Monday, November 22, 2010

Doomed in Crisis??? ...Not really!!!


All of a sudden,everyone believes Chelsea are on the way to disaster.Two bad performances in a week,and it's suddenly a crisis,isn't it?? Arsenal have lost 3 times at home already,including twice against Newly-promoted teams,and still Chelsea,after first home defeat of the season are suddenly doomed,aren't they??However convincing the defeat maybe,I should just point out,it came in the absence of Terry,Lampard,Essien and and Alex (Can anyone imagine Liverpool missing Gerrard,Torres and Carragher and even beating Northampton???Not really..)
Same thing with United,those guys have won just 1 game away from home so far,just ONE in one-thirds of the season,and still just a couple of away defeats at Liverpool and Birmingham suddenly mean Chelsea are just not good enough for the title?? Nonsense.
Yes,the sacking of Ray Wilkins came as a rude shock,which wasn't really necessary,with all going so smoothly,but does anyone doubt they are not up for the fight after watching them vs Birmingham?? I don't certainly.It was just a bad day,where nothing seemed to go in for them,and their opponents scored from the only Chance they created in 90 mins (Still,horrible goal to concede,though,watching the replays,I felt John Terry even on a wheelchair,would position himself better!! But,that's the reason he's John Terry though,you can't suddenly expect Ferreira to be like him)
Say anything you want,but Chelsea have badly missed Frank Lampard (All those thinking we're just making excuses,just remember what Manutd or Liverpool keep crying about when Rooney or Gerrard is missing) .Not just his consistent flow of goals,but his ability to drive forward relentlessly,creating more space for the attackers.I should point out,Chelsea were hammering goals for fun,early in the season,when he was playing,they just seemed to have dried now he's missing.We're supposed to have signed the "Future of Brazilian Midfield" for 18 millions,but his attacking skills make Lucas look like Xabi Alonso! And you just can't afford to put 4 fullbacks in defence,not even vs Sunderland,as we found out.But,still there will be better days to come,no?
Huge games coming up for Chelsea now,with Spurs,Arsenal and ManUtd all to be faced,but with the return of Inspirational skipper Terry,along with Super Frank and Essien,talk of whatever crisis as long as you want,Chelsea are still the team to beat if you want that Title !!!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Stuck in Second Gear???


I'll be honest,it was a total disaster at Stamford Bridge on Sunday!! First home defeat since March,3 goals conceded after not conceding a single one for 9 games at home,and it could've been much worse! What does this do to Chelsea's title challenge?? Huge damage,if you ask me...
When the season began,with the 6-0 thumping of Wigan and West Brom (For all those Man Utd fans dancing with delight,same WestBrom that came to OldTrafford and drew 2-2!!) ,it all looked so good,there didn't seem to be anyone even close to challenging the Champions,another title just seemed a formality,and so even when they were not so dazzling versus Man City and Villa,people always said they still had the upper gears in reserve,to up the ante against the big guns.But apart from versus Arsenal,that doesn't seem to be happening,does it??
Points dropped against Villa and City were ok,but the defeats versus Liverpool and Sunderland were bad,for they were so convincing,even die hard Chelsea fans couldn't say they didn't deserve to lose!! They were plain mediocre ,it never looked like they were coming back,and thoroughly deserved the defeats.
Having said that,picture is not so dark as it's made out to be,ManUtd are still struggling (They were plain lucky to win vs Wolves,and even though draw at Villa Park was good,don't forget they have won only once on the road this season!) ,City don't look good enough,Arsenal can be threatening,but don't forget Chelsea had Lmapard, Terry, Alex and Essien missing on Sunday,yes that can't be an excuse against someone like Sunderland,but you won't say they wouldn't make a difference once they're back!!!
We're heading for an exciting Winter now,with many big games coming up,it starts this weekend itself with the London Derby of the Gunners and the Spurs,so I really hope the Reigning Champions finally switch to the Higher gears!!!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

"You-know Who" of Liverpool


Five-time European Champions,18-time English Champions,and yet again finding themselves embarrassingly 0-1 down versus not AC Milan or Juve,but Napoli...rest all, as they say,is History! Steven Gerrard,the charismatic captain,coming off the bench,to score a stunning hattrick,to save Liverpool yet again.How many times more,are we going to say that???
For the last few days,we have been singing about the greatness of Gareth Bale,comparing him already to Ryan Giggs,just after 2 classy performances,against the Defending European champions (But,please don't forget, champions who committed tactical suicide by replacing Jose Mourinho,with "Great" Rafa Benitez!!!)
2 more performances like that,and people may start to say he's better than Messi,possible! Yes,it's great to watch him tear apart World's best fullback to pieces,but let's not forget we have got a man who carries his team on his back week in-week out,He's called Steven Gerrard!
Many friends of mine will be surprised to read this,as they know how die hard Chelsea fan I am,but yes,after watching his heroics yet again in midweek,it's difficult not to praise that guy.Yes,it was only against Napoli,but in the current plight of his team,even that was a mammoth task!
Liverpool have been shambolic this season,no two ways about that,there is no desire to win,even Fernando Torres looks a lost man,but Gerrard is the only reason the Kops still have faith,he has always been there when they have needed him,just as he was on Thursday.Remember,when Liverpool needed a winner versus Olympiakos in stoppage time to avoid humiliation,it was HIM.When they needed a hero in Istanbul for the second half,or in the FA Cup final vs West Ham,he rose to the occasion,I still haven't forgotten his thunderbolt in the 91st min in that final!!
Yes,of course he has flaws,the drunken fight in a bar,and even diving at the smallest touch of a defender for a freekick,but he's only human,and he's one of the few who come closest to be Role models for young footballers.
Gerrard would have been a World-Champion,had he gone to Chelsea or Real Madrid,he even had the opportunities,no one would blame him for being ambitious ,but he chose not to.He chose to stay at the Club,he had dreamed of since his birth,even today,in the mediocrity surrounding Liverpool,still he shines like a beacon.And thats why,although I really hope he flops against Chelsea on Sunday, He is a real Hero in this world of "Ambitious" Rooneys and Ronaldos!!!