at this rate.
2 - Cech. He's been embarrassingly bad. That first goal was hideous and every set-piece from Liverpool looks like it'll be a goal.
We thought JT's absence was a blessing for the next round but we're going out at this rate. We've been shit. Bring on Messi!
Knowing Chelsea, we'll come out in the second half and blow them away, with Hiddink looking like a genius and Cech pulling off some blinding saves. That's the hope anyway.
Reply to haberdashers:
Mate, I wish it goes from your mouth to Football God's ears, mate!!!
KTBFFH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!Come On Chelsea!!!
Jesus H. Christ. I left the pub after 25 minutes; couldn't take anymore. Fiasco doesn't seem strong enough a word. I would say it's unbelievable, bit it isn't. A lot of us feared this would happen. I'm not sure I can take watching the second half. I might just hide somewhere with a cup of sweet tea for the shock and my laptop, and rely text updates. And do some praying.
I'll definitely be watching the second half sweating buckets and in a fit of nerves. I wonder why the football gods think it's too much to ask for a routine Chelsea-Liverpool CL game?
What a fucking goal!!!!!!!!
Yearrrrrgggghh!!!!!!!!!!!
Caarm Down Caarm Down...
I'm just having a lay down now, my Immodium and sofa placement did the trick.
Is the war over yet?
yeah!
wohooo!
Chelsea
win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Come out from the jungle Tony, the carpet bombing has stopped.
After 2:2 it was not football anymore it was boxing match!!! You hit me I hit you, you hit me I hit you, no defence let's see who is the man let's see see who stays on the legs!!!!!!!!! It was like Rocky film!!!!!
CHELSEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fucking hell. What a game.
If anyone needs me, I shall be lying in a darkened room until a week on Thursday.
With Lamps and Didier anything is possible. But it's time to lie down for a couple of days. Not looking forward to Messi against our new LB!
That is the one for remember WHAT A GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on Chelsea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to Clive:
I bypassed imodium and went straight for the cork.
Utterly speechless - very glad I'm not doing the match report!
There was absolutely no logic to that. It cant be analysed. I got through it with the help of several supportive text messages. Im going to have a cup if decaff now, lie down for a bit, watch Jools on BBC2 then watch it all again on the highlights.
ITV deplorably biased as usual. Enjoy the shit sandwiches you fuckers!!!!!
What an awesome game! Great start to the day!
One of the best games i've seen from Malouda. Great passes, penetrating dribbling down the left flank, and defensively.. very good both in the air and in the tackle.
Hiddink, very well done in taking the weakest link in the team and making it one of the strongest.
firstly, well done to the front of the team but the back and Cech were well quite frankly rubbish. Just as well Liverpool were too at the back. But to be honest for the neutral all well and good but really is this the what the tactical genius of Hiddink is all about? At this rate we will be done by either Barca or an in form United if they get through. I cant believe what i just saw at this level of football in a CL game.. Was i watching basketball.. and see who has the more goals after the ref blows? Let's get serious, this is not top tactical football and a better defensive side would have done us...thank god for didier in the 2nd half at least and Lamps..phew!!! But surely hiddink has to have a word....still bring on Barca!!!! i think we will show how old Henry has become, all well and good in the spanish league but they are from from winning it yet and if we behave better than tonight we should be them. One word of caution...I had the Barca game on my laptop at the same time and the conning of the ref in falling over without being touched by the Barca players was quite frankly shameful and makes Didier look like a stand up guy so expect a lot of that at the Nou camp..I hope Hiddink has the balls to make it plain in his press conferences and puts pressure on the refs but of course as it is Barca with their Dutch pedigree he will probably bottle it...well see...lets hope he stands up to it...
Reply to dannybrod:
Spot on with the ITV commentary, they really wanted a Liverpool victory. I suppose we better get used to it becasue it will be more of the same against Barca.
Reply to dannybrod:
I'm sitting in front of my laptop thinking the very same, dannybrod. How exactly am I supposed to blog about a match like that?
Reply to chelseablog:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
It's a good place to start...!
Start with the flying kiss by Alex to the stands, lol.
Okay.
Just got home.
There are lots of seriously bright people on this blog -- people who follow the team with real attention and intelligence and an impressively nuanced understanding of what might be going on.
But (and I mean this perfectly seriously).
I defy any of you, *any* of you, to dispute my Blind Madman theory of this season after that. I defy you. Go on, give it your best shot trying to make some sense of all this. I dare you. Bring it on.
All I ask from the gods is that from now on we can please please please have some sensible normal football games for the next six or seven weeks.
Whilst it was unbearable at times. Sometimes you've just got to admit that that was one of the best games seen in many a while. It's games like that (or the possibility of games like that) that get people into footall in the first place.
I think thay may have taken the top spot of possibly my favourite Chelsea game ever. The previous one being the 4 - 2 FA Cup win against Liverpool in 1997.
Reply to Agh57:
Sorry, I obviously meant "football"
It's been a while since i have posted, though i frequently read the blogs.
i think that that game is possibly the greatest chelsea i have seen, if not, then the barca one.. 3 in the first 20 mins and then the late terry special..
i think my neighbours here must have thought someone was being murdered in my flat, given that it was 4:45am kick off!
must say, much respect to Liverpool,
Reply to Dylbo:
Never thought I'd agree with that. Respect indeed.
Anyone else agree that cech needs some serious competition for his place and I DON'T mean Hilario!
Joe Hart perhaps.......just someone able to challenge for that spot. good keepers don't become crap, injury or not. He's got complacent, thats all and it has showed badly in the last two games.
Reply to Dylbo:
Evening Dylbo,
Great to see you on here again, sir. Keep on waking the neighbours - there's Barca to come - and come back more often...!
Cheers
JD
The 4-2 against Barca was a fantastic game of brilliant football (including still the most astonishing goal I've ever seen live, the Ronaldinho one where no one except him and Cech knew what had happened for a couple of seconds because it was so impossible.)
Tonight's game was utter madness, a psychotic sporting delirium. If neutrals want to describe it as a classic good luck to them. It was a classic in the sense that _Waiting for Godot_ is a classic.
(Agree with the respect to Liverpool thing. Also to fans on all sides for going easy on the Hillsborough stuff.)
Reply to haberdashers:
You're a psychic! What a game. Hopefully, it'll be a much less frantic win for us on Saturday!
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
Cheers JD- i try to wake the neighbours most nights but the girlfriend is not always up for it...
meant to say that it was the greatest chelsea match, not the greatest chelsea(team).. glad we're getting terry back but ever so slightly concerned about young messi given cole's booking..
I've got Messi sorted. He's agreed to go ice skating with me and my ...ahem....cousin Tonya.
Reply to ChelseaTony:
You bastard - I've just wasted a whole mouthful of Stella on my PC screen!
I knew that there's be no probs tonight...
I was too stunned to even contemplate going out, even as it was all falling to pieces before Reina's og.
Can I just offer a salute to Cautious Rafa : 10 minutes to go, needs 3 goals - and he gives Torres a rest.
Back to PFA awards for a moment, this just in on the Guardian site:
"That he has never been voted PFA Player of the Year is an anomaly; that he has not been nominated for it this year is proof that some strange madness is afoot. "
Yep, there talking about our Frank...
LINK
Reply to dannybrod:
That was a great article. Lamps must have got used to the fact that he's never been part of the 'popular crew'. He's constantly overlooked and only thanks to Capello is he finally able to get some praise from England fans who used to boo him. The list for senior and young player awards is laughable. The Utd bias is embarrassing, especially the inclusions of Rafael and Giggs. If you only need to have played 5 games and starred in a couple of them then step forward the rightfl player of the year - Florent Malouda. He's played 5 games just like Rafael and has had two briliiant performances all season.
BBC headline
'Chelsea send out heroic Liverpool'
They might as well have written 'Bastards Chelsea send out lovely heroic Liverpool'
Also...ITV commentary....I hope this sticks right in their craw.
Frank for the FWA award - the CL to the PFA's Europe League. Footballers voting for each other? God.
What a game. First half an hour was hell, If we play like that against Barca we will get eaten alive.We have a good record against them and the likes of Frank and Didier tend to turn it on at this stage. Hopefully we will follow this up with a win against Wengers kids at the weekend (Hopefully im not jinxing it) KTBFFH!
Great game but too many errors. Saying that Liverpool would have gone through but for Drogba (and others) diving at every opportunity to con the ref. Chelsea had so many set pieces around the box that it looked like the tactic was @get within 25-30 yards and fall over. As for Drogba rolling back on the pitch when lying down with a badly twisted sock, the man should be ashamed of himself. he was running round like a thoroughbred two minutes later. Gamesmanship? no Cheat ? yes.