Hello lovely people, yes it’s me…..GrocerJack from the fancast pundit panel….writing occasional match reviews and comment for the Chelsea Fancast site. All because of a ‘socially relaxed’ pub chat with Chidge where I mentioned I actually missed writing for the old Chelsea Blog, predecessor to the old Podcast ‘The Podding Shed’ (currently in suspended animation). This is my first post in many many years, so please be gentle with me. Also, if you expect in depth tactical analysis, and a linear commentary of the game then….well you might be better looking elsewhere. This is after all, the Grocer’s view. It is also based around my occasionally read post match Twitter/X ‘#cfc observations’ threads.
It started well for me last night at the game with a lovely pre-match couple of pints of Guinness (naturally) and seeing the lovely people in The Cock Tavern. Worthy mentions go to our very own Fancast Governor, @StamfordChidge along with Tracey (@LMCChelsea 💙), Tim (@imartges ), Richard (@richschaller54), Nathan ( @CFC_Graves_Soc) and even a lovely albeit brief chat with Terry (@TrueBlue_Terry). Had there not been a match I fear we would all have been pretty socially relaxed or tired and emotional by the end of the night. Then an en route stop by the stall to see Marco (@gate17marco), Tim (@tim_rolls), curmudgeonly but lovely Ken ( @barkway_ken), Jason ( @chucklescabbie) and Steve (@cfcMode_2) with his ‘boy’ Jonathan (bit of a common old name that 😂) and the ever airborne Paul (@PaulShedend), true blues one and all.
This was different though because tonight I was with the big cheeses, the movers and shakers. Eddie, Gary, Philippe, Jonathan in the posh part of the East Stand. All courtesy from our very own JK (@Jonathankydd) – brave on his part to allow a mere prole like me to feast amongst the liberal elite of SW6, I had one intention….no…not to eat Roast Swan 😂…..I just did not want to embarrass JK, I know I become a different animal once inside the hallowed gates of Stamford Bridge. My mantra…just avoid the C word…but with Gillette (Sterling) selected to start that would be quite the test. It’s funny how different a perspective is given from a different seat.
The view was simply stunning. I could hear my normal MHU and the MHL stands singing and the noise of the away end far more clearly than normal. I could see Pochettino and Eddie Howe instead of microscope versions from the MHU, making it easier to see how they interacted and reacted through the game. If you think they are apathetic to the surroundings and events…think again. The East Stand is quieter though as a crowd, and I was a tad taken aback by how much negativity there was in comparison to my normal seat. All I can say is Gary keeping calm whilst having AngryBoy constantly naysaying anything the team did was a remarkable act of self control. I would struggle not to give some large verbals to him. Anyway, backside perched onto the cushioned seat and the game was imminent. At this point I had a ‘senior’ moment because of the sheer thrill of being next to the lovely JK…I took a photo of this new view from within his lair and then decided to take a video of the players lining up. After which I went to the loo for a pre game comfort break. But I left the video running. 30 seconds of players video, 2hrs 4 mins and 30 seconds of the inside of my jacket pocket, leaving me with 5% battery and a very hot iPhone! Don’t grow old people…it’s a trap! 😂 Any way this part of SB was new to me, and it was a true Fever Pitch* moment to walk through the door and see this view of the pitch and the amphitheatre ground. I was 11 years old again for a second, but it’s easy to see why I had a temporary mental abberation on theTechnology front.
*Watch the film…you will know the exact moment I’m talking about
It was always going to be a tough game, irrespective of Newcastle’s dismal London record. They started the season brightly but have faded as it’s progressed under the combined weight of injuries and expectation. Not too dissimilar to us, except we never started particularly brightly. I maintain that an injury list that removes near on half your squad of mostly first choice players IS AN EXCUSE. I just wish pundits and fans would accept this and that managers would just openly admit it. I’d like to see more managers doing the Alan Partridge shrug when asked about injuries.
It was however as strong a team as we could put out but included the aforementioned habitual impostor and mercenary fraudster Raheem Sterling. You might have gathered I really don’t rate him. There is no redemption for him in my eyes, I can’t see anyhting he does winning me over. Anyway, a bright start from us but also from the Toon. Let’s be honest this game was never destined to be at the quality level of Sundays Liverpool vs Manchester City clash and it’s easy to see why both teams have had struggles this season. But it was a meeting of two near equal teams and neither were playing for anything but a win. Conor started but within minutes it was clear he was slightly off the pace after his virus. He wasn’t going to see the full 90 minutes…or so I thought. Enzo and Caicedo look more and more a good central pairing albeit lacking height, but Enzo has delightful close ball control skill, and Caicedo is definitely getting closer to the younger Makalele role, with biting tackles and good covering. His work rate was first class. But Gusto, Disasi and Chalobah looked OK, the only question mark being over the return of ‘The Poodle’ Cucurella. As it turned out Cucurella had a good game bar one glaring error leading to their second goal. But he is vastly improved from last season. It was 7 minutes in Gusto when broke down the right and the ball ends up with Cole Palmer who takes a punt. It was going in I think, but the replay shows that Jackson, yes Jacko, got the loveliest of back heel flick touches to help it in. Replays showed clearly how good it was. Blimey, an early lead, which of course couldn’t last.
After this Newcastle got a grip on the game possession wise and it might be argued had the better chances. It’s not that we were bad, far from it, but we do go a bit knock-kneed after going ahead no matter who the opposition is and so it transpired our worries were right. Two minutes to half time we lost the ball to an unforced error leading to a bit of on pitch beach volleyball, no one getting hold of the ball to clear into row X, and eventually giving the excellent Isak a chance he buried with aplomb. Bugger, honours even. This put a small cloud over the half time ‘verre de vin rouge’ but the glimmer of hope still flickered from overall a pretty decent first half. The half time chat revolved around our lack of midfield strength, fair at times but Caicedo and Enzo had put in a very good shift, and Conor, whilst a metre off the pace was no slower at half time than at the whistle. Quite remarkable given he must have missed some training. Newcastle are no mugs and had obviously seen midfield as a battleground they could win. A word here to ex-CFC player Livramento, who played well and took a good battering at times without too much moaning.
So, into the second half with the game in the balance, red wine consumed, the added advantage of which is it massively reduces the age induced need to have a comfort break during the second half and therefore pissing off all those who have to let you pass.
It hits us all eventually.
Again both teams started brightly, Newcastle edging possession, Chelsea obviously looking to use the counter attack as the most likely route to a goal. AngryBoy moaned about sideways passing when we played it forward, then bemoaned our lack of width after an attack down the wing. Bright lad though. Then 12 minutes in, Cole Palmer did what I LOVE players to do and took a punt with a shot just outside the box and in it went. It was lovely and proof, were it needed, that sometimes taking a gamble pays off. You want to win the lottery? Then but a ticket. The kids has all the makings of a star. He puts Gillette to shame n terms of effort, team work, skill and decision making. Game over? No never with us, but defeat seemed less likely after going a goal up again. Newcastle carved out chances to find no one in the box or Petrovic blocking the shot or cross. We just needed to keep a calm unified football team head. We bought Mudryk on, or MudWhelk as I call him after JK’s recent pronouncement on the radio about his intellectual capacity, and well..this is novel but he seemed to play in the position StamfordChidge placed him on Fridays fancast team forecast. Behind Jackson! That’s the second time he’s been there and he looks much more of a threat there. He has blistering pace, so I dropped the MudWhelk monicker for Billy (Whizz) and he looked very good indeed. From this seat you really do see his pace. Just under 20 minutes left and Billy took the ball off of Conor’s toe to wiggle through the defence Hazard style and place the ball home. 3-1.
Home and hosed? Of course not.
It should have been more but Gillette through on goal ignored Palmer at his side with a tap in to twist and turn and try himself. That bloody extra touch bullshit on display again, he should have scored but the goal was blocked by the impressive Dan Burns jacobs. He’s a unit is Burn and you wouldn’t want to spill his pint. Palmer went off on 87 for young Cesare Casadei. A good substitution allowing worthy applause from the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Game over? Don’t be daft.
Cucurella, impressively positive, channeling an inner Dennis Wise chippiness these days to show bite that was severely lacking last season, had a brain fart and allowed Toon sub Murphy to jink past him and…well…absolutely smash home a second goal for them. No keeper saves something hit with that venom.
Game over now then? Well…yes of sorts….we didn’t collapse. We held our nerve..we even held the ball in the corner to allow time to pass. Newcastle had a last gasp attack which petered out to a goal-kick, which might have been nervy but the ref blew up almost the second the ball was in the air. Relief all round the ground, including from the players and Pochettino. It was a good win. A deserved win. A hard fought win. A relieved win. I was warm and glowing….not knowing the phone in my pocket was only marginally cooler than the core of the sun. But happy. And grateful. A lovely evening indeed. Except maybe for AngryBoy who had disappeared before the end. I fear Chelsea ruins his life irrespective of the performance or result.
In summary then, word on Newcastle, we’re about the same as them, arguably in the same place progression wise. Their owners and ours will need to get used to the idea that success, the sustainable kind, cannot be built by just chucking money around. Team spirit can’t be just bought with cash, just ask the old Real Madrid Galacticos. It needs nurturing, building and developing and it needs succession planning with a steady nerve. This is what good coaches and managers bring. In Almiron , Guimares, Burn, Isak, Murphy, Wilson (when fit) and Trippier (when fit) they have good players. Livramento did not look out of place either. They made it a good competitive game, but on the night we were just more ruthless.
Mistakes still run rife through this Chelsea side though…. Sanchez vs Arsenal. Cucurella last night, and a Gusto/Chalobah/Disasi game of beach volleyball led to their equaliser, again very well taken from Isak. There are many others this season so far. It’s a lack of concentration. A minuscule switch off moment that an opposition player swoops on. This is why we can’t keep clean sheets. I can only hope experience eventually kicks in and players realise row Z is sometimes a good option when defending a lead with minutes to go. Get rid of that fallibility and it’s 3-1. We are not a bad team, but we’re not great….yet. There are players we’d not miss at all…Yes Gillette….I’m talking about you. But I’ll say this again, these players HAVE NOT downed tools. They just aren’t aware of the tools they have and how best to use them. But I saw the warmth between them and Pochettino up close at the end, and there is no problem. If there’s a problem it’s bandwagon jumping fans harping back to his last but one job in football. It’s almost like they’ve never heard of the original architect of our change, one Glenn Hoddle. So I’m firmly #PochIN. Sack him now or at the end of the season and we’re are back to post TT, pre Potter time. Expecting coaches like… ..Amorin, Slot, Flick and De Zerbi to come in and coach this squad of players from scratch would be daft. Get real. Pochettino deserves at least another season, with a much reduced injury list before you can judge any progress. Like Arsenal did with Arteta (Klopp and Pep similar) and look at those teams now. We can make 7th with a fair wind. We can win an FA Cup even though I think a Wembley absence wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Finally I’m looking at MotM going to either Cole Palmer or the increasingly impressive Malo Gusto. On balance….it will be Palmer, a constant thorn in Newcastle’s side, but Gusto is going to be a huge selection headache if and when Reece James is fit. Maybe move Reece into midfield? Anyway, enjoy a few days off until the Leicester game. I’m not there for that but will watch from behind a sofa….#KTBFFH
GJ
