Date: 26th November 2014 at 5:08pm
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Regular contributor, Clayton Beerman gives us his thoughts on the Chelsea v West Brom game suggesting that being pragmatic is much better than being entitled!

I was feeling very pleased last Saturday, another 3 points and the fact that my 12 year old little used Dinner Suit still fitted me. So what I hear you say has one thing got to do with another apart from my happiness.

008 JT APPLAUDING FANS

Photo by @cfcunofficial

After Saturdays home game under orders I gave up the CST Meeting to rush home. I was attending a school charity event, as I walked in  a host of school dads and fellow football lovers walked up to me and said well that’s it you’ve won the league, no one’s going to catch you blah blah blah. Sadly I couldn’t direct them to my recent piece as none of them would have cared less but looking from their point of view their only hope appears to be to put a hex on us by proclaiming it’s all over.

I can’t remember this ever happening with Manchester United or City nor dare I say Arsenal when they had good starts so why us? Perhaps in the age of immediacy the media want to declare it over so they can write an even better story if the wheels come off. When I questioned one the “dads” and said this is madness it’s not even December, he said I know but I wouldn’t say it if Jose wasn’t your manager. Fair point.

So where were you on Saturday 25 March 2006? I suspect some reading this were in the same place as me, Stamford Bridge. Now I’m not expecting you to remember that date  off the cuff but let me refresh your memory. At the time we were coasting towards our second Premier League title and had a home game against Manchester City, then managed by Stuart Pearce. The was pre –Sheik and they came with a horrendous injury list and a team populated with defenders. Their team was  James, Sommeil (Riera 45), D Mills (M Mills 84), Distin, Dunne, Thatcher, Flood, Ireland (Croft 73), Richards, Musampa, Vassell. Yikes.

On the stroke of half time when they were already 2-0 down Disitin was sent off when walking back to the dressing room. This was because he was so incensed by the actions of Didier Drogba who clearly handled the ball for second goal that he got himself sent-off after twice being cautioned for remonstrating to the referee. You will recall that DD famously confessed to his sins after the game.

Ha, I and many others thought, depleted opposition down to 10 men, I’m going to enjoy the second half. It turned out to be a training session. A lot of possession but ultimately the points were won and our coach had sent us out in the second half to conserve energy keep focus and make sure we came away with the 3 points. Any of this sound at all familiar?

So I come on to last Saturday. In my opinion, some of the football we played in the first half was some of the best football I’ve ever seen from a Chelsea team. Yes I know

Photo by @cfcunofficial

Photo by @cfcunofficial

the opposition wasn’t the toughest but some of our movement and passing was simply unplayable. The little one twos to get the ball out of defence down in the left hand corner underneath the Matthew Harding Lower was a bit Harlem Globetrotters. Our manager was not pleased but it was truly something.

We are seeing players who will be Chelsea greats. The ball control and power of Hazard , the powerhouse that is Matic, the monster that is Costa the artist that is Oscar. The frightening thing for the opposition is that these guys are still relatively young (goes looking for Diego’s birth certificate).

Ironic therefore that our two goals came from defensive mistakes and the fact we didn’t have several more before half time was down to some outstanding keeping, hard luck and at least two penalties not being given. Slightly churlish but no exaggeration that we could and perhaps should have been at least 5 up at half time.

The sending off ended the game as a contest and many were hoping for an avalanche of goals in the second half. It didn’t happen. What we got was supreme possession football and a host of chances either saved or wasted. There were not too many clear cut opportunities and I am not sure poor old Remy touched the ball when he came on. Compared to the first half this was not on the same planet but from a practical point of view it didn’t need to be. A rare clean sheet and another victory, the clubs best start to a premiership season and yet…..

I was staggered at the amount of people who began moaning during the second half. Yes we all would have liked to have seen more goals and more chances created but moaning, really? I sometimes wonder why some football fans are so myopic. If I was a WBA fan I would have been very proud of my team. You are 2 goals down at half time a man down and playing the best team in the league yet they fought so hard and gave nothing away. Did those moaners not notice that in the second half it was attack against defence? There were 8 opposition players in front of the 18 yard line for the entire period.

Perhaps some of our delivery from the flanks could have been better , some of our finishing more clinical but you can not tell me that if we needed to score we wouldn’t have done. Last year we drew 2-2 with the same opposition, luckily at that.

Also all around the league players are picking up injuries. Principally where they are trying to defend or strive for an equaliser or go for a winner. There was no such requirement or need for us to risk anything in the second half. Hence compare our treatment room to some of the struggling teams. Did the moaners notice our work ethic? We lose pos0252022session and there are 3 or 4 of our players chasing to get the ball back. This is a team.

There is also the small matter of 8 games in 24 days coming up and a trip to Germany. So yes boosting the goal difference would have been great but there is always a bigger picture for our manager and I wouldn’t want to change him for a few extra goals. He is a pragmatist the team interest always comes first and you’ll get no argument from me. He’s also shown that 8 years on he has a consistent approach!

Talking of managers I was saddened to read about the passing of the very first special one John Neal. Many have blogged and commented about the man and what he achieved. Love or loathe him, Ken Bates, took the unprecedented and ultimately correct step of kicking out players and not the manager at the end of the awful 82/83 season. What John Neal gave us over the next two years was some of the best football and players seen at the Bridge for a generation. Many of us from that time still consider the 83/84 season to be one of our favourites. The tributes from former players indicate what a special man he was. I would like to think that he would have loved the team we have now. RIP John and thank you.

Clayton Beerman

@goalie59

 

2 responses to “Great Expectations #3 -Back to the Future”

  1. Stephen says:

    Hazard caused us today lost due to the FAC t that u are playing together with the team, I love u and I want u to adjust because we could have the game first half because of those opportunities u failed pass to who is free for the shoot….pls adjust, I love n I want a change. Thanks

  2. Stephen says:

    I mean we could have kill the game in the first half with those opportunities. Again, Mikel need to improve, aasually he played well today com paired to the past, Matic absence on field today shows that will still need a midfielder that can penetrate into opponent boxes, and the team have to improve on shooting out side 18 like the way man city did to beat sunderland. Thank