FA Cup: Coventry City 0 - 2 Chelsea
Saturday, 07 March 09, 12:15 PM · Comments (128)
Match reports
Sunday Times, Joe Lovejoy: "Chelsea hardly had to change out of second gear to dispose of disappointingly poor opposition, whose performance reflected their status in the bottom half of the Championship. Coleman’s post-match complaint that the referee, Steve Bennett, had been “too smug and friendly” with the Chelsea players and had “talked down” to the home team had the sour-grapes taste of a bad loser."
Independent on Sunday, James Corrigan: "Five out of five and at least one visit to Wembley booked in for the fans. Guus Hiddink's first four weeks in charge must now be credited as being the start of dreams. Of a billionaire's dream at that. In truth, though, anything but advancement from this rather dull FA Cup quarter-final would have been disappointing for Guy the Gorilla, never mind Guus the Genius; particularly as Hiddink fielded his strongest XI. With the Champions' League return leg at Juventus looming on Tuesday, it was, as the Coventry manager, Chris Coleman, called it, "the greatest compliment"."
Sunday Telegraph, Steve Wilson: "Didier Drogba continued his renaissance under Guus Hiddink and recorded his third goal in four matches to hand Chelsea victory in their FA Cup quarter-final clash with Coventry at the Ricoh Arena that was confirmed with a goal on the counter attack finished by the unlikely figure of centre-back Alex."
The Observer, Paul Wilson: "Didier Drogba scored, Ashley Cole was booed, Michael Essien made his first appearance for six months and Alex rounded things off with one of the stranger goals of the season. Oh... and Chelsea ended up in the FA Cup semi-finals. This was another occasion when the fabled drama and romance of the competition were somewhere else. ITV might have had more luck screening a Tic Tac commercial."
Official Chelsea FC Website: "Comfortable is the word to describe this win in front of a record 31,407. Coventry had their odd moment but marshalled by another superb John Terry display, the defence never looked likely to be breached."
The goals
The preamble
Guss Hiddink fielded the same side that beat Portsmouth in midweek. Nicolas Anelka missed out again with a foot injury, while Ashley Cole kept his place in the team despite his arrest on Thursday for drunk and disorderly conduct. Michael Essien, out since August with a serious knee injury, and Ricardo Carvalho, also returning from a lengthy injury layoff, were on the bench.
The good
- The performance. Comfortable and professional. From the moment referee Steve Bennett blew his whistle to start the match it was clear that there was no chance of Coventry pulling off a giant-killing. We bossed possession throughout and made the Sky Blues look very ordinary, like an average Championship side in fact. Their centre-back pairing of Ben Turner and Scott Dann were given a torrid time by Didier Drogba, while Jose Bosingwa and Salomon Kalou had a field day down the right. The second half was much the same with Ricardo Quaresma replacing Kalou at half time.
- Didier Drogba. Scored his third goal in four games, another quality strike. From a long ball, Coventry defender Turner's clearing header was poor, team-mate Dann had a chance to hoof the ball clear but dithered. Drogba muscled him off it, rounded keeper Kieran Westwood and smashed a lovely left-footed shot from an acute angle past two defenders on the line and into the top corner of the net. Drogba ran to the bench to celebrate with the fit again Essien, which was nice to see.
- Ricardo Quaresma. Brought on at half time in place of Kalou to take advantage of the acres of space down the right. Was once again very impressive. I'm sure a few of you questioned Hiddink's decision, as I did, to bring off Kalou instead of Florent Malouda, who had an average first half - but as one of the commentators said, you would be a fool to question Hiddink's man management. Hiddink's decision was proved right as Malouda improved significantly after the break. Let's hope it improves his confidence, which might have been in Hiddink's thinking. I would still like to see Quaresma and Kalou start in future games though.
- The second goal. A great finish by Alex, who moments before had been receiving treatment on the sidelines with Drogba after an accidental coming together in our penalty area. We defended a long throw-in with nine men and cleared the ball just as the two of them were allowed back on the pitch by the referee - much to Coventry manager Chris Coleman's chagrin. Malouda and Drogba took advantage of a mistake in the Coventry midfield and found Quaresma on the right. Quaresma put in a fabulous cross and Alex, who had run the length of the pitch, coolly side-footed the ball past Westwood. A wonderful break.
- The return of Michael Essien, who replaced John Obi Mikel with half an hour to go. The away fans' reaction as he took the field said it all. Whether Mikel deserves to lose his place, if indeed Hiddink intends to play Essien as a holding midfielder in upcoming games, is moot. I'm not convinced the holding midfield role is Essien's best position, and Mikel's been one of our best performers this season. It's a good problem to have though. And it's great to see Essien back.
The bad
- There wasn't a great deal to criticize. Malouda had an average first half but improved in the second. And that was it.
Player ratings
Rated using the binary number system, because it's been an on-off season.
- Petr Cech - 01112 - Dependable. Didn't have a testing save to make. Distribution was first class.
- Ashley Cole - 01112 - Booed throughout after his midweek misdemeanour but didn't let it affect him. Got forward well as usual.
- John Terry - 10002 - A typical Terry performance. Put himself about and was rarely threatened. Superb.
- Alex - 01112 - Took his goal really well after a length-of-the-pitch run. Looked cumbersome in defence at times. Carvalho's return to fitness could see him return to the bench.
- Jose Bosingwa - 01112 - Was more a second winger, particularly in the first half. Linked well with Kalou. Fluffed a few crosses.
- John Obi Mikel - 01102 - How must he be feeling now that Essien's fit? Fantastic season so far. Dealt quite well with being man-marked in this game, but it meant he didn't dominate like he can.
- Michael Ballack - 01112 - Took advantage of the extra space afforded him by Coventry. A much improved performance.
- Frank Lampard - 10002 - Orchestrated proceedings. He's gradually making the Player of the Season award his own.
- Florent Malouda - 01102 - Disappointing in the first half but improved after the break. Continues to frustrate in front of goal.
- Salomon Kalou - 01112 - Had the run of the right side of the pitch in the first half. Gave the Coventry back four a tough time but didn't make them pay. Substituted at half time.
- Didier Drogba - 10012 - Coventry's centre-backs didn't know what had hit them. Another goal, his third in four games. Long may it continue. Man of the Match.
- Ricardo Quaresma (sub) - 10002 - Took advantage of all the space down the right, which Kalou failed to do. Put in some brilliant crosses. Deserves to start a game.
- Mickael Essien (sub) - 01112 - Composed. Great to see him back.
- Franco Di Santo (sub) - 01102 - Brought on to save Drogba ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game. Not enough time.
Man of the Match
Didier Drogba. A player re-born since Phil Scolari was given his marching orders. There's no better striker when he's in this kind of form. How many seasons has he got left in him though?
Final thoughts
Sixth win in a row. Another trip to Wembley to look forward to, our third FA Cup semi-final in four years.
Onwards and upwards.
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128 Comments · Add yours
Quaresma may be having a great impact but we can't see against Juve as he's cup-tied. It looks like it's up to Kalou and Malouda to provide the width for our CL campaign.
Mikel must have felt awful to be subbed for Essien but surely Essien's pace and power is wasted in the Makelele role? A midfield 3 of Mikel, Lamps and Essien seems perfect and even a 4-4-2 with Lamps and Essien would suit us well.
I'll remember that fact eventually, Habs. It probably explains why Hiddink has persisted with Malouda in the last two away games, to prepare him for Juve and improve his confidence. Malouda won't have the crowd on his back on Tuesday.
It'll be interesting to see how Hiddink handles the return of Essien. I agree that he's wasted in the Makelele role.
I think it's incredibly obvious that Ballack should drop to the bench to allow Essien in. We've missed a player of his dynamism in the centre all year.
Our first team for the rest of the season should be:
Cech
Bosingwa Ricky JT Ash
Mikel
Quaresma Essien Lampard Anelka
Drogba
If it's the CL, Kalou on for Quaresma. I know we've tried Deco wide already this season and I get the impression Guus could make it work better than LFS did.
Anelka's been banging them in for fun this season, but Drogs' presence is equally important. Look how well we've been playing with him back in the side.
I would also love to see us go 442: Drogba and Anelka up top, Lampard and Essien/Mikel through the middle.
As for the semi-final draw: Anyone But United. We'll play them in the final. Hopefully, we can get our revenge for Moscow.
one advantage we might have against juventus is that on sunday that had a derby against torino while we had a relatively easy fa cup match. We might be fresher.
I said before I can only repeat it now: "Hiddink is going to have some games to prove him self". By the way I am not talking about CL. I talk about FA CUP and game with Man Utd. WE might, or we might not meet in CL, but we are going to meet in FA CUP!!!! I believe we shall stop them!!! WE MUST STOP THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bally's legs seem heavy due to his age. We need to start integrating Essien back into our midfield with Lampard and Mikel. The 3 of them look formidable.
Reply to Blue_MikeL:
Hiddink has already won games that Scolari probably would have not if he were still in charge - Villa in particular.
I agree, however, that his true test lies ahead in games against the likes of United who we will almost certainly play in the Cup, our best chance of silverware this season, and maybe the CL with Barcelona, Liverpool and Inter should we get past Juve. I would hate for United to win everything.
Unfortunately, Hiddink does seem to be a rare man of his word in the sport these days, and Roman has a conflict of interests in that Guus also manages his beloved national side. I just hope we make the right decisions come the start of next season, to prevent another incident like Scolari's happening again.
We have been struggling with United to be the best team in England for five years now, but unless the board and Roman rejuvenate the squad and bring in a quality manager for the medium to long term, second place is where we are bound to stay for the next few years.
It's eerily quiet round these parts.
I think Hiddink's first real test will be against Juve on Tuesday. I predict a nail-biting couple of hours.
I agree with Peregrine that Hiddink will honour his word and return to manage Russia full-time at the end of the three months.
limetreebower's worked it all out anyway:
"Here is my latest insight into long-term planning the Chelsea way.
1) Pay close attention to the financial collapse of Iceland.
2) Appoint a temporary manager.
3) Wait for the enforced sale of West Ham and the subsequent resignation of Zola and Clarke.
4) Hire Zola and Clarke in the summer.
Genius, no?"
Fingers crossed. :)
after the result of winning, what i liked most was the look of the team. it very much reminded me of the old chelsea with very little nervousness and a feeling of we will win eventually. really good to watch. Quaresma i belive for me was man of the match and what a little steal he could be. Surely already starting to look as good as any of Man-u's wingers no? Only bad point was hiddink replacing Essien with Mikel instead of taking off Ballck. it is clear ballack looks too slow and is just either not that interested anymore or he is now past it. i would really have liked to have seen Essien and Mikel with Lampard together, a powerful combination. lets see if he (hiddink) can start to drop Ballck because he starts costing us games.
oh, forgot to add, i wonder what the prem table would look like or the result of our game at Man-u would have been with this team?
Reply to dio:
Only bad point was hiddink replacing Essien with Mikel instead of taking off Ballck
I agree, totally agree with you on this point. However, let's see how it unfolds, I do not think Hiddink is going to play players only because of their reputation. Otherwise, it is really bad.
mourinho wants to become manager of manchester united when ferguson retires
...shit is a nice word for this statement. Fuck.Really...fuck.
i would consider that a betrayal...'cause there is no club in the world that I love more than chelsea and there is no club in the world that I hate more than manchester united...
Arsenal/Hull in the semi. Confident that we can get through that.
Really hope Everton can find a way past United somehow, seeing as they've knocked out Villa and the Scouse already. Knock United out and they deserve the final IMO. Unfortunately, the cup's not that unpredictable anymore.
...Barring last year, of course!
Reply to Peregrine:
We do not have to rely on anybody else to do our job. I really want us playing in the final with Man Utd. I believe that we shall play them in CL as well.
"made the Sky Blues look very ordinary, like an average Championship side in fact." - Did you actually... Did you actually watch the game pal??
Lets consider for a moment that actually Coventry played really well against the 2nd best side in the country - and other than a bad mistake (which Drogba took with class) we battled hard, won everything and scared Chelsea on a couple of occasions.
Sure you were a class above Coventry, but that meandering winger Malouda cost more than the entire City side together. As for all this rubbish about being an average side, form tells us Coventry are currently putting together one of the best runs in the Championship...
I think competing against Chelsea was pretty impressive to be honest :-) oh - and good luck in the next round x it would be nice to go out to the eventual winners...
lv Jack Darkside
I'm sure if I were a Coventry City fan I too would have seen the game through Sky Blue tinted spectacles.
I saw it through Blue tinted spectacles, because I'm a Chelsea fan. :)
That said, the newspapers saw it the same way. Coventry were "disappointingly poor", and "never managed to raise themselves above their Championship standing", and excited with a "whimper".
I was expecting a bit more from your team, that's all.
Good luck for the rest of the season though. Decent chairman, good young manager - the future looks a lot brighter than it did just over a year ago.
Reply to Sarah:
Jose's words were taken out of context, and are just part of the build-up to the CL game against ManU.
But it does look like he is on shaky ground there at Inter; I'd say it's 50/50 between him and Rijkaard to be in charge of us next season. Cos he won't go to Newcastle, thankfully Rafa is staying in Scouseland, and City would take years to build.
Note to KJII though: there is a logic to this, not just blind hope. Honest.
And I was asked recently if I missed going to games since emigrating. I think 20 minutes later the questioner, who had not been to a game in England, was considering flights to see one himself. Oh well.
I demand to know how the
best-midfielder-in-the-world rated against a championship side, in HUMAN READABLE NUMBERS! ;-(
Yes, it sounds as if José is having lots of fun building up to the return leg. A vintage contribution, from what I've read of his comments.
If (please please please please) Inter can knock out the vile Mancs, and we can get past Juve, and then the two teams get drawn against each other, it'll be hilarious watching how José plans his diatribe. I'd expect something along the lines of "I love Chelsea so much that it truly pains me to see how far they have fallen since I left."
Alas, despite his best efforts to send PurpleNose and his minions into a frothing demented rage, I'm afraid that Inter side is nowhere near good enough to get even a score draw at the Theatre of Smug.
I have to say the tension has been unbearable. I couldn't believe that Mr Cheseablog had got away with ending his fine report with a non decimal player rating. Where was Moffat's complaint?
Well praise the lord and pass the plate, all is well with the world.
Whereas there's no simple way to interpret player ratings when represented as "The Shipping Forecast", "Old makes of car" etc. Mr Chelseablog has done no more than provide player ratings in a basic mathematical manner, base-2 binary notation.
Obviously it confused the living sh*te out of me but I quickly found the following and all became blindingly clear.
LINK
As usual this blog not only informed me about my beloved Chelsea but increased my knowledge of at the same time.
What more can a man (or woman, or person of transgender) ask for.
Reply to moffat:
Not, 'I'd like to know' then, eh Moffat?
Straight for the jugular with 'I demand'. There's a few things I'd like to 'demand' that involve you and this blog, but it's not my place to put such directions in place.......
I dunno, I go to Hull (it was quite nice, actually) for the weekend and when I come back the previous thread has descended into a Pythonesque free-for-all involving badgers and South Croydon.
Well done all!
Only saw the first half of the match, but looked painfully comfortable. Great strike from Didier. He's back, isn't he?
The Cole stuff was a whole lot of nonsense, but I was rather alarmed that Mancienne was out on the lash with the lads. Terry can piss his own potential up the wall if he likes, but there's no reason for him to take our promising youth team players with him. All smacks a bit of the baleful influence of Jody 'the cunt' Morris.
Reply to Fiftee:
I didn't think it concerns you. What's base 2 numbers do to with anything?
Why not leave ratings out altogether if it hurts to give Lamps a 5 that he deserves everyweek, for wearing the right jersey and taking cornerkicks. The only consolation is that Don Fab Capello doesn't see one as the best english mf.
and its back to essien&frank again soon, just like it was the season before ballack&sheva, with ZERO SERVICE TO DROGBA. ZERO. I could do a better job than all these overpaid clueless coaches.
Reply to PeteW:
Morning Pete
What's Hull like these days then? Had some mates at uni there a number of years ago and they suggested that copious quantities of recreational drugs and alcohol were all that made the place bearable.
Drogba is indeed looking like he's up for it again; not sure whether it is just down to BFS's departure or a bit of shrewd man management by Guus - either way, good news all round.
Reply to PeteW:
"Out on the lash"????
I thought it was a few chaps having a little light supper in convivial surroundings?
I'm sure JT and AC were running through some defensive ideas with the use of table cruets, cutlery etc. etc. and explaining the subtleties of a wine list, how to discern a good truffle and so on.
Senior pros doing what one would expect eh?
If my insider information is correct, this week thy're looking at how to put on a starched collar and stud and tying a bow tie. New club rules don't allow that elasticated nonsense.
Hull wasn't bad at all, friendly people, decent beers, good aquarium - all you could ask for in a city, really.
I see the troll is still here then. Is there really no way of banning him, Nick?
There wasn't a great deal in the match to get excited about, so I decided to have a little fun with the player ratings. Binary is one of the few things I remember from my several years of studying computing.
Henry - I'm pretty sure that at some point you mentioned in a comment that you're studying/working in computing. Or maybe I just imagined it? You don't have to know much about computing to know how binary works though.
The more you complain the more likely it is we'll use interesting ways to rate the players' performances, particularly after matches like Saturday's where there was very little to get excited about.
How hard is it to do what BlueBayou [You're welcome. We aim to educate as well as inform] did and call upon the Google God? Unlike all the myriad of other gods, Google God always answers your prayers.
PeteW - I did ban him but he asked nicely to be unbanned and promised to behave. Hmm...
Reply to canadamat:
:-)
Noted re the logic point...!
Still think Rijkaard has to be odds on for AC Milan next season though.
Reply to PeteW:
Here we are again suggesting to ban people just because they have different opinion... sad.
Reply to chelseablog:
Morning Nick,
Memory not what it was; have we used the Beaufort / Richter Scales for player ratings yet?
Possibly even the relative positions of notes on the heptatonic scale?
Just a thought, like... :-)
Reply to Blue_MikeL:
No, it's because he's a boring one subject obsessed troll - simple enough, really.
Reply to Blue_MikeL:
Read what Kaiser says. I'm happy to disagree with anybody (and do so, frequently), but if a person comes on here making the same point every day without any evidence and then caves in like a coward each time they are shown to be talking utter nonsense, they have no right to join in grown-up conversations with the rest of us.
Banning is always a last resort, but if somebody is DELIBERATELY attempting to destroy a great blog, there is absolutely no point in tolerating them.
Reply to PeteW:
I know he has this obsession with Lampard, but there is simple, really simple solution. You are not obliged to answer, if you do not share his point of view. As simple as that, democracy in action, as long as he is not attacking your freedom you do not attack his.
If we have democracy in action, will badgers be guaranteed a vote?
He can blow his freedom out of arse, he's long given up any right to it. I've tried to ignore him, but he's still disrupted countless threads in the meantime. Why should we decent bloggers who ask only for interesting, enlightening discussion with fellow Chelsea supporters tolerate such twattery?
Ban him.
I can both sympathise with those irritated by Moffat and those who say we should allow him the right to post and ignore him.
In an effort to understand Moffat and his monomania I have fallen back on that most simple of party dances the Hokey Cokey.
Now the Hokey Cokey calls on one to use various body parts in order to contribute to the dance. Hence at one point you are putting your left arm in and then later perhaps taking your right leg out and finally engaging in a rather complex shaking of everything about.
Now think of Moffat as just a trunk with perhaps one arm (purely metaphorically speaking of course) While we are able to put in and take out various body parts in whatever order they are called for and ultimately move them all in a co-ordinated shake, thus completing an intricate progression of movement, Moffat is left to just flop the same old arm in and out, with perhaps the odd shake here and there.
To understand is not necessarily to forgive, but surely aids us in not coming too swiftly to judgement.
"same point every day without any evidence "
you were vocal against my use of chalkboards as evidence, weren't you?
i'm taking 2 months off blog(g)ing while essien is getting back to fitness as i've nothing more to say on the subject of frank.
"i'm taking 2 months off blog(g)ing"
his arm got tired
Reply to moffat:
LOL, mate is being Lampard hater your only interest?
Reply to Blue_MikeL:
Have you only just clocked!
Love the image of Henry as a vegatitive trunk with one flailing malformed armlet.
Reply to limetreebower:
"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."
Winston Churchill
Means even badgers.......
Based on this fixture schedule for Saturday, 18 April 2009 the midfield is likely to be quite congested LINK
Reply to limetreebower:
Untrustworthy lot, badgers. I'll bet they run themselves by means of a fairly brutal autocracy. With the head badger looking a bit like a very angry Dickie Davies.
@ Mark (44)
At least that will give Lampard and Ballack a decent excuse when they can't thread a decent ball through to Drogba.
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
Why don't they just say we're playing Arsenhull.............
(tumbleweed blows past)
I was secrectly hoping that the player ratings would be done through the prism of famous badgers. Maybe another time.
Maybe we could set up a vote in each match report to select the method of marking players in the next match?
I'd like to suggest assigning each player the value of coins - up to a quid - in the Royal Mint.
I like Blue Bayou's badger ratings. Man of the Match would obviously be a honey badger, and so on and so forth...
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
Afternoon J,
Not as far as I can remember. BlueBayou used plastic bags, and Tony used faeces. Types of dog next then.
---
"Florent Malouda - Dead Badger By The Side Of The Road - We should badger Roman into selling him."
What's that? Wrong type of badger? Oh.
To Chelsea Fc You are the best team ever I wish you were all wase on the top o the chaps legue.
@Fiftee #47
Can we assume that instead of 10p we can use the pre-decimal "Two Bob" for any hapless individual who doesn't come up to the mark?
(Assume broad cockney type twang) "We'll he was jast two bob wer'n' he?"
@JKII
Who knows if we get silverware we could have a Badger Parade (apologies to Harry Hill.
@Chelseablog #49
Now I'm not a proud man and I understand that once one's creations are in the public domain one has to let go, but to see my tour de force of the polyethylene refining industry reduced to "plastic bags" is very hard to take. Who knows when the wounds will heal?
Reply to BlueBayou:
It doesn't have to be badgers. Some sort of maddest marsupial rating would be interesting:
LINK
Nails. Both of 'em.
During my wild student days I used to live on Badgers Way. We called ourselves Badgers Way 20 society.
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
Mr Ettlin, who is 42 and originally from Switzerland, described himself as a lucky man.
Why?
Guess he always wanted a rogue roo to leap into his bedroom, probably why he emigrated to Aus in first place! Bit odd though.
Think we should stick with badgers as they're far too civilised to behave like those antipodean monsters.
btw. I agree with the earlier Coventry supporter and think they've been dismissed too lightly.
The fact that we've finally got our stuff together shouldn't fool us into taking the press' stance that nothing much was achieved.
A couple of weeks ago that would've been a seriously dodgy fixture and as it was only one mistake punished by our very own Didn't he do well man, and one of the most sublime pieces of wing-play you're likely to see for a while, separated us:
As Q looked up and hit that pass first time I was thinking 'Take it on a bit more. Take your time' and a few other slightly negative thoughts, but then...inch perfect into the path of Alex who hardly needed to adjust his stride to despatch it like an accomplished centre forward. Brilliant.
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
Priceless.
You live in a country with millions of kangaroos and not if my information is correct, very many ninjas. Yet when awoken by something jumping around the room what is your first thought?
'"My initial thought when I was half awake was, 'it's a lunatic ninja coming through the window'," he said.'
oh dear
Reply to BlueBayou:
To be perfectly fair to the bloke, it could have been a lunatic ninja in a kangaroo suit. Appreciably the odds are quite slim, but you never know with these lunatic ninjas.
To keep things vaguely football, 1-1 tomorrow night with the mighty Drog getting our crucial goal.
Reply to BlueBayou:
I like the idea of more Cockerneye rhymings slang. I just worry that for malouda to be constantly derided as 'Pony' might have a long term affect on him. I remember the irony of the days when West ham (and Spurs?) actually wore shirts made by Pony......
Badgers......they don't exist. They are a made up species to fill awkward gaps on Springwatch. Either that or a government conspiracy ....I mean come on has anyone actually ever seen a 'live' badger? I've only ever seen dead ones by the side of the road and to be honest, they could be painted foxes for all I know.
And i've seen a few painted...ahem....foxes in my time.....
Reply to BlueBayou:
Ninja - No Income No Job Applicant.
Badgers, lunatic ninjas, roos...
Any sneaky English speaking Juve supporter who might be spying on the opposition right now must be thinking - they're all f*@!ing mad!
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
I think it's important we set up positively tomorrow night and get that all important away goal. If we sit too deep and let them come onto us we could be in trouble. While they didn't look too potent at the Bridge, they have players capable of that bit of magic. I feel a tense evening ahead.
btw I see the beat Torino 1-0 at the weekend in the Derby della Mole as its called.
mmmm so we're getting away from badgers but staying underground.
Fascinating city Turin. Had a job lined up there years ago but for various reasons never moved there.
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Badgers do exist I tell you!
I spent quite a lot of my early childhood out in the sticks. Late one night when I was about 11 or 12, I went out with my dad and lots of camera equipment hoping to take photos of the local badgers frolicking outside their set (aka their house). (All that I know about wildlife (and photography) I learnt from my father, Johnny Morris and Terry Nutkins - like you must always approach a badger set from downwind so that its residents don't catch a whiff of you approaching - apparently they're very short-sited and rely on a keen sense of smell.)
We took up position just a matter of metres from the badger house. After what seemed like an eternity the big blighters (they're bigger than you expect, especially when you're a scrawny wee lad) started to emerge from underground. Several wandered in our direction until they were no more than 5 ft from us, almost within touching distance. I was all ready with a camera to my eye and finger on the shutter button. If only I had pressed the damn thing! I was so amazed that several wild animals were milling around us as if we weren't there that everything else slipped my mind, including pressing the camera's shutter button. D'oh! I think I blamed it on being too cold. A few seconds later, one of them caught site or smell of us and they scarpered. A great experience though. All very Springwatch.
Painted foxes?! Pah! :)
I agree with BlueBayou, it's important we set up positively tomorrow night and get that all important away goal.
Come to think if it, Juve's kit colours are somewhat badger-like. All I know is I'm awaiting the match with baited breath.
I'll get my badger fur coat.
Obviously I meant to type "caught sight". Damn it.
I too have seen badgers, albeit from much further away, and I can confirm that they are indeed burly blighters.
Reply to BlueBayou:
'Derby della mole'............
Perhaps Juve are taking the tactics for dealing with badgers a little more seriously than we thought!
LINK
24 hours and counting...
Following CBs excellent nature report maybe we could each recount our wildlife stories as a way of passing the next time until kick off.
Might prevent us going stir crazy.
Never seen a ninjaroo and here in South Croydon we surely have badgers though I've not encountered any yet, but foxes we have by the dozen. Also a few of the painted variety are known to be on display round the hight street come nightfall.
Although I've become quite accustomed to seeing the odd fox while driving (me, not them), they're still quite special when happened upon while walking. They also seem far less concerned by me than I am by them. Complacent little rascals.
Heard part of the press conference with Guus Hiddink talking about the need to approach the game with the correct attitude and the danger of trying to defend a one goal lead.
Apparently Juve haven't lost at home in the CL. Still a draw would do.
Talk on the radio of Essien starting. They consider him as a replacement for Mikel but I don't see him as a holding player in a midfield 3 and neither do many on here if I'm not mistaken.
I thought in the first game that with our tendency for 3 Mikel and the 2 CBs) to mark their one man up we were getting outnumbered in midfield further up and they were getting numbers and space in front of the back 4 as a result. If I remember rightly it led to Ballack getting a yellow and a feeling that the game was passing him by. Doubtless GH will address this.
btw it's terrible to see a man of ChelseaTony's undoubted qualities exhibiting signs of badger denial. I sense issues.
Badgers are Britain's largest carnivores. I once won a game of Trivial Pursuit thanks to this nugget of knowledge.
Never seen one mind. Have seen kangaroos. Never seen a ninja. They're very 1985, ninjas, aren't they?
The Essien for Mikel thing is nonsense surely, just lazy journalism from hacks who haven't realised that Essien isn't a defensive midfielder even though nobodsy has ever played him there. Maybe it's because they're both African or something.
LINK
This one better
LINK
Reply to Blue_MikeL:
I remember that Flash badger meme spreading around the Net a few years ago. Here's the footy one: LINK - it's even better.
@PeteW - "They're very 1985, ninjas, aren't they?"
I was a ninja in 1985, with my 'shuriken' aka throwing stars. We used to sharpen ours and throw them at anything made of wood.
Reply to chelseablog:
Hi all, sorry to have been away. Spent the weekend in Wyoming.
It has gotten strange in here as usual...
Unrelated to football, but a great article nonetheless, is this one in Vanity Fair about the Icelandic financial collapse. Quite fascinating- explains how a nation of fishermen went from one of the poorest, to the richest, to the poorest nations on earth in a generation.
LINK
Missed the game unfortunately. Hoping that things go well in Turin.
Reply to Be_Champions:
Interesting article and not unrelated to football.
“Like any new kid on the block,” says Theo Phanos of Trafalgar Funds in London, “they were picked off by various people who sold them the lowest-quality assets—second-tier airlines, sub-scale retailers. They were in all the worst LBOs.”
Funny they don't mention West Spam among the low quality assets.
And as someone posted recently (LTB #171 on previous report) the future of Zola and Clarke is bound up with the future of the Spammers' Icelandic owners.
Will read that Icelandic document when I get a spare half hour or so (not so quick at taking that much info in these days).
Also saw Gus saying the right things about being positive and surely the best result of not conceding at home is how it magnifies an away goal.
On seeing those badger clips for the first time I realised what a sheltered life I've been living.
Note to self: must explore my inner badger.
Which reminds me of a time I had a hair cut, [it's probably no surprise if I say that my coiffure is of a rather distinguished, lunar shade of white]. The guy next to me had really black hair and as I was paying the barber I pointed to the floor where our off-cuts had mingled "Looks like you've had a badger in for a trim" I quipped.
He just smiled in uncomprehending politeness (and probably wondered why he'd left Turkey in the first place).
Reply to chelseablog:
I have to admit and agree that your clip is better! It has got not only badgers and footy in it, but some text about ninjas in addition, which completely fits into our discussion on this thread.
Decent article about Chelsea in the Guardian alert!
LINK
Reply to PeteW:
So what's happened, has there been a take over at the Gonadian?
Nah, think all their 'big' writers have been sent to cover Liverpool and United, so we get the leftover who, in their youth and ignorance, actually report facts rather than rat-packed, hive-minded opinion.
Yep, good article that. Hiddink is demonstrating perfectly that at this level, the 5% a good manager gives you makes all the difference; always the little things, attention to detail and the man-management (especially with moody buggers like DD) that can turn a group of good players into a great side.
My hope for the future is that now Roman has seen this demonstrated very clearly over the course of the last couple of years, he'll have learned a lesson and realise that we could have been in a far worse position than we are; the fact that could (hopefully) end the campaign with CL football secured for next season and - whisper it quietly - maybe even a pot for the cabinet is rather fortunate to say the least.
Yes, it also should show him that even little mistakes can have a very detrimental effect, I mean, Phil can't have been that bad, can he?
Let's hope that next time we have a working set-up we pick someone who will have a duty of care on what's already here and not have a licence to change everything just to do it his way.
I'm not yet convinced about Clarke/Zola though. Much as I'd want that to succeed, it might be too much too soon.
Since we seem to be sharing recent travel plans I wasn't able to join in yesterday's excellent exchanges because I had to make one of my occasional day trips to Leicester due to my life beyond football [well, someone has to - but no badgers to report on].
I was struck forcefully by how freezing it can feel in the East Midlands despite its relatively southern location [lunchtime hailstones yesterday] and recalled my first intro to this over 30 years ago when a work-related training course required me to shiver through most of Feb and October in Nottingham, which a lecturer understandably referred to as "situated on the fringes of the Arctic Circle".
I bore you with all this because it also gave me the chance to see Brian Clough's Forest at home near their peak - first in Feb '78 when they demolished Leeds 4-1 in a League Cup semi-final, which they went on to win v Liverpoo and then in October when they swept aside AEK Athens 5-1 in a 2nd round European Cup [as it still was then] 2nd leg on their way to the first of back-to back wins in the trophy - even many of the Greek fans looked impressed with the special nature of what they'd watched.
We had been promoted the same season as Forest [3 points ahead of them] and were already well on our way to relegation that season - still their days in the sun were brief and where are they now as we make another attempt on CL?
Reply to blueboydave:
Minus 'Old Big Head' as he affectionately referred to himself.
Two Forest memories.
Back in the late-80s, during the fanzine era, I used to read a great Forest zine, 'Brian'. Their account of Chelsea's visit to the City Ground in 77 was spellbinding! They were terrified of us, even 20 years later!
After finishing David Peace's brilliant 'The Damned United' about Clough at Leeds, I was itching for him to write a sequel about his Forest days. I was too young to remember Forest as anything other than a team who had once been great and still played lovely football, but never really threatened anybody at the top of the table. I still kind of miss them, though, along with Sheffield Wedneday.
Before I slip out into the great unknown for a few hours, I'd just like to add in that Brian Clough is the only manager who can be called genius or any of those other superlatives so often bandied about these days.
And that's not just my opinion, that's a fact!
Reply to fansincethesixties:
I'm heading down to Croydon later - is the Surrey Street Caff still going? And is Beano's finally dead?
Not been past for a while but I think Beano's has finally shuffled off This Mortal Coil (see what I did there? Ahem.) Don't know about the Surrey St. caff though.
Very impressed with Croydon library though; nipper loves it in there - lots of kiddie related things to do and plenty of space for maximum mischief making.
Reply to PeteW:
My guess is that the caff you speak of is no more - that's a kind of upmarket downbeat area now with a few bars and other after dark activity centres. Maybe they if renamed it Croydon Bistroteque it might survive, can't see any caff making it though.
Beano's sounds like another time, another place to me. Might be there, might be closed (by police order), might never have existed, who knows?
Check them out and tell me if there's somewhere I can visit while in town (it's amazing how leaving London for the burbs has changed my perception. Going into Croydon seems like a big excursion these days).
I used to have a mate who worked at Beano's and given the amount of records the staff used to pinch from there, I really wasn't surprised when I heard it was closing.
Somewhere in my 'procured from Beano's' collection are LP recordings of the commentary and crowd noise of the two FA Cup finals against Leeds. This is what people did for entertainment in the days before VHS.
For the unfamiliar, I should add that Beano's was the largest second hand record store in the UK.
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
Mine went there on a school trip and came back with great reports but it never occurred to take them there myself. Doh.
I just thought that a library's a library, will make the effort soon, must be cheaper than all the other things they like to do.
Reply to PeteW:
Records?
Croydon's definitely gone digital.
Such an antiquated establishment wouldn't fit in with our modern, vibrant, city aspirations.
I see what you mean...
LINK
Bring back the Wandle!
LINK
Reply to PeteW:
This is great.
Just pity the poor sod I'm standing beside at whatever social event I'm at next.
Somebody's going to get the full monty 'Wandle headwaters' and all!
I'll show them what a Croydon buff I am.
[Not sure about putting monty and buff together like that. That's OK, nobody'll notice]
C U l8r - that's digi speak, btw.
Gets a lot of stick, does Croydon; some of it justified, much of it not. Liking the regeneration plans though - one of its biggest problems is basically how it looks, but in terms amenities, transport and so on it's very good.
I can't believe I'm discussing Croydon on here.
An ex-girlfriend was from South Croydon so I have only fond memories of the place. Spent a lot of time there over the nearly five years we were together. Was on the tram to Wimbledon once when it hit something on the line. Gave us quite a fright. Ended up walking for some distance down the track.
Haven't been back that way for a while though.
---
Just listened to The Times The Game podcast. When did Patrick Barclay leave the Daily Telegraph? He's on there waxing lyrical about Arsenal and Wenger. I don't think the press has noticed that they're fifth in the table.
I know that I am going to upset a few people on here but I have to break into this Croydonophilia with some facts that have to be stated for those not familiar with the geography of London and its circumambient postal districts.
Someone once said, (I have not had the time or inclination to look it up) that London is 2 cities divided by a river (The Thames). They may well be right. There is north of the river and there is sarf.
Interestingly the 2 areas of London with specific City status are the City of London and the City of Westminster. Both, significantly, are on the north side of the river.
Chelsea Football Club, while referred to as a West London football club is on the north (or Middlesex) side of the river. Indeed once you cross to the conurbation on the south- side of the river you have to keep going until you see the sea at Portsmouth before encountering another Premiership football club.
Croydon is a town on the southern tip of the large conurbation to the south of the river, generally referred to as South London.
They want to make Croydon a city, despite its lack of a Cathedral. Might I politely suggest that if this is the case then the name the whole ruddy lot from the south bank down as Croydon and that will finish the pretence that the conurbation on the south side of the Thames is somehow part of London.
I thank you.
For the record I live in the bucolic surroundings of Lower Clapton, Hackney to the north of the river. I was born in Gracie Field’s house on the Bishops Avenue in Hampstead. I have been fortunate to always live on the Middlesex side of the Thames.
Reply to chelseablog:
Someone has to ask - it wasn't a badger by any chance?
Was the Barclay move part of the musical chairs that took several journo's to the Daily mail?
I was listening to Radio Northern Professional Club (aka Radio 5) last night. Apart from Motty everyone, particularly the presenter seem to see the Quintuple as more or less done and dusted.
Apparently we and Jose (they didn't mention the Poo) are all that stands between Manure and everlasting fame.
Before you get all Churchillian and start thinking of our finest hour, its more a case of them seeing us as the last vestige of dog sh*t you can't quite get off the sole of your shoe before you walk up the lovely white carpet.
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT
To add to that excitement i read this on Essien
Hiddink employed the 26-year-old on the right side of midfield, next to Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard, with John Mikel Obi sitting deeper
Oh yeah - now thats a formation.
Wooohoooo
sorry add this to it as well
Nicolas Anelka, troubled recently by a toe injury, played alongside Didier Drogba up front
So we're playing a diamond tonight? I wouldn't mind digging it back up, to be honest. Essien in there is necessary.
I would personally put Deco at the top of the diamond if we're going to persist with it, rather than Ballack who has played there before.
O.k, so will show my distinct lack of knowledge of the areas of the 'Big Smoke' as us country boys refer to it.
Once went to Selhurst Park to see Wimbledon beat Norwich 3-0, and my Dad had got complimentary tickets in the executive box. Sat a row behind Sam Hamann (who resembles a badger) who at regular intervals kept turning round and asking me if I now wanted to support Wimbledon.
'Not on your fucking life' I responded. In hushed tones, under my voice, obviously.
Reply to BlueBayou:
If it was a badger, it must have been an awfully big one. I didn't see any blood. No, I think it was a length of pipe or something similar no doubt put there for a laugh by some spotty oiks.
@Fiftee - I've never been inside Selhurst Park, but I have shopped at the Sainsbury's there a few times. According to Wikipedia, Palace sold the land to Sainsbury's for £2m in 1981 - my new something for the day. (Tip: set your browser's homepage to LINK:Randompage - you'll learn something new every day too!)
The pre-match anxiety has kicked in.
Random Wikipedia page URL (add the http etc. bit): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Randompage
Reply to chelseablog:
"you'll learn something new every day too!" Although being Wikipedia while it's new it may not be true....
My main memory of Selhurst, where I went a few times, is in nineteen ninety blah in whatever they called the league cup then, we played Palace in the quarter final (I think).
It was peeing down, the pitch was spoaked and a Frank Sinclair backpass rolled into a lake on the edge of the box, the keeper didn't get there 1-0. I think we equalised and in the dying minutes a ball rolled to the dead ball line Duberry stood over it waiting for it to roll out. It stuck on the white line, Palace leg hooks around, ball goes to the near post 2-1, all over.
Something unpleasant like that anyway.
@BB- have to admit as a mere interloper from the Celtic fringes I've never really understood this Norf/Sarf of the River stuff that animates the natives so much - though I was taken aback when I first used East Putney tube station to see signs saying "Trains to London" as if it was a separate entity.
Having bored you all already today with my walk down memory lane with Clough's Forest I'll spare you my recollections of Venables' Palace at Selhurst Park working their way up from old Division 3 including at some point the Flanagan & Allen show [one for the very, very old amongst you].
Reply to blueboydave:
The tongue was firmly in the cheek as you may have guessed and whatever is said it can't be as bad as the norf/sarf divide in Italy.
With the game being in Turin, I am reminded of a story I heard when over there once (perhaps apocryphal) concerning Napoli fans (in the late 80's when they were in their pomp) arriving up the autostrada to see a banner " Welcome to Italy".
It didn't go down well.
Time to head out.
OOOOerrrr the palms are starting to feel a bit moist, the tongue is dry, the stomach is fluttering.......
Thems big European nights. You can't beat 'em.
The very very minute crumb of comfort should it all go wrong is that Claudio will still be in it. But that is an infinitesimally tiny crumb.
Well, I appear to be a bit late, but, I also have tales of travel to tell. I have seen plenty of random wildlife just milling around (isn't Africa beautiful?) but I did see something better(No, not a Badger). I once saw a whole Pride of lions amble to a reservoir and just sort-of, hang about on my uncles Farm. you could get within 10 meters of them. It was fantastic.
Just seen a couple of squirrels from my kitchen window. Croydon squirrels - you know, milling around in groups, hoods up, looking menacing and so on.
Beers in fridge; 'Back in Black' on the stereo - yes, I am ready for this evening's fixture to commence. Wibble.
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
But first... first you must travel a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril. Mm-hmm. You shall see thangs, wonderful to tell. You shall see a... a cow... on the roof of a cotton house, ha. And, oh, so many startlements. I cannot tell you how long this road shall be, but fear not the obstacles in your path, for fate has vouchsafed your reward. Though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye follow them, even unto your salvation.
Blimey.
Us and our phantom goals huh?
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know Essien is not fit to play 90 minutes, but we pay for the substitution!!! F.....
MIGHTY DROG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Looks to me that it went all the way in. I'd love to see a better angle of it, but ESPN only replayed it a few times.
Good thing we got the goal right afterward.
What a game- I'll have to think on the player ratings a bit. So many different phases to the game. Every player had some very bad, and very good stuff.
Giocovino was excellent. He'll be good for them in the future...
Interesting post match interview by Drogba. I believe whoever writes the review will mention it. Very interesting interview!!!
Told you. Nail-biting. I don't think I have the constitution for this anymore.
Thankfully, Habs is doing the report. I'm going for a lie down in a darkened room.
Reply to Be_Champions:
Giovinco is lurky little bugger caused us all sorts of troubles!
Those squirrels must have been the lucky omen.
Bugger that, all a bit fraught for me. Beer, Shameless and bed I think. Night all - splendid evening.
That Drogba interview was interesting, wasn't it? Not just the point about the tactical uncertainty of playing with a 1-0 lead, but also the way he was obviously being very cautious about what he said. Interesting character -- you certainly get the impression that there's a lot more going on inside than there is with most footballers (or people generally). Not all of it good, one suspects, but it's good to see.
Only saw last 15 mins of match so I'm looking forward to reading the report. And praying we don't get drawn against bloody 'Poo again.
Good result, one should add. By no means taken for granted. When the tie was made I think most of us expected to lose it.
Another stressful game and another week taken off my life ...
Oh -- and what's up with Bayern, for goodness' sake?
They were playing a horrendously poor team and will probably out next round when they play someone like United, Barca or us next round? :)
probably be out*
Now I just don't hope we don't draw bloody Liverpool again. Sick of death of them.
Watched in alcohol free clarity [a sometimes side effect of terrestrial matches]. Just as well, with all those badger look-alikes out there I might've had a very disturbed 90 mins otherwise.
Missed the interviews by taking eldest to bed so will look forward to catching those later and the reports tomorrow.
It wasn't perfect but seems churlish to complain about anyone - even Belletti redeemed himself.
A couple of unnecessary cards was probably worst thing to happen.
Now we also know why Totts got rid of Juandemos.
Reply to chelseablog:
Hopefully you've just received it. I just finished it after a little rest from that nail-biter.