morning papers leicester cc

The TimesNovember 1, 2007
Dish fit for Roman Abramovich to savour but Chelsea's back line remains a worryChelsea 4 Leicester 3
Matt Hughes
Avram Grant’s press conferences may be best viewed on Ceefax, but his football team are well worth watching, if not always for the right reasons. It took a header from Frank Lampard in the 93rd minute that completed his hat-trick to secure victory in a seven-goal thriller against Leicester City, who were four minutes away from becoming the first domestic visiting side to win in open play at Stamford Bridge in more than 3½ years.
With discounted tickets priced between £10 and £20, an incredible match even provided excellent value for money, almost unheard of at Chelsea. Having dismissed José Mourinho for providing insufficient thrills and spills, Roman Abramovich was rewarded with the best match seen in these parts for years, although after Leicester, the Coca-Cola Championship club, took a 3-2 lead, the Russian may have been ruing what he had wished for.
The holders were going out until Andriy Shevchenko scored an equaliser in the 86th minute with a left-foot thunderbolt, with even Grant admitting that the result was too close for comfort. As many a would-be impresario has discovered before him, the entertainment industry is a risky business. “If we continue to win 4-3, it’s not good as we don’t want to concede so many goals,” Grant said. “We enjoyed winning and enjoyed scoring four goals, but not the way it happened. We conceded three goals, which we don’t like, but showed good character to fight back. I never in my life give up until the last moment.”
Grant said beforehand that he values style over substance, with this erratic performance serving to prove his point. While Chelsea’s resilience under pressure is admirable, their defending was little short of shambolic, with Tal Ben Haim and Alex playing like strangers at centre back and Steve Sidwell offering no protection to a harassed back four.
The visiting team took advantage to open the scoring through Gareth McAuley in the sixth minute before launching an audacious second-half fightback, with D. J. Campbell and Carl Cort scoring in the space of five minutes to leave Grant contemplating defeat in only his fourth home match. Ben Haim was caught out of position for all three goals in a dismal display that will not fill Steve McClaren with confidence before Israel’s crucial European Championship qualifying match against Russia this month.
Frank Burrows, the Leicester caretaker manager, struck the right note by refusing to bemoan his side’s cruel fortune and could take pride from giving Chelsea a Hallowe’en fright to remember. “It’s not often that John Terry, the captain of England, runs on the pitch to punch the air after victory over a Championship side,” Burrows said. “That’s why he’s captain of England, mind, he always wants Chelsea to win. I was guilty of allowing myself to dream.
“Chelsea were the better side, their passing was better, but our hearts were as big as theirs. We matched them with our heart and spirit, which is an old English thing. They never know when they’re beat.”
Without Lampard, Chelsea would have already been beaten and the prospect of losing him is enough to give the board nightmares. With the honourable exception of Scott Sinclair, who created Lampard’s first two goals on only his second start of the season, Chelsea’s acting captain was their only consistent attacking threat because Shaun Wright-Phillips looked bereft of confidence after being left out of Grant’s past two squads.
After missing almost two months of the season with a thigh injury, Lampard is relishing the responsibility of leading the side in Terry’s absence and thoroughly deserved his first hat-trick since scoring three in an FA Cup win over Macclesfield Town in January, taking his haul of Chelsea goals to 96 in 339 appearances. The century will surely come before long, but there is concern that there may not be many more because talks on a new contract have been postponed until the end of the season.
Grant urged the club to sort the matter out as soon as possible as Lampard has only 18 months remaining. “Frank wants to stay and Chelsea want him to stay,” Grant said. If Lampard’s first goal was one of the best he has scored for the club — he met Sinclair’s header with a sweetly struck right-foot volley before adding a neat finish to the 18-year-old’s cross for a second five minutes later — his winner summed up a hectic night perfectly.
The 28-year-old’s header appeared to have crossed the line before Shevchenko made sure, but the striker was not going to deny Lampard a hat-trick. Chelsea’s rousing comeback was completed by the news that they have moved closer to joining the elite G-14 group, but their fans will be more relieved that they remain in the Carling Cup.
Chelsea (4-4-2): C Cudicini – J Belletti, Alex, T Ben Haim (sub: M Essien, 80min), P Ferreira (sub: F Malouda, 52) – S Wright-Phillips, S Sidwell, F Lampard, S Sinclair (sub: S Kalou, 80) – C Pizarro, A Shevchenko. Substitutes not used: Hilário, J O Mikel. Booked: Sidwell, Ben Haim, Belletti.
Leicester City (5-3-2): M Fulop – R Stearman, P Kisnorbo, B N’Gotty, G McAuley, A Sheehan – S Newton (sub: L Porter, 61; sub: A Maybury, 80), D Kenton, J Chambers – M Fryatt (sub: D Campbell, 63), C Cort. Substitutes not used: P Henderson, S Hellings. Booked: Newton, Sheehan.
Referee: P Dowd. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
Frank Lampard hat-trick saves ChelseaBy Oliver Brown
Chelsea (2) 4 Leicester City (1) 3
Frank Lampard can rarely have experienced a more chaotic game – or more cathartic. The midfielder has been bereft since the departure of mentor Jose Mourinho, not to mention barracked by England fans and baffled by interminable contract talks with Chelsea.
But last night he was transformed, lifted by a fine hat-trick to sustain Chelsea's resurgent season and bury the noble effort of Championship challengers Leicester.
The third part of Lampard's treble, coming late in the six minutes of injury time to seal a compelling tie, was borne of utter confusion. Initially both Andrei Shevchenko and Juliano Belletti were awarded the winner, but it was Lampard who found the header ultimately adjudged to have crossed the line.
Where Chelsea can perform powerfully under Avram Grant, they can also perform precariously. Stressing the study in contrasts that this match offered with Saturday's six-goal demolition of Manchester City, the Israeli said of Lampard: "The last game was about his assists – this game was about his goals. For him to be at such a high level is very important for us."
Chelsea's style has certainly evolved from doughty but dour 1-0 wins during Grant's brief tenure. Strangely impassive after 96 minutes spent living on the edge, the coach said: "We needed to have good character. I never in my life give up until the last moment – 1-0 is a good score but 4-3, I think, is better." Asked for his play-by-play analysis of Lampard's goal, he replied: "I don't care. All I care is that it was a Chelsea goal."
While Chelsea had to count the cost of a nasty-looking ankle injury to Paulo Ferreira, this occasion was largely a night for rehabilitation. Shevchenko was at last learning to smile again, too. Lampooned by Leicester fans throughout as an expensive has-been, the Ukrainian made sure he had the last word with a stylish equaliser from Michael Essien's cross.
Initially, Chelsea had struggled to reach the same heights. Their fragility was exposed unexpectedly in the sixth minute when Matt Fryatt, seizing on a quick free-kick from Shaun Newton, clipped a sharp cross that allowed captain Gareth McAuley to ghost in unchallenged for a header beyond Carlo Cudicini. Chelsea, who had not conceded for almost nine hours until that point, could have been forgiven a flakiness in response – but Grant appears to have modelled a team in his own image. His decision to use Lampard as the anchor in an inexperienced side yielded reward 12 minutes later, as he concluded a fluid three-man move for the equaliser. Juliano set up Scott Sinclair for an initial strike before Lampard contrived the most effortless half-volley.
When a low cross from Sinclair fell into his path the captain was ruthless again, stroking home a second volleyed finish from eight yards. Leicester, deflated, were not quite defeated. But for all their spirited counter-attacks, Chelsea should have left them for dust far sooner. The visitors seized the stage in the second half; first Levi Porter scattered Chelsea's back line with a high cross that DJ Campbell dispatched with a header.
Then Chelsea were shaken and Alan Sheehan's free-kick was angled past Cudicini by Carl Cort, as near pandemonium broke out in the Leicester end.
The upset looked perfectly possible. But this was to neglect Shevchenko, who contrived Chelsea's third with three minutes of normal time left. Then Lampard, showing a glorious sense of theatre, delivered the coup de grace.
Match detailsChelsea (4-4-1-1): Cudicini; Belletti, Alex, Ben Haim (Essien 80), Paulo Ferreira (Malouda 52); Wright-Phillips, Sidwell, Lampard, Sinclair (Kalou 80); Pizarro; Shevchenko.Subs: Hilario (g), Mikel.Booked: Sidwell, Ben Haim.Leicester (4-4-2): Fulop; McAuley, N'Gotty, Kisnorbo, Sheehan; Kenton, Stearman, Chambers, Newton (Porter 61); Cort, Fryatt (Campbell 62).Subs: Henderson (g), Hellings, Maybury.Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indy:
Chelsea 4 Leicester City 3: Lampard hat-trick outfoxes Leicester By Glenn Moore
At this rate Jose Mourinho will be forgotten before Christmas. After Saturday's 6-0 demolition of Manchester City Roman Abramovich, and 40,000 fellow Stamford Bridge spectators, witnessed seven goals last night as the Carling Cup holders won an extraordinary fourth-round tie.
The difference was Chelsea had to share the first six goals with Leicester City, of the Championship, before snatching a winner four minutes into added time. Having trailed after six minutes the Carling Cup holders led from the 29th to the 69th, created chance after chance, yet found themselves behind with 16 minutes remaining.
In a finale so dramatic it provoked the respective benches into a bout of grappling, Andrei Shevchenko drew Chelsea level then Frank Lampard completed a poacher's hat-trick in the fourth minute of injury time during a crazy melee. As Chelsea celebrated the Leicester coach Gerry Taggert and his Chelsea counterpart Steve Clarke had to be separated. "I did not see it," claimed Avram Grant of the argy-bargy at the end, "but the important thing is we all shook hands afterwards."
"It's nothing really, you're just disappointed when the goal goes in after working so hard," said Frank Burrows, Leicester City's caretaker coach, even more disingenuously. Of the football Grant said: "I think everybody will have enjoyed it. We showed we had good character."
Grant had surprisingly abandoned the 4-3-3 system that had brought him five successive wins and the torrent of goals against City, switching to 4-4-2. It seemed this was to accommodate Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro. Shevchenko may have scored at the weekend but such is his fall from grace he is now one of those players for whom the Carling Cup offers the chance of a start.
Leicester arrived searching for their third new manager of a traumatic season but that did not deter 6,500 very vocal fans from making the journey. They were swiftly rewarded as Leicester outwitted and startled their hosts. Instead of swinging a free-kick into the box Shaun Newton rolled it down the touchline. Matty Fryatt was first to the ball, turned Steve Sidwell and crossed for his unmarked captain Gareth McAuley to head in.
The travelling Foxes went nuts, and remained in good voice even after Lampard equalised. The England midfielder had had a forward run halted by Darren Kenton's firm tackle but he had got up and continued his run as the ball rolled to Juliano Belletti. The Brazilian crossed deep, Scott Sinclair nodded the ball back, and Lampard drove home.
Lampard, whatever one may think of his depressing conversion to the cult of celebrity, gives full commitment in every match and his knack of running beyond his man into the box paid further dividends nine minutes later. Again the provider was Sinclair, the teenager running on to Paulo Ferreira's headed pass before crossing low to the near post. The ball broke off a scrum of bodies for Lampard to steer into the net. Chelsea had to reshuffle when Paolo Ferreira suffered what looked a bad ankle injury. With no defenders on the bench Florent Malouda came on to play, impressively, at left-back.
Then Burrows made a brace of substitions for the visitors. Within minutes the first, Levi Porter, was allowed time to pick out the second, DJ Campbell, who had crept behind Tal Ben Haim. Campbell, who was playing for nearby Yeading a few years ago, calmly headed over goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini. Then Porter was felled by Belletti and Carl Cort stabbed in the free-kick.
Grant went to three at the back – including Malouda – and Chelsea poured forward. Four minutes from time Shevchenko, showing the benefits of his speed training, turned slickly to level. Leicester, remarkably, sought a winner but were done on the counter-attack. Martin Fulop, who was superb all night, denied Kalou, sparking a frantic melee in which Pizarro hit the bar, Lampard had a header cleared off the line, then Shevchenko's shot struck Belletti, and flew in. It transpired the goal had already been given, for Lampard's header.
"It's not often John Terry [who was on the sidelines, injured] runs on to the pitch and punches the air for a result against a Championship side," said Burrows. He added: "They were the better side, but our hearts were as big as theirs."
Chelsea (4-4-2): Cudicini; Belletti, Ben Haim (Essien 80), Alex, Ferreira (Malouda 52); Wright-Phillips, Lampard, Sidwell, Sinclair ( Kalou 78); Pizarro, Shevchenko. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Mikel.
Leicester City (5-3-2): Fulop; Stearman, McAuley, N'Gotty, Kisnorbo, Sheehan; Newton (Porter 60, Maybury 80), Kenton, Chambers; Cort, Fryatt (Campbell 62). Substitutes not used: Henderson (gk), Hellings.
Referee: P Dowd (Staffs).---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lampard hat-trick finishes off Foxes in seven-goal thriller
Simon Burnton at Stamford BridgeThursday November 1, 2007The Guardian
When Avram Grant promised that there would be more excitement at Stamford Bridge, this cannot have been what he meant. Twice Leicester led, Chelsea's second equaliser coming as late as the 86th minute, and it was deep into stoppage time before the holders confirmed their progress with a goal as chaotic as the game it decided. In the confusion Frank Lampard claimed the final touch, and with it a hat-trick. "I don't know who scored the last goal," said Grant, "and I don't care. Chelsea scored it."
Few Chelsea fans, having witnessed their team score six against Manchester City at the weekend, would have been unduly surprised that this game featured seven goals - the great shock was their distribution. Leicester, struggling in the Championship and without a manager since Gary Megson's defection to Bolton last week, could have won here and surely would have had Carl Cort not missed with a close-range header in the 82nd minute. Instead Grant was allowed to purr about his team's fighting spirit, ironically the only quality at which Frank Burrows, Leicester's caretaker manager, believed his charges bettered their hosts. "They had more possession than us, they passed the ball better than us," he said. "Where we matched them, and maybe in my opinion shaded it, was our hearts. I wouldn't change my laddies' hearts for theirs after that."
Given the chaos at their club and the quality of their opponents some disorganisation could have been expected from Leicester but it was Chelsea whose defence was more prone to panic. It crumbled at the first opportunity when Matt Fryatt's cross in the sixth minute found Gareth McAuley running in from the edge of the area to power home a header while those around him in blue stood useless.
Leicester reacted well to their lead, chasing possession and gamely snapping into tackles. Cruelly, the Foxes' tackling was to prove their undoing. First Darren Kenton's challenge on Lampard only allowed Juliano Belletti to cross, Scott Sinclair heading the ball back for Lampard to sidefoot past Marton Fulop. Then Bruno N'Gotty did excellently to divert Sinclair's cross away from Claudio Pizarro at the near post. Sadly the ball looped to Lampard eight yards out and he volleyed his side into the lead.
But Leicester were to be rewarded for their resistance. In the 69th minute two substitutes combined to draw them level, Levi Porter chipping the ball over Chelsea's defence and DJ Campbell capitalising on Carlo Cudicini's hesitance to head in. A further five minutes and they were in the lead, Alan Sheehan's free-kick turned in by Cort at the far post.
Then came Cort's miss and Chelsea, reprieved, poured forwards. In the 86th minute Michael Essien passed to Andriy Shevchenko and the Ukrainian spun sweetly before scoring with a left-footed drive from the edge of the area. Then deep into stoppage time the striker struck again, less cleanly this time, his shot looping off Belletti and skimming off Lampard before crossing the line.
Suddenly the 40 coachloads and more of Leicester fans, so recently in full voice, fell silent. "It was a big part of my teamtalk, the responsibility of sending those fans home with a bit of pride and I think we did that," said Burrows.
There will be some debate about whether this constituted an improvement from the plodding inevitability of Chelsea success under Jose Mourinho but Grant at least was convinced. "I think 1-0 is a good score," he said, "but 4-3 is better."---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:
Lamps treble gets Chelsea off the hookChelsea 4 Leicester City 3
By NEIL ASHTON
Andriy Shevchenko has been sprint training under the gaze of Darren Campbell and the Chelsea striker arrived just in time to save their Carling Cup blushes last night.
Chelsea were heading out of the competition when Shevchenko, who scored in the 6-0 destruction of Manchester City last weekend, produced a wonderful effort in the 87th minute to make it 3-3.
Substitute Levi Porter had put Leicester into fantasy land when he created two chances that were converted by DJ Campbell and Carl Cort to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage.
They had one foot in the door of the quarter-finals, but Shevchenko swivelled on the edge of the area and sent the ball beyond Martin Fulop And just when everyone at Stamford Bridge thought they were in for a bout of extra time, skipper Frank Lampard completed a remarkable hat-trick to rescue the London club when he had the last touch on a Shevchenko shot amid a frantic goalmouth scramble.
Up to that point, it had been the stuff of dreams for the 6,500 travelling fans stationed in the Shed End, but had been a reality check for Chelsea boss Avram Grant.
Leicester made no apology for stringing five across the back and hoped to stop the Chelsea juggernaut in its tracks.
Six wins on the spin suggested Chelsea could see off their rivals with something to spare, but seven changes from the weekend left them lop-sided. Chelsea had a 46-match unbeaten home record to protect — yes, Jose, you were in charge for most of them — and a team from the second tier of English football were once easily swatted aside.
Ever since Gary Megson upped sticks and left for Bolton, Leicester have been muddling along under dependable caretaker boss Frank Burrows.
Last night, they attempted to muddy the waters — and almost pulled off a huge surprise. The visitors took the lead after just six minutes.
Matt Fryatt turned Steven Sidwell too easily by the corner flag and Gareth McAuley's gamble paid off with a neat header.
Tal Ben Haim did not spot the Leicester skipper's run, but the post-mortem can wait until they prepare for this weekend's Premier League trip to Wigan.
Instead, Chelsea spent the next 84 minutes on the attack.
Lampard, wearing the captain's armband in the absence of injured John Terry, was on a one-man mission to take Chelsea through.
He slapped his thigh in disgust after an early shot failed to trouble Fulop, but he made amends with a 20th-minute equaliser.
Young Scott Sinclair headed Juliano Belletti's cross into Lampard's path and the midfielder sent a sweet half-volley beyond Fulop. Chelsea were in control and it was only a matter of time before they took the lead.
Shevchenko is still feeding off scraps and Claudio Pizarro is continues to struggle to find his feet in Chelsea's colours, but Lampard has certainly rediscovered his goalscoring touch.
Sinclair sent a teasing near post cross towards Claudio Pizarro and Lampard arrived in time to convert the loose ball.
Paulo Ferreira was stretchered off after a clash at the start of the second half, but Chelsea still created chances — Sinclair hit a post and Pizarro was denied by Fulop — but Leicester were still alive and kicking.
Burrows threw on his remaining substitutes and was rewarded when Campbell headed in an equaliser after a Porter cross.
Chelsea panicked. Their defence fell apart and Cort applied the finishing touch to Porter's dangerous free-kick only to make it 3-3 when Shevchenko pounced and then he stabbed in a close-range winner deep in injury time.
CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cudicini 6; Belletti 6, Ben Haim 5 (Essien 80), Alex 6, Ferreira 6 (Malouda, 52, 6); Wright-Phillips 6, Sidwell 7, Lampard 8, Sinclair 7 (Kalou 78); Pizarro 6, Shevchenko 6. Booked: Sidwell, Ben Haim.
LEICESTER CITY (3-5-2): Fulop 7; Kisnorbo 7, N'Gotty 7, McAuley 8; Stearman 6, Newton 5 (Porter 60, 8), Kenton 6, Chambers 7, Sheehan 6; Cort 7, Fryatt 7 (Campbell 62, 8). Booked: Sheehan, Newton.
Man of the match: Frank Lampard. Referee: Phil Dowd. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sun:
Chelsea 4 Leicester 3By ANDREW DILLON
FRANK LAMPARD and Andriy Shevchenko spared Chelsea’s blushes with a late, late show at Stamford Bridge.
In a crazy finale to a rollercoaster clash, England ace Lamps secured his hat-trick with a controversial goal three minutes into injury time.
His header from six yards in a goalmouth melee summed up a frenetic night when the Blues were three minutes from going out.
First they were indebted to £30million striker Shevchenko, who fired in a brilliant 20-yard strike to seemingly send the tie into extra time after they trailed 3-2.
Then up stepped Lamps to bundle in a winner.
Claudio Pizzaro’s cross deflected off the bar. Lampard’s close-range header appeared to be bundled clear by Leicester keeper Martin Fulop before Shevchenko followed up with a shot that cannoned off Juliano Belletti.
The goal was initially credited to Ukrainian ace Shevchenko. But ref Phil Dowd eventually gave it to Lampard — his third on a memorable night.
And the relief was clear as injured skipper John Terry joined his pals to celebrate getting off the hook and into the last eight.
It certainly underlined the importance of the Terry’s stand-in to Chelsea.
Lampard’s treble is his first since hitting three at Macclesfield at home in the FA Cup last January. And boss Avram Grant is optimistic the player’s long-running contract wrangle will soon be resolved.
Lampard, 29, had earlier equalised on 20 minutes with a cool volley after City skipper Gareth McAuley gave the brave Championship side a shock sixth-minute lead.
And the Blues star was on hand to prod home after excellent work by impressive teenager Scott Sinclair in the 29th minute.
But then the fun started with City sub Dudley Campbell, the artist formerly known as DJ, climbing high and cashing in on Carlo Cudicini’s horrendous hesitancy with 21 minutes left.
Striker Carl Cort was at the end of a free-kick to put unfancied Leicester 3-2 up and on the verge of a huge shock. But then Sheva and Lamps to turn party-poopers.
Foxes boss Frank Burrows played down a touchline bust-up between the two sets of club officials when Lampard grabbed his winner.
Burrows, who coached Lampard as a 16-year-old at West Ham, said: “It was nothing but the disappointment when a goal goes in after you have fought so hard.
“I told Frank when he was a kid ‘if you’re involved in anything that ends with the ball going over the line, claim it.’
“They passed better than us and had more possession but I wouldn’t swap their hearts for my lads’ hearts tonight.
“It’s not often you see John Terry, the captain of England, run onto the pitch to celebrate a win over a Championship side is it?
“They did not believe it was over until it was over and maybe that was the crucial difference out there. It’s why they are top-quality players.”
Regardless of who had the last word, Chelsea were made to look human again after a run of six successive wins.
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