There goes the FA Cup. Another defeat at home. Now please don’t call me a hater but this is terribly sad. The buck certainly stops with the manager.
I didn’t get to see the match. Will watch the recording later on. Hoping that WXWAX comes up with the match reaction post otherwise I’ll gather my rants and ramblings later tonight.
Don’t moan anywhere else. This is our space. Try to cheer up!
Strange times. I really value the FA Cup more than the premier league now. As you might know, I’ve always cared more about the league title than the champions league title. Things have slighly changed now. We are not in the title race and it’s only February (now I know what it feels to be a fan of modern day Liverpool). Our new found pragmatism tells us that champions league and FA Cup are our best bets for title this season.
FA Cup is very important because that’s where we have the best chance of a trophy this season. We gotta win this one. Champions league is lot more winnable than it ever was. All these teams in champions league are beatable this season. I’d have said, except Barcelona but we saw that they also can have mediocre days (more on that later). Now the challenge is much simpler for us. If I were Roman, I’d further dumb it down. In my current mindset and lowered expectations, I’d settle for this – finish top four in the premier league, win the FA cup, make it to the semi finals of champions league. That’s it. That’s like the minimum you should be able to do with this Chelsea team.
First step though, is seeing off Everton today at the Bridge. The first leg at Goodison Park was forgettable. It was a sub-par performance. We got out of jail thanks to an unsalomonly finish from Kalou. Having earned the replay at the Bridge, we’re certainly the favourites to progress further. Let me say it now – no excuses. Let’s go beat them.
Some key things on the team news front. If you aren’t aware, Torres and David Luiz won’t be playing as they didn’t play in the first leg of this tie. Basically, they’re ineligible for this match. Carlo did the most prompt announcement 24 hours ahead of the match that Drogba will start. Okay, you might say that this is obvious but there was this little window of opportunity to keep David Moyes guessing. I don’t know why Carlo doesn’t do that. This is not even mind games. This is like common sense, isn’t it? Not even in Winning Eleven in PS3, I’d want my opponent to know ahead of the match what formation and players would I be playing.
He has also hinted that he would be playing 4-4-2 and not 4-3-3. That’s because he says this:
Drogba will start, but I have to choose the striker to use with Drogba.
David Moyes, take note. Chelsea are gonna play 4-4-2 with Drogba as one of the strikers. Most probably Anelka would start and be replaced at 65 minutes by Kalou. No David Luiz, so Ivanovic will come back to the centre defence. Zhirkov won’t start surely because Carlo has conveyed that too.
Sometimes, I gotta pity him because he can get very easily misquoted too. See this one here, from the club website:
From tomorrow we are able to move on and have a possibility not to win but our aim is to play in the semi-final at Wembley
I don’t know what to make of this but I’d leave it to you.
If I had a free hand to pick a team and formation for this match, I’d do this. My defenders: Terry, Ivanovic, Bosingwa, Ashley Cole. My midfielders: Ramires, Lampard, Josh McE, Malouda. My forwards: Anelka and Drogba.
We should play a 4-1-3-2. There’re no attacking tip because this is no diamond. This formation means five players in the defensive half and five in the attacking half. Of course, the central midfielder would be slightly more offensive in approach. Yes, I’d drop Essien. He’s been totally out of sorts. Let him sit and sort it out. Lampard has not been any better. The difference I see between forms of Essien and Lampard is that, Essien’s form is more down to himself and Lampard’s form is more down to the tactic that we use. I’d use Lampard slighly withdrawn position that allows him to arrive late. He can work somewhat close and parallel to Mikel but should have the liberty to move ahead. Also primarily, let him battle it out with Fellaini.
Being our most in-form midfielder, Josh McE should start and should be the central midfielder. He should be the brains behind our attacks. Yes, it’s a massive responsibility but Josh McE is ripe to handle it and succeed in it. All attacks should be routed through Josh McE which means we should stop with the pointless ‘bombing (ourselves) down the wings’. They just don’t work these days. We may not get so much width but that’s fine. The role of the full backs should not be to create attacks but only to draw defenders and create spaces. As soon as we stretch Everton defences, let’s hand the attack responsibility immediately over to our attacking midfielders.
Anelka not to play the midfielder. Anelka should always be in 5-10 yard distance from the defensive line, preferably onside. He should be our key counterattack option. He becoming a midfielder puts so much pressure on Drogba and allows the defenders to double up on Drogba. So both Anelka and Drogba to stay on the defensive line of the opposition. Neither Drogba nor Anelka should congest the attacking midfield at any cost. Josh McE to create attacks while Lampard and Malouda to support. We may not have any defensive midfielders but that’s ok because I don’t want our full backs to be so attacking anyway.
That’s what I’d do, given a freehand. Also, if freehand is free enough, I’d have Carlo wear a vibrating belt and a microphone so he knows how a fan feels when he’s watching Chelsea play these days.
Chelsea to win 2-0. Let there be no more drama in this season. We’ve had enough. And yes, the last thing I want to hear after the match is this:
We played a good match. Our players were fantastic but this is football. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. Of course, we’re disappointed but I would like congratulate Everton because what they did is not easy. Now we need to improve and do our best for the rest of the season.
What do you think will happen? Again, the question is not what you want, it’s about what you expect to happen.
Josh McEachran! Will I ever stop talking about him? He’s the star in the making. He’s the future of Chelsea FC. He’s so good that there’s no reason why he can’t be the present as well. I’ve been a huge supporter of the idea of playing Josh and the other kids too.
Josh in particular has got me mesmerised. He’s a fantastic player. With every opportunity he was given – be it in youth, reserves, first team, England U17 or U21, he has shown what he’s capable of. He’s the kind of player that we don’t have in our squad and I strongly believe that he should get maximum playing time subject to fitness.
I’m turning this into a campaign. Support the campaign if you also think Josh deserves a chance. I think he deserves a chance because he’s brilliant and our midfield now sucks anyway. I’m planning to take this ‘Play Josh’ campaign in Twitter as well.
Message to Carlo – If you want a W, bring on McE 46. Here we go!
Stuart Pearce:
Chelsea think extremely highly of him and you can see why. He’s got the ability and the vision that you know, if players run off of him, he’s got the ability to find them with passes. All of our cutting passes probably came from him. (Henri) Lansbury has got the benefit of that insight to play those passes but I think, in Josh, he’s got a really outstanding talent, similar to Wilshere, and it bodes well for us.
Richard Williams ‘The Guardian’:
McEachran saw a lot of the ball, sending it on its way with a lovely instinct for angles and a touch that subtly injects pace and dictates the initial rhythm of every move. You can’t teach that. He also has quick feet in a tight corner and a way of accepting the ball on the half-turn, like Paul Scholes, that makes it harder for him to be dispossessed on the first touch, despite his slight build
Frank Lampard:
With young Josh coming into midfield it is quite a nice responsibility. He is going to be a top player and it is enjoyable to try to help him. I enjoy playing with the young players because they bring a real freshness into the team and into training. Josh has outstanding ability so although I talk to him to try to help him, probably very soon he will be helping me.
Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris:
Josh is one of the brightest prospects I’ve seen for quite some time. Provided he keeps his feet on the ground I think he’s got a fantastic future with Chelsea. He has done tremendously well. He is a very confident lad on the ball, seems to have two good feet and knows when to play the ball and when to hold it. I’ve heard one or two people say he’s an Alan Hudson-type of player. The games I’ve seen him in he has played in the holding role but some people tell me he is best going forward so it will be interesting to see him in that position.
Jason Cundy:
I coached Josh for two years at Under-11s and Under-12s at Chelsea and he always stood out for his ability. But he is tough and has had the mental strength to be able to come through as well. He doesn’t get overawed in situations and has taken it all in his stride. There is a responsibility for the club to protect him, but he is a very grounded boy. He is not one of those players where it is going to go to his head. He has been at Chelsea since he was eight years old and a very stable relationship has been built up. They will shelter him and will do it in their own way.
I think Josh could be very good. He was with us in pre-season and I am quite close to him. He is a quiet lad but really wants to learn. Once he gets on the field, he has amazing ability and can open defences with a pass. You could see against Newcastle that he changed the game. He wanted the ball and for a young player to do that was great to see. When I was coming through as a young lad it was a case of hiding a little bit and feeling your way into the game, but young players like Josh are demanding the ball, they want to make a difference and make an impact.
Sir Trevor Brooking:
In the 17s we have a couple of really good creative players. Josh McEachran, the left-sided Chelsea lad, is really creative and can play in the hole. The 17s are the best passing group we have. You could put them in a European team’s shirt and you wouldn’t know which country they were from. They weigh the ball, play it wide, are comfortable to keep it in tight areas, build from the back and beat Spain in the final of the Euros.
Salomon Kalou:
He is very good. He played a different position (against Zilina), and he showed he still had the skill and experience. Playing with him and training we enjoy his quality and skill, and I think there is still a lot to see from him. He can be one of those great, great players that every team wants to have. He has the quality and the ability to do it. He shows it in training every day, so he deserves to be in the team I think. This was the day to have his chance and to show everybody that he can play with the team. It is good for him, I think: it is good starting. There is a lot to come, and the way he is working right now – that is how you get into the team and you have your chance.
Ray Wilkins:
This spindly little kid got on the ball and had a little shimmy and stuck the ball inside the full-back. I turned to Neil and said, ‘My God, it’s Liam Brady!’ I couldn’t have paid him a bigger compliment. He’s got that range of passing and he can play it early. He doesn’t need time on the ball because he’s seen the picture before. And he’s come on in leaps and bounds. Against Marseille I thought he had a terrific game – particularly for one so young in a wonderful footballing arena.
Carlo Ancelotti:
My job is to choose the best team to play the game.Maybe sometimes there are some players who are not in good condition to play. This does not mean they are not important. I had some fantastic players in the past and they did not play every game. McEachran is ready to start in the Premier League. He has confidence, personality and he is strong. You look at him and think he won’t be strong in the tackle but he was against Ipswich. He doesn’t lack anything.
BlueChampion:
Carlo! You say he’s ready to start. You say he doesn’t lack anything. You know our midfield now sucks. Why don’t you play Josh then?
See, I’m running out of long faced Carlo Ancelotti images. Putting up a picture of a worried Ancelotti is my way of saying ‘he’s the man, catch him alive’. When you’re aiming at 4th place, you’ll get there or thereabouts such as 5th. And that’s worrying now.
Carlo said that we should try to reach the fourth place and a performance and a result like today is just a follow up from there. If Chelsea end up at 4th or 5th, I would not admire Carlo’s foresight or vision for having ‘predicted’ Chelsea’s position in February. Instead, I’d ask questions of him on why did he let that happen.
I just can’t explain what happened this season. We have a great squad – yes, great squad if you know how to use your resources. We have loads of experience and a lots of exciting young talent too. Now we’ve made a couple of fantastic signings too. And, we have a double champions league winner as our manager. You have an owner who still invests big in the club. What.is.the.issue?
Yes, the players are the ones that play on the pitch. It’s not the manager. So, if players take the blame for poor performances this season, who takes the credit for a historic double last season? When Chelsea won the double last season, for the first time in the 105 year old history, I gave most of the credit to Carlo. He did it. Chelsea scored a record number of goals – I give that credit to Carlo. I didn’t say that the players are the ones who played on the pitch. If players play as they should, you won’t have the managerial roles in football.
Managers are highly paid because they have a massive job to do. When Drogba plays like Drogba, Lampard plays like Lampard, Essien plays like Essien and so on, you may not quite need a manager. But the thing is, they always don’t play like they’re supposed to. In those circumstances, I refuse to put the blame on them and I’d ask questions of the manager. Torres is responsible for his performance. Malouda for his. Anelka for his. There’s only one man responsible for the team performance. There’s no other way to look at it. If you do, you’re grossly undermining the manager’s role.
We can talk at lengths about what went wrong today. The team selection, the tactics, the substitutions etc. I’m growing a little of tired of going to the details. For me, everything seems to boil down to one thing – Carlo is unable to get the right kind of performance from his team and consequently the results. We can look for a thousand excuses but they just don’t cut it. Players not playing well is an issue for one or two or three matches. If it goes for 4-5 months, I’d shift it from players to manager.
So what’s my point? It’s not about getting Carlo sacked or something. I’ve said it many times before – I want Carlo to continue as Chelsea manager for many seasons. But that’s not going to blind me. Carlo has the pedigree, ability and experience but he’s doing a bad job at the moment. That’s all I want to say. It’s not about injuries. It’s not about squad depth. It’s not about anything else. It’s about how well Carlo has marshalled his resources and how well he’s got the best of what he’s had.
As I mentioned in BC Shout, we don’t need a Carlo Ancelotti to get this Chelsea team a fourth place. This team, even without a manager would do decently well. The value of a manager for a team like Chelsea is in getting them to win the title or give a very good challenge for the title. I hope he has not jinxed us with the talk about fourth place. We are now in fifth place proper. No games on hand. No being tied on points. We are no.5 in the league and it doesn’t look very promising. I only hope that this form and mentality doesn’t get transferred to our champions league campaign.
Here’s the list of upcoming premier league games. Apart from the W teams, we can’t be confident of any results.
The worst case scenario is frightening. On the contrary, if we can rake in 10 wins out of these 12 matches, which has been done before by this very Chelsea squad, anything can happen. But I don’t think we are up for the fight. That’s very sad to see. I don’t think we want it so badly. We are settling for mediocrity in the name of pragmatism. Cut the euphemism there. There’s no pragamtism. There’s just mediocrity. Consistent mediocrity.
I’ve used the word ‘Carlo’ a dozen times in this post. That tells what I feel about the whole situation. In situations like this, the manager needs to stand up and take the blame for the past and the responsibility for the future. I’m not jumping into conclusions on our manager that won us the double. All I’m saying is, teams like Chelsea work on a minimum guarantee every season. The team not delivering the objective is one thing but if it can’t deliver the minimum guarantee, the spotlight will be on the manager. Don’t blame me for that.
I will salute Carlo Ancelotti if he could somehow conjure up to a third place finish this season. I’ve never had to long for a third place finish but here I am. Please.
I’m not in some kind of campaign against Carletto. Let me make it very clear that I want him to continue as the coach of Chelsea FC and lead us to more trophies including his third champions league title. Now, let’s get to the topic on hand. We have officially conceded the title. No, it’s not in the daily mail or in the weekly tripe. It’s in the official Chelsea FC website. Here is the quote:
It is difficult to think we can come back to fight for the title. It is better to think game by game in the Premier League. It is difficult to close the gap, we have to be honest, but the most important step now is to reach fourth place in the table and we have to fight with the other teams.
Well, I would call it pragmatic than defeatist but at least he could have put up a brave face to the press. See I’m terribly upset with our performances but it’s hard for me to accept that we’re out of the title race. We have said a few times now that we’re out of the title race but when you hear it from the manager of the club, it smacks you real hard. Carlo sounds like Rafa Benitez dammit!
In defence of Carlo (before WXWAX comes up with a counter-post :), the gap is too much. We’ve got only 12 games to go. We need to see too many things happening in our favour for us to retain our title. To say it’s not going to be easy is a massive understatement. To say that we will still win the title is delusional. While I know the reality, which is that we’re out of the title race, for some reason, I myself don’t want to believe in it.
Unless it’s mathematically impossible, the supporter’s mind just doesn’t give up. Call me crazy, even when it becomes mathematically impossible, I’ve even thought of ‘what if they’re punished for some irregularities and docked points’. I don’t think we’re such an impossible situation after all. If the last weekend had gone in our favour, we might have said that we’re back in the race.
This weekend, opportunity could knock our doors once more. If Man City beat Man Utd today and if we win our game against Fulham, we could be back in contention if we do the double on Man Utd. That’s a lot of ifs there but that’s how it is now. If Wolves can beat Man Utd, Liverpool can beat Chelsea, Man City can certainly beat Man Utd. If it does happen and after (not if) we beat Fulham, we’d have cut the gap to 7 points. And then a double on Man Utd, it’s down to 1 point. Then we’re expecting Man Utd to slip once in the 10 other games left. Certainly possible? Yes, if all IFs come together for us.
With Carlo saying that dreadful line on ‘reaching the fourth place’, I wonder how much effort will be offered by the players. Even when we were in the title race, I was doubting the efforts of some of our players and also our manager. With us officially targeting for the fourth place, I’m slightly worried.
Some might say, though he has said so, we’d still fight for the title. In that case, why tell the media this. Some of these things are psychological. The more you keep saying that you want to be champions, you’ll actually get closer to it. The moment you utter the ‘fourth place’ thing, you’re pschologically switched off. I wish he had said that we’re in the race until it’s mathematically impossible. I wish he’d said that with our new signings, we’ll have a go at the title. I wish he’d said that the champions league fixtures and results will have an impact on the title race and other teams could drop points. I wish he’d not said about the whole fourth place thing.
I’ve said enough. Now I’m going to pretend like he didn’t say a word about this. I want Man City to beat Man Utd today and I want us to thump Fulham and announce to the premier league ‘Don’t fuckin’ write us off’.
What am I? Uber football addict, optimistic Chelsea fan, casual gamer and long time blogger with views and opinions rather than stats and data. What I'm not? Expert, analyst, pundit or self-proclaimed guru of anything. Views and opinions are all mine and not what you always might want to see.
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