Chelsea Blip-O-Meter
86-12 = 74 points
Chelsea Blip-O-Meter reading: 4.7
Just when you think you can put the Blip-O-Meter away for the season the needle starts bouncing around like a punk in a mosh-pit.
Little illustrates the difference between last season and this better than Saturday’s fixture against Wigan.
Eleven months ago we happily hammered in eight – this year our angst-ridden team just about squeezed in one (and that easily could have been disallowed for a foul on their goalkeeper).
Last year the little that our defence had to do was done calmly and efficiently – this year we were lucky they weren’t good enough to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities we presented them.
Last year I didn’t want the game to finish – this year I was nervously willing the clock to accelerate.
The only real positive was Benayoun’s second-half cameo. If Torres can’t score from the gilt-edged opportunities he was delivered, then maybe “Houston, we have a problem” . At least it now appears that he can see the funny side of it all, judging by his reactions on Saturday.
It may be the making of him.
I really hope so. A couple at Old Trafford would render the past 12-hours immaterial.
Meanwhile, of course a Young Daniel Sturridge keeps banging them in for Bolton.
So this is it: We’ve got to score against Manchester United Private Equity Fund at least once (ideally twice or more) on Tuesday or they can start to compile the end-of-season DVD.
It can be done.
We’ve done it ourselves several times.
It was the setting for Ancelotti’s last genuinely bold tactical initiative a year ago (leaving Drogba on the bench and starting Joe Cole).
A bit of courage worked then and it could work again.
For a start he could drop Lampard to the bench, ready for a late introduction if required (he’d be needed to take a penalty).
Who Dares Wins.
Or in the words of the poet:
“A little bit of courage is all we lack
catch me if you can, I’m going back…”
Posted by Steve Symmons
| Match | Available | 10/11 | GF | GA | GD | 09/10 | GF | GA | GD | Par | PtsYTD | GFYTD | GAYTD | GDYTD |
| WBA (Hull) (h) | 6-0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 2-1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | = | = | +4 | -1 | +5 | |
| Wigan (a) | 3 | 6-0 | 12 | 0 | +12 | 1-3 | 3 | 4 | -1 | +3 | +3 | +9 | -4 | +14 |
| Stoke (h) | 2-0 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 7-0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | = | +3 | +4 | -4 | +8 | |
| West Ham (a) | 2 | 3-1 | 17 | 1 | +16 | 1-1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | +2 | +5 | +6 | -4 | +10 |
| Blackpool (Portsmouth) (h) | 4-0 | 21 | 1 | +20 | 2-1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | = | +5 | +8 | -5 | +13 | |
| Man City (a) | 3 | 0-1 | 21 | 2 | +19 | 1-2 | 14 | 8 | +6 | = | +5 | +7 | -6 | +13 |
| Arsenal (h) | 2-0 | 23 | 2 | +21 | 2-0 | 16 | 8 | +8 | = | +5 | +7 | -6 | +13 | |
| Aston Villa (a) | 3 | 0-0 | 23 | 2 | +21 | 1-2 | 17 | 10 | +7 | +1 | +6 | +6 | -8 | +14 |
| Wolves (h) | 2-0 | 25 | 2 | +23 | 4-0 | 21 | 10 | +11 | = | +6 | +4 | -8 | +12 | |
| Blackburn (a) | 2 | 2-1 | 27 | 3 | +24 | 1-1 | 22 | 11 | +11 | +2 | +8 | +5 | -8 | +13 |
| Liverpool (a) | 0-2 | 27 | 5 | +22 | 2-0 | 24 | 11 | +13 | -3 | +5 | +3 | -6 | +9 | |
| Fulham (h) | 1-0 | 28 | 5 | +23 | 2-1 | 26 | 12 | +14 | = | +5 | +2 | -7 | +9 | |
| Sunderland (h) | 0-3 | 28 | 8 | +20 | 7-2 | 33 | 14 | +19 | -3 | +2 | -5 | -6 | +1 | |
| Birmingham (a) | 2 | 0-1 | 28 | 9 | +19 | 0-0 | 33 | 14 | +19 | -1 | +1 | -5 | -5 | = |
| Newcastle (Burnley) (a) | 1-1 | 29 | 10 | +19 | 2-1 | 35 | 15 | +20 | -2 | -1 | -6 | -5 | -1 | |
| Everton (h) | 2 | 1-1 | 30 | 11 | +19 | 3-3 | 38 | 18 | +20 | = | -1 | -8 | -7 | -1 |
| Tottenham (a) | 3 | 1-1 | 31 | 12 | +19 | 1-2 | 39 | 20 | +19 | +1 | = | -8 | -8 | = |
| Arsenal (a) | 1-3 | 32 | 15 | +17 | 3-0 | 41 | 20 | +21 | -3 | -3 | -9 | -5 | -4 | |
| Bolton (h) | 1-0 | 33 | 15 | +18 | 1-0 | 42 | 20 | +22 | = | -3 | -9 | -5 | -4 | |
| Aston Villa (h) | 3-3 | 36 | 18 | +18 | 7-1 | 49 | 21 | +28 | -2 | -5 | -13 | -3 | -10 | |
| Wolves (a) | 0-1 | 36 | 19 | +17 | 2-0 | 51 | 21 | +30 | -3 | -8 | -15 | -2 | -13 | |
| Blackburn (h) | 2-0 | 38 | 19 | +19 | 5-0 | 56 | 21 | +35 | = | -8 | -18 | -2 | -16 | |
| Bolton (a) | 4-0 | 42 | 19 | +23 | 4-0 | 60 | 21 | +39 | = | -8 | -18 | -2 | -16 | |
| Sunderland (a) | 4-2 | 46 | 21 | +25 | 3-1 | 63 | 22 | +41 | = | -8 | -17 | -1 | -16 | |
| Liverpool (h) | 0-1 | 46 | 22 | +24 | 2-0 | 65 | 22 | +43 | -3 | -11 | -19 | -2 | -17 | |
| Fulham (a) | 0-0 | 46 | 22 | +24 | 2-0 | 67 | 22 | +45 | -2 | -13 | -21 | 0 | -21 | |
| Man Utd (h) | 2-1 | 48 | 23 | +25 | 1-0 | 68 | 22 | +46 | = | -13 | -20 | +1 | -21 | |
| Blackpool (Portsmouth) (a) | 3-1 | 51 | 24 | +27 | 5-0 | 73 | 22 | +51 | = | -13 | -22 | +2 | -24 | |
| Man City (h) | 3 | 2-0 | 53 | 24 | +29 | 2-4 | 75 | 26 | +49 | +3 | -10 | -22 | -2 | -20 |
| Stoke (a) | 1-1 | 54 | 25 | +29 | 2-1 | 77 | 27 | +50 | -2 | -12 | -23 | -2 | -21 | |
| Wigan (h) | 1-0 | 55 | 25 | +30 | 8-0 | 85 | 27 | +58 | = | -12 | -30 | -2 | -28 | |
| WBA (Hull) (a) | 2 | 1-1 | ||||||||||||
| Birmingham (h) | 3-0 | |||||||||||||
| West Ham (h) | 4-1 | |||||||||||||
| Tottenham (h) | 3-0 | |||||||||||||
| Man Utd (a) | 2-1 | |||||||||||||
| Newcastle (Burnley) (h) | 3-0 | |||||||||||||
| Everton (a) | 3 | 1-2 | ||||||||||||