Racist Referees and Dodgy Decisions - Chelsea 2-3 Manchester United
After a pulsating game of football finished 3-2 to Manchester United, it is with great sorrow and regret that I write this knowing that a game of such flair and passion will be overshadowed by several incidents, including a remarkable claim that referee Mark Clattenburg used a racial slur towards a Chelsea player. Well well well, where do I start? Two red cards, objects hurled at players, an offside winner, a steward in hospital, managers going at each other and of course, a racist referee.
Let's start with the football incidents. I'm not talking about Robin van Persie's superb finish, David De Gea's world class save from Fernando Torres or Juan Mata's delightful free kick just before half time - No, instead I find myself drawn to the first sending off, when Branislav Ivanovic was dismissed for clipping Ashley Young's heels as he raced through on goal. Now, following the letter of the law, Ivanovic was correctly sent off. He impeded Young's run on goal and stopped a clear goal-scoring opportunity. However, Ashley Young went down very easily. At the point when his heel was clipped, it was the one in the air, not the one on the ground. Surely he could have remained on his feet? Probably, but as we all know - nowadays fast, skilful wingers are the main culprits to hit the deck under minimal or zero contact. Also, Ivanovic clearly pulls his body and legs back as he runs across Ashley Young - a clear attempt to avoid what inevitably happened. As I continue onto the second sending off, I think back to that delightful sixty minutes where each team had eleven men, and after an opening half hour dominated by the away side, Chelsea showed true grit and incredible character to claw themselves back into the game.
But as I look at today's back pages - I don't see what I want to. I don't see headlines or articles screaming about how well van Persie took his goal, and I don't see headlines describing how Antonio Valencia returned to the United line up to absolutely terrorise the best left back in the world, no; what I see is reports on how Clattenburgs career is over and video technology is needed in football. Fernando Torres. Even now, he is not the same player that arrived from sunny Madrid to Merseyside several years ago and I very much doubt the Spaniard will ever reach those heights again. Having said that, I think that he showed ingenuity and lightning quick feet to nutmeg Jonny Evans and sprint past him - only to fling himself to the ground like he'd been hit by a bullet. Clattenburg produced the red card for the Chelsea frontman, but it was clear from the look on Jonny Evans face that the United defender had his doubts. As soon as Torres hit the Stamford Bridge grass, Evans spread his arms and stared fearfully at Clattenburg - almost accepting that he was going to get a second yellow. But as the referee walked past Evans and over to Torres, Evans appeared as shocked and confused as the rest of us. Torres received a second yellow, and admittedly it was very harsh. However, the Spanish frontman should, in my view, have been dismissed at the end of the first half for a ninja-style kick to Tom Cleverley's stomach. Credit to the United midfielder however, because he got straight up and shook Torres' hand. Right, on to the winning goal. There isn't much to write about here - Javier Hernandez came back from an offside position and the linesman didn't spot it. Even Hernandez himself replied 'Probably' when asked if he felt he was lucky not to have been judged offside.
This is where I feel video technology would improve the game. The speed and movement with which Hernandez retreated from his offside position to turn in Rafael's mishit shot was simply too much for the human eye to handle. In my opinion, a rugby style video referee would do the game no harm for dubious decisions like the ones I have described above - however the dinosaur UEFA President Michel Platini feels it will take away the spirit of football. The aftermath of the goal was shocking. Images of Michael Carrick lifting pieces of broken seats off of the pitch truly surprised me. Chelsea fans near the celebrating United fans decided that hurling objects and broken seats at them was a good way to vent frustration. What they failed to realise was that some of those objects hit a Chelsea steward, who required hospital treatment after the game.
On the touchlines, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Di Matteo had a go at each other as well, with the fourth official having to step between the two managers to prevent anything more than just words being exchanged. However aside from all of these incidents, the claims that Mark Clattenburg was racist towards John Obi Mikel sticks out like a steak in a salad. Players abusing players has been around for years, but for an official to do it is absolutely incredible. If these accusations turn out to be true, then Mr. Clattenburg may enjoy a very early retirement. Who can blame Jason Roberts and Rio Ferdinand? Racism is becoming a prominent and almost common occurrence in the game - and one that needs to be eradicated. Now.
By Sam Braik (@SamBraik96)
Let's start with the football incidents. I'm not talking about Robin van Persie's superb finish, David De Gea's world class save from Fernando Torres or Juan Mata's delightful free kick just before half time - No, instead I find myself drawn to the first sending off, when Branislav Ivanovic was dismissed for clipping Ashley Young's heels as he raced through on goal. Now, following the letter of the law, Ivanovic was correctly sent off. He impeded Young's run on goal and stopped a clear goal-scoring opportunity. However, Ashley Young went down very easily. At the point when his heel was clipped, it was the one in the air, not the one on the ground. Surely he could have remained on his feet? Probably, but as we all know - nowadays fast, skilful wingers are the main culprits to hit the deck under minimal or zero contact. Also, Ivanovic clearly pulls his body and legs back as he runs across Ashley Young - a clear attempt to avoid what inevitably happened. As I continue onto the second sending off, I think back to that delightful sixty minutes where each team had eleven men, and after an opening half hour dominated by the away side, Chelsea showed true grit and incredible character to claw themselves back into the game.
But as I look at today's back pages - I don't see what I want to. I don't see headlines or articles screaming about how well van Persie took his goal, and I don't see headlines describing how Antonio Valencia returned to the United line up to absolutely terrorise the best left back in the world, no; what I see is reports on how Clattenburgs career is over and video technology is needed in football. Fernando Torres. Even now, he is not the same player that arrived from sunny Madrid to Merseyside several years ago and I very much doubt the Spaniard will ever reach those heights again. Having said that, I think that he showed ingenuity and lightning quick feet to nutmeg Jonny Evans and sprint past him - only to fling himself to the ground like he'd been hit by a bullet. Clattenburg produced the red card for the Chelsea frontman, but it was clear from the look on Jonny Evans face that the United defender had his doubts. As soon as Torres hit the Stamford Bridge grass, Evans spread his arms and stared fearfully at Clattenburg - almost accepting that he was going to get a second yellow. But as the referee walked past Evans and over to Torres, Evans appeared as shocked and confused as the rest of us. Torres received a second yellow, and admittedly it was very harsh. However, the Spanish frontman should, in my view, have been dismissed at the end of the first half for a ninja-style kick to Tom Cleverley's stomach. Credit to the United midfielder however, because he got straight up and shook Torres' hand. Right, on to the winning goal. There isn't much to write about here - Javier Hernandez came back from an offside position and the linesman didn't spot it. Even Hernandez himself replied 'Probably' when asked if he felt he was lucky not to have been judged offside.
This is where I feel video technology would improve the game. The speed and movement with which Hernandez retreated from his offside position to turn in Rafael's mishit shot was simply too much for the human eye to handle. In my opinion, a rugby style video referee would do the game no harm for dubious decisions like the ones I have described above - however the dinosaur UEFA President Michel Platini feels it will take away the spirit of football. The aftermath of the goal was shocking. Images of Michael Carrick lifting pieces of broken seats off of the pitch truly surprised me. Chelsea fans near the celebrating United fans decided that hurling objects and broken seats at them was a good way to vent frustration. What they failed to realise was that some of those objects hit a Chelsea steward, who required hospital treatment after the game.
On the touchlines, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Di Matteo had a go at each other as well, with the fourth official having to step between the two managers to prevent anything more than just words being exchanged. However aside from all of these incidents, the claims that Mark Clattenburg was racist towards John Obi Mikel sticks out like a steak in a salad. Players abusing players has been around for years, but for an official to do it is absolutely incredible. If these accusations turn out to be true, then Mr. Clattenburg may enjoy a very early retirement. Who can blame Jason Roberts and Rio Ferdinand? Racism is becoming a prominent and almost common occurrence in the game - and one that needs to be eradicated. Now.
By Sam Braik (@SamBraik96)
Chelsea FC: Torres, Signings & Realistic Expectations.
This season is certainly shaping up to be an exciting one for the FA Cup and European champions. With big name signings such as Oscar, Eden Hazard and Marko Marin Chelsea really look like they mean business this coming season. On top of these imports, it looks like there is more to come following chief executive, Ron Gourlay's comment that Chelsea are not finished spending. It is widely believed that there could be a further two new faces strutting their stuff on the Stamford Bridge turf come September.
"Who are these two players?" Is without doubt the question on the lips of Chelsea fans all over the world. Well, there are widespread reports that there is a deal close to completion for Wigan's Victor Moses, whose agent was reportedly spotted at The Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Is there any truth behind this alleged spotting? Who knows. We will have to wait and see. Thanks to Dave Whelan, however, we do know for a fact that Chelsea have shown interest in the young forward, having announced to the press that the London club have made several offers. I just have one question: Where would Moses fit in? To be honest, I don't think he would. With the options Chelsea already have available to them, would it be worth their while spending money on a player who is no better than what they already have?
Having said that, they are also apparently after Brazilian star Hulk. This signing would make a lot more sense. They play in the same position but the difference being, Hulk is a much better player. He would almost definitely improve the Chelsea squad. Hulk is a more powerful presence than Moses and is twice the player of Florent Malouda, (which albeit, is not a tough task.)
It is also considered that there is a deal in place to bring Cesar Azpilicueta to West London. Again, a strange transfer in my opinion. It would be strange to sign a player purely to have him as a substitute, but I can't see Ivanovic dropping to the bench either. The Serbian has been consistently one of Chelsea's best players over the past couple of seasons.
I am extremely excited about the signings being made by Chelsea this summer, but I can't stop wondering, why didn't they take place last season? It is no secret that transfers at Chelsea are dealt with above the manager. So why, when Roman Abramovic appointed André Villas-Boas as manager this time last year, did he not bring in players like Oscar and Hazard? Juan Mata was the only big signing last term but expectations of overnight change were still harshly set for the young manager.
Villas-Boas tried to implement a completely new style of football at Chelsea, a task that requires time and patience from fans and also from the clubs decision makers. He had the full support of many of the fans, unfortunately, the boards patience wore thin and eventually ran out leaving the young Portuguese manager jobless. Players in the mold of Oscar, Hazard and Marin were exactly what were needed a year ago. I cannot comprehend why deals of this fashion weren't completed then.
Chelsea's movement in the transfer window would suggest to me that the team is being built around and focused on the £50 million man - Fernando Torres. There is no doubt that he will be their main hope for goals this season and with the players being brought in to play behind him, he will certainly get more than enough chances to rediscover his goalscoring touch. This season is huge for El Niño. He made drastic improvements in the latter half of last season, scoring a vital goal against Barcelona and bagging his first hat-trick in blue in the process. During the summer he picked up the Golden Boot award for the European Championships so I'm expecting a confident Torres this season. A confident Torres is a different animal to what we've been seeing for the last 18 months. The biggest sign for me of how the team is being built around the Spaniard is that Chelsea have parted company with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka since the beginning of the year, with no replacements being brought in at the time of writing. As I write this, Romelu Lukaku has joined West Brom on loan for the season - further evidence that it is all down to Torres this season. Expect to see that number 9 shirt running off in celebration time and time again throughout the coming season.
What should Chelsea fans realistically expect this season? Well, with the squad they are building there is no reason why they can't win the Premier League title in the next two or three years and quite possibly more European glory. But for this season, I think they should be hoping for domestic success, probably in The FA Cup. On top of this, a serious title challenge and probably the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Champions League would be seen as a good season. A top three finish, a piece of silverware, and a decent effort in the defense of their European crown must be considered as a good season.
Personally I predict Chelsea to achieve a top three finish easily. I think it will be between themselves and Manchester United for second place, with Manchester City as my favourites for the title this term, as much as much as it pains me to say it.
By Conor Clancy (@Conorclancy9)
"Who are these two players?" Is without doubt the question on the lips of Chelsea fans all over the world. Well, there are widespread reports that there is a deal close to completion for Wigan's Victor Moses, whose agent was reportedly spotted at The Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. Is there any truth behind this alleged spotting? Who knows. We will have to wait and see. Thanks to Dave Whelan, however, we do know for a fact that Chelsea have shown interest in the young forward, having announced to the press that the London club have made several offers. I just have one question: Where would Moses fit in? To be honest, I don't think he would. With the options Chelsea already have available to them, would it be worth their while spending money on a player who is no better than what they already have?
Having said that, they are also apparently after Brazilian star Hulk. This signing would make a lot more sense. They play in the same position but the difference being, Hulk is a much better player. He would almost definitely improve the Chelsea squad. Hulk is a more powerful presence than Moses and is twice the player of Florent Malouda, (which albeit, is not a tough task.)
It is also considered that there is a deal in place to bring Cesar Azpilicueta to West London. Again, a strange transfer in my opinion. It would be strange to sign a player purely to have him as a substitute, but I can't see Ivanovic dropping to the bench either. The Serbian has been consistently one of Chelsea's best players over the past couple of seasons.
I am extremely excited about the signings being made by Chelsea this summer, but I can't stop wondering, why didn't they take place last season? It is no secret that transfers at Chelsea are dealt with above the manager. So why, when Roman Abramovic appointed André Villas-Boas as manager this time last year, did he not bring in players like Oscar and Hazard? Juan Mata was the only big signing last term but expectations of overnight change were still harshly set for the young manager.
Villas-Boas tried to implement a completely new style of football at Chelsea, a task that requires time and patience from fans and also from the clubs decision makers. He had the full support of many of the fans, unfortunately, the boards patience wore thin and eventually ran out leaving the young Portuguese manager jobless. Players in the mold of Oscar, Hazard and Marin were exactly what were needed a year ago. I cannot comprehend why deals of this fashion weren't completed then.
Chelsea's movement in the transfer window would suggest to me that the team is being built around and focused on the £50 million man - Fernando Torres. There is no doubt that he will be their main hope for goals this season and with the players being brought in to play behind him, he will certainly get more than enough chances to rediscover his goalscoring touch. This season is huge for El Niño. He made drastic improvements in the latter half of last season, scoring a vital goal against Barcelona and bagging his first hat-trick in blue in the process. During the summer he picked up the Golden Boot award for the European Championships so I'm expecting a confident Torres this season. A confident Torres is a different animal to what we've been seeing for the last 18 months. The biggest sign for me of how the team is being built around the Spaniard is that Chelsea have parted company with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka since the beginning of the year, with no replacements being brought in at the time of writing. As I write this, Romelu Lukaku has joined West Brom on loan for the season - further evidence that it is all down to Torres this season. Expect to see that number 9 shirt running off in celebration time and time again throughout the coming season.
What should Chelsea fans realistically expect this season? Well, with the squad they are building there is no reason why they can't win the Premier League title in the next two or three years and quite possibly more European glory. But for this season, I think they should be hoping for domestic success, probably in The FA Cup. On top of this, a serious title challenge and probably the Semi-Finals of the UEFA Champions League would be seen as a good season. A top three finish, a piece of silverware, and a decent effort in the defense of their European crown must be considered as a good season.
Personally I predict Chelsea to achieve a top three finish easily. I think it will be between themselves and Manchester United for second place, with Manchester City as my favourites for the title this term, as much as much as it pains me to say it.
By Conor Clancy (@Conorclancy9)
A New Force?
Abramovic completed his ambition of winning the Champions League which many considered close to impossible. Coming 6th in the league and a lack luster squad increased the shadowing doubt. However, with sheer determination they accomplished the dream. Many seen this win as the making of a transition, and it was foreseeable that an onslaught of departures and incomings would come in the summer. Without a manager even being decided on, Abramovic bought two players in Marin and Hazard combining to near £40million this accompanied by the departures of Drogba, Kalou and Bosingwa respectively have opened the door to a new younger Chelsea.
Last season they lacked the determination to succeed. Defensively Chelsea lacked a solid structure, but with Cahill fitting in smoothly and David Luiz seemingly more reliable, the right-back position is the only defensively weak area. Various names have been mentioned to fill the right-back spot, though it now seems Maicon is the target. While being vastly experienced, in the past season or two his form has dipped which happens to most defenders when reaching their 30’s. That being said the whole Inter Milan team have looked average, a move to Chelsea may bring him back to form.
The Chelsea midfield is a different story, it was continually good throughout the season. Lampard again chipped in with goals, while the likes of Meireles and Ramires showed true class. I don’t see any reason for them to buy an expensive midfielder such as Modric for close to £40million. Instead they should give games to Mc Eachran and Romeu. Attacking wise Chelsea lacked quality, Torres approached form by the end of the season but it was too late. The only bright side in that department was Mata who for £23million looks a real coup. The inclusion of Hazard for £32million will give them their own magician who can create something out of nothing. Marin would not excite me as much, he was once touted as a potential star but never lived up to the hype but at 23yrs old he may still turn into a good player. It seems Abramovic is going all out in the attacking department with players like Oscar and Hulk regularly linked. This could cause an overcrowding of talent at the club with a lack of balance. The likes of Hazard won’t want to sit on the bench which will mean Di Matteo will have to successfully rotate the squad and keep everyone happy.
Although the deal for Hulk seems to have broken down due to the price that Porto are requesting. The club are now targeting Leverkusen’s Schurrle and the Brazilian U21 Oscar both players are quoted to cost around the £25million mark. That said Chelsea may also go after striker with Drogba gone and Sturridge seeming to be out of favour, they only have Torres as an out-and-out striker. They could go after a world-class striker in Falcao or even Van Persie although the likes of Schurrle can play upfront. If the transfers of Maicon, Schurrle and Oscar do go through then Chelsea’s spending will have already reached the £100million mark. This would mean Chelsea will have paid around the same as Liverpool last season and have twice the quality.
Towards the end of last season Chelsea looked refreshed and eager to win which contrasted to the team under AVB. It’s hard to say what Di Matteo did differently, it may be down to the players simply liking him more. Even Torres played better and has since had a very successful European Championship. Chelsea supporters have good reason to be optimistic for next season. With an eagerness to succeed as well as new faces Chelsea could be a dominant force in not only the league but also Europe.
By Sean McNeill (@Sean_Mc_Neill)
Last season they lacked the determination to succeed. Defensively Chelsea lacked a solid structure, but with Cahill fitting in smoothly and David Luiz seemingly more reliable, the right-back position is the only defensively weak area. Various names have been mentioned to fill the right-back spot, though it now seems Maicon is the target. While being vastly experienced, in the past season or two his form has dipped which happens to most defenders when reaching their 30’s. That being said the whole Inter Milan team have looked average, a move to Chelsea may bring him back to form.
The Chelsea midfield is a different story, it was continually good throughout the season. Lampard again chipped in with goals, while the likes of Meireles and Ramires showed true class. I don’t see any reason for them to buy an expensive midfielder such as Modric for close to £40million. Instead they should give games to Mc Eachran and Romeu. Attacking wise Chelsea lacked quality, Torres approached form by the end of the season but it was too late. The only bright side in that department was Mata who for £23million looks a real coup. The inclusion of Hazard for £32million will give them their own magician who can create something out of nothing. Marin would not excite me as much, he was once touted as a potential star but never lived up to the hype but at 23yrs old he may still turn into a good player. It seems Abramovic is going all out in the attacking department with players like Oscar and Hulk regularly linked. This could cause an overcrowding of talent at the club with a lack of balance. The likes of Hazard won’t want to sit on the bench which will mean Di Matteo will have to successfully rotate the squad and keep everyone happy.
Although the deal for Hulk seems to have broken down due to the price that Porto are requesting. The club are now targeting Leverkusen’s Schurrle and the Brazilian U21 Oscar both players are quoted to cost around the £25million mark. That said Chelsea may also go after striker with Drogba gone and Sturridge seeming to be out of favour, they only have Torres as an out-and-out striker. They could go after a world-class striker in Falcao or even Van Persie although the likes of Schurrle can play upfront. If the transfers of Maicon, Schurrle and Oscar do go through then Chelsea’s spending will have already reached the £100million mark. This would mean Chelsea will have paid around the same as Liverpool last season and have twice the quality.
Towards the end of last season Chelsea looked refreshed and eager to win which contrasted to the team under AVB. It’s hard to say what Di Matteo did differently, it may be down to the players simply liking him more. Even Torres played better and has since had a very successful European Championship. Chelsea supporters have good reason to be optimistic for next season. With an eagerness to succeed as well as new faces Chelsea could be a dominant force in not only the league but also Europe.
By Sean McNeill (@Sean_Mc_Neill)
Lukaku – ‘The New Drogba’
Romelu Lukaku has, undoubtedly, a scoring record so far in his career that any striker would be proud of and this was evident surrounding the excitement when he joined Chelsea in the summer of 2011. Here I’m going to look at just why this 19 year old, 6 ft 3 in striker has been justifiably dubbed as ‘the new Drogba’.
Lukaku’s youth career was one to be treasured, after impressing at a young age at Rupel Bloom and Lierse, Anderlecht were quick to snap this young talent up. Lukaku went on to make 93 appearances for the Anderlecht youth team scoring an almost unthinkable 131 goals in the process, coming to just over 1.4 goals every game. Not a bad record so far then. Not long after this, unsurprisingly, he was called up to the Anderlecht first team at the tender age of 16 and made his debut just 11 days later in a championship play-off match against Standard Liege. This was followed up just a year later with Lukaku picking up the golden boot award in the Belgian league, whilst helping Anderlecht to the Belgian championship. The following year saw more success, as Lukaku picked up another award, this time the Belgian Ebony Shoe – an award given to the best African player (or of African origin) in the Belgian Pro League.
It came as no surprise to see that this early success in Lukaku’s career had the world’s best clubs fighting it out to get his signature. This decision was not a hard one for Lukaku, after a school trip to the Bridge in 2009 where he was quoted saying – ‘What a stadium. If one day in my life I will cry, it will be the day I play here. I love Chelsea.’ And now here he was, a Chelsea player.
But all has not been plain sailing since his arrival at Chelsea, with Lukaku making just 8 first team starts and scoring no goals as of yet. But maybe this is me being harsh, after all he is still only 19. Can we really expect instant success, especially considering the bridge between the Belgian Pro League and the English Premier League? Maybe not.
He has, however, made some impact, finishing the season as top scorer with 7 goals for the reserves and grabbing himself a man of the match performance in his first start for the first team against Blackburn, picking up an assist for John Terry’s opener.
So, considering the blistering start to Lukaku’s career and the odd glimmer of hope in his first season for Chelsea, I think it would be fair to say that Lukaku’s future is looking bright. Whether he turns out to be the next Drogba, as has been openly claimed by many pundits, is still to be seen but one thing is for sure he definitely has the physical build and has definitely shown positive signs towards doing so.
By Jack Steadman (@Steaders123
Lukaku’s youth career was one to be treasured, after impressing at a young age at Rupel Bloom and Lierse, Anderlecht were quick to snap this young talent up. Lukaku went on to make 93 appearances for the Anderlecht youth team scoring an almost unthinkable 131 goals in the process, coming to just over 1.4 goals every game. Not a bad record so far then. Not long after this, unsurprisingly, he was called up to the Anderlecht first team at the tender age of 16 and made his debut just 11 days later in a championship play-off match against Standard Liege. This was followed up just a year later with Lukaku picking up the golden boot award in the Belgian league, whilst helping Anderlecht to the Belgian championship. The following year saw more success, as Lukaku picked up another award, this time the Belgian Ebony Shoe – an award given to the best African player (or of African origin) in the Belgian Pro League.
It came as no surprise to see that this early success in Lukaku’s career had the world’s best clubs fighting it out to get his signature. This decision was not a hard one for Lukaku, after a school trip to the Bridge in 2009 where he was quoted saying – ‘What a stadium. If one day in my life I will cry, it will be the day I play here. I love Chelsea.’ And now here he was, a Chelsea player.
But all has not been plain sailing since his arrival at Chelsea, with Lukaku making just 8 first team starts and scoring no goals as of yet. But maybe this is me being harsh, after all he is still only 19. Can we really expect instant success, especially considering the bridge between the Belgian Pro League and the English Premier League? Maybe not.
He has, however, made some impact, finishing the season as top scorer with 7 goals for the reserves and grabbing himself a man of the match performance in his first start for the first team against Blackburn, picking up an assist for John Terry’s opener.
So, considering the blistering start to Lukaku’s career and the odd glimmer of hope in his first season for Chelsea, I think it would be fair to say that Lukaku’s future is looking bright. Whether he turns out to be the next Drogba, as has been openly claimed by many pundits, is still to be seen but one thing is for sure he definitely has the physical build and has definitely shown positive signs towards doing so.
By Jack Steadman (@Steaders123
Di Matteo – early success, but can it be kept up in the long-run?
Being a Chelsea fan, I was ecstatic hearing the news of Di Matteo signing a new 2-year contract as Chelsea manager. In just his few months in charge in the 2011/12 season he made a sizeable impact, turning what had been somewhat of a shambles of a season for the blues into arguably one of our most successful, bringing home not only the FA Cup but, the downfall of so many ex-Chelsea managers, the Champions League.
Andre Villas-Boas arrived at Chelsea at the beginning of the 2011/12 season with a huge level of expectation and excitement following his immense success at Porto, bringing home the Europa League, winning the Portuguese Cup and winning the Portuguese league after an unbeaten season, and all of this coming in just one year in charge of the club. This excitement and expectation was short lived however, with AVB’s tactics and controversial team management quickly losing him fans. The constant persistence to play with such a high line at the back often came under scrutiny from fans, pundits and players alike as Chelsea continued to leak goals notably after a run of bad results against the league’s top clubs, including the ever-present haunting of a 5-3 drubbing at home to Arsenal. On top of this constant flawed tactic, AVB made some controversial team choices most notably with the exclusion of Frank Lampard from the starting line-up on more than one occasion.
All of these factors led to the eventual sacking of Andre Villas-Boas when the board were finally tipped over the edge after a 1-0 loss to West Brom.
Enter Di Matteo. He made an immediate impact leading Chelsea to a 5-4 aggregate win against Napoli in the Champions League last 16 after what seemed like a certain exit from the competition, following a less than convincing first leg. All of a sudden the team had found that little extra something and they seemed to go from strength to strength. Di Matteo had reignited the team morale and belief that had all been burnt out during AVB’s reign. Just a few days after our success against Napoli, Di Matteo led us to the FA Cup semi-finals with a 5-2 win over Leicester and had achieved what at the time seemed to be impossible – help Torres to once again find form, who scored two goals and managed two assists in that game.
The season kept on progressing well and although our premier league form was still not that of a title challenging team, there were sure signs of improvement. Meanwhile, our European campaign carried on blossoming, beating Benfica and then overcoming the ‘impossible’ and beating Barcelona after a ferocious second leg drawing 2-2 at the Camp Nou with only 10 men on the field for over two thirds of the game. The Champions League final awaited us. This colossal performance, against arguably the greatest club team of all time, somewhat overshadowed our FA Cup semi-final win. A 5-1 thrashing of Spurs, our season was well and truly back on track.
With our premier league campaign slowly dying out, achieving only a 6th place finish, two of the biggest games of the clubs recent history followed in the space of just two weeks. The 5th May, another FA Cup final. Chelsea overcame a valiant effort from Liverpool following one of many Drogba, big game, star performances and we picked up our 7th FA Cup trophy. 19th May, Munich. Enter one final colossal Didier Drogba performance to keep us in the game after going 1-0 down and leading us to the greatest achievement for any European club, winning the Champions League.
These events surely guaranteed Di Matteo the job full-time? It didn’t seem so for a while, but after what seemed like an age, Roberto was finally named manager with a 2-year contract.
But going back to the title of my blog, can he keep up this success in the long term? As a Chelsea fan I like to think this is certainly possible but it may not be as simple as we think. Di Matteo was inducted to restore order to the Chelsea camp and not much else really, it was almost as if he managed the team with a nothing-to-lose attitude and this certainly helped with the success that followed his arrival. But following his first season atics, there will again be an air of expectation and anticipation of even more success, and I will admit as a Chelsea fan, this is a feeling I possess. This anticipation may yet again lead to the failure of another Chelsea manager, as rather than when Di Matteo first entered the club as manager with next to no pressure, he is now going to be expected to produce these performances and success again, but with the added pressure of already achieving more than was expected by him.
Can he deal with this extra pressure? In the past his managerial career hasn’t merited this, with a big sense of second-season syndrome in his time with West Brom. After leading them to promotion in his first year in charge, this was followed by a lengthy spell of struggling and poor results, which eventually led to him parting company with the club.
As a Chelsea fan I can only hope the same doesn’t happen with us and that in his second season he goes on from strength to strength and with that a period of more success to follow. Only time will tell.
By Jack Steadman (@Steaders123)
Andre Villas-Boas arrived at Chelsea at the beginning of the 2011/12 season with a huge level of expectation and excitement following his immense success at Porto, bringing home the Europa League, winning the Portuguese Cup and winning the Portuguese league after an unbeaten season, and all of this coming in just one year in charge of the club. This excitement and expectation was short lived however, with AVB’s tactics and controversial team management quickly losing him fans. The constant persistence to play with such a high line at the back often came under scrutiny from fans, pundits and players alike as Chelsea continued to leak goals notably after a run of bad results against the league’s top clubs, including the ever-present haunting of a 5-3 drubbing at home to Arsenal. On top of this constant flawed tactic, AVB made some controversial team choices most notably with the exclusion of Frank Lampard from the starting line-up on more than one occasion.
All of these factors led to the eventual sacking of Andre Villas-Boas when the board were finally tipped over the edge after a 1-0 loss to West Brom.
Enter Di Matteo. He made an immediate impact leading Chelsea to a 5-4 aggregate win against Napoli in the Champions League last 16 after what seemed like a certain exit from the competition, following a less than convincing first leg. All of a sudden the team had found that little extra something and they seemed to go from strength to strength. Di Matteo had reignited the team morale and belief that had all been burnt out during AVB’s reign. Just a few days after our success against Napoli, Di Matteo led us to the FA Cup semi-finals with a 5-2 win over Leicester and had achieved what at the time seemed to be impossible – help Torres to once again find form, who scored two goals and managed two assists in that game.
The season kept on progressing well and although our premier league form was still not that of a title challenging team, there were sure signs of improvement. Meanwhile, our European campaign carried on blossoming, beating Benfica and then overcoming the ‘impossible’ and beating Barcelona after a ferocious second leg drawing 2-2 at the Camp Nou with only 10 men on the field for over two thirds of the game. The Champions League final awaited us. This colossal performance, against arguably the greatest club team of all time, somewhat overshadowed our FA Cup semi-final win. A 5-1 thrashing of Spurs, our season was well and truly back on track.
With our premier league campaign slowly dying out, achieving only a 6th place finish, two of the biggest games of the clubs recent history followed in the space of just two weeks. The 5th May, another FA Cup final. Chelsea overcame a valiant effort from Liverpool following one of many Drogba, big game, star performances and we picked up our 7th FA Cup trophy. 19th May, Munich. Enter one final colossal Didier Drogba performance to keep us in the game after going 1-0 down and leading us to the greatest achievement for any European club, winning the Champions League.
These events surely guaranteed Di Matteo the job full-time? It didn’t seem so for a while, but after what seemed like an age, Roberto was finally named manager with a 2-year contract.
But going back to the title of my blog, can he keep up this success in the long term? As a Chelsea fan I like to think this is certainly possible but it may not be as simple as we think. Di Matteo was inducted to restore order to the Chelsea camp and not much else really, it was almost as if he managed the team with a nothing-to-lose attitude and this certainly helped with the success that followed his arrival. But following his first season atics, there will again be an air of expectation and anticipation of even more success, and I will admit as a Chelsea fan, this is a feeling I possess. This anticipation may yet again lead to the failure of another Chelsea manager, as rather than when Di Matteo first entered the club as manager with next to no pressure, he is now going to be expected to produce these performances and success again, but with the added pressure of already achieving more than was expected by him.
Can he deal with this extra pressure? In the past his managerial career hasn’t merited this, with a big sense of second-season syndrome in his time with West Brom. After leading them to promotion in his first year in charge, this was followed by a lengthy spell of struggling and poor results, which eventually led to him parting company with the club.
As a Chelsea fan I can only hope the same doesn’t happen with us and that in his second season he goes on from strength to strength and with that a period of more success to follow. Only time will tell.
By Jack Steadman (@Steaders123)
Torres, Chelsea’s number 9
The £50 million switch from red to blue was a hot topic across the whole footballing world. But who would have thought that the story would still be brought up on a weekly basis? As we all know the move from Liverpool didn’t flourish as Fernando would have wanted, yet is there still aspects in his one and half seasons at Chelsea to show promise for the future? I think so.
Fernando Torres or El Niño (as he was known in Spain) struggled to cement himself into the starting line up at Chelsea and as we all know he found it extremely hard to find the back of the net, only scoring 12 goals from 46 appearances, because of this I cannot help but agree with the majority of people, and say that Torres just doesn’t look the same, his touch is sloppy, his passes fall short and his shots fire wide on a regular basis.
Torres scored his first goal for Chelsea against West Ham United in a 3–0 victory, which ended a run of 903 minutes of football without scoring a single goal, however this was subjected to claims that weather conditions greatly helped the number 9, which was evident by the ball practically stopping in the wet mud in front of the Mathew Harding stand, So even when he does score critics are hot on the case and seem adamant on casting a shadow over him.
He then went on to start the 2011/2012 campaign looking fresh and he began to make clever runs into the spaces behind defenders and provide crucial link up play with wide men around him. All looked promising when he netted his second goal for Chelsea and first of the season against title contenders Manchester united on the 18th of September. However as I’m sure you’re aware his performance and goal will be forever overlooked, due to the clear missed opportunity in front of an open goal. Following this he managed to secure a 3rd goal for Chelsea against newly promoted Swansea city, however Torres always seems to ruin the occasion as he violently two footed Mark Gower just 10 minutes after scoring. Once again finding form and then plummeting back down.
However apart from the evident difference in performance between his time at Liverpool and Chelsea, his phenomenal work ethic and his ability to not give up has maintained his stature as a well reckoned player. His goal against Barcelona to secure a champions league final place for Chelsea was not only well taken but also well deserved, the 12 assists he also provided this season (crucial ones include, the set up for kalou in the 1-0 win over Benfica giving us a helpful away goal) have made me believe that he could still turn around his horrendous up and down start to his Chelsea career. I believe that Torres will find is magnificent form which he so clearly had in 2008 euros competition and the majority of his time at Liverpool. The added factor of Chelsea’s former main man Didier Drogba leaving has left Torres with perfect chance to become a world class striker once again. Form is temporary, class is permanent.
By Ryan Farley (@RyanF0800)
Fernando Torres or El Niño (as he was known in Spain) struggled to cement himself into the starting line up at Chelsea and as we all know he found it extremely hard to find the back of the net, only scoring 12 goals from 46 appearances, because of this I cannot help but agree with the majority of people, and say that Torres just doesn’t look the same, his touch is sloppy, his passes fall short and his shots fire wide on a regular basis.
Torres scored his first goal for Chelsea against West Ham United in a 3–0 victory, which ended a run of 903 minutes of football without scoring a single goal, however this was subjected to claims that weather conditions greatly helped the number 9, which was evident by the ball practically stopping in the wet mud in front of the Mathew Harding stand, So even when he does score critics are hot on the case and seem adamant on casting a shadow over him.
He then went on to start the 2011/2012 campaign looking fresh and he began to make clever runs into the spaces behind defenders and provide crucial link up play with wide men around him. All looked promising when he netted his second goal for Chelsea and first of the season against title contenders Manchester united on the 18th of September. However as I’m sure you’re aware his performance and goal will be forever overlooked, due to the clear missed opportunity in front of an open goal. Following this he managed to secure a 3rd goal for Chelsea against newly promoted Swansea city, however Torres always seems to ruin the occasion as he violently two footed Mark Gower just 10 minutes after scoring. Once again finding form and then plummeting back down.
However apart from the evident difference in performance between his time at Liverpool and Chelsea, his phenomenal work ethic and his ability to not give up has maintained his stature as a well reckoned player. His goal against Barcelona to secure a champions league final place for Chelsea was not only well taken but also well deserved, the 12 assists he also provided this season (crucial ones include, the set up for kalou in the 1-0 win over Benfica giving us a helpful away goal) have made me believe that he could still turn around his horrendous up and down start to his Chelsea career. I believe that Torres will find is magnificent form which he so clearly had in 2008 euros competition and the majority of his time at Liverpool. The added factor of Chelsea’s former main man Didier Drogba leaving has left Torres with perfect chance to become a world class striker once again. Form is temporary, class is permanent.
By Ryan Farley (@RyanF0800)