Premiership: Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea
Match reports
Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: “This was a good point for Chelsea, one they are convinced will be a turning point in the title race. All draws are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Chelsea left Old Trafford last night with a smile and a belief that they can keep the title at the Bridge. In the noisy, self-regarding animal farm that is the Premiership, Manchester United are a creature of great beauty, but yesterday they ran into opponents whose hunger and stamina are astonishing.”
The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: “An afternoon that left the top of the table undisturbed still carried portents of transformations to come. While Manchester United could have opened up a 2-0 lead, the life was gradually drained from them as the indomitable visitors showed why Martin O’Neill calls Chelsea the most powerful team in Europe. Physical strength allied to improved coordination after the interval threw a bellowing crowd into an introspective mood at the close.”
The Independent, Andy Hunter: “The most important fact is that United still sit on top of the Premiership by three points, but Jose Mourinho did not look like a man who feared that his third consecutive title was out of sight. Neither did his players, who went over to applaud their supporters with some relish after a second-half equaliser had levelled Louis Saha’s goal  all helped by another masterful tactical change-up from Mourinho.”
The Times, Matt Dickinson: “Sir Alex Ferguson may feel entitled to claim that his team are presently the best in the country, but Mourinho has more options and, crucially, he knows how to use them. Which other manager could have transformed this game by bringing on a left winger for a right back? Certainly not Ferguson, who looked to the bench for a forward and saw only Darren Fletcher. Therein lies the worry for those who hope that the champions can be stopped from winning a third successive Premiership title.”
The good
- The result. A good point and a fair result despite Chelsea having 59% of the possession. It was the proverbial game of two halves, Manchester United shading the first, Chelsea bossing the second. Jose Mourinho is correct when he says United wasted a “big, big chance” to apply some serious pressure. It’s going to be an interesting title race.
- Ashley Cole. He had Ronaldo in his pocket for the majority of the game, at one point even going so far as to communicate this fact to the Old Trafford crowd. He took the Portuguese out of the game late on with a slightly mistimed tackle - Ronaldo had probably had enough by then anyway.
- Michael Essien. For all intents and purposes he was practically anonymous in the first half. But once Jose Mourinho switched tactics and put him at right-back he thundered into United (seemingly playing right midfield at the same time) and eventually earned the corner from which we equalised. The temporary answer to our problems at right-back? Joe Cole and Arjen Robben probably hope he plays there more often this season.
- Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry. Carvalho was probably at fault for United’s goal - he allowed Louis Saha too much time and space to get his shot off - but he more than made up for it with a great equaliser. He and Terry, who made a serious of crucial tackles, were superb.
- Howard Webb. I can only recall him making one mistake - a horrible tackle from behind by Gabriel Heinze on Didier Drogba which went unpunished and nearly led to a United goal. Apart from that he was excellent, even refusing to be sucked in by the United players’ attempts to get our players booked or sent off (Nemanja Vidic in particular deserved a yellow card for feigning serious injury and a hand in the face after a 50-50 tackle with Michael Ballack).
The bad
- Our narrow midfield. The trio of Essien, Ballack and Frank Lampard playing in front of Claude Makelele didn’t handle the width of Ryan Giggs and Ronaldo in the first half - Ballack in particular was more a liability than a world class midfielder. Cole dealt admirably with Ronaldo but Geremi struggled to cope with Giggs’s guile, as many predicted he would. Mourinho’s inspired (or entirely necessary?) decision to substitute Geremi for a midfielder (Robben - not good but gave Gary Neville more to think about) and switch to 4-3-3 changed the game. Ballack certainly improved in the second half.
- Andriy Shevchenko. What on earth happened to the Ukrainian’s pace? I don’t recall him once getting the better of a United player. Surely it can’t all be down to the knee injury he sustained prior to the World Cup? I’m hoping it’s more a problem with confidence than a physical one. It does take time to get used to the pace and power of the Premiership, but does Shevchenko have time on his side?
Man of the Match
Ashley Cole. He was our best player over the 90 minutes. Michael Essien’s second half performance deserves a mention as does Ricardo Carvalho, but Cole edged it for me.
Sky’s decision to award the Man of the Match to Michael Carrick beggared belief.
Final thoughts
It seems odd to me that Mourinho chose to deploy this season’s preferred 4-4-2 formation. Many predicted it would struggle up against United’s wingers, and so it proved. Was it a case of Mourinho shoehorning Ballack and Shevchenko into the line-up? If so, it nearly cost us. If it wasn’t for the outstanding Essien and his seeming ability to play more than one position at the same time, we could well have been looking at a 6 point gap going into tomorrow’s tough away trip to Bolton.
Related links
- Bragging rights go to Mourinho after United’s ‘wasted chance’
- Blue machine no easier to love
- Cole on road to redemption
- Man Utd blew chance says Mourinho
- Premier puzzle finds Mourinho stuck with the wrong pieces
- Time for Ballack and Shevchenko to deliver
- Vialli says Shevchenko will shine
- Posted at 02:31 PM · Permalink · Print · 2289 views · Last indexed by Google on the 10th May 2008
- Tags: Ashley Cole, Chelsea, Geremi Njitap, Howard Webb, John Terry, Manchester United, Matches, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Old Trafford, Premiership
Well we never can get in two sides together. Last year and year before we had a defensive problem on the left side. This year on the right side.
I do agree that this formation is probably not the best one for us. I would prefer 4:4:2 with two wingers. Nevertheless, I do not believe that I see something that Mourinho does not.
Good game, very good second half and deserved result.
Chelsea boss Mourinho wants £22M Villa
I do not know if it is true, but it is definitely about time to apply some pressure on Shechenko.
2 things:
1) Drogba’s elbow on Vidic, Ballack’s pole-axing of Vidic (that led to the face-clutching)…
Vidic was hit quite a few times - Ballack escaped a caution and Drogba would probably have gotten a red for that if this was a stricter referee.
2) Cole was good, but so was Ronaldo, Lampard, Carvalho, Vidic, Heinze and Carrick. Watch the game again and tell if Carrick does not look like a much-improved player to you. Add his tackling (one game only, but still) to his passing and remember that for all of Ballack’s, Lampard’s and Makelele’s tackling Carrick and Scholes still bossed the midfield in the first half (and Carrick held his own against them for the second).
Ahmed,
To be honest, I’d forgotten about Drogba’s elbow on Vidic. Not as bad as Heskey’s on Dawson at the weekend, but bad enough. It gave Vidic real reason to grasp his face in agony.
As for your second point - I’ve mentioned Carvalho’s good game, and Lampard was okay but not great. Vidic, Heinze and Carrick? Do me a favour - this is a Chelsea FC weblog.
If Carrick’s worth £18m, Lampard must be worth £36m plus. ;-)
I don’t recall Vidic either being elbowed or being pole-axed.
Anyway.
The Shevchenko debate: he did nothing, agreed. But was he ever given the ball? Are we playing to his strengths? And what did Drogba do in the United game? Neither of the forwards saw much of the ball. Sheva needs it 18 yards out, facing goal. That never seems to happen. If we played two wingers I suspect he would have more chances and score more goals. Lumping it over the top for him is simply not his game. Neither is he a winger, which is where Mourinho tends to stick him.
Have heard very strong rumours from an excellent source that he is absolutely miserable about (a) being played out of position (b) constantly being substituted when he needs match fitness (c) that no-one ever passes to him. He has aparently asked to meet Mourinho to discuss some of these issues but JM refuses to speak to him and is trying to play hard ball. All very peculiar.
We have bought one of the most prolifice centre forwards of all time. He may lack pace but you do not lose your ability overnight. He scored around 30 goals for Milan last year and was injured for about three months. There is no point in spending £30 million on someone of his talent and then expecting him to chase long balls into the corner, and then have the fans getting on his back because he is not performing.
Anthony,
You won’t find me getting on Shevchenko’s back because he’s not performing - it’s not my style. I’m the type of supporter who when he throws waste paper in a bin from distance thinks, “If this goes in Sheva will score a hat-trick tomorrow” or some such nonsense. I’m desperate for him to prove his increasing number of doubters wrong.
I know there are reasons why he was poor on Sunday, but he was still poor.
I agree that he probably needs more service from out wide, but which players would you sacrifice in order to accommodate Shevchenko and his preferred style of play? It’s certainly a conundrum.
I also agree that pace isn’t everything - Teddy Sheringham is evidence enough of that.
Nick sorry mate I wasn’t having a go at you.
Your comments were fair.
I agree he was poor and that he lacks pace.
It just annoys me that the same fans that have recently become obsessed with Drogba and used to moan continually about him are now moaning about Sheva. At the game at OT the latter was getting a lot of stick from the Chelsea end, the majority of it undeserved. We have not bought a player that skins five and belts it into the top corner. We have bought a deadly finisher. As such he needs the ball in front of goal either on the floor or in the air (he is a good header of the ball). The system we play does not create any chances from out wide and so it is hardly surprising that he has not set the world alight.
I agree to accomodate his style is difficult, but I would probably drop Maka or Ballack, both of whom have been inconsistent this season (although Maka was a lot better against United this weekend).
I didn’t take offence, Anthony, just pointing out that I’m not in the ‘fickle’ supporter category. I’ve spent many minutes of my life defending Drogba from unnecessary abuse, mostly from so-called Chelsea-supporting friends of mine!
I’d drop Ballack on current form too. He says he needs a rest anyway. Joe Cole or Robben would probably serve Shevchenko better, although neither is a prolific crosser of the ball.
Makelele has the odd game every season in which he can’t seem to control or pass the ball for toffee, but until he consistently produces poor form I’d keep him in the team.
Another positive which has been largely overlooked is that Man Utd had one more day to prepare for this game than Chelsea. Also their away game on the Tuesday was against Celtic which is really only a domestic away game. Mourinho always feels this extra day makes a big difference.
I can’t help thinking that Man Utd will fall away in the premiership. In the past, they have always geared their training such that they come into their peak in the spring months. I think ferguson has changed this this season because he doesn’t want them to fall so far behind in the first half of the season again. But I think this will have repercussions late in the season. it is at the end of the season that I really see Chelsea coming into their own.
To be fair to Shev, he’s been getting better and better up until Sunday, which, as is pointed out, wasn’t a game for the forwards (Rooney didn’t do much either). I agree, though, we don’t play to his strengths, but that’s the JM way - adapt or move on.
Anthony, are you suggesting you buy into the ’signed against JM’s will’ theory?
I like 4-4-2 instinctively because it’s more creative, but it leaves openings for the opposition. I’d also like to see Joe get a good run at some point soon.
Alrite lads….About this whole Sheva situation we have here.
I’m half Italian and so naturally love to watch italian football. I am also a fan of AC Milan and Palermo. So here are the problems (should we say) we’re having with Shev. First things first. When Sheva was banging in goals for Milan, he had possibly the 2 most attacking fullbacks in the world, Cafu and Serginho. Not the best defensively but certainly up there with the best in an attacking sense.
You then have to look at Pirlo, there’s no one in the world that can place a ball like him in the world. See Sheva’s goal against Barca when they played them and notice Pirlo’s delivery. The guy is class and provided many of Sheva’s goals. Then if that’s not enough he had Inzaghi hastling defenders no end distracting them from his runs and Kaka behind to supply him whenever neccessary.
Now don’t get me wrong i think we have the best Midfield in the world, look at how we abused Barca’s midfield, they didn’t know what him em’! But there’s no artist in our starting 11? There’s no one to reverse the ball when Sheva reverses his run. True Frank and Michael are awesome, but do they have the delicate touches and flick ons he’s used to but in all fairness it’s choice of opinionm would you rather Frank and Ballack smash the ball in top binzle from 30 yards or Kaka twist it up in the center?
Anyone remember when the we bought that striker Kezman (of corse you remember). But how many chances did he have supplied by Robben and Coley? Too many, i remember him hitting the post and bar in the same game. My point anyway which most of you are making is if you don’t give him the service you won’t get anything from him. He’s not Henry or Villa. He’s better…when he’s in front of goal! And look at Drogba now, have we now got 24million well spent now or what? You think that’s coinsidence, don’t be silly. Now he’s got a partner who scares defences Drogba has less attention on him and therefore is shinning!
I admit Sheva is annoying me a bit right now but give him the service he requires and you’ll get a Superstar scorer i’m sure!
Blue Geeza - i was hoping Ballack would take on the artist role. I still believe he is capable of doing this. He has excellent vision and a fantastic passing range. While I love Lampard he lacks imaginative flair and is unable to pick the runs of Sheva, or last year, Crespo.