Chelsea: Chelsea win again.... Essien, Wright Phillips

Watched the game tonight and it was a comfortable win.

It looked like they didnt need to step out of 2nd gear for most of the game and good up the tempo when they wanted.

I dont really rate Huth, to me hes a big donkey. Hasnt good the same technical ability as the rest of the team, but i guess hes just a back up player nothing more.

Young Glen Johnson played a good game at right back, thought he was great at getting forward and looked really fit for a guy whos hardly played recently. Not sure on his positional sense if hes in a bigger game as he does venture forward alot.

Thought Wright-Phillips played great, how many good runs did he do tonight??? won a penalty and beat playesr over and over. Its the best i have seen him play for Chelsea. Do you think he will start there next game?

I wasnt sure about Essien with his dirty tackles earlier on in the season, but after watching him tonight and a few other games i have seen him play. Hes strong, good passer, hes really dominant in midfield. Not saying hes worth the 30 million he cost, but i think he would walk into just about any other team for the job he does

First thing i would say about the game was the state of the pitch. Why the hell did they water it so much beofre the game? They covered the center circle with a tarpaulin and when they took it off it was water logged. With all there money, you'd think they would get that sorted out.

Out of all the Everton players they took there best one off the pitch, Valente. Wright-Phillips and Johnson did well linking up down the wing, but Valente did a good job. Funny how there best player was one that Mourinho recommended to Moyes and Everton to buy.

Everton did well at times getting the ball out wide in the first half but playing Beattie as a lone striker just didn't work out. The final ball was poor into the box and most times there was no-one there backing up Beattie.

I thought Huth had a solid game and it was a fantastic pass he layed on to Robben for the first goal. Wright-Phillips did look sharp thoughout all the game, he did some great runs and caused alot of problems. His run into the box was fantastic, but i think he was a bit lucky to win the penalty as he wasnt in control of the ball, maybe thats why Valente didnt get sent off as he had already recieved a yellow and the ref gave a penalty. Lampard as always with a clinical finish to score the penalty and the game looked a walk in the park for Chelsea. Chelsea was pressuring the whole game and they looked so comfortable on the ball.

Going back to Everton, how crap did Arteta look?

Everton didn't pass the ball that well through midfield and that was there downfall, Beattie did alright except for the miss from 2 yrds lol.

I though Chelseas 3rd goal was the best, Lampard hit a beautifully weighted inswinging free-kick, which no Everton player chased in. Crespo homed in on it and nodding in a great goal. Looked like it was a move straight off the training pitch.

Yip.... the pitch was in bad nick, the middle of the park was a joke. Noticed in the first 10/20 minutes the ball didnt go near there. But in the past weeks too, the pitch has just looked terrible

I thought that too to be honest about Valente, i remember him playing for Mourinho at Porto and thought he was a good left back. I think Everton got him for peanuts too.

You could see Beattie was trying to hold the ball up, but up against like Terry, and with Essien coming back and winning the ball from the anchor midfield position he didnt stand much of a chance. Seen a bit of terrible control from him though. I dont rate the guy

Huth had a good game, but i dont think hes Chelsea class. Looks a bit slow. Think he will be off when they move for a more classy young defender which i think will happen.

I liked Chelseas 3rd goal, Crespo is really good at getting there and scoring. But like you say, they must have been training at that one.

Thought Robben and Terry took there goals well, and that Lampard scored a good penalty, right in the corner.

Artete is an alright player, nothing great. Dont think he likes phyiscal battles

actually an excellent point, they spent over gbp 125,000 last year to replace the pitch, and it lasted a year, will they change it after the Barcelona match?

found this on skysports....

Chelsea have no plans to re-lay their pitch before their Champions League game with Barcelona on 22 February.
The Stamford Bridge pitch has raised concerns, with large patches having no grass, which means the players may find it difficult to control the ball.

But Chelsea believe the poor surface has been caused by the pitch being relaid twice each season.

No one else seems to have this problem.

So with all that money at their disposal, why?

Could it be that its done on purpose?

have to admit I do wonder, but after all, with players getting 95,000 pounds a week, it is the same for both sides. I still remember Pele juggling with a coconut, but he didn't whine that it wasn't spherical.

Of course, no one will have an advantage.. But Barca are a skillfull side, play the ball ect and it will nullify that quite a bit with the state of the pitch. What i am saying is, was it aimed at just this one game?



[Edited on 2/9/2006 by Sir]

well if real skill on a perfect pitch can be nullified by rearranging the pitch, then I think Mourinho may have just asked for a 2% advantage

remember last season though, Mourhino does like his little mind games and advantages, like the stuff about Frisk and Rijkaard.

He left the stadium against the german team.

But i think the pitch has affected there games recently, they are good at knocking the ball about themselves and they havent been able to do it aswell. Remebmer the game against Charlton, the pitch really affected Chelsea