Life’s A Beach
The satisfaction of winning after being completely set up for a fall is such a good feeling.
Beating an upstart rival who’s been giving it large for much of the season also is extremely good for the soul. A 6pm Sunday kick off at wembley for a semi-final is quite a strange time for a so called top match and all done in the so called name of football exposure. It back-fired big time for the idiots concerned.
TV viewing figures must have been interesting, with the FA supported love fest with Tottenham and Chelsea being so dull…..I am lucky enough to live in a reasonable location which panders to English football, added to the fact this game was scheduled during a major holiday period was encouraging but trying to find a satisfactory location at the local time of midnight on a respectable tropical island is a fair challenge even for the most devoted of supporters, the idea of taking a castaway type of beach holiday does have some major drawbacks.
However an old fashioned CRT TV with an analog signal which caused a retro ghosting picture effect, in a beach hut approximately 12 feet 7 and half inches to the sea was the most satisfactory option available. The nearest bar was about 2 miles away, with its signs of no weapons allowed was not a real option, and by this time the local police would be looking to quieten down the activity on the holiday streets, in preparation for another days water festivities ahead, so air con’d to the max and a fridge full preferred drinking options, I duly settled down with a fair amount of anticipation to watch the game.
Tilsley is not my cup of so called tea in a commentator, I’d rather have the waxing lyrical Stuart Hall, or at a push the in your face bursting your ear drums Jonathan Pearce, but there you go, I considered myself very lucky indeed to be watching the game.
I wondered what Chelsea would turn up, after our season, even though RDM had produced a Hiddink like turn around in the teams performances, some of our recent games had been very laboured…. Tottenham did what Tottenham do, flatter, and try to be attractive to the eye of the neutral….aaaah so sweet really.
We had a couple of scares and chances of our own, before Drogba shook off some of those years to remind us why he became such a cult hero. Even in the words of exiled Andy Grey ” you just don’t save those” or ” even with two goalkeepers you don’t save those” Drogba flash back to the past was even sweeter because he of the two faced burning bridges, Gallas was the defender, he looked his age now, and I doubt he get another season at Tottenham.
Another thing of note is that Tottenham’s version of loyalty Ledley King (credit to the man for staying loyal) he was once a top quality defender, but now, with knees that have gone and no ability to be able to train anymore, he is the weakest of weak links in a defence which was simply dismembered bit by bit in the second half.
Yes the second goal did not look like a goal, these things happen, technology has to come in and save our game from woeful officials, (this season has been blighted by bad official performances) I’ve been saying for years we’ve needed it, as it helps make correct big decisions.
So many have come to the defence of Tottenham that the ghost goal changed the game, well in my view they were already losing, and infact rather than let their moral drop it boosted them through the feeling of injustice, they got a goal back soon enough, but lets be honest about it, we picked them off like an old world champion boxer, measured punch by punch to force a knock out!
They were in fact out on their feet before the fifth went in.
I felt sorry for Carlo, he left us to get first team football and has found himself second fiddle to Gomez and now ageing Friedel, whilst is still a fine goalkeeper is not quite in Cech’s class…..Carlo you would have played more games for us!
The third was a well worked move, Lampard’s free kick was about the best he’s ever done, the old dog has learnt a new trick, and the fifth was a real rubbing of salt into old wounds, by this time the Tottenham end was almost as deserted as my island.
We worked really hard to get that victory in spite of the FA’s desire to make things as difficult as possible, they showed their favouritism to Tottenham in many ways, our profile was at the back of the programme, Tottenham was at the front, the disruptive and banished Lord Triesman was invited back within the fold for the day, and our management refused to take the tables with the FA and sat away from them in disgust of their bias against us (well done fellas).
This FA group are continuing to prove themselves unfit to mange English football, their failings are both public and very consistent, not to mention confusing and two-faced, their so called ” Chosen One” has failed badly since Capello’s undermined exit, we’ve seen and heard their double talk, blubbering and fumbling excuses and still they can not announce a manager, a training camp close to a 1000 miles from two Euro 2012 matches, a forth division teams facilities which were in ruins last December, and they are funding 50% of its rebuilding! Organising games that actually hinder its own teams in Europe (Barcelona have had 5 extra days to prepare than Chelsea).
On a moonless night with the sea as calm as a mill pond, not even the rippling waves make a sound on the beach, this result was very satisfying, not just because it was Tottenham we had put 5 past (in it self extremely pleasing) it was sticking two fingers up at the FA and their attempt to undermine our European challenge. We dismembered their favoured team and shown that our young Italian manager is far better than their whimsical self confessed educational challenged simpleton, we’ve made the real cup final against Liverpool which is yet another matter, but that can wait for another day.
Tomorrow we have Barcelona to face, and whilst I doubt this time we are strong enough to make it over two legs, along with UEFA’s planned obstruction which I’m sure will show its face if we show any signs of taking advantage. The winner still has to go to Munich, which is still possible to be the home of the other finalist, we have achieved so much in the past few weeks, there is still hope for 4th, and maybe even 3rd, but the real reality is we will miss both Munich and the CL next year, and honestly that’s not a bad long term thing.
The FA Cup gives European football of a different adventure, one strong enough to remove both Manchester clubs with relative ease and a chance to savour some fresh fields whilst cutting the teeth of a new team.
There is one last hurrah opportunity for our aging squad, one final goodbye before we build afresh, and we need to look at concluding where we will be in the future, maybe not Stamford Bridge anymore but a ground with capacity to allow us to continue to grow as a club, giving the opportunity of discounted tickets for students and children, we have done well to start to replace the missing generation, now you see our future is not just about England and Europe, we are a global brand, (I’m drinking Singha from a Chelsea team tin) we have business revenues overseas, we have customers overseas, one can easily miss other opportunities.
In Asia Chelsea are one of the biggest attractions, with fans eager to buy the dream well as bring in extra revenue opportunities….. of course money can bring success, its an essential ingredient in football, and we have used it just the same as any successful club in the past…. we’ve made the step up into the global league, so Champions league or not we are still in a good position.
Posted by Voltaire