"Super Sub" Settles the Score

Forget Wednesdays being a curse, maybe it’s just bad luck or maybe it’s bad organisation or bad management or.......... the list is exhaustive and I am exhausted...... I have been up since 4.30 this morning and hope it isn’t my football head that has kept me awake.... yes my daughter K moving into her love nest with her Spanish boyfriend may have something to do with it as well!  Annoyingly she was spared the angst of all Chelsea supporters last night as she was watching the semi final of the Copa del Rey between Real Madrid and Barcelona – I hear it was a great watch and for the first time wish I had not bothered streaming the Reading v Chelsea match - even Arsenal v Liverpool would have been more entertaining (I have to confess I did have the Arsenal match on Sky in the background and had to make a conscious decision to redirect my attention to the stream).

Talking of stream, my techy (I just realised reading through that ‘techy’ is one ‘t’ short of ‘tetchy’!) husband who patiently facilitates my habit by finding me watchable streams gave me a choice last night of a good quality picture with Portuguese commentary or a pixelated one with English.   I’m telling you this because the end result was that he managed to synchronise the two running at the same time and so I got the best of both worlds (thanks). While he was finalising the feed, I caught a glimpse of Adam Le Fondre on the Reading bench.  I found myself giving a public warning about the ‘super sub’  to my other half, my eldest E (who was taking a break from her psychology course work  - she had just got us to complete a questionnaire in order to ascertain our levels of ‘neuroticism’ and I had managed to score over 90....oops) and the cat .  I had seen him come on late in the match Reading played against West Brom when they turned a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 win – all three goals being scored in the last seven minutes of the game and Le Fondre being responsible for two.  My family told me to stop being so negative before the match had even begun (maybe being a Chelsea supporter has something to do with my high score on the ‘neuroticism scale’).

I don’t want to dwell too much on the details of the match but I will anyway!  David Luiz and Petr Cech were still unfit and Ross (Brad) Turnbull stood in for Cech.  Juan Mata scored just before half time from a ball elegantly dinked (would I sound more professional if I said chipped?) towards him by his countryman Torres and Frank Lampard doubled the lead in the 66^th minute, heading in the ball from a Juan Mata corner (196 yaay).  The team seemed in control of the game but didn’t manage to capitalise on all the chances they created.  Bambi (Oscar) squandered two great opportunities, the first by not passing to Fernando (who was surprisingly well placed) and the second by feeling pressured to pass to the flailing striker, when he himself was in the best position to realise the goal.  The Royal keeper Federici made some good saves including a thumping strike from Ramires.  Gary Cahill also unusually missed a header from a perfectly placed Lampard free kick. 

For Reading Pavel Pogrebnyak had a pretty quiet game finding himself alone and isolated in the Chelsea half for long periods of the match while his team played a defensive game.  Adam Le Fondre was introduced into the game at 68 minutes and his team mate and provider, Hope Akpan at 77minutes, at the same time as a limping Juan Mata was replaced by Yossi Benayoun (Fernando Torres’ self declared best friend) back from loan to West Ham.  Ten minutes later Akpan assisted Le Fondre in his first goal of the night and yes you guessed it, four minutes into the excessive 5 min stoppage time  Akpan provided again for Le Fondre (who was one of three unmarked Reading players – what were we thinking....?) and he calmly volleyed the ball past Turnbull and into the net.  I don’t want to sound biased or take away from Le Fondre (and have been trying really hard to get away from victimising Brad) but can’t help feeling Petr Cech may have saved at least one, if not both of the goals.

At this point I am pained to discuss the timing of Rafa’s inappropriate substitution, bringing on Demba Ba at no not 81 min (I have to reset my clock) but 90 min in between the two Reading goals.  Would John Terry have not been the obvious choice???

 Anyway the game ended a draw and another two points were needlessly lost on a night when Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool all drew, as had Manchester City the previous evening.  It was the perfect opportunity for us to close the gap to the Manchester’s while expanding the gap to fourth. I know it was only two points but ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’.  The two much needed points could have helped cement Chelsea’s position in the top four of the Premier League table.

Talking of the night before, Newcastle United had their first away win since last May, at Villa Park.  I was so pleased for Alan Pardew, who I have liked since he got Newcastle up to fifth in the table last season (for those commentators who say they ‘over achieved’ last season I have a question: how can you accidentally over achieve through the course of 38 games?)  After signing an eight year contract with the magpies, Pardew’s team started to flag – injuries to key players such as Ben Arfa, Cabaye and Tiote mitigated Pardew’s performance as a manager.  Even though I have been hoping for a Newcastle revival I found myself feeling sorry for Aston Villa who have been really down on their luck and came back so strongly in the second half I was surprised they didn’t nick the game.  Although Paul Lambert went down in my estimation for deserting Norwich City (as did Brendan Rodgers for a similarly timed abandonment of Swansea City) I wish him luck and hope he manages to pull Aston Villa out of the relegation zone.

Briefly, getting back to Newcastle, who we are playing on Saturday, I wish the change in their fortunes had come after playing us, as had their new French signings, who can take some credit for their first away win this season, with Moussa Sissoko laying on the first goal for Papiss Cisse.  The second goal also had a French connection and was a spectacular strike from Cabaye who has been impressing since his return from injury.  Let us hope we don’t end up a casualty of the French Revolution at St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.

Before I end, I want to share a couple of statistics with you - I have found myself becoming quite fond of statistics relating to football, although I hated the topic in school.  The first is in honour of my tenth post: Frank Lampard’s goal last night was his tenth of the season in all competitions and this means he has scored in double figures every season for the last ten (a post wouldn’t be complete without a bit of love for Frank!).  The second (and my attempt to seem impartial in my statistical display) is that Leighton Baines scored twice in one match for the first time in his Everton career (and maybe ever – please let me know if you know otherwise) last night (the transfer window is about to close and amazingly no one has snapped him up yet).

Very lastly and desperately, a heartfelt plea to Manchester United:

“Please stop winning!”

 

 

A ‘Brad’ day at the office

It’s been an exhausting and exciting weekend of football... The fourth round of the FA Cup has not disappointed with shock results eliminating top premiership sides including Tottenham and Liverpool.  Chelsea FC narrowly missed adding its name to the list by managing an unconvincing draw against Brentford who will head to Stamford Bridge for the replay.

The one thing that struck me about all three mentioned clubs was that even though they showed respect to their ‘unseeded’ opponents by selecting strong and recognisable line ups, all three clubs played their second choice keepers in goal.

Pepe Reina’s understudy, Brad Jones took his place in the Liverpool goal against Oldham Athletic, a financially struggling League One side who are slipping towards the relegation zone.  An early goal from Oldham was neutralised by the reliable boot of Luis Suarez.  Brad Jones had a terrible game spilling the ball which provided Oldham’s ‘Man of the Match’ centre forward, Matt Smith, with his second goal, putting the home team back in the lead.   Although Liverpool fought back to equalise, the underdog’s regained the lead and the final whistle ended the game 3-2.  Paul Dickov, the Oldham manager welcomed the promise of much needed additional television revenues from their advancing into the next round of the Cup.

Andre Villas-Boas’ second choice veteran goal keeper, Brad Friedel, took his place in the Tottenham goal in their 4^th round tie at Elland Road (Brad Friedel never gave me any cause for concern pre AVB when he was first choice keeper even though he is the oldest player in the Premiership – thinking back to AVB at Chelsea attempting to cull the old timers, I see a pattern forming – look out Age Concern.... ). Clint Dempsey led the Spurs attack and although the team created many chances they were unable to capitalise on them.  Leeds United took the lead and Tottenham found themselves chasing the game.  The match ended 2-1 and Neil Warnock celebrated his sides convincing win over their third Premier league opposition this season.

Now to Chelsea.... think I have been avoiding the subject – especially after the first half performance which I am running out of adjectives to describe...

There was of course the usual controversy, with Petr Cech’s stand-in, Ross (aka Brad for the purposes of this post!) Turnbull handling a ball passed back into the box by John Terry (who started his first game since November).  No card shown or penalty awarded to Brentford.  The Referee Jon Moss made up for it (I guess after his halftime talk!) in the second half by awarding the softest Penalty to Brentford which was as a result of another 'Bradish' Turnbull mistake.

Brentford lived up to their pre match hype and two out of the three highlighted players delivered.  The Italian striker on loan from Fulham, Marcello Trotta put the Bees in front before half time.  One Rafa half time talk later (and one Juan Mata later) the Blues picked up their game and Oscar (who we have nicknamed Bambi) showed some of his Brazilian flair and scored a stunning equaliser.  As I just mentioned Jon Moss then awarded the Bees a penalty which their Man of the Match Harry Forrester converted.  I had marked Clayton Donaldson as my third Bee to look out for but fortunately for us he seemed to be missing the sting in his tail.

In a previous post I said I could set my clock by when Benitez brings on the much longed for Demba Ba.  I hope I am not being presumptuous thinking Rafa Benitez may have been reading my blog but he brought on Demba Ba alongside Torres (who had been having a quiet game) at exactly 81 minutes again!  The two centre forwards blended well together culminating in Fernando’s finest and first goal of the year. Writing this has for some reason reminded me my monthly issue of 4.4.2 magazine has not arrived yet!!

Going back to the understudy goal keepers involved in these matches, perhaps if they were played in big matches more often, and not just cup ties, the nerves they seem to exude, as do the line of defenders standing directly in front of them, would disappear as would some of their costly and simple mistakes.  This remark is a generalisation but I hope you get the gist of what I am trying to say.

I have been rambling but couldn’t finish without mentioning my breaking heart as a result of my youngest, K, flying the nest to move in with her Spanish (and a little hairy!) boyfriend.  The move is today and maybe why I have come down on the Brad’s of the world a bit harder than I may have!  On the plus side, he is a lovely boy, a Valencia fan and is a mine of information about La Liga.  Until now I have been getting my weekly update of La Liga from Juan Mata’s blog ‘One Hour Behind’, as I am usually footballed out by the time the Spanish matches come on TV in the evenings.

Finally, talking of flying the nest – it seems Didier Drogba has turned down Chelsea offers of returning to the bridge and is on the brink of signing for Galatasary – how much heart ache can one blue woman endure in one day??!!

Trouble in the Garden of Eden

I don't really know where to start.....

I guess first of all congratulations to Swansea City - a deserved win and I wish them luck in the final of the Capital One Cup.  A huge achievement for Michael Laudrup (who I continually mention is one of my favourite managers at the moment!!) and his side who take their place in the final of a knock out competition for the first time in the clubs history.

Commiserations to the Blues.  The only positive I can think of is that they may have been spared the humiliation of being beaten by a league two Bradford City side at Wembley.  Disappointment seems to be the name of the game this season and in five short months we have blown five opportunities for silverware.  As a result the 4th round FA cup tie against Brentford this Sunday suddenly has enormous significance for Rafa Benitez and Chelsea.

And yes now it's time to discuss 'Hazard gate'.  I must point out before I give my opinion that I have tried to be as objective as a reasonable Chelsea fan who loves Eden Hazard can be!  The only thing I think Hazard was guilty of was reacting instinctively (and as a result somewhat foolishly) to a surprisingly unusual and uncalled for event. I completely agree with all those who suggested that it was never Hazard's intention to hurt the boy.  If you watch the incident (which I have done numerous times) it is clear the Belgian initially tried to recover the ball with his hands.  It was only when the 17 year old Swansea City ball boy hurled his body on top of the ball,  in the manner of a desperate goal keeper that Hazard lost his cool and opted for a toe poke to push the ball out from under the boys abdomen.  For me the jury is still out as to whether Eden actually made contact with the boy, but I am more than certain he did make contact with the ball, as it popped out from the other side of the boy's body.  After watching the ball boy seemingly writhing around in agony I was comforted knowing that if his father's millions ever become unavailable to him at least he has a career in acting - he deserves an Oscar after that performance.

It later also transpired that the boy had more than likely masterminded the fiasco, describing himself as"the king of ball boys" who was "needed for time wasting" when tweeting prior to the game beginning.  In a court of law such evidence would be a definite indicator of 'intent'.  Having intent is what differentiates 'murder' from 'manslaughter'.... I know I'm sounding a bit heavy but I feel incredibly frustrated by the way Hazard has been dealt with by the Referees, Swansea City players and management, the press and of course the FA.  The FA have now charged Hazard with violent conduct saying the normal three-match ban that is a mandatory sanction for violent conduct "was clearly insufficient."  After assessing the events of the evening and interviewing the ball boy and his father the South Wales Police decided not to bring any charges against Hazard.  This is reminiscent of the Magistrates clearing John Terry of racism but the FA deciding they know better than the Laws of the Land and charging him anyway.  Who is there to regulate the FA and their decisions?  Why does the FA know best?  Whatever the FA are deciding or not deciding, it is clear to me that they have been responsible for much of the recent 'putrefaction' of football.

There has been much talk of this event overshadowing Swansea City's greatest achievement to date.  For me the shadow cast by this debacle reaches further.  It has not only tainted Eden Hazard's reputation possibly indefinitely and unnecessarily but it has totally exonerated the behaviour of a conceited and jumped up young man without whose actions none of this would have ever taken place.   Lets not forget Eden Hazard is only five years older than the ball boy who has seemingly walked away from this storm with nothing more than a proliferating twitter following.

At least it's good to know money can't buy brains or integrity.

‘SHOW ME THE MONEY’

There is still much discussion about the cause of Chelsea’s bad form at home recently.  Although they beat Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday afternoon, it was by no means a convincing win.  The second half in particular was a reminder of the vulnerability shown by the team at Stamford Bridge in the last few home games.

Much has been said about the atmosphere at the bridge since Rafa Benitez replaced the Champion League winning Roberto Di Matteo.  Since Robbie’s unceremonious sacking back in November, loyal fans have been applauding and singing his name in the 16^th minute of every match.  This celebration has gradually been losing momentum with time.  I was not fortunate enough to be at Stamford Bridge for the Arsenal match on Sunday.  I listened out for the chants of ‘there’s only one Di Matteo’ during the sixteenth minute but couldn’t hear it over the commentary on my tv.  My daughter E’s boyfriend was lucky enough to go to the match (yes sorry to any interested parties, she does have a boyfriend at the moment – though they are a bit on and off!) and when he came over after the match I asked him if there had been any 16^th minute love for Robbie.  He said no.  I have to be honest and say he is not the most reliable source of information as he can be a little unaware of his surroundings at times (hope he doesn’t read this!!).  Whether the longing for RDM has diminished, there is one thing for sure, the love for Rafa doesn’t seem to have grown much.

When Rafa was questioned about the less than welcoming atmosphere at the Bridge and whether he thought the unrest among the fans was affecting his team’s home performances he said this:

“The atmosphere doesn't affect the players. We are professionals and we concentrate on our job. If we win, I'm sure they'll be happy.”

In my recent posts I haven’t dwelled on the so called ‘poisoning’ of the atmosphere at the bridge by the fans. I didn’t want to focus on negativity and also as a fan myself I feel we have a right to be heard especially after spending our hard earned money (my husband will probably say it is his hard earned money, but I know plenty of professional women who fund their own football habits!)  Although I have been hoping Rafa is right and that the players would rise above it, I have been wondering if it has affected them.  

I was reading an article about the same subject written by an ex footballer who is now a columnist for the blues.  He said he couldn’t recall any moment in five years playing every week for the blues, a single negative vibe aimed towards him even if he wasn’t having a good game.  He said knowing the fans believed in him gave him a surge in confidence and belief in himself.  Reading his article, (which had I been a psychologist, I would have interpreted as a covert nudging of fans to be more supportive) got me thinking.....

I know this is a cliche but:

Money is the root of all evil!

...and at the moment I think the root of a lot of the unrest at Stamford Bridge and many other football clubs.

Sky and BT announced a three-year €3.6 billion agreement last June, which comes into effect from next season.  This deal has put so much pressure on clubs to stay in the Premiership.  Promotion to a higher league or winning a place in the Champion’s League is another financially driven necessity rather than a prestige driven honour.

The last time I was at Stamford Bridge was for the semi-final of the Capital One Cup.  I sat in front of a lovely older gentleman, who was obviously a pensioner.  Ironically I find myself writing this on the eve of tomorrow’s second leg of the semi-final at Swansea.  He was calling out in frustration most of the 90 minutes and by the end his voice was barely audible.  I remember thinking that the team owed him a duty of care.  He had paid an astronomical price for his seat and had endured 90 minutes of disappointment in the freezing air.  I didn’t think he was owed a duty of care because we lost, I thought he was owed it because I didn’t think the players were doing their best. As a mum I have always told my daughters it’s not their results that matter as long as they are doing their best.

This thought got me onto whether our expectations of footballer’s today are realistic – I think the answer is no – and my reasoning for that is the unrealistic wages the footballer’s are being paid.  The average footballer’s salary in the Premiership is around £30,000 per week (compare this to £1,480 in 1993) and this figure can more than treble for some of the big guns.  Now especially, during a recession, these unrealistic wages are leading to the fans unrealistic expectations as well as some resentment. Add to that the introduction of wealthy owners who without having any knowledge of football feel they are entitled to dictate the way forward for their team because they are in charge of the purse strings.  It is no wonder the fans feel side lined and isolated and often angry.  They want their voices to be heard.  If the clubs believe the fans are such an integral part of their success then why don’t you listen to them. 

I know I’m becoming a broken record – but please give Frank Lampard a new contract.  I know you are listening – you just gave one to Ashley Cole – another one won’t hurt!

Sorry I feel like this has turned into the ‘sermon on the bridge’!  On a more positive note a huge Congratulations to Bradford City.  I hope it is Chelsea they will meet at Wembley for the final of the Capital One Cup.

 

 

Has Wenger's Arsenal run out of munitions?

Yes our 2-1 victory over Arsenal, at home, has energised me into writing perhaps sooner than I might have done.  I may have also been 'spurred' on by Dempsey's last minute equalizer for Tottenham against Manchester United! A wintery London hosted both matches, and the ground staff at Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane did a fantastic job to render the snowy pitches playable.

A newly sheared Fernando Torres took his place in the starting line up alongside 'the three amigos'.  Frank Lampard also started as Captain in the absence of the anticipated John Terry, who found himself on the bench. 

Chelsea started the game with a  quick pace and renewed hunger, pressing Arsenal for the ball and creating numerous chances.  It felt like I was watching a completely different side to the one that has been struggling to keep visitors at bay at Stamford Bridge.  My daughter suggested Fernando's  new hairstyle may herald a new beginning for him and the team., before saying it made him look 'more fit' - not sure what she was getting at!

Within six minutes, Azpilicueta's (also known as 'Dave' to fans who can't/won't pronounce his name), perfect cross-field pass was picked up by Juan Mata and he scored the opening goal.  My elation at our early goal was (only slightly!) marred by discussion of Ramires fouling Francis Coqueling in the build up to the goal.  The referee Martin Atkinson didn't call it.... that was good enough for me!

Ten minutes later, Ramires found himself in the centre of more controversy which again led to a Chelsea goal! Having received a pass from Mata, only Szczesny stood between Ramires and the goal. The inevitable tackle from Szczesny resulted in Atkinson awarding us a penalty, though he did not send off the goal keeper for making a last-man foul. Super Frank Lampard did not disappoint with his 195th goal in a blue shirt.  Look out Bobby Tambling! Arsene Wenger, Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp (and probably all Arsenal fans)  accused Ramires of diving.  I find myself in the unusual position of agreeing with the referee once again!!

Basically the gunners were atrocious in the first half and looked pedestrian.  The second half was a different story - not only had Wenger energised his team with the half time talk, it looked like he may have slipped something into the Chelsea players' orange slices (isn't that what they get at half time?)  The blues came out to find the Arsenal players already on the pitch waiting to pounce like a starving leopard on a newly sighted prey.  It was a familiarly nervous watch.  Theo Walcott, fresh from having signed his new and hotly debated contract with Arsenal, scored in the 58th minute.  The next half an hour or so was painful and slow... losing our two nil lead to Southampton last Wednesday was far too fresh in my mind.  I think I can set my watch by when Benitez decides to bring Demba Ba onto the pitch (81 mins) - not sure if his timing is designed to stir the crowds up even more. Although the last minute efforts of Ba were not enough to help us seal the victory, we hung on tooth and nail (including through 5 minutes of Wenger pacifying extra time) and ended up with our first home win of 2013.

Is the losing curse broken?  I guess it depends if you believed there was a curse in the first place.  For now I would rather not speculate about our winning form being a certainty and just want to enjoy today's win, which reinforced our early season win over the gunners at the Emirates.

I would like to end by firstly congratulating Pepe Guardiola on keeping his move to Bayern one of the most safely guarded secrets of the season, and secondly showing much appreciation and gratitude to those responsible for Ashley Cole staying on at Chelsea.  Could they organise the same for Lampard please.

Is our form at Home going Away?

I had decided that I should be more prompt with my posts, but find myself getting ‘fingertip to key pad’ some 60 hours after another disappointing home performance by the blues.  Would I have been quicker recording my thoughts had we won?  I’m hoping a much needed win, against an equally erratic Arsenal side, tomorrow afternoon, will answer that question.

In contrast to the last few home games, when we haven't managed to score, we took the lead against Southampton and doubled it before half time. Demba Ba was Rafa’s choice to start the game and scored the first goal, taking his tally for Chelsea to three.  Eden Hazard scored the second just before half time (quite pleased to see Hazard becoming more of a regular feature on the scoring sheet).  Surely the game was in the bag.  There was something niggling at me though. The now former Southampton manager, Nigel Adkins (not sure I understand the timing of his dismissal), had left the striking power of Rickie Lambert on the bench in the first half.  This niggle turned into a proper headache when Lambert was brought on in the second half and went on to score a ‘Drogba-esque’ header. 

After that I found myself getting more anxious than usual watching us (and not just because the quality of the stream was terrible).   The team seemed unable to capitalise on their chances and sloppily lost possession, giving soton opportunities on the counter attack.  Although Southampton had started the game defensively (which as a tactic had served QPR and Swansea well, in the last two games at the bridge), they could smell blood after Lambert’s goal and you knew it was just a matter of time before the equalizer came.   Jason Puncheon obliged by scoring their second goal with fifteen minutes left on the clock.

Benitez showed his desire to win and not squander a much needed 2 points by bringing Torres on to the pitch alongside Demba Ba.  Although I was wishing for a winning goal, most of my nervous energy was used up dreading a last minute winner from the visitors who looked poised to poach the match.  The game ended 2-2. I found myself irritated that my gratefulness for not losing was overshadowing my disappointment in not winning.  Neither emotion should be experienced when playing a newly promoted Southampton who have spent most of the season in the relegation zone. 

Many columnists have been speculating about Chelsea’s recent bad form at home.  Some of the reasons suggested are more plausible than others (one blamed the possible curse of Wednesday nights)! The more generally held opinion is that QPR heralded the way forward by parking the bus and highlighting Chelsea’s inability to deal with it.  Surely is it not an inevitable expectation for a struggling side to put ten men behind the ball, especially away from home? After all, we did the same against Barcelona in the Champion's League semi-final home and away legs and saw the clear benefits of such a strategy.   In his article entitled ‘How to get ahead’, the blue's columnist, Pat Nevin suggested if Chelsea could find a way to score the first goal against such defending opposition, it could lead them to go on and win the game.  Yes, the article was written before the Southampton game.... and I am feeling very disheartened that the finishing score line contradicted what was a comforting theory.   Nevin went on to discuss the recent success of QPR (and the newly appointed Harry Redknapp), and he wrote: “That isn't a fluke, that is hard work and good organisation from a coach who has a plan. What you need to have is a good plan to overcome that system.” 

Here is hoping Rafa has a good plan tomorrow afternoon!

To ‘Ba’ or not to ‘Ba’!

It was my husband’s birthday on Monday and I assumed that was the reason for my brother-in-law phoning from his home in France.  I went upstairs with my daughter E to research how to get hold of a large piece of wood to mount a dart board onto as a surprise for my husband’s birthday (he probably wouldn’t be too happy with holes in the wall – some of the family are less skilled with their darts)!  When I came back down (having worn down a very kind gentleman at a local timber shop to deliver an 8x4 foot sheet of OSB by lunchtime) I was surprised to be told by my husband that his brother had not only read my first few posts on my blog but had called for my advice about his Fantasy Football team.  He had Demba Ba in his team and wanted to know if he should keep him as captain. 

My immediate response was ‘no’ – Ba’s place in a starting line up under Benitez is very tenuous.  Rafa justified the very late introduction of Ba into the losing game against Swansea last Wednesday evening by saying he was suffering with ‘a slight discomfort in his knee’.  He also chose to defend Fernando’s poor performance on the evening by saying Torres had been suffering from a stomach bug (I am by no means implying I know better than any football manager, but as a mum, had my children been suffering the same ailments, I probably would have gone with the slight knee problem onto the pitch before the stomach bug, which saps a body of all energy). Rafa then went to great lengths to explain the definition of the word ‘manager’ (perhaps not the best PR move!) and that his job was to decide which players are best for any game and not to be swayed by the supporters.  Interestingly, he chose to give Demba Ba his first Premier League start in Chelsea’s next match away at Stoke, who had been unbeaten at home since February last year.

The blues ended the unbeaten record of the Potters with a convincing 4-0 win.  I couldn’t mention the score without thanking the Irish international and Stoke midfielder Jonathan Walters for his efforts!! It was possibly the worst day of his career – two own goals followed by a missed penalty.  The legend that is Frank Lampard took a penalty increasing his goal tally for Chelsea to 194 (yaaaay), one above Kerry Dixon and Hazard scored a cracking goal.  I know this is old news now but the point of it is neither Demba Ba or Torres (who was brought on at 71 minutes) scored any of the 4 goals.

Having watched the Stoke match, I imagine Rafa has his work cut out for him deciding whether to start Torres or Ba against Southampton at the bridge tonight.  Unless of course one or both oblige him with developing ‘niggling’ problems ruling them out! 

A Disas’Torres’ night at the Bridge

A bit late, but better than never!  I have had a busy couple of days but had to write about Chelsea’s appalling result on Wednesday evening against a deserving Swansea team. 



Green eyes!

I had got tickets to watch the match at the bridge because, firstly, why wouldn’t you want to spend a January evening at Stamford Bridge, secondly, I get more loyalty points going to Capital One matches and thirdly, I wanted to see this season’s Swan’s in action – Michu, Rangel, Chico Flores, Pablo Hernandez (feels like I am writing about a La Liga side, not Swansea City!) and can’t leave out Routledge (not just for his green eyes but for his speedy charges up and down the wing).  And as I have mentioned before I rate their new manager, Michael Laudrup.

My oldest daughter, who I shall refer to as E, accompanied me – she has got the football bug recently.  Though she does seem genuinely interested, she also thinks it gets her a lot of attention from young men.  What she doesn’t realise is that her long blonde hair, beautiful face and endless legs, which I should mention are 44” from hip to toe (well maybe not quite that long but can never resist a quote from one of our favourite movies, ‘Pretty Woman’) are much more likely to be attracting the male attention!!  It feels like I am advertising my daughter, guess it is hard to get away from being a proud mum.

Anyway, getting back to the football, it was a cold night in West London and as the crowds settled in their seats there was a sense of excitement mingling with the inevitable anxiety which goes with being a Chelsea supporter at the moment – I have even stopped making predictions of the score line on the Chelsea FC Score Predictor (I was doing quite well on it, especially after predicting Willian would score for Shaktar Donetsk when we still had a place in the Champion’s League ;() – Who could predict beating Aston Villa 8-0 and losing to QPR who have been holding up the bottom of the Premiership.

Torres was in the starting line up, as were the three amigos – Rafa had put out a strong team – although Petr Cech was still missing in goal nursing a groin injury.  Chelsea had many chances in the first half an hour but couldn’t capitalise on any and it was a horrible moment with seven minutes to half time when Branislav Ivanovic was sloppy receiving the ball from Turnball.  The loose ball found its way into the path of Michu and the goal was inevitable.  I have to be honest at this point and say I actually missed seeing the goal and had to watch the game back when I got home.  The reason for my distraction was Frank!  He had just stepped off the bench and had started to warm up on the side lines and the loyal fans had spotted him and started chanting his name.  I found myself caught up in the familiar silent debate in my head about how a club could be letting go of a player who is not only a legend but in my eyes the heart of Chelsea FC.

The second half was even more frustrating than the first, knowing we had conceded and needed to bridge the gap.  Chance after chance was squandered – the Chelsea fans were showing their impatience by calling out for Demba Ba, as well as hurling unrepeatable abuse at Benitez and the rather annoying looking and acting referee, whose decisions were erratic to say the least…  The Swansea fans in contrast were singing their hearts out, and we found ourselves chuckling at their references to Cheryl Cole and “the Champions of Europe, you’re ‘aving a laugh” in a pathetic attempt to lighten the mood.

I didn’t want to resort to Torres bashing and have to say I have not questioned his work rate, especially since Drogba’s departure.  What I do question (along with a host of other critics) is his decision making and positioning on the pitch.  His passing when he should keep the ball, his keeping the ball when he should pass and somehow not having his toe in the right place to tap in the perfect pass across the box time after time.  There is no doubt this season there have been glimpses of some brilliance (fantastic header in third minute of match against Aston Villa back in December) but they are few and far between.  His goal tally for the season is not a true reflection of his performance as a striker – his tally makes him look so much better than I think he has been – but in reality his goals are rarely match winners or deciders, they tend to come after the match is won (and maybe when he starts to relax).  I have been torn in my support of him, wishing him to return to his previous glory (for his and Chelsea’s sake), but also hoping someone had the guts to cut their losses and let him go to another club where his fortunes may change.  Brendan Rodgers may have been slow in his resurrection of Liverpool but he was quick to recognise the poisoned chalice that was the £35 million under-performing Andy Carroll and he immediately put him out on loan to West Ham, where he seemed to be making more of a difference before he got injured. 

My favourite recent example of a player changing his fortunes with his club is the South African Steven Pienaar, who having transferred from Everton to Tottenham found himself making little impact and not featuring in many games (admittedly he had some injuries to contend with too).  He was then loaned back to Everton and became a significant enough force in the side to justify his permanent transfer. 

I am not suggesting if Torres returns to Liverpool or even his previous club Atletico Madrid that things will definitely change for him but is it not worth a try? I just saw in the news rumours of Atletico Madrid taking him back on loan this summer for a season.  If it was up to me I would sanction the move. 

Got distracted again, anyway we lost the game to Swansea 2-0, last minute second goal as a result of second Ivanovic mistake, sloppy ball back to Turnball which was pounced on by the fresh legs of the newly substituted Danny Graham.  Rafa brought Ba on for Torres with 9 minutes to go – if he was managing Manchester United there could be some justification for such a late change as they are the team than can turn their fortunes round with minutes to play – but with such an erratic Chelsea side one could argue such a late change was motivated by putting the need of one player (namely Torres and his need to score) above the ten other players on the pitch, the rest of the squad, back room staff, and millions of supporters. 

For me it is a no brainer.  Mr A, it is time to admit your £50 million investment was a bad one – let it go.... and by the way please keep Frank instead! 

 

 

The hand that stole the fairy tale away from Mansfield Town

The magic of the FA Cup lies in the unlikely and unpredictable fixtures which arise between top flight clubs and lower ranked opposition.  There has been much talk of top sides not taking this vintage Cup as seriously as their Premiership ranking and I have to admit I have felt a little swayed by all the chat.  Having enjoyed Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Southampton on Saturday and the West Ham v Man U tie, I didn’t expect to be drawn back into the competition on Sunday.

I tuned into Swansea v Arsenal at half time just in time to see Michael Laudrup (one of my rated managers and not just for his good looks!) bring on the firing power of Michu to help win him the game.  Michu did not disappoint by starting off the goal scoring.  Wenger responded by bringing on Podolski who also scored.  The match ended at 2-2 and I look forward to the replay. 

Having gorged myself on McDonald’s, (My younger daughter is a lover of McDonald’s and though I should be ashamed to admit this, I take full responsibility for her disposition as I used to take both girls there every Friday after school as a weekly ritual – I might add neither have ever been over-weight though sadly I can’t say the same about myself!) I was ready for a lazy Sunday afternoon nap when the coverage of Mansfield Town v Liverpool started.  I’m not sure if it was the glamorous CEO of Mansfield Town or her rather shabby looking older Chairman husband or the tour of the basic and tired changing room filled with sprightly players which grabbed my interest most.  Even my older daughter who was with me and extremely hung over after a weekend of revelry couldn’t tear herself away, especially after she caught a glimpse of a Mansfield player’s bare bottom – he was pulling down his shorts when the camera’s entered the changing room and thought he was hidden by a pillar, but enough of his flesh was exposed to be spotted by a keen eye!

So began our love affair with Mansfield Town FC!  They started the game as expected, in awe of the fact they were sharing their ground, which resembled a mud wrestling pit in places, with the Red shirts of Liverpool.  They were tentative and careless and gave away a number of easy chances.  Fortunately the newly signed Sturridge could only capitalise on one, scoring in the seventh minute.  The Stags started to grow in confidence and by the beginning of the second half were making Liverpool look the more vulnerable side.  Brendan Rodgers responded by bringing Suarez off the bench and then came the controversial hand ball and second Liverpool goal.  I don’t want to get too wrapped up in condemning  Suarez, it’s the referees who I blame – it was a blatant handball and the goal should not have been given – even if Mariner’s view was blocked, the fourth official told Brendan Rodgers that the handball had been seen but construed as accidental – shocking decision.

The newlywed and Birthday boy Mansfield manager, Paul Cox was more than gracious in defeat.  The sassy CEO was less forgiving, saying the replay had been ‘stolen’ from them.

Why am I writing all this? Well I guess I want to share with you my renewed faith that although times are changing, the FA Cup still provides unexpected and heart warming tales to see us through the cold and grey winter days and also that if I was a football club with some money, I may look into buying a couple of the promising Mansfield players on the cheap...  namely Mr. X  (Exodus Geohaghon) Mansfield’s  towering centre-half, whose throw ins were as long as I have seen, as well as the scoring Matt Green.

 

 

“It’s not just sad to be watching a replay of the Champion’s League Final at 2 am mum, it is weird!”

So I was told by my 18 year old daughter last night as I shed yet another tear watching Didier Drogba ‘fulfil his destiny’ with the penalty which left the more than cocky Manuel Neuer looking like a school boy attempting his first important save.

Why was I watching the Final again? Well am embarrassed to admit that since 19^th May 2012 I have rewatched the final at least five times....  This number may have been greater had my sky box not blown up and been replaced and so I lost my original recording.  And ‘no’ to all of you who are thinking surely she could watch the DVD – I have not been sad enough to purchase the official video – I just waited for the inevitable replay on Chelsea TV and recorded it again on my new Sky box!

The other reason for watching may have been as a result of the West Ham v Man United third round FA cup tie I watched yesterday afternoon.  I usually watch Man U games mainly with the feint hope that they may lose (apologies to Man U fans out there).  There is no real reason for my dislike of Man U... but in recent years as my obsession with Chelsea has grown I have also cultivated an irrational but heartfelt dislike for Man U and some of its key players.... Perhaps I shouldn’t be naming them but I think they should see this as a compliment because my gripe with them is possibly their ability to make a team which often looks average (if you are really objective) into an almost unbeatable force with the confidence to never accept the score line until the dying minutes of the game.... and yes Van Perfect has recently joined my list of those players – although I have to admit he is more than a lucky opportunist who finds himself in the right place to score – he more than often is the instigator of his own chances.  Had he been wearing a blue shirt my gut reaction to him would possibly be the polar opposite to what it is now!

Sorry, let me get on with my justification of why I had to be weird and watch Chelsea’s greatest moment in history yet again last night....

I was more invested in the FA cup tie than watching another Man U game as a result of Joe Cole returning to his first club West Ham as one of the early January transfers.  Joe Cole had been one of my favourite Chelsea players (not just because I had a girl crush on his wife Carly!) and I was distraught when he left Chelsea... (Well maybe distraught is too strong a word and I should save that for when Lampard leaves, or even when talking about Didier Drogba leaving!) Needless to say I was sad to see him go and even sadder to see his talent wasted on the bench at Liverpool (though they did manage to loan him to Lille where he started 25 times and helped the club qualify for Champions League).

Joe Cole did not disappoint on his second debut for his much loved West Ham (I discovered while being geeky that he had made his first debut for the Hammers in the same round of the same competition almost fourteen years to the day when he was told by Frank Lampard Senior to put away the mop and prepare for an FA Cup third round tie.  In his own words: ‘I can remember I was cleaning the changing room floors when Big Frank came in and said to me “you got a suit son? You’re in the squad tomorrow”.)

Cole assisted the two almost identical goals scored by the strong head of Collins as well as taking a few knocks to the face, one leaving him with a bloody nose (which made his return even more authentic!!)  He played with the joy and enthusiasm of someone returning home from exile ...it was an emotional watch and only ruined by Van Persie’s 90+ something minute goal (again) to deny the Hammers a well deserved win and Cole the perfect return.

At this point I must add that I disagreed with the commentator’s choice of ‘Man of the Match’ which they awarded to James Collins.  My man of the match (I would like to say was Joe Cole but must be honest!!) was the young Dan Potts who had been recalled from his loan... He more than impressed me with making calm and mature tackles when it mattered, keeping the likes of Hernandez and Raphael at bay.

Can't end the blog without mentioning Demba Ba's double goal scoring debut for Chelsea.  Could his arrival mark the beginning of the end for a flailing Torres?