Guangzhou 0-4 Chelsea | Thumping win kicks off the season

Thumping start for the season. Though the Chinese team did not challenge us too much with their fragile defence, Scolari can be quite pleased with this performance. I didn’t get to see the match. I couldn’t even watch the highlights last night as I was trying to ‘upgrade’ my laptop from vista to xp. I did see the goals though.

I’m happy for Kalou. He scored the first Chelsea goal of this season. He is a hardworking lad but he has to really prove to Phil that he can play as a striker which was his natural position in Feyenoord. Today’s goal would surely help him. Just when I make up my mind about living without Lampard, he comes up with a goal like that. Oh, I loved it. If you haven’t watched it yet, watch it right now. He is one midfielder who simply can’t stop scoring. Few more goals in the next few matches and Chelsea FC would be under even more pressure. There are certain players with whose form directly influences the team’s fortunes. Lampard is one of such players. I can’t remember Chelsea losing a match where Lampard was brilliant. Thanks to England missing the Euro, Lampard has taken a nice long break. If he is fit and if he is in fine form, he’s gonna propel Chelsea on his own. All this only if an agreement is reached. Read more

And now, Essien signs up | Sir Alex on Chelsea’s threat this season

More good news as Essien signs up a new 5-year contract with Chelsea. Stability is the buzzword now. We have so far retained the first team of the last season with Bridge, Cech and Essien signing extensions of contract. If the doubts about Drogba’s and Lampard’s future are cleared we’d have managed the continuity that can match Man Utd. The Reds have not lost even one player from their squad and even try to sign Berbatov which would make them very very strong.

I’m more than pleased about Essien’s extension. You might find it strange but you heard it here first - Essien can be the perfect replacement for Lampard, if he is set to leave. Essien is a box-to-box midfielder who has multiple capabilities thanks to his football brain. You can virtually put him anywhere on the pitch and can expect a decent output from him. Due to the presence of Lampard and Ballack and also the formation we played and some injuries, he had to play in different roles. The thing is he is an attacking midfielder who can score. He can even play in the attacking tip of the diamond. With his ball holding skills, he will allow the players to get to their attacking positions before he releases the ball. In short, I’d say he is a blend of Makelele and Lampard, more of the latter in fact. But we haven’t yet seen the attacking side of Essien yet. This could be his season. Read more

Goodbye to Maka | Players that should be sold . . .

Good old Maka is gone. The very common thing that’s said about Maka is that you wouldn’t know the value of the man unless you make a conscious effort to see his impact on the game. He is quiet and goes about his job in a way which can easily go unnoticed. He is not a holding midfielder in the mould of a Roy Keane or a Patrick Vieira. Maka is cunning little ball winner who can be easily under-estimated by some for his apparent lack of visibility. The people who read the game well have always complimented him. That’s why Real Madrid president Calderon ridiculed Makelele at the same time Zidane hailed him as a hero.

The first title under Jose Mourinho was characterised by Robben, Duff and a certain Frank Lampard. They set the premiership on fire. But JM said that Maka was the player of the season for him. He had rated Maka’s contribution above that of anyone else. The credit for the good portion of our resoluteness of the defence and the resultant number of clean sheets would have to be given to Maka. Not only has he given his best every time he has stepped on the field for us, he has also been a great example to model for his understudies like Essien and Mikel. Read more

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