Whenever Halloween rolls around you’re meant to witness some sort of horror show, right? I’m not one for the truly frightening and usually go out of my way to avoid it at all costs — but it often proves difficult at this, the most sinister time of year. <insert creepy Vincent Price voice> This year I’m not sure whether I should thank Chelsea for fulfilling the creepy quota for me or not.
In fairness, scoreline aside, it was really the second half the Chelsea fell apart. Despite conceding just 40 seconds into the match, and another just before the break - the Blues played some excellent football between those two goals. Which by the meltdown on social media seems all but forgotten. You always want to go out on a high as it’s how you’ll be remembered. And as Tuesday has proven the inverse is very much true.
The second half against Roma was an absolute shocker by any standard. Knowing that they, at minimum, should have been on level terms going into the break may have shaken a few. But there was enough experience out there and no doubt a rousing ball-breaking talk from Conte that they should have been able to go out and find the next level. Instead of pulling an Arsenal.*
But as it’s days later and I have no idea what went wrong after such a comprehensive performance against Bournemouth, I’d rather focus on things I did like from Tuesday night ….
Bold substitutions
Gary Cahill has somehow become the whipping boy for social media trolls who think they know better than a Scudetto winning manager. But there has been something off about that back line when he’s been in the mix this season. In no way do I think he’s suddenly turned into a terrible defender and is ripe with mistakes. However, I do think there’s something off with the chemistry of the back three when he’s there. While suspended the trio of Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger functioned better as a unit. I liked that Conte was brave enough to make that change with more than 5 pointless minutes to go. It didn’t pay off on this occasion, but I’m all for giving a sub a chance to make a difference. And to put on an attacking player when a team is chasing the game is always sound.
Comedy errors
If you’re going to make an error, make it memorable. When all three of Chelsea’s defenders thought Edin Dzeko needed chasing down was hilarious. It’s funny when little kids do it at school because they haven’t grasped tactics and just want to chase the ball — it’s even better when it’s paid professionals who’ve forgotten that they are PAID PROFESSIONALS. Now, don’t do it again.
Social media forgetting the role of defenders and a goalkeeper
It may come as some surprise, but occasionally midfielders lose possession. Unless your name is N’Golo Kante. He’s midfield perfection. But everyone else does give the ball away from time to time. Sometimes you win it back yourself, sometimes you think the 5 men tasked with that duty behind you will come up trumps and sort it out for you. Unfortunately, for Cesc Fabregas neither was true and it led to a Roma goal. If he’d given the ball away in the 18 yard box I could almost wrap my head around the collapse of all sense, but it was far enough up the pitch that it’s mad to deem him solely responsible for that goal. Back to basics and all that, there’s a few other players on the pitch tasked with making sure that shot / goal doesn’t happen.
The lock-in
It lasted ages. It wasn’t pleasant. Why was this a thing I enjoyed? It made the fact that I missed out on a trip to Rome a little more palatable.** While everyone was caged in like animals, I got to watch the Bake Off final and enjoy a little cannoli and Primitivo in good company. And there were no queues for a dodgy coach when I finally got out.
Making our mark
This loss means Chelsea are the only English side to lose a Champions League match this season. Who doesn’t like standing out from the pack?! Making history not reliving it etc and so on.
A trophy to come?
Each of the last two times Chelsea have conceded three Champions League goals in Italy they have gone on to lift a big shiny trophy. Sure one of those times meant that Chelsea dropped directly into the Europa League … but there was a trophy at the end of it. Let’s all hope that things really do happen in threes.
Atletico Madrid
They. Are. Terrible. If only they had a top Sprazilian striker motivating the others to really get going. Okay, they aren't terrible, but they are really struggling in the Champions League this season. And unless they pull out a miracle in their last two games -- one of those against Chelsea -- then Tuesday's result will matter not as the goal at this stage is just to get to the knockout stages. At this point, it does look like Chelsea are going through and could afford this slip by and large thanks to Atletico (or Qarabag).
On to the weekend — no pressure. Only Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge. Should be find, right?
jb xx
*Sorry Arsenal, but you know when you concede to you spend the rest of the game feeling sorry for yourselves and usually accept your ‘fate’.
** If truth be told, I’m still extremely bitter that I missed out on this one — win, lose or draw.
No comments:
Post a Comment