Clayton Beerman looks back at Chelsea’s defeat to West Brom and the significance of the date 19th May for Chelsea supporters…
Monday night got people yearning for Petr Cech again. His imminent departure and a less than sterling performance by TC have opened up the debate again. Why are we letting the best keeper in the club go and potentially making a rival stronger?
I can’t answer the second point save we are a club with a heart and despite everything that is said about us the club are willing to make Petr happy as a reward for his outstanding service. All that being said we would be naive to think our manager isn’t pushing him in a certain direction. If De Gea leaves then Man U will sign a top keeper. If they sign Loris then he is younger then Petr and so potentially could make them stronger than if Petr signed for them.
If he goes to Arsenal then I like most think that is a problem. Their manager couldn’t pick a decent keeper if he came up to him and slapped him with a sardine. So him getting a brilliant keeper handed to him is galling. Yes PC would certainly improve them but after watching them on Sunday they still looked a long way off of us and it may not be as fatal as we think.
There is no doubt that Petr is a truly great keeper, the finest ever to have pulled on a green, dayglow/orange/red shirt for us. A true great whose contribution to the club I set out in an article on this fine website. The fact he has stayed this year and performed to the fine level he has shows just how great he is and I for one will shed a tear on Sunday.
Wherever he goes and I hope it’s abroad personally I think we have made the right decision. I trust our manager implicitly but the possibility of losing Thibaut I think was too great. Goalkeepers like him come along once in a generation and in goalkeeping terms I believe he is miles ahead of schedule in terms of experience. He has also enjoyed a valuable year training alongside Petr which will be a huge thing in his development.
I do think that by his own high standards Thibaut was very ordinary on Monday. I would have expected him to have saved both the first and third goals. Granted the defending in front of him was very ordinary but he will be disappointed to have let both of those goals in. I’ll let him off the penalty, that was a good effort.
So what of Monday night?
In previous years where we have won the league early we have finished up with a lot of average performances. This is a massive dilemma for both players and fans. As a fan we hate losing , even if it’s a game that means nothing aside from gathering more records. We always want us to win irrespective of the fact that winning on Monday in general terms meant nothing. For the players, there can be no motivation. There was a feel of a pre season friendly in our play. Lots of possession but no cutting edge, the players looked bored. Ultimately they have done their job.
It was good was to see Rueben Loftus Cheek play for a second game. I am surprised that people are saying he is this that or the other. He looks a brilliant prospect.
I thought in difficult circumstances he did not look out of place. If someone watching had no idea as to who the players on the pitch were would he have stood out as not belonging? I really don’t think so. I know there is a will to praise home grown players but I thought he did well and perhaps better than against Liverpool. Bottom line is he is showing the manager that he can follow instructions. I believe that a lot of what he can do is currently under wraps.
It was also great to see Izzy Brown but with no creativity available it was always going to be a tough ask for him. With us going down to 9 men with the introduction of Juan Cuadrado it was going to be even more difficult.
I think my main disappointment over the last 2 games has been Loic Remy. He has looked quite lacklustre and I am not sure if it’s because he’s been played out wide or he thinks he’s on his way. I think he is a great addition to the squad and hope he stays. I think we will sign a striker in the close season but he should still get a fair bit of game time what with Diego’s impending suspensions and injuries.
The Fabregas sending off was a joke on so many levels. Brainless behaviour compounded by yet more brainless officiating. It is difficult to comprehend why Cesc did what he did but a sending off, I don’t think so. I only watch Chelsea on a regular basis so can not comment on what’s happened to other clubs but I am staggered at the sheer number of quite dreadful decisions made by referees against us this season and also the inconsistency. I also do not think there would have been a sending off without Darren Fletcher’s completely OTT reaction.
19.05
There was loads of stuff posted on the third anniversary of our Champions League triumph. Someone tweeted it was all very ‘history boys’ and we don’t want to end up like another club. I couldn’t agree more but personally I can’t get enough of the stuff.
Whether you were there or not, whatever happens for the rest of your football watching days you will always remember how you felt when that penalty went in. I still get goosebumps when I see it. The countless youtube videos of the penalty, the great crowd reactions both in and out of the ground, the post-match celebrations all still resonate. Who knew that hearing Mr Blue Sky would make me smile every time I hear it now?
Personally I couldn’t breathe when Didier walked up to the spot. I could not comprehend the enormity of what was about to happen. When it went in I couldn’t stop screaming. Absolutely ridiculous, we had won the European Cup. When the players were dancing around in front of us it seemed so surreal, the cup that I’d seen held by Bobby Charlton, , Gullit, Cruyff, Beckenbaur and loads of the games greats and countless Liverpool captains was now in our hands.
It still seems surreal and if it never happened again I wouldn’t be upset (sort of). It is slightly strange that this date is now so steeped in our history (that we don’t have). I know that we won the FA Cup in 2007 on that date but bizarrely we also won the Cup Winners Cup in 1971. So that date will always be special most particularly for me as there is also no chance I will ever forget my wedding anniversary.
Clayton Beerman
Follow Clayton on Twitter @goalie59
