In entries past, I have been guilty, as some of you have pointed out, of rambling on and on about matches that I have had the pleasure of following. This may not seem like much of a travesty to those who share my obsession for the Beautiful Game, but for those who do bother reading those entries of mine, you'll realise that you can find most of that in match reports in the papers or off the web. Most of what I write is a simple rehash of how the game flowed, and nothing more. And I do apologise for putting all of you through such torturous treatment. Starting from this very entry, I promise no more rambling nonsense, no more regurgitation. (Funny, I hear cheering.) Instead, I'll buckle down, and make this space a much more interesting read. I will, instead, write on a deeper, technical level, detailing my humble analysis of tactics, teamsheets, players, and managers. Got ya there didn't I? Read it again. Didn't mention who I'd make it interesting for. Grins.Anyway, enough posturing, and on to the serious stuff. The Cup tie between Chelsea and Tottenham last night was basically a tale of two halves. Berbatov and Lennon, playing out of position on the left, combined to great effect to put Spurs 3-1 up at the half, and could have made it even more embarassing for the newly crowned League Cup champions had they been more clinical in at the start of the second. However, as always, Martin Jol found a way to shoot his team in the foot. With Chelsea at the start of the ascendency, he pulled off both of his in-form stars, and put on Mido and Malbranque respectively. Straight switches I hear some of you say, but the two substitutes were, and are, no where near being as good as the men they replaced. Malbranque appeared in need of a shepard for every single minute he spent on the pitch, and his poor first touch betrayed him everytime he went near the ball. It speaks volumes of Spurs' true strength in depth (or lack of) when an out-of-position Lennon still played better than both Malbranque and Ghaly, who both played on their preferred flanks. Speaking of the Egyptian, despite getting his name on the score-sheet, Ghaly bore more of a resemblance to a block of wood than a Premiership footballer. He is clearly out of his depth at this level, but it seems only Jol is oblivious to that fact. And while Mido possesses the same massive frame as Berbatov, he lacks the good first touch and creativity that the Bulgarian has in abundance. Mido did manage to trouble the Chelsea backline with his size, but otherwise, his impact on the game was limited. Chelsea had one of their rare off-days, and for everyone who caught the game, it was rewarding (or painful, depending on your allegencies) to find Chelsea concede three on their own ground. Without the formidable presence of Terry at the back, the boys in blue seemed to quiver in fear whenever the ball was played in their half, and deservedly trailed by two at the break. Things looked even bleaker when Wright-Philips, brought on for the unfortunate Ferreira, found himself out-hustled by the more eager Spurs midfielders. For 21 million pounds, he has been a poor investment, and it looks increasingly likely that his future lies away from Stamford Bridge. But apart from him, the rest of Mourinho's changes did their jobs, and supersub Kalou fired home the equaliser with just 5 minutes left on the clock. And so the replay it is come next Monday, joining Manchester United-Middlesbrough on the FA Cup replay fixtures list.
i heard the crickets at 1:44 pm
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