COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Chelsea (A)

By Ken Buckley : 23/04/2009 :

Comments (3) :

Another point toward a fifth place finish from a game that Chelsea dominated but Everton had all the best chances.

The manager made changes from the semi-final team but if anything I thought over the piece we looked stronger for it. On another night we could have run out winning five-nil! In the first half, Jo was slipped through in the left channel and elected to drive hard and low across the keeper but Cech parried with his legs, if Jo had seen Osman with arms flailing, a tap-in was waiting.

Pienaar cut in from the left and fired a right-footer wide when he may have done better. Baines then fed Cahill who rolled his marker and fired in a good shot that Cech dealt with well... and then, right on the break, Jo was put clear again but just as he was about to shoot he fell over and the ball went wide. In between all these chances, the bulk of the play had been all Chelsea but they floundered on the rocks of a solid defensive unit.

Second half and again Chelsea were dominant but on the break it was the Blues of Everton that created the best chances created by some decent joined-up stuff. Pienaar had a shot deflected just over, Baines went on a mazy run across the box and laid the ball back to Jacobsen who crossed for Cahill to produce a smart diving header that Chec did well to hold.

As the half wore on Chelsea attacked and we repelled and their first shot in anger was not until about the hour mark when Terry strode out of defence and with no-one closing him down let fly from about thirty yards and Howard diving to his left palmed it for a corner.

From then on, Chelsea redoubled their efforts and had shots blocked and saved along with some excellent tackling from our rearguard. By now, Castillo had grown into the game and was doing some stirling work breaking up play as well as being quite creative and was almost in at the near post from an Osman corner.

Chelsea threw on their subs, our manager didn't respond until about five minutes from the end when Jacobsen was hurt making a timely tackle in the box and had to be helped off. Jags came on at right back although Hibbert was on the bench; all this was just a few minutes after Pienaar had a great chance to win the game when Osman found Cahill who earned his spotters badge by putting Pienaar clear at the edge of the box but his well struck daisy cutter beat the keeper but also the post, now that was a good chance.

Almost injury time and the manager shores up the defence again by replacing the workaholic Osman with Rodwell. Still it wasn't all over, in injury time Jo beat Cech in a race for the ball but both collided and Jo came off worse and had to be helped off with Saha coming on. Then Drogba got free for the first time in the match but fortune smiled upon us as his shot came back off the bar.

Final whistle ? a good point away at a Sky four team but really we had the chances to win...

Tonight I thought Castillo had his best game yet in a Blue shirt and I just wonder if he is one of those South American players that our manager says need a season to bed in.

Looking for a man of the match wasn't easy as this had been an all-round team performance. Baines stood out and was ever a threat pushing on but for me Cahill gets it for a prodigious effort in running, closing down and leadership.

It may have been billed as a Cup Final rehearsal but I don't think this game will have much bearing on the Final as no two games are ever the same but one thing is for sure: having knocked out Liverpool, Man Utd, and holding Chelsea away, the team will have the confidence to know they can mix it and prevail against the Rich and Famous.

City on Saturday... Who will be fit? Who will be rested? What will the line-up be? Whatever the answer is, I am sure all who play will be given a tremendous reception on their homecoming from Wembley.

See you there... UP THE BLUES

Reader Comments

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Ajay Gopal
1 Posted 24/04/2009 at 18:26:57

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Thanks, Ken. Moyes has been receiving a lot of flak on some posts about not bring Vaughan and Saha on for some decent game time.
I think it is a delibrate ploy by Moyes to prevent Chelsea get a look in at our main hit-men for the Final. Jo won’t be there, so he let him play almost the full 90 minutes.

Moyes, you are a wily old fox !

Derek Thomas
2 Posted 24/04/2009 at 23:54:18

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Totally agree Ken. Both Castillo and Jacobsen have done themselves no harm, even though it took them most of the season to get going and are worth an extension. Moyeses Try before you buy in action.

Should, Heaven forbid, Capt. Pip fall under the footballing bus of fate, then on last nights performance I would have no qualms in Castillo coming in.

We have Baines and Pienaar on the left, A.N.Other and Jacobsen on the right would be an improvement. Thus having the best of both worlds eg the much maligned and sometimes with good reason, Osman and Hibbert out, but still handy in the squad. This would give us more fluidity down both flanks.

Colin Malone
3 Posted 25/04/2009 at 10:43:23

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Playing two defensive midfielders, Neville and Castillo blocked the likes of Lampard breaking through. We are a better team playing 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1.

When Fellaini plays in the team, its like going back to the unstable 4-4-2 because he just stays forward not coming back as Cahill does when he plays in that position. So I would leave Fellaini on the bench for the Cup Final.

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