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The Sunday Times
January 4, 2009
Wasteful Chelsea stunned by Southend

Chelsea 1 Southend 1
Barry Flatman at Stamford Bridge

FOR a football traveller as worldly as Luiz Felipe Scolari, the romance of the FA Cup is something of a mystery. However, the expression Chelsea’s manager wore after Southend United first snatched a draw with what seemed a last-gasp header and then preserved it with a goalkeeping save worthy of eulogies around the Kursaal and Cockle Sheds for years to come was that of a man being subjected to painful education.
Scolari was aware, just like everybody else at Stamford Bridge. that Chelsea should have been safely ensconced in the fourth round long before the determination of Peter Clarke earned a replay at Roots Hall on January 14. He is perplexed that his side fell to a 90th-minute equaliser that stemmed from a high ball into the box and resulted from sub-standard defending for the second time in a week. He is puzzled by the fact that his team’s ratio of chances created to goals converted is becoming wider by the month.
Whereas his predecessors Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant managed to make Stamford Bridge something of a blue-coated fortress, the opposition now arrive aware that pressures of expectation seem to transmit their way on to the pitch and into Chelsea’s team.
“It would be fair to say their home form has become a little patchy,” said Southend’s hero Clarke. “I suppose they were thinking this might have been a good opportunity to turn it around. They had plenty of the ball and loads of chances. We just wanted to frustrate them for as long as possible.”
Now Scolari and his men must brave the most inhospitable evening that the Essex Riviera can muster to ensure they equal a club record by surviving the third round for an 11th successive year.
Southend were hardly one of the most threatening outfits from the lower divisions. Clarke, fittingly celebrating his 27th birthday, might have grazed the top of the crossbar seven minutes before scoring, but otherwise Carlo Cudicini in Chelsea’s goal had an afternoon as bereft of incident as any he had experienced sitting on the substitutes’ bench as reserve to Petr Cech.
Steve Tilson’s team had laboured through eight hours and 25 minutes of football on their travels since scoring their last away goal. That statistic became an irrelevance as the enterprising full-back Johnny Herd switched from the left flank to right and heaved in a long throw. The otherwise accomplished Ricardo Carvalho’s attempt at a defensive header only directed the ball more dangerously into the heart of the penalty area; the onrushing Clarke could hardly believe his luck.
A week earlier at Fulham, Chelsea’s susceptibility to the high ball into the box was plain. Again it proved their downfall. The absence of John Terry has an effect in this area but Scolari did not make excuses. “Carvalho tried to win but the result says that we did not play very good,” he admitted. “But on the pitch we built so many chances to score goals. We were better than Southend, much better. We just did not get that second goal.”
According to Scolari’s observations, Chelsea manufactured 15 clear scoring opportunities. Some might insist there were more but the way that so many glowing chances went to waste is clearly a concern and the fact that 16-goal top-scorer Nicolas Anelka sat almost motionless on the substitutes’ bench throughout riled and puzzled many a frustrated home supporter.
Take nothing away from Southend. They more than deserve the financial rewards that will be forthcoming a week on Wednesday. It was a performance that will spread optimism in the Juventus camp before the Champions League encounters in February and March, but Tilson was aware that his team had been blessed with good fortune. “The only way we were going to get a result was by riding our luck and that’s exactly what we did,” he said.“We kept hanging in there and then got something at the death.
“You cannot go out and play open football against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge because you will just get picked off, but we got men behind the ball and then came up with something at the end.”
Nevertheless the goalkeeping excellence of Steve Mildenhall was integral to Southend’s survival. Clarke’s goal had stung Chelsea out of any delusions of grandeur they might have had and nobody was motivated more than Didier Drogba to end the profligacy of Chelsea’s squanderers — Mildenhall brilliantly palming away a downward header from Frank Lampard’s cross from the left.
Chelsea should have had nothing to fear against opposition 53 places below them on the domestic ladder. Yet they had to wait more than half an hour to take the lead, when Lampard spotted Salomon Kalou, unimpaired by anything resembling a marker, at the far post and Chelsea’s less-spirited Ivorian neatly headed in his fifth goal of the season.
That should have opened the floodgates. It didn’t, and Scolari will address his men when they regroup at the club’s Cobham training headquarters this morning. His aim will be to find an explanation.
CHELSEA: Cudicini 6, Ferreira 6, Carvalho 7, Ivanovic 6, A Cole 7, Belletti 6, Lampard 7, Mikel 6, J Cole 6 (Di Santo 83min), Drogba 7, Kalou 7 (Sinclair 87min)
SOUTHEND UNITED: Mildenhall 7, Sankofa 6, Clarke 8, Barrett 6, Herd 8, Grant 7, Christophe 5 (Moussa 75min), McCormack 7, Stanislas 5, Barnard 6 (Freedman 75min), Revell 5 (Laurent 75min

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Telegraph:
FA Cup: Chelsea inner turnoil exposed by lowly SouthendChelsea (1) 1 Southend (0) 1 By Steve Thompson at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea's inner turmoil was exposed by lowly Southend as Peter Clarke celebrated his 27th birthday with a last minute equaliser for the League One minnows.
The former Everton defender pounced on Ricardo Carvalho's mistake to send the 6,000 travelling fans from the Essex coast into raptures, and cast more doubts on Luiz Felipe Scolari's stewardship as manager at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea may indeed be in second place in the Premier League and also in the last 16 of the Champions League, but their vulnerability at home, where they have mustered only four league victories, is an increasing cause for alarm, especially when they fail to dispose of opponents 55 places below them in football's pyramid.
Chelsea should easily have dispatched Steve Tilson's side by half time, but had only Salamon Kalou's header to show for the avalanche of opportunities they created.
It was not the result to inspire confidence after a week filled with rumours of disharmony in the Blues camp following the concession of a late equaliser in the West London derby with Fulham.
Scolari declined to accept yesterday's outcome represented a major setback. "The result wasn't good, but the performance was," he said. "We had maybe 15 chances to score, but we didn't. We were the bosses on the pitch, but in the last movement, we didn't do it. It's incredible. Carlo (Cudicini) didn't have to make any saves. Our only mistake was not to get a second goal."
Scolari denied that buying another striker in the January window would provide a magic solution. "I need to follow the same idea in training," he added. "It's training, training, training and maybe after one week, one month or one year, we get better."
Before kick-off the match had forgone conclusion written all over it. Chelsea had not lost to opposition two tiers below them for nearly 20 years, and Southend had never beaten a top flight team in the Cup in 21 attempts.
The question was whether class would tell, or complacency set in, whichever set of stars Scolari picked from his galaxy of talent.
The answer on first half evidence seemed to be that this venerable competition was being treated with the upmost respect despite the absence of high profile performers like John Terry, Michael Ballack, Jose Bosingwa and Petr Cech.
Didier Drogba started up front, but Scolari declined to grant his wish to be played alongside Nicolas Anelka who was left on the bench. They quickly clicked into gear, however, making a smooth opening which Southend, for all their lung bursting toil, struggled to counteract.
A string of chances were created, with Frank Lampard, whose father ended his playing career at Roots Hall, at the hub of the action, while Jon Obi Mikel supplied the midfield defensive cover. Drogba almost profited from a Lampard pass, only for Steve Mildenhall to block with an outstretched leg, Joe Cole fired wide from an acute angle and then Lampard himself forced Mildenhall to palm away his drive.
In all, the number of goal attempts reached double figures before the breakthrough came in the simplest manner possible. A corner was forced on the left, Lampard swung it over, and the unmarked Kalous headed in at the far post. He scarcely needed to jump. After all their diligence, one moment of negligence had let the visitors down.
Their spirit was undaunted, though, and they launched a heartening revival as the interval approached. Jen-Francois Christophe's low cross was sliced into the air by Carvalho, before Branislav Ivanovic hastily cleared the ball behind. Southend continued to scrap defiantly as their hosts failed to find the second goal that would have secured the tie.
Johnny Herd cleared Juliano Beletti's powerful header off the line, and then, with time running out for the underdogs, Herd hoisted an up-and-under into the box, where Clarke's looping header hit the top of the bar.
It was a warning Chelsea did not heed. The match was creeping into injury time when Carvalho could manage only to flick on Herd's long throw from the right touchline, and Clarke dashed in to send an emphatic header into the far corner of the net.
There was still time for Mildenhall to make a flying save from Franco Di Santo.
Match details
Chelsea: Cudicini, Ferreira, Carvalho, Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, Belletti, Lampard, Mikel, Joe Cole (Di Santo 84), Kalou (Sinclair 87), DrogbaSubs: Hilario, Mineiro, Anelka, Mancienne, SawyerBooked: Mikel, Carvalho.Goal: Kalou 31Southend: Mildenhall, Sankofa, Clarke, Barrett, Herd, Grant, Christophe (Moussa 74), McCormack, Stanislas, Barnard (Freedman 75), Revell (Laurent 75)Subs: Joyce, Francis, Betsy, O'KeefeBooked: McCormack, GrantGoals: Clarke 90Referee: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).
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Indy:
Clarke shines for Shrimpers with woeful Chelsea all at sea
Chelsea 1 Southend United 1
By Jason Burt at Stamford Bridge
Peter Clarke, a hitherto relatively unknown central defender, yesterday scored the goal that accelerated a little more the unravelling of Chelsea's season and Luiz Felipe Scolari's grip on his job as manager. Another fixture is not what Chelsea require right now. However they were relieved, and Scolari admitted as much, given their faltering progress at home, that they travel to Roots Hall a week on Wednesday to try to rectify this embarrassing slip against a League One side.
"Are we out?" Scolari bridled when questioned about the paucity of the performance. "We did not win but other teams that lost today are out." True enough. But had another header by Clarke, minutes before his injury-time strike, on his 27th birthday no less, looped into the net, rather than on to the crossbar, then the unthinkable would have happened.
Chelsea, having exited the Carling Cup at home to Burnley, would have left this competition too. "We were unlucky we didn't win it," smiled the Southend manager, Steve Tilson. "No, I'm only joking." Really? But then the FA Cup has been a graveyard for Chelsea managers in the past. Last season, Avram Grant lost to Barnsley, away, and it was that result that all but ended his chances of remaining in charge.
Scolari bemoaned the missing of chances – and sure in the first-half there were plenty spurned, by Didier Drogba in particular – but quite where he got his "15 chances" wasted from was questionable. New blood is needed while Scolari still professes, publically at least, that he does not need a new striker. "I have strikers," he said, "many strikers". It sounded like a party line.
Maybe all this detracts too much from Southend's achievement. Low on confidence, they arrived in a far more timorous mood than their garish yellow strip and exuberant, 6,000-strong support demanded. It looked like shooting fish in a barrel as Joe Cole skipped around the defenders, Drogba brushed them aside and, just after the half-hour Salomon Kalou was left unchallenged, without having to move or even jump, to head home Frank Lampard's corner.
Chelsea's control was total. But not their concentration. Slowly, slowly the Shrimpers stopped shrinking and a turning point came when Johnny Herd hacked Juliano Belletti's header off the goal-line. It felt as if Chelsea started to settle for a single goal and, with that, Tilson sensed something. He made a bold, triple substitution while his players, the indefatigable Clarke in particular, continually threw themselves in front of challenges, before Herd hoisted a lob into the Chelsea area and Carlo Cudicini, lacking courage to impose himself, flapped. Clarke headed on to the bar.
It seemed that was it but Southend kept going. Herd scurried over to the other flank, sent in a long throw and Ricardo Carvalho inadvertently flicked it on for Clarke to thump home a header at the far post. It sparked delirious scenes but it wasn't over yet. Chelsea poured forward and a final opportunity fell to substitute Franco Di Santo. He should have headed home but allowed goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall the chance to also be a hero. He took it by tipping the ball away and preserving a precious, priceless replay.
Attendance: 41,090
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Man of the match: Clarke
Match rating: 6/10
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The Observer
Birthday-boy Clarke gives Southend a reason to partyChelsea 1 Kalou 31 Southend 1 Clarke 90
Paul Doyle
Southend manager Steve Tilson has a strange take on the supposed magic of the FA Cup. After seeing his lowly side perform resolutely at Stamford Bridge before centre-back Peter Clarke sent 6,000 travelling fans into delirium by heading a last-minute equaliser on his 27th birthday, Tilson shrugged and said: "To be honest, next week's League One game against Crewe is more important to us than this match."
If that showed a firm grip on reality, Luiz Felipe Scolari seemed less lucid when he suggested his superiors would not be particularly alarmed by another stuttering home display by Chelsea. "When I signed my contract, the club asked me to work hard and put my mind on Chelsea," said the Brazilian. "That's what I'm doing. It's not all about winning and losing."
Scolari had dismissed rumours of squad discontent before this game by declaring that all of his players love him, but the chances of his union with Chelsea being consummated by a trophy do not look good after this impotent display.
Chelsea began powerfully and seemed determined to impose their class on a side that had needed a replay to squeeze past non-League Telford in the first round. But they were thwarted by Southend's diligent defending and their own wretched shooting. Frank Lampard sliced a free-kick into the crowd early on, Joe Cole pulled a shot past the post when he seemed certain to score and Osei Sankofa denied Didier Drogba with a last-ditch tackle.
A moment of ingenuity illuminated the game in the 20th minute when Drogba backheeled the ball to Lampard, who then played a sharp through-ball to Ashley Cole. The left-back sidestepped a defender and fired at goal, but Steve Mildenhall plunged to his right to push the ball away. The Southend keeper was soon in action again, pouncing at Drogba's feet as the Ivorian attempted to lift the ball over him. Mildenhall's block was brave, but he was lucky the rebound dribbled wide after ricocheting off Joe Cole.
A set-piece finally broke the deadlock, as uncharacteristically slack marking by Southend meant Salomon Kalou did not have to jump to head in Lampard's corner. Far from triggering an avalanche of goals, however, it sparked a Chelsea slump. The first half petered out and whatever Scolari said to his charges at half-time had no discernible effect as Southend sensed a way back into a match.
The visitors forged a neat opening in the 49th minute, only for Alan McCormack to put fractionally too much power on his through-ball to Lee Barnard.
Such was the lethargy of the Premier League stars that the giddy away fans took to sarcastically chanting "Come on Chelsea". Short of ideas in a midfield diligently condensed by Southend, the best Scolari's men could muster was a few long balls and set-pieces aimed at Drogba.
As Chelsea became increasingly sluggish and jittery, Tilson began to believe in an upset. On 75 minutes, he made three substitutions and went as gung-ho as any League One side can expect to go at Stamford Bridge. Six minutes from time, Clarke hinted at the sensational finale that was to come when he out-jumped Carlo Cudicini to head Johnny Herd's punt on to the top of the crossbar. He improved on that in the 90th minute, when Ricardo Carvalho failed to deal with a long throw-in by Herd and Clarke barged in to nod the ball into the net from close range.
Chelsea substitute Franco Di Santo almost awakened the underdogs from their dream, but Mildenhall showed sublime agility to dive to his right and turn away the substitute's downward header with one hand.
"Everything went to plan," said Tilson. "We got men behind the ball early on because we knew, if we opened up here, we'd get trounced. Then we rode our luck and the keeper kept us in it. Whatever happens now, we've had a good Cup run and the club has made some nice money."
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Mail:
Chelsea 1 Southend 1: Scolari caught out as Shrimpers force a replay with late strikeBy Rob Draper
At the end, the players who currently occupy 13th place in League One did not want to leave Stamford Bridge.The Southend team cavorted in front of the Shed End, hailing their hero Peter Clarke, enjoying the embrace of 6,000 excited followers from the Essex seaside town and relishing a moment that they may not surpass.
For yesterday they achieved a result that many would have considered inconceivable prior to kick-off and, in doing so, left Chelsea in disarray and manager Luiz Felipe Scolari with yet more worries. Clarke deserved all the plaudits on his 27th birthday. He had put his body on the line on countless occasions as he defended Southend's goal and then secured a replay with a header that left Stamford Bridge stunned.
He had already hit the bar after 85 minutes in what should have served as fair warning to Chelsea, but when Ricardo Carvalho's dreadful defensive header from Johnny Herd's long throw looped across goal, it was Clarke who directed it firmly home. Though it came in the 90th minute, there was still time for further heroics. In the last of four minutes of injury time, keeper Steve Mildenhall produced a save that would not have shamed Gordon Banks. The excellent Frank Lampard crossed for Franco di Santo, whose header seemed sure to destroy Southend's dream finish, yet somehow Mildenhall threw himself down to his right and scooped it off the line. Almost immediately the final whistle blew and as the celebrations began, Chelsea's team of stars trooped off.'I think Peter hit the crossbar late on, so were unlucky not to win,' said Southend boss Steve Tilson, wholly in jest. 'But it's a fantastic day for the club and a fantastic day for the crowd.
'The only way we were going to get anything out of the game was to ride our luck, stay in the game and get that chance at the death, so we couldn't have planned it any better. 'On another day we could have lost five-nil. You're playing against the top players in the world and you have to get a lot of bodies behind the ball. But we've had a good Cup run whatever happens now. The club has made some money out of it and we'll give it our best shot in the replay. 'But, being realistic, they are one of top two sides in the Premier League. It's a hard game wherever you play.'
Scolari has more worries than Tilson at present: trouble with strikers, trouble at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have now won just twice in seven games, and trouble with lower league teams. The Brazilian has already slipped up against Burnley in the Carling Cup and you cannot imagine that Roman Abramovich would tolerate another failure at Roots Hall next week. 'My job is to try to do my best every day,' said Scolari, regarding his security as Chelsea manager. 'My job is not just the results.'That remains to be seen. Scolari repeatedly insists that he does not need a new striker, but it is not what he said a month ago and it is not what the evidence on the pitch suggests.'What can you say to my players?' he protested. 'They built 15 chances to score a goal and they don't score. But I don't come here to say I need this or that. I have many very good strikers. I don't want another. We need to score more goals, that's all. 'If the board say they want to buy, OK. If they don't want to, I have a good squad. They know what I needed before I arrived.'
Unlike when Southend ejected Manchester United from the Carling Cup last season, this was not a victory achieved against a second-string side. Chelsea started with the likes of Didier Drogba, Lampard and Joe Cole.Other than Carvalho, it will be Drogba who will carry the burden of blame for not securing victory. He was committed to the cause but simply could not finish off a succession of chances.
It took Saloman Kalou to show Drogba the way on 31 minutes. Lampard's corner rose above the Southend defence and Kalou headed home comfortably. Juliano Belletti had a shot cleared off the line and Ashley Cole had another well saved as Chelsea utterly dominated. Only in the final minutes did Southend threaten, with Herd's agricultural long throw, which Carvalho deflected into Clarke's path. But they won't be debating the aesthetics in Southend. They will be relishing the replay.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cudicini; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Carvalho, A. Cole; Belletti, Mikkel, Lampard; J Cole (Di Santo 85min), Drogba, Kalou (Sinclair 88). Subs (not used): Hilario, Mineiro, Anelka, Mancienne, Sawyer.Booked: Mikel, Carvalho.SOUTHEND (4-5-1): Mildenhall; Sankofa, Clarke, Barrett, Herd; Revell (Laurent 75), Grant, Christophe (Moussa 75), McCormack, Stanilas; Barnard (Freedman 75). Subs (not used): Joyce, Francis, Betsy, O'Keefe.Booked: McCormack, Grant.Referee: S Atwell (Nuneaton).
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NOTW:
CHELSEA 1, SOUTHEND 1 Big fish are held by little Shrimpers
By CHRIS HATHERALL, 03/01/2009
BIG PHIL says he doesn’t need another striker. All the evidence screams to the contrary.
Big Phil reckons he feels absolutely secure in his job. Roman Abramovich might look at this result and think otherwise.
Big Phil claims his players all love him and there is no discontent in the ranks. Well, Phil, my old son, you’re living in some kind of Brazilian dream world. When the nearly champions of Europe cannot dispose of a side like Southend, there are problems — very real problems.
This goes down as one of the great results in the Shrimpers’ history and the 6,000-strong faithful up from Essex will be relishing a Roots Hall replay.
But this was not just a story of Southend’s gallant bravery.
This was about the wastefulness of a bunch of multi-millionaires who have lost their hunger, their attitude and seemingly the respect they had for Chelsea’s status.
It seems harsh to always conjure up the ghost of Jose Mourinho every time Chelsea suffer a setback. But the truth is, until the final dog days of the blessed Jose, these kind of results were unheard of.
Yes, Chelsea live to fight another day but if they cannot beat Southend what chance against Manchester United next Sunday in a match that could really define their season?
Luiz Felipe Scolari was quick to remind everyone his team are still second in the Premier League and through to the last 16 of the Champions League.
But they have still dropped 14 points at home in the league, been dumped out of the Carling Cup by Burnley and now been embarrassed by a Southend side whose annual budget would not buy a seat in one of Stamford Bridge’s Millennium Suites.
Time and time again this season, Scolari has been forced to defend his players for dominating matches at home but failing to hit the net. And this game was no different as he left top scorer Nicolas Anelka on the bench. Salomon Kalou put the Blues ahead when he headed home unmarked from a Frank Lampard corner in the 31st minute.
And with Chelsea having 90 per cent possession at the time, it should have sparked a goalscoring riot.
But instead keeper Steven Mildenhall saved well from Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba missed at least two chances and Juliano Belletti had a header cleared off the line by Johnny Herd.
Then, as Chelsea ran out of ideas, battling Southend stunned their rivals with a late, late blast that leaves Scolari under serious pressure.
Peter Clarke gave the home side a warning when Carlo Cudicini flapped at a cross and the Southend man’s header grazed the crossbar.
But the big defender, who won England Under-21 caps during his days at Everton, saved his real moment of glory for the 90th minute.
Ricardo Carvalho missed his header from a Herd long throw and Clarke, celebrating his 27th birthday, pounced to gleefully head home. Even then, Chelsea had a chance to win it but Mildenhall produced a stunning save from a Franco Di Santo header deep into injury time.
There were boos from some sections of the crowd as a bemused Chelsea traipsed off the pitch.
But, amazingly, Scolari refused to take the bait when asked if he would step up his bid to sign a striker in the January window. “No,” he insisted. “I have strikers, I have many strikers. Maybe one time or two times they don’t score goals but that’s it. We need only to score more goals and have more confidence.
“I know we have drawn many times at Stamford Bridge and we are better away. I need to teach my players more when they arrive in front of goal, more concentration, more attention. This is all. When I arrived here I received one player that I asked to buy — Deco. It’s OK. We are in good condition. We are second in the league, we are through in the Champions League.”
Shrimpers boss Steve Tilson said: “We’re delighted with the result. It’s great for us.
“The only way we were going to get anything out of the game was to ride our luck, stay in the game as long as possible and get a goal at the death. We couldn’t have planned it any better.
“We had to get a lot of bodies behind the ball. It’s not the way we normally play but it’s worked wonders for us. It’s a fantastic day for the football club, the crowd and everyone that’s been involved in it.
“The fact Chelsea have dropped points at home already this season gave us hope before the game. Teams are coming here and putting 10 men behind the ball and it’s difficult to break down for them.
“But I’m sure Chelsea will still be in the top two.”
Scolari will hope his opposite number is right and must also know Chelsea will have to be a lot more ruthless than this to make it happen. But he remains defiant and insists his job is not on the line.
He added: “I try to do my best every day and my job is not only results.
“I work very hard. I’ve put my mind to Chelsea.
“We didn’t win today but now we need to play at Southend in the replay and we need to win.
“We are not out of the competition.”
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