Not meaning to rub salt into Chelsea's wounds (or am I?) but despite routing for Chelsea for the majority of last night's Champions League Final, I feel that to a cetain extent, they got what they deserved.
With the end of extra time fast approaching, we were considering who had the best penalty-takers and Chelsea appeared to have the edge, what with Ballack, Drogba et al. They had fought hard to get back in the game and had been unlucky with a couple of chances. And then, with minutes remaining, Drogba saw the red mist and finally cracked under the mind games that Ferguson and his two cente backs had played.
This was a very poor lack of discipline which was not altogether surprising from Drogba, considering the arrogant and petulant character he has shown in recent weeks, criticising his team-mates and his manager.
Even if your manager isn't great, the week leading up to a Champion's League final is not the time to be running him or anyone else in your team down, surely? I like Drogba as a player and thought he did well to contend with the needling he got for the majority of the match and was unlucky with the shot off the post, but at the end of the day, he let the team down most for me.
I'm going to single out two other players for some criticism as well and I don't expect to be popular.
Frank Lampard, on scoring, raised his arms to the sky, reminiscent of Kaka, who as humble as he is, likes to honour God whenever he scores. Wow, Frank's found God! I thought. But then my interpretation of the gesture changed. I'm pretty sure that Frank was doing it as a gesture of honouring his recently deceased mother. Now, I know this is in itself not a bad thing, and most people would condone such a loving attribute - I'm just not comfortable with the idea that Franks's Mum is now in the sky pulling the strings that gifted her son that goal last night. Some people may find the idea of honouring an invisible God in the sky a bit weird; however, I for one find it less crass than paying homage to Frank's Mum in the sky. Anyway, no offence Frank...maybe your recent loss has brought you closer to God and I'm way off the mark. You need to let go and move on though.
OK, my final Chelsea Villain is John Terry. Not for missing a penalty; anyone can miss a penalty John. But for blubbing like a baby uncontrollably at the end 
. Where has the ability to lose with honour in the English game gone 
It was all very well for Gazza that time - we kind of expected it from him. But John's supposed to be the typical English Hardnut. He really needed to get a grip. He was the captain after all. As my friend said, 'If you've got an issue, grab a tissue 
' It's all very well being a good winner, but at some stage you need to learn to take defeat as well.
It may seem like I've been unnecessarily harsh to our English boys here. What I couldn't help thinking about last night, watching them mourn their losses on the pitch, was the story that was in the press a few years ago about John and Frank out on the town around the time of Sept 11th in a drunken state, taunting some random Americans that they had come across. Having heard this story, I don't feel as uncomfortable about knocking them as I otherwise would have.
I guess it's true what they say...what goes around, comes around.
Regardless of the result last night, you got the feeling that Man Utd were a team that were going to continue to get stronger, whereas Chelsea looked on the verge of self-destruction. Underlying a great football team, you have to have a good sense of character. This is something that money cannot buy Mr Abramovich.
