We Want The Cup, Not The Ball

UEFA's Technical Report of each year's Champions League is always an interesting read for football fans. Given that CFC won last year's competition, I thought I'd peruse the report and pick out any salient points relevant to CFC fans:-

UEFA think Drogba's goal against Napoli was the fourth best goal from open-play in the whole competition (125games).Check out the highlights of that most epic of matches and see what you think.

Furthermore, UEFA reckon Drogba's glorious headed goal against Bayern Munich in that wonderful final was the fifth best set-play goal. Check it out - it's awesome. 

When talking about the prevalence of midfield screens and the final:
 
"Chelsea's John Obi Mikel provided a classic example of a player who excelled at breaking up opposition attacks in a central area and initiating his team's response." Mikel is widely under-rated and sometimes over-rated - nice to see UEFA at least recognise his performance.

When talking about emotional intensity:

"Big games require big players, and the ability to master emotions becomes a major asset. The 2011/12 season confirmed that one of the basic requirements [of winners] is above-average mental strength... Chelsea, the 2012 champions, provided a graphic illustration that resilience and mental toughness can be vital ingredients in recipes for success."

UEFA's technical observers traditionally select a team a CL star squad of those players who they thought made outstanding contributions to their team's progress. Quite naturally, some CFC heroes feature:

• Petr 'Penalty-Save' Cech
• Ashley 'Goal-Line Clearance' Cole
• 'Run and Chip' Ramires
• Frank 'Legend of Chelsea' Lampard
• Didier 'Big Game' Drogba

 "Special credit is due to Frank Lampard, who has been a regular in the star squad since the 2005/6 season." Sign him up Roman!

So what were the defining characteristics of this mentally resilient team?

• 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1
• Highly mobile middle-to-front (Mata and Lampard)
• Top-quality crosses, usually by full-backs
• Very strong, aerially, on set-plays: deliveris by Mata and Lampard
• Breaks from the back, especially via David Luiz
• Zonal back-four with Terry the leader
• Imposing goalkeeper (Cech) with good distribution
• Very experienced group: mentally strong
• Slick combination play and incisive passes
• Excellent use of the flanks: goals from cut-backs

UEFA also noted that 10% of all the goals scored during the competition were scored in added-time at the end of both halves. All the three Chelsea goals which knocked out Barcelona were scored in added-time. Really hurt those ones.

CFC averaged 47%  possession (28% in both Barca matches) and 70% passing accuracy. Who cares? "... Chelsea's ultimate victory provided a reminder that dominating the ball offers no guarantee of success."

Gerard Houllier - 'Some teams keep the ball - some keep the result.'
Fabio Capello - 'This Chelsea team never gave up.'

LUVCFC

Chelsea - Champions of Europe

Chelsea have won the Champions League. YES! Those of you familiar with my previous posts will know that I have mentioned just such an event. If Chelsea won the CL, it would give the fans that kind of unadulterated joy which vindicates all the emotional investment of the past. Even now it is still difficult to believe. However, I am sure that in the fullness of time we will come to appreciate what last night's heroics have done for CFC. It is now a club raised above  the majority - Chelsea is now one of the European Cup winners.

     The media however, have been quick to paint it thus: 'Abramovich finally gets what he spent hundreds of millions of pounds for'. This is crass. Certainly it has been no secret that Roman has always wanted the CL Trophy - but doesn't any club with ambitions in the competition? The joy is not limited to Abramovich, who by the way isn't a football-trophy-window-shopper-extraordinaire. He is one man, one fan; just like every other fan of Chelsea. It's just that he has been lucky enough to make a difference. His joy, when Drogba gave him the chance to lift the Cup itself, was not the joy of some banker seeing a long-term investment come good, it was the delirious happiness of a fan. You could see it in the coverage - get on mate!

     The real story of last night was the long voyage which has taken Chelsea to the pinnacle. I don't just mean this season's campaign which has been dramatic in the extreme. I mean the whole series: woefully losing to Monaco after finally beating Arsenal in '04, losing a semi-final to Liverpool under Mourinho in '05, losing the final on penalties to Man United in '08, being robbed by Ovrebo against Barcelona in '09. It is a painful litany. This is why Drogba's words were so poignant when he dedicated the triumph to all the previous Chelsea players and managers he had played with. They all shared in the dream and suffered the disappointments. Their hopes have finally been redeemed.

     And in what style! The media have also been quick to remind us that Chelsea were not the best team in the CL this year. What!? We won the bloody thing didn't we? Is it so easy to forget, that when in a football competition, the aim is to win it? You do not get medals for playing 'pretty' - just ask Arsenal. You get medals for winning. Ever since that remarkable victory over Napoli in the 2nd leg I have felt that Chelsea have been determined to NOT GET BEAT. How many times have we looked down and out? Chelsea have represented England with a whole lot of courage and determination. We looked doomed against Napoli, and most of us hoped that we might at least make a decent effort. But on the night, we hammered them! There's some football for ya. With confidence brimming we despatched Benfica, albeit with a hiccough. Then Barcelona. Oh dear - apparently the best team ever? Certainly the most boring team ever. They couldn't beat us, so given the knockout nature of the tie, we beat them. Pure balls. 

     And then the German giants, Bayern Munich, in their own stadium, who have won it four times already. We defend for our lives and give one up in the 83rd min. That man equalises in the 89th, question answered. We give away a penalty in extra-time - Cech saves, question answered. Penalty shoot-out. We miss our first, they score their first three. Cech saves and Ashley Cole scores to equalise and top off the real man of the match performance, though you can't begrudge it Drogba. Bastian Schweinsteiger - the ultimate German, steps up, and misses. Drogba steps up and the rest is history - it was written he said.

     Ever since the ambition to win the CL became tangible Chelsea has tried manfully and much has been suffered. This time however, we refused to be beaten and won. Managers have come and gone but that hardcore of players have remained, and their determination to win is something that money can't buy. So let's forget money, let's even forget people's perceptions of how football 'should' be played, let us instead consider these: courage, resilience, and ultimate victory.

The Roman Empire Strikes Back - AVB Sacked

So Abracadabra went and did it. After what has proven to be a torturous season so far for Chelsea fans, our man who was supposed to manage an inevitably painful transitory period, has been sacked. It has not come as a surprise, but it does leave the immediate question - WHAT NOW?!

     Well, for the meanwhile it seems we have Di Matteo in charge. Don't get me wrong, Chelsea fans will have time for Roberto 'That Goal' Di Matteo, since he has Blue Blood. However, are we really going to do any better under him than under AVB? It's difficult to make that assumption, which makes AVB's sacking all the more questionable. Often when a new manager comes in, it gives a brief boost to the club and translates into one or two good results. If this proves to be the case and we manage to blag our way through tough matches against Birmingham and Napoli then that would be nice. But then what? Can Roberto take us all the way? I hope so... More pertinently, Chelsea FC is again shaken by instability thanks to the meandering and dilatory approach of our lord, Roman Abracadbramovich.

     AVB did look out of his depth, and much that he did and said was imprudent in the extreme. But I had hoped that Abra would have learned some patience and allowed his toy to suffer a little in order to come out the other end stronger. Another manager has not been given a chance and now anyone available for the job will think very carefully before putting their neck under the Chelsea guillotine. Yes, the results were dire with AVB, but he's certainly not the only blameworthy figure amongst the shambles on Fulham Road. Many Chelsea players have not performed to their best abilities so far this season - we can all name a handful.

     So what now? I do not know. Let's just hope for some cup progress, a top four finish, and that Roberto plays some of those promising youths we've invested so heavily in. It can hardly get any worse can it? Good luck Chelsea fans, because we are going to need it.

Is Abramovich Doing More Damage Than Good?

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