Barclays Asian Trophy Glory!

Suffering the fate of those Robert Green who have let Torres
score...Shay Given has been given a timeout to think about
what he has done.

OK, maybe the headline was overstating my enthusiasm a smidge, but let's be honest, it is always fun to win. Although not important to the season itself, confidence is, and that's just what we were missing for large portions of last season - players and supporters alike. You know who you are.

Of course, the biggest news of the game was Frank Lampard being named the player of the tournament!!! OK, maybe that was the biggest news for me. But for someone who was written off by far too many, it was a brilliant source of personal smugness fantastic reminder that he still has a lot to offer on and off the pitch.

*time out for me to drink gin make my smug face fully consider the implications of pre-season*

Of course what grabbed headlines was the "great" goal by Fernando Torres. In no way am I dismissing it with my cheeky little quotes. But I would say it was a goal, and it was great to see Fernando smile score. However a little disconcerting his pavlovian like ability to score against claret and blue. With his only other goal against West Ham, its a little worrying that without them or Burnley in the big boy leagues, that only Villa will face his wrath next season. Sure, those of you in a certain mood will be quick to point out to me that he did also manage a goal against Wycombe, but ponder this - if a striker scores and no one sees it, does it make a sound in the forest?

Exactly.

Either way, Fernando will have a long way to go if he wants to come close to our real pre-season hero Own Goal. Since his departure from Manchester United, and arrival for our Asian Tour, Own Goal has only failed to score in our final match. Is it a matter of not being able to score against English teams, or is Own Goal unable to play with Fernando Torres. Only the coming weeks will tell. Still for the price of Joey Barton, Own Goal has been a delightful addition.

And for those of you who haven't seen it, the other highlights would of course being little Josh getting his first big boy goal and generally being awesome in the midfield. And of course, as we took this ever so seriously, the team abandoning JT as he went to lift the trophy for photos. Excellent prank / team work there lads.

For those of you who enjoyed the adventures of David Cameroon - a few of the other Chelsea players have been doing double duty. After their corner flag teaser, FloMo and Didi managed to recruit Petr Cech and Paulo Ferreira for their band. It does appear that Cech, not surprisingly, is actually the musician while the rest of the lads were his backup rhythm section. Didier of course being the machine that he is by doing double duty of rhythm AND operated camera as David Cameroon could not be there. Interested? In their summers off, they can be contacted for weddings and other events.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu5TTtu17D0

In other comedic pre-season matches Manchester United found out they could beat Barcelona if they were missing most of their starting lineup and it didn't matter. Of course, by the way it was celebrated, I'm pretty sure this is the big goal that Michael Owen has been tediously promising. Well done Mikey, you managed to get off the bench and earn that pre-season medal.

But the biggest pre-season news, and trophy as it always is amongst my Gooner mates is the oft mentioned Emirates Cup. Ah yes. The gifted trophy from their sponsors. It was good of the Emirates to build them a stadium and then have a tournament all their own to win. But it appears that this season, someone failed to follow the script. Surely they couldn't lose their own trophy in their own stadium (again). How it was even lost is beyond me. The first half, Arsenal spent so much time in New York's half that Szczesny got out a cuddly toy and had a nap. However, in the second half Arsene Wenger probably should have taken my suggestion to substitute one of his defenders for Gunnersaurus. He remained on the pitch so long before kick off I actually thought he'd made the team sheet.

However, the request to have a member of the opposing team play for a pre-determined amount of time (no matter how short) is almost as laughable as requesting someone who wasn't going to play in a match to lift a trophy that has not yet been won. But I digress. Yes, the opposing player in this instance was Thierry Henry, but Gooners, you need to let it go. He's moved on. He's won the Emirates Cup. It wasn't for you. What you lot need is closure - and to pick easier opposition so you don't lose your own Cup again next season.

And this coming weekend it's actually back to proper football. Not quite the league, but just about. Chelsea will be on a steady diet of Irn Bru all week to prepare themselves for the trip to Ibrox on Saturday and Sunday sees the first of at least Manchester derbies with the Community Shield. Good luck to all the City supporters travelling to London this weekend. Am personally hoping for a little nudge and wink from Balotelli again.*

KTBFFH

jb xx

http://twitter.com/cfc_jb

*and by personally, I didn't mean he nudge nor wink at me.... just Rio.

**by just Rio, I mean that Mario should do those things again to Rio. Rio should do nothing to me or near me - ever. Phew...hope that's cleared up.