The Chelsea Weekly Times: Liverpool (W), Bolton (W), Liverpool (D), Arsenal (W)
Monday, 20 April 09, 06:45 AM · Comments (52)
"Monday, Monday, so good to me
Monday, Monday, it was all I hoped it would be."
So sang The Mama’s and the Papa’s back in 1966 and as it is today’s apparent earworm it set me thinking. On this particular Monday it must be how we all feel. Even those, like me, for whom Monday is the Devil’s own day, signalling yet another week of traffic, toil and corporate bullshit to be endured, prior to indulging in a little something for the weekend. A weekend that involves copious amounts of a very famous Irish stout imbibed in a ridiculously short time, torturing myself via the challenge of a game involving unwieldy ill-designed sticks, small white balls, unfathomable hazards comprising of sand, water and general incompetence and stupidly small holes. Add into this heady mix, two growing and increasingly independent stroppy teenage daughters, a jolly hockey sticks wife with a penchant for volunteering ‘us’ for attendance at various family or friend related social soirees at which I get to impersonate the spirit of Denis Thatcher as she plays Queen Bee, and of course the general masochism of watching our beloved Chelsea. Maybe it’s not hard to understand why irrationality forms one side of the scales upon which my life is so precariously balanced.
It got me thinking that it would be good to pull together something that most Chelsea fans, being bi-polar by nature, could either completely relate to, or would feel was so utterly at odds with how they feel that we could indeed be indulging in the perennial internet game of virtual back slapping or stone throwing. So, welcome to the first edition of the The Chelsea Weekly Times, a brief, sometimes serious, sometimes apathetic, sometimes humourous, and occasionally intelligent, sometimes irreverent, and indeed sometimes irrelevant view of the week gone by. Sometimes it won’t even be weekly – it will depend on my mood, my time (or ‘bandwidth’ as it’s now described at work), my physical and mental health or whether there’s anything worth writing about. We have an eminently superior group of football bloggers contributing here, so maybe it won’t even be me who writes.
So, on we go.
Fuck. Phew. Bloody Hell. Oh my God (or for the teens that may be reading, OMG!). WTF? You gotta be kidding me... and so it goes on, but after the last week or so I would imagine that some or all those phrases have been bandied around a lot of Chelsea households, amongst of course many other expletive laden choice cuts. First of all there was our pulsating display against New Leeds, or ‘Liverpool’ as they were once known, in the alleged hotbed of Anfield as well, renowned for it’s ‘Famous European Nights’ (copyright ITV and Clive Tyldesley). Now I’ll be honest and stick my hand up to admit that my devotion to Chelsea is tempered by a bitter cynicism and expectation of failure that was built up over the pre-Abramovich era of sporadic moments of orgasm-like ecstasy amongst the years of general erectile dysfunction, even when presented with the golden footballing equivalents of a night with a leather clad Diana Rigg, fresh from the set of The Avengers (to the younger amongst us, may I suggest you look her up on Google images). However, on this spectacular night we were able to watch Chelsea go a goal behind to a moment of genius from Fernando Torres, the most un-Spanish looking Spaniard to reside on these shores since the arrival of... err... Rafa Benitez, but then follow that setback with a display of pinpoint, near light speed passing, tigerish tackling and surging displays of power and pace to despatch New Leeds to apparent also-rans for the second leg. Oh how I laughed at the chant of “Where’s your famous atmosphere’ coming from the vocal Blues who had braved the journey. The sight of a distraught Red Scouser watching the equivalent of someone ‘robbing their house and then pissing on the floor as they left’ as quoted on a New Leeds blog will always be one to warm the cockles of a Blue heart.
Next came a seemingly routine home game against Bolton and a chance to keep the dying embers of the Scolari wrecked Premiership campaign alive. And routine it was, or so it seemed. Twenty-five minutes into the second half and Chelsea have stepped up a gear, leading 4-0, only to then apply the universally experienced football laxative of conceding three goals in eight minutes resulting in the St John's Ambulance receiving an unprecedented demand for what I believe are known as Butt Plugs. It’s tempting to say ‘Only at Chelsea...’ but I’m sure many other teams have given their fans similar collective enemas. Just not so frequently. For those old ‘uns amongst us it certainly has started to feel like the old days, and no, not the Mourinho old days. It may just have been my imagination but after the Bolton game it did appear to me that most of us were walking like we’d been visited by the ghost of John Wayne and been given a very personal spiritual rodeo session. Or a communal non-corporeal Brokeback Mountain experience.
Of course the panic sown by Bolton carried over to the absolute nerve shredding goalfest of the home match against the alleged no-hopers of New Leeds. I have already admitted to swallowing the pills marked ‘abject cowardice’ and hiding myself away, as the overwhelming fear of Old Chelsea and the unswerving ability to hit the big red panic button marked ‘DO NOT HIT THIS BIG RED PANIC BUTTON UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE’ took its cold and gnarly grip around what is left of my nervous system. I also knew I couldn’t stand the constant references to the ‘Spirit of Istanbul’ emanating from Clive Tyldesley, alongside the hideous bias and incompetence of ITV’s coverage. Like a moth to a flame, like a child to an ice cream van on the other side of the road, like a dog to a juicy bone, like Paris Hilton to a camera we were drawn to the button. We didn’t just stroke the button, or joshingly pretend to tap it with our mates... no... we walked right over and slapped our collective Blue hand right on the damn thing. Despair for every Blue after 25 minutes, and even in the Glover household my attempts to obscure the world failed as I heard the oohs and aahs filtering down from upstairs. I knew all wasn’t well. Halfway through the second half my game avoidance strategy of watching Star Trek on demand failed dismally as the screen locked up. For several panic stricken minutes I had to toy with the decision to reboot and lose the recording of the game or hope that something would free up and that everything would continue as normal. It was an Apollo 13 landing moment. During that time, my mind was mentally saying ‘Chelsea FC... do you copy’ and only hearing static in return... and then suddenly the distant voice of Mrs Chelsea Tony saying ‘Oh no... Frank's scored and now this has happened...’ and then after what seemed an eternity but in reality was... an eternity... back came the soothing tones of Captain Jean-Luc Picard reassuring me that all was well aboard the Enterprise. The post full time appearance and beaming smile of Mrs CT’s face and her understated comment of ‘Well, that certainly woke me up’ told me that all was, indeed, very well. Watching the game back was thrilling and enjoyable and all without the need for an adult nappy and syringes full of liquid Valium.
The game against Arsenal was looming large and all my plans were banked on watching it live. Golf was booked to ensure the finishing at the 19th would not impinge on the game, but domestic duty then intervened when Mrs CT reminded me of today's monumental event, her... ahem... 40-somethingth birthday. She wanted a meal on Saturday and so it came to fruition that we ate whilst the game was played. Such is the importance of such occasions, and the risk of personal genital damage for non attendance or distractions during the meal of a football nature, that I did my husbandly duty and left the phone at home for good measure. Even the presence of my eldest's Arsenal supporting soon to be Royal Marine boyfriend didn’t facilitate a single conversation about what might be going on. Walking back into the house after the meal and a cursory check of the BBC confirmed what I had genuinely thought... that we would be too much for Wenger's pre-pubescent collection of fresh faced urchins. A routine win against a routine team, despite them being shackled by the dreadful pitch and us not caring because according to most Gooners we just lump the ball in the air. It’s called adaptability, being able to make the most of the circumstances and thriving in them. Very Darwinian of us indeed.
And so my friends, we are in the semi-finals of the Champions League, eagerly awaiting the Iberian Flamenco Football Kings with open arms, but hopefully not open goals. We are in the FA Cup final against a plucky Everton side built on spirit, determination and guts, headed up by a man that many of us would be rather pleased to see parking his car next to Roman's next season. And the dimmest flicker of hope for the Premiership is just visible in the corner of our eye. Weeks don’t often have that many twists and turns, but the last two have been truly a rollercoaster at times. If it were like this all the time then one suspects the fan attrition rate would be unsustainable.
Mondays don’t come much better than this. So celebrate my friends, walk around at work and smile. Be smug. Be arrogant. People will think you are anyway. Seek out those Man Utd, New Leeds and Arse fans and gloat over their waxy, pea-sized hearts (copyright Danny Baker), for had the boot been on the other foot today you can be sure they would be doing it to you.
With apologies to Mama Cass:
"Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.
But in your dreams, whatever they be,
Dream a little dream of Chelsea..."
Finally, a list in true Sunday supplement style.
Rising stock
Guus Hiddink – Lucky Guus? Clever Guus? Who cares, he’s got us back in the groove.
Alex – a simply awesome goal capped defensive displays of solidity and maturity.
Didier Drogba – seems to have found his mojo and some.
Super Frank – showing his fellow professionals what utter morons most of them are for nominating the North West for every award.
The Blues – Us and Everton in the FA Cup final and Leicester back in the Championship.
Tubby Benitez – graceful loser and showed immense dignity at the Hillsborough memorial.
In the red
Petr Cech – suffering confidence and complacency problems and seeming unable to admit to it.
Deco - another hamstring to see his career out with us. Not a shame really.
Sir Alex Ferguson – contemptuous old scrote showing utter disrespect to the FA Cup. And his opponents.
Arsene Wenger – another trophyless season but a big say in the Premiership. Questions may be asked.
Charlton Athletic – relegated to the third tier of English football, almost certainly with Norwich and Southampton joining them – if Leeds fail to get out then that’s four ex-Premiership teams whose light has faded dramatically. A warning to us all?
Keep the Blue Flag Flying High!
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
52 Comments · Add yours
Afternoon Tony, a wonderful read that sums it all up nicely. I look forward to it being a regular feature. You are right that this is a blog of superior quality with some very erudite writers on board. It is shown up as such all the more when trolls appear with their witless blatherings - see Arsenal thread on Saturday. Thankfully they don't usually hang about long when they realise no one is going to play with them.
I've been having a few thoughts about where this season is going to end up and getting myself all expectant again, which I don't think is a useful way of approaching the next month. Far better to have no expectations at all and just enjoy it as it comes flying at us. Each new twist and turn another facet of the journey, which, as many philosophers have pointed out, is the real joy...the end always, in some way, an anti-climax.
When you think that back in Feb most of us had written the season off and were worried about top four status - I'd say it was almost the 'official' position of this blog. Anything that has been enjoyed since has been gravy on the beef, and anything that comes next, well, more gravy.
A brilliant new fixture on the blog Tony.
Surprised you didn't put Malouda in the rising stock gang as he seems to have raised his performances from shit to well, pretty good. He's now our first choice winger and is looking sort of near the player we thought we were buying from Lyon.
I'm also starting to quite like Rafa now. I'd still hate to see Carragher get his hands on the PL trophy but Rafa seems like an alright chap now he's got Fergie to shout at. Fergie's ridiculous outburst about Rafa's 'beyond the pale' hand gesture (yep he simply crossed his arms, no Nazi salute or giving the finger to the ref) and backing up of his chum Fat Sam just made me hat Fergie even more and start to like Rafa. He may be too cautious, obsessed with facts and will still screw up the league this season, but this witch-hunt makes me want to stick up for him a little more.
Reply to haberdashers:
Cheers Habs and DannyB
My criticism of Malouda has been very forthright at times but it's a good call and I should have included him in the Rising Stock section. If you're reading this Florent, then accept a genuine apology. I think in all the noise about Arsenals defensive frailties and Fabianski's faux pas, the press and media have missed malouda's great take, first touch and sweet strike. I imagine that had torees, Rooney, Diving winker done as much then the footballer of year awards for next year would have been sewn up as well.
My, my, my.
Us readers of the blog certainly have been treated to some fina fayre recently.
Glad that many of the authors that frequent the blog took the post-match to post-match lull of chat in their stride and created piece after piece of literary wonderment. Well done all.
Nice (in a sadistic way) to see Norwich mentioned. Times are hard this way - particularly when hundreds of the workforce at my place are facing the prospect of redundancy - I think to say the Canaries have been shafted by refereeing decisions (according to Fiftee Snr) would rank as one of the understatements of all time. It'll be a dark day personally if they go (and it looks likely). An absolutely smashing club with ridiculously loyal fans - yes, being the arse end of the country plays a part - but getting 25,000+ to every home game, regular thousands of fans at away games and 17,000 season tickets sold for next season already really is testament to the fans.
If the big man is looking down on me - save them. Just for being the only English club to beat Bayern in the Olympic Stadium. Come on Jesus Snr, that Goss volley is worthy of another season in the second tier, surely?
Reply to Fiftee:
Fiftee...I think we can all sympathise with the canaries plight. It doesn't seem that long ago they were at The Bridge conceding one of the finest team goals I've witnessed. I dopn't think its just referees that have contributed. Managerial turmoil (of which we know so much about) has played a big part and the appointment of Bryan Gunn, seemed more sentimental than practical, especially when proven coaches such as Boothroyd, Sanchez etc are all looking for work.
We went through the redundancy thing not long ago and I 'lost' one of my team on a very harrowing day, but she walked away with a generous package which they weren't legally obliged to pay (she hadnt been here 2 years) so at 24 she had a decent buffer with which to re-start her life. I fear that the insurance giant in question, having lavished millions on Bruce Willis et al in order to re-brand away from the association with East Anglian conurbation, or just state the bleeding obvious (we're not thick you know) may have depleted the pay off coffers. I sincerely wish you luck sir.
One is reminded of the great Liberos, a role we no longer have the pleasure of watching in the modern game. The Kaiser (no not you JD), Baresi. Imperiously sweeping up, a shimmy, maybe not even that, perhaps just a twitch of the eyebrows, then with poise and precision, gliding effortlessly through midfield to launch another rapier like attack.
Anyway, enough about Razor Ruddock………. ;-)
“So, welcome to the first edition of The Chelsea Weekly Times, a brief….. view of the week gone by. Sometimes it won’t even be weekly”
How fitting for a publication about Chelsea. The promise is there, when it’s good it’s very good just don’t expect it with any regularity. Hats off.
Excellent read Tony, I think we should all be nominating you for the Nobel Prize for literacy.
And I would just like to add to Danny's view on the calibre of writing generally on this blog, which certainly sets it apart from the majority of others.
But a hundred press ups for you for initially overlooking Mr Malouda in rising stock, or perhaps a hundred beers, which might be a more fitting punishment.
I hope you're able to find the time for more of the same in the coming weeks. I feel as Chelsea supporters we will need all the distractions we can get.
Very good Tony. Slightly disappointed with you though. I'd have thought that by the time your wife reached her 40th you'd have got her to fully understand the priorities?
If you're too busy ironing to respond I fully understand :-)
Regarding ITVs coverage of us v Liverpool - I caught up with the first leg on LFC TV (sorry, but it's free with our Virgin Media package) and I must say that the LFC commentators were less biased against us than ITV.
I don't know about anyone else, but Charlton sending us into the play-offs in 1988 still rankles with me (how annoying is it to be taunted by opposition fans with a chant of '1-1'?), so I'm happy to see them suffer now.
And you're being bolder than I would be Tony in saying that Wenger now has another trophyless season - probably, but not definately...
Great work Tony. It truly is unusual to have such a level of discourse amongst an anonymous, international group (usual trolls excluded). It seems we have contributions from the four corners of the earth on here. I do find it funny that trolls from other teams try a wind-up and leave with no wind in their sails.
A thought (and perhaps a dangerous one)- it seems that there are some decent blogs for other teams on Ole Ole out there. Not all, but some, and I would guess especially for the smaller teams, because their dedication isn't about a yearly trophy. Would it make sense for some games to do a joint preview post- we do a quick overview of our team, how form has been, what the media isn't paying attention to, what to look for in the game to see if things are going well for us, or if they aren't. They reciprocate, and ideally both sets of blogs are able to watch the game slightly more informed, as MOTD just doesn't show you a team's real form, and no one has the time to watch every game out there...
A standard level of decorum should be imposed- which I think we are all very capable of- consisting of no "our team is going to beat your team's ass" or "Chelsea have no history" or "Scousers are thieves" or "Catalans are all effeminate and never learned how to speak French properly" or other such things. Regardless of how true you might believe them to be.
I think it could be quite interesting if other blogs are game. I know the Hammers are generally worth talking to, even if they resent us for wanting to steal Zola away from them, etc. But it might be nice to see a perspective on the top 4 from outside our own little insular world.
Yet another great post: I feel almost like a voyeur in the Tony household (quite fitting after who we've just disposed of).
@BC That's an interesting idea and strange that you mention the spammers because their street followers have always held the sort of hatred of everything Chelsea that only Arse/Tots usually indulge in.
It would be good to have some kind of blogfest where we could see who else have a place worth visiting for a change.
Also glad to note that some of us are seeing the relative merits of the poo as opposed to the other reds.
For all their faults, they can at least trace their roots back to a real person (Bill Shankly) who dragged them out of the old second division and turned them into the best team of their era, OK it was a long time ago, but still...
Effort at Serious Comment Corner
I couldn’t help but think that the talk of the EPL dominating Europe is slightly skewed. The domination they refer to in recent seasons, has been the preserve of the same 4 clubs. Contrast this with the performance in the UEFA Cup in recent years. The UEFA cup is the competition in which those clubs knocking on the door of top fourship get a chance to take on European opposition. They haven’t done that well. They certainly haven’t dominated. So as the competition has expanded to make it even more difficult to get knocked out until the very final stages, the EPL still fails to exert any grip.
Stating the obvious: as the big clubs in Spain and Italy, particularly, struggled financially the big four here have hoovered up a lot of talent with their financial muscle. Add in the managers that three of the four have had in place for a number of years and they have managed to get a hold on the competition. The fact that other teams in the EPL are also able to pay foreign players more than the competing European leagues has also denuded the pool available to European teams.
So the mutual backslapping seems a bit previous to me as I’m not sure that the EPL is really has the depth we all think it has. This is not a puff for the “big” 4 but a few thoughts on the media’s ability to indulge in hubris.
Nonsense Comment Corner
@ Clive
"Excellent read Tony, I think we should all be nominating you for the Nobel Prize for literacy."
I think you meant the Unesco Confucius Prize for Literacy rather than the The Nobel Prize for Literature. Thinking of where TG lives I think it's the former as it's intended to encourage literacy amongst the rural poor.......
Reply to BlueBayou:
Ironic Comment Corner
@ BB - good serious comment and one that I doubt Platini and Blatter have considered as evidence against EPL domination. What I find slightly ironic is the changes in tune from Messrs Redknapp and O' Neil who despite having been in the UEFA cup competition this year and showing utter contempt for it, and their fans by fielding reserve sides and therefore routinely accepting exits are now focused on................gaining a place in the UEFA/Europa Cup!
And on my location...........hmmm rural poor huh? Not quite poor enough to get rid of their Chelsea tractors just yet methinks.......
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Good read Tony.... Nice to get an insight into Casa Glover!
It seemed bizarre to me when both Spurs and Villa played weakened sides in the UEFA Cup..... Why bother to enter if you are not going to take it seriously.
I think the most admirable thing about Chelsea is they take every competition seriously and try to win them all. It has given us some great FA Cup / Carling Cup memories in the last 10 years, and if Utd / Liverpool and Arsenal had tried as hard as we have, I doubt if we would have been as successful in those cups as we have.
"I think you meant the Unesco Confucius Prize for Literacy rather than the The Nobel Prize for Literature. Thinking of where TG lives I think it's the former as it's intended to encourage literacy amongst the rural poor......."
@BB
I did mean Literature, I'm not clever enough to know about the other one. That's the trouble when you post amongst the intellectual giants on this blog, your mistakes are easily picked up. ;-)
Great read Tony. This has indeed been one of the happiest weeks of another very peculiar season.
I like Be_Champ's idea -- is it practicable? It would be interesting to get an oppo fan's point of view after each game, if we could somehow guarantee that they'd bring the same serene fair-mindedness to their reportage that comes so naturally to all of us ... [ahem]
The stock reports over the course of the season as a whole would look very strange. Think of Deco, Mikel, Malouda, Drogba ... not to mention Scolari, and indeed Kenyon. Off the top of my head I can think of only two players who would seem to have maintained blue-chip status all the way through, allowing for the odd dip and surge: Frank and Cashley. Which presumably means that one or the other of them ought to be PotY. Of course since the voters are mostly twelve-year-olds with short attention spans (witness last year's result) you never know what'll happen -- they'll probably give it to Drogs.
I'd be tempted to vote Cashley myself, on the principle that defenders' contributions don't get recognised often enough. (Didn't we unanimously agree here last season that Riccy was the outstanding candidate for PotY?) But I still can't warm to him, and in all honesty Frank deserves it more anyway.
Reply to Greenlight:
Frank & Cash, sounds like a seventies movie, but they are probably the most consistent players this term.
What about most improved?
That would usually go to a younger player but they haven't really had the chance to shine or haven't been consistent enough.
If Alex keeps his form then he'd be a contender - gone from backup to first choice (possibly), but there's still time for Ivanovich maybe.
On the UEFA stuff:
Those clubs obviously don't expect to be in the CL any time soon or they'd be mindful of our experience following Ken Beards guidance, when poor performances in the second cup cost us a decent seeding in the CL for several seasons.
What's all the fuss about Manccienne taking charge of LB in the Barca game? is it a mindgame from Guus or is it just that the press couldn't find anything to write about?
Nice one TG, sums an interesting week up very well; given the description of your Dennis Thatcher-esque supporting role as to Mrs. T(G), might "Dear Bill..." be a more appropriate title for the new column...? :-)
Like the idea of a blog linkup - have to say I've not spent too much time on the forums / other blogs on Ole Ole, but there might be a few diamonds in the rough out there.
On the rise and rise of Florent Malouda, it seems pretty clear that he's one of those players that just needs the right manager / management style. I don't think he's in the 'world beater' category - his outstanding season in France was more the exception than the norm - but he looked competent enough when he arrived and was clearly rattled by the sudden departure of Mourinho, never really took to working with Avram (or vice versa) and likewise Scolari. Hiddink seems to have given him his confidence back - not sure he's worth another season, depending on who the summer's targets are but having a clearly revitalised player at this stage of the season with (potentially) three pots to play for is never a bad thing.
Finally, in the midst of the Wembley pitch fracas that is rumbling on - and whilst it needs addressing, it was hardly the Baseball Ground circa 1972 - maybe Arsene and Alex might want to take note of this quote...
"If you go to a lot of places in Europe and Africa you get pitches that are a lot worse than that," he insisted. "I don't think you should start talking about the pitch, whether you win or lose. It was fine to play on."
Well said, Guus...
Lamps all the way for me as PotY. So consistent it's unbelieveable. Ashley seems to be able to chuck in an average game a lot more often than Frank - and you notice it a lot more when it's Frank.
Most improved [whisper] - Malouda? I dont think I ever really under-estimated Alex, but we seem to be struggling to pick our best CB partnership now, because we seem so riddled with injuries (Riccy got injured for the ressies last night) that maybe Alex / Ivanovic should now be first choice with JT. Until JT joins Man Citeh in the summer......
In a way, I'd like the title race to be over a few games before the end so Guus can give some of the kids some proper game time - not 5-10 minutes at the end of a match for Di Santo. Would be good to see him, Stoch, Mancienne et al get a few 90 minute stints under their belts so we can see if they are the future, or just another group of 'almost' kids who'll drift off on loan for the next few seasons and eventually be released.
While it was a strange choice of McFergies to pick as many youngsters as he did, none of them really under-performed, yet it's hard to see how we'd be able to do the same thing. I'd love to be proven wrong....
Very good read, Mr Glover.
Riccy injured again? He's crocked a little too often these days... As quality as he is on his day, I'm still of the perhaps controversial opinion to see him leave in the summer in order to let Mancienne through.
Reply to fansincethesixties:
"Frank & Cash, sounds like a seventies movie, but they are probably the most consistent players this term."
You are thinking Tango and Cash. From 1989. Stallone and Kurt Russel.
LINK
Reply to Clive:
Clive, you give up too easily. I thought you were making a rather clever joke! You should have held out for the plaudits.
Reply to Be_Champions:
I can't bluff, so I'd be no good at poker, as a matter of fact I'm usless at poker.
And what a game at Anfield tonight.
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Interesting thoughts Tony. The notion that one league is better than another league based on the CL results is completely disingenuous. You have the first problem of different financial structures for the big teams- different debt rules, etc. that change the way they can buy players and pay them. On top of the relative markets that the teams sit in to draw revenue from the fans.
Then you have the Europa Cup issue- how good are the middle teams in your league? That can be seen a bit through that competition. What can't be seen is the bottom teams- how good are they? Across leagues they can't be compared.
Then the Champion's League is not very representative of how good your league is. You lose your tie in the last 16, you are out. Who knows what your injuries are, what your form is for those two weeks, etc. My general sense is the Champion and runner up are deserved- you vanquished everyone, and made it through the group stage. But if Inter plays Man U in the first round and loses, or plays them in the final and loses, what does it matter?
As for the UEFA Cup, if the money is to be present in it, not to make it deep in the competition (appearance fee rather than performance fee) then of course teams will dog it later to make sure they get there in the league. If winning pays you less than making sure you are in the cup again next year, then you just play to re-appear.
Sticking my neck out here but a prediction for tomorrow night......
Chelsea 6 - Everton 6
Well, everyone else is at it......
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Will that be yellow cards, or corners?
Reply to ChelseaTony:
More like 0-0:
Lots of reserves, nobody wants to get injured, oh, make it 3-0.
Reply to ChelseaTony:
Well it was almost spot on for Looserpool and Arse-anal 4:4 another thriller. Now one more draw from Man USA and title chase is open again!!!
Thats 8 goals in 2 games for the 'Poo
Just can't put my hand on the post right now but was I the only one to predict that Gerrard's absence would cost them defensively?
There's no substitute for an astute football brain as people are always telling me.....
Where's me chalkboard I'll talk you through it...
@Clive
Be Champs is right. Bluff it out in future. I thought it was a superb deliberate error. Btw never mistake an intellectual giant for someone who stumbles onto something while googling ;-)
Loved tonight's game. Arshavin is a bit special and Wenger must be regretting his decision to rest him at Wembley. No point in listening to the Arsenal fans saying that with those type of performances they can win the CL as with no Arshavin and no defence, us or Barca can batter them.
I wonder what Roman thought of Arshavin? If we're in for a big summer's worth of transfers, i'd take Arshavin over Robinho.
I am amazed at how much Gallas has been doing for Arsenal. I do not forgive him for the prick he is, but Silvestre is awful. I thought Malouda was bad, but Denilson and Song are setting new standards. Feel sorry for Arsenal and what they have become. I have been badgered by a Scouser and this is what I have found.
First Division/Premier League: Champions: 1954–55
FA Cup Winners: 1970, 1997, 2000
League Cup Winners: 1965, 1998
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winners: 1971, 1998
UEFA Super Cup Winners: 1998
Wonder if I am missing a few trophies here!
Reply to haberdashers:
Unfortunately, Arshavin won't be going anywhere, but you are right, we should have taken him when we had the chance. His goals were wonderfully taken and I'm sure putting his finger to his lips at the Kop end will impress the Scousers no end!
I will whisper it quietly, but I think I am actually getting as much pleasure out of Liverpool dropping points and losing games, as I am out of some of our wins at the moment!
Reply to Greenlight:
Yes, we missed out on that one. I really thought that the Russian connection would come through. I'm sure if Guus had been our manager at that point we would have taken him for sure.
One good goal, one lucky goal, and two sublime goals. I haven't seen him look poor yet.
So, anyone else already prepared for the media sledging we'll get tomorrow morning when we havent drawn 4-4?
It's half eight in the morning, and all I've heard this morning is "Can Chelsea v Everton live up to the thriller at Anfield?". Probably not, because we might actually try that revolutionary tactic called 'defending'. Christ, you'd think we had witnessed the most amazing game ever, but dissect it piece by piece (and while it was exciting and had well taken goals) it was a game riddled with mistakes and simply average players.
But, hey, why let that bother anyone.
Reply to Fiftee:
As Danny Baker described it. Rank awful football!
And he also made the point that if it had been Liverpool/Arsenal players and coaches watching Darlington vs Scunthorpe for a 4-4 or similar they'd be scoffing at the amateurish skills on display.
Entertaining, yes.
A display of the best of football. No.
Reply to Fiftee:
True Fiftee..... But equally I thought the same about last week's clash with the 'history-dwellers'.
It's been a crazy week and 3 of the top 4 have completely forgotten how to defend, which makes for exciting football and perhaps the biggest rollercoaster end to a season ever.
I was thinking this..
“The prospect of lots of high scoring games seems on the surface to be an attractive idea. However as people have commented on here, the mechanics of achieving these results can sometimes be less than satisfactory (poor defending, error strewn football). Initially the excitement and intense emotional involvement may seem attractive but can that be sustained when combined with regularity and repetition?”
and then I saw this……
LINK
The things people claim to have done just to write a book eh? I suppose she isn’t lying as she goes to Bible Class……..is that what Bible Class makes people think about? Makes you wonder about this God bothering business.
Reply to Fiftee:
Ha ha...how ironic. The poor old media, always turning those lazy cliches because journalists and commentators can't actually think for themselves and make individual assessments. They've had a problem with Chelsea this season, because we have abandoned the expected stereotype of tightly organised team work. Those abiding myths that other clubs like to trade on can all be seen in a different light - the open football of Arsenal (schoolboy amateurishness), the attacking flair of ManYoo (a stodgy team continually rescued by individual skill of expensive imports), the heart of Liverpool (constipated play now breaking down under pressure into incompetence).
I certainly hope we do tighten up at the back. A great team defends well, has a creative midfield engine room and deploys forwards who destroy defences. We have always been like that, but the myths demanded we were the dour, overbearing bullies in the playground who trod on the toes of the innocent entertainers. We'll soon be seeing this tired old narrative dusted off for the upcoming games with Barca - who are regularly presented as a saintly team who rescue football from the likes of us. But scoring lots of goals and attacking all the time is not that difficult when you only have to play the equivalent of West Brom every week.
Well, talk about press stupidity, anyone can spot what's wrong in this article?
LINK
Reply to BlueMania:
Nothing wrong with that article.
Aren't Pompey playing the best team in the Universe who show the rest how to play wonderful attacking football?
Or maybe just a bit of Freudian slippage.
Reply to BlueBayou:
I read this article during lunch on the paper copy of my Grauniad (sic) and wondered what it might to to a player to score every game. I mean every game. Every single game they play. Surely the fun disappears after a while? How do you keep it exciting and thrilling? Don't you have to experiment with new techniques of scoring to keep the interest up? Isn't it inevitable that they will fail from time to time..and then what...reversion back to the good old bang it in hard technique? Isn't it's comparative rarity value what makes it such a thrill?
So many questions and so few Bible class students available.......
Incidentally, for anyone who hasn't seen it from last nights Spanish football, here's Real Madrids Pepe going all, well, who knows :
LINK
And here's the subsequent penalty. Think it was taken to make Berbatov feel better after Sunday...
LINK
This is a bit of a cheeky ask but would anyone mind texting me the Chelsea - Everton score this evening? And, to be even more annoying, can you text me every time a goal is scored? See, it's my 19th house party today and from 8 onwards we'll be drinking so I'll be too drunk to venture into my room and press refresh on bbc sports. Also one of my guests is an Evertonian and another is a Chelsea fan so we'll all be wanting to know!
Reply to Fiftee:
Better send them a link to the new on-line edition of "Football for Dummies".
Need to check for the version in Spanish though.
Reply to EmmaBung:
Emma it would be very dangerous to let any lecherous old men on this blog (especially Tony) have your phone number. I would hit the refresh page on the BBC site as often as the alcohol allows you.
Trust me you'll thank me in the morning.
For the thousands of you who like me love the permanent way (that's railways to the uninitiated), there is a fine picture atop Giles Smiths column on the Chelsea website (and the words are good too as usual)
You should also take a look at Pat Nevin's piece where he answers the question as to who he will support on the big day.......
Off to the Bridge now. I won't be chewing my nails tonight because I went past them and the first knuckle last week.
@TG
Nothing like getting to "know" people as they say in the Bible
absolute shit! Hiddink is no Mourinho or for that matter a genius...why was Ballack who looked like a fucking shire horse left on after Mikel came on and Essien was taken off! he is the same every game. they only movement we have is down the wings and with Lampard through the middle...another chance to close the gap on a rival, liverpool and keep the pressure on Man-u and yet again we fail AT HOME. There seemed to be no fight in the team until the last 20 minutes..up to then it was all lazying around. I hope hiddink and Roman are'nt just going to concentrate on the CL and one FA cup..after all, we skidded and lost on one penalty..remmber Mr genius?? what a pair of goons all of them..I really pity the fans who pay to go and see this. lets be honest, at least Liverpool were up for a fight even if they too dropped points and thats from someone who cant stand Benitez or liverpool, dire rubbish....actally, i still think we can win the Cl and the FA Cup but they are far from won and we should keep the pressure for any slips by the others as the pool did last night , but i really detest it when these players decide they dont really want to play..they should just have given Everton the points and not shown up..and Kalou, the quicker him and ballack are gone the better
Reply to Dio:
I didn't think we were that bad. I have sat through far worse than that before. We were never going to win the league anyway this year. It probably helps from an FA Cup final perspective, they won't quite know how to play us. Sometimes it's just not to be. For what it's worth, I thought Ballack was ok. For most of the game he was playing the holding role and got in a couple of useful blocks.
From where we were after the Hull game I'd still take the position we are in now.
Reply to Dio:
We were nothing more than average. Essien was poor tonight whereas Ballack was playing superbly ntil 15 mins from the end where he faded. Kalou didn't add much but in the end we deserved no more than a draw. Lamps had an off night as well, maybe subconsciously they knew the PL had gone and are keeping their powder dry.
I'm on match report duty but it'll be tomorrow sometime now as i've just had the shittiest journey home ever. Why they've bothered to keep any of the A3 open is beyong me with 3/4 of it under some sort of lane closure bollocks. 2 and a quarter fucking hours......
Leave it out Dio, these games happen to the very best every season.
The league was lost at home to Arsenal and Liverpool, and away to Man Utd at Old Trafford. Those are the games that influence the top 4 not games against the other 16. (Though Everton are an amazing team!)
You take the above results out of the equation and we are the best team in England.
As has been said before we were out of contention before Christmas. For me the target is 2nd place, which we are 3 points behind with 5 to play. Come on Chelsea :D
Guus has been better than any of us expected, he has identified what went wrong against Everton already and will fix it.
Lets get behind them all and hope for a score draw at the Nou Camp!