The night of magical thinking

To be a football fan is, almost by definition, to subscribe to what Joan Didion calls “magical thinking”. If I wear my lucky Blue shirt, Chelsea can’t lose. If I need to answer nature’s call before the first half finishes, the opposition are bound to score. If I don’t watch this penalty, there’s no way my captain will slip on a muddy patch and miss.

There’ll probably be no need for me to recommend introspection this week. But while we’re all casting around for someone to blame - and coming up with a genetically-engineered hybrid of Didier Drogba, a patch of mud on the penalty spot and the woodwork of Manchester United’s goal – this observer has other concerns: namely, how do I avoid being told how great Manchester United are for the rest of the month?

Make no mistake: despite ITV and Sky’s effort s to make it all sound terribly awe-inspiring, this was no more than another gung-ho League encounter, with Chelsea coming slowly out of the blocks and obtaining their usual grip on these opponents in the second half. Of all of the players vaunted to make their marks on this grand stage, only Cristiano Ronaldo really delivered, and then only in a period where his marker seemed to have lost all sense of what it is to get tight to his man.

Stand-out defensive heroics were the order of the day. On that subject, John Terry and Nemanja Vidic were consistently the best performers on the pitch, with Rio Ferdinand getting a mention in dispatches for his cynical barge on Frank Lampard moments before Chelsea’s number 8 equalised. Claude Makelele, occasionally looking a little leaden-footed, nonetheless showed again why his name is synonymous with the esoteric skill of fire-quenching. Paul Scholes showed why he will only ever be loved within the bounds of United fan-ship, with his delicate passing overshadowed by his painfully inept tackling.

Roman Abramovich will have much thinking to do over the following weeks. His unlucky manager may not choose another team for this club. His star striker – who covered himself in opprobrium last night – may never pull on the blue shirt again. Introspection is needed. His team came within a whisker of the prize that he values most highly. On another day, Terry would never had had to take that fateful spot-kick, or would simply have buried it off the inside of the post. It was not to be, but undoubtedly Chelsea will be back. The team’s constituents may be much changed in the interim, though.

Comments

[Micky]

Its funny. In Roy Keane's book, he always talked about European Cup Finals being matches where a mistake would come back to haunt you. This match only proved three times. Lampard equalising (after we didn't finish the job by putting in 3 goals minumum), Terry and Anelka. English teams it seems in the big games can't put the game beyond big doubt. But I won't change the way it panned out for the world, especially the way I felt when VAN DER SAR saved Anelka's penalty. Everyone has luck and all the ifs and buts change nothing.

[Rob]

What a graceful bunch of winners you Mancs are. All the class of a Scouse brothel.

[Ryan]

what a moronic man you are

[Red Devil]

On another day, Terry would never had had to take that fateful spot-kick, or would simply have buried it off the inside of the post.

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On another day, Tevez or Carrick would have buried their chances, or Hargreaves would have jumped just a bit higher to head the ball home and seal the result in Utd's favour.

Too many ifs and buts....

[Abdurasul]

The match was fantastic. Both teams played unbelievably.So, i can say that each of them are the champions, cause they showed us (me) the theatre game, it was an amazing event. However, as a fan of Chelsea I appreciate their playing and i strongly believe that Chalsea will be CHAMPION next time!!! Terry was the captain, is the captain and i hope only he will be captain despite any troubles! Good luck for everyone! Guys play like that, don't slow down, cause we are watching you, waiting you to score, to defend, and to see you as a CHAMPION! Yours fan from UZBEKISTAN.