FA Cup Final: Chelsea 2 - 1 Everton
Saturday, 30 May 09, 07:21 PM · Comments (62)
Updated Monday, 1 June 09, 10:15 AM
Match reports
The Observer, Paul Wilson: "This is the first trophy Chelsea have won since Jose Mourinho signed off his silverware account with victory against Manchester United here two years ago, and as the outstanding Florent Malouda was unlucky to be denied a third goal with a shot that bounced down from the crossbar and over the line, there was no case for arguing that they were not worthy winners."
Independent on Sunday, Steve Tongue: "Yellow was the colour at a brilliantly sunny Wembley yesterday as Chelsea, in their second strip, deservedly won the FA Cup after the shock of conceding the fastest goal in the 137-year history of the final. Louis Saha's stunning effort after 25 seconds was the high point of the afternoon for Everton by a long way, one that they rarely threatened to approach. Chelsea were level within 20 minutes through Didier Drogba's header, and Frank Lampard, second only to Florent Malouda as their leading performer, won an enjoyable game that would almost certainly have touched headier heights were it not for the debilitating heat."
Sunday Telegraph, Duncan White: "Even in triumph he was modest, dignified. Having climbed the 107 steps, Guus Hiddink seemed almost reluctant to lift the trophy, but ushered on by Ray Wilkins he took the adulation of the Chelsea support, a flourish that brought to a glorious end a whirlwind affair between the Dutchman and this club. Once he got going though, amid the champagne spray, the emotions poured out and the wise man of world football celebrated with childish enthusiasm. “He's a great manager and a great man," said Frank Lampard, who scored the spectacular winning goal. "It's a great send-off for him and we're delighted to give him a trophy.”"
Sunday Times, Jonathan Northcroft: "[Hiddink's] parting gift ensured he will forever be cherished by the club of which he has been temporary manager since February. Not only is the FA Cup football’s most holy hunk of silverware, this was Chelsea’s first trophy since Jose Mourinho and perhaps now they can finally move on from the Portuguese demagogue whose shadow was such his 2007 dismissal was still being picked over on newspaper back pages yesterday."
Official Chelsea FC Website, Andy Jones: "Having fallen behind inside half a minute, it required goals in either half from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard to seal the club's first silverware in two years. It was the perfect way to wave goodbye to Guus Hiddink, who has overseen such a fantastic turnaround since his arrival in February."
The goals
1' Saha 0-1
21' Drogba 1-1
72' Lampard 2-1
The preamble
I got myself into a tizzy again. These big matches play havoc with my emotions; by the time kick-off arrived I was a ball of nervous tension and feeling a bit sick. Normally, I would dose up on ice-cold lager to calm things down somewhat, particularly on a hot day like yesterday, but on this occasion I chose not to and watched the game stone cold sober.
My emotions were such that the London Community Gospel Choir's rendition of 'Abide With Me' brought tears to my eyes, and the singing of the national anthem made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Maybe pills are the answer. Kick-off was a blessed relief.
The relief lasted all of 24 seconds.
The good
- The match and performance. Over half a billion people around the world watched the game live on television. They were served up quite a treat. In temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, both teams played their part in a splendid game of football. It started with the fastest goal in FA Cup final history, which eclipsed Di Matteo's strike against Boro in 1997 by a full 17 seconds. Everton kicked off, the ball was pinged into our box, Mikel defended it reasonably well, but Alex was out-jumped by a giant with an afro wearing an Everton shirt. It fell nicely to Saha, who volleyed a fine left foot shot past a despairing Cech who could do little about it as the ball came from behind a couple of his own defenders and he didn't see it until it was too late. There were 25 seconds on the clock. Our worst nightmare had come true: Everton had scored early. You can imagine what this did to my delicate constitution. I consoled myself with the thought that at least we have 89 minutes and 35 seconds to score an equalizer. We went on to dominate the first half with every Chelsea player putting in a fine performance. Just after the 20 minute mark our French contingent made their mark. Anelka swept a lovely cross-field pass to the player formerly known as Malouda out on the left, who, along with Cole, had the beating of Everton's right throughout the opening 45 minutes. Malouda knocked in a pinpoint cross, four Everton defenders stood like statues as Drogba jogged into the box and powered a header past a helpless Howard. It was no more than we deserved. We continued to dominate but failed to make our dominance count. After the break, for around 20 minutes the match petered out somewhat, probably because of the heat. One player continued to impress though...
- Ashley Cole. The players' Player of the Year bombed up and down the left wing for 94 minutes without seeming to tire. He spent as much time in Everton's 18 yard box as he did in his own. Quite how he managed it in such testing conditions, god only knows. It was literally a breathtaking performance. He picked up his fifth FA Cup winner's medal, his second with Chelsea, a record in the modern era, and was rightly given the E.ON Man of the Match award. My Man of the Match too, just ahead of...
- Frank Lampard. What a player. As ever he was exceptional. Scored the winner from 22 yards with 20 minutes of the match to go, his 21st goal of the season. According to Soccerbase, it's the sixth season in a row that he's scored 20 or more goals. 2008/09: 21; 2007/08: 22; 2006/07: 22; 2005/06: 23; 2004/05: 22; 2003/04: 20. 130 goals in just six seasons. From midfield. What a player. Neville man-marked him for 94 minutes, but he hardly had an impact on Lampard's all action performance. As the Telegraph match report says, "he has played with metronomic excellence in a season when Chelsea have often lacked stability". His goal celebration mirrored that of his father's, Frank Lampard Sr., who scored the winning goal for West Ham against Everton in the 1980 FA Cup semi-final. Definitely my Player of the Season.
- Florent Malouda. What else is there left to say about the resurgence of a player who was derided by fans just three months ago? Scored a goal which was not unlike Di Matteo's, only on this occasion it wasn't given because the ball spun out of the goal after hitting the underside of the bar. TV replays confirmed that it was clearly over the line. Fortunately, the fact that it wasn't given didn't have an impact on the outcome of the match so there's unlikely to be much said about goal line technology. But it is about time the windbags at FIFA and UEFA came up with a solution to a problem that's never going away. One day it will decide a major final and cost a team silverware. Malouda would probably have edged out Cole and Lampard and been my Man of the Match if the goal had been given.
- Guus Hiddink. One of the best.
The bad
- I can think of only one bad point: this was Guus Hiddink's final match in charge of Chelsea FC. He made quite an impression on me, so much so that I had tears in my eyes when he and Ray Wilkins lifted the Cup together. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I now hold him in the same esteem as Jose Mourinho. It's typical of Chelsea that we find another special manager only to let him depart the club after just three short months. But it says so much about Hiddink that he's unwilling to break his contract with the Russian national side. He's a rare breed. And will be a hard act to follow.
Player ratings
- Petr Cech - 6.5/10 - Had very little to do. Spilled a couple of high balls, as is his wont these days, but also showed bravery to come and claim at the feet of Everton players on more than one occasion. Had an up and down season to say the least, but I wouldn't swap him for anyone. I'm with Tony when he says that Cech just needs a decent understudy to keep the pressure on him. We've been linked with a couple of promising up and coming keepers, but will they want to play second fiddle to Cech? One last word on keepers: you have to feel for Carlo Cudicini, who started the season as number two to Cech. He's gone from a club where he was adored to a nobody at some second-rate outfit in north London, no doubt on the promise of first team football. Poor Carlo.
- Jose Bosingwa - 7/10 - Got forward well and put in several dangerous crosses. Plays with a nonchalance that gives me kittens - I can often be heard mumbling something derogatory after he's played himself or a team-mate into trouble with a sloppy pass or dilly-dallied once too often. That said, he's a fine attacking full-back (with the emphasis on attacking) and provides the width down the right. Had a pretty good season. Scored a couple of good goals too. The emergence of Ivanovic will ensure he won't have everything his own way next season. It'll be interesting to see what our new manager makes of him.
- John Terry - 8/10 - Another rock solid performance at the heart of the back four. Dealt with Everton's long balls up to Fellaini and Cahill with relative ease. A pretty good campaign all said, and as Habs wrote in the Sunderland report, Terry played more games this season than any other since Mourinho’s first. I don't think it matters what Makelele says in his new autobiography about Terry's role in Mourinho's departure, Terry is Chelsea to the core and will always be held in the highest esteem by the fans.
- Alex - 7/10 - Looked nervous in the tunnel before kick-off, at one point yawning on camera. Was out-jumped by Fellaini in the opening moments which led to Everton's goal. Other than that, pretty steady stuff. He's had a fine season and scored a couple of fine goals. You could see the affection Hiddink has for him during the on-field celebrations when he was embraced numerous times by the Dutchman. Could well be a first choice centre-back next season if Carvalho continues to suffer from injuries. Did anyone see Carvalho during the celebrations?
- Ashley Cole - 9/10 - Awesome game, awesome season. The players recognised his contribution when they voted him their Player of the Season. Picked up his fifth FA Cup winner's medal. Cole and Malouda on current form are a formidable pairing.
- John Obi Mikel - 8/10 - Got the nod ahead of Ballack and didn't disappoint. On his day he's one of the best in the holding midfield role. Ended the season as he started it. At one point he was being talked of as our Player of the Season, but the return of Essien from long-term injury and a brush with the law saw his form dip a bit and he was forced to sit out a few games. Came back strong though and has a bright future at the club. Some newspapers claim he's wanted by several of Europe's top clubs, while others have him close to signing a new contract. He's one for the future and should be kept at all costs.
- Michael Essien - 6.5/10 - A tad disappointing by his high standards. Substituted after an hour. As for his season, he missed most of it with a serious knee injury but made an immediate impact on his return in March. Highlights must be his marking job on Steven Gerrard in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Anfield, and the wonder goal he scored against Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final at the Bridge. Destined to become a Chelsea legend.
- Frank Lampard - 9/10 - Already a Chelsea legend. Made light of his man-marker and sprayed passes for fun. Tackled back, marshalled midfield, and scored a 20 yard screamer. Should have had a penalty but was instead booked for diving by Howard 'Best Referee in England' Webb (Webb isn't even the best referee in the Premier League). Scored 20 goals from midfield for the sixth season in a row. Player of the Season. Player of the Decade. Soon to be the Best Player of All Time. Sorry, Franco.
- Florent Malouda - 8.5/10 - Continued in the rich vein of form he's been in since Hiddink's arrival. Gave Everton's right side a torrid time, particularly Hibbert who didn't emerge for the second half such was Malouda's dominance. Provided a pinpoint cross for Drogba to head the equalizer. Had a quiet opening to the second period but was soon back in the game. Scored with a blistering left foot shot from all of 30 yards but it wasn't given even though the ball landed over the line. Started the season poorly and it wasn't until the arrival of Hiddink in February that he began to show any sort of form. If he can maintain that form going into next season, he'll be one of the best left-sided midfielders in the country. I'm glad we nicked him from under Liverpool's noses now. We have Drogba to thank for that.
- Nicolas Anelka - 8.5/10 - Should have equalled Ronaldo's tally of goals in all competitions this season. Had several opportunities to do so but didn't have his shooting boots on. Other than that, he was magnificent. Played out wide, cut inside, held the ball up, went on explosive runs - all that was missing was a goal. Has had a fine season and ended up winning the Golden Boot despite a recent dry spell. One of the best finishers in the league and deserves a chance to play the main striker for an extended period next season.
- Didier Drogba - 7.5/10 - Great goal and fewer theatrics than usual. Let himself down in the first half when a nothing tackle saw him remain on the ground for an extended period, much to Hiddink's annoyance. Soon perked up when Hiddink hollered at him from the sidelines - didn't want to be substituted for a second time after feigning injury. His season has been typical Drogba: he didn't try under Scolari but has been immense since Hiddink's arrival. He's been a better all round footballer since his outburst after the loss to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, there have been fewer dives and his behaviour has been close to exemplary. If only he would do this all the time, he'd be one of the greats.
Man of the Match
It was quite a tough decision, a straight fight between Cole and Lampard with Malouda a close third. I would normally give it to Lampard, because of the impact a goal has on a game, especially one from 20 yards to win it. But on this occasion I'm giving it to Cole for what was an outstanding display of attacking full-back play, and for winning his fifth FA Cup winner's medal.
Final thoughts
That's it, another season over. It's flown by. It seems like only yesterday that a sun-drenched Stamford Bridge was treated to a display of samba football as Luiz Felipe Scolari got his stint as Chelsea manager off to a stylish and promising start. Portsmouth were the victims that day, but little did we know that by the time of the return fixture at Frattan Park in March Big Phil would be all but a distant memory. A lot happened in the intervening six months or so, but it can be summed up thus: gradual decline. February, and we looked a shadow of the team that had started the season so brightly. Scolari had revealed himself to be a one-dimensional manager with little or no Plan B, and there were stirrings of discontent from within the changing room. There were even stories that the players had been requesting a harder training regime, which gave an indication of just how bad things had got. But despite this most fans seemed willing to give him more time to build his own team. It wasn't to be: the club fired Scolari a few days into February. There was quite a lot of shock and disbelief amongst supporters on hearing the news, probably because of the timing. Many of us thought, myself included, that the lunatics had finally taken over the asylum. How wrong we were.
Just two days later the club appointed Guus Hiddink. Hiddink had an immediate impact and revitalised the club and the players, particularly Drogba and Malouda: both have been immense since his arrival, which says a lot for his man management skills. A little over three months and just one defeat later, Hiddink has delivered the club a trophy, its first since the departure of Mourinho two years ago. It could so easily have been two but for a certain Norwegian referee. In his brief spell at the club, he has guided us to 16 wins, five draws, and just the one defeat. We scored seven goals against Liverpool over two legs in the Champions League quarter-final, put four past Arsenal at the Emirates, held Barcelona to two draws home and away in the Champions League semi-final, knocked Juventus out of the Champions League, and pushed Liverpool and Manchester United all the way in the Premier League. But his most important achievement has been to guide the club out of the shadow of Jose Mourinho. Now that we have the FA Cup in the trophy cabinet we can finally move on.
Hiddink's already left the club. He's on his way back to Russia to watch the Russian Cup Final before taking charge of the national team for a World Cup Qualifier in 10 days' time. He'll be missed.
Thank you, Guus. It's been emotional.
Related links
Update Monday, 1 June 09, 10:15 AM: Ancelotti confirmed as manager
Carlo Ancelotti is the new Chelsea manager. He has signed a three-year contract and will start on July 1st.
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62 Comments · Add yours
Apologies if I rambled somewhat, I still have celebratory alcohol pulsing through my veins. I've probably missed a few things out too. Never mind. To bed.
At last, something to smile about.Thanks to Guus, a true Chelsea legend in the space of a few short months, he will be missed.Malouda's " goal" would have been a fitting way to end a truly amazing second half of the season for him and yet again illustrates the dire need for some rule changes.Onwards and upwards guys KTBFF
Excellent report Nick, and a fitting tribute to man that has finally laid the JM ghost to rest. It also hit home to me yesterday that we've lost another great manager, and have to start all over again, mixed emotions indeed.
In the recent traditions of CFC we lose yet another FA Cup winning manager!
I already gave my opinion on the game before...
Nice report, great strike from Lampard and stuff...but I still think he is not bigger than Zola. I would say they are equally legendary ...I know I dug my own grave by saying this ,but what can you do :D
Finally some silverware, from a great coach, who is to me, very special. Great performance, except Essien and Anelka- we will forgive Essien for everything he has done for us and like Nick said, our future legend... Anelka...well, nobody really likes him, but we respect him, don't we ?
I am now worried how are we going to fit Zhirkov ...somebody has to warm a bench- Zhirkov, Malouda or Cole...None of the options are likable...
KTBFFH
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I would definitely want Moyes the most to be our next manager ...
how can u rate lampsy a 9 and give malouda 8.5?
he didnt even have a great game. it was a superb goal that won us the game.
Was anyone else feeling haunted when the goal was disallowed and Franky was booked for the 'dive'?
Good result, well done Chels and well done Guus.
I was surrounded by a bunch of raucous Toffees on the tube on the way to Wembley who proved even if they don't bang on explicitly about "history" the way the "red shites" do they still seem to be living in their club's distant past:
- still singing the Z-Cars theme 40+ years on
- celebrating those mighty titans Kevin Ratcliffe [last played for them in 1992 says Wikipedia]and Neville Southall [ditto 1998] in their psychos song
- having to boast that "Phil Neville's got more medals than Gerrard" [even though he won them all with ManUre].
Perhaps it was the first minute goal that set me thinking, to mis-quote Mott the Hoople, that "it's a mighty long way down Chelsea supporting from Wembley 97 to Wembley 2009".
Much as I enjoyed the win and especially Lamps' winner hitting the back of the net I couldn't help contrast the whole experience with the enormous sense of elation at the 97 win which ended that 25 year drought and lasted for weeks after, with the rather diminishing returns from our last 2 Wembley wins which both feel like consolation prizes for failure in EPL/CL.
Ah, that old bi-polar curse ;-)
Pedant's Corner, Nick - I think you looked at the Soccerbase page that includes Lampard's England International goal. Yesterday was his 20th goal for Chelsea this season and indeed a superb achievement for a mid-fielder.
A fantastic end to the season - the least Chelsea deserved under Guus. We accumulated the most points in the League under him, a period when Man U lost 4-1 v Liverpool at home & Fulham away in back-to-back matches + Liverpool lost v relegated Middlesborough 2-0. We knocked out Liverpool and Juventus out of European Cup & was knocked out by UEFA in the Semi Final. We beat Arse-Anal in the Semi Final of FA Cup & beat them 4-1 at Emirates. To end it all, we beat a team that knocked out Man U & Liverpool in the FA Cup - and won the most prestigious cup competition at Wembley. Not bad!
Drogs again scored when it mattered - and it would be foolish for us to let him go. If Guus was unable to bring out the best out of Drogs, he would have been nowhere. That is the fact, however hard it is to swallow for some who have been brainwhashed by the anti-Drogba mob. There is no one even near him in world football who scores in big games and we should be proud that he plays for us. What a goal by Lamps as well - 20 goals for 6 seasons in a row for a CM...says it all, really.
I was one of few who wanted Scolari to be removed, although there were a few here who disagreed with me informing me of the vast goal difference that we had or the form of Anelka against mediocre opposition. I think they might have changed their mind by now!
Thanks again to Guus. I hope one day he will come back to us. Wish you all the best with Russia in the WC. Thanks for all the memories...
KTBFFH!
Reply to TrueBlue:
If this story in the Sunday Mirror is to be believed Guus' "departure" may have been greatly exaggerated:
LINK
Does this mean Ancelotti or whoever has 12 months to get it right or Guus returns?
This is the 5th FA Cup Chelsea have won; I'm so bloody proud! It would be nice if Chelsea could organise a victory parade this time. I really hope so!
Reply to TrueBlue:
Very well said about our Drogba. I really don't understand why those Drogba haters would unashamedly claim to be a "Chelsea fan"!
Very much agree with BBD that the overriding feeling after the game was relief and quiet satisfaction, rather than the full-throated ecstasy of 1997. I suppose that’s the penalty we pay for being successful.
Excellent report on the match. It must just be me that can’t see Anelka in such a positive light. We never seemed to make any inroads down the right side at all; the contrast with our embarrassingly overwhelming dominance down the left and in the middle was plain as day. To my eyes it looked like an Anelka problem. But what the hey. He was very impressive for the period in the second half where he switched places with Drogs – if he’d scored with either of those chips they would have been marvellous goals. I suppose we can all agree that he’s more of a centre-forward (or at least a no. 10) than a winger.
If we’d lost that game, the dubious-sounding stuff coming out of Maka’s autobiography would have become a huge story. As it is, the narrative is now all about Guus vanishing in a haze of benevolent valediction, leaving behind a dressing room where players, manager and owner are all puffing cigars and dancing together. Thanks Guus for giving us back the feeling of a club where everyone’s pulling together.
Reply to Sarah:
I know you're a Drogba hater; now you wanna put Anelka in your collection of hatred. Whatever, just don't make bloody stupid statement saying "nobody really likes Anelka".
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Hmmm... So Carlo is to be announced today or tomorrow then?
Come on guys stop the digs of I told you this, and you don't like so and so.
First and foremost I'm a Chelsea fan, I won't and never have booed a Chelsea player, regardless of how good the are, or not.
Every one of them have played their part at some point this season, lets not start to expect we win every game and competition we play in, otherwise we'll start to sound like Utd/Poo/Arse fans.
We've ended the season on a relative high, lets enjoy it before battle begins again in August, we all deserve a holiday, and treatment for our bi-polarity.
Reply to Clive:
Agree with you Clive... people always want to niggle each other don't they? On a day like this as well.
Was saying to some fellow Blues-in-the North at a post match bbq that we must never take FA Cup wins for granted. They represent the best of our tradition, in my opinion. In my time, the first big triumph we had was in the 1970 final against Leeds. It was followed by the Cup Winners Cup the year later against Real Madrid. We were not expected to win either game. Subsequent wins down the years have been equally special. Remember, we were the last to win it at Old Wembley, the first to win it at New Wembley - forever written into the history.
There's just something about the way we celebrate them too. Players and fans. It's like we know there's a special bond. Sure, with the raised expectations that come with being a top 4 club and going close in the Champs Lge every year, to many the FA Cup is not such a big deal. But it is to me and many others. Long may it remain so.
Ancelotti has now officially left the Milan building. We await his arrival. Another ride begins....
There's no time for exchanging pleasantries when I have to challenge any unfair comment posted on here.
For any "Chelsea fan" to say "nobody really likes Anelka" is just plain stupid!
Am I the only one on here who does not want Ancelotti to come? I mean it's inevitable, but he plays drudge football. It's slow, it's dull, and it's characterised by aging players and those that Mr. Berlusconi has taken a likng to.
Sure, he has the right stuff for a club like AC Milan, and for the current Chelsea squad, but we will end up too much like Milan if we keep him - the same players, never renovating, never going forth.
Look at who he wants in: Pirlo, to fit into arguably the best central midfield that doen't reside in the red half of Catalunya, Kaka; the same (though instilling another World Class AMC to join Lampard, Zhirkov, to replace a world class Malouda/Cole (or is it, perhaps, a sign that Cashley is off to pastures Spanish?) and Xabi Alonso, to replace two of the best Defensive midfielders in England (alongside his esteemed self), both of whom are potential Chelsea legends, in Mikel and Essien.
So we are strengthening our strongest part (central midfield) and yet there's no backup for Cashley, no right midfielder (wtf happened to Quaresma??), no backup left midfielder (except Kalouless) and no exceptional youth. Oh and no potentially great keeper to replace the ever-more-error-strewn Cech.
So why Ancelotti, and why those players?
Nice to see Ancelotti arriving this week as i'm one of the few who is embracing his arrival. And the transfer stories have begun. We all know of JT's close relationship with Roman, so to see him advise Roman on getting Villa and Ribery is heartening:
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It's also good to see that Roman is courting Kaka again. The Times say he's got a deal with Milan but is finding it difficult to persuade Kaka to come to London instead of Madrid. We won't get him but as John says, his excitement is back and a summer spending spree is well and truly on.
Reply to Sarah:
I'm sorry, what?
No one likes Anelka?
Do you realize which team you support?
We are not media darlings like Arsenal or Man U, we are not 'istory filled Pool. Our club is the Island of Misfit Toys. (For those of you who are not familiar with this particular slice of Americana, an intro LINK and LINK here. Essentially, it is about a reindeer with a glowing nose and an elf who wants to be a dentist.)
Yes, we are the Island of Misfit Toys. For truly, who loves us? Look at the players on our team, which ones are even respected by neutrals, not even loved? Everyone hates Drogs, Frank, Cashley, Ballack, etc. The others are mostly ignored, and perhaps only Essien (who has an undeserved reputation for brutal tackles that won't seem to stick to the butcher Paul Scholes), Carvalho (who might be detested for being Portuguese) and Terry (who people don't like for merely being Chelsea). Above all, everyone hates Roman and his money.
We aren't just hated. We are hated through and through. From start to finish. For many people, there is not a single part of Chelsea that they approve of or respect.
Yet, here we are with notorious team-killer Le Sulk, who has finally found a team that he has committed to, for whom he actually wants to play for? A perennial media whipping-boy who has stayed out of print except for minor references to his Golden Boot.
How can we not love him? How can we cast him aside as not "really Chelsea" when he is, in fact, a quintessential member of our team? Look, I don't understand his flying bird goal celebration either, but it is only annoying because HE SCORES SO MANY GOALS! He deserves our embrace.
As for Essien needing any forgiveness- to work as hard as he did, for as long as he did, alone, away from the team, in order to come back sooner only to score wondrous and critical CL goals... what is he to be forgiven for?
"We aren't just hated. We are hated through and through. From start to finish. For many people, there is not a single part of Chelsea that they approve of or respect"
And that is exactly the way I like it...... The more we wind up the establishment by winning things, the better it is.
And they will dislike us even more if Roman decided to dig deep into his pockets again this Summer.
Now the hangover has cleared, we were really very impressive against Everton (first 30 seconds aside!). The players have really stood up over the last 4 months and it certainly shows the value of a manager that is able to form a bond and gain the trust of the players.
Hopefully Ancelotti will be able to replicate that bond and allow us to once again unite the players and create that 'invincible' feeling we had for so long.
Not sure about the idea of keeping Hiddink hanging around as a 'technical advisor'... Surely Ancelotti cannot be particularly enamoured with that idea.
It was a great game on Saturday..2 beautiful goals (should've been 3!) by the dynamic duo!! We thoroughly deserved the win.
I'm not convinced about Ancelotti coming to the bridge..he hasn't got a clue about the Premiership & the language barrier is gonna be a HUGE problem..it was bad enough for Uncle Phil & he could speak (a bit of) English!..it'll be interesting to see how it goes though, as he's already earmarked Ribery, Villa & Adebayour as his main transfer targets.
All in all a decent season, here's hoping next season is a little better & we rediscover our winning formula..
Love you Blues!!! xxx
The fog of the hangover from hell is 80% lifted. I really should know better by now, but I'll collect my thoughts and this weeks Bi-Polar Express will contain my thoughts on the game, the day, the booze and anything else ........but more than any other cup final it reminded me of when I was younger and what a special day it is.
Hats off to Setanta for the all-day build up, which managed to take me from confidence oozing strutter to nerve racked whimpering wreck by kick off time.
And to Magners for their rather fine pear based product which duly hit the spot rather too many times on Saturday.
Lolli's back! Hello.
It must be the only goal we've ever conceded that really, really didn't worry me. They say there's never a bad time to score, but I knew straight away we'd get it back to at least a draw inside the 90 minutes.
Ashley was head and shoulders above the rest IMO. Lamps flitted in and out of the game, but was 'in' when it mattered. Drogs was his usual bulldozing one minute, dozing like a bull the next but gave Yobo and Lescott a torrid afternoon in the sun.
I think Everton deserve a menetion - mostly gracious in defeat and happy to admit the better team won (though Moyes had a little dig at Hiddink in one interview I read).
All in all, a superb job, well done. Now for the transfer rumour mill to hit warp speed...
Its Ancelotti - officially!
Crikey. The club doesn't hang around:
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His English is better than Scolari's.
Morning all,
Cracking day on Saturday - shall ponder that further in the next day or two, but just try telling the 80,000 odd folk that were present that the FA Cup is somehow irrelvant these days; not a bit of it.
Warm welcome to Carlo, then; a few reservations which is only natural - no-one out there in football at present strikes me as the 'perfect' candidate, but it should be noted that Ancelottie has an awful lot of good points which will hopefully help him make the transition to the Premier League. And if the club are going to give him the backing and time to get the players he wants to build his own team, good luck to him.
Hmm, reservations ahoy from me.
Have a horrible feeling he'll plunder AC for a few of his favourite players - oldies are definitely not what we need.
I'm open to being pleasantly surprised, but, after Scolari, I'm pessimistic.
Reply to Fiftee:
Morning Fiftee
Think his first signing will dictate how much 'goodwill' he'll get from the fans; land the likes of Aguero and the excitement will go up several notches, bring in a Serie A 30-something like Pirlo and he'll be wading uphill through treacle before he's even started.
Cautiously optimistic is my current position (obviously very changeable as a Chelsea fan...!)
Wonderful day. Of course it wasn't like 97, but we'll have to go trophyless for 27 years to get that feeling back and personally I can live without that.
Terrific performances up and down the pitch, but especially Cole, Malouda, Anelka and Lampard. Easily our best performance in an FA Cup final, and nice to give the neutrals a decent game to end the season with. I'm sure they will be suitably appreciative.
Still not keen on the new Wembley atmosphere - could barely hear the Everton fans and I'm sure they were making a proper racket. And what was all that 'your Everton' and 'your Chelsea' gubbins about from the PA announcer?
Why did Everton have 'Tell Me Ma' on their flag?
And why did the DJ make the criminal error of segueing from Blue Is The Colour to Glory Days when we are all crying out for a bit of the Liquidator?
These are the questions we should all be asking.
Reply to KaiserJonny_II:
I couldn't agree more. Ribery/Villa et al and up go the excitement levels, Pirlo/Alonso and in comes doom and gloom. Interesting to note JT's comments about Roman re-finding his mojo and making certain 'Fiftee oriented' recommendations.
Blimey the Bi-Polar Exprerss might be a bit too busy this week.
KJ_II - let me know if you're planning an article and I'll hold back or cover the Cup in a special and do the season review/preview stuff later this week.
I'm off to the South of France next week so a Cup Special followed next week by season review suits me fine. I won't be writing too much from there ;-)
A good weekend - another FA Cup and now Lolli's back!
Though Nick's link [No. 27 above] doesn't work part of Ancelotti's interview video with ChelseaTV is available already on the official website - from Florence, Sunday 5pm announcing his departure to ChelseaTV by 10 am next day.
Watch for the bizarre bit where he says it was time to leave Milan, followed by a clip of their fans jumping up and down in celebration ;-)
Also good to see our season of shit refereeing continued to the final day - goal not given and then Lampard booked for getting fouled in the area.
He'd have made 30 goals if we'd got the penalties we earned this season.
Who's that gorgeous blonde called Lolli on here?
And who's that gorgeous blonde on Sky Sports News?
@Pete
I mentioned the booking and penalty incident on the other blog. If UEFA used footage of Chelsea players namely Drogba to educate refs on simulation prior to our semi with Barca.
Then I hope the PL will do something similar with regard Chelsea hardly getting any genuine penalties this year.
I disagree with all of you.
I think Carlo is a great recruit. he speaks good English - equivolent at least to Capello when he started with England.
He is tactically astute - anyone from italy has to have this as a minimum and his teams play like arsenal but they win!
he managed to re-motivate after the scandal that nearly relegated them and he is the italian version of Guus.
I will put my cok on the blok and say he will be great for us.
Plus if he brings his little brazilian friend it will be even better!
Reply to Lolli:
You've probably noticed on SSN, Ancelotti's English is almost as good as Zola's, so it shouldn't be a problem.
I thought the 1st 60 min. were bloody awful. Anti-football. With Essien playing 50-50 passes. What's wrong with that boy really?
It wasn't until we had Ballack helping Obi keep the ball on the grass that we won it. Thumbs up to Obi, too mature to be 21 as the government keeps saying he is. We need a good passing, young MF like Cambiaso to assist Obi, and a creative winger(Hernanes, Elano, ....)
Reply to Moffat:
But being a true Chelsea fan, you're obviously delighted that we won the FA Cup - aren't you?
Bet he was gutted that Lampard scored the winner too.
LINK
'And at least one TV viewer found himself offering a silent vote of thanks to Tom Henning Ovrebo, whose wobbly refereeing had given the Stadio Olimpico Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi rather than Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Florent Malouda, which will be Wembley's privilege today.'
Anybody see this on Saturday? Basically, Lacey - who should know better - is saying that cheating and incompetent officialdom is okay as long as they good guys benefit.
Contradictory no? I mean, if the good guys are so amazing they shouldn't need to cheat to win; and if they cheat to win, they can't really be the good guys.
It's also hypocritical, bigoted, stupid and shortsighted - but at least he's honest.
I know this is old news now, but I wanted to get it off my chest.
I think until we win the Champions League (assuming we ever do) we're going to feel the same way. Cheated, unlucky, downright cursed.
Felt really good winning the cup on Saturday. I don't think Ancelotti needs to make any dramatic changes. Malouda-Drogba-Anelka is a great forward line and Joey Cole will be back next season. Ashley Cole, JT and the rest of the defence have been the best in the league this season in my opinion (least goals conceded) and we have a solid central midfield with the likes of Lamps, Essien etc.
I think we need to trim the squad of a few players (Deco, Belletti, Paulo etc.) and get a few young and hungry squad players in for next season and we'll be in good shape. Possibly one superstar if Roman is willing to get the chequebook out!
Reply to PeteW:
Saw that - was surprising for him, I thought.
Ahoy! Ahoy! Here's to a new adventure with Carlo. Obviously, my ingrained Chelsea bi-polarity means I'm not fully sure of him - only one Serie A in 8 friggin years? And previously comments about the split between the Champs Lge chasing glory vs the dogged pursuit of Prem excellence as a basis for future raids on Europe notwithstanding, I think we simply have to embrace the guy.
His interview on the official club site demonstrates a decent grasp of English that will flower in the all-encompassing environment of the training round and London where he will have to learn to order the booze his book indicates he is fond of (like my Spanish when I'm stuck in some remote part of the Iberian peninsula).
I think it's going to be a laugh, at the very least.
My favourite purveyor of doublespeak, Galliani, reveals near the end of this heart-rending article that he spent last night having a meal with Ancelotti and Leonardo [somewhere in Italy presumably]:
LINK
So did Roman whisk him to Cobham on his private jet overnight or could it possibly be that our new boss indulged in some more of his James Bond subterfuge and actually pre-recorded his interview with ChelseaTV some days ago for broadcast this morning while he was still publicly peddling the "I will stay with Milan if they want me" line ?
21. Be_Champions
I think you got me a bit wrong-
Firstly, I like Anelka, but Anelka is not a player you first see and say ''he is amazing'' because his humble behavior on the pitch and calmness... when he first came here, nobody was really ecstatic and I was like ''we were supposed to get Villa'' and when he missed the penalty more than half of us were angry...But this season he changed...
So, I do like him, he is a great player and scored so many goals, but lets face it- 51 % of people here (the blog) still like more Drogba than Anelka ... and would always hope Drogba to come back like he used to be and replace Anelka...I like Anelka more.
Secondly, Essien is one of my favourite players ... I didn't mean literally for chrissake ,''forgive him'' I meant, because he had a bit weaker game , nobody can say ''he played this game bad'' because we won the FA Cup and he did so much for us this season.
Thirdly ( or however you say it) I am not the person who is easily influenced with media, and honestly, I hate Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal ...Hate when people call us ''small club'' because that just shows how limited they are and when they tell how ugly football we say... or when they show off about ''Ferguson'' ''KOP'' or ''great young players who didn't win anything in ...6 years?''
Believe me, England is nothing comparing to other countries who hate Chelsea so much that I am ashamed to read newspapers and watch TV ...
So... I like Anelka... I would like him to stay more than Drogba... And all of our players...except Deco, but hey, he had season to forget...
Thats all. Didn't mean to insult anyone ,to me it was a big misunderstanding that I would gladly solve, because I don't like when I am misunderstood.
About Ancelotti, I just pray for Scolari effect not to repeat... Well, he did win two CLs and one Serie A... only thing I am worried is will he be buying grandpas from Milan, or he will do something intelligent...
KTBFFH
Already getting really excited about this summer and the new Ancelotti era. I've already said that he was the obvious candidate for the job and with Roman falling in love with him (well sort of) the chequebook is back out. Carlo wants Kaka and Aguero, JT wants Villa and Ribery whilst Guus recommended Zhirkov. Whoever arrives this next season is going to be great. A preseason in LA (yay) against Jose (lovely reunion for the lads) and of course a match against AC Milan in America (it had to happen) with a host of new stars in our side. Then it's off to Wembley to rub Fergie's nose in it and then it's back to the grind of the league. A 4 week break until preseason is all the players will have and with Perez announcing his victory tonight, it looks like it'll be Roman and Carlo versus Perez and Pellegrini in the fight for the world's top talent.
And who do you presume is the most disappointed that Roman's got his man? In my mind it's City and Mark Hughes. With Roman and Perez flashing the cash, City can look forward to spending £20m on the likes of Crouch and Bentley this summer as they've got absolutly no chance of signing Ribery, Villa or Kaka.
Reply to haberdashers:
Sounds great but there will be the old jibes about us buying a premiership whilst SAF is just refreshing his squad
Think there is going to be some cash splashed about this summer, but quite where Real are going to get it from is anyone's guess - after their dodgy training ground re-mortgage a few years ago, I presume Perez will be borrowing furiously against all the cash they hope to make from Kaka / Ribery / Villa merchandising and image rights (not that you'd want Ribery's face on your mouse mat).
Wonder how much we're budgeting for on the Pirlo shirt sales? :-)
LINK
Hmmm..... Sun is reporting that Glen Johnson is one of Ancelotti's targets! Have we not already paid well over the odds once for Glen, who was a fine player, but deemed to be not quite good enough.
Also reporting we have bid $30m for Pato, which is much more promising, even if it is 3 times the price we were quoted for him 2 years ago!
I thought i'd provide a little transfer update according to tomorrow's papers to herald our first spending spree since 2006 i think:
So on Carlo Watch Day 2:
Players out: Ricky, Paulo, Belletti, Miniero, Hilario, Sheva, Pizarro and one paper says Didier.
Players in: JT still wants Villa for £25m, Ribery is off to Madrid, Pirlo'sout because of the price, we've bid £30m for Pato which delights me as he will be the best player in the world in 5 years time and is only 19, Zhirkov is a shoe in at £18m and Carlo wants to boost the English quota by signing Ross Turnbull on a free. But then the biggest two stories:
We're in talks for a £60m Kaka deal:
LINK
And most crazy of all we're bidding £12m for guess who...
LINK
Yep it could only be Chelsea who would buy a youngster for £6m, flog him for £4m and then buy him back for £12m.
But away from transfers, there's a great story about Ancelotti in the Indy by Sam Wallace, which presents a very different image of our new manager:
LINK
Already Looking forward to Day 3...
Reply to Greenlight:
Damn you beat me to it
Not exactly thrilled with the appointment but more annoyed with us being linked with everyone. Apparently Ancelotti wants to sign Ribery and Adebayor which would mean the end for Joey Cole and Anelka. Complete bonkers in my eyes. Why dont we just sell JT and buy Nesta, Sell Frank and sign Kaka. etc
How many players have came out and said the squad is already good enough? Yes every club needs new signings but.....I guess I just dont want us to buy players to sit on the bench
Similar to me guaranteeing the Robinho deal wouldn't happen, you can take it as gospel that Kaka wont either. He'll be going to Real, despite them being as transparent with their cash as most of the MPs in this country....
Oh, and Roman, if you're reading : JUST SIGN DAVID VILLA. I'm not being funny, but JT's come round to my way of thinking (admittedly it's taken me two years), so if the heartbeat of our club suddenly embraced my idea, I think you could.
If I were Glen Johnson I'd buy a house in Guildford. That way he could get transferred back and forth with Portsmouth and not need to move house.
Did anyone else who attended on Saturday have Everton fans sitting near them? I did and after they scored it resulted in a full scale punch up. It took the stewards 20 minutes to appear at which point they were all evicted.
Yes Mark a friend of mine went and he said there were a few Everton fans in the Chelsea end. Recipe for disaster I think, touts and thieving scousers should be hung by the gonads ;-)
I don't think we need big changes at all.
Cech is young and a great keeper. I would get release Hilario and promote a young keeper as reserve. Heimann is meant to be a good prospect.
In defence, we're fine in the wing back positions. Bosingwa and Ash are top class and I would keep Paulo as a backup for either as he can play both flanks. We've got JT, Alex & Ivan for the centre and Ivan can also provide support on the flanks. It pains me to say it but I would sell Ricky C. I think he's too injury prone and we could still get a decent fee for him.
In central midfield we've got Lamps, Ballack, Essien and Mikel. Deco, Mineiro & Belletti have to go. I would bring in a young, hungry squad player, someone who's not going to cost a huge amount and doesn't mind spending time on the bench.
On the wings we have Malouda, Joey Cole & Kalou who can also be considered a striker. We definitely need a new winger however I would like to see Stoch and Kakuta (when back from injury) being given more chances. Maybe a signing in this area, someone who can change flanks would be worthwhile.
Up front we have Drogs, Anelka and Di Santo. I personally don't think we need a big name striker but wouldn't be surprised if one was bought.
As is obvious, the squad doesn't need huge chances, just some trimming with a couple of quality additions and a more youth players being brought through. Hopefully Ancelotti will be good at this. KTBFFH
Hi Mark
read on another block that the Liverpool County FA gave Everton fans their tickets, and these were slapbang in the Chelsea end. That's part of the problem with the FA Cup and tickets going to all and sundry - worst I remember was 94, when there were loads of Chelsea in the United end and vice versa and it all kept kicking off everywhere.
Quality, quality match review.
Great to have won a trophy after a difficult year - all praise to Guus. Very sad to see him leave.
Could be an exciting couple of months coming up for Chelsea, but Number9 is right - we don't need wholesale changes. We need more attacking options, preferably players who are good with the ball at their feet who can play off the flanks.
One think I will add - the papers keep linking us to the big names. Hopefully we're not just opting for off the shelf options. If Man Utd can find a Ronaldo for £12m, then we should be able to (I guess we did it with Robben). Scouting and youth network needs to start provings its worth...
If you feel like reading another chelsea blog check out www.bridgeviews.co.uk
LINK
Reply to Sarah:
Sarah,
Sorry! It seems I read your post as being pessimistic, rather than seeing the levity in it.
Wouldn't want to question your Blue Bonafides!
Be_Champs