A FUNCTIONAL display against Coventry saw us book a place in the semi-finals of the Cup against Arsenal or Hull. More than likely Arsenal, as Hull's star has plummeted since they beat the Gooners at the Emirates.

MANY people, including Chelsea fans, forget that Wigan are a top-eight side. And anyone who saw the game this weekend will know why. They played some really good football and selling Heskey has made them into a better passing team as the temptation to “lump it to the big guy up front” is no longer there. Even Titus Bramble looked a talented all-rounder as he tested Cech, cleared balls off the line and made mazy runs like Pele!

SO Goose has passed his first test and will be facing the next this evening; win tonight and the feelgood factor will be well and truly back for the blue faithful, although I wasn’t one of those singing “Chelsea are back” at the final whistle up at Villa Park. Premature crowing often leaves egg on one’s face — doesn’t it Rafa?

ONE of the most damning indictments of Scolari’s reign was that even Nice Bloke Wilkins was more capable of changing a game than the World Cup winning boss as he demonstrated at Watford last Saturday.

SO, in the never-ending soap opera that is Chelsea Football Club, we have now axed four managers in the five-and-a-half years that Roman Abramovich has been in charge. This is a record of transferring people to the gulags that would be impressive even in Stalinist Russia.

I MADE reference last week to the vain hope of an impartial referee for our game against Liverpool. I was obviously asking for the impossible. No doubt Lampard’s red will be rescinded, but that’s not the point is it?

SO another obstacle overcome with only a modicum of discomfort: yet another goal conceded from a set-piece. Scolari must be very grateful indeed to Lampard as his amazing strike may have distracted the supporters enough to realise that the game itself was yet another insipid display against inferior opposition.

COMETH the hour (of need), cometh the man. I’m not going to write another eulogy in praise of Lampard but I have to thank him for giving me one of those brain-melting celebrations as a fan last Saturday.

WHAT must have Jose Mourinho thought, looking at the team which he moulded into warriors, capitulate in such a pathetic and sadly predictable manner?

IN THE interview after the Southend debacle, Phil Scolari wondered why we did not score one of the 15 chances we had — just a thought, but could it have been anything to do with leaving the highest scorer in the league on the bench?