The Community Shield: Chelsea 1 - 2 Liverpool
Monday, 14 August 06, 03:25 PM · Comments (10)
Match reports
The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: "Mourinho will have departed reflecting that, for all his fabled resources, it will be important to get Petr Cech and Joe Cole back from surgery and injury. He might conceivably make a mental note to seek conciliation with the disaffected William Gallas. In addition, Claude Makelele's rest must be well and truly over now."
The Independent, Sam Wallace: "So what has happened to the width that made Chelsea the home of four of the world's best wingers last season? Mourinho said after the match he had decided it was time for a change, although fiddling with a team that have swept all before them in the Premiership for the past two seasons is a risky business."
Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: "For all the steel-and-velvet excellence of Andrei Shevchenko and bright promise of Salomon Kalou in Chelsea's attacking surges, Liverpool thoroughly deserved this victory. Never a work of great art, the Community Shield went through a brief blue period, particularly when Shevchenko was rampaging around either side of half-time, but otherwise Cardiff again belonged to Liverpool."
The Times, Matt Hughes: "Unlike their shamefully sparse side of the Millennium Stadium, it is difficult to judge whether Chelsea’s glass is half-empty or half-full. Inspired by Andriy Shevchenko to compete with a Liverpool side possessing superior fitness and application, the Barclays Premiership champions conceded an uncharacteristic late winner to Peter Crouch, but it will take more than this setback for them to lose confidence in retaining their crown."
Official Chelsea FC Website, Neil Barnett: "It wasn't unexpected that Chelsea ran out of legs, but when Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge in September for a Premiership game, it may well be yet another occasion when Chelsea has to prove itself all over again."
The Herald, Karen Giles: "It is bound to take time for [Michael] Ballack to adjust to his new surrounds. Yet so spectacular was his failure to cope with the pace and the aggression in a match, dubbed a friendly by all bar the participants, Ballack faces an uncomfortable baptism in the Premiership."
The good
- Andriy Shevchenko. It was evident from the outset just why Roman Abramovich stumped up approximately £30m for the Ukranian. He's clearly still one of the world's greatest strikers. Technically brilliant, there's a good few seasons left in him yet. Scored his first goal for the club, a sublime, composed finish from a (rare) good Frank Lampard pass. The first of twenty-five this season? Let's hope so.
- Michael Essien. Was assured in the Claude Makelele role. Has looked sharp all pre-season and will surely give Jose Mourinho a few selection headaches.
- It's always painful losing to Liverpool, but we can take solace in the fact that the squad isn't yet up to speed, and the meaningless nature of the game. It will be a different matter come the first Premiership meeting with the Reds in September.
The bad
- The defence, particularly the full-backs. Geremi and Paulo Ferriera (admittedly playing out of position at left-back) were both exposed on several occasions, and Wayne Bridge wasn't a deal better when brought on during the second half. Ashley Cole may be a money-grabbing so-and-so but on the evidence of pre-season it's clear we need a player of his ability, especially if William Gallas continues to gripe. Carlo Cudicini's effort to save John Arne Riise's shot could have been better too.
- A rushed pre-season. The number of Chelsea players at the World Cup obviously handicapped Mourinho somewhat, but four games in one week, starting in the States, isn't great preparation for the forthcoming campaign. With a week of pointless international friendlies coming up, Mourinho's got his work cut out preparing for next weekend's Premiership opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
- Our record against Liverpool in Cup competitions in recent times. Yesterday's game may have been meaningless, but we are in danger of letting the Reds develop some kind of mental hold over us in knockout matches. Mourinho's record against them in the Premiership is impeccable - four wins out of four, combined scoreline 8-2 - but Cup games are a different matter. Let's hope we get the opportunity to address this in the coming months.
- The number of Chelsea fans in the Millennium Stadium. I don't feel qualified to give an opinion or criticise (I'm one of the fans who genuinely can only afford to attend a small number of games each season) but surely yesterday's somewhat meagre attendance is evidence that something's wrong?
Man of the Match
By some distance, Andriy Shevchenko.
Final thoughts
I was a tad inebriated before kick-off and continued to imbibe lager throughout the game, so the above is what I recall seeing through an alcoholic haze - and the subsequent hangover is probably responsible for a little too much negativity. Waking up with a hangover of hideous proportions is horrible to say the least, but waking up with a hangover of hideous proportions the day after losing to Liverpool is a damn sight worse. Thankfully things can only get better. Roll on Sunday.
I'm going to take a couple of aspirin and lie down in a darkened room.
Related links
- Reaction: Jose - we need to work
- Deadly Shevchenko will compete for top-scorer tag
- Mourinho reluctant to praise rivals
- Chelsea hit by Ballack concerns
- Shevchenko shows Roman conquest was worth wait
- Mourinho not shaken but Reds' confidence is stirred
- Look at it this way
- Mourinho must dig deep to master three-times table
(This post's format unashamedly stolen from the spendid DCenters blog.)
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Certainly in the cups Liverpool have the evil eye over us at the moment.
They hold their shape very well and are incredibly disciplined.
Maka definitely makes a big difference although he is getting on a bit and will not play every game this season. He often dictates the tempo and breaks up the play so successfully that in my opinion he dominates (albeit subtley) most matches.
The Liverpool mideifled dominated yesterday despite Essien's best efforts. Lampard was anonymous while Ballack got kicked off the park early on.
I think Ballack will be fine in the winter - it has been known to get pretty cold in Germany too. It will take him a little time to adjust to the pace and aggression of the Premiership however.
Yesterday we were not very good at all but as you say the real test will come in September when our boys are fitter and used to playing with each other.
Niall, good stuff and think you're largely right, though i think Ballack will grow and thrive in the Prem - judging by the balls he showed in Germany, he ain't the type to go missing. We all know exactly how important Maka is to Chelsea these days - there's not a player in Europe to touch him.
Don't agree with Frank being over-rated - he's played exceptionally for Chelsea for three seasons, scoring, creating, tackling, everything. He's not just some David Platt type who does eff all bar score 20 goals a season. What do you think Liverpool's starting XI is going to be next season?
We missed Maka and Cech.
Carlo WAS a great keeper.
Geremi is overrated.
Farreira should always play at right back. We need Ashley Cole as Bridgey is looked very rusty and there are no back-up quality left backs (well, there is but it seems Billy Gallas will not wear a blue shirt again)
Possibly the 4-1-4-1 formation is the best with Drogs coming on from the bench and Robben and Cole (or SWP) should play as wingers.
People,
I do not think we should judge our team’s chances this season based on the result of the Charity Shield. While the boys didn’t go all the way to Cardiff with the hope of losing, I do not think anyone had in mind that this was going to be the game to set the tone for the season, despite the newspapers’ celebratory leers over what they consider a significant Chelsea loss. Liverpool have been ahead in pre-season preparation, they’ve had a competitive game in Europe already, thus there is no surprise that their match-fitness level is far better than Chelsea’s. Due to our players’ role in the World Cup and a disrupted pre-season programme, Mourinho had said that as much as he’d wish to win the game, in truth, it was no more than a pre-season game. I was very happy when he didn’t do anything desperate to try and win after Crouch’s goal. Let the whole of Merseyside continue to rejoice; they’ve beaten the Mighty Chelsea, but the bookies know better.
On the issue of our defence generally and our full-backs especially, I don’t think there’s cause for concern really. We all know that we are still looking to buy. At least we expect a new left-back to join the team soon, be it Ashley Cole or someone else. I love Bridge, but he’s average. He’s never been better than he was at Southampton and he’s a one-dimensional player, much like Del Horno. In fact, if they’re both fit, I’ll choose Del Horno ahead of him because the latter at least has a better attacking side to his game. I know there’s a laughable campaign going on in some Chelsea circles to install Bridge as first choice, but that would be suicidal. I don’t know who Chelsea will finally bring in as left-back, but as things are, Bridge is only good enough for the bench.
Personally, I think part of Bridge’s problem (apart from the injuries now taking their toll) is that his heart is not with Chelsea anymore. I listened to an interview he had before our game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (while he was on loan there) and while I could understand why he’d talk up Fulham chances against us (since that was his team at that moment), the gusto with which he did this against his own club made me wonder. Even in discussing his own future at Chelsea, he was very negative. While these pre-season and Charity Shield games may not be the best parameters to judge him, I just think I’ve seen enough of him to know that we cannot entrust him with the responsibility of making that position his own. I have a feeling that his days are numbered at the Bridge as well, but I hope he proves me wrong by showing some spirit.
In fact, when the whole story about Cole coming to Chelsea broke, I was thinking that this should give Bridge a bigger incentive to prove himself, since this would be an opportunity to compete against the same guy that keeps him on the bench in the national team. He could be using one stone to kill two birds, I thought. I mean, if he can work hard enough to keep Cole on the bench at club level, this would do to keep the latter on the bench too in the England team. So, rather than feeling sorry for himself because a new left-back is coming, I thought he should see it as an opportunity to show he can be trusted.
Also, I’ve read all sorts of denunciation of Ferreira since yesterday (not on this site though), but the guy is fine. He would pick up his game when it matters. One thing we need to understand is that he is the player that Mourinho has worked longest with in that squad. And their relationship has never been just plain sailing. The moment Ferreira becomes a liability Mourinho will drop him without a second thought, as he has done at Porto and at Chelsea. But you cannot judge him on these pre-season games or even the Charity Shield game where he started off as a left-back.
Of course, yesterday, on the basis of their fitness level, and to an extent their performances in the last part of last season, Geremi deserves to be first choice right-back ahead of Ferreira, but after one or two league games, I expect Ferreira to be better. I think he’s also one of the players remaining behind at the Bridge as the others go for international assignment. So, he’d have the opportunity to put in extra work. I have faith in him, because even though he’s been prone to a few mistakes, he always comes bouncing back (as he did with us in his first season after that mistake against Greece).
Ferreira has a football mind and a useful brain. Why he’s lasted long with Mourinho and why the latter trusts him is basically because he has no pretensions. He always applies himself to what is asked of him, quietly, diligently, without complaining, and in those times he’s not good enough (like Sunday in Cardiff), you can’t fault him for effort. I don’t mind him fighting with Geremi for the right back position. If they’re both fit, I wouldn’t have any concern for right back. However, this depends, of course, on whether Gallas is available. If Jose decides to stick with Terry and Carvalho at centre-back, I expect Gallas to take the right-back position (which is how I expect them to line up against Man City). Bridge would fight for the left-back position with the new man whoever he is. But if it’s Ashley Cole, he would start there ahead of Bridge once he’s match fit.
Anyone reading anything into yesterday’s game about Mourinho’s strategy for the season would be mistaken. Though Mourinho knows his structure and their different variations (depending on opponents and the nature of any game in question), he’s still looking for men to man the sub-structures. People like Cech, Gallas, Makelele and Joe Cole who were missing yesterday are pivotal for this purpose. Yesterday, as he’s done throughout pre-season, he was experimenting with different people positionally, especially at the back and in midfield pursuant to this purpose. To that extent, we shouldn’t expect to see Ferreira playing left-back often when we’re up and running. And really, none of us can say anything definitive about our defence for now until we finish buying and only after two or three league games. Up front and midfield,I think we’re sorted. Sheva made me very happy yesterday with the way he took his goal and even though Ballack went out injured, I’ve seen enough of him so far in Chelsea colours to know that he’s going to be a big player for us in a successful season. And yes, he can work with Lampard. Everything is now in Jose’s hands. What he does in our first league game should give a better idea of where we’re going. But I trust him to get it right.
Keep the faith, people!
Never have lost the faith Kenn!
Roll on Sunday.
Bothered bothered bothered by the lack of width.....
Lots of teams worked out how to play us last season. We eventually broke them down by playing wide, with more often than not, the ball being played back into Lampard on the 18 yard line. I don't think that Ballack, Lampard and Cole are going to be effective if we play with a holding midfielder. There are only a handful of teams in the Premiership that we need to play with Maka with. Hopefully it will be Cole - Lampard - Ballack - and one of SWP or Robben in the rotation, with us reverting to a holding midfielder against the Liverpools, Arsenals etc...
And while I'm on it, our worst player yesterday, by a country mile, was Robben. Horrible. Just seemed to roam without purpose or direction, give away scrappy balls, commit fouls. Hope it's a sharpness thing.
10 Comments · Add yours
Agree with all of that.
Although Essien pushed Sheva for motm in my opinion.
does the chelsea faithfull see that claude is the best player in your team (maybe not now with shev there)
he lets JT boss the defense so well gives frank the space to and time to pick out his pass and shoot from just about anywhere (seriously over rated) frees up your flair players to work their magic
he does more work than most prem teams central midfield pairing
also cech is up there with the very best
not denying your qualities as a team your record speaks for itself but i think rafa is getting the upper hand over jose (my opinion of course) we may not be at your level over the season but we arent far off
hope other teams step up this year to make the race more interesting and its not over by they end of september as it was last year
not sure if ballack will be up for the fight come the winter although he is a quality player still alot of goals in drogba (still dont like him)
but your back line may be undone more often this year if left back isnt sorted and gallas is allowed to leave
yous are still the favorites to retain the tittle but it will be a lot closer this year
the real stuff starts on sat so by our next meeting both clubs will see where they are looking forward to ruining jose 100% record in the league against us