Grant us three wishes

Once Chelsea regarded a trip to Three Point Lane as a merry jaunt to North London and much was as normal for them with 80 minutes gone and having taken a 4-3 lead after Tottenham had fought back to 3-3 from 1-3 down.

But what happened in the last five minutes may yet come back to haunt them and signal a change in fortune for Spurs.

Having already been beaten on their previous trip to North London just three weeks before in the League Cup Final, perhaps the journey might not be as comfortable as it used to be for the Pensioners. 

Replacing the Chosen One was never going to be a simple task.  For all the tea in China (or all the oil in certain arts of Russia for that matter), it was a poisoned chalice that container the heady brew that the Blues fans are not finding to be true.  Avram Grant lacks the character, the tactical nous and the overcoat of Jose Mourinho.  What he also lacks is the luck of the Portugeezer.

While Chelsea having been grinding out 1-0s against all and sundry against the backdrop of press coverage that labels them as dour and efficient, this game opened up from the third minute, when Drogba appealed for a handball from a free-kick that hit the wall and managed to sneak onto the end of a cross to head the away side into the lead.

Having lead the match from that time until Tottenham’s equaliser at 3-3, the match took a turn in the direction of the Lilywhites when first Grant took off Kalou to be replaced by Alex to defend the lead.  Ballack then came on for Joe Cole to shore up the midfield and Spurs pushed forward to seek an equaliser, which came when the ball hit the back of the neck of a defender and Robbie Keane did what he has done all season and seized on the loose ball to instinctively loop a shot over Cudicini from outside the area to hit the net and spark great celebrations.

Two minutes from time and Tottenham were level again.  The Chelsea support went very quiet, but at least some of them stayed until the end this time.  Just long enough to see Dimitar Berbatov take the ball in the penalty area, shimmy to evade Alex’s desperate lunge and stand facing goal with only Cudicini to beat.  His shot was struck true and firm, but the Italian keeper stood up and stuck out a strong hand to make a really good save to keep the ball out.  Then the final whistle went and Spurs fans left feeling disappointed that the three points at the lane were not theirs.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Tottenham were brittle at the back.  Twice we were cut open by Joe Cole for his goals and once previously when he set up Essien for his strike.  One of Cole’s goals started with a throw-in and the players did not switch on at all, leaving the ball to be played across the edge of the penalty area for Cole to finish past Robinson.

While three of the goals came from Spurs backing off Chelsea, our goals were all well crafted or well-taken.  Woodgate’s prodigious leap looked like he was climbing all over Drogba’s sizeable back, but when seen again on the big screen he only made contact as he came down after rising really high to power his header past Cudicini.

We had to wait until the second half for the second – another header from another set-piece, as Berbatov jumped and looped a header over the Chelsea keeper, who looked like he should have been better positioned to save it.

But these were nothing to compare to our third and fourth.  The ball dropped to the far post from a corner and Tom Huddlestone showed great composure to thump a left foot shot through a crowd and in at the other post.  That made it 3-3.  Keane’s fourth was just as good.

It is a shame that the game was marred by Mike Riley’s weak refereeing.  His failure to send off Cashley Cole for his late, high tackle on Alan Hutton was shameful and his insistence on booking people for dissent puts the yellow card on the same level as the foul by the Chelsea number 3.  The fact that Cole showed further dissent by turning his back on the ref was allowed to go unpunished, which conflicts with how Riley dealt with dissent in other incidents in the game.

He also attracted a crowd of dissenters, when Terry and co. gathered around him to protest Cole’s innocence, something I thought was to be dealt with.  Then came Huddlestone’s booking for diving.  Fair enough, but where were the same yellow cards for Joe Cole and Didier Drogba, who must be the biggest bloke in the world who gets knocked over by the slightest touch ?  I don’t mind the referee being strict, but I would prefer that they be consistent.

Perhaps the most unseemly side to Chelsea is their bullying and intimidation.  Terry was running out of the Tottenham penalty area when a Chelsea corner was cleared and ran past Chimbonda, who was on the floor, making contact with the defender’s head with his knee.  Drogba pulls players and spins them around after they have passed the ball.  Makelele makes sure that he gets there as soon as he cane, but often not as soon as he should.  At the back, players hit opponents from behind and get the free-kick given against them, but there is the bigger deterrent of fearing you are going to be clattered every time you receive the ball.

For once I agree with Alex Ferguson about players getting protection. 

But take a look at Henk Ten Cate on the highlights when Hutton gets taken out by Cashley.  His over-aggressive approach is one which has little place in the game.  It is splashed all over the papers that he has clashed with Chelsea players and that he may be the victim of a power struggle.  If he is ousted, it may the best thing for everyone.

I fail to see why it is necessary for Chelsea to resort to such tactics, unless they are the only ones that Grant is good at.  If they are as good a side as their fans on the phone-ins say they are … and they showed in flashes that they can be an effective attacking force … then why do they need to perpetrate such strong-arm tactics ?  Although they would not enjoy the comparison, they are turning into a modern-day version of the Leeds United side of the 1970s.

They may be successful, but their circle of friends is disappearing faster than a 4-3 lead with minutes left.

Wyart Lane
My Eyes Have Seen The Glory
www.mehstg.com

Comments

[lily_lane]

Terry also kneed Berbatov in the face in the 1st Half as he fell over him. It was deliberate and another example of his disgusting behaviour. If this man is made England Captain by Capello, I shall boycot England matches in future. I expect an England Captain to behave with considerably more decorum and sportmanship than this uncouth thug!
The entre Chelsea Team's behaviour on Wednesday evening was an utter disgrace and shame on the FA for not taking action against them, and Cole in particular. I'm disgusted!

[Rob]

Goodness me. What a mess.

"For all the tea in China (or all the oil in certain arts of Russia for that matter), it was a poisoned chalice that container the heady brew that the Blues fans are not finding to be true."

All I can say is... well put. What did you do... translate this from the Spanish via the Japanese?

Secondly, what a pity you can't be magnanimous about what was a marvellous, marvellous game of football. After all, it meant an awful lot more to Chelsea than it did to you. And yet Joe Cole had a goal disallowed for offside, Essien hit the post, Cudicini made a brilliant save or two and even Robinson managed not to disgrace himself. And yet you bitch about a high tackle.

Brilliant game. Sad excuse for an article.