Drogba remains coy on future

December 30, 2008

Chelsea striker Drogba has raised further questions about his future.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has refused to be drawn on his future, saying that he will let himself be “carried by events.”

The Ivorian striker, 30, made the remarks in an interview with France Football Magazine.

“I could plant myself here, but I have the impression that in 2009, good things will happen for me,” he added.

Drogba’s future has been the source of near-constant speculation, with rumours abounding that he will link up with his former boss Jose Mourinho, now at Inter Milan.

The striker also revealed in the interview that he lost his “passion” for football at the start of the season.

Drogba endured a tumultuous 2008, in which he struggled for goals and form and lost two cup finals. It has been a year that has left a number of regrets, he admits.

“I didn’t want to hear talk of objectives or ambition anymore. I felt completely extinguished.

“For the first time in my career, I lost my passion for football. I was lost,” he said.

Scolari needs to carry the can heading into the New Year

December 29, 2008

Another fantastic article from Alan on The Shed End Forum.

Things are not going quite as Luiz Felipe Scolari had planned when he took up the Chelsea manager’s job in June.

After a blistering start to the campaign that saw his side bang in the goals and lap up the plaudits, matters have taken a turn for the worse.

Chelsea have only won four of their ten home league games this season – suffering potentially damaging defeats to title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool in the process – have exited the Carling Cup to Burnley and have seen their imperious early season away form unravel. The Blues have drawn their last two games on the road, to Everton and Fulham.

Weaknesses are also beginning to emerge in the team’s overall play.

Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea were not always impenetrable in the air, but they made damn sure that conceded goals from set plays was a pretty rare occurrence. Under the Brazilian’s regime, they seem as frequent as a British high street chain going into administration.

Both of Fulham’s goals yesterday came from sloppy marking from set pieces. Craig Bellamy put West Ham ahead at Stamford Bridge earlier in the month from a dead ball situation. Goals were also shipped against CFR Cluj and Bordeaux as a result of balls into the box.

Whereas under Mourinho it seemed like a set in stone certainty that Chelsea would hold onto a lead once they gained it, under Scolari that assurance just isn’t there. Arsenal came from a goal down to win 2-1 in November, and Bordeaux and Fulham have managed to battle back and gain draws. Chelsea’s defensive steel has disappeared along with the 86 match unbeaten home record.

At the other end, an inability to finish their chances has seen the club drop points that they shouldn’t have. This hasn’t always proved fatal, but when combined with another attacking problem, it definitely becomes so.

When faced with defensively resolute sides, the Blues seem to lack ideas. If the goals don’t come (mainly as a result of the wasteful finishing mentioned above) a Plan B doesn’t appear to exist as a fallback option. This has come with a more attractive brand of football. The debate is forever raging about what matters most, good football or simply winning trophies, and at the moment it doesn’t look as if Scolari’s Brazilian blend will deliver silverware.

Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea could mix things up. The Portuguese tactician had players who were adept with the ball at their feet, such as Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Eidur Gudjohnsen, who could change a game with a moment of skill or genius.

But his Chelsea side could also go route one, spearheaded by Didier Drogba, whose strength and ability in the air won Mourinho a number of games in his time at the club.

Scolari is reluctant to go down this road – as is made evident by his reluctance to play Didier Drogba – and tactical rigidity could cost him in the long run.

Things haven’t reached crisis point just yet – Chelsea are second in the league and through to the knockout phase of the Champions League – but jitters and uncertainty hang over the club heading into 2009.

Who is to blame for this?

The away fans at Craven Cottage yesterday had no doubt about who to direct their anger at. ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ they sang to Scolari in response to his decision to take off Joe Cole – one of Chelsea’s most dangerous looking players – and replace him with Salomon Kalou.

The heckling was replaced by cheers when Frank Lampard crashed in what appeared to the winner from a free kick moments later, but Clint Dempsey’s header with a couple of minutes left to play ensured that the doubts about Scolari would be seared into Chelsea supporters’ minds.

After the game, Scolari seemed to pin the game on his players.

“I was asking Petr who was marking which players,” said Scolari, referring to Dempsey’s 88th minute header which levelled the scores at 2-2.

“He’s the captain when it comes to marking in the area. I give him the power to say this or say that to the players. But there was one Fulham player in the middle of the area, free, in the last minute. That’s incredible. That goal was a mistake.”

While the players must take some responsibility for this, Scolari deserves just as much criticism.

Traditional wisdom dictates that the buck stops with the manager. He picks the players and the tactics. He chooses who is bought and sold (admittedly maybe not always true with regards to Chelsea but still a duty nonetheless) and conducts training.

Scolari should put players on the posts for corners and free kicks. Anyone who has watched football will know that having a player on the line can prevent a number of goals from going in. Ashley Cole has done in a number of times for Chelsea pre-Scolari.

If Cole had been on the post when Dempsey rose to head the ball towards goal yesterday, he might well have stopped it from going in and Chelsea could be just a point behind Liverpool, instead of three.

He should also come in from flak for his persistence with Deco.

The Portuguese schemer started the season in scintillating form, winning the Premier League Player of the Month Award for August, but since then his form has been – to put it kindly and to refrain from using foul language – disappointing.

Simple diagonal passes appear at times to be a bridge too far for the 31-year old, and his tackling is Scholes-esque. Deco appears ill-suited to hustle and bustle of the Premier League, where time on the ball is not a freely available luxury.

A reluctance to pair Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka together when fit is also a worrying sign.

A Drogba-Anelka partnership seems like a no-brainer given their complementary strengths. Anelka likes to drop off deep and receive the ball, while Drogba is brilliant in the air and can hold up the ball, bringing team mates into play. But Scolari seems to think that a solution to this problem means playing one or the other. Or as it so often appears to be the case, playing Anelka for 45 minutes and then bringing Drogba on when things haven’t quite gone to plan.

But in fairness to Scolari, Chelsea failed to sign their number one transfer target – Robinho – due to problems at boardroom level, which Scolari can hardly be blamed for. The lack of another option on the other hand, can be the fault of Scolari. Or, he might have thought that the squad was good enough to win trophies even without Robinho. It is hard to be 100 per cent certain.

There are things that Scolari needs to take the blame for, and there’s no reason why he cant find a solution to these problems. The January transfer window will give him the chance to tweak his squad, but probably only after he sells players first.

The first 6 months of his tenure will have given him a much deeper look at his players and time to decide who can be gotten rid of.

In today’s footballing climate, rash sackings are becoming much more frequent. Chelsea are still paying the price for their own bout of gun jumping in sacking Jose Mourinho last September.

To sack Scolari before the season is out would be foolish and unfair on a man who is taking charge of a club in Europe for the first time. The Brazilian has only been in the job for 6 months, his ideas and way of thinking wont automatically be soaked up by his players.

Chelsea may not be blessed with time to give a Premier League rookie a chance, but a little patience could prove to be a very sound New Year’s resolution to make.

By Alan

(Image credit to Yahoo Sport)

Dempsey Double Pegs Chelsea Back

December 28, 2008

A match report by Alan from The Shed End Forum following Chelsea’s away clash with Fulham on the 28th of December 2008 where it drew 2-2.

Clint Dempsey headed in a late equaliser for Fulham to dent Chelsea’s title hopes heading into 2009.

Fulham had taken the lead early in the first half from a free kick, Dempsey knocking in the first of his two goals from close range.

Lampard equalised just after half time when Schwarzer dropped the ball in the box, leaving the England international with the easiest of goals.

Chelsea were a different side compared to the one seen in the first half, and a second goal seemed to be a question if when, not if.

Lampard provided it with a swerving free kick that flew into the corner past Schwarzer.

But more drama was to follow. Fulham won a late corner and Dempsey rose to head home an unlikely equaliser.

After a busy period of games, Luiz Felipe Scolari opted to shuffle his pack, drafting in Deco and Florent Malouda, and leaving Nicolas Anelka on the bench.

The Blues knew that the pressure was on after Liverpool’s impressive 5-1 demolition of Newcastle, and they started well.

Lampard and Drogba both tested Schwarzer with shots, but some sloppy marking caused Chelsea to go behind after 11 minutes.

Dempsey was allowed to chest the ball from a free kick and poke the ball past Cech and into the net.

Drogba had his second attempt of the math on 19 minutes, skimming a shot across the face of goal after being fed by Mikel.

Chelsea were forced into a change just after the half hour mark with Malouda unable to continue due to a hamstring problem.

Anelka took his place and made an immediate impact, unleashing a shot that was kept out by Schwarzer’s leg.

Ricardo Carvalho was forced into action for the first time in two months as Chelsea suffered another injury, this time to Brazilian defender Alex.

This didn’t interrupt Chelsea’s rhythm however, and Lampard had two more efforts on the Fulham goal before the half was out.

Within minutes of the restart, Lampard had his goal. Aaaron Hughes and Schwarzer got into an almighty mess and the ball broke loose to Lampard, who had the simple task of tapping the ball in.

The away side began to crank up the pressure in search of a winner, but a combination of Schwarzer and some wayward finishing kept the scores level.

Scolari made the slightly questionable decision to take off Joe Cole – one of Chelsea’s better performers – on 72 minutes, but such thoughts were quickly forgotten as Lampard scored his second goal of the afternoon to give Chelsea a deserved lead.

The England midfielder lined up a free kick 25 yards out and crashed in a drive that swerved away from the despairing reach of Schwarzer.

Fulham seemed unable to muster a response, and Chelsea looked set to play out time and secure a vital victory.

But some more sloppy marking put paid to that idea. Simon Davies’ corner was met by Dempsey, whose header went in with Petr Cech a mere spectator.

Craven Cottage went wild, and Luiz Felipe Scolari was left to count the cost of a second successive draw away from home, a result that leaves his side three points behind Liverpool.

By Alan McGuinness

(Credit for image to ESPN)

Lacklustre Chelsea Do Enough to Dispatch the Baggies

December 28, 2008

A match report from the Boxing Day game 2008; Chelsea 2 – West Brom 0. Match report by Alan from The Shed End Forum

First half goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard ensured Chelsea beat West Brom 2-0 at Stamford Bridge this afternoon to keep apace with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

The three points never really looked in doubt once Drogba headed in the opener, but the Blues failed to sparkle for the remainder of the match, wasting a number of opportunities to add to their lead.

Luiz Felipe Scolari decided to pair Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka upfront from the outset, and his decision paid off within minutes of kick off.

Joe Cole sent a ball into the box and Drogba powered a header over Scott Carson and into the far corner of the net.

Chelsea began to dominate possession, and Lampard struck a fierce free kick straight at Carson.

Kim had the visitors first effort on target, forcing Cech into a save with a left foot shot.

Alex had another Chelsea opportunity from a free kick, but he found his typically powerful shot blocked by the West Brom wall.

Abdolaye Meite was forced off for the Baggies after 26 minutes, Leon Barnett replaced him.

Finding a way through was proving difficult for the home side, and Ballack and Lampard both tried to remedy this by testing Carson with shots.

Ashley Cole came agonisingly close to adding a second goal with two efforts in quick succession.

First his shot from inside the box was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Carson, and then he just failed to make contact with a Jose Bosingwa cross as he slid across the box.

However, Lampard did add a second goal just before half time, easing the nerves of many inside Stamford Bridge.

Joe Cole played the ball into the box and Lampard picked up the pieces after Ashley Cole had been felled, taking the ball around Paul Robinson and then dinking the ball over Carson.

Juliano Beletti was brought on for Bosingwa at half time, and the Brazilian had Chelsea’s first effort of the second half.

The right back found himself with space to move into, but took the wrong option in opting for a chip, instead of passing it to one of his team mates who was in space.

Drogba provided evidence that is starting to recapture his best form when he expertly beat two players and hammered a shot at Carson.

Chipping seemed to be the attacking method of choice for Chelsea, as Lampard was another player to try to beat Carson with a lobbed shot.
The England midfielder got his angles all wrong and his shot was tame and easily gathered by Carson.

Despite having plenty of possession, the home side were finding it difficult to add to the score line.

Drogba again found his path to goal blocked by Carson, and it was to the Ivorian’s last action of the game, as he was replaced by Florent Malouda.

Alex headed wide from a corner afterwards, but Chelsea never looked like adding to the lead they had established in the first half.

The win was comfortable, but the performance by Scolari’s men was hardly spellbinding.

By Alan McGuinness

(Credit for image to Official West Bromwich Albion Website)

Chelsea FC: The Only True Home for Football

December 28, 2008

A great video showing Chelsea FC at their best. Credit to AlBhed25 for the video.