Sunday, March 26, 2006

sunday papers man city home

The Observer
Drogba has hand in another win
Kevin Mitchell at Stamford BridgeSunday March 26, 2006
The growing army of Chelsea haters might have reason to object to the West Londoners' wealth and their eccentric manager (while Jose Mourinho's swagger is not what it was, his dress sense remains impeccable), but you can't complain about the quality of their football. They toyed with Manchester City, from start to finish in what was, ultimately, little more than a tune-up for their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool on 22 April. They ought to have the Premiership locked up by then, too. After 10 minutes this looked a bigger mismatch than Amir Khan versus, well, anybody. Chelsea might have been 4-0 up before they had worked up a sweat with Didier Drogba, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvahlo all going close. David Sommeil was working overtime to contain Drogba, Damien Duff and Gudjohnsen. All around him was unalloyed chaos. Brave punters might have fancied a long-priced go at Manchester United making up the 12 points on Chelsea (they play each other in the second last fixture and United, in decent form, will still have a game in hand after what ought to be a three-pointer against Birmingham), but it would have been a hideously adventurous wager.
City were barely hanging against the Blues, and it took a wonderful reflex save by David James to keep the rampant Drogba at bay again. Danny Mills kicked Gudjohnsen up in the air and was booked. When Mills got a sight of the ball going forward, he put in a fair shot that forced the first proper save out of Petr Cech. Drogba finally got the better of Sommeil, turning him beautifully after picking up a perfect pass from Gudjohnsen and sliding it past James's left hand.
Drogba was in again after a ping-pong exchange yards in front of James, finally bringing the ball down with what might have been an arm and blasting it low and to the goalkeeper's right. Chelsea were meshing like a Ferrari gearbox, Claude Makelele and John Terry snuffing out the rare moves forward by Stephen Ireland and Darius Vassell, Frank Lampard feeding Gudjohnsen, who threaded pass after pass Drogba's way, Duff scaring City on the left, Joe Cole doing the same on the right.
How anyone can doubt Chelsea's pedigree is beyond belief. When they are on top of the game they are irresistible. And this was a wounded Chelsea who look to have put the Fulham blip behind them. Drogba could have had a third two minutes before the interval, only just failing to get enough of his head on a Lampard cross. Then came a bizarre interlude. After the half time whistle had gone Sylvain Distin was booked for arguing over the second goal, refused to give the referee the ball - and was booked again. Kiki Musampa was also booked.
With 11 they were really struggling. Down to 10 and without the captain, City had set themselves up for a proper caning. And only another fine save by James just after the resumption, diving at Gudjohnsen's feet, kept them in the contest. Mourinho felt comfortable enough to bring Duff off after only nine minutes of the second half, replaced by Michael Essien, and Hernan Crespo came on a few minutes later for Gudjohnsen. With only the suspended Robben and Gallas unavailable, the manager has at his disposal a truly formidable arsenal to call on in the remaining seven games.
Chelsea, reinvigorated, continued their stroll with only rare hiccups, Danny Mills blasting a long free-kick on to the post with Cech beaten. Cole, breaking into the area to seize on an Essien break, delayed the trigger on his shot but James timed his dive to perfection. The keeper, playing his 85th consecutive game, the longest unbroken run by a keeper in the Premiership, was having one of his better days. Only Gary Speed (474 games) and Alan Shearer (436) can better his tally of 430 appearances.
James was on the turf again soon enough, in anticipation of Essien's shot, but it took a deflection and went wide. Drogba should have had his third a quarter of an hour from the end, when a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross scooted just out of reach two metres from goal. Crespo botched an easier chance, a diving header from Drogba's cross, within minutes. That City managed to keep it to 2-0 owed as much to those near-misses as anything contributed by their own thoroughly outplayed personnel.
Man of the Match - Didier DrogbaScored two quick first-half goals to centre a formidable Chelsea attack. Had David James not been stellar then he could have easily had four or five, ending doubts about Chelsea's ability to bounce back after a league loss.
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Independent ;
Chelsea 2 Manchester City 0: Drogba's double a handful for City Dubious goal and Distin red card pile on misery as Pearce's men lose third successive game By Jason Burt at Stamford Bridge Published: 26 March 2006 Maybe, just maybe, when Jose Mourinho reviews the videotape of this match and Didier Drogba's second goal in particular he will admit to himself that there just might not be that conspiracy against Chelsea after all. The striker's blatant handball - unlike last weekend against Fulham - was not detected and such was City's anger that their captain, Sylvain Distin, received two yellow cards for protesting and was dismissed at half-time. The second caution came because he did not hand the ball back to the referee, Rob Styles.
Not that Mourinho was asked whether he agreed that those slings and arrows do not always just rain down on his head. The manager's omerta continued and he, once more, would not speak to the media. But, hey, according to the chief executive, Peter Kenyon, this is not a club with an image problem.
Instead there were Mourinho's programme notes and the accusation that some people are guilty of "not wanting to see this club grow up". Really? The siege mentality is truly a mindset and maybe maturity is something that is missing not just from Chelsea's critics.
Instead, it was down to City's Stuart Pearce to speak. Yes, he had talked to Distin and said the defender had indeed been told by Styles to "give me the ball back". Distin protested that: "I'm coming to you as the captain of the football club".
"I don't think he used foul or abusive language," said Pearce, who has captained many a team. "If it had been me there would have been the additional f-word coming out." The manager added that he abided by Styles' decisions, even if he agreed Drogba had handled. "When I first saw it I thought it was," he said. Replays only confirmed that.
It was cruel on City. Chelsea's victory was routine enough even if they did not play well - leaving them to garner just four more, according to their manager, to achieve back-to-back Premiership titles - but it was made all the more comfortable by the appalling misfortune that befell the visitors with their list of absentee players.
It meant their young team was even younger with 17-year-old Micah Richards starting in midfield, flanked by 20-year-old Willo Flood and Stephen Ireland, 17. They lacked experience, bite and numbers but no one could accuse them of lacking heart although Pearce felt some of his older players could have stood up more.
But there was no capitulation, no goal rush. Indeed of the two teams City came closer to scoring in the second-half when Danny Mills' curling free-kick struck the outside of the post. Still City began with a fragility that made the result somewhat predictable as if they believed too readily Pearce's claim that Chelsea are "one of the best [teams] in the world".
Drogba terrorised their three central defenders, with David James saving smartly from his low shot, tipping over Ricardo Carvalho's drive and watching as Eidur Gudjohnsen, also playing as a striker, dragged his effort wide. Finally Gudjohnsen slipped the ball to Drogba, afforded space by David Sommeil on the area's edge, and he checked back outside the defender to drive a left-foot shot over James.
If that goal was laudable in its execution, Drogba's second was not. James saved brilliantly from John Terry's header - after the Chelsea captain had again met a corner - and following Joe Cole's mishit shot Asier del Horno headed across the six-yard area to Drogba. The Ivorian clearly handled before the ball dropped and he slammed beyond James and into the net. The handball was so obvious that City appeared stunned. Drogba was unrepentant. "Yes, it was handball," he said. "But, you know, sometimes this is the game. I don't know how to explain. The ball comes to me and I cannot do anything about this."
Into the second-half and Gudjohnsen was released but Richards, now in defence, recovered with a wonderful tackle before Drogba got his angles wrong with an unmarked header, while James held on to Cole's side-footed effort.
Chelsea made a flurry of changes. Among them was Shaun Wright-Phillips, formerly of City, and he beat Richards to square just in front of Drogba. James once more denied the striker before Drogba found Hernan Crespo who stooped but headed wide with the goalkeeper stranded.
But City did not lie down. They pushed on themselves, continued to probe, but could not fashion a recovery or even a consolation, with Petr Cech holding on to Darius Vassell's low shot. A goal would have been deserved. But then, as Mourinho readily claims, there isn't always justice in football.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
Distin dismissed after Drogba proves a handfulBy Patrick Barclay
Chelsea (2) 2 Man City (0) 0
Mike Dean and the assistant who buzzed him after Didier Drogba had handled before finding the net against Fulham last Sunday were rather faintly praised, I thought, and the players and supporters of Manchester City must have wished these officials had been in charge here. Instead both the referee, Rob Styles, and the relevant linesman failed to discern that Drogba's second goal followed a similar offence.
This is not to accuse either of incompetence; they can only give what they see and the thicket of City arms that appeared as soon as Drogba had made contact could hardly be taken as conclusive evidence. Nor was there any excuse for Sylvain Distin's refusal to hand the ball to the referee at half-time, which, according to the City manager, Stuart Pearce, prompted Styles to flourish a second yellow card and a red.
You need hands: Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scores his second On this evidence, Distin left Styles with no alternative bar the kind of supine retreat that demeans refereeing. And finally, on the context front, let it be understood that City were never in the match. Not even remotely.
So there was no miscarriage of justice, merely an error that hastened City's relief from the misery of their hope, if any existed, that a display as flaccid as this would be enough to trouble the champions at a home, where they have not lost in the Premiership for 25 months.
Pearce, his resources stretched by injuries, appeared preoccupied with damage-limitation. Afterwards he was characteristically kind towards the referee, saying: "I thought it was a handball straight away - but it's a very quick game out there.'' And, without being asked to talk tactics, he was off.
The only club to beat Chelsea in the Premiership last season, City lined up yesterday with five in midfield and Darius Vassell isolated at the front, handing Jose Mourinho's men an invitation to take the initiative which they had pleasure in accepting. As if life were not difficult enough for City's battalion of defenders, an additional difficulty seemed to be the constant stream of advice from Pearce: all of it judicious, no doubt, if a little distracting. They were reprieved when, from Asier del Horno's long ball, Drogba lobbed over the crossbar and when David James brought off an excellent one-handed save from the Ivory Coast striker.
Danny Mills tried a foray and shot from 25 yards. Although Petr Cech spilled the ball - drizzle was making the pitch slippery - John Terry cleared and the onslaught resumed. By now City had five at the back, but David Sommeil's presence alongside Distin and Richard Dunne proved no protection as Drogba, collecting from Eidur Gudjohnsen, twisted Sommeil inside out before beating James with a left-footed drive that flew high into the net.
That was Drogba's ninth Premiership goal of the season and although his 10th, a few minutes later, was shown to be illegitimate by video replays, no eagle eye alerted the referee. James did well to block Terry's header from a corner and, after the ball had been partially cleared, Joe Cole's miscued shot was headed into the goalmouth by Del Horno to Drogba, who used an arm in establishing control before whipping it past the hopelessly exposed James. Distin received his first yellow card for protesting.
Although City appeared to do better with 10 men, Chelsea were coasting, waiting for the occasional chance to arise. Gudjohnsen, having made one for himself, was foiled by a superb last-ditch tackle from young Micah Richards and the substitute Hernan Crespo headed wide of a near-open goal.
City were forced to chase. If they require consolation, it might be that some of their better performers, Richards included, have time on their side. Chelsea's behaviour, meanwhile, was impeccable. A delicious quote came from their chief executive, Peter Kenyon, after the dismissal of William Gallas at Craven Cottage. "Our image,'' he said, "is not as bad as people think.'' When paradox meets tautology, you might think confusion is bound to ensue, but I reckon we knew exactly what he was trying to say.
The truth is that Chelsea have become unpopular among not only neutrals but many of their own traditional supporters and blame should reside less with Kenyon or the director of communications, Simon Greenberg, than Roman Abramovich.
To paraphrase Arsene Wenger: how can we warm to him if he refuses to tell us what he is about? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Times:
Chelsea 2 Manchester City 0: Drogba hands win to ChelseaRob Hughes at Stamford Bridge ANOTHER Saturday, a thoroughly wet one in west London, and another inevitable victory for Chelsea towards the also inevitable retention of their Premiership title. They will win it. There will be no abdication in the manner that Newcastle, under Kevin Keegan, threw away the championship in 1996, but woe is the spirit with which Chelsea persist in grinding sportsmanship into their newly laid turf. We will not hear complaints from Jose Mourinho about this one because the clear miscarriage of justice, the error of a referee and linesman on this occasion heavily favoured Chelsea and allowed Didier Drogba to be named the home club's man of the match.
The portents for a mismatch were pre-ordained long before Drogba scored his two goals around the half-hour mark and before everyone realised that he had handled in setting himself up for the second.
That piece of deceit, seen by almost everyone bar the referee Rob Styles and his myopic linesman, had further repercussions when Sylvain Distin, having already been booked for protesting, received a red card during the half-time interval when he foolishly regarded it as his duty as captain to have further words with the linesman.
Mourinho had nothing to say to the media afterwards, unlike his counterpart at Manchester City, Stuart Pearce, who showed how to take defeat and how to treat refereeing error as an impostor. "It happens," he said. "It's a very quick game out there and it's not for me to criticise officials who have a very difficult job. Perhaps next week it will break for us and the referee will be just as generous to Manchester City."
We cannot start condoning disrespect for authority by the players, yet if ever one man's ire was understood, it was Distin's on this occasion.
Why on earth must Drogba sully his performance, seemingly every match, with gamesmanship? He had already made a dreadful, amateurish attempt to con the referee with a dive when no opponent was within a yard. He had scored twice, left foot and right, and he had missed at least two chances to help himself to a hat-trick.
City had come for damage limitation. They strung five defenders across the back, although Danny Mills seemed confused about whether his chief task was to track back and snuff out Damien Duff. City had excuses. They were without 10 members of their first-team pool and some of the absentees — Joey Barton, Georgios Samaras, Andy Cole, Trevor Sinclair among them — are key to the strategy and the heart of Pearce's philosophy.
As it was, to lie back and wait for the inevitable was misplaced. After barely three minutes, the ball was in City's net, correctly ruled out for offside. After six minutes Frank Lampard prised open the defence for Eidur Gudjohnsen and although the Icelandic striker's first touch was immaculate, his second was a dreadful, miscued shot, dragged wide from eight yards.
It continued, however, to be one-way traffic, and had Drogba been decisive after 20 minutes, he would surely have beaten David James one on one. But his shot was meek, and the big goalkeeper crumpled to the turf to save it.
In the 30th minute, obliged to live on his instinct rather than his thought, Drogba did score, and a marvellous execution it was. Gudjohnsen fed the centre-forward, who was lurking with intent on the edge of the penalty area in a central position. With his right foot, Drogba took control, shifted his body weight to the left, shrugging off David Sommeil, and then with the other foot swept the ball inside the far post.
Three minutes later came the controversy. Chelsea had caused confusion with a corner whipped in from the right. John Terry's header was saved but not held by James, the ball was driven back in by Asier Del Horno and there, six yards from the net, was Drogba. He controlled the ball with his right hand, got away with it, and then scored with his right foot.
The yellow shirts of City stood inert around him; three of them had their hands in the air, another three ran over to harangue the linesman, and both Kiki Musampa and Distin were booked for arguing.
City were spirited but toothless. Pearce responded to the red card by withdrawing another defender, Sommeil, and putting on Alberto Riera, an attacking midfielder. However, apart from a free kick by Mills that grazed the foot of the left post, they failed to trouble Chelsea's defence.
Player Ratings: Chelsea: Cech 6, Ferreira 6, Carvalho 6, Terry 7, Del Horno 6, Makelele 8, Lampard 6, J Cole 6 (Wright-Phillips 72min, 7), Gudjohnsen 6 (Crespo 57min, 6), Duff 6 (Essien 53min, 5), Drogba 6 Man City: James 7, D Mills 7 (M Mills 84min, 5), Sommeil 4 (Riera h-t, 6), Dunne 7, Distin 5, Thatcher 6, Flood 5, Richards 6, Musampa 5, Ireland 6 (Croft 73min, 5), Vassell 6
STAR MAN: Claude Makelele (Chelsea)
Scorer: Chelsea: Drogba 30, 33
Referee: R Styles
Attendance: 42,321
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Thursday, March 23, 2006

morning papers newcastle fa cup

Guardian :Terry strike takes Chelsea to semi-finalsKevin McCarra at Stamford BridgeThursday March 23, 2006Chelsea claimed their place in the semi-finals and Newcastle, as hastoo often been the case, took merely credit from the nature of thedefeat. The record books will suggest that this was vengeance for thevictors over opponents who had knocked them out of this tournament inthe fifth round last year, but it did not feel like it.This occasion did not see the Premiership leaders mounting a show ofstrength in the wake of the defeat by Fulham. Perhaps too manyfixtures have already been fulfilled and too many miles run for that.Shaun Wright-Phillips thrashed wide after 85 minutes and the initialimpression of this encounter was countered by the tense conclusion, inwhich Robbie Elliott was sent off after receiving a second yellow cardin the 90th minute.It was difficult on occasion to tell recuperation and challenge apartwhere Chelsea were concerned. Following the loss at Craven Cottage, itappeared, after a fourth-minute opener for Jose Mourinho's side, thatthey would build their confidence as well as advance their bid for thedouble. The visitors looked then, and in other first-half episodes, asif they had no means to defend themselves.Jean-Alain Boumsong had been so feckless even before his weekenddismissal that jokers argued Chelsea themselves ought to appealagainst the centre-half's suspension. Whatever the truth of soscathing a jest, the fact is that Glenn Roeder, the caretaker manager,has no simple means of replacing the Frenchman while Titus Bramble isinjured.Peter Ramage, the relative novice who has been nursed along atright-back, had to be shifted into the central position that he isexpected to occupy only in the longer term. There was no cover fromhim or anyone else when Damien Duff clipped a laconic corner into the
Nolberto Solano.It should have settled a Chelsea line-up that had been shaken up, withonly Terry, Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole surviving fromthe starting selection at Fulham. They were fairly sound, but the bidsto prey on the Newcastle defence were intermittent. Perhaps they werelulled into believing that it would be sufficient to hit the ball downthe middle.That was almost good enough, for instance, after 23 minutes whenDidier Drogba and Duff helped play on before Eidur Gudjohnsen thrasheda shot high from an angle. For all that, the visitors were notcompletely beleaguered and when Carlo Cudicini fended away a LeeBowyer shot in the 17th minute Terry had to react forcefully toprevent Alan Shearer from converting the loose ball.Chelsea\'s heart rate quickened, too, after the Asier Del Horno foul onBowyer four minutes later that allowed Solano to air his expertise atfree-kicks. The attempt went narrowly wide, even if Cudicini probablyhad it covered.Chelsea were spasmodic in their work and the employment of Cole in adeeper area meant that the side, with Michael Essien on the bench, didnot have as much muscle as usual to apply in midfield.Mourinho\'s team were merely in a workmanlike mood, confident thatvictory would emerge from diligence. That way of thinking often doesmake sense for them, particularly if the opposition are asunacquainted with marking as Newcastle. A minute before half-timeFrank Lampard bent in a free-kick and a stretching Ricardo Carvalhovolleyed wide of an open goal.Wastefulness of that order must encourage any opponents and Newcastle,whatever the other flaws that beset them, did not lack energy. SteveCarr, making his first appearance in two months after a herniaoperation, was as willing as ever to overlap. The visitors\'",1]
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goalmouth that left John Terry to shoot first time into the net offNolberto Solano.It should have settled a Chelsea line-up that had been shaken up, withonly Terry, Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole surviving fromthe starting selection at Fulham. They were fairly sound, but the bidsto prey on the Newcastle defence were intermittent. Perhaps they werelulled into believing that it would be sufficient to hit the ball downthe middle.That was almost good enough, for instance, after 23 minutes whenDidier Drogba and Duff helped play on before Eidur Gudjohnsen thrasheda shot high from an angle. For all that, the visitors were notcompletely beleaguered and when Carlo Cudicini fended away a LeeBowyer shot in the 17th minute Terry had to react forcefully toprevent Alan Shearer from converting the loose ball.Chelsea's heart rate quickened, too, after the Asier Del Horno foul onBowyer four minutes later that allowed Solano to air his expertise atfree-kicks. The attempt went narrowly wide, even if Cudicini probablyhad it covered.Chelsea were spasmodic in their work and the employment of Cole in adeeper area meant that the side, with Michael Essien on the bench, didnot have as much muscle as usual to apply in midfield.Mourinho's team were merely in a workmanlike mood, confident thatvictory would emerge from diligence. That way of thinking often doesmake sense for them, particularly if the opposition are asunacquainted with marking as Newcastle. A minute before half-timeFrank Lampard bent in a free-kick and a stretching Ricardo Carvalhovolleyed wide of an open goal.Wastefulness of that order must encourage any opponents and Newcastle,whatever the other flaws that beset them, did not lack energy. SteveCarr, making his first appearance in two months after a herniaoperation, was as willing as ever to overlap. The visitors'
had to make his debut by coming on for the injured Celestine Babayaro.Chelsea, despite the reputation for vigilance, have been afflictedrecently with lapses in concentration and they were striving lastnight for only their second clean sheet in 10 matches. The contest, atleast, did not put them in danger of drowsiness. There was a minorfracas in the 59th minute after Robbie Elliott had kicked Cole as helay on the ground.Steve Bennett restored order with cautions for Moore, Shola Ameobi andDrogba. Almost immediately, the Ivorian international forced anexcellent block from Shay Given. Gudjohnsen, though, failed lamentablyto do even that in the 63rd minute. Running through on the left, hisfinish ran so far askew that it remained in play.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Independent :Chelsea 1 Newcastle United 0: Terry\'s early strike keeps Chelsea\'sDouble dream aliveBy Glenn MoorePublished: 23 March 2006Chelsea\'s dreams of a first League and Cup Double remain very muchalive after they beat Newcastle United 1-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finalat Stamford Bridge last night. John Terry, the England centraldefender, scored the winner in the fourth minute with a volley from acorner.However, once again Jose Mourinho\'s Premiership champions-elect failedto entertain in what was a dour match. Their manager will probablyclaim not to care but if Chelsea lift the Cup they will have attractedfew new followers last night.For Newcastle the defeat means another season without silverware.Thirty-seven years and counting for the Tyneside faithful. For AlanShearer, their retiring striker and assistant manager, hopes of atrophy with his home-town club - as a player at least - came to an",1]
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perseverance kept having to meet new tests, though, and Craig Moorehad to make his debut by coming on for the injured Celestine Babayaro.Chelsea, despite the reputation for vigilance, have been afflictedrecently with lapses in concentration and they were striving lastnight for only their second clean sheet in 10 matches. The contest, atleast, did not put them in danger of drowsiness. There was a minorfracas in the 59th minute after Robbie Elliott had kicked Cole as helay on the ground.Steve Bennett restored order with cautions for Moore, Shola Ameobi andDrogba. Almost immediately, the Ivorian international forced anexcellent block from Shay Given. Gudjohnsen, though, failed lamentablyto do even that in the 63rd minute. Running through on the left, hisfinish ran so far askew that it remained in play.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Independent :Chelsea 1 Newcastle United 0: Terry's early strike keeps Chelsea'sDouble dream aliveBy Glenn MoorePublished: 23 March 2006Chelsea's dreams of a first League and Cup Double remain very muchalive after they beat Newcastle United 1-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finalat Stamford Bridge last night. John Terry, the England centraldefender, scored the winner in the fourth minute with a volley from acorner.However, once again Jose Mourinho's Premiership champions-elect failedto entertain in what was a dour match. Their manager will probablyclaim not to care but if Chelsea lift the Cup they will have attractedfew new followers last night.For Newcastle the defeat means another season without silverware.Thirty-seven years and counting for the Tyneside faithful. For AlanShearer, their retiring striker and assistant manager, hopes of atrophy with his home-town club - as a player at least - came to an
Had he scored a 203rd last night Newcastle United may have secured atleast a replay from this FA Cup sixth-round tie but he did not managea shot. Nor did enough of his team-mates as Newcastle strained in vainto level John Terry\'s fourth-minute goal.Shearer will head into retirement this summer haunted by the knowledgethat, despite his status as one of England\'s finest post-war strikers,his career honours list can be boiled down to the solitary Premiershipmedal he won with Blackburn Rovers in 1995.The Chelsea squad matched that last season and remain on course to addthe Double but, once again, they left a sour taste. The culprit wasShaun Wright-Phillips, who capped an abysmal 23-minute cameo with aninjury-time dive under the challenge of Robbie Elliott causing thedefender to be dismissed for a second yellow card.The England winger was one of seven changes Jose Mourinho had made tothe team beaten by Fulham on Sunday. Ordinarily, that might be putdown to squad rotation but so abject was the performance that severalplayers could consider themselves dropped. Wright-Phillips, hauled offafter 25 minutes at Craven Cottage, will have fallen into thatcategory.Newcastle, heavily beaten by Liverpool the same day, had fewer cardsto shuffle. With three centre-halves injured or suspended, thecaretaker-manager, Glenn Roeder, was forced to pair the rookie PeterRamage, who had spent most of his Premiership career at full-back,with Elliott, normally a left-back. This pair did not take long to beexposed.From Damien Duff\'s corner Terry, leaving Ramage trailing, struck a lowdrive. Shay Given may well have saved but Nolberto Solano, on thepost, stuck out a foot and inadvertently diverted the ball between thegoalkeeper\'s legs, and in. It was arguably an own goal but, morefairly, Terry\'s fifth of the season, a meagre tally given his",1]
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end.Had he scored a 203rd last night Newcastle United may have secured atleast a replay from this FA Cup sixth-round tie but he did not managea shot. Nor did enough of his team-mates as Newcastle strained in vainto level John Terry's fourth-minute goal.Shearer will head into retirement this summer haunted by the knowledgethat, despite his status as one of England's finest post-war strikers,his career honours list can be boiled down to the solitary Premiershipmedal he won with Blackburn Rovers in 1995.The Chelsea squad matched that last season and remain on course to addthe Double but, once again, they left a sour taste. The culprit wasShaun Wright-Phillips, who capped an abysmal 23-minute cameo with aninjury-time dive under the challenge of Robbie Elliott causing thedefender to be dismissed for a second yellow card.The England winger was one of seven changes Jose Mourinho had made tothe team beaten by Fulham on Sunday. Ordinarily, that might be putdown to squad rotation but so abject was the performance that severalplayers could consider themselves dropped. Wright-Phillips, hauled offafter 25 minutes at Craven Cottage, will have fallen into thatcategory.Newcastle, heavily beaten by Liverpool the same day, had fewer cardsto shuffle. With three centre-halves injured or suspended, thecaretaker-manager, Glenn Roeder, was forced to pair the rookie PeterRamage, who had spent most of his Premiership career at full-back,with Elliott, normally a left-back. This pair did not take long to beexposed.From Damien Duff's corner Terry, leaving Ramage trailing, struck a lowdrive. Shay Given may well have saved but Nolberto Solano, on thepost, stuck out a foot and inadvertently diverted the ball between thegoalkeeper's legs, and in. It was arguably an own goal but, morefairly, Terry's fifth of the season, a meagre tally given his
little doubt that Chelsea would join West Ham and Liverpool intomorrow\'s semi-final draw.Newcastle had not won at Stamford Bridge since 1986, when Roeder wasplaying for them, and had conceded 15 goals in their past four visits.But they did not succumb meekly like Birmingham City the previousnight and Chelsea did not appear in as clinical a frame of mind asLiverpool had been at St Andrew\'s.This, at least, gave Carlo Cudicini a rare opportunity to show hisclass. The goalkeeper, who presumably feels occasional cup outingssuch as this one, and healthy remuneration, are sufficientcompensation for his second-string status, had to leap full length topalm away Lee Bowyer\'s 16th-minute snap shot. A few years ago it wouldstill have been a goal for Shearer was following up but Terry gotthere first.Newcastle were given further chances through the indiscipline whichhas crept into Chelsea\'s defending, but Newcastle\'s makeshift defencecontinued to struggle at set-pieces. Immedi-ately after the restart,Joe Cole forced a good save at the near post from Given. Then EidurGudjohnsen dribbled through with evident intent only to spoon his shotover. With Newcastle\'s defence being stretched to breaking point CraigMoore, one of Graeme Souness\' summer signings, was introduced for whatwas, unbelievably, his debut.With Newcastle weathering the storm, tensions rose. Drogba, SholaAmeobi and Moore were all booked, and Elliott could have beendismissed, following an ugly scramble for a loose ball which hadbecome lodged under Cole.Duff later made way as Chelsea, having flaunted their riches on BudgetDay by putting £74m of talent on the bench, introducedWright-Phillips. With the home side counter-attacking at will heshould have settled the issue but blazed over. It will have done the",1]
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dominating presence at set-pieces. From that moment on there seemedlittle doubt that Chelsea would join West Ham and Liverpool intomorrow's semi-final draw.Newcastle had not won at Stamford Bridge since 1986, when Roeder wasplaying for them, and had conceded 15 goals in their past four visits.But they did not succumb meekly like Birmingham City the previousnight and Chelsea did not appear in as clinical a frame of mind asLiverpool had been at St Andrew's.This, at least, gave Carlo Cudicini a rare opportunity to show hisclass. The goalkeeper, who presumably feels occasional cup outingssuch as this one, and healthy remuneration, are sufficientcompensation for his second-string status, had to leap full length topalm away Lee Bowyer's 16th-minute snap shot. A few years ago it wouldstill have been a goal for Shearer was following up but Terry gotthere first.Newcastle were given further chances through the indiscipline whichhas crept into Chelsea's defending, but Newcastle's makeshift defencecontinued to struggle at set-pieces. Immedi-ately after the restart,Joe Cole forced a good save at the near post from Given. Then EidurGudjohnsen dribbled through with evident intent only to spoon his shotover. With Newcastle's defence being stretched to breaking point CraigMoore, one of Graeme Souness' summer signings, was introduced for whatwas, unbelievably, his debut.With Newcastle weathering the storm, tensions rose. Drogba, SholaAmeobi and Moore were all booked, and Elliott could have beendismissed, following an ugly scramble for a loose ball which hadbecome lodged under Cole.Duff later made way as Chelsea, having flaunted their riches on BudgetDay by putting £74m of talent on the bench, introducedWright-Phillips. With the home side counter-attacking at will heshould have settled the issue but blazed over. It will have done the
Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cudicini; Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno;Makelele; Gudjohnsen (Essien, 75), Lampard; Cole (Crespo, 75), Drogba,Duff (Wright-Phillips, 67). Substitutes not used: Cech (gk), Huth.Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Given; Carr, Ramage, Elliott, Babayaro(Moore, 55); Parker, Bowyer; Solano (Emre, 69), Dyer, Ameobi; Shearer.Substitutes not used: Harper (gk), Faye, Clark.Referee: S Bennett (Orpington).------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph :Shearer out with a whimper as Chelsea cruiseBy Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge(Chelsea (1) 1 Newcastle United (0) 0So that is why Newcastle United organised Alan Shearer\'s testimonialfor two days before the FA Cup final.Shearer, the old warrior sadly now showing his 35 years, failed totrouble Chelsea in this unmemorable quarter-final, and the man whostifled him, John Terry, even found time to score the winner.So, Shearer\'s fine career will now end with a whimper, and not a bashat the Millennium Stadium that neutrals and the Toon Army craved.Newcastle have not won the Cup since Jackie Milburn was at No 9 andAnthony Eden was at No 10 but it was still disappointing to see thembow meekly to their fate last night.No one raged at the dying of their season\'s light. No one decided topush forward in proper support of the lone, frustrated figure ofShearer. Kieron Dyer, commendably, tried to insinuate his way upfieldwith some promising breaks but it was too little, too late.Maybe the 51 years of Cup hurt, and a record of not having prevailedat the Bridge for 21 years, weighed heavily on Newcastle minds.Belief, the trait that defines Shearer, was painfully absent from hisbeloved team. Newcastle\'s fans were more upbeat.",1]
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player no favours.Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cudicini; Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno;Makelele; Gudjohnsen (Essien, 75), Lampard; Cole (Crespo, 75), Drogba,Duff (Wright-Phillips, 67). Substitutes not used: Cech (gk), Huth.Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Given; Carr, Ramage, Elliott, Babayaro(Moore, 55); Parker, Bowyer; Solano (Emre, 69), Dyer, Ameobi; Shearer.Substitutes not used: Harper (gk), Faye, Clark.Referee: S Bennett (Orpington).------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph :Shearer out with a whimper as Chelsea cruiseBy Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge(Chelsea (1) 1 Newcastle United (0) 0So that is why Newcastle United organised Alan Shearer's testimonialfor two days before the FA Cup final.Shearer, the old warrior sadly now showing his 35 years, failed totrouble Chelsea in this unmemorable quarter-final, and the man whostifled him, John Terry, even found time to score the winner.So, Shearer's fine career will now end with a whimper, and not a bashat the Millennium Stadium that neutrals and the Toon Army craved.Newcastle have not won the Cup since Jackie Milburn was at No 9 andAnthony Eden was at No 10 but it was still disappointing to see thembow meekly to their fate last night.No one raged at the dying of their season's light. No one decided topush forward in proper support of the lone, frustrated figure ofShearer. Kieron Dyer, commendably, tried to insinuate his way upfieldwith some promising breaks but it was too little, too late.Maybe the 51 years of Cup hurt, and a record of not having prevailedat the Bridge for 21 years, weighed heavily on Newcastle minds.Belief, the trait that defines Shearer, was painfully absent from hisbeloved team. Newcastle's fans were more upbeat.
At least Gallowgate and friends can give Shearer an emotional send-offwhen Celtic visit St James\' Park on May 11. By then, Chelsea could bewithin 48-hours of the Double, depending on how they fare in thesemi-finals, the draw for which takes place tomorrow. With Terryleading the side with such conviction, the Premiership pace-settersdefinitely have a chance of the Double.Terry\'s strike, leadership and tackling was a tonic for theblue-shirted troops after Sunday\'s disappointment down the road atFulham.In times of adversity, few men are better at delivering the perfectresponse in word and deed than Terry, who took his goal well, keptcajoling his colleagues and stuck closely to Shearer.After the Craven Cottage reverse, Terry admitted he and his team-mateshad discussed the need "to get back to basics", namely playing with a"high tempo" and "good pressing". The talks paid off.Chelsea\'s mood was so different to the Fulham failure. There werechanges in personnel (seven) and, significantly, in tactics, with JoseMourinho switching to a more fluent 4-2-3-1 formation which saw bluewaves flooding forward in support of Didier Drogba time after time.Frank Lampard shared the anchoring duties with Claude Makelele, thepair constantly releasing Damien Duff down the left, Joe Cole down theright or finding the receptive feet of Eidur Gudjohnsen as the cleverIcelander dropped off Drogba.Even with five in midfield, Newcastle struggled to limit thechampions\' non-stop movement. Chelsea were also encouraged by thesight of the black-and-white back-line.Newcastle\'s defenders always give the impression of having beenintroduced only in the tunnel and once again they were strangers inthe night. Even without the erratic twins, Jean-Alain Boumsong andTitus Bramble, Newcastle\'s rearguard was soon and predictably exposed.",1]
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At least Gallowgate and friends can give Shearer an emotional send-offwhen Celtic visit St James' Park on May 11. By then, Chelsea could bewithin 48-hours of the Double, depending on how they fare in thesemi-finals, the draw for which takes place tomorrow. With Terryleading the side with such conviction, the Premiership pace-settersdefinitely have a chance of the Double.Terry's strike, leadership and tackling was a tonic for theblue-shirted troops after Sunday's disappointment down the road atFulham.In times of adversity, few men are better at delivering the perfectresponse in word and deed than Terry, who took his goal well, keptcajoling his colleagues and stuck closely to Shearer.After the Craven Cottage reverse, Terry admitted he and his team-mateshad discussed the need "to get back to basics", namely playing with a"high tempo" and "good pressing". The talks paid off.Chelsea's mood was so different to the Fulham failure. There werechanges in personnel (seven) and, significantly, in tactics, with JoseMourinho switching to a more fluent 4-2-3-1 formation which saw bluewaves flooding forward in support of Didier Drogba time after time.Frank Lampard shared the anchoring duties with Claude Makelele, thepair constantly releasing Damien Duff down the left, Joe Cole down theright or finding the receptive feet of Eidur Gudjohnsen as the cleverIcelander dropped off Drogba.Even with five in midfield, Newcastle struggled to limit thechampions' non-stop movement. Chelsea were also encouraged by thesight of the black-and-white back-line.Newcastle's defenders always give the impression of having beenintroduced only in the tunnel and once again they were strangers inthe night. Even without the erratic twins, Jean-Alain Boumsong andTitus Bramble, Newcastle's rearguard was soon and predictably exposed.
The culprit this time was Peter Ramage, who was found wanting asDuff\'s fourth-minute corner curled across in front of the Geordielegions in the Shed. Ramage failed to keep track of Terry, who met theball with a neat left-footed half-volley that sped between NobbySolano and Shay Given.Chelsea should really have turned round further ahead. Only a divingblock from Celestine Babayaro thwarted Cole.Scott Parker, who was everywhere against his former employers,displayed marvellous awareness and agility to intercept a ball racingtowards Gudjohnsen. Then Given reacted well to punch clear a Geremicross destined for Drogba\'s head.To the home fans\' delight, the champions were playing with guile, gritand width. Sadly, some of Chelsea\'s less edifying traits were inevidence, notably a disgraceful piece of simulation from Asier delHorno as Parker challenged.Steve Bennett was tricked into awarding a free-kick, which Lampardimmediately bent into the box. Ricardo Carvalho, unmarked and closein, somehow contrived to miss.It was far from one-way traffic. Newcastle had their first-halfchances and Carlo Cudicini scrambled to his left to keep out a shotfrom Lee Bowyer. When Del Horno then fouled Bowyer 25 yards out,Solano bent in a free-kick that found only the side-netting.At least this was something to encourage the all-singing, all-standingToon Army, whose constant noise sparked the Chelsea choirs into vocallife. The temperature rose just before the hour-mark when RobbieElliott, already cautioned, recklessly kicked at a ball clearlytrapped under Cole, who had fallen to the floor.The usual playground posturing and pushing broke out, leaving Drogba,Craig Moore and Shola Ameobi cautioned. Bennett\'s failure toadminister a second booking to Elliott was perplexing, although thedefender was sent off in the final minute, wrongly as he never touched",1]
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The culprit this time was Peter Ramage, who was found wanting asDuff's fourth-minute corner curled across in front of the Geordielegions in the Shed. Ramage failed to keep track of Terry, who met theball with a neat left-footed half-volley that sped between NobbySolano and Shay Given.Chelsea should really have turned round further ahead. Only a divingblock from Celestine Babayaro thwarted Cole.Scott Parker, who was everywhere against his former employers,displayed marvellous awareness and agility to intercept a ball racingtowards Gudjohnsen. Then Given reacted well to punch clear a Geremicross destined for Drogba's head.To the home fans' delight, the champions were playing with guile, gritand width. Sadly, some of Chelsea's less edifying traits were inevidence, notably a disgraceful piece of simulation from Asier delHorno as Parker challenged.Steve Bennett was tricked into awarding a free-kick, which Lampardimmediately bent into the box. Ricardo Carvalho, unmarked and closein, somehow contrived to miss.It was far from one-way traffic. Newcastle had their first-halfchances and Carlo Cudicini scrambled to his left to keep out a shotfrom Lee Bowyer. When Del Horno then fouled Bowyer 25 yards out,Solano bent in a free-kick that found only the side-netting.At least this was something to encourage the all-singing, all-standingToon Army, whose constant noise sparked the Chelsea choirs into vocallife. The temperature rose just before the hour-mark when RobbieElliott, already cautioned, recklessly kicked at a ball clearlytrapped under Cole, who had fallen to the floor.The usual playground posturing and pushing broke out, leaving Drogba,Craig Moore and Shola Ameobi cautioned. Bennett's failure toadminister a second booking to Elliott was perplexing, although thedefender was sent off in the final minute, wrongly as he never touched
Shearer was so incensed he was cautioned for dissent. Shearer went outwith a shout, but not one of celebration.Match detailsChelsea (4-2-3-1): Cudicini; Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno;Lampard, Makelele; J Cole (Essien, 78), Gudjohnsen (Crespo, 77), Duff(Wright-Phillips, 67); Drogba.Subs: Cech (g), Wright-Phillips, Huth. Booked: Drogba, Geremi.Newcastle United (4-5-1): Given; Carr, Ramage, Elliott, Babayaro(Moore, 52); Solano (Emre, 69), Dyer, Parker, Bowyer, Ameobi; Shearer.Subs: Harper (g), Faye, Clark. Booked: Elliott, Moore, Ameobi,Shearer. Sent off: Elliott.Referee: S Bennett (Kent).------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Times March 23, 2006Chelsea shatter Shearer\'s dream of final farewellBy Matt Dickinson, Chief Football CorrespondentChelsea 1 Newcastle United 0FIFTEEN million pounds, 10 years, 399 games, 202 goals, 0 trophies.That final statistic may read like a damning epitaph to Alan Shearer\'sNewcastle United career, but his decade at St James\' Park might havebeen gilded with silverware had others contributed half as much ashim.John Terry\'s goal in last night\'s FA Cup quarter-final carried Chelseacloser to their first Double and predictably ended Shearer\'s fainthopes of a glorious finale, but as he prepares for his final lap ofhonour, the old warhorse has nothing to be embarrassed about.His performance last night may have been notable for little more thana late booking for dissent, but then, given age, injuries and themonstrous burden of trying to lift his woefully mismanaged club, it ishardly surprising that he has flagged in his later years."Alan wouldn\'t want sympathy," Glenn Roeder, the Newcastle United",1]
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Shaun Wright-Phillips.Shearer was so incensed he was cautioned for dissent. Shearer went outwith a shout, but not one of celebration.Match detailsChelsea (4-2-3-1): Cudicini; Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno;Lampard, Makelele; J Cole (Essien, 78), Gudjohnsen (Crespo, 77), Duff(Wright-Phillips, 67); Drogba.Subs: Cech (g), Wright-Phillips, Huth. Booked: Drogba, Geremi.Newcastle United (4-5-1): Given; Carr, Ramage, Elliott, Babayaro(Moore, 52); Solano (Emre, 69), Dyer, Parker, Bowyer, Ameobi; Shearer.Subs: Harper (g), Faye, Clark. Booked: Elliott, Moore, Ameobi,Shearer. Sent off: Elliott.Referee: S Bennett (Kent).------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Times March 23, 2006Chelsea shatter Shearer's dream of final farewellBy Matt Dickinson, Chief Football CorrespondentChelsea 1 Newcastle United 0FIFTEEN million pounds, 10 years, 399 games, 202 goals, 0 trophies.That final statistic may read like a damning epitaph to Alan Shearer'sNewcastle United career, but his decade at St James' Park might havebeen gilded with silverware had others contributed half as much ashim.John Terry's goal in last night's FA Cup quarter-final carried Chelseacloser to their first Double and predictably ended Shearer's fainthopes of a glorious finale, but as he prepares for his final lap ofhonour, the old warhorse has nothing to be embarrassed about.His performance last night may have been notable for little more thana late booking for dissent, but then, given age, injuries and themonstrous burden of trying to lift his woefully mismanaged club, it ishardly surprising that he has flagged in his later years."Alan wouldn't want sympathy," Glenn Roeder, the Newcastle United
but it is not for lack of him trying as hard as he could. He will dusthimself down, finish the season, then head into retirement, but I\'msure he\'ll be back at this club as manager, whether it takes one orsix years."Shearer, 35, was booked last night shortly after Robbie Elliott hadpicked up a second yellow card for blocking Shaun Wright-Phillips.Elliott had pushed his luck, but it was a harsh decision and Wright-Phillips was not spared by Roeder or Shearer."He dived and it\'s an element that is creeping into our game," Shearer said.Roeder said: "I would be disappointed in the young man. I don\'t thinkhis dad (Ian Wright) will be too pleased."The decision came too late to affect a victory that showed Chelsea tobe in reasonable spirit, if lacking ruthlessness. Manchester Unitedmight fancy their chances in a head-to-head at the moment, but withManchester City and Birmingham City next up for the champions, theyhave ideal opponents to bring them back to form for an uplifting endto the campaign, particularly if they can avoid Liverpool intomorrow\'s semi-final draw.Chelsea were dominant last night, although José Mourinho wassufficiently annoyed by some of his team\'s wastefulness to rip hisnotebook into pieces. He will not have expected any late anxiety whenChelsea went ahead within four minutes.Roeder had described it as the tie that no one wanted and this was thestart that no one in black and white wanted either as Damien Duffwhipped a corner to the near post for Terry to steer goalwards.Nolberto Solano attempted to intervene, only to steer the ball underShay Given. "I\'m definitely claiming it," Terry said.It was sloppy marking from Peter Ramage, while, if it is not kicking aman when he is down, Shearer looked rooted to the spot as the ball was",1]
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caretaker manager, said. "I'm sure he would have liked a medal or two,but it is not for lack of him trying as hard as he could. He will dusthimself down, finish the season, then head into retirement, but I'msure he'll be back at this club as manager, whether it takes one orsix years."Shearer, 35, was booked last night shortly after Robbie Elliott hadpicked up a second yellow card for blocking Shaun Wright-Phillips.Elliott had pushed his luck, but it was a harsh decision and Wright-Phillips was not spared by Roeder or Shearer."He dived and it's an element that is creeping into our game," Shearer said.Roeder said: "I would be disappointed in the young man. I don't thinkhis dad (Ian Wright) will be too pleased."The decision came too late to affect a victory that showed Chelsea tobe in reasonable spirit, if lacking ruthlessness. Manchester Unitedmight fancy their chances in a head-to-head at the moment, but withManchester City and Birmingham City next up for the champions, theyhave ideal opponents to bring them back to form for an uplifting endto the campaign, particularly if they can avoid Liverpool intomorrow's semi-final draw.Chelsea were dominant last night, although José Mourinho wassufficiently annoyed by some of his team's wastefulness to rip hisnotebook into pieces. He will not have expected any late anxiety whenChelsea went ahead within four minutes.Roeder had described it as the tie that no one wanted and this was thestart that no one in black and white wanted either as Damien Duffwhipped a corner to the near post for Terry to steer goalwards.Nolberto Solano attempted to intervene, only to steer the ball underShay Given. "I'm definitely claiming it," Terry said.It was sloppy marking from Peter Ramage, while, if it is not kicking aman when he is down, Shearer looked rooted to the spot as the ball was
the lax regime of Graeme Souness, the defensive manpower is hopelesslyinadequate.From the moment that they gathered for a huddle that briefly delayedthe kick-off, Newcastle\'s commitment could not be faulted, butferocity in the tackle from Scott Parker and eagerness in possessionfrom Kieron Dyer could not disguise the fact that they were going tobe restricted to chances on the counter-attack.From one, Carlo Cudicini parried Lee Bowyer\'s shot, but just asShearer attempted to capitalise on the rebound, Terry arrived to denyhim. A free kick by Solano also gave Cudicini a moment\'s anxiety, butit was back at the other end that the next goal should have come andRicardo Carvalho could spend a long time trying to explain how hefailed to score it.Lampard\'s free kick invited a finishing touch, but Carvalho\'soutstretched leg succeeded only in deflecting the ball back across theface of the goal. It was the sort of miss that could be laughed at inthe aftermath of victory, but as the whistle blew for half-time acouple of minutes later, Mourinho will not have been content with theslender advantage.The odd layoff and wrestling bout with Terry aside, Shearer wasstruggling to make headway. Dyer, looking to push for a place inEngland\'s World Cup squad, was causing more concern for Chelsea as hebuzzed around in his role as an auxiliary striker. He impressed,although Sven-Göran Eriksson will want to see a sustained run of gamesbefore he can consider taking such an injury-prone player to Germanythis summer.His swift attacks were thwarted by some dogged Chelsea tackling, butas long as the game stayed 1-0, Newcastle lived in hope of a luckybreak. It was not to come and Shearer was left to troop off,complaining bitterly.CHELSEA (4-3-3): C Cudicini — Gérémi, R Carvalho, J Terry, A Del Horno",1]
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played in. For all of Roeder's attempts to drill the back line afterthe lax regime of Graeme Souness, the defensive manpower is hopelesslyinadequate.From the moment that they gathered for a huddle that briefly delayedthe kick-off, Newcastle's commitment could not be faulted, butferocity in the tackle from Scott Parker and eagerness in possessionfrom Kieron Dyer could not disguise the fact that they were going tobe restricted to chances on the counter-attack.From one, Carlo Cudicini parried Lee Bowyer's shot, but just asShearer attempted to capitalise on the rebound, Terry arrived to denyhim. A free kick by Solano also gave Cudicini a moment's anxiety, butit was back at the other end that the next goal should have come andRicardo Carvalho could spend a long time trying to explain how hefailed to score it.Lampard's free kick invited a finishing touch, but Carvalho'soutstretched leg succeeded only in deflecting the ball back across theface of the goal. It was the sort of miss that could be laughed at inthe aftermath of victory, but as the whistle blew for half-time acouple of minutes later, Mourinho will not have been content with theslender advantage.The odd layoff and wrestling bout with Terry aside, Shearer wasstruggling to make headway. Dyer, looking to push for a place inEngland's World Cup squad, was causing more concern for Chelsea as hebuzzed around in his role as an auxiliary striker. He impressed,although Sven-Göran Eriksson will want to see a sustained run of gamesbefore he can consider taking such an injury-prone player to Germanythis summer.His swift attacks were thwarted by some dogged Chelsea tackling, butas long as the game stayed 1-0, Newcastle lived in hope of a luckybreak. It was not to come and Shearer was left to troop off,complaining bitterly.CHELSEA (4-3-3): C Cudicini — Gérémi, R Carvalho, J Terry, A Del Horno
(sub: H Crespo, 78), D Drogba, D Duff (sub: S Wright-Phillips, 68).Substitutes not used: P Cech, R Huth. Booked: Drogba, Gérémi.NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-1-1): S Given — S Carr, P Ramage, R Elliott, CBabayaro (sub: C Moore, 52) — N Solano (sub: Emre Belözoglu, 70), LBowyer, S Parker, F Ameobi — K Dyer — A Shearer. Substitutes not used:S Harper, A Faye, L Clark. Booked: Elliott, Moore, Ameobi, Shearer.Sent off: Elliott.Referee: S Bennett.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mirror :TERRY\'S ALL GOLD.. BUT ALAN\'S GOT NO SILVERFA CUP QUARTER-FINAL WEEK PART 3:CHELSEA 1 NEWCASTLE 0 FROM STAMFORD BRIDGEShaky Chelsea reach semisJohn CrossTHE acid test of true champions is how they react in defeat and lastnight John Terry led by example to keep Chelsea on course for a dreamDouble.The Chelsea captain fired home a fourth-minute winner as his teamresponded to Sunday\'s surprise setback at Fulham in determinedfashion.It was hardly a top-class performance but Terry was magnificent as hiswinner spelt more FA Cup heartbreak for Newcastle and provedchampions-elect Chelsea are prepared to dig deep to win silverwarethis season.Newcastle\'s caretaker boss Glenn Roeder must have grimaced whenChelsea lost at Fulham and he must have arrived at Stamford Bridgeexpecting a backlash.It was also ominous that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho spelt out hisdetermination to win the FA Cup this season and avenge theirfifth-round defeat at the hands of Newcastle last February. That waswhen Chelsea - who went on to win the Premiership and the Carling Cup- saw their hopes of a domestic Treble end.However, no team is more desperate to do well in this competition than",1]
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— E Gudjohnsen (sub: M Essien, 78min), C Makelele, F Lampard — J Cole(sub: H Crespo, 78), D Drogba, D Duff (sub: S Wright-Phillips, 68).Substitutes not used: P Cech, R Huth. Booked: Drogba, Gérémi.NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-1-1): S Given — S Carr, P Ramage, R Elliott, CBabayaro (sub: C Moore, 52) — N Solano (sub: Emre Belözoglu, 70), LBowyer, S Parker, F Ameobi — K Dyer — A Shearer. Substitutes not used:S Harper, A Faye, L Clark. Booked: Elliott, Moore, Ameobi, Shearer.Sent off: Elliott.Referee: S Bennett.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mirror :TERRY'S ALL GOLD.. BUT ALAN'S GOT NO SILVERFA CUP QUARTER-FINAL WEEK PART 3:CHELSEA 1 NEWCASTLE 0 FROM STAMFORD BRIDGEShaky Chelsea reach semisJohn CrossTHE acid test of true champions is how they react in defeat and lastnight John Terry led by example to keep Chelsea on course for a dreamDouble.The Chelsea captain fired home a fourth-minute winner as his teamresponded to Sunday's surprise setback at Fulham in determinedfashion.It was hardly a top-class performance but Terry was magnificent as hiswinner spelt more FA Cup heartbreak for Newcastle and provedchampions-elect Chelsea are prepared to dig deep to win silverwarethis season.Newcastle's caretaker boss Glenn Roeder must have grimaced whenChelsea lost at Fulham and he must have arrived at Stamford Bridgeexpecting a backlash.It was also ominous that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho spelt out hisdetermination to win the FA Cup this season and avenge theirfifth-round defeat at the hands of Newcastle last February. That waswhen Chelsea - who went on to win the Premiership and the Carling Cup- saw their hopes of a domestic Treble end.However, no team is more desperate to do well in this competition than
And for their talisman striker Alan Shearer the Cup represented afinal chance to win something at his beloved club.Roeder recalled fit-again Kieron Dyer - who has been struggling with amystery infection - in his only change to his starting line-up fromSunday\'s defeat to Liverpool.But Mourinho decided to ring the changes with seven new faces in thestarting line-up from the defeat at Fulham and it had an immediateeffect as Damien Duff\'s return at Shaun Wright-Phillips\' expensereaped quick dividends.Republic of Ireland winger Duff fired in a fourth-minute corner whichskimmed across the Newcastle box and their slack marking allowed theball to reach Terry.The Chelsea captain fired in a low shot which Nolberto Solanodeflected past keeper Shay Given to the horror of the travelling ToonArmy who were massed behind the goal.It was a disastrous start but Newcastle weathered the early storm andenjoyed a decent spell as they put Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini underpressure.Toon midfielder Lee Bowyer\'s 17th-minute shot was well saved byCudicini and then scrambled out by Terry who cleared ahead of theon-rushing Shearer.Bowyer created more danger in the 22nd minute when his clever turntricked Asier Del Horno into conceding a clumsy foul 20 yards out, andSolano\'s curling free-kick rippled the side netting. It wasfrustrating for Newcastle and Robbie Elliott was booked for pullingback Ivory Coast striker Drogba.There was little action in a dull and scrappy encounter with Newcastleconceding countless fouls and were lucky not to go further behindafter 43 minutes following another foul by Scott Parker on the rightedge of the box.Frank Lampard\'s curling free-kick found Ricardo Carvalho but hesteered high and wide from inside the six-yard box and Newcastle\'spoor marking brought an angry exchange between Given and left-back",1]
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Newcastle.And for their talisman striker Alan Shearer the Cup represented afinal chance to win something at his beloved club.Roeder recalled fit-again Kieron Dyer - who has been struggling with amystery infection - in his only change to his starting line-up fromSunday's defeat to Liverpool.But Mourinho decided to ring the changes with seven new faces in thestarting line-up from the defeat at Fulham and it had an immediateeffect as Damien Duff's return at Shaun Wright-Phillips' expensereaped quick dividends.Republic of Ireland winger Duff fired in a fourth-minute corner whichskimmed across the Newcastle box and their slack marking allowed theball to reach Terry.The Chelsea captain fired in a low shot which Nolberto Solanodeflected past keeper Shay Given to the horror of the travelling ToonArmy who were massed behind the goal.It was a disastrous start but Newcastle weathered the early storm andenjoyed a decent spell as they put Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini underpressure.Toon midfielder Lee Bowyer's 17th-minute shot was well saved byCudicini and then scrambled out by Terry who cleared ahead of theon-rushing Shearer.Bowyer created more danger in the 22nd minute when his clever turntricked Asier Del Horno into conceding a clumsy foul 20 yards out, andSolano's curling free-kick rippled the side netting. It wasfrustrating for Newcastle and Robbie Elliott was booked for pullingback Ivory Coast striker Drogba.There was little action in a dull and scrappy encounter with Newcastleconceding countless fouls and were lucky not to go further behindafter 43 minutes following another foul by Scott Parker on the rightedge of the box.Frank Lampard's curling free-kick found Ricardo Carvalho but hesteered high and wide from inside the six-yard box and Newcastle'spoor marking brought an angry exchange between Given and left-back
Chelsea started the second half as if they had received a rollickingfrom Mourinho during the break.Joe Cole and Eidur Gudjohnsen went close within four minutes of therestart as they started brightly. Newcastle defender Elliott, havingalready been booked, was lucky not to be sent off for kicking out atCole when the ball was stuck under his body.It sparked a nasty bust-up between both sets of players which then sawCraig Moore and Drogba booked. When the game finally restarted, Givenproduced a fine double save to deny Drogba.As Newcastle piled forward in search of an equaliser, Wright-Phillips,on as a sub, ran straight into Elliott who was booked for obstruction,and saw red for his second yellow.It was a scrappy end to scrappy tie as Chelsea had just enough qualityto sneak through.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------http://www.cfchistory.co.uk/forum/index.php",0]
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Celestine Babayaro.Chelsea started the second half as if they had received a rollickingfrom Mourinho during the break.Joe Cole and Eidur Gudjohnsen went close within four minutes of therestart as they started brightly. Newcastle defender Elliott, havingalready been booked, was lucky not to be sent off for kicking out atCole when the ball was stuck under his body.It sparked a nasty bust-up between both sets of players which then sawCraig Moore and Drogba booked. When the game finally restarted, Givenproduced a fine double save to deny Drogba.As Newcastle piled forward in search of an equaliser, Wright-Phillips,on as a sub, ran straight into Elliott who was booked for obstruction,and saw red for his second yellow.It was a scrappy end to scrappy tie as Chelsea had just enough qualityto sneak through.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, March 20, 2006

morning papers - fulham away

The Guardian Mourinho rails as Chelsea hit the wall
Jon Brodkin at Craven CottageMonday March 20, 2006
Jose Mourinho has enjoyed plenty of memorable days as the Chelsea manager but this is one he would prefer to forget. A Sunday that began with him feeling obliged to deny that he has fallen out with Roman Abramovich and will leave Stamford Bridge over the summer ended with defeat and a red card at a jubilant Craven Cottage that came worrying close to witnessing serious crowd trouble amid the celebrations that followed.
Scores of Fulham supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate a first win over their neighbours for 27 years and matters briefly threatened to turn ugly when Chelsea fans broke from their stand. There were minor skirmishes before police and stewards brought the situation under control. Fulham can expect to be fined by the Football Association for having inadequate security, and there looks set to be disciplinary action against Chelsea for separate matters.Half a dozen or so of their players surrounded one the referee's assistants to protest William Gallas' justified late dismissal for stamping on Heidar Helguson, and the defender could be asked to explain why he walked off giving thumbs downs to the home crowd. Mourinho, meanwhile, may be brought to book for suggesting the authorities are biased against Chelsea.
Chelsea have already been charged by the FA for their players' behaviour at West Bromwich Albion this month, but Mourinho does not expect Fulham to be taken to task for their players rushing to complain to the referee Mike Dean after Didier Drogba scored an "equaliser" that was soon disallowed for handball. Mourinho said the officials cancelled that effort because of "pressure" from Fulham, though the referee denied that.
"You see for Chelsea one measure and for other teams another measure," Mourinho claimed. "There's no doubt about that . . . In West Brom-Chelsea I have the final proof about that. Bryan Robson is Bryan Robson and Jose Mourinho is Jose Mourinho; we are not the same."
Mourinho ought to be more concerned about a third defeat in eight matches. This one to a side who had lost four times in a row. The manager was so upset with the dismal way his players started that he took off Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips in the 26th minute, blanking both and with Cole throwing tracksuit trousers to the floor in his disappointment.
Drogba's introduction provided two strikers and Ricardo Carvalho then came on at the interval but no amount of tinkering could bring an equaliser. Chelsea dominated the second half and had chances despite lacking invention. Frank Lampard shot over and Mark Crossley saved in stoppage-time from John Terry.
It was difficult to begrudge Fulham this win. They had been the more dangerous team before the interval with an intensity that Chelsea did not initially match. They closed down to deny their opponents time, with Mark Pembridge and Michael Brown impressing, and Steed Malbranque did an excellent job not only in preventing Claude Makelele and others from getting Chelsea moves flowing but with his spurts in attack. Liam Rosenior and Ian Pearce stood up well in defence.
When Drogba thought he had scored, it was disallowed because he had used a hand to move the ball past Zat Knight before sliding it into the net. Fulham players reacted furiously and Mourinho, while acknowledging it was a handball, said: "The referee didn't see it. The linesman didn't see it also, gave a goal and after that they couldn't resist the pressure of Fulham players and that's a big problem."
Dean said the linesman had not indicated an infringement from the far side because he was much further from the incident but had buzzed him. After consultation, a free-kick was awarded. "He was convinced it was handball and I have seen on TV that we got the big decision of the game right," Dean said. "It's good that we have got technology on our arm and I think we should get a bit of credit."
Mourinho insisted he will be at Stamford Bridge next season after a report that he will join Internazionale. "I promise you I will be the Chelsea manager," he said. Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon said that "Jose has our 100% support".
The game's decisive moment came when Malbranque's mis-hit shot deflected off Lampard and through the legs of Huth. Paulo Ferreira struck the ball against Luis Boa Morte, who was in the process of shooting. Chris Coleman was able to laugh off suggestions that he is under pressure. "Not bad for someone who's completely lost the dressing room," he said.
Dean included mention of the crowd scenes in his report and Coleman said: "If one or two idiots were causing trouble, fling them out. There's no room for them at Fulham."
Man of the match - Steed Malbranque
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Independent:Fulham 1 Chelsea 0: Anarchy reigns as Chelsea go down fighting By Glenn Moore Published: 20 March 2006 An afternoon of rapture for Fulham nearly became one of infamy as a pitch battle between supporters of these West London rivals was only narrowly averted.
When Mike Dean blew the final whistle on Fulham's first win over their neighbours in 27 years, home fans invaded the pitch to celebrate. Ineffectual stewarding and an absence of admonishment on the public address led to them cavorting before the away fans. Inevitably some Chelsea supporters reacted angrily and, too, invaded the pitch. Twenty-seven years ago this would certainly have resulted in a pitch battle but, maybe, two decades of strong anti-hooliganism measures, and the gentrification of football, have changed attitudes. A few scuffles broke out but for most, fortunately, posturing was enough.
The Football Association will doubtless investigate and Fulham can expect punishment. The sadness of this is that it will detract from a magnificent victory, secured by a fortuitous but deserved 16th-minute goal from Luis Boa Morte, which ensured their continued survival in the Premiership for another season.
Chelsea, of course, never lose quietly. This time Jose Mourinho was understandably unhappy about the chalking off of what would have been an equaliser by Didier Drogba after the officials appeared to change their minds under pressure from Fulham players. The injury-time dismissal of William Gallas added to Chelsea's disgruntlement.
"If it was handball the decision is correct," said Mourinho, "but I can promise you, the linesman [who was consulted before the referee disallowed the goal] did not see it, his view was the same as mine. They did not [change the decision] because of what they saw, but because of the pressure Fulham players put on them. When Chelsea does this it is the end of the world, we are punished and the FA comes running after us."
Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager was understandably jubilant, more so having been linked with the sack this week. His decision to ask Steed Malbranque to sit on Claude Makelele whenever Chelsea had possession proved a masterstroke. It prompted Mourinho to withdraw Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips after just 25 minutes, during which Fulham had utterly outplayed the champions.
Such substitutions appear to be done as much for their long-term effect, as for their influence on the match. The message is, "I'm the boss and I expect players to perform all the time."
Mourinho insisted that they made a big difference but Chelsea only stretched Mark Crossley once in the first half - from Damien Duff's shot - and their second-half dominance was in part a consequence of Fulham sitting on their lead.
The last time Fulham played at home Arsenal's manifest superiority reduced them to fighting amongst themselves. This time the angst was Chelsea's. As well as the young Englishmen, Robert Huth was also hauled off early, at half-time. Of Chelsea's other centre-halves Ricardo Carvalho was booked for a reckless tackle on Brian McBride and John Terry was fortunate not to have conceded a fifth-minute penalty when he slid into Moritz Volz. Even with the benefit of several television replays the decision was hard to call but there was no doubt that it was a poor attempt at a tackle from a defender with World Cup pretensions.
There was a general lethargy about Chelsea which was underlined in the approach to Fulham's goal. It all stemmed from a Fulham throw-in at which Michael Essien failed to pick up Mark Pembridge allowing him to feed Boa Morte. He squared to Malbranque then moved into space to receive a neat return.
At this point Fulham received the fortune their performance deserved as Paulo Ferreira's attempted clearance cannoned against Boa Morte's shins and past Petr Cech.
Fulham should have doubled their lead when Mark Pembridge released Collins John. However, he shot tamely at Cech. It seemed significant as one goal never looked like being enough - Fulham's defence had conceded 19 goals in six games.
In the 59th-minute, after Pembridge had hit the post, Chelsea's equaliser seemed to have arrived. Drogba got to a long punt from Carvalho ahead of Knight and, with Crossley making an insane sprint from his goal, was able to roll the ball into an empty net. A goal seemed to have been given but, after long consultation between the officials, Drogba was booked.
Chelsea kept pressing but with Crossley making a superb injury-time save from Terry Coleman was able to savour what he described as the "best win of my management career".
Goal: Boa Morte (16) 1-0.
Fulham (4-4-2): Crossley; Volz, Knight, Pearce, Rosenior; Brown, Pembridge, Malbranque (Christanval, 88), Boa Morte; McBride, John (Helguson, 70). Substitutes not used: Warner (gk), Radzinski, Jensen.
Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cech; Ferriera, Huth (Carvalho, h-t), Terry, Gallas; Makelele; Essien, Lampard; Wright-Phillips (Drogba, 25), Crespo, Cole (Duff, 25). Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Maniche.
Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
Booked: Fulham Brown; Chelsea Huth, Carvalho, Drogba, Makelele.
Sent off: Chelsea Gallas.
Man of the match: Malbranque.
Attendance: 22,486.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:Gallas pays price as neighbourly dispute boils overBy Henry Winter Fulham (1) 1 Chelsea (0) 0
Noted visitors to Cheltenham in midweek, Chelsea were certainly not at the races yesterday. Jose Mourinho's men will still win the Premiership by a length, but they will do so with the crowing of their neighbours resounding in their ears. Fulham's passion-players were magnificent at the Cottage, as if determined to show the world their support for Chris Coleman.
Calm down: Jose Mourinho cannot hide his annoyance Criticised of late in certain quarters, Fulham's engaging manager called yesterday "the best day" of his dugout life. It was Fulham's first victory over their local rivals in 27 years, and goes a long way to securing their Premiership status.
Sadly, this compelling neighbourly dispute will also come to the attention of the Football Association beaks. The officials were harassed by eight Chelsea players after William Gallas was rightly dismissed for a filthy, over-the-top lunge on Heidar Helguson. If Chelsea could not control their players at one point, Fulham had trouble controlling some fans. At the final whistle, there were brief clashes between both sets of supporters who invaded the pitch. "It was disappointing that one or two idiots got on the pitch and we should sling them out," said Coleman.
Mourinho voiced his "happiness" for Coleman, "a great guy and a great manager", and refused to blame his players' subdued, distracted nature on morning speculation about him joining Inter Milan, a story he emphatically dismissed. "I don't think the players were affected because they know I am staying here for next season," stressed Mourinho. "I have given them a lot of information about pre-season and next season. The story is false and shows a lack of respect for me, for [Inter coach Roberto] Mancini, for Chelsea and Inter."
Signs that his champions were not themselves were evident early on, when John Terry slid in at speed on Moritz Volz and somehow emerged without conceding a penalty. Fulham sensed Chelsea's uncertainty and went for the jugular, running with pace and unstinting purpose at Terry and his fellow defenders.
After 17 minutes, they forced a deserved breakthrough, with Steed Malbranque the creative catalyst. Taking a pass off Luis Boa Morte 20 yards out, his return pass panicked Paulo Ferreira into striking the ball against Boa Morte and in.
Chelsea were incensed, Fulham inspired. "We worked very hard - everybody," said Malbranque, who was outstanding at his job of disrupting Claude Makelele's move-building.
All of Coleman's players appeared on a mission. Brian McBride was everywhere, closing Chelsea players down, a beacon of commitment. Michael Brown, diligence personified, hounded Frank Lampard down cul-de-sacs. Volz and Liam Rosenior, Fulham's busy full-backs, strangled the life out of Joe Cole and particularly Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Mourinho had seen enough. "Joe and Shaun weren't having a happy game, bringing in the game from the wings," he said. "After Fulham scored, I looked to see if there was a reaction from the team, but there was no change in intensity, no change in dynamism. We needed a change." Wright-Phillips and Cole were hooked, summoned to the bench like errant schoolboys, with Cole wearing a face of thunder. On sprinted Didier Drogba and Damien Duff, who brought a superb save from Mark Crossley.
Chelsea were growing in influence, but Fulham would not yield a yard, let alone a goal. Collins John should even have added a second, but placed his shot too close to Petr Cech. Evidence of Fulham's belief was everywhere: their mascot, Billy the Badger, even bared his furry behind at Ricardo Carvalho when Mourinho's third sub emerged early for the second half as Chelsea went 3-5-2.
Controversy ensued just before the hour. Drogba nudged the ball on with his right arm before shooting low past Crossley, whose excursion from his line was fraught with danger. Neither Mike Dean nor linesman Paul Norman could have seen the offence, but responded to the pleas of Fulham's players. No goal, said Dean, after consulting Norman.
The journey towards this correct decision aroused surprise. "Paul buzzed me, so he must have seen something," said Dean. "I had a chat with Paul and he was convinced it was handball."
The 'Special One' went into meltdown. "It was a handball - no doubt," began Mourinho. "But I can prove to you the linesman didn't see it. I couldn't see it and I was near him. His flag was down. He had given the goal. But the Fulham players put pressure on the referee and the linesman. What would have happened if Chelsea had done that? The FA would have chased us. It would be the end of the world. We would have been punished."
The tension was unbearable. Chelsea almost equalised, but Crossley belied his rising weight and years to claw Terry's header over. Then the Blues saw red, as Gallas almost broke Helguson's leg.
When the heat and dust-ups had settled, Coleman observed: "Chelsea are beatable but if I were a betting man, I would still put money on them winning the Premiership by a margin." Just don't mention Devon Loch to Chelsea's race-goers.
• Man of the match: Steed Malbranque (Fulham).
Match details
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Crossley; Volz, Knight, Pearce, Rosenior; Brown, Pembridge; McBride (Christanval, 88), Malbranque, Boa Morte; John (Helguson, 70). Subs: Warner (g), Radzinski, Jensen. Booked: Brown. Goal: Boa Morte 17Chelsea (4-1-2-2-1): Cech; Ferreira, Huth (Carvalho h-t), Terry, Gallas; Makelele; Essien, Lampard; Wright-Phillips (Drogba 25), J Cole (Duff 25); Crespo. Subs: Cudicini (g), Maniche. Booked: Huth, Carvalho, Makelele. Off: Gallas. Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Times:
Shaken, rattled and rolled overLacklustre champions go down close to home, reports Matt Dickinson THAT IS ALL WE NEED — José Mourinho being given grounds for his persecution complex. But while the Chelsea manager saw evidence of more dark plots against him, the Portuguese could hardly fail to acknowledge his team's contribution to a defeat that prompted chaotic post-match scenes. Rattled and ultimately rolled over by their wonderfully committed local rivals, Chelsea made a lot of people happy by not only losing the match but also their tempers. It was an indisciplined performance long before William Gallas was sent off, but before Manchester United get too excited, it would take another three similarly bad displays for the title race to become anything other than a procession — and they normally come about twice a year.
And while Mourinho may have been upset after the game, his bottom lip was hardly quivering à la Kevin Keegan. By his standards he was pretty restrained, although, even in a composed press conference, he managed to say that English football had one rule for 19 of the Premiership's managers and one for him.
His anger was aimed at Mike Dean, the referee, and Paul Norman, one of his assistants, who combined to disallow an equaliser from Drogba in the 58th minute. Replays showed that the Ivory Coast forward had used a hand to control the ball before rolling it into a net foolishly vacated by the onrushing Mark Crossley, but neither official appeared to have detected the illegal touch until Fulham players reacted furiously. "Everybody says and I can see that it is handball," Mourinho said. "The decision is correct. But I can promise you that the linesman did not see it because he was where I was and I couldn't see. His flag was down. The Fulham players put pressure on the referee and linesman. When Chelsea do that, it's the end of the world and the FA rush after us but when the opposition do it . . ."
The referee's assistant later claimed that he had used his buzzer to signal the handball and Dean said that "you should give the linesman and the offiicials more praise because the big decision in the game was the correct one. At no point did I point to the centre circle to signal a goal. I went to speak to my assistant voluntarily."
Perhaps the most succinct appraisal of the incident came from Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, for whom this was a hugely relieving victory after four consecutive defeats had put his team's Premiership status, and his job, in jeopardy. "To be honest," he said, "I don't give a b*****ks." His joy was unbounded and, for the success of his tactics, he was entitled to his broad grin.
Deploying Steed Malbranque to buzz around Claude Makelele turned out to be an inspired decision. The Fulham midfield player was outstanding, although there were also superb supporting performances at the heart of midfield from Michael Brown and Mark Pembridge.
In comparison, Chelsea were remarkably subdued, so much so that Mourinho hauled Shaun Wright-Phillips, deservedly, and Joe Cole, harshly, to the bench after only 26 minutes. Already trailing to Luis Boa Morte's seventeenth-minute goal, the Portuguese was seething at his team's lack of drive and determination.
"Normally when we concede a goal, there is an immediate reaction," he said. "But there was no change in the intensity of the pace or dynamism. Normally I wait until half-time to make the changes but there was no reaction from the team."
Robert Huth, fortunate to last until half-time after a terrible challenge on Boa Morte, was also taken off at the interval and, while Mourinho was entitled to claim that all the changes were vindicated by an improved performance in the second period, Chelsea were never able to find any fluency. Even Frank Lampard was looking thoroughly ill-tempered. Mourinho messed around with the formation, switching to 3-5-2 and then throwing John Terry up front, but a terrible afternoon was compounded when Gallas stamped on Heidur Helguson as players competed for the ball by the touchline.
It was Chelsea's fifth red card in two months and they should be relieved if no more FA charges follow, given that at least half the team surrounded the officials. Terry had to drag Makelele physically over to the referee to receive a booking.
Fulham had to endure some nervous moments late in the game, with Lampard blasting over the bar after a mistake by Zat Knight, but a compelling afternoon was soon to come to a close with more mayhem after the final whistle.
"Although I am disappointed, I can feel some pleasure for Chris Coleman, who is a good manager," Mourinho said, but the Fulham supporters were far less magnanimous in their moment of triumph.
"You're not special any more," the Fulham fans crowed before hundreds of them came charging on to the pitch. Chelsea losing self-controlSupporters of Chelsea and Fulham had to be separated by police and stewards on the pitch at Craven Cottage, writes Matt Dickinson, Chief Football Correspondent SUPPORTERS of Chelsea and Fulham had to be separated by police and stewards on the pitch at Craven Cottage yesterday; scenes certain to be investigated by the Football Association. Although large-scale clashes were prevented, the governing body will want an explanation as to how hundreds of supporters made it on to the pitch. The trouble, which spread into a local park, followed Fulham's 1-0 victory in the Barclays Premiership. It was only the fourth defeat for José Mourinho in 68 league matches and it sparked wild scenes of celebrations from the home supporters.
While many seemed happy simply to mob their own players, some gestures towards the away end incited some Chelsea supporters to come on to the pitch and there were isolated fights that will be reported to the FA by Mike Dean, the referee. Several fans were led away by police officers, although there were no reports of arrests, and the general feeling of the constabulary was probably relief that it was not far worse.
"If there were one or two idiots causing trouble, sling them out," Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, said. "There is no room for them at Fulham but I thought there were a lot more positives than negatives today."
His team were excellent but their victory was overshadowed by the sort of controversy that seems to come with every Chelsea defeat. Mourinho was furious that an equalising goal from Didier Drogba was disallowed, although he did not dispute that the forward had committed handball.
His anger was directed at Dean and Paul Norman, one of the referee's assistants, who gave the free kick against Drogba even though neither seemed to have a clear view of the incident. It prompted Mourinho to make more wild allegations about the injustices visited upon Chelsea and his mood was hardly helped by William Gallas's late dismissal.
Referring back to the stormy match away to West Bromwich Albion, when Arjen Robben was sent off and Chelsea charged by the FA with intimidating the referee, the Portuguese saw more evidence of conspiracy.
"In this league there are 19 managers plus one, 19 on one side of the table and one on the other side," he said. "At West Brom against Chelsea, I had the final proof about that. But Bryan Robson is Bryan Robson and José Mourinho is José Mourinho. We are not the same.
"Fulham players put pressure on the referee and linesman today. When Chelsea does that, it is the end of the world and the FA run after us."
Despite the defeat, Chelsea remained 12 points clear at the top of the Premiership. Manchester United have one game in hand and the sides meet on April 29 but it would still take a collapse of Devon Loch proportions for Chelsea to throw away a second successive championship.
On another day when Chelsea filled the newspapers, Mourinho also had to deny a report that he would be leaving Stamford Bridge for Inter Milan this summer. "I am staying here at Chelsea," he said. "I see no reason why I won't be here next season. The whole story, the false story, is a lack of respect for me, for Chelsea, for Roberto (Mancini, the Italian side's coach) and for Inter Milan.
"The reality is my contract is until 2010, I am happy to be here and we, I hope, will again have a successful season. There are people who have had no success and stayed in their jobs. We are waiting for success this season, perhaps the most successful ever for Chelsea, and preparing for the next one already. There are no problems between us. I am happy with the group and they are happy with me."Mourinho's team show just why they are winners by the way they face up to defeatTony Cascarino says Chelsea are right to hate losing CHELSEA ARE BAD LOSERS. SPOILT brats. But José Mourinho should be delighted. He will know from the reactions of his players during yesterday’s defeat that he manages a bunch of winners. Hating to lose and reacting badly to it are traits that successful teams have in common. You see your team-mates cracking as the clock ticks down. Their eyes go. Frustration spreads. Normally calm individuals — such as William Gallas — act out of character. Look at Arsenal and Manchester United when they were at their peaks a few years ago. The finest teams become ill-disciplined when things do not go their way. They are not used to it and they do not like it. It may get ugly, but managers do not mind. Show me a good loser and I will show you a loser.
The defeat by Barcelona in the Champions League seems still to be affecting Chelsea. Overall they have not been quite as good as they were last season. Take Frank Lampard. Still impressive, but week in, week out, that little bit less influential compared with last year.
Mourinho substituted his two wingers after 25 minutes yesterday and that summed up another reason why Chelsea have not consistently rediscovered last season’s heights. He added Shaun Wright-Phillips last summer, but he, Damien Duff and Arjen Robben have too often disappointed. Only Joe Cole has done as well, if not better, than in 2004-05, and even he was substituted yesterday. Ineffectiveness from the wingers has blunted Chelsea’s cutting edge.
Taking off players so early is dangerous, even for a manager as powerful as Mourinho. He is not afraid to be bold and change the formation during games and it often works, but cold displays of ruthlessness can have a negative effect in the long term. It cuts players very deeply. They take it badly and that resentment can surface in the dressing-room and lead to dissent. If things are going badly early on, players want to be told how they can make it right, not to suffer the indignity of being hauled off.
Mourinho evidently is not hauling himself off to Italy this summer. No wonder he was so quick yesterday to deny a story suggesting that he was in line to switch to Inter Milan. It made no sense. Why would Mourinho want to leave Chelsea now? No other club could match his salary or his spending power in the transfer market. Having taken Chelsea so far so quickly, he wants to push them on to the next level: champions of Europe. Less than two years into his Stamford Bridge career, Mourinho has created something that you cannot just buy — amazing team spirit and unity. Why would he want to give up that and go to Inter — arguably not a bigger club — and have to create it all over again?
Maybe he is wearied by the constant attention and controversy at Chelsea, but it would be no less frenzied in Italy. A bad start next season, another Champions League failure and everything could change, but right now there is no way the club would want to replace him, either. As long as losing hurts the players as much as it did last night, he’s doing all right. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------