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Breathe Football. Bleed Blue..
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Premiership vs Carling and FA Cups
Just a day after Premier League runners-up Chelsea won the FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium against new EPL champions Manchester United 1-0 after extra time, earning them a double league cup and making history as only the third team to win both cups, questions as to the relevance of meaning of either or both cups emerge. Is winning both titles more important than winning the Premiership? Did Chelsea make up for their loss by winning both cups? Do the Red Devils have nothing to fret over, losing the FA Cup to earn them a double? Do the Carling and FA Cup even compare to the Premier League?
Premier League's status comes from the fact that it is the top flight league in England. Teams from five other lower leagues attempt to inch their way to the top every season to reach the Premiership, where the strongest teams survive and the weakest get relegated. To use a simple analogy, those at the Premiership are at the peak of the mountain. There's nowhere else for them to go but down; those at the top only have to maintain their position. The idea of competing against the cream of the crop on the pitch, that is the best teams to have made it this far, gives birth to the idea that nothing else is more prestigious than winning the Premiership. Carling Cup and the FA Cup are mere bonuses. But are they?
The question posed by some people as to the value of either cups pushed me to think about the issue. Are they really less valuable? Pondering over the matter, I realized it is not. Its less prestigious and mere 'bonus-only' status stems from the idea that on the way to the championship, each finalist faces at times teams weaker in all aspects, providing an easy alley to the trophy. Take for instance Chelsea. Admittedly, Macclesfield, Nottingham Forest and Norwich City are weaker in the sense that they belong to League 2, League 1, and the Championship, respectively. Results even showed we faced the weaker side, with the Blues scoring six, three, and four goals, respectively against each team. On the other hand, United faced Premiership teams Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Reading. However, this gives the impression that had the Blues faced teams as tough as United did, they wouldn't have made the finals.
Another reason why the view that both league cups are inferior is biased is that people forget that while opponents could come from lower leagues, they are just as capable to cause an upset. Best example, Southend United beating Manchester United in the Carling Cup, leading them to an early exit. Middlesbrough also almost lost the race early on as their fourth and fifth rounds were decided by penalties, winning against Championship side West Bromwich Albion and League One team Bristol City. During the third round Hull City also gave them a good race. Prior to the finals, Chelsea faced a tough challenge against lower half Premier League team Blackburn Rovers, while Manchester United faced Watford.
Focusing on the FA Cup, there's so much more upset to remember. West Ham, a Premier League team then, lost to Swansea City, which belonged to Division 3, 1-0 in 1998/99 season; Leicester City, from the EPL, lost 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers from Division 2 in 2000/01; and Everton, also from the EPL, lost to Shrewsbury Town from Division 3 in 2002/03 also with 2-1.
Finally, if there's anything more beautiful about both Carling and FA Cups than the Premier League, yes there is one, it is that both provide a stage for lower league teams to have a taste of prestige and victory which they don't often feel in their own leagues. It provides a way for them to cause memorable upsets to the teams looked up to by thousands or even millions for belonging to the top flight league. Both might provide an easy way for some of the stronger teams to reach the final but at least for some periods of time, the weaker teams get to stand on equal footing with the giants, making them feel just as big, or even bigger.
Premier League's status comes from the fact that it is the top flight league in England. Teams from five other lower leagues attempt to inch their way to the top every season to reach the Premiership, where the strongest teams survive and the weakest get relegated. To use a simple analogy, those at the Premiership are at the peak of the mountain. There's nowhere else for them to go but down; those at the top only have to maintain their position. The idea of competing against the cream of the crop on the pitch, that is the best teams to have made it this far, gives birth to the idea that nothing else is more prestigious than winning the Premiership. Carling Cup and the FA Cup are mere bonuses. But are they?
The question posed by some people as to the value of either cups pushed me to think about the issue. Are they really less valuable? Pondering over the matter, I realized it is not. Its less prestigious and mere 'bonus-only' status stems from the idea that on the way to the championship, each finalist faces at times teams weaker in all aspects, providing an easy alley to the trophy. Take for instance Chelsea. Admittedly, Macclesfield, Nottingham Forest and Norwich City are weaker in the sense that they belong to League 2, League 1, and the Championship, respectively. Results even showed we faced the weaker side, with the Blues scoring six, three, and four goals, respectively against each team. On the other hand, United faced Premiership teams Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Reading. However, this gives the impression that had the Blues faced teams as tough as United did, they wouldn't have made the finals.
Another reason why the view that both league cups are inferior is biased is that people forget that while opponents could come from lower leagues, they are just as capable to cause an upset. Best example, Southend United beating Manchester United in the Carling Cup, leading them to an early exit. Middlesbrough also almost lost the race early on as their fourth and fifth rounds were decided by penalties, winning against Championship side West Bromwich Albion and League One team Bristol City. During the third round Hull City also gave them a good race. Prior to the finals, Chelsea faced a tough challenge against lower half Premier League team Blackburn Rovers, while Manchester United faced Watford.
Focusing on the FA Cup, there's so much more upset to remember. West Ham, a Premier League team then, lost to Swansea City, which belonged to Division 3, 1-0 in 1998/99 season; Leicester City, from the EPL, lost 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers from Division 2 in 2000/01; and Everton, also from the EPL, lost to Shrewsbury Town from Division 3 in 2002/03 also with 2-1.
Finally, if there's anything more beautiful about both Carling and FA Cups than the Premier League, yes there is one, it is that both provide a stage for lower league teams to have a taste of prestige and victory which they don't often feel in their own leagues. It provides a way for them to cause memorable upsets to the teams looked up to by thousands or even millions for belonging to the top flight league. Both might provide an easy way for some of the stronger teams to reach the final but at least for some periods of time, the weaker teams get to stand on equal footing with the giants, making them feel just as big, or even bigger.
Chelsea make history as they are crowned Cup Kings at the new Wembley
A hundred and fifteen minutes have elapsed and it was still nil nil. Everyone expected the FA Cup Final at the new Wembley Stadium between the top two teams in the Premiership to go into a shootout, but in the 116th minute, finally, the winning goal finally slid inside the net.
Chelsea came in as the underdogs. Out of the Champions League, defeated in the Premiership, plagued by injuries with only 15 players left fit, including 2 goalkeepers- no Ricardo Carvalho, doubtful Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole, absent summer signings Andriy Shevchenko and Michale Ballack, favor stood in Manchester United's side. Detractors are sure to say, we play boring football, incomparable to the one played by Manchester United all throughout the season giving them the Premiership title back once again. Yet being to withstand the challenge, controlling the opponents for what seemed to be a final going into a shootout, that surely says something about the Blues.
In the argument who is the real winner, one can go on and on about Chelsea having the money, making the big spendings for players, and cheating and diving our way to victory. At the same time, one can argue that United have regained the EPL title through the dodgy penalties, which could have deprived them of the 9th Premiership title, and even diving players. However, there are certain facts that couldn't be missed out on: on the one hand, the Blues managed to be a challenger for the quadruple despite the absence of Petr Cech and John Terry for months, alongside the endless list of injuries even until the clash in this Cup Final. Again and again, it was the Blues' fighting spirit and big heart which made them contenders for all four titles and won them this Cup. On the other, United's goalscoring is admittedly nothing short of wonderful. Beating their opponents with 3 to 4 goals in almost every single game, they surely played attractive football.
Yet in the end, of course, it is always the result that matters. Even as the final was only halfway through, spectators have already labeled the final boring. With no goals in the first half, people expected more from the second. Yet they were up again for disappointment. The nil nil draw at the end of 90 minutes only half-mattered to the players and us fans, who preferred it over the other side leading. Despite the 'boring' game, many players from the Blues showed promise of scoring and winning the title for the team.
One reason we came in as the underdogs was our extensive list of injured and unfit players. The pressure was on us to prove a double was still possible. Earlier, when asked about the squad to play, Blues manager Jose Mourinho stated he might either use one of our goalies Hilario to play up front or a couple of our reserve players Ben Sahar and Nuno Morais. In the end, he still opted for the players tried and tested, despite not being fully fit. The game was too crucial for him to take the risk.
Cech put his safety on the line again as he launched himself to save the ball from Rooney and as Giggs volleyed back, he launched himself again making a double save. Later on, Giggs' attempt for another goal failed, that while it crossed over the line, would've counted as a foul.
In the absense of Carvalho, we feared that our defense will stumble and that United will sprint past our players and score. Yet Essien, despite underperforming, did his job in the center, together with our talismanic captain John Terry, who couldn't have been more impressive in his defending, clearing the ball and saving us several times.
In the midfield, John Mikel Obi proved to be a good selection, playing attractively and having good control of the ball, while the heavily criticized England international Frank Lampard also did well, creating threats several times and providing the crucial assist to Didier Drogba, who scored his 33rd and the winning goal to lead us to victory. Half-time substitute Robben played as if he didn't come from an injury.
Up front, Joe Cole, despite not being a hundred percent fit, also displayed well his football skills. The man was soaking one of his feet on ice before the game started just so the pain would not be felt. He still went on to play. And what else could be said about Drogba? The man is just fantastic. His tap of the ball to slide it inside the net was nothing short of lovely. Scoring in the 116th minute, we knew we were minutes away from claiming our second trophy. Our fear of going into penalties disappeared the moment the Drogs once again provided us with a late goal stunner.
Today is the day of the less prominent Blues players. Makelele, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ferreira, and Mikel contributed a big chunk to our victory.
At the end of the game, apart from the celebration and ecstatic emotions provided by the fans and the players, it was second lovely to hear what the detractors, including Manchester United fans, had to say. Cheating, one shouted. The Ryan Giggs' goal should have been counted, claimed by another. Boring, said most people. There's no point being retroactive at the moment, nothing could be done about it. We are being blamed again by some but remember it is the United players who failed to live up to their being champions. Their big stars failed to shine. Where was Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo? I almost forgot he was playing! Forget about Rooney, he chokes in big games anyway.
We won without controversial dives and no controversial penalties (although that belongs more to the other side). Moreover, none of our big summer signings was present, which had they been there, would've just provided an alley for critics to say we bought our way to victory. We deserved the win.
For the Blues and us fans, we once again prevailed while also creating another history. We were the last to win at the old Wembley, we were the first to win at the new one. We came in as real underdogs, with everyone, including history, favoring a win by United. Admittedly, the game did not turn into a classic, as everyone wanted it to be. The game was slow, picking up pace at some periods but in the end, it is the result that matters. Both sides were only being cautious, defending their own goals and trying not to make mistakes. What's important is, for us Blues, we painted the new Wembley blue.
Chelsea came in as the underdogs. Out of the Champions League, defeated in the Premiership, plagued by injuries with only 15 players left fit, including 2 goalkeepers- no Ricardo Carvalho, doubtful Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole, absent summer signings Andriy Shevchenko and Michale Ballack, favor stood in Manchester United's side. Detractors are sure to say, we play boring football, incomparable to the one played by Manchester United all throughout the season giving them the Premiership title back once again. Yet being to withstand the challenge, controlling the opponents for what seemed to be a final going into a shootout, that surely says something about the Blues.
In the argument who is the real winner, one can go on and on about Chelsea having the money, making the big spendings for players, and cheating and diving our way to victory. At the same time, one can argue that United have regained the EPL title through the dodgy penalties, which could have deprived them of the 9th Premiership title, and even diving players. However, there are certain facts that couldn't be missed out on: on the one hand, the Blues managed to be a challenger for the quadruple despite the absence of Petr Cech and John Terry for months, alongside the endless list of injuries even until the clash in this Cup Final. Again and again, it was the Blues' fighting spirit and big heart which made them contenders for all four titles and won them this Cup. On the other, United's goalscoring is admittedly nothing short of wonderful. Beating their opponents with 3 to 4 goals in almost every single game, they surely played attractive football.
Yet in the end, of course, it is always the result that matters. Even as the final was only halfway through, spectators have already labeled the final boring. With no goals in the first half, people expected more from the second. Yet they were up again for disappointment. The nil nil draw at the end of 90 minutes only half-mattered to the players and us fans, who preferred it over the other side leading. Despite the 'boring' game, many players from the Blues showed promise of scoring and winning the title for the team.
One reason we came in as the underdogs was our extensive list of injured and unfit players. The pressure was on us to prove a double was still possible. Earlier, when asked about the squad to play, Blues manager Jose Mourinho stated he might either use one of our goalies Hilario to play up front or a couple of our reserve players Ben Sahar and Nuno Morais. In the end, he still opted for the players tried and tested, despite not being fully fit. The game was too crucial for him to take the risk.
Cech put his safety on the line again as he launched himself to save the ball from Rooney and as Giggs volleyed back, he launched himself again making a double save. Later on, Giggs' attempt for another goal failed, that while it crossed over the line, would've counted as a foul.
In the absense of Carvalho, we feared that our defense will stumble and that United will sprint past our players and score. Yet Essien, despite underperforming, did his job in the center, together with our talismanic captain John Terry, who couldn't have been more impressive in his defending, clearing the ball and saving us several times.
In the midfield, John Mikel Obi proved to be a good selection, playing attractively and having good control of the ball, while the heavily criticized England international Frank Lampard also did well, creating threats several times and providing the crucial assist to Didier Drogba, who scored his 33rd and the winning goal to lead us to victory. Half-time substitute Robben played as if he didn't come from an injury.
Up front, Joe Cole, despite not being a hundred percent fit, also displayed well his football skills. The man was soaking one of his feet on ice before the game started just so the pain would not be felt. He still went on to play. And what else could be said about Drogba? The man is just fantastic. His tap of the ball to slide it inside the net was nothing short of lovely. Scoring in the 116th minute, we knew we were minutes away from claiming our second trophy. Our fear of going into penalties disappeared the moment the Drogs once again provided us with a late goal stunner.
Today is the day of the less prominent Blues players. Makelele, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ferreira, and Mikel contributed a big chunk to our victory.
At the end of the game, apart from the celebration and ecstatic emotions provided by the fans and the players, it was second lovely to hear what the detractors, including Manchester United fans, had to say. Cheating, one shouted. The Ryan Giggs' goal should have been counted, claimed by another. Boring, said most people. There's no point being retroactive at the moment, nothing could be done about it. We are being blamed again by some but remember it is the United players who failed to live up to their being champions. Their big stars failed to shine. Where was Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo? I almost forgot he was playing! Forget about Rooney, he chokes in big games anyway.
We won without controversial dives and no controversial penalties (although that belongs more to the other side). Moreover, none of our big summer signings was present, which had they been there, would've just provided an alley for critics to say we bought our way to victory. We deserved the win.
For the Blues and us fans, we once again prevailed while also creating another history. We were the last to win at the old Wembley, we were the first to win at the new one. We came in as real underdogs, with everyone, including history, favoring a win by United. Admittedly, the game did not turn into a classic, as everyone wanted it to be. The game was slow, picking up pace at some periods but in the end, it is the result that matters. Both sides were only being cautious, defending their own goals and trying not to make mistakes. What's important is, for us Blues, we painted the new Wembley blue.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Chelsea may have lost the title, but Jose Mourinho's men are not losers
Injuries to key players contributed to Mourinho and Co's inability to make it a hat-trick of Premierships. Those who ridicule the big spenders conveniently forget to mention the fighting spirit in the squad.
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the ninth time under Sir Alex Ferguson. I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview at the Emirates on Sunday, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is which club has the most points.
United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football throughout the season. Plus, with very few injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. Chelsea had injuries throughout; from our talismanic captain John Terry to Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech, we were always chasing the title.
United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times through controversial penalties and dives (yes, something we are always accused of). Moreover, take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the squad and the result would have been devastating.
Had we won the title, we would have been criticised for buying our way to success; with the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien. Now that we lost the title, we have become a laughing stock. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. The reality is that we we paid that much money not only to retain our crown this season but also for the long term. People who laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' are simply wrong. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs.
At Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League semi, we lost on penalties, and not because we were thrashed. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a measly Cup double, hardly the form of failures. Monday showed what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could have been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge and giving away a penalty. To be a man and a goal down, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation, then come back to draw and retain our dignity was a feat in itself.
People can continue criticising us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not winning the Premiership or making the Champions League final, accuse us of cheating, diving and even not winning with a star-studded squad. But they can never hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts.
At the end of the day, we hold our heads high, in the knowledge that even the best can fall.
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the ninth time under Sir Alex Ferguson. I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview at the Emirates on Sunday, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is which club has the most points.
United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football throughout the season. Plus, with very few injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. Chelsea had injuries throughout; from our talismanic captain John Terry to Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech, we were always chasing the title.
United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times through controversial penalties and dives (yes, something we are always accused of). Moreover, take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the squad and the result would have been devastating.
Had we won the title, we would have been criticised for buying our way to success; with the likes of Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien. Now that we lost the title, we have become a laughing stock. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. The reality is that we we paid that much money not only to retain our crown this season but also for the long term. People who laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' are simply wrong. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs.
At Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League semi, we lost on penalties, and not because we were thrashed. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a measly Cup double, hardly the form of failures. Monday showed what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could have been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge and giving away a penalty. To be a man and a goal down, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation, then come back to draw and retain our dignity was a feat in itself.
People can continue criticising us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not winning the Premiership or making the Champions League final, accuse us of cheating, diving and even not winning with a star-studded squad. But they can never hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts.
At the end of the day, we hold our heads high, in the knowledge that even the best can fall.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Blues still shine despite title hat-trick defeat
All we wanted was a win, no mistakes from our players that might cost us the title, and the undying spirit of the team, to allow us to face Manchester United at home with hopes of winning a hat-trick of Premiership titles. But Monday night, 2 days before facing the Red Devils, our hopes crashed as we drew at the Emirates Stadium. The race for the title may have died, but our spirit, character and hope for next season live on.
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the 9th time under Sir Alex Ferguson. A tremendous feat indeed. It is just fair to say that. However, I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is they have the most points, and Manchester United do. As a Blues fan, criticisms rain down on us day and night, regardless of whether we triumph or fail so I might as well continue.
Manchester United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football all throughout this season. Plus, with very few to no (significant) injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. On the other hand, at the risk of being repetitive, we were plagued with star player injuries. From our talismanic captain and defender John Terry, to the quick-paced Arjen Robben, and star players Didier Drogba, our leading goalscorer, and Petr Cech, our world-class keeper, we were in such high risk of letting go of the title. And we did. We failed to capitalize on the failures of Manchester United, i.e., their meager losses and draws that while we continued the battle, we still ended Sunday night disappointed.
On the other hand, United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times, through controversial penalties and dives (yes, that which we are always accused of performing). Moreover, while we may have feared ending as a one-man team with Drogba's goalscoring season, the Red Devils somehow did through the Portuguese midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo. Take him out of the squad and the result would have been devastating: the death of the midfield, less dives, and less penalties won by the reds, ergo, less points and no 9th Premiership title for them.
Had we won for the third time, we would've been criticized for buying our way through to our third title. We've all heard it before. Andriy Shevchenko was acquired from AC Milan for GBP30 million and Michael Ballack earns GBP130,000 a week, higher than stars Frank Lampard and John Terry. Oh, of course we also bought Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien for an average of GBP22 million each. We are such a bottomless pit of cash, spenders at our own whim, and hopefuls for another title. On the other hand, now that we lost, we become a laughing stock. "GBP500 million for a Carling Cup?" We are hated for having the money to buy the big players to try to win the titles for us. Yet we are also ridiculed for spending so much only to win one competition, which is not as sweet as the Champions League nor the Premiership. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. One, we paid that much not only to retain our crown this season but also for the future- for the long-term. So for people to laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' couldn't get any more ridiculous. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs. Keep that in mind and look back a year or two from now.
In addition, we may have spent that much on players but we hardly relied on them for the sweetest victories of the team that led us to one of the best seasons under Mourinho. In Monday's game against Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben? NO. For people to even argue that we, therefore, wasted money by shelling out such huge sums, please read: Wait for the Future.
Okay, the issue still is the big spending. But remember when Manchester United spent GBP30 million on Wayne Rooney? And another one on Rio Ferdinand? Then they also signed Michael Carrick for GBP18 million. Are we hated just because we spent half a billion pounds?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League Final, we lost because of penalty kickout, not because we were trashed. We fought till the very end, just like we did against Arsenal on Monday night. In those 2 matches, we lost not because we played poorly but only because a mistake or two was committed and those were enough to cost us 2 titles in less than 2 weeks. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a double.
In Monday's game against the Gunners, we showed everything: what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could've been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge, giving away a penalty. Khalid Boulahrouz made the worst mistake he could make. In the past games, it was the sloppy defending but there was always the second half for the thrill, catch ups, and the late goals. That night at the Emirates Stadium, we created thrill and caught up when Essien scored an equaliser giving us all hope that second halves are really our savior, that our hopes for the title are still alive. We waited for a late goal until the 94th minute, but none came. To be down by 1 man and 1 goal, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation plus with no signs of Carvalho, Sheva, Robben and Drogba to assist, is the toughest it could possibly get. We had to call in to the bench our young players Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar, with the meager hope that they can help fill in the slot for our missing players, but it was to no avail. We retained our dignity of ending the game with a draw, but we didn't retain the title.
The season ended for us. Yet many of us would still say, we still reign and deserve the title. If only team and fighting spirit, and character count. Many might say this is not our season simply because we fail to win again. But looking beyond that, we could only be prouder of the boys' relentless fighting spirit that always kept the fans at the edge of their seats, giving them the victory they've always expected from them. Second-half wins and late goals will be remembered. They knew how to go against the odds and face their worst critics. They knew how to fight a battle that seems already lost. They knew how to be champions.
We might've lost the title but we didn't lose our faith. We might've let go of the chances for the quadruple but we didn't let go of our fighting spirit. We might've ended the season disappointed with just 1 possible title in our hands but we didn't end the season without looking forward to a better one when it starts in July.
People can continue criticizing us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not making it to either UCL Finals and winning it and the Premiership, mock us for our summer signings that lack the brilliance in form, hate us for having the funds, cheating, diving and even winning given our star-studded squad, but if there are things they can't do, it's that they can never criticize, laugh, mock, and hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts and minds set to win and be champions again.
At the end of the day, when we fail to do so, we can only say holding our heads up high, even the best fall down sometimes...
I will be speaking for many other Blues fans when I congratulate Manchester United for winning the title for the 9th time under Sir Alex Ferguson. A tremendous feat indeed. It is just fair to say that. However, I believe I would also be speaking for them when I say that winning the title doesn't mean the team deserved it, because backing what Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said in a post-match interview, in the end, it doesn't matter whether they're deserving or not. What matters is they have the most points, and Manchester United do. As a Blues fan, criticisms rain down on us day and night, regardless of whether we triumph or fail so I might as well continue.
Manchester United both deserved and did not deserve to win the title. Admittedly, they consistently played attractive football all throughout this season. Plus, with very few to no (significant) injuries until recently, they definitely had the advantage. On the other hand, at the risk of being repetitive, we were plagued with star player injuries. From our talismanic captain and defender John Terry, to the quick-paced Arjen Robben, and star players Didier Drogba, our leading goalscorer, and Petr Cech, our world-class keeper, we were in such high risk of letting go of the title. And we did. We failed to capitalize on the failures of Manchester United, i.e., their meager losses and draws that while we continued the battle, we still ended Sunday night disappointed.
On the other hand, United are not deserving because they escaped defeat several times, through controversial penalties and dives (yes, that which we are always accused of performing). Moreover, while we may have feared ending as a one-man team with Drogba's goalscoring season, the Red Devils somehow did through the Portuguese midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo. Take him out of the squad and the result would have been devastating: the death of the midfield, less dives, and less penalties won by the reds, ergo, less points and no 9th Premiership title for them.
Had we won for the third time, we would've been criticized for buying our way through to our third title. We've all heard it before. Andriy Shevchenko was acquired from AC Milan for GBP30 million and Michael Ballack earns GBP130,000 a week, higher than stars Frank Lampard and John Terry. Oh, of course we also bought Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Essien for an average of GBP22 million each. We are such a bottomless pit of cash, spenders at our own whim, and hopefuls for another title. On the other hand, now that we lost, we become a laughing stock. "GBP500 million for a Carling Cup?" We are hated for having the money to buy the big players to try to win the titles for us. Yet we are also ridiculed for spending so much only to win one competition, which is not as sweet as the Champions League nor the Premiership. Many of us have accepted that yet we can only feel pity for people who fail to understand us. One, we paid that much not only to retain our crown this season but also for the future- for the long-term. So for people to laugh that Shevchenko and Ballack are 'flops' couldn't get any more ridiculous. It seems people easily forget that Drogba was once a dry goalscorer, too. At present, he's one of the finest. Plus, how could Sheva possibly be a flop when he's considered one of the finest in Europe? Time is all he needs. Keep that in mind and look back a year or two from now.
In addition, we may have spent that much on players but we hardly relied on them for the sweetest victories of the team that led us to one of the best seasons under Mourinho. In Monday's game against Arsenal, we may have missed Drogba but did we miss Shevchenko and Ballack as much as we missed Carvalho? Or John Terry when he was knocked out in the Carling Cup Final? Or Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini after the horrible incident playing Reading? Or Joe Cole and Arjen Robben? NO. For people to even argue that we, therefore, wasted money by shelling out such huge sums, please read: Wait for the Future.
Okay, the issue still is the big spending. But remember when Manchester United spent GBP30 million on Wayne Rooney? And another one on Rio Ferdinand? Then they also signed Michael Carrick for GBP18 million. Are we hated just because we spent half a billion pounds?
In our defeat against Liverpool for the Champions League Final, we lost because of penalty kickout, not because we were trashed. We fought till the very end, just like we did against Arsenal on Monday night. In those 2 matches, we lost not because we played poorly but only because a mistake or two was committed and those were enough to cost us 2 titles in less than 2 weeks. Prior to that, we were hoping for a quadruple; now we're down to a double.
In Monday's game against the Gunners, we showed everything: what we do best and what we do worst. Nothing could've been worse than getting a player sent off for a reckless challenge, giving away a penalty. Khalid Boulahrouz made the worst mistake he could make. In the past games, it was the sloppy defending but there was always the second half for the thrill, catch ups, and the late goals. That night at the Emirates Stadium, we created thrill and caught up when Essien scored an equaliser giving us all hope that second halves are really our savior, that our hopes for the title are still alive. We waited for a late goal until the 94th minute, but none came. To be down by 1 man and 1 goal, while being under the pressure of a do-or-die situation plus with no signs of Carvalho, Sheva, Robben and Drogba to assist, is the toughest it could possibly get. We had to call in to the bench our young players Scott Sinclair and Ben Sahar, with the meager hope that they can help fill in the slot for our missing players, but it was to no avail. We retained our dignity of ending the game with a draw, but we didn't retain the title.
The season ended for us. Yet many of us would still say, we still reign and deserve the title. If only team and fighting spirit, and character count. Many might say this is not our season simply because we fail to win again. But looking beyond that, we could only be prouder of the boys' relentless fighting spirit that always kept the fans at the edge of their seats, giving them the victory they've always expected from them. Second-half wins and late goals will be remembered. They knew how to go against the odds and face their worst critics. They knew how to fight a battle that seems already lost. They knew how to be champions.
We might've lost the title but we didn't lose our faith. We might've let go of the chances for the quadruple but we didn't let go of our fighting spirit. We might've ended the season disappointed with just 1 possible title in our hands but we didn't end the season without looking forward to a better one when it starts in July.
People can continue criticizing us for overspending on players, laugh at us for not making it to either UCL Finals and winning it and the Premiership, mock us for our summer signings that lack the brilliance in form, hate us for having the funds, cheating, diving and even winning given our star-studded squad, but if there are things they can't do, it's that they can never criticize, laugh, mock, and hate us for fighting every single game with all our hearts and minds set to win and be champions again.
At the end of the day, when we fail to do so, we can only say holding our heads up high, even the best fall down sometimes...
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