Times July 26, 2008
Chelsea cut Chengdu Blades to seven pieces
Shaun Wright-Phillips stars as London side's Asian tour continues with leisurely rout of spineless Chinese opposition
Wayne Veysey
THE ERA of Luiz Felipe Scolari may have begun in emphatic fashion with two handsome wins and 11 goals, but it would be premature to hail the Brazilian’s rebranded team as the great entertainers.
Such was the poverty of the opposition in Macau yesterday that Chelsea’s players have probably exerted themselves more in kickabouts in their back gardens. The visitors were able to stroll through this game, slicing open their hosts at will. Had they wanted to rack up double figures, they would surely have done so. Total control? Absolutely. Total football? Absolutely not.
In midweek, Scolari growled at the mere mention of Jose Mourinho, stating that, like Frank Sinatra, he would do it his way and that beautiful football would come second to winning.
However, the message from his players is that the former Brazil and Portugal manager is advocating a more gung-ho style in training, with two strikers rather than the one that has been the norm, and the club’s deep reservoir of attacking midfielders encouraged to show their creative sides.
Yet there was more than a hint of Mourinho in the personnel and formation that Scolari selected. It was a strong starting XI for late July and the tactics were a throw-back to Mourinho’s time, three central midfielders and two wingers complementing a single striker, in this case Nicolas Anelka.
As hosts, Chengdu Blades could not have been more hospitable. They are owned by Sheffield United but they showed no steel. Chelsea scored three in the first half and four in the second, the pick of which was a delightful backheeled flick from substitute Joe Cole, one of two goals for the winger in his first pre-season game. Anelka, Salomon Kalou, Frank Lampard, Argentinian teenager Franco Di Santo and Shaun Wright-Phillips weighed in with goals.
There was occasional slickness in Chelsea’s play, Michael Essien typically shining in two different roles, firstly anchoring the midfield and later at right-back, while Deco and Lampard dovetailed effectively in central midfield without getting in one other’s way. On the down side, Deco made a few rash challenges and would surely have been shown a yellow card in a Premier League fixture.
Scolari was a relaxed presence on the bench, choosing to stay rooted to his seat for the whole game. He clapped the opening two goals, was undemonstrative for the rest and laughed when the seventh crept in via Wright-Phillips’s shoulder.
Pre-season rides do not come much easier than this but Scolari says it was exactly the type of run-out he wanted and that his lineup for the opening Premier League game against Portsmouth on August 16 will be shaped by the considerably tougher fixtures in Moscow on Friday and Sunday.
“Look, for us, this is match training. If I was at Cobham it would make it the same,” he said. “We are here not only to play games but other things and for me it is better because I build my team for the Russian games and after that I have the team for the first game against Portsmouth.”
One player the manager knows very well is Deco, who contributed a full 90-minute shift despite his exertions for Portugal in the summer, evidence perhaps that Scolari wants this key cog in the wheel in prime shape for the start of the league season.
Star man: Joe Cole
Scorers: Chelsea: Anelka 15, Kalou 31, Lampard 38, J Cole 55, 82, Di Santo 66, Wright-Phillips 83
Such was the poverty of the opposition in Macau yesterday that Chelsea’s players have probably exerted themselves more in kickabouts in their back gardens. The visitors were able to stroll through this game, slicing open their hosts at will. Had they wanted to rack up double figures, they would surely have done so. Total control? Absolutely. Total football? Absolutely not.
In midweek, Scolari growled at the mere mention of Jose Mourinho, stating that, like Frank Sinatra, he would do it his way and that beautiful football would come second to winning.
However, the message from his players is that the former Brazil and Portugal manager is advocating a more gung-ho style in training, with two strikers rather than the one that has been the norm, and the club’s deep reservoir of attacking midfielders encouraged to show their creative sides.
Yet there was more than a hint of Mourinho in the personnel and formation that Scolari selected. It was a strong starting XI for late July and the tactics were a throw-back to Mourinho’s time, three central midfielders and two wingers complementing a single striker, in this case Nicolas Anelka.
As hosts, Chengdu Blades could not have been more hospitable. They are owned by Sheffield United but they showed no steel. Chelsea scored three in the first half and four in the second, the pick of which was a delightful backheeled flick from substitute Joe Cole, one of two goals for the winger in his first pre-season game. Anelka, Salomon Kalou, Frank Lampard, Argentinian teenager Franco Di Santo and Shaun Wright-Phillips weighed in with goals.
There was occasional slickness in Chelsea’s play, Michael Essien typically shining in two different roles, firstly anchoring the midfield and later at right-back, while Deco and Lampard dovetailed effectively in central midfield without getting in one other’s way. On the down side, Deco made a few rash challenges and would surely have been shown a yellow card in a Premier League fixture.
Scolari was a relaxed presence on the bench, choosing to stay rooted to his seat for the whole game. He clapped the opening two goals, was undemonstrative for the rest and laughed when the seventh crept in via Wright-Phillips’s shoulder.
Pre-season rides do not come much easier than this but Scolari says it was exactly the type of run-out he wanted and that his lineup for the opening Premier League game against Portsmouth on August 16 will be shaped by the considerably tougher fixtures in Moscow on Friday and Sunday.
“Look, for us, this is match training. If I was at Cobham it would make it the same,” he said. “We are here not only to play games but other things and for me it is better because I build my team for the Russian games and after that I have the team for the first game against Portsmouth.”
One player the manager knows very well is Deco, who contributed a full 90-minute shift despite his exertions for Portugal in the summer, evidence perhaps that Scolari wants this key cog in the wheel in prime shape for the start of the league season.
Star man: Joe Cole
Scorers: Chelsea: Anelka 15, Kalou 31, Lampard 38, J Cole 55, 82, Di Santo 66, Wright-Phillips 83
CHENGDU BLADES: Lan Yi, Liu Cheng, Demar, Li Mingyi (Ding Qi 55min), Zhu Xiaogang (Xu Chao 62min), Zhang Chaosong (Yang Zezhi h-t), Li Tie (Peng Xingli 78min), Xia Qiqi (Zhou Peng 55min), Zhou Yougen (Jiang Xiaoyu 82min), Shi Jun (Denilson h-t), Wang Song
CHELSEA: Cech (Hilario 60min), Ferreira (Ivanovic h-t), Alex (Carvalho h-t), Terry (J Cole 53min), A Cole (Bridge h-t), Deco, Essien, Lampard (Mikel h-t), Wright-Phillips, Anelka (Di Santo 60min), Kalou (Malouda h-t)
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Telegraph:
Telegraph:
Chelsea knock seven past Chengdu Blades in pre-season matchChelsea's pre-season tour of Asia continued in Macau on Saturday as Luiz Felipe Scolari's side eased to a 7-0 victory against Chinese Super League side Chengdu Blades.
By Emily Benammar
Chengdu Blades 0 Chelsea 7
Nicolas Anelka, Solomon Kalou and Frank Lampard handed their side a comfortable half-time advantage at the Macau Stadium before Joe Cole, Franco Di Santo and a fortunate Shaun Wright-Phillips wrapped up the second rout in four days.
Paulo Ferreira replaced the injured Jose Bosingwa at right-back, while Alex and Wright-Phillips also came into the side who beat Guangzhou Pharmaceutical 4-0 on Wednesday at the expense of Ricardo Carvalho and Mikel John Obi, with Michael Essien taking over the holding midfield role.
Like at the start of Wednesday's pre-season opener, Chelsea dominated the opening exchanges against the Blades, who currently sit ninth in the Chinese top-flight, and after Kalou and Essien had shots saved by Chengdu goalkeeper Lan Yi. Chelsea opened the scoring after 15 minutes.
Wright-Phillips found an unmarked Anelka charging into the area, and after the French striker beat the Blades offside trap, he calmly rounded Lan and rolled the ball into the net.
The lively Wright-Phillips blazed over and Lampard saw his low drive saved before Kalou doubled the Chelsea lead 14 minutes before the break.
Wright-Phillips picked out Anelka on the edge of the Chengdu area and with time and space, the Frenchman turned and fed the onrushing Kalou who scored with ease.
Kalou turned provider seven minutes later as the Ivory Coast international crossed for Lampard to fire into an empty net from the edge of the area after Lan went to ground in a vain attempt to intercept the initial low delivery.
Following five half-time changes, Cole was also introduced shortly after for his first pre-season appearance after missing the opening game due to a lack of match fitness.
And Cole made an instant impact two minutes after his 53rd minute introduction as the England midfielder broke clear of the Chengdu backline following an Anelka through-ball before deceiving Lan and passing the ball into the unguarded net.
Six minutes later Argentinian teenager Di Santo smashed home the fifth from close range after the Blades defence failed to clear Carvalho's low cross following good interplay from Cole on the edge of the Chengdu area.
Di Santo was denied a second with 15 minutes remaining as his near-post flick was acrobatically turned away by Lan.
Cole grabbed a second with eight minutes left on the watch with an exquisite close range backheel drag from Essien's low near post cross before Florent Malouda's left wing cross hit an onrushing Wright-Phillips on the chest and looped over Lan a minute later to complete the scoring.
Former Everton and Sheffield United defender Li Tie played 80 minutes for Chengdu, who are owned by the Blades of the Championship.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chelsea's victory over Chengdu Blades fails to win over locals
Considering the jackpot they hope to eventually land from such exotic pre-season tours, it is perhaps appropriate that Chelsea have spent the past four days in Macau, Asia's answer to Las Vegas.
By Jeremy Wilson in Macau
Surrounded by casinos, Chelsea's base at the Grand Lisboa on Macau's main strip has been the subject of curiosity from well-wishers rather than the focus of any notable hysteria from the supposed new legion of Asian fans.
For the cynics, the money and glitz of a gambling city is well suited to Chelsea's sudden arrival among football's high rollers, while the disappointing crowds have underlined the lofty challenge of realising their ambition to become the world's biggest club by 2014.
After 35,000 watched Wednesday's 4-0 win against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical, a crowd of around 7,000 watched another procession yesterday afternoon as Chelsea coasted to a 7-0 victory against the hopelessly limited Chengdu Blades.
Chelsea were without Jose Bosingwa, who flew back to London after scans revealed a small tear in a thigh which manager Luiz Felipe Scolari expects to keep him out of the first game of the Premier League season against Portsmouth. "I have players in this position. It is not a problem for us, I think three weeks he is ready to play," Scolari said.
Chelsea took a 14th-minute lead through Nicolas Anelka. Shaun Wright-Phillips then provided the assist and combined with Anelka to present Salomon Kalou with Chelsea's second.
Frank Lampard notched his second goal in two pre-season games, then Joe Cole returned from an ankle injury to put Chelsea 4-0 ahead.
Franco Di Santo also scored his second goal in four days, before Cole provided the best moment of the game with a back-heel beyond goalkeeper Fu Bin.
The rout was completed when Florent Malouda fed the ball into the area and it was directed past Bin by Wright-Phillips.
Portsmouth are expected to bid for Wright-Phillips but Scolari said: "He is a player who is important for us, he is a different player – he has been training very well."
Despite the oppressively hot conditions and poor opposition, Chelsea are adamant about the football benefits of spending 10 days in the Asian humidity. "If I choose the opponents, I would choose this now, I don't want to play against strong teams because they [the players] have to stay healthy," said Scolari. "I am new in Chelsea, I need to know some players. It's important for me this game. It was better than the match on Wednesday."
Cole added: "It's hot and humid, but as professional players it is our responsibility to come to these places. These fans spend a lot of money following us around."
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Chengdu Blades 0 Chelsea 7
By Daniel King from Macau
Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Ferreira (Ivanovic 46min), Alex (Carvalho 46), Terry (J Cole 54), A Cole (Bridge 46); Essien; Wright-Phillips, Deco, Lampard (Obi Mikel 46); Kalou (Malouda 46), Anelka (Di Santo 65). Subs: Cudicini, Hilario.
Chengdu Blades: Lan Yi, Liu Cheng, Demar, Li Mingyi, Li Tie, Zhou Yougen, Zhang Chaosong, Zhu Xiaogang, Shi Jun, Wang Song. Subs: Fu Bin, Ding Qi, Zheng Wangyang, Xu Chao, Zhou Peng, Yang Zezhi, Peng Xingli, Jiang Xiaoyu, Denilson, Zhang Yuan.
Chengdu Blades: Lan Yi, Liu Cheng, Demar, Li Mingyi, Li Tie, Zhou Yougen, Zhang Chaosong, Zhu Xiaogang, Shi Jun, Wang Song. Subs: Fu Bin, Ding Qi, Zheng Wangyang, Xu Chao, Zhou Peng, Yang Zezhi, Peng Xingli, Jiang Xiaoyu, Denilson, Zhang Yuan.
Well, Roman Abramovich wants to win in style, and Chelsea have certainly done that. But you suspect that not every opponent will make it as easy as this. Di Santo had time to miss from two yards but it felt more like mercy than incompetence. Two games of the tour down, two wins, 11 goals for, 0 against. The Malaysian national team will surely provide a stiffer test in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
GOAL 84mins (0-7): It's getting really embarrassing now. SWP is on the scoresheet this time after Malouda's cross hits him and goes in. It's time for the vidiprinter to start putting the score in brackets: (SEVEN).
GOAL 80mins (0-6): Essien, playing in his third different position of the game, crosses from the right and Joe Cole scores with an impudent backheel to make it 6-0. With Deco going through his repertoire of skills, it's just like watching Brazil. No, really.
72 mins: Carvalho seems to bring down Chengdu captain Wang Song in the box but the referee says no. 'Chelsea propaganda' is the cry as a replay of the incident on the big screen gives way to the more comfortable view of the scoreline.
Heads I Win: John Terry battles for possession with Shi JunGOAL66 mins (0-5): A horrible defensive error gives Franco di Santo, on as a 65th-minute replacement from Anelka, a straightforward chance to score from close range. It's 5-0 and it's really not a competitive match at all. GOAL 55 mins (0-4): Joe Cole makes it four, running round the 'keeper after Anelka's cute through ball to score barely a minute after coming on for John Terry. Not to play at centre-back, obviously. Terry did not seem to be injured, but there may be news in the post-match bulletin. If Chengdu's partner club, Sheffield United, are watching this display, they will wonder if they want to be associated with them anymore. Sean Bean will not be getting another Blades tattoo to celebrate this lot anytime soon. Sharp(e), they ain't.
SUBSTITUTION 46mins: Who says football hacks don't know what they're talking about. Not just one or two substitutions, but five, with Branislav Ivanovic, Wayne Bridge, Ricardo Carvalho, John Obi Mikel and Florent Malouda replacing Paulo Ferreira, Ashley Cole, Alex, Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou. Nothing else to report.
HALF TIME 45 mins: There was just time for one more wave of the flag from the suspect lino before a miserable half for the Chengdu team came to an end. 3-0 flatters them, to be honest. Wayne Bridge and Florent Malouda went off to warm up before the whistle, so expect Scolari to make some half-time changes. The Chelsea players leave the pitch to strange, high-pitched cries from the crowd.
GOAL 38 mins (0-3): Kalou cuts the ball back and Lampard sets himself before lashing the ball into the net. It's a rout. A game of dubious footballing value still doesn't look like a winner in commercial terms either - despite the late opening of the gates, which led to a flood of people entering the ground, there are still lots of empty seats.
GOAL DISALLOWED 36mins: It's that linesman again! Kalou dubiously ruled offside in the process of setting Anelka up for what would have been a third goal. The Chengdu defence is like a paper colander.
GOAL 31mins (0-2): Another defence-splitting SWP pass, Anelka shows a previously unsuspected streak of unselfishness by playing in Kalou, and the Ivorian scores easily. Cue some mild cheering. On this form, the Champions League will be a doddle. Maybe.
30mins: Apart from an ugly shot over the bar by SWP and the odd Chengdu incursion into Chelsea's penalty area, the most notable feature of the last few minutes has been some very suspect officiating. The nearside linesman's grasp of the offside rule is rather tenuous and the referee himself is inconsistent when it comes to deciding what constitutes a foul. Just like the Premier League, then.GOAL 15 mins (0-1): After creating a few other chances, Nicolas Anelka accepts Shaun Wright-Phillips's through ball, goes round the Chengdu goalkeeper and gives Chelsea a deserved lead.
Luis Felipe Scolari, having told us yesterday that he has always been regarded as a European-style coach, has gone a bit Brazilian on us with a sort of 4-1-2-2-1 formation.
Michael Essien is holding, Deco and Frank Lampard are in front of him, with Wright-Phillips and Kalou on the flanks pushing up in support of Anelka. It's working quite well, as it goes.
Well, Chelsea's plan to conquer the Far East seems not have caught the imagination of the people of the Macau. Despite reports of a sell-out, the Olympic stadium on the island of Taipa, whose capacity cannot be much more than 15,000, has huge swathes of empty seats.
If there are 3,000 people here, 15 minutes before kick-off, then it would be surprise. Time to push back that break-even target again, Mr Kenyon?
GOAL 84mins (0-7): It's getting really embarrassing now. SWP is on the scoresheet this time after Malouda's cross hits him and goes in. It's time for the vidiprinter to start putting the score in brackets: (SEVEN).
GOAL 80mins (0-6): Essien, playing in his third different position of the game, crosses from the right and Joe Cole scores with an impudent backheel to make it 6-0. With Deco going through his repertoire of skills, it's just like watching Brazil. No, really.
72 mins: Carvalho seems to bring down Chengdu captain Wang Song in the box but the referee says no. 'Chelsea propaganda' is the cry as a replay of the incident on the big screen gives way to the more comfortable view of the scoreline.
Heads I Win: John Terry battles for possession with Shi JunGOAL66 mins (0-5): A horrible defensive error gives Franco di Santo, on as a 65th-minute replacement from Anelka, a straightforward chance to score from close range. It's 5-0 and it's really not a competitive match at all. GOAL 55 mins (0-4): Joe Cole makes it four, running round the 'keeper after Anelka's cute through ball to score barely a minute after coming on for John Terry. Not to play at centre-back, obviously. Terry did not seem to be injured, but there may be news in the post-match bulletin. If Chengdu's partner club, Sheffield United, are watching this display, they will wonder if they want to be associated with them anymore. Sean Bean will not be getting another Blades tattoo to celebrate this lot anytime soon. Sharp(e), they ain't.
SUBSTITUTION 46mins: Who says football hacks don't know what they're talking about. Not just one or two substitutions, but five, with Branislav Ivanovic, Wayne Bridge, Ricardo Carvalho, John Obi Mikel and Florent Malouda replacing Paulo Ferreira, Ashley Cole, Alex, Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou. Nothing else to report.
HALF TIME 45 mins: There was just time for one more wave of the flag from the suspect lino before a miserable half for the Chengdu team came to an end. 3-0 flatters them, to be honest. Wayne Bridge and Florent Malouda went off to warm up before the whistle, so expect Scolari to make some half-time changes. The Chelsea players leave the pitch to strange, high-pitched cries from the crowd.
GOAL 38 mins (0-3): Kalou cuts the ball back and Lampard sets himself before lashing the ball into the net. It's a rout. A game of dubious footballing value still doesn't look like a winner in commercial terms either - despite the late opening of the gates, which led to a flood of people entering the ground, there are still lots of empty seats.
GOAL DISALLOWED 36mins: It's that linesman again! Kalou dubiously ruled offside in the process of setting Anelka up for what would have been a third goal. The Chengdu defence is like a paper colander.
GOAL 31mins (0-2): Another defence-splitting SWP pass, Anelka shows a previously unsuspected streak of unselfishness by playing in Kalou, and the Ivorian scores easily. Cue some mild cheering. On this form, the Champions League will be a doddle. Maybe.
30mins: Apart from an ugly shot over the bar by SWP and the odd Chengdu incursion into Chelsea's penalty area, the most notable feature of the last few minutes has been some very suspect officiating. The nearside linesman's grasp of the offside rule is rather tenuous and the referee himself is inconsistent when it comes to deciding what constitutes a foul. Just like the Premier League, then.GOAL 15 mins (0-1): After creating a few other chances, Nicolas Anelka accepts Shaun Wright-Phillips's through ball, goes round the Chengdu goalkeeper and gives Chelsea a deserved lead.
Luis Felipe Scolari, having told us yesterday that he has always been regarded as a European-style coach, has gone a bit Brazilian on us with a sort of 4-1-2-2-1 formation.
Michael Essien is holding, Deco and Frank Lampard are in front of him, with Wright-Phillips and Kalou on the flanks pushing up in support of Anelka. It's working quite well, as it goes.
Well, Chelsea's plan to conquer the Far East seems not have caught the imagination of the people of the Macau. Despite reports of a sell-out, the Olympic stadium on the island of Taipa, whose capacity cannot be much more than 15,000, has huge swathes of empty seats.
If there are 3,000 people here, 15 minutes before kick-off, then it would be surprise. Time to push back that break-even target again, Mr Kenyon?
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