morning papers west brom home 2-0

The Times

December 27, 2008
Luiz Felipe Scolari goes back to basics as Chelsea dominate West Brom

Chelsea 2 West Bromwich Albion 0
Matt Hughes

Luiz Felipe Scolari may not take kindly to the comparison, but this felt like a throwback to the days when José Mourinho was in charge. Chelsea dominated from start to finish against limited opponents to move briefly back to the top of the table, without quickening the pulse. A derby match against Fulham tomorrow should present the Brazilian with a greater insight into the English tradition of festive football.
Given Mourinho’s achievements, and more importantly, Chelsea’s run of one win from five matches at Stamford Bridge before yesterday, Scolari should take it as a compliment. He did not see eye to eye with Mourinho when they worked in Portugal, but there is much he could learn from his predecessor when it comes to winning trophies in England. Unfortunately, Scolari also appears to be emulating the Portuguese’s habit of winter hibernation, as he again sent out Ray Wilkins to face the media in what was known as the “Steve Clarke role”.
“He’s very happy, as you can imagine,” Wilkins, the assistant manager, said. “We’ve got three points and up until a minute ago we were top of the Premier League. He’s loved every minute of it this Christmas. It’s the first time he’s had training on Christmas Day and really enjoyed being with the lads last night.”
One of Mourinho’s biggest tendencies was obsessively looking one step ahead — why waste energy beating Charlton Athletic 5-0 when you have to play Manchester United in three days’ time? — and, after the flowing football of the autumn stalled during the winter, this may be a lesson that Scolari has absorbed. Although they passed the ball as crisply as ever and looked to get to the byline at every opportunity, there was more than an air of a back-to-basics approach from Chelsea, with the primary focus on maintaining possession. This they achieved to an almost absurd degree, like children refusing to part with their new Christmas football.
With dissenting voices whispering around every corner, Scolari has endured a difficult few weeks, and this victory may be remembered as the moment when he regained his mojo. In any industry, the art of management is based on making the correct decisions, and Scolari got all the big ones right, particularly the dropping of Deco in favour of Didier Drogba. The Ivory Coast striker scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the third minute from a cross by Joe Cole, while the England midfield player also helped to create the second for Frank Lampard on the stroke of half-time.
Cole has always had to work harder than his team-mates to stay in the side so this was a timely reminder of his talent. The 27-year-old was his usual busy self throughout, combining with José Bosingwa to torment Paul Robinson down the right before moving to the left to combine with Ashley Cole for Chelsea’s second, which, given Scolari’s fondness for Deco, is just as well. The Portugual playmaker is unlikely to stay on the sidelines for long.
Drogba also had one of his better days and, with a combination of sharper shooting and slightly less attentive goalkeeping from Scott Carson, could have scored a hat-trick in the second half, but little was learnt about his potential to play with Nicolas Anelka. The France striker was given an unceremonious reminder of his place in the pecking order by being deployed on the left and was as subdued as the crowd, the majority of whom seemed to be nursing heavy hangovers.
Chelsea were helped by West Bromwich Albion’s crippling caution, with the surprising omission of their first-choice strikers, Roman Bednar and Luke Moore, leaving them short of firepower. Tony Mowbray, the manager, defended his decision afterwards, admitting that he had prioritised tomorrow’s home match against Tottenham Hotspur as a better opportunity to get three points.
“You’re either very silly or very brave to play two strikers here,” Mowbray said. “In our predicament, we’ve got to target certain football matches and if you look at Tottenham at home and Chelsea away and make a decision. If we win on Sunday, it could be the best decision I’ve made this season.” West Brom troubled the home side only once, when Michael Ballack lost his cool and appeared to slap Christ Brunt. The Germany captain collected his fifth booking of the season and will miss the FA Cup third-round tie against Southend United through suspension, but was fortunate to stay on the pitch.
“I wish Rob Styles [the referee] was here to explain the decision,” Mowbray said. “I’m not going to urge the referee to send someone off, but he did slap him in the face.” Mourinho would not have been so understated.
Chelsea 4-1-3-2: P Cech 6, J Bosingwa 7, Alex 6, B Ivanovic 6, A Cole 7, J Obi Mikel7, J Cole 8, M Ballack 6, F Lampard 7, D Drogba 7, N Anelka 6. Substitutes: F Malouda (for Drogba, 67), Deco (for J Cole, 79min). Not used: C Cudicini, P Ferreira, S Kalou, Mineiro.
West Bromwich Albion 4-4-2: S Carson 6, G Zuiverloon 5, A Méïté 5, J Olsson 6, P Robinson 4, J Morrison 6, R Koren 6, J Greening 5, C Brunt 5, D Kim 5, C Beattie 5. Substitutes: L Barnett 5 (for Méïté, 29min), R Bednar 5 (for Kim, 69). Not used: D Kiely, M Cech, L Moore, G Dorrans, Borja Valero
Attendance: 43,417 Referee: R Styles
Star man: Joe Cole Under pressure to perform having been preferred to the manager's favourite, Deco, but more than justified the decision by creating both goals with balls from either flank and was a threat all match.
Window watchLuiz Felipe Scolari has asked for money to strengthen his squad without getting the response the Chelsea manager was after and is likely to have to keep working with what he has. A loan signing such as Vagner Love, of CSKA Moscow, is a possibility. Tony Mowbray, the West Bromwich Albion manager, needs a regular goal-scorer, but top-class strikers are hardly queuing up to join clubs at the foot of the Barclays Premier League.
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Telegraph
Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba mesh well as Chelsea sink West Brom

Chelsea (2) 0 West Bromwich Albion (0) 0 By John Ley

New look, fresh hope. Didier Drogba started with Nicolas Anelka for the first time under Luiz Felipe Scolari and responded with his first league goal since March as Chelsea strolled to victory over doomed West Bromwich Albion.
Scolari had hinted at experimenting and the trial, with Joe Cole effectively joining a three-man attack, appeared to work, with Chelsea able to dominate, albeit against poor opposition. With greater fortune and a lesser goalkeeper than Scott Carson,
Chelsea would have waltzed to an easier victory, but after successive draws, at Everton and at home to West Ham, the points were the priority.
Drogba, over a suspension and back to full fitness, took three minutes to respond to Scolari’s new formation before Frank Lampard added a second, on the stroke of half-time. Drogba squandered a succession of chances to add to just the four league goals he has claimed this year before suffering a kick on the thigh and leaving in the 66th minute. The Ivorian should be fit to face Fulham on Sunday.
While it was not a vintage performance, Chelsea finished with enough in their tank to suggest they will be key players in the title race in the new year. Indeed they led the table for a couple of hours until Liverpool played.
Scolari chose again not to address the media, but assistant Ray Wilkins insisted there was nothing untoward in his decision.
Wilkins said: “There is no reason whatsoever for him not coming up, he just asked me to do it. He’s as happy as Larry and up to a few minutes ago we were top of the Premier League.”
Of the new formation, Wilkins said: “It was a classic goal from a centre forward we are delighted to have back. It was a three-man front line really, with Joe Cole, and I thought their movement was exceptional.”
Chelsea, missing the suspended John Terry, have threatened to ruin their hopes of wresting the title off Manchester United by squandering points at home. Any hopes that Albion, rated by the bookmakers at 14-1 to create the shock of the day by winning, had harboured were soon ended when Drogba, starting a league game for only the second time this season, was allowed the time to head beyond Carson.
Cole’s high cross, from the right, fell invitingly to Drogba, who faced only minimal resistance from Gianni Zuiverloon before directing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
Operating intelligently, with good movement on and off the ball, the Anelka-Drogba alliance, with Cole diligent, threatened to produce more goals though Scolari will need further evidence against better opposition before he will be fully convinced it is the answer to his problems.
Albion, already looking like second-class citizens, were forced into a change when Leon Barnett had to replace Abdoulaye Meite before half an hour had been completed after the defender pulled a hamstring while chasing Lampard and is out of tomorrow’s visit of Spurs.
Ashley Cole almost added a second when Carson pushed his first effort on to the left post then saved the follow-up.
The second goal came when Ashley Cole lost possession to Zuiverloon, who inadvertently prodded the ball into the path of Lampard. The England midfielder skipped past a defender and finished superbly to put the game beyond Albion’s reach.
Drogba missed the chance to add a second, with Carson saving well before slicing another attempt wide. He then combined with Anelka who forced a save from Carson but slid the rebound wide.
After Drogba departed, Michael Ballack wasted another chance before pushing Chris Brunt on the side of the face – in response to being pushed – and could have seen red.
Albion manager Tony Mowbray, who should recall Roman Bedner against Spurs, was honest in defeat. “They could have been out of sight if we had conceded another quick goal after the first. In Drogba and Anelka they had two genuine world class players in attack.”
Mowbray confirmed that he will sign Arsenal striker Jay Simpson on loan until the end of the season when the window opens. It may not be the answer to their problems.
Half-term reportsBy John Ley
Chelsea: Chelsea, under Big Phil, has lost their unbeaten home record and a level of consistency expected at Stamford Bridge. Yet the story is different away from home and that is where the title could be won.Next game: Fulham (away, Sunday).
West Brom: Albion are doomed. Saturday’s listless 2-0 defeat only served to confirm that a team promoted in May do not have the resources to survive, though they have – to their credit – tried to play some decent stuff.Next game: Tottenham (home, Sunday).
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Indy:
Cole's creative spark lightens burden at Bridge
Chelsea 2 West Bromwich 0
By Conrad Leach

If Chelsea had suffered a slight bout of pre-Christmas indigestion, drawing at Everton on Monday and having John Terry sent off for his much-discussed red card, then West Bromwich Albion turned out to be the perfect palliative. It only took Didier Drogba, starting his first game since mid-November, three minutes to score Chelsea's first goal and thereafter they were in complete and utter control and on their way to their first home League win since 1 November and the 5-0 rout of Sunderland.
Luiz Felipe Scolari spurned the chance to talk up a Chelsea side that had lost its way at Stamford Bridge in the last couple of months, leaving the explanations to his assistant, Ray Wilkins. Faced with a West Brom team at the bottom of the table, this was as good a time as any to experiment and this was the first start for the pairing of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Losing Terry to his three-game suspension was never going to be the biggest of Scolari's problems over Christmas, although he almost had another to deal with, as Michael Ballack shoved Chris Brunt in the face late on, although the referee, Rob Styles, only gave a yellow card to the German, who was possibly saved from a red as Brunt did not fall to the ground.
Wilkins was happy with what he saw, especially the combinations of the front three, as he views Joe Cole as a forward. He said: "The players' movement was exceptional and I'm delighted with more competition in the squad." Drogba is happy to play with anyone as long as the team plays to his strengths, one of them being his aerial prowess. At the first opportunity Joe Cole lofted a ball to the far post and Drogba, outjumping the ineffective Gianni Zuiverloon, twisted his neck to head beyond Scott Carson. It was his first goal since the ill-fated Carling Cup home defeat against Burnley last month, when he threw a coin back into the crowd and was suspended for three games. More surprisingly, in his first League start for exactly three months, it was his first League goal of the season. Less surprising was his failure to last much more than an hour, taken off as a precaution with a slight thigh strain. By then, however, he should have scored at least twice more.
By dropping Deco, one of his core players, Scolari was making another bold statement. It certainly made Joe Cole's day more enjoyable, as it has usually been him who comes on for the Portuguese midfielder. This time the opposite was true and he made his point with a convincing display, something Wilkins, and therefore Scolari, noted.
Having seen Frank Lampard and Ballack waste a series of chances after Drogba's strike, and Ashley Cole force a flying save from Carson, who pushed the ball on to the post, Joe Cole set up the second goal. An incisive pass let in Ashley Cole, who had made a clever run. A fortunate ricochet let the ball run to Lampard, who evaded one tackle and chipped Carson neatly for his first goal since the Sunderland game.
While Carson was busy, his counterpart, Petr Cech, barely had a save to make. Given Chelsea's recent vulnerability at home, and West Brom's last-minute win over Manchester City a week ago, this could have been an opportunity for Tony Mowbray, the West Brom manager, to get his players to attack their hosts. But it was a chance they passed up entirely, appearing limply to accept their fate once Drogba had scored. Chelsea's Christmas headache is over.
Goals: Drogba (3) 1-0; Lampard (45) 2-0.
Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech; Bosingwa (Belletti, h-t), Ivanovic, Alex, A Cole; Mikel, Ballack, Lampard; J Cole (Deco, 79), Drogba (Malouda, 66), Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ferreira, Kalou, Mineiro.
West Bromwich Albion (4-5-1): Carson; Zuiverloon, Meite (Barnett, 27), Olsson, Robinson; Morrison, Kim (Bednar, 69), Greening, Koren, Brunt; Beattie (Moore, 60). Substitutes not used: Kiely (gk), M Cech, Dorrans, Valero.
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire).
Booked: Chelsea Ballack.
Man of the match: J Cole.
Attendance: 43,417.
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Guardian

Chelsea rediscover home form but Drogba and Anelka fail to gel against West Bromwich Albion

Chelsea 2 Drogba 3, Lampard 45 West Brom 0
David Hytner at Stamford Bridge

If only every home game could be as straight forward as this for Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Chelsea manager may find the concept of football on Boxing Day strange, but his players were never in danger of seeing their struggles at Stamford Bridge continue as they took a nonchalant step towards an upturn in form.
West Bromwich Albion contributed next to nothing to a one-sided encounter. Tony Mowbray started with the strikers Roman Bednar and Luke Moore on the substitutes' bench, making Sunday's home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur his priority.
Chelsea were able to enjoy their first Premier League victory in front of their own fans since thrashing Sunderland 5–0 on 1 November. When Michael Ballack tangled with Chris Brunt with 15 minutes left and raised his hands to risk a red card rather than the yellow that he got, it was tempting to wonder whether the Chelsea midfielder was simply bored and keen to add a bit of spice. It would certainly have been one of the most needless dismissals in recent memory, although Mowbray did argue afterwards that the letter of the law ought to have been applied.
"It's a bit confusing because Ballack did lift his arm and slap Chris in the face," Mowbray said . "If Rob Styles [the referee] does not think a slap in the face is worthy of a red card then it's up to him."
Scolari had started with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka in the same line-up for the first time since he took over and the Brazilian was smiling broadly under his white baseball cap after the first three minutes of the match when Drogba headed his team front, scoring his first league goal since March. There seemed to be little immediate danger when Joe Cole put over a cross from the right, but the Ivorian leapt above Gianni Zuiverloon, whose lack of a challenge was galling, to plant the ball firmly beyond Scott Carson.
The only thing that might have vexed Scolari was that Drogba's return marginalised Anelka, his 16-goal leading scorer. Although Scolari attempted to incorporate both of the strikers he did not tinker with the formation and, as a result, Anelka was pressed out to the left wing, where he merely flickered.
"It was a [front] three, with Joe Cole as well, so it was not necessarily Didier and Nicolas playing together," Ray Wilkins, the assistant manager, said, while Scolari took another break from media duties. "But their movement was excellent. That's why we caused West Brom so many problems. We were always going to create chances."
Chelsea ought to have been out of sight by the interval. Frank Lampard, a snapshot in latent menace, repeatedly broke at pace and the only surprise was that he had to wait until injury time to score his ninth of the season. He had snatched at three earlier shooting ­opportunities yet his deft finish, after ­Ashley Cole had burst on to Joe Cole's pass and seen the ball break off Zuiverloon, was of the highest order.
Ashley Cole had earlier been denied by a combination of Carson's finger­tips and the near post after more slick work from the impressive Joe Cole.
West Brom lost Abdoulaye Méïté in the first half to a hamstring strain and some of their other defenders risked similar ­injuries as they stretched every sinew to make vital interceptions. Mowbray's team were also indebted to Carson's handling as Chelsea made him work from distance.
"We had half an eye on Sunday," Mowbray said. "In our predicament we have to target certain games. We've got Chelsea away and Tottenham at home and we have to ask, 'Which have we got the best chance of picking up points in?'"
Chelsea, who monopolised the ­possession and the territorial advantage, sprang forward at will and the mood was encapsulated by the substitute Juliano ­Belletti. He found himself played through the right-hand channel by Drogba in the 52nd minute and, as the crowd bellowed for him to shoot, he attempted an ­audacious chip from the edge of the area, but got it horribly wrong. Nobody thought for a ­second that it would prove costly.
The best chances of the second half fell to Lampard and Drogba — Carson stood tall to block on both occasions — and while Ballack's slap briefly threatened to seize the headlines this was not a day for the sensational.
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Mail:

Chelsea 2 West Brom 0:

It's a slappy Christmas for Ballack, but at least Blues and Drogba are back on track

By Matt Barlow

Home comfort has been in short supply for Luiz Felipe Scolari so this was a welcome visit by a West Bromwich team with their minds elsewhere.Didier Drogba scored his first Barclays Premier League goal of the season after just four minutes, Frank Lampard made it two before the interval and Chelsea coasted to the sort of victory they used to enjoy all the time at Stamford Bridge.Scolari then dodged his press conference for the second time in a week and sent assistant Ray Wilkins in to do his talking.
The only thing which might have marred Boxing Day for the Brazilian manager was when Michael Ballack cuffed Chris Brunt around the face but Rob Styles somehow decided the German should only be booked.It was similar to the slap which saw Drogba sent off in last season's Champions League Final but Brunt's reaction perhaps saved Ballack. He stayed on his feet, turned to the Albion bench, shrugged his shoulders and laughed.Had he collapsed in a heap like plenty of others do, he might have tempted Styles to spoil the festive mood of goodwill with a red card. 'It's a bit confusing,' said visiting boss Tony Mowbray.
'He did lift an arm and slap him in the face, right in front of the referee. Mr Styles gets paid to referee a football match and if he doesn't think a slap in the face is worthy of a red card then so be it. It was right in front of me, right in front of him. I don't know the rules any more when it comes to that sort of thing.'I would never call for anybody to be sent off. Ballack is a world-class player and I don't know what irritated him enough to slap my player in the face but it might have helped us if we were playing against 10 men.'Brunt deserved credit for refusing to dive but Wilkins was reluctant to give him any. 'I didn't think Michael would get himself sent off, he's a very experienced guy,' said Wilkins when asked about Brunt's reaction.
Scolari had claimed before the game that a busy Christmas schedule was something of an alien concept to him but he will now realise it plays into the hands of those teams with the biggest, strongest squads.Mowbray left strikers Roman Bednar and Luke Moore on the bench, started with Craig Beattie on his own up front, then confessed his team selection and tactics had been heavily influenced by tomorrow's clash with Tottenham at The Hawthorns.'You have to target certain matches,' said Mowbray. 'We have three strikers and I had half an eye on Sunday. You've got to look at Chelsea away and Tottenham at home and think, "Where's our best chance of points?" 'Chelsea's home form has disappointed recently but you can see Mowbray's point. He arrived with a plan to frustrate, hopefully agitate the home crowd and put Scolari under pressure to chase the game.Drogba's goal in the fourth minute scuppered that. It was the first time since his arrival in the summer that Scolari had paired his two senior strikers and it meant 16-goal Nicolas Anelka was forced wide into a support position to accommodate a centre forward without a Premier League goal since March.Here is the riddle for the Chelsea boss. He cannot play the pair together as genuine strikers because he does not have the midfield options to change the balance of the team.
So, without a major injection of transfer cash from owner Roman Abramovich, he must give Drogba the match action he needs to reach top form again and hope Anelka does not throw a tantrum about playing out of position.'Didier is an exceptional centre forward,' said Wilkins. 'It is vitally important to get everyone fit and it was a classic goal.'Joe Cole swung a high ball into the penalty area from the Chelsea right and Drogba drifted to the far post, where he climbed above Gianni Zuiverloon to plant a textbook header into the opposite corner.Ashley Cole thought he had marked his 100th game for Chelsea with a goal but Scott Carson tipped his shot on to the post. The England full back could do nothing with the follow-up.Albion's back four came under intense pressure, losing centre half Abdoulaye Meite early on with a hamstring injury, but they almost made it to the break with a one-goal deficit.Lampard struck in the final seconds of first-half stoppage time. Zuiverloon halted another Ashley Cole raid into the area with a good tackle but the ball spilled kindly for Chelsea's stand in captain, who took a touch before dinking the ball over Carson's dive.It was his first goal since the last home win, over Sunderland on November 1, and it meant the second half was a formality, best summed up by Juliano Belletti's outrageous attempt to chip Carson. Even the reserve right back, on to give Jose Bosingwa a breather, had the party tricks out as the game meandered to its inevitable conclusion.
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