Manchester City 0, Chelsea 1.
Who would have thought that, given the ‘machine’ label that has been branded onto City for their ruthlessness at The Etihad, where they have a 100% record this season, and haven’t drawn a blank since 2010?
But where was the downfall for City? Was it, as many people have made out, the brilliance of The Special One, Jose Mourinho? Or did Manuel Pellegrini just get it wrong?
Well just to be awkward (but true!), it’s a bit of both…
The ‘park the bus’ theory was rattled around in the build-up after Mourinho’s (incorrect) comments regarding West Ham’s ‘19th century football’, and all the critics and media put the pressure on him because that it almost what he did when Chelsea went to Old Trafford and The Emirates.
But Mourinho is too clever for that, and I think he knew exactly what the media would make of his comments, therefore by making them he may in some way have tried to plant a seed in the Man City camp that they should pile wave upon wave on the Chelsea guard…
Which is exactly what they did, allowing Mourinho’s nous to take effect and Chelsea made a fool of City’s defence; ripping them to parts at times. But was all this a gamble, which was actually helped by Pellegrini’s unexpected team selection? I think so.
Had Fernandinho not been injured, I think Chelsea would have been more defensive and wouldn’t have been able to fleet forward so willingly; Pellegrini may have shot himself in the foot by choosing to play the slow and reckless Martin Demichelis as a replacement.
Now I don’t like making personal attacks, and this isn’t particularly an attack, but my honestly held opinion is that Demichelis is not Premier League quality, as a centre back of defensive midfielder. He may well have played there during his spell with Bayern Munich, but that was when he was younger, fitter, quicker and stronger; at the prime old age of 33 there was going to be absolutely no chance of him being successful in a role that demanded pace and stamina.
So where was Jack Rodwell? Where was Javi Garcia? Both are a lot younger and fitter than Demichelis, and both are more suitable for that role in place of Fernandinho. There may even be an argument that they are more accustomed to the English game (perhaps Rodwell more than Garcia), but it will remain a mystery why the wrong part was used in the machine by ‘The Engineer’.
Part 2 - defence
Part 2 - defence
Another talking point to come from the game though, which is also intriguing, is just how good Chelsea’s defence was in dealing with the threat posed by Alvaro Negredo, Edin Dzeko, David Silva and Stevan Jovetic. And who’s at the core, a pair of good old English centre backs, Messers Cahill and Terry.
For me, Gary Cahill is one of the most under-rated players in the game in a position that rarely gets credit, yet when something goes wrong is the first port of call for the blame wagon. As an under-study to Terry, and having been exposed to Europe’s elite in the Champions League, he has become perhaps one of the best defenders in the league, and that is no exaggeration.
He is solid, honest, committed and hard-working, and that is the sort of ethic that gets you places, and I’m talking about England here. He has been involved in all of Roy Hodgson’s plans thus far, and I imagine he will be one of the first few names on the squad list for Brazil in the summer. The obvious question is, who will partner him?
Step forward (again) John Terry.
(Please don’t click off at this point, just boo and heckle for a minute, then continue reading).
Most England fans will agree, the national defence has been a bit of a shambles since JT’s retirement.
Most fans of the game should also agree that racial abuse is not tolerated in this society, day or age.
Most fans will agree that Terry’s leadership qualities are almost second to none, and that we could not get a more passionate rock in the heart of the team, save perhaps Stevie G.
And most fans who follow the Premier League will agree that the partnership between Terry and Cahill is strong… So on that basis, why shouldn’t Hodgson be picking up the phone and trying to tempt our best centre back to help?
The media. Our scrutinising nature would mean that instead of focusing on the World Cup, all the press surrounding England would be about Terry and his past exploits. It would be far from helpful, and I don’t doubt it is a massive concern for Hodgson, particularly given the pressure the FA and anti-racism groups will be putting on him to leave the veteran behind.
But I’m not a racist, nor do I condone racism, and I am sure Terry regrets it; it must hurt him not to be able to play for his country, and some will say ‘well that’s punishment for what he did’, which is fair enough… But come on people, do you REALLY, HONESTLY think he meant it? Of course he didn’t!
It’s time we grew up and thought realistically; football is about form. It wouldn’t surprise me if Cahill and Terry finish the season as part of the best central defensive partnership in the league, therefore to take them as they are would surely give us a chance, however slim, in Brazil?
No disrespect to Phil Jagielka, who is also an outstanding defender, but the consistency the pairing would bring, coupled with the ability to lead and organise from Terry, might just give us that solidity, hope and belief we need to get out of a tough group, as well as an experienced head.
If we’re lucky, we might even get another one of these moments:
But hopefully not one of these:
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