Not an ideal start but the early signs look good

PREDICTABLY, the majority of the press focussed on the fact that this was the first opening game in the last 10 years that Chelsea had failed to win — personally, I was quite pleased with the way we played, if not necessarily with the result.

The team, with only a couple of notable exceptions, looked sharp and it was gratifying to watch them dominate the game in the second-half, and if it wasn’t for some predictable refereeing from Halsey and some excellent goalkeeping from Begovic we could have easily walked away with three points.

That said we never did have any issues mixing it with the physical sides, it’s the quick ones we struggle with and I am fearful that and our lack of width will prove to be our Achilles heel once again this season. I dowonder whether the lack of a pacey player is what drives manager after manager to keep faith with Kaloubecause after five years I still do not fully understand what he adds to the team bar a modicum of speed. I can’t believe that we are one game into the season and I am whinging about Kalou already — it does seem a tad unfair as Lampard had an equally poor game but then Frank does have a lot of good will in the bank. Kalou is just one of those perennially frustrating players who always seems to make the wrong decision when in a pivotal place. In the early days, many people, myselfincluded, cut him a lot of slack because of his age, but that is no longer anexcuse.