Unimpressive Chelsea Downed By Tenacious Liverpool
On a sunny afternoon in Cardiff, Liverpool claimed the Community Shield title at the expense of Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium.
In a fixture that has lately been treated as a part of pre-season training matches and at most a showcase event, both teams fielded near full-strength squads. Chelsea were missing the injured trio of Petr Cech, Joe Cole and Claude Makelele, and Rafa Benitez left Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and newboy Craig Bellamy on the bench.
Jose Mourinho started with a 4-3-3 formation, which many believe to be his tactic of choice for the coming season. Drogba, Shevchenko and Robben formed the trident up front, with Lampard, Ballack and Essien manning the midfield. A notable exclusion from the starting lineup was Wayne Bridge. Paolo Ferreira started at leftback, with Geremi occuping the opposite fullback position.
The match was a largely disappointing affair. Both sides started out with cagey play in midfield, hardly any chances to speak of. Then, from a Chelsea corner, John Arne Riise broke with the ball, kept going and going all on his own and finished off his energizer bunny routine with a long shot that flew spectacularly into goal. Carlo Cudicini could’ve done MUCH better at that shot, same goes for Terry who simply pointed his arse at Riise as the fullback let fly. 1-0 Liverpool.
Michael Ballack didn’t last long, a suspected hamstring injury forced him to leave the pitch after 20 odd minutes to be replaced by Salomon Kalou. The German captain’s only contributions to the match were a hopeless long shot and a frustrated hack that earned him his first yellow card in English football. However, we all know that he is a class player and that will show in the Premiership sooner or later. One is forced to ask the compatibility question at this point, though: Will Ballack and Lampard face the same problem of nullifying each other like Lampard and Gerrard?
The lack of creativity in Chelsea’s midfield was suffocating, and it didn’t take long before they started chucking long balls at Andriy Shevchenko, who was Chelsea’s star performer (relatively) in a largely unimpressive performance, and Didier Drogba. However, in the words of Martin Tyler, it took a moment of “individual inspiration” to fire Chelsea level. A speculative long ball from Frank Lampard saw the Ukrainian hitman break the Liverpool offside trap that had otherwise been airtight in the first half. He didn’t need to be asked and coolly slotted home Chelsea’s equalizer. Roman Abramovich seemed pretty delighted in his executive box, no doubt hoping that Shevchenko’s class shows consistently, justifying his 30 million pound pricetag along the way. 1-1.
At half time, despite both sides being level, Liverpool’s superiority and urgency were apparent. Chelsea had looked seriousy short in terms of creativity and cohesion and Liverpool looked set to exploit that in the second half.
Following halftime, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and hometown hero Bellamy came on and Liverpool stepped it up. The second half was a boring affair and it took a quality linkup between Bellamy and Crouch to settle the tie. Bellamy raced forward on the left flank and after shifting to his right foot, put in a pinpoint cross finding Crouch who had no problems putting it in the back of the net. 2-1 Liverpool and game over.
Chelsea responded by putting in even more long balls, even John Terry made a few runs forward trying to latch on to one of them. However, this wasn’t to be Chelsea’s day and the season’s first (albeit minor) trophy went to Liverpool.
It would be silly to consider this as a damning verdict on Chelsea’s prospects for next season. They still have the strongest squad and will surely find the consistency that has seen them lift two consecutive titles. Despite their unimpressive showing today, they’re still my favourites to lift the title. However, Liverpool put in a display that rubbished Mourinho’s claims earlier that the Merseysiders wouldn’t be as much of a thread as Man United and Arsenal.
Mourinho’s post-match comments continued his latest whinging topic: lack of preparation. I don’t quite understand what he’s on about. His main issue is that Chelsea didn’t have enough time to prepare for the next season, and his main point of comparison is “a team like Arsenal” who supposedly had more time to prepare. Quite strange as Chelsea and Arsenal both had an equal number of players at the World Cup (as covered by SoccerLens during the tournament) and Arsenal had to begin their competitive season a lot earlier (a Champions League qualifier, away). Oh well, let’s just file that in the same category as his whinge about post-European tie fixtures in the league.
All things aside, a well-deserved victory for Liverpool who today showed what they are capable of. They brushed aside the criticism rained on them following their disastrous pre-season matches, and they did so by claiming the biggest scalp in the land. Well done, Liverpool.
SoccerLens Man of the Match: Mohammed Sissoko. The defensive midfielder was on top of his game today, intercepting, tackling and bursting forward with great energy and desire. He barely let the Chelsea midfield settle into any kind of rythm and was integral in releasing Liverpool’s wingers. His authority in midfield was almost Vieira-esque and this kind of form will have pleased Liverpool fans to no end. At 5 million pounds, this midfielder is looking like a steal.
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Good game and as a LIverpool fan very happy with the result. But you know the worst thing today? The turn-out from the Chelsea fans. I thought it was disgusting really, not because it looked bad but at how arrogant and uncommited to the team they must be if all they can muster is 13,000 fans to watch their team. Chelsea have just bought two of the world’s best players in Ballack and Shevchenko and they couldn’t be bothered to turn up to watch their team in what was a big game and curtain raiser for the season.
Fans? Don’t make me laugh. Glory hunters? Yes.
Oh and Mourinho’s assertion that Chelsea were 50% less fit than Liverpool? How can this man keep a staright face when talking this nonsence? As far as im aware, Chelsea only played 1 pre-season game less than Liverpool.
HE got his excuses in before AND after the match.
WELL I THINK TODAY BENITEZ LEFT HIS TALKING ON THE PITCH IN CARDIFF WHERE HIS PLAYERS DID THE TALKING FOR HIM CARRY ON WHINGING MOURINHO ITS GOING TO GET WORSE AS YOU HAVE 11 INDIVIDUALS NOT A TEAM OF 11 PLAYERS TODAY WE SHOWED YOU HOW TO PLAY FOOTBALL KEEP IT UP LFC FOR EVER NIGEL MALTA
Pablo, the turnout by Chelsea fans was quite shocking. Anderlecht Episode II, in essence.
And like I said, Mourinho’s had as much time to prepare his team as everyone else, with Liverpool and Arsenal playing competititive games BEFORE yesterday’s Shield. Mourinho has every right to whinge (it’s every mnager’s god-given right), but I think everyone would prefer it if he did it in a frame of reality.
Yeah, it was disgusting the way Mourinho said Liverpool deserved to win because they played better, and that they’re a very good team who’ll have a great season. Really don’t know how you mickeys put up with it. Why not hold a one minute’s silence in protest?
Also, judging by the accents, most of the Scouse support came from Wales and the West Country while those few that do live in Liverpool don’t have to get up for work the next day.
And the Chav Army starts robbing superstores at 8 am?
Peter, come on, he’s been taking digs at them for what, two years now? And I’m no ‘Pool fan, but they DID beat them in a couple of, lets just say, big games
Mourinho’s sly and you gotta admit it.
Rocky, spot on, Sissoko was really good - lets see how his season pans out. I think Bellamy is going to be huge for them - if he can keep his behaviour in line.
Peter, I notice you sidestepped the issue of those fanatical Chelsea fans turning up in droves to support their team? Sigh……By the way, the one minutes silence comment? Out of order mate. And the no-job scousers? Haha! I LOVE the way when someone can’t ctually come up with a coherant football argument then resorts to the ‘robbing, jobless scousers’ line. Haha! Brilliant!
…especially when Chelsea’s fan base (apart from 12 year olds dragging their mums) is largely supported by classy, burberry-clad chavscum.
Hasan, not denying that Mourinho and Benetiz have their moments, but just pointing out that recently Jose has been far nicer than Rafa about our respective sides. I mean, has Benitez ever held his hands up and admitted Chelsea were the better team - he’s had plenty of chances but he’s just as quick to make excuses and throw down accusations. I thought Jose’s comments on Sunday were mature and reasonable (within reason, this is a football manager we’re talking about). Scousers, spoonfed by the media, seem incabable of recognising that it takes two to bitchfight.
As for Chav Army - i thought we were all middle-class, white wine sipping, rugby-loving dilettentes? C’mon, get your cliches right, you glory-supporting, high-pitched whining, self-pitying, unemployable, never-been-to-Anfield layabouts…
Peter, you’re probably one of those new found glory hunting fans chelski have got. Happy for you, but just get real and realise that money (oops, i meant rouble) can’t buy you success:) It must be pretty HARD fact to swallow, considering liverpool spends a real fraction of what chelski have spent and yet they can’t dominate football as much as they want to with all their mercenary players that dont mind taking abranovich’s charity money. Got twice knocked out, from Europe and the FA Cup must be really hurting, no doubt sundays game wasn’t anything much to shout about, but i can assure you it wont be as simple as a walk in the park for chelski anymore. it was sheer delight to see players like ballack, lampard all showing tantrums in the field and playing dirty..lol..got their ass whipped by our MOMO!:)
Liverbird, get yourself a coherent argument, a sense of humour, a degree of intellect and a dictionary and then we can do some talking.
Strage to say it but I don’t think Liverpool are much of a draw for Chelsea fans. They’d have been more interested in a West Ham game if the FA Cup final went the other way (and deserved to all honesty).