The match reports
The Guardian, Andy Hunter: “The garish camouflage kit worn by Everton’s goalkeepers does not disguise their embarrassment. Jan Mucha, their Slovakian stand-in, was at fault for both Chelsea goals as André Villas-Boas’s team survived a third red card in two matches to advance into the quarter-finals. The Chelsea manager reacted in a Mourinho-esque manner to the final whistle, leaping into the air and leading his players on a shirt-throwing, chest-thumping celebration before the away hordes. Here the Carling Cup became a test of inner resources.”
The Independent, Tim Rich: “It was not a night for goalkeepers or penalty-takers. Of the two men who started in goal, one was sent off, the other handed Chelsea the lead. Jan Mucha’s error was the kind that makes you realise why Fabien Barthez would reach for a pack of Gitanes while playing for France or Manchester United. The shot was tame, Mucha’s reactions betrayed him and suddenly the Carling Cup started sliding from Everton’s view.”
The Daily Telegraph, Chris Bascombe: “If the Carling Cup is not top of Villas-Boas’ wanted list, it should be after he savoured victory here. As the first trophy he can win it would settle nerves and signal an arrival in English football — the platform, just as it was for Jose, to more delectable riches later this season. Besides, if Chelsea do not win it is most likely one of their top four rivals will.”
The Official Chelsea FC Website: “Ten-man Chelsea are into the Carling Cup quarter-finals thanks to an extra-time winner from sub Daniel Sturridge, but would never have got there had it not been for the goalkeeping heroics of Petr Cech. Sturridge struck with four minutes remaining before penalties after Salomon Kalou and Louis Saha had scored in normal time of a scintillating encounter at Goodison Park.”
The goals
38′ Kalou 0-1
83′ Saha 1-1
116′ Sturridge 1-2
The managers’ reaction
Andre Villas-Boas: “I think we were very committed, showed strength of character and resilience once again. We went down to 10 men unfortunately once again and made things even more difficult but were able to triumph under difficulty. This is extremely good signs for us and shows the squad is committed with the trophies.
“We got one of the most difficult draws, Everton away after a dramatic and motivational win at Fulham for them, and with one of their strongest sides showing they wanted to go through.
“To be fair we had good chances to kill off the game, couldn’t find it, got the first goal and had good chances. Then we had to fight because Everton had quality chances as well, we had 10 men and were as compact as possible but Everton had the desire and motivation and were on top, and we had to hold on until extra time arrived.
“We managed to get things right in possession, and what satisfies me is that the players’ talent comes out in this situation and they were able to find excellent positions with 10 men. Then when the numbers got even they found better spaces and eventually we got the goal we wanted.
“We were able to not only play good football but again to show commitment and desire and physical effort because it’s again a game of 120 minutes after a game with nine men and it shows we are progressing as a team and it’s very, very gratifying for everybody.”
David Moyes: “It was a game we probably should have won in the end and we’ll probably come away from it a wee bit disappointed that we didn’t go into the next round of the cup.
“We want to do well in the cup competitions and the players did that – they tried really hard tonight.
“We hadn’t really given Chelsea a game a week or so at Stamford Bridge but we gave them a game tonight.
“We tried to make it as hard as we could for them and up to 90 minutes we should have won the game.”
This is Chelsea… The incredible Chelsea. We’ll get our reward and play Cardiff next round then.
In the soft afterglow of a rare triumph against the dark forces of officialdom, I just want to give a virtual man hug to all the people who make this such a great blog. The wit, humour, erudition and common sense that characterises all the regular contributors’ and reporters’ effors put the media to shame. I never listen to radio commentary because it’s worse than the tele if you can’t be there live but after stumbling on BB here last night I stayed with it to the end. Brilliant.Thanks, and a seconded well done to Mark.
On the train home somewhere near nuneaton.
It was a very enjoyable game and in typical Chelsea fashion made me lurch from feeling we were going to win easily to feeling we would never hang on to the final despair of thinking the game was definitely going to penalties and, horror of horrors, Anelka would be our number one spot kicker.
We started really well with some nice passing. Goodison was like a morgue, aside from our fans sing “you stole my stereo”
Lukaka made some fine runs and got some shots away. It was his best performance so far for us. Early on I really thought we were going to run 3 or 4 nil.
This feeling was confirmed when we got a penalty. Anelka strolled up two paces at a speed of 0.2 miles per hour and then gently stroked the ball wide right of the goal. Why can’t he at least take a decent run up to create the illusion that he’s trying?
Mark, the TV highlights showed someone was using a laser pen to the ball and Anelka as he took the shot. Even if not aimed at him it was at the ball and surrounding area which might have put anyone off.
That might explain my confusion because I didn’t believe Anelka could move at the speed of light.
Dan Levene (@BluesChronicle:twitter ) is tweeting from today’s CPO meeting… https://twitter.com/#!/BluesChronicle
I was confident we would finish at a sensible time. Then, as is the norm, we went down to ten men with Ross Turnbull getting sent off. This was a pity since he’d played really well till that point with one great near post save in the first half.
Cech arrived as sub and his first act was to save the penalty.
Goodison got a head of steam up at this point, we sat back and even passed back to cech when we had a free kick well in their half. The inevitable happened, Saha equalised late on. On to extra time.
The game had penalties written all over it. Second half of extra time one of their blokes got sent off. Obviously delighted but the game is getting ridiculously soft.
The game swung instantly. Everton clearly don’t have our expertise of playing with reduced numbers. We were all over them.
Baines axe a great stop on the line. Then in the dying moments the goalkeeping paired an Anelka shot out for Sturridge to tap in.
I forgot to mention our goal. A VERY tame shot from kalou. I still don’t know how the keeper let it through his arms.
Our best player? Oriol Romeu. Fantastic tackles, always trying to pass forward quickly and covered the pitch for 120 minutes. He’s definitely the future of our midfield, until Barcelona invoke their buy back clause.
I’m starting to feel optimistic about the Champions League. When the inevitable happens and we play Barcelona and then get reduced to 10 men, all of our dress rehearsals will see us through.
“I’m starting to feel optimistic about the Champions League”
Don’t do it to yourself man. For the love of God spare yourself the agony.
Romeu has managed to play 330 minutes of football in 3 games (Fulham, Genk and last night).
No wonder he breezed through the Genk game. 90 minutes with 10 team mates. Football for wimps..
Thanks for the reportage.
I didn’t hear any radio commentary, although I wish I had been online for BB’s epic postings.
Saw the highlights, and it looked like the game was a good old fashioned cup tie. I also noticed the laser pen on the ball for Anelka’s miss, but I think he’s missed 3 out of the last 4 he’s taken, perhaps Kalou should have taken it, not missed one for us yet.
Sending off for Turnbull was rather harsh, penalty and a booking would have been sufficient, but as you say Mark, good practice for any future Barca game.
There’s certainly a steely resolve and good team spirit about us, akin to JM’s days which bodes well.
And a quick note on the JT saga, this from the obnoxious Daily Mail….http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2053972/John-Terry-set-face-evidence-3-QPR-players.html
And then this from the BBC
“BBC Sport’s Richard Conway reports: “QPR deny reports that Paddy
Kenny, Clint Hill and Shaun Derry have or will be giving
evidence to The Football Association in connection with the Anton
Ferdinand-John Terry incident. They make the point that Derry wasn’t even on
the pitch at the time of the alleged incident.”
According to Blues Chronicle – Dan Levene it was 3569 (61.6%) for 2227 against (38.4%). 75% was required of votes cast for it to pass.
Interesting result, as Uncle Ray might say. Brings the club to the table – assume they will realise they will need to give a little more; they don’t need to win a lot of people over to make it happen and the ‘no’ vote is not the strongest of coalitions as far as I can tell.
As one of the 700 people who were in the room [ I left after I was able to vote on hearing it would take an hour to get the result] I’d say you’re right it won’t need the club to move far.
Consensus in the room appeared to be willing to vote for a non-timelimited 3-mile radius of Stamford Bridge, preferably with some kind of son-of-CPO arrangement to prevent any property development disaster ever happening at the new ground if the bad days ever return in the future.
The questions and comments were mostly of a reasonable nature. I particularly liked the female contributor who said Buck and the board should be ashamed of their “perks for Yes voters only” offer rather than to all CPO shareholders.
Buck and Gourlay offered nothing beyond the lines they’ve stuck to in the last few weeks, unsurprisingly.
I guess it’s unrealistic to expect them to behave other than like the businessmen they really are, but was it really necesary in that kind of forum for Gourlay to spout the dreaded phrase “Building the Brand” ?
Similarly, Freudian slip of the day when Bruce Buck forgot himself and referred to the club as “the firm”!
Thanks for the update from the scene Blueboydave… particularly helpful for the likes of us on the other side of the globe in HK.
Must say the whole thing was poorly managed by the businessmen. If they had taken a proper sounding from the CPO first, they might have realised that an offer of a non-timelimited 3-mile radius and a son-of-CPO as you put it would have done the trick. Instead we are at this impasse. Hopefully they will improve their business sense soon.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15481301
The result is no to the move, lunatics are running the asylum.
I think it’s more a case of the “Lunatics” not agreeing to hand over their bit of the asylum.
It’s not a no to a move. It’s a no to the particular buyback offer that was tabled.
I agree with JD, that there are a number of different motives in the no vote, but a good proportion of them want to work with the club on this.
Business is business and if everyone stays level headed there is no reason why a compromise cannot be found.
Whether it’s right that a relatively small group should have this leverage is moot. But they were the ones who bought the shares, others didn’t.
I’m sure those that bought theirs back in the day didn’t forsee themselves as being pitted against an owner who has done so much for the club. I for one don’t relish the situation and feel this could have been avoided with a more judicious and less presumptive approach by the Board.
“I’m sure those that bought theirs back in the day didn’t forsee themselves as being pitted against an owner who has done so much for the club”Good phrase, very good phrase, practically says everything. It’s time to pay back and not to the owner, but to the club and some people just trying to show how important they are for their £100. I believe, if Roman was saying “I am ready to pay £500, or so, for each of your shares”, all those people who “think so much about the club” would have forgotten about it very quickly.
1. But these people are part of the “club”. It’s a mistake to conflate only the current Board and Owner with the club as an entity. The other members of CPO have a financial stake, albeit a small one, in the club and as such have to be factored into the Board’s plans.
2. If you acquired a CPO share some years ago it was probably becuase you cared about the future of the club. A lot of those people still do. And they are asking the question what will replace the current guarantee provided by the CPO? At the moment the answer is “you have to trust us”. But there is a time beyond the current Board. There is the unknowable future. Is it s unreasonable to want to negotiate something a little more concrete?
3. I don’t think it’s fair to deride people as wanting to make the most of having a little power. Just as I wouldn’t characterise someone who voted yes as being uncaring and pissing away the future of the club. There are a lot of reasonable people on both sides who are trying to do what they think is right. It’s the tactics of the tabloids to pick on the extreme and portray it as representative.
4. There may well be people who are just in it for the money. I’m not.
Well said, Sir!
I think your point 2 is the crux. The vast majority of shares were bought in the early 1990s by people who cared about safeguarding the club and avoiding ever facing again the kind of hassles it had endured with Cabra Estates.
I heard several discussions amongst those at the meeeting today re-stating that this is still their primary concern and that they don’t want their money back, with or without a profit element.
CPO was never set up to make money for anyone, therefore, Blue_Mikel, I think you are plain wrong about a large number of the CPO shareholders’ current motives.
Who said it is large? 61.5% of CPO agreed to proposed move the rest didn’t. However, I want to see all of us when Roman for instance changes the Chelsea name, for instance to FC Chelsea (FCC) and moves where ever he wants to, what then? “CPO was never set up to make money for anyone” it still doesn’t mean that one can’t make money out of it.
Certainly seems like an agreement is easily achievable – I think the debate has been slightly skewed by social media; I’ve seen some fairly extreme views about what some folk want from the club, but the fruitcakes always tend to have the loudest voices. Had a brief exchange with one woman who ‘didn’t trust Roman as far as she could throw him’ as he didn’t get up at 5.30am to go to Sunderland in 198*. Of course, a perfectly valid reason not to trust a man who has spent the thick end of a billion quid, I proposed. But the fact that most of this money was only a loan seemed to be another reason for not trusting the man. I suggested that if anyone lent me that kind of money I’d probably afford them a little more courtesy, but apparently I was wrong to think that. I departed the thread at that point.
But as usual, the vast (and mostly quietly rational majority) are perfectly amiable folk who just want some reassurances from the club over something they feel deeply passionate about. Think a lot of people (myself included) misjudged the overall mood in the first instance due to the noise that some of those with more extreme views and agendas were making.
There still seems to be a certain amount of venting going on amongst the hardliners on both sides but I’m encouraged that the level of the vote will allow the more moderates to find enough common ground soon.
Good to see that the new message on the front page of the SayNoCPO website today is quite conciliatory and lacking any of the “Beating The Man” kind of attempted triumphalism that was on some of the forums yesterday afternoon.
Equally, in the latest post-vote interview with Buck on the official website he does seem to recognise that significant numbers of fans have concerns about both the 2020 deadline and what would happen in a post-Abramovich era whenever it comes.
So, perhaps he was actually listening yesterday.
It’s curious that I read some fans found Buck’s attitude so alienating that they changed their mind and moved from Yes to No votes at the meeting. Personally, I’ve found Ron “Building The Brand” Gourlay far more irritating since I started seeing video interviews with him in the last few days.
I know he came to us via Umbro and Man U, but I can find very little detail on his background from a quick google search – has anyone spotted anything anywhere?
As for the persistent paranoid distrust of Roman, it can’t help that after 8 years he has still never spoken in public to the fans. Given that his ex-friend , Mr. Berezovsky, says he’s really good at getting people to trust him surely now must be the time for him to break his silence and introduce an improved offer in person via a nice soft interview with one of Chelsea TV’s patsies?
Thanks Blue Bayou for a riveting commentary.
Watching the highlights I groaned again over the ‘refereeing’ served up.
Someone flashes a laser pen at Anelka as he takes the penalty. Surely that means the Ref goes over to crowd control and orders some action while ordering the penalty to be re-taken?
A few minutes later Nic is hauled down on the edge of the area. No free-kick and no yellow card?
And the sending off was soft to say the least. It might not even have been a penalty given that Turnbull was trying to collect the ball as Saha knocks it behind him.
It might have been the fact that those were edited highlights but it looked like Everton were playing the usual rough-house tactics. So how did we end up getting more cards than they did?
Am trying really hard to be rational about this but it does seem to me that we attracting our unfair share of crap (biased?) referees so far.
The CPO is not meant for carpetbaggers.
The CPO stuff is odd, indeed.
I though the vote would be closer, given the club’s advantage, so they have seriously misjudged the mood and make-up of the shareholders.
It may seem like a few quid will turn anyone, but Bankers Rules don’t apply in this circumstance.
It’s interesting that some see the no vote as a vote against a move, rather than a vote for more transparency and consultation.
Anyway, I took a stroll last night to see if there were any moody satellite showings of the game but nada.
There was a replay of the QPR game on some foreign sky channel so I had a pint and suffered again. Long story short, it was hosted by the little guy who did 4’s Football Italia, with Nigel Spackman and Ian Dowie as the experts.
The highlights were crap and didn’t show one of the incidents involving Ranger’s misdemeanours, not one.
So Spackman does his best Andy Townsend impersonation: ‘lack of discipline by Chelsea’ blah blah, but then Dowie steams in:-
No penalty – their guy clearly took a step after the nudge before making his Olympic dive, Bosingwa’s wasn’t even a free kick, much less a card of any colour, DD – bang to rights, but what about the foul on Luiz later, which the replay didn’t even bother to show?
He then talked about the stats and how unbelievably in control of the game we were with 9 men. Fair play to Dowie, and here’s another more or less verbatim quote:- When Foy woke up next day he must’ve thought “What happened? How did I get it so wrong?”
This, coming from an ex Rangers man, kinda shows just how far the media consensus is geared against CFC.
By this time we were a goal up, so another pint and home to watch the highlights, not a bad night, after all.
Not that I ever want us to be without Cech, but with Hilarious ill and Turnbull suspended, it’s Rhys Taylor or Jamal Blackburn to call on tomorrow. Worrying.
1-1 I predict. We can’t keep a clean sheet for toffee.
Chelsea fined £20k after admitting FA charge of failing to control their players in QPR match.
Once the FA get the fine in for JT’s racial abuse the venue for this years Xmas party might get upgraded.
Perhaps we can recoup the money by fining the FA for not controlling Foy
Those interest payments on the new Wemberleeee don’t pay themselves, you know…
Somebody please tell me the photo at the top, and subsequent item down the page on this link, is a photoshop spoof by those pinko, Chelsea-hating liberals at the Grauniad and not a real advert:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/oct/28/football-the-fiver
Please!
Nope! Sorry. It’s real. I saw the ad linked to on Twitter recently (obviously not proof that it is actually real, but it was a different photo taken from a different angle). I just hope it’s a case of someone in CFC hospitality having a slightly warped sense of humour. Please!
http://www.chelseafc.com/prawn
Have you seen the pricings per person for the West Stand… Tamblings £3,575
Wise £4,020. There’s me thinking that Wise, would be slightly rougher and cheaper to match his personality.
Well, when you consider that the CPO saved the pitch, which kept Chelsea an attractive club to buy, which in the end means that the CPO saved Roman from having to buy Spurs. Doesn’t the CPO deserve something extra for that?
This is exactly what I was saying “bloody ungrateful scum.”
Now back to the game, defenceless, Terry rubbish, Torres lost money and so on
I think it was Malouda’s fault, not Terry’s. But you are right, overall the defence was hopeless today
Time for an expectation reset. Shall I perform a hard or soft reset?
Hard. Pull the plug. Some of the players need a (re)boot up the arse.
It was clearly all David Luiz’s fault.
I quite like the odd bonkers season – it gets a bit boring otherwise.
In trying to stay below the radar we appear to have flown into the side of a mountain. Thats 8 goals in 2 games against top 4 contenders.
But Utd have conceded 8 against City and Arsenal and Arsenal have conceded 11 against Utd and us.
Lots of freakish games this season so far, and more to come me thinks.
Poor defending today from both teams, a draw would have been a fairer result based on play, and the stats.
Don’t think we deserved the draw. 3-3 truly flattered us. Arsenal were pretty much better everywhere today, first to every loose ball, crisp passing, committed in the challenge, fewer errors. This is a punch in the face but I’mm sure we’ll recover. AVB has basically said in his post match interview that nothing will change in attacking philosophy.
From where I was sitting I thought the Arse were pretty feeble in the first half, their left back (MotM) excepted. Very aimless and weirdly slow. But once they went ahead they got confident and it was a different story.
Extremely odd game really: very little blood and thunder and energy, the ball zipping around all over the place, simple balls over the top and round the back defeating both defences over and over again. I think a draw would have been fair too but I don’t begrudge Arse their win: their finishing was excellent (whereas our goals were scored by a midfielder, a no. 10 and a central defender: hmmmm …).
Neither team looked tough enough to be contenders.
Oh and I hope people don’t whinge about the ref. I don’t usually like Marriner but he did very well today. Yellow card for Sczczczczczczczny was the right decision — good example of why a couple of our reds should have been yellow.
I agree Maririner had his officials had a pretty good game, but when you want and need some luck, we didn’t get any today.
The offiside goal we scored was very very close, and on another a day we might have got it. I will say on Schezny, even though there were defenders covering, Neville and Redknapp pointed out, it could/should have been a red due to his dangerous high foot, which no doubt would have been a red if one of ours did it.
Also agree on the lack of blood and thunder, but considering quite a few of our lads have been putting in extra shifts due to sendings off no surprise really.
Their fourth goal was the killer really, sloppyish pass from Malouda and of course the ghostly trip on JT.
Szczesny himself tweeted that he thought he’d be off. Thats my only grievance, if thats a yellow then why was Bosingwa red carded and Turnbul/, both of whose offences were no worse than that.
That’s interesting, and refreshing to hear I suppose, he’s certainly the best keeper the Arse have had in a while, but he can be a bit impetuous.
I will also say that was a poor game from Sturridge (by his recent standards) today, should have put his chance away, and also some poor choices, and delivery when he was getting the better of their defenders
If Kalou had put in Sturridge’s performance today, there’d have been calls for lynching (again).
True
Blimey.
You pick your poison I suppose. Entertainingly bonkers season lies ahead but we’re not going to win anything.
Still … [deep breath] … you have to try and enjoy it I suppose.
If this were the Iliad a vengeful goddess would have stuck out her invisible toe and tripped JT. It fits the narrative too perfectly to have been an accident.
Omid Djalili tweeted that in years to come we’ll discover it was the ghost of well known former Arsenal supporter, Osama Bin Laden
Didn’t watch. Won’t see MOTD now.
Just concerning that there’s a merry-go-round of results amongst the ‘top’ teams (Utd thrash Arse, get thrashed by City) yet we just lose against all of them. Third is the best we can hope for this season. It was probably the case anyway.
Well exactly — they all ought to have been yellows, probably. I was expecting Sczhgjdktyny to go off too but annoying as it was to see the yellow instead it was probably still right.
The real issue is probably something closer to the game at Old Trafford: not taking pretty simple chances. We weren’t that far away. Weird but fun game that could have gone either way.
So far two games in top four mini league are lost with one of them lost at home to bloody Arsenal !!! What a shame, what a shame.
Match report filed. Well, a lot of rambling bollocks that generally avoids a mostly hellish 90 minutes filed, if I’m honest.
Now, where did I leave that vat of claret?
[…] The match reports The Guardian, Andy Hunter: “The garish camouflage kit worn by Everton’s goalkeepers does not disguise their embarrassment. Jan Mucha, their Slovakian stand-in, was at fault for both Chelsea goals as André Villas-Boas’s team… […]
Super Website…
[…] that is the end of this article. Here you’ll find some sites that we think you’ll appreciate, just click the links over[…]…