We'll meet Avi in FA Cup Final

Something has to be said about Avram Grant's ability to get to finals. He went as far as Champions League Final in 08, we all know how that ended. Pompey dumped sorry Spuds out of FA Cup, which sets all blue Wembley final and a possibility for Avi to loose yet another final ;)
Both games were played on "famous" Wembley pitch, it resembled Japanese TV show, players were sliding all over the place, clumps of pitch were flying, refs missing penalties... I am not going into too much detail of both Semi's, let's say I am happy that Fortune smiled upon us this time!
I was pleasantly surprised to see Drogba come off and Anelka take his place, kudos to Carlo, he sees what Avi seen, Drogs and Nic play better without partnering each other. Not to say that Didier didn't play his part once again, he was the one who scored first goal, which changed whole game, we all secretly knew that Villa will fold if we score.
This weekend got even better once I found out that ManU has dropped points at Blackburn, Fergie hastily declared that we have "easy game vs Bolton"... perhaps a play to relax our players, surely Carlo will not allow that to happen, will he?
I am also hoping that Spurs can give us a bit of favor and beat or tie Arsenal this week.. something that I am not counting on. Surely Wenger will wince and cringe and do everything he can to rally his troops, they need positive result after being dumped from CL by Barca.

Still in line for a double

It has been difficult to see Jose's Inter "killing" Chelsea at the Bridge. Promise is a promise, Jose certainly promised to do so year ago and finally delivered on that promise. This loss was very difficult for each and single Chelsea fan as we've been reminded what we've been missing so much, Jose!
Next League game we've tied against Blackburn, clearly team was still affected by exit from Champions League. What made things worse is that we've managed to drop as low as 3rd in standings, thankfully that didn't last too long. After couple of amazing results, we were facing United at Old Trafford, mission impossible as some would suggest. You could see why, United only lost to Villa this year.. not a bad record if you ask me. In any case, we've emerged as well deserved winners. Some would question officials, Drogba's goal was clear offside, then again Nevilles shoulder barge should have been a penalty. Some would suggest that United deserved a penalty too, but I'd say to those people that diving is a bad karma :)
Kudos should be given to Arsenal, they seemed down and out after we beat them, yet they are only 3 points back, only time will show if "Wenger Knows". Messi have demolished them in the second leg and I should note that Robben scorred a spectacular goal against United to ensure Bayern's progress to the semis of CL.
So here we have it, atop of the league at Easter and facing Villa at Wembeley this Saturday (FA Cup Semis), we're still in hunt for a double!

Mixed bag of nuts

It has been quite a few weeks. We've lost to Everton, in a hard though battle. Bounced back by progressing to the next round of FA Cup. Week later, Everton goes on and beats Manchester United, while we take advantage and beat Wolves. If not for Petr Cech, surely we'd not be sitting 4 points clear on top of the League.
In other news, apparently Ashley Cole's marriage is over. According to some "newspapers" in England he's prime rib, ready to be consumed by Barcelona and/or Real Madrid. You see, he's supposedly angry at a supposed fine by a club due to improper conduct...
He's listed at 25 Million pound.... For best left back in the world? Clearly whoever came up with that number didn't sniff enough glue.
Speaking of Spain, it appears Dani Alves welcomes trade talk from Chelsea. I'd not mind seeing him in blue, that's for sure.
Jose Mourinho, current coach of Inter (whom we play tomorrow (Wednesday) in Champions League) cant' stay out of trouble. He's managed to get himself suspended and fined. You see, he's been on ref case for some time now and is doing very good job getting under their skin. In fact so many in Italy are fed up with Jose they will be supporting Chelsea tomorrow. Even current coach of AC Milan will be on our side. How touchy, perhaps he better concentrate on beating United instead...
Ancelotti has been quoted saying that most Italians will be cheering on Chelsea tomorrow, to which Jose suggested that Carlo could be part of anti Inter clan. naturally, Carlo has distanced himself from such suggestion.
I do wonder if those two will ever see eye to eye, probably not.
Tomorrows game is picked as the one to watch, but guess what, here in Canada it will be not that easy to find on TV. Setanta showing another game and regular channels are full of Olympic junk... Internet stream it is!

Wenger knows!

Arsenal fans have a banner that states, "Wenger Knows". I do wonder if it will disappear soon.
Chelsea, once again, beat Arsenal this past Sunday. Since then, quite a few Gooner sites/blogs started to point blaming finger at Wenger! Others even saying that Wenger should go! Could it be true that Wenger's time at Arsenal coming to an end?
Those who call for his resignation, should be careful as to what they wish for. Thinking that new manager will automatically improve your team is quite foolish. Sure, team might perform well first couple of games, but there are no guarantees it will last. Just think of Scolari... such a great start and look at what happened later. Shamelessly dropped as a manager, only months into his new gig.
I am also a bit selfish and glad to see Arsenal struggle. They have been knocked out of Carling and FA Cup's and now are "outsiders" for the EPL crown this season. With 13 games to go, they do have a chance, but if they loose against Liverpool on Wednesday, watch out Arsene.
Only salvation this season would be Champions League glory. But, unless injured bodies will start coming back, it's hard to see Arsenal progressing too far in the competition. Surely Wenger knows it!

After Chelsea game this Sunday, Le Prof moaned about refs and accused Chelsea of "not giving a demonstration of football". I suppose his teams demonstration of football was so much better, hence the result.
I did enjoy Carlo's response, he said that "Football is attack, defense, keeping possession when you need, and results also".
Surely Wenger knows that Ancelotti is right, yet he will whine on and on, must be his age or something. Or is it frustration? He knows that his teams of late, play pretty passing football, but have hard time coping with more physical teams.

Wenger knows that Arsenal is one man team! Even when Fab and dinky commie are playing, they are completely different beast with RVP in the starting lineup.

Wenger knows that his policies will be scrutinized, especially if they fail to beat re surging Liverpool tomorrow.
Failure to bring in troop replacements will also be questioned, 36 year old relic can't be the answer to his flailing defensive line.

But it's a OK, Gooner folk! Keep on blindly believing in him. Don't question him. Adore and worship him. Let him continue as is... non Arsenal fans surely enjoy current state of affairs ;)

SFSG

SFSG - So Far So Good.

I have been pondering if I should keep on blogging, at times it seems as a colossal waste of time, then again it's hard to just shut up and say nothing ;)

We've started year quite well, considering we have Drogba, Kalou, Essien and Mikel missing. It's unfortunate that Essien went under a knife. He will be missed. Ballack will have to play role of defensive midfielder, he is not suited to be a winger due to lack of pace, getting old.
5th round of FA Cup has been secured, we've trashed Sunderland 7-2, our biggest win of Abramovich era! Interestingly enough, Carlo decided to play 4-3-3 vs his beloved diamond... guess diamonds are not forever ;)
Youngster Sturridge has 3 goals in 2 FA Cup matches, good production from a good prospect.. only if he'd be more humble! His cockiness can be very annoying.
Anelka is fit again and as good as ever, he has found his home and playing arguably best football of his life, but there are rumors of his contract negotiations stalling. I do wonder if it's just paper talk vs reality. Speaking of contract talks, Joe Cole is also dew new contract. There are rumors of his potential move to Spurs... yeah right, dream on Spuds fans :)

I was also thinking of sharing articles that catch my attention, not necessary Chelsea related, football in general. For example, I found it amusing Jose declaring, "We could only have lost by having six people on the park, as even with seven, we would have won." Read more

We've briefly dipped to 3rd in the league due to match schedules and a postponement but after beating "Unbeatable" Birmingham yesterday we're back in first place with game in hand, SFSG :)

Finally a win

What a nervous place Bridge was yesterday evening! We've outplayed Pompey, but yet again we found ourselves level after, yet another, set piece blunder. It seems luck is going totally against us these days. Anyone who believes that we're going to be "totally fine" when African Cup starts must be deluded. Without Drogba, we're totally different team, much weaker.
When you think about it, ANY team would miss Drogba. Whatever you think of him, opposing teams count their stars when he is not in the starting lineup.
In any case, we've finally gotten valuable 3 points in the game that was supposed to be a total blowout, after all, Pompey are bottom dwellers and we're league leaders! It's amazing what a loss can do. After our Carling Cup exit, we've not been the same. Loss at Man City highlighted our fragile state. Petr Cech and defense are fighting to regain some sort of composure during set pieces, an ugly flaw that has crippled our team. And when you think that not that long ago we were boasting quite impressive shutout record at the Bridge, it's quite mind baffling that we're so poor as of late. then again, it's all about confidence! not just ours, opposing teams.
Every team watches us and will try to exploit our flaws, it's part of the game. There is no reason for us supporters to give them more ammunition. Booing own team is exactly that ammunition that opposing teams seek. Instead of cheering our team, we opt to silently eat our own fingers and moan about every time our player looses the ball. Bridge resembled a cemetery yesterday.. quite amazing feat when you take in consideration that there were 40000+ spectators... why bother going to the game then?

0 for 2 for Carlo

After beating Arsenal, life looked rosy. We were cruising on top of the table and starting to open pretty good gap between us and United.
Then came Carling Cup tie against Blackburn...
Carlo decided to imitate Wenger and play kids! Sure, a noble gesture to give them some playing time, but was there such a huge need for it, especially when we have all but meaningless game against Apoel in Champions league? Sure, some kids will not be able to play, but I'd rather see Jose like mentality. Play first squad, get a few goals ahead, then introduce kids. Instead, we start weak, then rush into decision to replace 3 players during half time. Love and behold, Kalou is injured, we go down a man, fight back to force penalties, but loose. Should have Kakuta been last to take penalty? Another point to debate.
Hughes didn't make this mistake, while playing strong squad, they have dismantled Arsenal and we ready for us. It's amazing what confidence can do, isn't it? Citeh's work rate was incredible. We were all but bullied all game long. Terry and Carvalho had no better ideas but to pass back to Cech, who in turn would kick ball and we'd eventually loose ball possession. Citeh were fantastic. Tevez and De Jong were playing like a madmen. I think everyone, but Carlo has anticipated a physical game, otherwise, why was Deco playing again? He is not good when it comes to physical games, nor he is good when he doesn't have time to sit on the ball. Deco also drifts in and out of the games and usually doesn't start playing well until clock hists 70th minute mark.
There is no need to moan about ref calls nor about potential hand ball that lead to first goal by Citeh, there is a reason to whine about Carlo's tactics and team selection.

Winning ways continue..

It's good to see that winning ways continue. 4 goals against Wolves, in a game that saw Essien rise to his best. 2 goals for him was not enough due to all chances he had, but there is no reason to dwell upon that. Win is a win! 3 more points in the bag, so far we sit pretty on top of the table.
Porto game was a bit of a bore. This is probably due to fact that both teams have already qualified for next stage and we were playing almost for the bragging rights (and hopefully weaker opponent). Once again, Anelka has proven to be the nemesis of the Portuguese team.
ManYoo managed to loose to Besiktas at the Old Trafford aka "Theater or wet dreams" but they have picked up whole 3 points last Saturday in the league play.
Liverpool has been eliminated from the CL.. good riddance. Surely 'pooh' fans will go on about lack of Chelsea history and about how many CL titles they have won, in the past. Let them gloat about that, there is no denial past glory. I'll concentrate on our current situation and remind them that they are in second tier "Europa League" now.
I was also surprised by the Arsenal's defeat to Sunderland on Saturday, it must be November. We have fantastic chance to give them second league defeat in 2 weeks this Sunday, should be cracker of a game!

2 weeks of bliss

It's been 2 weeks since we've beaten whiners United. Once again they have proved what sore losers they are. Everyone whined about "controversial" free kick from which we've scored only goal of the game. They forgot to whine about Ninja Evan's karate kick that broke Drogba's rib.
Lamps got away with a potential penalty against us when ball stroke his arm, ref nor linesmen missed it.
I watched game twice on Manure TV, its' amazing how biased commentators are. Especially that old geezer "commentator" who keeps on whining about everything and keeps on saying "dear me". Example? Carvalho gets chopped after the whistle by one of the lumberjacks that play for United... Ol' geezer goes on not about the fault but about how many times Riccy rolled on the ground.. Soviet propaganda machine would be jealous of Manure TV... second time on (week later) they chopped game to pieces.. gone was ninjas kick, and so many other chops by the lumberjacks.
No wonder so many United fans are as whiny as their manager and players, by far worst team from this regard in EPL.
All this said, it's nice to know that for whole 2 weeks they can't do anything about it and surely will have a extra pint or two if Everton can manage to snatch a point from them.
Liverpool and Rafa hosting Citeh this weekend, not even sure whom to place a bet on. So many injuries for reds to deal with.. At times I feel sorry for them, then again, at times I love it ;)
International break brought in more controversy than ever. Henry's hand ball and calls for a replay, once again highlighted need for some sort of video replay. Surely Blatter will not bend to the pressure and maintain that it's just part of the game. Yup, all we can see now is that if you cheat you win.. "fairplay" my a$$. Feel Irish pain today, it's a horrible way to loose.
Russia's dream of playing in South Africa next year was smashed to smithereens when 2 players got red carded. On for being kicked, other for pushing out of the way opposing player that was "warming up"... It must have been Ovrebo in disguise, surely there can't be yet another inept referee!
Tomorrow we're going against Wolves, with Drogs, Lampard, Ballack and Deco missing, we might see some young blood in action. Even Kakuta made it to the bench.. could it be his debut?

Double, double

Nope, it's not related to Pizza chain. Folks it GTA (Greater Toronto Area) will be familiar with it. We've had 2 fantastic doubles in the game vs Athletico.
Whole game was a bit of a bore to me. First half was frustrating to watch. all but one header, Kalou looked out of place. Joe Cole was completely invisible, but then again, it would be very hard to repeat his performance from previous game. There was no space given to run around the field and perform tricks, nor we could shoot from distance. Drogba did came close to scoring first from a well struck free kick. Did you notice his technique? He likes to side-foot the ball now, I did read somewhere that he is trying to imitate Ronaldo and at times it is working. Keeper did well to save dipping shot.
Petr Cech once again had a brain cramp and decided to go for a ball which would have been cleared by the Chelsea defender. He tends to make bonehead decision once in 3 games, hopefully he has gotten it out of his system as ManU is visiting Bridge this Sunday.
It must have been a stroke of genius by the new Athletico coach to not start Aguero. Once he came on, game has changed in favor of Spanish team. I must admit that this time he did look much better, a player that might be worth all of them millions of pounds we were willing to pay for him this past summer. In any case, his first goal was nothing but pure class. Beautiful volley from an attempted clearance header. Petr had no chance. Deco had similar chance later on and failed miserably...
We were very close to our first defeat in Champions League this season, Aguero's goal came in late. All Athletico had to do is hold on for 10 minutes! Then there was Drogba. He turned game on it's head, scoring twice in 7 minutes. Power, speed, control were displayed by him in both instances, certainly a delightful double.
To Athletico credit, they didn't give up and continued to press for the equalizer. Aguero was as industrious as ever. He does seem to have tendency to go down fast when confronted by opposing defenders, but it worked for him in this game. Once again he won a free kick in teh dangerous position. What came next was another example of his quality. Well placed shot over the wall curled into the corner of the goal. Petr had no chance once again. Yet another delightful double, even tough this one came from the opposing player.
Game ended shortly, single point was enough to ensure Chelsea progress to the last 16 of the Champions League. Well done.

8 past Bolton and Madrid road trip

October ended on a fantastic note, we've dismantled Bolton twice in one week with the combined score of 8 to 0. Midweek clash was a Carling Cup game. We've completely dominated Bolton, with Joe Cole having complete freedom on the pitch, tormenting Bolton's defense.
Kalou started the proceedings with well placed header but was substituted during the half time, apparently due to injury.
Bolton sat deep and allowed Chelsea players time and space for long shots. If not for Bolton's keeper, it would have been 8 - 0 after first game. Daniel Sturridge was unlucky not to score and seemed quite eager to do so in front of the sold out crowd. It was his first appearance. Perhaps he is lacking a little bit of confidence and he is trying way too hard. He should relax a bit more and try to enjoy his chances, his career is just beginning and he seems to be quite promising understudy. Malouda whom is not a subject of constant complaining about his performances, Deco who is loving his life in London and Drogba who came on late in the game, all anded up scoring. If not for Hillario's injury, night in the goal was uneventful. Btw, he is recovering well and afaik he is with the in Madrid tonight.
Saturday's game was more tense affair, well until Drogba ha been brought down in the penalty area. Harsh red card to Bolton's Jlloyd Samuel changed game completely. Frank Lampard has not missed penalty in three years, we were up by one going into the half time break.
Second half was once again dominated by Chelsea. Deco scored his second in as many games. I felt Ivanovic was unlucky not to get on the score-sheet, after all, he did score earlier in the game but goal was not allowed due to Chelsea player blocking keepers vision, you see player was in an offside position when Branislav hit the ball. His second effort was deemed to be an own goal by Knight. Ivanovic has been doing superb job to fill in for injured Bosingwa.
Drogba, once again, completed the rout. This goal takes his tally to 9 goals this year, once back from Liverpool's El Nino. Race for golden boot is on and Drogs has great chance to win it this season.

November starts with important game in Madrid. If we do take care of Athletico tonight we will clinch spot in last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Surely this would be a boost going forward, especially with the game against United coming up this Sunday. But first we have to win, and this will not be easy as we're going against very good offensive team (even though they are having very hard time scoring right now). Forlan and certain Aguero are potential match winners in any game. Canadian fans will remember Aguero from 2007 U-20 World Cup Argentinian squad. this said, Aguero didn't look good in previous game against us, then again, not many players do ;)

Belletti shines in diamond light

After the Aston Villa loss, we looked a bit shaken up. With upcoming Champions League game coming up and Blackburn next (this past) weekend we needed to bounce back. And bounce we did! Not sure if this was due to "hairdryer" treatment or the fact that Chelsea squad has remained intact for as long as it has, we've netted total of 9 goals past two games!
 At times I feel that we rely too much on Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, both games, neither of them started with Ivanovic, Zhirkov and Belletti filling in.
 Juliano has been outstanding in both games. His drive, determination and experience overshadows his age. Employed as rightback and leftback in both games he's been player that supplied energy,timely tackles and descent crosses into the box. To me, he certainly outperformed Deco, whom takes some time to get into the game and seems a bit sluggish at times. He (Deco) tends to dwell on the ball and to looses it easily if the opposition has enough determination.
Other player that I feel is a bit off is Essien. Nobody can question his work ethic and determination, I do question is rushed passing. As of late, he seems to be on a different wavelength when compared to rest of the team. His passes seem rushed and usually end up at the opponents feet. Perhaps he should try lobbing ball over players versus going through them?
Enough with negativity, we've scored whopping 9 goals during past few games!
Lampard is back on the scoring sheet with 3 goals. Could this mean that he is finally comfortable with the Carlo's Diamond?
Kalou did a fantastic job during the week in the absence of suspended Drogba. Certainly deserved a hat trick but his shocking early miss vs Athletico enssured that he walked away without it. As TV commentator said:
"Who needs Drogba when you have Kalou?"
Joe Cole started against Blackburn and made immediate impact. It was evident how much we have missed his tricks and flicks of the ball and his imagination in general. It was perfect game to start. Blackburn came in to defend only, which is never a good idea at the Bridge :)
Anelka is proving to be an amazing signing, he seems to be loving his football. Pace, versatility and fantastic work with a combination of lethal strike should be good enough to describe Nicolas.

Kenyons departure and spanking of Spurs

Rumors were going on for some time that Kenyon will be leaving Chelsea. Some blogs were expecting him to resign right after FA Cup victory. I suppose negotiations went on longer than expected... Mr. Kenyon will still represent CFC's interest as a non executive director. With his contacts in UEFA he is best person suited to resolve whole Kakuta ban mess. It is his mess to deal with regardless, whatever happens on your watch is your responsibility.
Don't think I can complain about his tenure, team is "almost" profitable, we've established ourselves as a force in EPL and Europe. Top three became top four with Chelsea as a member of the elite club. I am not crediting Kenyon with all of success, it's up to the boys on the pitch and countless managers we've had. Best thing Kenyon did is to hire Jose, it's too bad whole thing went sour eventually. in any case, farewell to Peter, see you in Manchester City in a year or two.
I don't know much about gentleman taking over Kenyon's job, thus not going to comment about him.
Over the weekend, I had to order yet another channel to be able to watch Chelsea game live. I am sick and tired not being able to watch EPL and Cup games on demand. Technology allows it, it's been proven to us during last World Cup, you could watch any game you want, whenever you want. Football lovers paradise....
Back to the game. I was worried prior to it, Spurs started very well and lost only to United. Defoe has been scoring like a madman and whole team has pace to be envious of. How would we cope with it? Will Petr have another brain cramp? Will ref be as biased as that silly Dane?
All questions were answered during the game. Ashley's header was fantastic. All thanks to Bosingwa bombing up and down the field. I can't believe how much energy him and Ashle have. I think I know why they are so damn fit.. ;) Did you see Bosingwa's shot that hit the corner of the net? Fantastic.. too bad it wasn't a goal.
Second goal was due to fantastic team effort and never die attitude Chelsea players display every game. Lamps recovered what seem to be dead ball and Ballack did well to press into the box to score.
Third goal was Drogba's ability and his pace. Surely he go lucky, but that's part of it all. Perhaps, we were lucky when Riccy's tackle on Keane was not punished, with a penalty. Certainly I've seen penalties given for players going down with no contact whatsoever... But it's certainly Spurs are lucky when refs missed a handball in the box. Penalties certainly cancel each other.
In the end, it's great to see Spurs spanked, they will do well to break into top 6 this year.
On to Carling Cup this Wednesday, wish me luck trying to find game broadcast anywhere in Canada.

UEFA Diving League has started!

Have you noticed how fast Eduardo's ban has been overturned? Watching first games from the UEFA Diving Legue, oh I am sorry, Champions League made it all clear. If they'd ban Eduardo, they would have to ban at least 10 more players... Not sure whom should be getting Gold medal for best dive though. Seria A always put out strong teams full of capable divers followed by strong contenders from Portugal and Spain. We all know whom the usual suspects are, there is no real need to mention them again and again. Seriously, why is so called best league in the World is a showcase for divers and sub par refereeing?
In any case, the show is on the road. First points have been earned, we've earned our is an ugly display against Porto. Past couple of years we have been known to start slow, this time it was weather and few suspensions to blame. It's been a while since I was cursing at the players during the game as much as this game. Way too many missed passes, awkward tackles and unnecessary yellow cards. Ref's performance was descent, don't think he can't be blamed for any yellows.
Nicolas Anelka has made his mark and scored all important goal. On the night he was one of the better players. His pace troubled Porto's defense and it was quite nice touch to score on the rebound. Petr Cech also was one of the stars of the night. He made number of key saves to keep his well deserved shutout. End of the game was a bit alarming to me. Porto was pressing for equalizer and we've failed to keep the ball. I also thought that we actualy lacked pace. Ballack's performance was great but his age is starting to show. Bosingwa was certainly missed.
Carlo said it's good to win ugly, how true.

Petrs brain cramp, Gael and shadow of Ovrebo

Starting new job and all that good stuff leaves you with less time to blog :)

Quite a few tings went on since my last post, FIFA handed Chelsea a transfer ban, we've won few more games, England qualified for the World Cup...

It's Monday night and I JUST watched Stoke game. Wife wanted to go to this huge antique sale, which we did. Unfortunately I've missed all live games, things we do for our better halves.

Speaking of the Stoke game, Kalou's yellow card for "blocking" Rory "I have no skill" Delap's throw, was it just? I am not aware of the rule where you have to stand back few meters away and allow a throw from a sideline (similar to indoor soccer rules).
Overall, refs performance was not bad, certainly it cannot be compared to Ovrebo's so called "performance". Speaking of Champions League, we're playing Porto tomorrow. Drogs and Bosingwa has to sit this one out due to suspensions after last game vs Barcelona. Whatever happened with Ovrebo? Slap on a wrist or a pat on the back? His shadow looms large over the Bridge, ref tomorrow evening will be under the microscope. Hopefully he will make us forget the pain every Chelsea fan has experienced during Barca's game. Platini must have been happy though. Enough about that, it brings bad memories and desire to avoid Champions League games in future. Heineken, sorry but I will not be buying any of your beer any time soon ;)
Back to the Stoke game. Did Petr have a brain cramp or what? Past few years he has been known to make silly mistakes, this certainly another one. Hopefully he's got it out of his system. We can't afford any mental lapses against Porto, good start is crucial to our goal of winning the CL.

FIFA's ban was a bit of a surprise, wasn't it? I wonder how Gael feels, he can't play either... why punish player 2 years later? He was 16 year old kid and even if he did breach his so called contract, surely there are other ways to make a point or punish so called guilty parties. I feel your pain Gael and don;t worry, you'll be playing soon and surely will be impressing Carlo and rest of the World.

Ballack as a makeshift winger

Against slower Fulham FC, it might have been stroke of Carlo's genius by using Germany's captain as a makeshift winger. I was a bit surprised to be honest. To me, he seems to drift to the middle of the pitch a bit too much, thus end up out of position and not provide required width. Overlapping runs by Bosingwa made things less painful and somewhat effective. I certainly cannot complain about Balalck's work rate and his defensive ability, he's nothing but a class act and deserves his spot in the starting lineup.

With Joe Cole not being able to play, Sinclair on loan, Carlo doesn't have much choice but to experiment. Kalou is probably best choice due to his pace.

Essien seems to be preferred to play in holding role perhaps Zhirkov could be played on the right? Probably not as he is left footed. Does this mean that we could be in for a right wing player as a potential transfer target? Harry Redknap seems to be keen on our Joe, rumors of 20 million dollar bid popping in British papers like spring flowers. If that is the case, I wonder why there is such delay? To see if Joe' rehab is completed successfully?

Question is, who will start on the right side of the diamond against Burnley? No chance it would be Matic, could it be Deco? Most likely it will be Kalou, he must be getting used to this position by now.

Speaking of Matic, I should welcome him aboard, glad that yet another non 30+ year old has joined CFC. Hopefully he will get his first start soon!

9 minutes of pain

We should have been leading after first minute, but somehow Drogs managed to miss the net. What a start this would have been for Carlo and Drogs! Surely it was some "rust", which must have accumulated around our polished striker during summer holliday.

Hunt, who has been with the Hull City team only for matter of hours, has been given a starting role. He is a feisty player and if this would not have been first game of the season, he might have gotten a red card for a raised foot against Lampard. Every time Hunt touches the ball, chorus of boos echo around the Bridge. Understandable, it was Hunt's knee that knocked out Petr Cech few seasons ago.

Chelsea looks pretty dangerous on the counters, but team seems a bit flat and lacking width. Carlo likes his diamonds, but this formation is yet to ingrain in the minds of Chelsea players. Too many passes go awry, Anelka showing a bit of the same rust that is affecting Drogba. His positioning seems a bit off.

During one of the Hull City's attacks, ball bounces in the Chelsea box and eventually comes to Hunt who does not make a mistake and scores. What a start for him and what a pain for any Chelsea fan to see him score!

Hull has been defending pretty well whole game by putting every man behind the ball. We had so much trouble with breaking teams that used same tactic last season which ultimately cost us EPL title and Scholari his job.

Mikel wins us a free kick close to the box, Lamps and Drogs standing beside the ball as possible kick takers. Whistle, Drogs runs up and places the ball perfectly, game is tied! Hull led for whole 9 minutes. It certainly was 9 minutes of pain.

Ballack comes on for Mikel during the intermission. This should provide us with more of an attacking impetus, but then again, Essien surely will take over Mikel's spot, thus hang back.

Anelka should have scored in the first minute of the second half! Dejavu all over again, few more chances right after that, no goal, must be the rust....

Holly cow, is that Carvalho bombing down the filed along side Anelka? He looks 20 years old. This shows how much we've missed him last season, glad he's healthy and hungry again.

We continue to press, but goal eludes us, must be that damn rust again. Ball possession in second half is 65% for Chelsea. TV commentators keep on mentioning our inability to break down teams last year. Wonder why they keep on mentioning that, thought pops into my mind that they like to torment Chelsea fans. Another thought is to mute the volume, but then I will not be able to hear the crowd... Here is an idea, ability to mute commentators only, not the sounds from the crown and the game.

Attacks, clearances, missed chances. At one point, ball bounces in the Hull box like a pinball, yet we fail to score. Ancelotti trows in Deco for Malouda. Move provides no change in luck.

Hunt being substituted, while he is walking to the bench, crowd saying good bye to him by chanting "Wanker, wanker", I agree with them.

Kalou comes on for Anelka and should have scored with his first touch but he managed to direct his header over the net. 10 minutes to go in the game, my stomach is in my throat but i am still remaining hopeful that we can get a win.

Perhaps Hull should have scored few minutes before the 90th minute mark. Cech and Hull player both receive lengthy treatments by phisio after ball clearing collision at the top of the box.

Refs adding 6 minutes of added time, good news to Chelsea faithful. Game goes one as it went on, Chelsea pressing, Hull defense creaking but holding on. Deco comes close to scoring but misses the net. Oh the agony! We should be winning by at least 2 goals....

I've made peace with idea of a tie when came a breakthrough. Deco's pass finds Drogba, whom appears to attempt a cross from an acute angle, ball sails over the keeper into the net, what a chip it turned out to be. Bridge is in frenzy, 2 - 1 Chelsea. Drogs salutes his extended contract with 2 goal salvo, well done.

Lightning doesn't strike twice at the same place

I can't wait for this Saturday, EPL season to start. It will be an early wake up call for me, 7:40am. Not a problem, I miss my early Saturday wake ups, to watch games. When you think about it, it can be perfect beginning to the day (especially if we win ;))
In any case, we're going against Hull, whom surprised more than one EPL team last year. Will this happen this year it remains to be seen, as they say, lightning doesn't strike twice at the same place, right? Surely Chelsea will not make same mistake and take their opponent seriously, especially when the news of certain Hunt joining them from Reading. You know that "helmet" that Cech is sporting, it's due to mr. Hunt. I am hoping that he will not play, as retaliation might be at hand.
As a Chelsea fan, I'd expect us to beat Hull at any given day, but i am not expecting 3-0 win as some pundits do. I'll be happy with 3 points period. 3-0 or 1-0, win is a win and that's all that matters.

I am amused to see reports of Liverpool boys chatting up their EPL crown expectations. Sure, they should be building on last year, but can they be as lucky as last year? How many games were rescued by late goals? What will Liverpool do if Gerrard or Torres is injured? No doubt they have great team and great players, but beyond first team, do they have enough coverage to challenge for the EPL crown they so desire?
Benitez is an amazing coach, some would call him footballing genius, but will that be enough to wrestle EPL crown from United? I'd expect Liverpool be less lucky, the lightning doesn't strike at the same place twice...

Whole notion of lighting not striking twice is a bs, really, if you look at United, they have done it 3 times and are looking at fourth consecutive win. Fergie wants it, United fans want it (and probably expect it, those arrogant bastids) and surely United players want it, but do they have enough firepower to get it done? Time will show, time doesn't lie. Post Ronaldo era is upon us. Will Valencia and Owen be enough to replace Ronnies goals. Perhaps, but I'd say no. Everyone knows that Owen is one tackle away from the hospital bed and Valencia cannot compare to Ronnie, he is a different fish. Oh, Tevez isn't there to rescue them either... I wonder if it really was a Fergie whom wanted to sell Tevez who is a real fire starter, a spark plug if you will. Surely he will be missed by United. All this said, United seems to be weaker than last year and if you consider that we have not lost any first team players this year, we should have an advantage.
Since we came close to EPL title quite close past couple of years, as a Chelsea fan I am hoping that lightning doesn't strike twice and we can win it again. Oh yes, same could be said about Champions League... we have been close but haven't taste champagne from the cup yet... YET! :)

So far so good for Carlo

It was nice to escape to sunny Cuba for a week as huge amounts of water continue to come down from Havens, here in Ontario. Since my "off grid" plan is yet to come to any sort of fruition, I was worried that we will loose power and I will not be able to watch replay of a Community Shield.
What a cracking game it turned out to be! We had a bit of everything, bad and good goals, missed and fantastic saves, crunching tackles, controversy and First ref bashing by Fergie.
I was a little surprised to see Ivanovic to start ahead of Bosingwa and was glad to see Carvalho (eventual man of the match) back in a starting lineup.

First half belonged to United. Nani was tormenting Ivanovic who struggled to cope with the pace and trickery of young Portuguese player, eventually picking up well deserved yellow card. Nani opened scoring with a cracking goal and seemed that he is ready to take over Ronaldos spotlight, however his night was prematurely terminated by John Terry's clean tackle. Nani walked off the pitch in a makeshift arm sling. After reading todays papers, he's got a bit of a dislocated shoulder and naturally looking for speedy recovery. Petr Cech probably should have had saved Nani's rocket, but he redeemed himself with number of great saves later on.

Berbatov had flashes of brilliance and came close to scoring on more than one occasion. He seem to have great understanding with Park whom looked dangerous early on.

Chelsea counters produced little to trouble Ben Foster with descent strikes from Drogba and Anelka. In general, many of passes were behind intended recipients and at times we looked a bit one dimensional with mainly wayward long crosses. Essien probably should have done better with his towering header attempt and Malouda's attempted volley from 2-3 meters also should have been a goal. We seemed slower than United and were loosing midfield battles. Lampard was well covered and was unable to influence game. It seemed to me that his positioning was a bit off with number of passes to/from him going to United players instead.

When first half came to an end I was quite happy that we were down by one and was hoping that we could do what we did against Everton, come back from behind and win the game.

Ivanovic was substituted for Bosingwa during half time, logical choice due to yellow card and pace that Bosingwa offers. Not sure what Carlo told his troops, but Chelsea was a different team, we've started to control tempo and had number of descent attacks. During one of such attacks, somehow Lampard retained ball with 3 United players around him but he managed to pass to Malouda who attempted to flick ball to Drogba, whom nearly got nice punch from Ben Fosters weak clearance, which ended up on in the net after diving Carvalho's header. It was a scrappy goal but a goal nonetheless, game was tied. Blue side of Wembley was in frenzy...

Mikel was substituted for Ballack whom seem to continue his spat with Evra. Two exchanged harsh tackles, one which earned Evra yellow card. Then came moment when Ballack blocked off Evra, in plain refs view. Fergie deemed that an elbow later on, in any case, Evra was sprawled on the pitch "injured" while ball came to Rooney who didn't kick ball out of bounds but tried to continue United attack. Few seconds later he lost the ball to the Chelsea player, then ball ended up at Drogba's feet whom cleverly took 2 defenders with him while flicking ball to Frank Lampard. Lamps didn't make a mistake, he shot ball with enough power that it went through Fosters hands into the net. United players were furious and surrounded the ref. It was interesting to watch that Rooney was playing a peacemaker, quite a contrast to Rooney we know. Complaints fell on deaf ears, goal stood. You see, United felt that ref should have blown a whistle, just as he did earlier when one of the United players stepped on Ballack. Evra's "injury" evaporated quite fast when he jumped up to argue with the ref, and reds have audacity to call Ballack a cheat. Just think of elbow on Drogba earlier in the game! He didn't go on moaning to the ref, instead he got up and went on with the game.

Fergie fumed and eventually threw on 4 fresh players. Them move has worked, United started to press and eventually Rooney showed his world class when he tied the game, it was 90th minute. He banged his chest and United badge in front of Chelsea fans triumphant! Game was going to penalties...

Penalties is something that Chelsea fans hate. It was Terry's miss that cost us Champion League in Moscow.. It has been years since we won a shootout.

Lampard was first to shoot. It was clinical finish, Foster had no chance. Lamps grabbed the ball and held it above his head to show it to all United fans.
Ryan Giggs, Mr. United himself, took first spot kick for United. Petr saves with his feet!
Ballack was second to shoot, it was a beauty, as good of a spot kick as you'd ever see.
Carrick for United didn't miss. It was 2-1 for Chelsea at this point.
Drogba for Chelsea. Once again, memories of Moscow come flooding. Drogs got a red card and had no chance to take a spot kick then, will he score now? Answer is yes, yet another clinical finish by Drogs. 3-1 Chelsea!

I am not sure why Evra was chosen to shoot next? When I saw him come up to the spot I was quite happy that Rooney wasn't taking it next. Evra blew it, spot kick lacked power and Cech correctly guessed direction.
Next was Kalou and he didn't make a mistake. 4-1, Chelsea win first trophy of the season, so far so good for Carlo.

Can this week get any better?

Quite a week it has been! Malouda signed new 3 year deal. Since it's his 3rd year in EPL, we are expecting great things from Florent. No more excuses can be made in regards to the "adaptation and pace" of EPL. If he will continue to perform same way as during second half of last season, Zhirkov got a battle on his hands for the starting role. Speaking of Zhirkov, he's yet to get work permit. As a potential KGB agent it's understandable that all precautions must be taken before permit is granted...

To keep re-signing ball rolling, Obi Mikel has agreed to new 5 year deal with us. News of potential deal have been all over the web, yet some papers still ran stories that Mikel is on the brink of leaving Chelsea. Trust but verify mentality should be applied to everything that has been printed in media.

No we're hearing of potential new 3 year deal for Drogs. As we all know, Drogs has been rumored to be re-uniting with Jose for some time now. Well, he kinda did, when we played Inter in California at the Rose Bowl in front of eighty one thousand (81000) spectators. Yet "columnist" such as John Cross still managed to declare No wonder Soccer is not taking off in America. I think word MUPPET should be good enough description of Mr.Cross. Do read comments, they are priceless.

Speaking of our "friendly" with Inter. Things seemed to be quite hot with few pretty ugly tackles flying around, Vieira battle with Mikel comes to mind. In any case, we beat Inter 2 to nil. Naturally Jose declared that he is not worried, but he does look much older and tired. What happened to stylish Jose we all knew? Gone is the tie and nice suit, instead he was sporting pretty ugly tee/jersey. He even threw in Ibrahimovich for last 20 minutes or so, surely his last game for Inter.

I've also learned that myself and Goddess that is Charlize Theron have something in common, we both support Chelsea! Can this week get any better??! Perhaps! Not so trustworthy British papers report that JT might break the silence and commit his future to Chelsea, now that certainly be icing on top of the cake with a cherry!