sunday papers birmingham

Independent:
Pandiani pounces on weakened ChelseaChelsea 1 - Birmingham City 1Steve Tongue at Stamford Bridge10 April 2005
The banner hanging from the Matthew Harding Stand that read "Chelsea Champions 2005" would be better left at home for a little while longer. It will be a valid acclamation eventually - probably in two weeks' time at home to Fulham, 50 years to the day after the club's only previous title - but such presumption does not go down well with the football gods. Punishment might have been even more severe; not until eight minutes from the end did Didier Drogba equalise Walter Pandiani's goal.
Jose Mourinho may have been back in his usual seat, with familiar coat and scarf on despite the milky spring sunshine, but the fact that Drogba was one of two half-time substitutes illustrated how concerned he had been about a wretched first-half performance. For once the managerial Midas had failed in the admittedly difficult task of finding a balance between fielding a team to win the game and resting players for a more important one a few days later - in this case, Tuesday's second leg against Bayern Munich.
After using five attacking players in recent matches and being rewarded with 11 goals from the previous three, Mourinho adopted a slightly more conservative approach here, leaving Eidur Gudjohnsen and Drogba in the dug-out with him at the start. The strategy did not work. The first half an hour's football was so inconsequential that both players had to be sent along the touchline to warm up, if only pour encourager les autres, and by the start of the second half they were brought on.
"It was a bad performance in the first half. It looked like a friendly," Mourinho confessed. "Not enough ambition to win the game." Indeed, in the first 30 minutes Chelsea managed two shots on goal. Early on Kenny Cunningham's weak headed clearance allowed Damien Duff to hit a strong drive, which was blocked. Then there was another example of Mourinho's training-ground cuteness - or gamesmanship, take your choice - after Joe Cole had been tripped by Cunningham in a dangerous position just outside the penalty area. Cole stood in front of Damien Johnson, who had been designated to charge down the kick, repeatedly obstructing him, and allowing Frank Lampard a low drive that the goalkeeper Maik Taylor did well to hold.
Mateja Kezman had returned to the side, seeking an improvement on his modest scoring record without success. Tiago and Alexei Smertin were added to the midfield mix and the other one of the four changes, all made with an eye to Tuesday's game, was a rest for Claude Makelele. Smertin, taking the Frenchman's holding role, was substituted at half-time, while Cole, the Barclays' player of the month, was less effective than usual in his new position wide on the right.
Birmingham, who had achieved two gritty goalless draws against Chelsea last season but lost to them 2-0 (in the FA Cup) and 1-0 in this campaign, drew in their horns by replacing the unpredictable Australian winger Stan Lazaridis with Mehdi Nafti, a more defensive midfielder from Tunisia making his second Premiership start. Their manager, Steve Bruce, had urged his club to try and enjoy the occasion, and the supporters did so, regularly chanting "easy, easy", though a certain apprehension set in as chances for the home side began to materialise at last on either side of the interval. The former Chelsea full-back Mario Melchiot offered one of them to his old pals when he was closed down by Tiago, whose low cross from the byline was a whisker in front of the lunging Lampard. Cole also caused a frisson by cutting inside from the right and shooting just past the far post.
Pandiani, the Uruguayan striker, had the visitors' only opportunity of a soporific first half, spinning for a shot that Glen Johnson deflected for a corner. But there was a much better one in the 49th minute, falling to Darren Carter in Lazaridis' position on the left. He hit a volley that forced Petr Cech into a smart save, and Pandiani was just about to knock in the rebound when John Terry threw himself into a crucial blocking tackle. The introduction of Gudjohnsen and Drogba livened up Chelsea, however, and soon each had put a dangerous header just the wrong side of the crossbar.
All this within the first 15 minutes of the half, and then a goal for Birmingham, stemming from Cole's frustration in fouling Emile Heskey and kicking the ball away. The free-kick, moved forward 10 yards, was swung over by Jermaine Pennant and headed back across goal by Matthew Upson as Cech, for once, was guilty of a misjudgment. Pandiani shot from 10 yards, defeating Johnson's frantic attempt to clear off the line.
Mourinho put on Jiri Jarosik for Johnson, going with three men at the back, the equaliser was late in coming. Cole fed a ball in from the left, Lampard turned on it much as he had done against Bayern to such good effect, setting up Drogba for an easy finish. Thus was an embarrassing first home defeat since Arsenal's victory at the Bridge in February 2004 avoided, while Birmingham took a deserved first away point of the year.
"You could say it's a good time to come to Chelsea, but I'm not going to take anything away from my players," said Bruce. Mourinho, meanwhile, was content with a "positive point". And up in the great stand in the sky Matthew Harding was doubtless raising his glass too.
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Observer:
Weary Chelsea have Drogba to thank for deserved point
Amy Lawrence at Stamford BridgeSunday April 10, 2005The Observer
'Good afternoon. We need three wins to be Champions,' wrote José Mourinho in his programme notes. Ninety minutes on, they still do. Birmingham took advantage of an unusually weary Chelsea to earn a well-deserved point at a ground where visitors tend to feel they are on a hiding to nothing. City were resolute at the back and perky in attack, where Walter Pandiani fought tirelessly and scored with a thumping drive. It took a late strike from Didier Drogba to prevent Chelsea's first defeat on home soil this season. Although the three wins should come and this below-par display shouldn't necessarily cause concern for their European appointment in Germany on Tuesday, this was as drained a performance as Chelsea have produced all season. With this slightly less august occasion sandwiched between the two Champions League bouts against Bayern Munich, Mourinho took the opportunity to tinker with the spine of his team.
Resting key personnel from back to front - Ricardo Carvalho, Claude Makelele, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Didier Drogba - was an understandable if downbeat decision. The idea may have been to freshen up the team, but it had the opposite effect. Chelsea stuttered. Makelele was particularly conspicuous by his absence. Mourinho considers him 'the most underrated player in the Premiership'. He is so seldom rested that his understudy, Alexei Smertin, last started a league game in January. The oil in the blue machine was missed and the team's movement well below its usual fluency. Early signs of fatigue were apparent as Chelsea failed to muster any goalmouth action of note for the opening 20 minutes.
Birmingham, whose bout of travel sickness is so severe that they haven't won on the road this calendar year, actually found themselves enjoying a reasonable share of possession. Perhaps they hadn't considered the possibility, as they hardly took the chance to go for the jugular. One of Chelsea's first meaningful sorties saw Joe Cole upended en route to the penalty area, but Frank Lampard's free-kick was no great shakes. On and off the pitch, the atmosphere was flat. There was almost a flutter of excitement as Mateja Kezman and goalkeeper Maik Taylor had a race for the ball, but the City man was first, booting it away. Chelsea got closer when Cole shimmied past Kenny Cunningham and drilled an angled shot that nicked the outside of the post. With the home team short of inspiration, old boy Mario Melchiot did his utmost to help Chelsea along their way when he was dispossessed by Smertin. The Russian fizzed the ball across the face of goal, but the onrushing Lampard missed the connection. So few and far between were genuine chances for Chelsea that Mourinho gesticulated his frustration as the half-time whistle blew with Cole advancing down the right.
He may be unable to act officially at half-time in the Champions League, but Mourinho was hands-on here and unsurprisingly rang the changes during the interval. Gudjohnsen and Drogba replaced Smertin and Kezman to add firepower. Both glanced headers over as they eased into the game.
But Birmingham came closer to scoring and Chelsea were indebted to their defensive stalwarts after 50 minutes. Darren Carter connected sweetly with a volley, but Petr Cech's reflex save was superb. Although Pandiani followed up, John Terry threw himself in front of the Uruguay striker.
Chelsea were struggling to crank themselves up. You got the feeling that on another day Lampard - whose finishing was so thrilling against Bayern three days earlier - would have done better with a half-chance he hooked over from 10 yards.
Drogba was denied sight of goal by Matthew Upson's impeccable challenge - and how vital it was. The big defender was up at the other end moments later to play a crucial role in Birmingham seizing a shock lead.
Cech - quite out of character and summing up the hesitancy afflicting Chelsea all over the pitch - flapped and missed Jermaine Pennant's floated free-kick. Upson nodded the ball back and Pandiani's predatory instincts did the rest. For all Terry's attempts to head out, the striker's rifled effort was too powerful to be denied.
Chelsea tried to muster extra energy and pressure, and relied on an increasing number of set pieces and aerial balls. Robert Huth came very close to scoring, but his blistering free-kick was tipped over.
With eight minutes remaining they finally broke through, as Lampard's clever ball invited Drogba to steer a shot past Taylor.
Man of the Match
Matthew Upson Involved in two of the game's critical moments. The calm centre-half produced a splendid tackle to deny Didier Drogba the chance to open the scoring, then appeared in the opposite box and was commanding enough to set up Walter Pandiani's goal. A cool head for Birmingham at both ends of the field.
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Telegraph:
Drogba joins cavalry to preserve home recordBy Colin Malam at Stamford Bridge (Filed: 10/04/2005)
Chelsea (0) 1 Birmingham (0) 1
Didier Drogba rescued Chelsea from one of the biggest upsets of the season yesterday. Having worried Bayern Munich to death in the Champions League a few days earlier, the Ivory Coast international, on as a substitute, preserved the long unbeaten home record of the champions-in-waiting with a close-range goal eight minutes from the end.
Saviour: Didier Drogba's goal rescued a point for Chelsea It robbed out-of-form Birmingham of a victory against all the odds. When Walter Pandiani, their Uruguayan striker, put them ahead after 65 minutes, it looked as though Chelsea's record of not having lost at home for 14 months was about to go up in smoke.
While Chelsea were unbeaten in 22 Premiership matches and came into the game looking for a sixth successive win, the visitors arrived at Stamford Bridge having lost all five of their previous away games since the turn of the year and never having beaten the London club in the Premiership.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho decided to rest four of the side that had beaten Bayern Munich 4-2 in midweek. Any encouragement for Birmingham was slight, however, because Ricardo Carvalho, Didier Drogba, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Claude Makelele were simply replaced by four other internationals, Robert Huth, Mateja Kezman, Tiago and Alexei Smertin.
Nevertheless, the changes did reduce Chelsea's effectiveness. Birmingham coped so comfortably that it was not until the 22nd minute that their goal was under any kind of threat.
Joe Cole's ability to run at defenders very nearly produced a goal 10 minutes later, however. Having skipped past a couple of opponents on the right, he closed in for a shot that grazed the foot of the far post. Frank Lampard, too, was only inches away from putting Chelsea ahead when he lunged at the low cross from Tiago.
The game remained goalless at the interval, prompting Mourinho to make a double substitution at the start of the second half: two strikers, Drogba and Gudjohnsen replacing Smertin and Kezman. There was almost an immediate dividend: Gudjohnsen heading over from close range from Damien Duff's corner.
The loss of Smertin's holding play in midfield left Chelsea more vulnerable to the counter-attack. Damien Johnson proved that by finding Darren Carter unmarked to the left of goal in the 49th minute. Petr Cech blocked the midfielder's fierce, left-footed shot, but only a last-ditch block by John Terry stopped Pandiani putting away the rebound.
This was a real contest now and Chelsea responded with two attacks of their own. First, Drogba headed Duff's far post centre on to the roof of the net, then Lampard shot wide from a good position.
Cole's contribution had been so considerable that he hardly deserved to become responsible, indirectly, for Birmingham taking the lead in the 65th minute. Tackling back he was penalised for bringing down Emile Heskey on the left.
Worse still, he was booked for kicking the ball away in dissent and the free-kick moved 10 yards closer to goal.
Jermaine Pennant took the kick and floated it so deep to the far post that it looked likely to go out of play, until Upson somehow managed to head the ball back towards Pandiani, lurking unmarked around the penalty spot.
The Uruguayan responded with a firm shot that went in off Terry's head and the underside of the bar as the Chelsea captain dived in a vain attempt to make a goal-line clearance.
The home side finally got what they wanted when Terry slipped the ball inside to Lampard. He played Drogba in adroitly and the big striker calmly slotted the equaliser past Taylor.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Times:
Chelsea 1 Birmingham 1: Drogba rescues slack ChelseaJoe Lovejoy at Stamford Bridge
THIS was a case of “after the lord mayor’s show”. Three days after their latest European triumph, Chelsea were desperately close to their first home defeat for 14 months yesterday when Walter Pandiani gave Birmingham a lead they held until the 82nd minute. Then Didier Drogba equalised from close range. Fatigued by their lung-bursting efforts against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, the runaway leaders were nowhere near their best, but dropping two points is hardly a disaster with their lead in double figures, and three more wins from their last six games will take them to their Promised Land. The smart roubles are on John Terry getting his hands on the Premiership trophy at Bolton on April 30.
Jaded as they were, Chelsea still created the lion’s share of the chances and would have won comfortably had Drogba, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole scored when they should have done. That said, Birmingham defended well, with Matthew Upson in the form that made him an England centre-half, and they deserved their point. After his midweek ban, Jose Mourinho was back on the touchline in that familiar, “lucky” grey coat. When the visiting supporters called on him to sit down, he did. And when they instructed him to stand up, he did that, too.
The great showman knows how to work an audience, including the press. After the game he was surprised by a question about the Grand National (he had a bet but wouldn’t identify his choice), yet seemed glad to be on his soapbox again.
“We gave a bad performance in the first half,” he said afterwards. “It looked like a friendly in August. The second half was better, we were strong and played to win. We could have had five penalties like the one Michael Ballack had on Wednesday night, but if I say too much about that, maybe I will face another disciplinary process.”
Mourinho rested four regulars after their exertions against Bayern and with Tuesday’s second leg in mind. Ricardo Carvalho, Claude Makelele, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Drogba were all left out, their places going to Robert Huth, Alexei Smertin, Tiago and Mateja Kezman. Had his selection been flawed? The manager shrugged his shoulders and said: “Maybe, but when you have an advantage like we have in the League, you can risk a little bit.”
Birmingham manager Steve Bruce had done his homework and realised that with a right-footer, William Gallas, at left-back, Chelsea tended to initiate their attacks on the right. With that in mind, he used Emile Heskey to close down Glen Johnson at every opportunity.
The first goal attempt came early, from Damien Duff, whose shot from close in hit former Chelsea player Mario Melchiot. The second was delayed until midway through the first half, when Duff rolled a free kick short to Huth, who stopped it for Lampard to let fly from a central position 20 yards out. For once, the master blaster was found wanting, driving the ball straight at Maik Taylor.
For Birmingham, Heskey offered the occasional threat in the air, but they were preoccupied with defence for the most part. Unhappy with his team’s low-key approach to the first half, Mourinho sent on Drogba and Gudjohnsen for the second, and his instructions to step it up a gear almost produced the desired improvement when Duff’s corner found its way via Upson to Gudjohnsen, who wastefully headed over.
Birmingham’s first chance finally arrived in the 50th minute, when Darren Carter’s left-footed volley from 12 yards brought a smart reaction save from Petr Cech. The ball ran loose and Terry’s timely intervention thwarted Pandiani. Chelsea wasted another opportunity when Gudjohnsen’s pass enabled Duff to get in a testing cross, which reached Drogba at the far post. Barely six yards out, he ought to have scored but headed over.
Then Cole’s cross from the right reached Duff, whose shot hit Drogba. The ball bounced obligingly for Lampard, whose instinctive effort was narrowly wide. So much profligacy had its near-inevitable consequence when Birmingham took the lead after 65 minutes. Cole fouled Heskey, then stupidly kicked the ball away, for which he was booked. Not only that, the referee moved the free kick forward 10 yards, into a much more dangerous area on the left flank.
Jermaine Pennant stepped up and sent a right-footed inswinger to the far post, where Cech flapped and missed, allowing Upson to head down to Pandiani. The Uruguayan’s finish, from eight yards, was exemplary and the upset was on.
Huth, with a piledriver from 25 yards, threatened to restore equality but Taylor touched the ball over his crossbar and time was running out when a subdued crowd, who had begun to fear the worst, were able to explode with relief. Chelsea’s English mainstays were the architects of their goal, Terry and Lampard working the ball to Drogba, who drilled it home from the edge of the six-yard box.
Substitute Jiri Jarosik might have won it in added time, but drove negligently into the side-netting from Lampard’s corner. For Chelsea, it was that sort of afternoon. They will need to improve on this if they are to hang on to that two-goal lead in Munich on Tuesday.
STAR MAN: Matthew Upson (Birmingham) Player ratings. Chelsea: Cech 6, Johnson 6 (Jaroskik 69min, 6), Huth 6, Terry 7, Gallas 6, Smertin 5 (Gudjohnsen h-t), Lampard 7, Cole 6, Duff 6, Tiago 5, Kezman 5 (Drogba h-t, 6) Birmingham: Taylor 6, Clapham 6, Cunningham 7, Upson 8, Melchiot 6, Pennant 7 (Gray 80min, 6), Johnson 6, Carter 6 (Lazaridis 60min, 6), Nafti 6, Heskey 7, Pandiani 7 (Morrison 87min, 6)
Scorers: Chelsea: Drogba 82
Birmingham: Pandiani 65
Referee: C Foy
Attendance: 42,031------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTW:
Walter wakes Chelsea from their 'wobble'
Pandi poops Jose party
From Matt Driscoll at Stamford Bridge
SO Alex Ferguson was right — Chelsea did plunge into a Premiership wobble.
Both Fergie and Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger have waited all season for Chelsea to stutter.
Neither believed that Jose Mourinho's men were capable of continuing their stunning winning streak.
And when ex-con and ex-Gooner Jermaine Pennant supplied the free kick that led to Walter Pandiani's shock goal for Birmingham, Chelsea were suddenly in total disarray.
But eight minutes away from their first home defeat of the season, sub Didier Drogba put an end to the panic and problems with a timely equaliser.
The draw means that Chelsea can no longer win their first title in 50 years at home to Fulham.
They may have to wait a little longer. But this fight-back by the champions-elect proved conclusively that nothing can stand in their way.
The ‘wobble' had been and gone before either Wenger or Fergie could even get excited.
Silly
Mourinho admitted: "In the first half, we were playing like it was a friendly in August. It was as if we could not run.
"We conceded a silly goal — but we responded well. Yet it would have been unfair for Birmingham had we won.
"It looked like we could have had five penalties — but I will leave it to the TV people to decide."
After his midweek absence, Mourinho reclaimed his place on the Chelsea bench.
This time there was no need for any woolly hat or secret messages. Back, too, was the famous grey coat.
And the colour was apt for a first-half performance that was dull and lifeless.
Only Joe Cole tried to add spark after picking up his Player of the Month award before the match.
Mourinho decided to rest some of his big names in preparation for his European quarter-final away leg on Tuesday against Bayern Munich. Strikers Eidur Gudjohnsen and Didier Drogba were relegated to the bench while Claude Makelele, the most underrated player in the Premiership according to Mourinho, was given the day off.
And Chelsea's unstoppable momentum definitely started to stutter. The problem was that Birmingham did not capitalise on what was becoming an average day at the office for the high-flyers.
But luckily for Chelsea, Birmingham did not have much response for the Blues' poor finishing. Only Pennant, playing his second game since being released from prison, made any headway.
For his efforts down City's right flank, Chelsea fans sang ‘You're supposed to be in jail'.
Mourinho's plan to rest some of his big guns looked capable of backfiring — so he wheeled them back into action straight after half-time.
On came Gudjohnsen and Drogba. The effect was immediate. Chelsea were instantly a more powerful force. That pair had been on the pitch only a few minutes before the were linking up and terrorising the Birmingham defence.
Keeper Petr Cech demonstrated the vital influence he has had on the season by somehow blocking the shot. John Terry denied Pandiani the chance to knock in the rebound.
But Uruguayan Pandiani did not finish second best a quarter of an hour later when Stamford Bridge witnessed a sight not seen before this campaign.
Pennant floated in a perfect free kick which was headed back by Matthew Upson to Pandiani.
Prospect
His shot rifled in off the bar on 65 minutes — and suddenly we were all facing the prospect of Chelsea's first home defeat of the season.
Yet Drogba came to the rescue. He looked fired up every time the ball was sent his way and finally, when Lampard turned and sent a short pass to his feet, he saved a point.
Brum boss Steve Bruce said: "With eight minutes to go, we did think it could be our day.
"We deserved to get something out of this game, especially because of the quality we were up against. We thought we could be the first to get a result here.
"But I cannot see them losing a game between now and the end of the season."
GAMES TO GO — Chelsea: Tue v B Munich (a) Champions League; Apr 20 v Arsenal (h); Apr 23 v Fulham (h); Apr 30 v Bolton (a); May 7 Charlton (h); May 15 v Newcastle (a). Birmingham: Sat v Portsmouth (h); Apr 20 v Man City (a); Apr 23 v Everton (a); Apr 30 v Blackburn (h); May 7 v Norwich (a); May 15 v Arsenal (h).
JOSE MOURINHO: 'In the first half, we were playing like it was a friendly in August and we could not run. We conceded a silly goal — but we responded well' STEVE BRUCE: 'With eight minutes to go, we did think it could be our day. We deserved to get something out of the game because of the quality we were up against' Man of the match JERMAINE PENNANT (Birmingham)
IT is astonishing how Pennant has managed to keep himself in such good condition after spending a month behind bars.The talented midfielder was involved in every move and played a significant role in giving Chelsea a real fight. Score verdict AFTER the exersions in midweek Chelsea should be allowed an off day.
There were tired legs all round and Birmingham almost capitalised from this. But even on a poor day, Chelsea can still escape defeat.
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