Quick Search
Really interesting take on Chelsea’s present state of mind by the Telegraph’s Paul Hayward:
It would be interesting to hear Di Matteo’s view on the state of play at the moment – he’s been conspicuously quiet too about it all, I suspect for quite different reasons from Abramovich. It must feel v. frustrating for Di Matteo – from his & the team’s achievements at the end of last season, the club should have an exciting, positive energy going forward…
How can Liverpool lose with a legacy like this?!http://www.sportspages.com/football/football_photographs/action_press/liverpool_players_c1975_17404?search&q=liverpool
John Terry couldn’t be luckier in the circumstances: he’s a complete fool to have done what he did – the one thing he should be able to offer as an ‘elder statesman’ is self-control & sportsmanship – but imagine the recriminations if a 10 man Chelsea team had not pulled off the incredible feat of beating Barcelona.
The Spanish sports newspaper, El Mundo Deportivo, likens the unexpected loss for Barcelona as similar of that to their loss against Benfica in the 1961 European Cup Final – lucky them that they have to reach back that far to come up with a parallel experience!http://www.sportspages.com/football/football_programmes/european_cup_champions_league_finals/benfica_v_barcelona_1961_(european_cup_final)_24302?search&q=24302 Catalan’s Barcelona had got to that final having done the unthinkable at that time: they had finally beaten Real Madrid, the reigning champions for the last five years, their deadly, bitter rivals and the team supported by Catalonia’s then great oppressor, General Franco.
Fortunately, last night’s match was just a game with no huge political or nationalist significance, but what a huge step for Chelsea. I don’t really understand why di Matteo is still the ‘caretaker’ manager. What more does he have to do to get the job?
A pretty huge result for Chelsea v Barcelona and clearly the result of a very well thought out, strategic plan. Is Di Matteo becoming the Stuart Lancaster of football? http://www.sportspages.com/football/football_ephemera/badges_coins_medals/chelsea_football_club_blazer_badge_3762d?search&q=3762d
The only upsides to the travesty of the match between Chelsea & Spurs at the weekend is that it will most likely be THE game that finally forces FIFA to introduce video review technology into the game…way too late…and, that Chelsea won by such a big margin. They were already in front before the second goal (but not a goal). Although Spurs was obviously knocked back by the unfairness of it all, Chelsea did go on to ‘seal the deal’ quite convincingly. It was unfair, but probably marginally less unfair than Cambridge winning the boat race this year!
Here’s a reminder of a match in which Spurs beat Chelsea 4-0: 16th October 1920. The image of the war veterans is particularly poignant:http://www.sportspages.com/football/football_photographs/action_press/chelsea_v_tottenham_hotspur_1920_21_(king_george_being_presented)_6403?search&q=6403