Blues’ festive form driving me crackers
Ancelotti is saying fatigue. I’m not buying it. I’ll concede that the manager has been unlucky that there has been a dip in form to some of his key players and the injury to Essien is a big blow however he does not help himself with his team selections and substitutions.
Kalou had a woeful game against Portsmouth and Borini who replaced him on 72 minutes looked more involved – as well as more interested. Yet, Kalou starts against the Hammers and Borini doesn’t even warrant a place on the bench. It makes no sense. Kakuta too has impressed in his initial first-team forays, but again there is no place for him on the bench either.
I have remained largely silent on the subject of Kalou because initially I think he was thrown in at the deep end too quickly. I believe he was brought in (on the recommendation of Ruud Gullit) to learn his trade and refine his skills but due to various issues was fast-tracked through the system, to the detriment of his game.
But he has now been with us a long time, playing alongside some of the best players in the world, given ample opportunity and time – even singled out as “Drogba’s special project”. Despite all of this he is getting no better, in fact I think he is going backwards. He seems to spend his time on the pitch almost in a daze, unaware of what is going on around him.
He follows the ball well enough and I wait with baited breath for his brain to kick in to do something meaningful. Sadly I’m disappointed time and again. Is it time to cut him loose? He does seem to have a habit of scoring important goals though – usually just as your patience is spent. I’m not sure he is worth the effort any more and it seems I am not the only one thinking this as there was a muted cheer when he was substituted against Portsmouth.
Going back to the West Ham game – I am in no way surprised that once again it is Chelsea who have been singled out to receive special attention when it comes to the encroachment rule that goes ignored week in, week out. No one seemed much bothered about this rule when Lampard had his penalty saved at City – indeed the referee seemed totally unfazed by the encroachment of a handful of City players nor by Given moving two yards off his line.
But we have become used to playing against 12 men. Let’s see if this rule is consistently applied for the rest of the season in matches not involving Chelsea. I won’t hold my breath.
Also while I am paddling in my pool of paranoia, may I wish the very antithesis of Christmas cheer to Mick McCarthy? Can you imagine the mother of all tantrums Fergie would have thrown had it been Chelsea facing a team made up of the Marcus Hahnemann, two kit men, the coach driver, three of the youth players, Wolfie and Wendy (the club mascots), the club masseur, and the two Wolves fans who always come in full kit on the off-chance of a game? I just hope what goes around comes around, and I look forward to gifting one of their drop rivals a second string 11 at the opportune time at the end of the season. The Grinch has nothing on me!
Five points out of 12 is not an impressive tally and realistically we should be way ahead of our nearest rival, not just the four points. More worrying is we have tricky assignments against Birmingham and Fulham coming up and I had hoped to have built up more of a cushion with our “bankers”.
All my moaning and whinging has left me few words to comment on John Terry’s latest shenanigans – but one word I think is sufficient. And that word is “stupid”. The statement from the club fooled no one and the issue here is not whether the money did or did not go to the charity, but why is the captain of Chelsea and England associating with shady characters and why he is doing anything which he feels cannot be openly discussed with the club that pays his excessive wages? Sadly, I don’t think he will ever learn.
But enough of such things. A very merry Christmas and a blue 2010.
* Contract Trizia on Trizia_f@hotmail.com
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