Most Heinous
By: Jack | February 19th, 2008Hey, anyone have an interest in the dull and dire? How about the deplorable and depressing? If so, Chelsea Football Club is your team.
The Blues sleepwalked through another goalless draw Tuesday, this time in Athens against Olympiakos on Champions League matchday seven. Avram Grant rested Anelka, JT and Lampard in wake of this weekend’s Carling Cup final. The gamble paid off (somewhat), seeing as the tie, which switches to Stamford Bridge in two weeks, is now clearly in Chelsea’s hands.
To say that’s a good thing would probably be about the only positive one could take away from Tuesday’s match — though it is a massive positive. The Blues, as a hole, looked unmotivated and as if they didn’t really care. Drogba, in his first action since returning from the homeland, was lethargic and more prone to through a fit than threaten the Greeks at the back. Sure he didn’t get much service, but where’s the workrate we’ve come to love?
Our best — if you can call it that — was seen at the back and in the hole. Maks was fairly effective, while Alex and Carvahlo proved themselves a solid tandem once again. Our worst clearly came on the left side, where Cashley and Malouda were simply useless. With the right targeted by Olympiakos, the left wingers (no politics) saw a lot of time on the ball — most of it ending with Malouda failing to beat a defender with his “sublime” technical ability. SWP should feel hard done being left out for this guy. For that matter, so should Bridge for Cole. Joe Cole wasn’t a ball of sunshine either.
We did get to see what life might hold for the club with a two-prong attack of Drogba and Sulky Sulky. Nico came on around the 70th, and though he set up shop on the left wing, provided some zing to the side. Moving him centrally would be good ol’ fashion fun, though I doubt our man Avram has the kelbasa to do so.
Let’s just hope Olympiakos doesn’t park about six defenders inside their own third in the second leg. They might just nick one off a frustrated Chelsea side. Oh, who am I kidding, Eidur will grab an early one and we’ll cruise. Wait.
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Tags: Anelka, Champions League, Chelsea News, Chelsea Team News, Drogba, Fixtures, Match Reports, OlympiakosSubscribe
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Comments
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I totally agree with you malouda and cole were useless and i do not understand this thing about playing cole instead of bridge. for goodness sake are the coaches seeing differently than everybody. i must say i am fearful for the second leg, has anyone given a thought to 1-1 scoreline. chelsea scoring one goal and not scoring again and the greeks scoring in the last minute(a la everton). WHAT WILL HAPPEN? the guys are simply not playing like they have a desire to win,what is going on, look at the opportunities we have lost of catching up in the league just like it happened last season, where is the spirit/passion that got us a draw against totenham(3-3)in the league last year. PLS DO SOMETHING, i have always claimed we will win the premiership.
Posted from
United States
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That match was rubbish. Two things I can’t fathom: Why does grant continue to play Cashley, and why not try both Le Sulk and Drogs up front for more than 20 minutes?
Posted from
United States -
Well Chris here is your answer to the Drogba/Anelka thing. Obviously both are being saved for the Carling Cup on Sunday. Anelka was on the subs bench against Huddersfield last Saturday as a back up and Drogba for the same game was injured – remember Drogba just got back from the ACN. As for the rest we didnt lose and now we are strong favs to win the 2nd leg. The 1-1 scenario is a worry, but I will worry about that on the night.
Bridge is a better player than Cole and I could not understand why Terry and Lampard did not start. Reports say that they were both told on Saturday that they would not be starting.
Onwards and upwards – Tottingham on Sunday and hopefully we will retain the Carling Cup.
KTBFFH
Posted from
United States -
“The Blues, as a hole, looked unmotivated and as if they didn’t really care.”
what kinda holes are they? i think i know ..
Posted from
Canada -
I have to disagree with you on this one Jack. Fair enough we have got the obvious plus of playing at home in two weeks but one goal is all it takes and we need to score twice to put them out.
We should have put at least one past Olympiakos on Tuesday – and would have if we would’ve tried – and their defensive record is also pretty good. Mark my words it is going to be a tough match against the Greeks!Posted from
United Kingdom -
Well played Steven, well played.
FBM, I agree it’s going to be a tough match. But, from what I’ve seen of Olympiakos, they don’t really seem like they can threaten us. They definitely could sneak one, albeit an unlikely scenario for me. Let’s just hope we show up.
Posted from
United States -
Jack – Never underestimate the opposition. A few years at Stamford Bridge we played FC Copenhagen and were on the verge of losing our unbeaten home record in European competition. In the 90th minute up popped Marcel Desailly to equalise. Two weeks later a certain Brian Laudrup won us the game in Denmark… where did he go within a few weeks…. FC Copenhagen.
I will worry about the score in two weeks in the 90th minute if I have to!!
KTBFFH
Wembley Here We Come!!
Posted from
United States -
I just pray that Grant sends out a full strength – and I mean FULL – side at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time.
If we have the likes of Terry and Frank in the squad then we should progress, I also wouldn’t mind seeing Dids and Anelka lining up together for this one, the firepower they possess between them will be more than enough to see off Olympiakos.
One more thing which could well swing things in our favour is an electric atmosphere. I couldn’t get to the away leg but will be there on the 5th and if we can recreate a atmosphere anywhere near the standard of their own support it will give us a further edge and one which would be a massive boost to the team in the coming months.Posted from
United Kingdom -
Yo…
Let’s look Carling Cup result..
Maybe it will effect The Blues performance..Posted from
Malaysia -
Joe Cole has already come out today and said that the team need to dust themselves down and get on with concentrating on the remaining three trophies we can still win.
That is exactly what we have to do, if over the next few games we can’t perform well enough our whole season could fall apart, we can’t let that happen because Spurs’ will see this result as starting the decline.
What’s interesting though is that before the big names came back into the fold we were playing great football, now we are not, perhaps it is a case of big names who don’t really care about the team anymore!Posted from
United Kingdom
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