Cardiff 2-1

Independent :

Cardiff 1 Chelsea 2

No  one happy as Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ponder relative failings

For both clubs this brought unsatisfactory seasons to an unsatisfying end.

A fortnight ago, Chelsea had Premier League and Champions League glory within their sights and, despite  Andre Schürrle and Fernando Torres turning this game around with two goals in three second-half minutes, the lack of silverware will sting Jose Mourinho and company. Not that the Portuguese expects it to put his position under scrutiny from owner Roman Abramovich.
Mourinho said: “Maybe that happens tomorrow, I don’t know. That is not what I was promised, that is not what we spoke about when we sat and when we discussed the period that Chelsea was living.
“Chelsea started an era with Mr Abramovich in 2003, the team went in a certain direction. That period is over and now we have to start again. This season I can say was the first season of a new period. It means nothing finishing third rather than second or fourth. It does not hurt – it is part of the process.”
But Mourinho, who insisted he would be happy for Ashley Cole and Torres to be part of his squad next season, offered his congratulations to rivals Manchester City.

“I believe they deserve it,” he said. “They are champions, they have four more points than Chelsea, two more points than Liverpool, and they were not guilty of games like Chelsea v Sunderland and Chelsea v Aston Villa. So I think they are champions and deserve it.”
Compared to Cardiff’s campaign, Chelsea’s has been a cakewalk. A season which promised so much ends with the Bluebirds bottom of the Premier League,
Not even the wake could be negotiated with dignity as owner Vincent Tan used the day to once again slate former manager Malky Mackay, while also attempting to placate some supporters with the offer of a compromise on playing colours should they reach this level again.
One man unlikely to be around, should that materialise, is Craig Bellamy. The 34-year-old striker’s early deflected effort had put Cardiff on course for all three points on what could yet prove to be his final appearance as he ponders retirement.
Torres and Mohamed Salah squandered good chances for Chelsea before Bellamy had his moment, although it required a major slice of luck as his left-footed shot took a huge deflection off César Azpilicueta’s backside.
The game was soon back down the Cardiff end, with Oscar missing a sitter when Branislav Ivanovic’s long ball caught Declan John playing the Brazilian onside.
Chelsea piled on the pressure but had to wait until there were just 18 minutes left before equalising. David Marshall did well to keep out a header by Azpilicueta and the full-back hit the bar with the rebound, leaving Schürrle to complete the job.
Three minutes later the visitors had the lead. Azpilicueta’s deep cross was headed back across the area for Torres to control and fire low into the net, condemning Cardiff to a 22nd defeat of the season.
The Cardiff manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said:  “We have lacked the quality to turn tight games round. We have lacked quality in that respect. We have lacked the knowledge and patience to grind teams down; we have been wide open. That is on the agenda for next season.”

===================

Guardian :

Cardiff City 1-2 Chelsea

Jose Mourinho insisted it was "no drama" for Chelsea to finish third and spoke of his conviction that they will be challenging for the title next season provided the club make a couple of significant signings in the summer, with a world-class striker top of his wish list.
The Chelsea manager acknowledged Manchester City deserved to be champions but also mentioned, over and over again, the recent defeats against Aston Villa and Sunderland that effectively cost his team a place at the top of the table and, in both cases, were laced with refereeing complaints.
Asked whether he was hurt to finish third, Mourinho said: "No, because it is part of the process. One thing is to play clearly to win the title. Another is to be in a transition phase. It was an easier job for me to get a team ready to win and I promise you I had chances to do that not just in this country but others.
"My decision was this and I am happy with that. It is part of a process in a dangerous league where you can finish fifth and be out of the Champions League. Third is not a drama, it is a position you have to accept in this transitional period.
"Next season, if we do our work in a successful way in the summer market, which I know the club is trying to do everything to make that a successful period for us, then if we do that I want to start day one saying we are going to fight for the title.
"We don't need a new spine, a new structure. It is there. The fundamental for us now is a couple of players of a certain level to help the team immediately go to a different level."
It was put to Mourinho that third place and failing to win a trophy would have been a drama for a Chelsea manager in the past and may well have resulted in the sack. "Maybe that happens tomorrow but that's not what I was promised or what we spoke about when we sat and discussed the period Chelsea was living," Mourinho said, referring to his talks with Roman Abramovich, the club's owner, last summer.
"We are not asking for eight, nine or 10 years to achieve success. But you can't just click your fingers and success arrives. This season it almost happened."
Chelsea ultimately came up four points short, after ending their campaign with this narrow but deserved victory against a Cardiff side who were already relegated.
Craig Bellamy, on what may well have been his last appearance for Cardiff, put the home team ahead with a 25-yard shot that took a huge deflection off Cesar Azpilicueta, but André Schürrle came off the bench to volley Chelsea level and set up the winner for Fernando Torres three minutes later.
"I know where I want to go," said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Cardiff manager, who had a three-hour meeting with Vincent Tan, the club's owner, on Saturday to discuss next season, which will be in the Championship, not the Premier League. "It's important he trusts me to take it forward."

Man of the match André Schürrle (Chelsea)

=================

Telegraph:

Cardiff City 1 Chelsea 2
By Graham Clutton

Second-half goals from André Schürrle and Fernando Torres spared Chelsea’s blushes. Still, for two sides who had genuine ambitions at the beginning of August, it was a tame conclusion to a season in which both clubs stand accused of under-achieving.
For Cardiff City, the accusation is water tight. Their first season back in the top flight in 50 years has been calamitous. Sackings, protests, much criticism of the controversial owner Vincent Tan and a mid-season change of manager which left them with little chance of avoiding relegation.
Chelsea, however, will claim that third place in the Premier League and a spot in the semi-finals of the Champions League was a relatively acceptable return, despite the lack of silverware. Jose Mourinho, the manager, was quick to confirm as much and said that his first season back at the helm, was the first in a new era.
“This season was part of the process,” he said. “It is one thing to play for the title, but we needed to get the team ready to win. If we do our work in the summer market, which I know the club is trying to do, we will start on day one next season trying to win the title. This has been the first season of a new period. We are doing the work and we are doing it well. And I was pleased with the way we have finished today. We deserved to win.”
On the balance of play, they certainly did. But they had to come from behind after Craig Bellamy’s 15th-minute strike from distance struck Cesar Azpilicueta on the rear end and left Mark Schwarzer totally bemused.
Chelsea promised without delivering until 18 minutes from time when Azpilicueta latched on to Oscar’s deep cross. Having been denied by the irrepressible David Marshall, he struck the bar with the rebound. When the ball fell to Schürrle, the German bounced the ball into the ground and into Marshall’s net. Three minutes later, Azpilicueta’s cross was worked back into the six-yard box via Schürrle’s head and Torres beat Marshall from point-blank range. A satisfactory end for Chelsea but an inevitable conclusion for Cardiff.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager, said: “We came close against a very, very good side. We defended fantastically but it wasn’t to be. They started creating lots of problems down the sides and they deserve some praise for the way they played.”
Bellamy left to a standing ovation on what is likely to be his last game of professional football. Solskjaer refused to confirm that the Welshman had retired but said: “Craig will have a chat about what he is going to do. It has been a long, trying and testing period and I think everyone needs to have a think about things. There is a lot of work to be done, but the majority of this squad has experience of playing in the Championship.”

=======================