sunday papers midds home

Independent:
Chelsea 1 Middlesbrough 0: Hardly a long shot as Terry drags Chelsea over the line
By Jason Burt at Stamford Bridge
A day which started with a blasé defence by Jose Mourinho of John Terry's habit of frequenting bookie shops with obscenely large wads of cash, ended with the Chelsea captain scoring the only goal and a quip from the manager explaining why the two had high-fived so enthusiastically on the touchline: "Because I bet that he would score," Mourinho said.
Given that Terry was a 25-1 shot - having not struck in the Premiership all season - then the Special One can expect a special return for his wager. He may be disappointed, though, because Terry's thumping header, from a corner, was initially blocked by Fabio Rochemback, who then appeared to turn it over the line himself. An own goal? Probably.
It was tough on Middlesbrough, who were organised and resilient, especially through their captain, Gareth Southgate, and the intuitive creativity of Rochemback, but there had been warnings. Twice before he scored, Terry had goal-bound headers cleared. Both times Rochemback had done his job on the line. The Brazilian could not execute a hat-trick of denials and his side were beaten.
"The game started in a way that you felt things are going on your side," said Mourinho, referring to a missed opportunity by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who slammed a low shot against a post after the ball broke to him following Terry's block on Yakubu Aiyegbeni's shot. He should have scored.
Hasselbaink's desperate appeal for a penalty, claiming a tug by Asier del Horno, was born of frustration. It could have transformed matters as Chelsea, despite being back on track after their wobble, appeared strangely vulnerable.
Middlesbrough controlled proceedings until a flash of brilliance from Arjen Robben changed the impetus. The winger skipped between two challenges and away from a third before cutting the ball back only for Mark Schwarzer's boot to divert it away. The goalkeeper then rushed from goal to tackle the onrushing Didier Drogba and palmed down Frank Lampard's drive before Robben, twisting brilliantly, dumped Doriva on the turf to tee up Lampard again. He screwed his shot wide.
"We are in early December and a player like him needs to give us a lot," Mourinho said of Robben, his injuries and the so-called fragility of his mental approach having caused irritation. "He has given us very little." The inference was maybe that was about to change and Robben, in for the injured Joe Cole, looked relieved as he was substituted late on.
That followed Terry's goal, from Damien Duff's corner, and although Robben faded, the Irishman grew in influence, taking the challenge to Middlesbrough, riding challenges, and slaloming through to set up Drogba. The striker's miss was pathetic as was his attempt to blame the irregularity of the Stamford Bridge turf. "I think we should score more goals," said Mourinho with a shrug, before declaring a "bigger result" would have been unfair on the visitors.
Middlesbrough's manager, Steve McClaren, went further, lauding the contribution of the talented Rochemback - "he's going to be a great player for us" - and the "fantastic attitude" of a team who have completed five games in 13 days. "I think Chelsea would admit that it was one of the more difficult afternoons here for some time," he said.
That may have been the case but the relentless march of the champions continues and no one, surely, would bet against them right now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telegraph:Terry header keeps Chelsea in ascendancyBy Trevor Haylett at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea (0) 1 Middlesbrough (0) 0
Those in closest pursuit might have assumed a familiar hierarchy over the past week but there is nothing to suggest that Chelsea's hold on their Premiership crown is weakening even though victory here by just a single goal was a poor return for the wealth of opportunities they created.
With Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard both missing chances they would normally put away it came down to John Terry to make the difference with a trademark header. If those successive defeats to Manchester United and Real Betis at the start of November were indeed a crisis then Chelsea have left it behind: four wins in a row now and not a single goal conceded.
Joe Cole was kept out by an injury picked up in training and that allowed Arjen Robben to make his first Premiership start since September. His first touches were tentative but after switching wings the Dutchman reminded us of his bewitching skills, twice ghosting between defenders to fashion openings.
First Chelsea were put on high alert when Yakubu's smart turn and shot fell to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink following Terry's desperate challenge. A triumphant return to Stamford Bridge flashed before Hasselbaink's eyes but his shot came back off the inside of the post.
It was the wake-up call the home side needed and they began to imprison Middlesbrough in their own half. The corner count mounted and Lampard arrived to meet one with a header which neither Asier Del Horno nor William Gallas could turn in from close range.
Lampard, fed by Drogba, then smacked a drive straight at Mark Schwarzer, the goalkeeper in action again the next instant with a saving tackle after Drogba had been ushered through the gap.
Middlesbrough were defending with tenacity and discipline but you sensed that it was only a matter of time before their ranks were ruptured. From another right-wing corner Terry headed goalwards and was only denied by a clearance off the line.
It was no surprise that Chelsea returned to the dressing room with the game still in the balance. As a rule they don't apply full power until the second half: in 14 previous Premiership fixtures this season they had led at the break only four times.
They needed to apply a little more polish to their attacking game and when Lampard sent Drogba away the home crowd's expectations grew. Gareth Southgate nipped in to dispossess him and a growl of frustration spread around the ground. Yet the breakthrough was only minutes away.
Duff's corner again found Terry unattended on his 250th club career appearance and he directed a strong header towards the right-hand corner of the net. Fabio Rochemback stood guard but there was too much power and the Brazilian succeeded in helping it over the line.
Drogba should have made it two when Damien Duff pulled the ball back. He lifted his shot into the stands as did Lampard when Shaun Wright-Phillips created similar havoc down the same flank.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Sunday Times December 04, 2005
Chelsea 1 Middlesbrough 0: Chelsea hit the jackpot as Terry lands winnerDavid Walsh at Stamford Bridge
FOR those privileged enough to shoot the breeze with The Special One after the game, there was the afternoon’s most entertaining moment. John Terry’s liking for a flutter had been discussed, so too his header that won this game and if there was disapproval of the gambler, it wasn’t coming from Jose Mourinho who thinks the English are addicted to gambling. Then somebody asked if there was any significance in the fact that after scoring his 62nd-minute goal, Terry raced straight towards his manager on halfway. “Yes,” said Mourinho with a flourish, “I had backed him to score the goal.” We laughed, he laughed and though the game was earnest and the football thoughtful, this was as much fun as we had. Watching Chelsea is always interesting but not often enthralling. They deserved this victory because they might have had two or three goals and Middlesbrough had just one chance, although that was a clear opportunity driven against the post by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. After that Chelsea, tightened up and this was their fourth consecutive victory and fourth consecutive clean sheet.
However pleasing they are to the players, clean sheets don’t thrill spectators and the Blues present us with a dilemma. They have many very good players, their tactical formation is intelligent, their attitude first class but, routinely, one’s response to the performance is never greater than respectful. As the game progresses, there is a temptation to withhold even that but, like they do to most oppositions, they grind you down.
Yesterday’s performance was typical of so many from the champions. They were efficient, they worked hard, they never looked liked losing and, in the end, they won decisively enough and in what we might call the Chelsea style — tough game, deadlocked, an hour has passed and the home side increase the tempo desperately searching for the breakthrough. From where does it come? The usual source, of course. A set-piece. This time it was Damien Duff’s corner and Terry’s header. For all their discipline and spirit, Boro’s negligence in giving Terry a virtual free header was staggering.
If the Terry strike was all that Chelsea produced in front of goal, you could condemn them but they had other clearcut chances. Didier Drogba should have scored, Frank Lampard might have netted and there were other chances that slipped away.
Yet here is the question: is the entertainment level commensurate with the team’s talent level? On balance you would say no. Yesterday Arjen Robben produced some outstanding runs down the left wing.
When he was substituted with 16 minutes remaining, the crowd rose and acclaimed the performance. Even Mourinho climbed from the dugout and embraced his Dutch winger. Bad-blood between them? You wouldn’t have thought so yesterday. “I was very pleased with how he played,” said Mourinho. “But he was also very pleased, he felt strong and he was happy with the way his body stood up to the test.
“Now he needs to play more games, he needs to score goals. So far this season, he has given us very little. A player like him must give you a lot.”
But who else would you have paid to watch, besides Robben? Yakubu, perhaps, because he too had that spark, that ability to turn quickly and wrong-foot his marker. Middlesbrough were actually as pleasing on the eye as their opponents and there were hints of real quality from the Fabien Rochembank.
He played behind Yakubu and Hasselbaink and there was much to admire in the way he moved the ball crisply to the front men and he was forever trying to be creative. As might be imagined, he is not a slave to tracking back and with him playing behind two strikers, others had to work extra hard to close down routes to Boro’s goal. But they did and for a team playing their fifth game in 13 days, Boro were very spirited.
It helped, of course, that Gareth Southgate was marshalling the defence and playing with his customary authority. His performance had you thinking that the absent Hernan Crespo must be better than Drogba.
Once, late in the game, Drogba was put through from halfway but the Boro skipper got back, stayed alive to the possibility that the striker would try to cut back inside of him and when Drogba tried, Southgate dispossessed him easily.
It wasn’t bad for a 35-year-old and the less experienced defenders around him fed off his composure. The most pleasing aspect of Boro’s performance was the way they went in pursuit of a goal in the final 30 minutes.
They didn’t get that close because Chelsea are very good with their backs to the wall but Boro’s refusal to lie down was their achievement.
“I don’t think many teams give Chelsea that tough a game here,” said Steve McClaren afterwards. Nobody was arguing with that.
STAR MAN: Arjen Robben (Chelsea) Player ratings.
Chelsea: Cech 6, Gallas 6, Carvalho 6, Terry 7, Del Horno 6, Lampard 6, Essien 6, Gudjohnsen 5 (Geremi 64min,6), Robben 8 (Wright-Phillips 74min,6), Drogba 5 (C Cole 78min,5), Duff 6
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer 6, Bates 5, Riggott 6, Southgate 7, Pogatetz 6, Boateng 6, Doriva 6, Morrison 6 (Queudrue 81min,5), Rochemback 7, Hasselbaink 5 (Viduka 72min,5), Yakubu 6
Scorer: Chelsea: Terry 62
Referee: M Riley
Attendance: 41,666 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Observer:
Chelsea profit after head-boy Terry rises to the occasion
Kevin Mitchell at Stamford BridgeSunday December 4, 2005The Observer
A sure sign that a team in their pomp have the total trust of their supporters is the sight of the home seats emptying five minutes before full-time with only a goal separating their heroes from the visiting team.It's been that sort of season for Chelsea and their fans' confidence was well justified again yesterday, even against a dangerous and vibrant Middlesbrough side.
Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren gambled on his most attacking formation, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink leading Fabio Rochemback and Yakubu Aiyegbeni up front. When the ball did come their way, Hasselbaink and Aiyegbeni were lively around the box.
James Morrison had the first shot of the match, a speculative thrash from 35yards, after a patient build-up that saw George Boateng break down the defence on the right flank. But Chelsea, who haven't conceded a goal in three games, held firm. As they did moments later went Aiyegbeni found himself in space after Boateng had made another raid forward.
Damien Duff had Middlesbrough worried with a darting run, only for his right-foot shot to slam into Didier Drogba's backside.
Boateng conceded a free-kick 35 yards out and who else stepped up but the man of the moment, Frank Lampard. He is enjoying the most gilded season and was acclaimed before the kick-off for breaking the record of 160 consecutive Premiership games last weekend. (That's still some way behind Phil Neal's 366 in a row for Liverpool under the old set-up.)
But Lampard could not add to his record 25 goals in a calender year - 11 in 14 league games - finding the wall instead of the net.
Hasselbaink should have scored in the 13th minute, hitting the post from eight yards after Aiyegbeni's shot bounced off John Terry. It was an appalling miss by the former Chelsea striker.
The chances were coming thick and fast at the other end. Arjen Robben, who hasn't scored at home since January, nearly did when he beat three tackles to get in a curling shot with his right foot, but it sailed wide.
If Hasselbaink's miss was astounding, there was a ricochet special inches from the Middlesbrough line from Duff's corner, with William Gallas probably the most culpable of the clutch of Chelsea players on hand.
Lampard, bossing the midfield, set up Duff for a left-foot strike that slid past the right post. He might have done better. Lampard brought down Drogba's pass on his chest, swivelled and did well to keep his shot down, but it went straight to Mark Schwarzer. The Boro goalkeeper was alert a minute later when he came out to rob Drogba at his feet, inches inside the box.
Chelsea should have scored through Terry when a strong header from Duff's swirling, left-footed corner again found Schwarzer. Ricardo Carvalho did brilliantly to block Hasselbaink's shot, which looked headed for goal.
Michael Essien limped off briefly, clutching his ankle, as Hasselbaink fell on him in the challenge. He returned quickly, but the prospect of losing him will have alerted Chelsea fans to the fact that the absence of Claude Makelele through injury has left resources thin in the holding position that is so crucial to their team's strategy.
Lampard missed another gimme from short range minutes before the break after Robben had again opened up Boro. The Dutchman was having a wonderful game.
Within two minutes of the start of the second half, Hasselbaink won a free-kick against Carvalho 30 yards out and whacked it high - although not quite as bizarrely as when he found the top tier of the Matthew Harding Stand with a shot last season.
Chelsea were inventive but lacked their usual cohesion, as Duff split Boro wide open with a bewildering, zig- zagging run but then mis-timed his final pass to an offside Eidur Gudjohnsen. Gareth Southgate was doing a splendid job marshalling the Boro back line and he was ably helped by Emanuel Pogatetz, who robbed Drogba in sight of goal with a perfectly timed tackle.
The pressure built steadily, though, and Terry headed home from Duff's well-weighted corner on the hour, as Schwarzer tried desperately to bundle it back from across the line. It was Terry's first goal since December, in his 250th game for Chelsea.
Lampard should have made it 2-0 within moments, but Schwarzer again denied him from point-blank range. Duff, for the umpteenth time, ripped Boro apart and Drogba's ugly shot skewed off his shin.
Chelsea cut loose in the final quarter, Essien charging into the box to head down hard but into Schwarzer's safe hands. Lampard's radar obviously was on the blink as he put the ball over the bar yet again near the end, but the points were in the bag by then, as the fans started to head home.
Man of the match: Damien Duff - Despite the claustrophobic and at times barely legal attentions of Emanuel Pogatetz, Duff pretty much owned the right wing all afternoon, much as Arjen Robben dominated the left. The Irishman, though, was marginally busier as he pulled the Boro defence to pieces almost at will, setting up a welter of chances.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mirror:
TERRY KEEPS A COOL HEAD CHELSEA..................1 Terry 62 MIDDLESBROUGH....0
Skipper helps the Blues to march on By Duncan Wright CHELSEA continued their relentless march at the top of the Premiership as John Terry proved patience does pay.
It was a case of "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again" for the England defender who finally headed home at the third time of asking.
Twice in the first half he had nodded Damien Duff corners towards goal - and both times he saw the ball hacked off the line by Fabio Rochemback. But Terry was not to be denied a third time with a carbon copy header from Duff's corner which squirmed through the legs of the Boro man and rolled over the line.
It was no more than Jose Mourinho's side deserved, though they had been forced to work harder than usual to see of Steve McClaren's men.
While events at other clubs have taken most of the attention in recent weeks, Chelsea's continued progress has remained fairly low key.
The absence of Claud Makelele through injury has provided a problem for Mourinho to solve - and he looks to Michael Essien to provide the answer.
The Ghanaian is clearly an impressive footballer, but much of his work is done bursting forward. Makelele's holding role requires a different kind of discipline, and it is one Essien at times forgets despite his undoubted ability.
And Middlesbrough sensed they might just be able to exploit that area of the field by pushing Rochemback into a more advanced position, in an attempt to find space between Chelsea's defence and midfield.
For a while that tactic caused the champions a degree of difficulty as Boro surprised everyone with the positive nature of their play.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink looked intent on marking his return to Stamford Bridge with a goal, while Yakubu's pace and power stretched the home defence.
Petr Cech had already been forced into a sharp save to deny James Morrison when Boro went within a whisker of taking the lead on 14 minutes.
Yakubu's shot deflected off Terry into the path of Hasselbaink who poked the ball past Cech, only to see it rebound off the post and Chelsea were able to clear to safety.
Rarely have Mourinho's men started so slowly and they were looking around for inspiration. That spark came from Arjen Robben on his return to action after injury.
The Dutchman has been a frustration to Mourinho at times, given his tendency to be injured. But when he is on song, there are few better sights than the winger tormenting opposition defences.
Young Boro full-back Matthew Bates was unfortunate to come up against Robben on one of his better days, and he was forced to endure a torrid first half. Time and again Robben jinked and turned his way into dangerous positions and the only disappointment was that Chelsea failed to convert such flashes of genius into goals.
Robben was guilty of the first miss on 16 minutes when he shot high and wide of the top corner after a run taking him past three defenders. And a similar run to the byline on the left saw him cross and Frank Lampard arrive late only to shoot wide of target.
How Bates must have breathed a sigh of relief when Robben was substituted after 75 impressive minutes - though his replacement Shaun Wright-Phillips is hardly the man he wanted to see trotting on to the pitch.
Lampard was not having the best of days in a season of high consistency and he should have done better than shoot straight at Mark Schwarzer when clean through on goal.
With Terry's two headers both being cleared off the line by Rochemback, McClaren knew his team had been fortunate to make it to the break with the score still goalless.
But you cannot continue to give one of the best headers of the ball in the Premiership chances in front of goal and expect to get away with it. And Boro were punished finally on 62 minutes when Terry at last succeeded in meeting a Duff corner and beating Rochemback on the line.
Take nothing away from McClaren's men, for at times they played with enterprise and an openness which had troubled Chelsea more than many sides have.
But they hardly created a clear chance, and had the champions been less wasteful in front of goal this would have finished in a thrashing.
Robben and Duff out wide caused so many problems all game and carved out a stream of opportunities which all went begging.
Lampard, usually so clinical with late runs into the area, twice shot off target. And the worst miss of all came from Didier Drogba who somehow contrived to shoot miles over from 10 yards after some wonderful wing play from Duff.
Mourinho said of his skipper Terry: "He ran over to me because I had a bet on him to score the first goal!"
As for his star winger, the coach added: "Robben is a player who has given us very little this season, and he should be giving us a lot more. He has had problems with injuries but I am happy to have him back."
Boro boss McClaren said: "The player should be proud of themselves, I am certainly proud of them. I wouldn't have thought many sides would have given Chelsea a tougher game and we're disappointed not to get anything."
MAN OF THE MATCH
ARJEN ROBBEN
So often a frustration but on his day brilliant. The Dutch winger tormented Boro until he was substituted late on.
6 Shots on target 1
8 Shots off target 4
3 Shots blocked 4
6 Corners 4
15 Fouls conceded 13
1 Offsides 0
0 Yellow cards 0
0 Red cards 0
RATINGS
CHELSEA: Cech 6, Gallas 7, Carvalho 6, Terry 7, Del Horno 6, ROBBEN 8 (Wright-Phillips 6), Lampard 6, Gudjohnsen 6 (Geremi 7) Essien 6, Duff 7, Drogba 6 (C Cole 6).
MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer 6, Bates 6, Southgate 7, Riggott 7, Pogatetz 6, Morrison 6 (Queudrue 5), Rochemback 7, Boateng 6, Doriva 6, Hasselbaink 7 (Viduka 6), Yakubu 7.
MANAGERS: Mourinho 7; McClaren 7
REFEREE: M Riley 7
Boro last beat Chelsea 1-0 in Dec 2000, 12 meetings ago. Only three players from Chelsea's 16 are still at the club, John Terry, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Carlo Cudicini.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
People:
TERRY'S A BET OF ALL RIGHT Chelsea 1 Middlesbrough 0 Paul Mccarthy A MAN who strolls the leafy streets of Surrey with a swag of £50 notes tucked in a plastic bag knows the value of a gamble.
So when John Terry charged forward with deadly intent on his mind, only the biggest mug punter would have bet against the outcome.
Up and above the Middlesbrough defence he rose, trusty forehead meeting leather with a resounding thwack, ball in the back of the net, game over, and Chelsea in the money once more.
Obviously, Terry didn't back himself - there are rules against that, of course. But those in the know would have been quids in.
Because when his side need something decisive, odds on it's JT who steps up to the plate.
Jose Mourinho calls his gambling habit both natural and cultural ... and when it's only five grand out of a weekly haul of £80,000 it's not as if the Chelsea captain is going to have the bailiffs knocking in the morning.
But it's a fair bet he wins a damn sight more often on the pitch than he does at the bookies near Chelsea's Cobham training ground, especially with the spirit that pumps through his body plain for all to see.
On a day when the champions struggled to get out of second gear, Terry was on hand to salvage the three points their performance barely merited.
And with it the knowledge that even when the big guns only splutter intermittently, there's always the rock-solid reliability of The Skipper to save face.
Terry's been more proficient in the back of his Bentley this season than in front of goal but when he's needed he's always ready to, erm, pull out the big one.
As Boro found to their cost.
Boro boss Steve McClaren could have barely believed his luck. There was Frank Lampard being served up chances on a plate, only for the England man to waste each and every opportunity.
Yet just when Lampard had seen another opening slammed in his face, his compatriot in an England shirt charges out of defence and lands the devastating blow.
There was only one man Terry wanted to celebrate with ... and that was Mourinho.
Was it because of his unstinting support through a week of front-page headlines? Was it because this was a move planned to perfection on the training ground? Come on, Jose, what was the reason?
"Because he knew I'd had a bet on him," Mourinho said with a wolfish grin.
Mind you, Mourinho could only afford to smile after the game. During it, he'd been at his wits' end as Chelsea tossed away too many chances to put Boro to the sword for his liking.
He could forgive Lampard a rare off-day but Didier Drogba's wastefulness from eight yards after Damien Duff set him up with a snaking run was harder to accept. And Drogba felt Mourinho's wrath when he was hauled off minutes later.
In fact, there wasn't exactly much for Mourinho to salvage from this save for the three points and the reappearance of Arjen Robben.
The Hypochondriac Kid had been sidelined since November 1 with another niggling injury and it's obvious Mourinho has learned not to hurry the fragile Dutchman.
His reward was a performance of sinewy brilliance from Robben, twisting Boro inside out and finding a familiar rhythm and tempo that makes him such a wonder to behold ... at least when his head is right. He lasted until the 74th minute when he found the pace too much for a body unused to the rigours of the Premiership but that was enough to win praise from Mourinho.
"Arjen felt good and strong and showed the qualities that make him an important player for us," stressed the Chelsea boss. "We're into December now and he's given us very little this season - and he's a player who has to give us a lot."
Robben gave poor Matthew Bates all kinds of problems before the break yet Chelsea failed to capitalise with Lampard's radar for once wonky.
The nearest any side came to a goal was when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hit the base of Petr Cech's post but there was to be no win bonus for Jimmy, no matter what his next book insists.
Instead, it was Chelsea who upped the ante and when Terry surged forward to meet Duff's corner and nod it under the fumbling feet of Fabio Rochemback, it turned out to be a nice little earner for the boys in blue.
CHELSEA: Cech 7 - Gallas 7, Carvalho 7, *TERRY 8, Del Horno 7 - Essien 7, Lampard 7, Gudjohnsen 6 (Geremi, 64mins 6) - Robben 8 (Wright-Phillips, 74mins, 7) Drogba 6 (Cole, 78mins), Duff 7.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer 7 - Bates 6, Riggott 7, Southgate 7, Pogatetz 7 - Rochemback 7, *BOATENG 8, Doriva 7, Morrison 6 (Quedrue, 81mins) - Yakubu 7, Hasselbaink 6 (Viduka, 72mins, 6). Ref: M Riley 8.
SHINER TERRY Put your mortgage on a true captain's performance from the Chelsea skipper
SHOCKER DROGBA The Ivory Coast striker has all the elegance of a horse falling down stairs
Attendance: 41,666