For the love of Zola that hurt! The dream of the double is over for another year as Chelsea succumb to Liverpool in what finally turned out to be an enthralling FA Cup semi-final.
They sat losing a semi-final is worse than losing the final, all I can say is that the pain I felt last night is certainly worse than the pain I felt returning from Cardiff after the defeat t Arsenal in the FA Cup Final. Them again I suppose it would, after all it was Liverpool, the most overrated team in England.
I?ve hardly slept, thanks to the antiquated transport system in this fine country of ours. It may be St George?s day but my head feels like it?s being bombarded with sublimal messages ? ?Five times, we?ve won it five times? ? ?No history, no history? resonating around and around my thoughts. I think those, and to pinch a phrase from Alf Garnett, ?Scouse Gits? have got under my skin. But why did it all go so wrong?
The stage was set for a fantastic day, the support was almost overwhelming but the seeds of doubt were cast as soon as the team sheet was read out. Ferreira and Geremi occupying the right flank? It didn?t ring true. Here we are blessed with some of the most creative and skilful talent in the Premiership and we?re trying, in almost negative fashion, to nullify a team that gets a goal and then defends it with resolution.
But it could have been so different? The game turned in an instant. One minute Drogba is through with the goal at his mercy and blazing wide, the next minute Graham Poll has his whistle in his mouth blowing for a free kick twenty yards out. I wasn?t alone in thinking it was going in, you just sensed it and when Riise slotted it into the net a little piece of my world fell apart.
Liverpool, these days, don?t concede easy and in the remainder of that first half we were poor to say the least. Our short passing game fell apart and only two long range drives from Frank Lampard kept our hopes alive. Only the sight of Arjen Robben warming up on the far touchline offered any hope.
We even had to witness a calamitous back pass from John Terry that fell woefully short. Thankfully Carlo Cudicini was alert and managed to clear the danger albeit by flattening Peter Crouch. With the stoppage time played we had to hope that salvation was to come in the second half. Sadly, it was to get worse before it got better.
The second half started with John Terry heading home a great Robben free kick but any joyous celebrations were brought to a premature end when Poll awarded a free kick for climbing. You just knew then that perhaps it was not going to be our day. Moments later, the stadium erupted in a crescendo of noise; I just buried my head in my hands hoping it was a bad dream. A headed clearance had fallen to Luis Garcia and the man who cockily suggested Liverpool had the beating of us, slotted it home with aplomb.
Mourinho threw caution to the wind introducing Joe Cole and Damien Duff. In stark contrast we now had three wingers on compared to the none we?d started with. It transformed Chelsea. Suddenly Liverpool were on the back foot, merely content to oak up the pressure. Strangely it took a soft goal from Drogba to get us back in the game, we hoped the equaliser would come but it wasn?t going to.
We huffed and we puffed but the Liverpool goal couldn?t be breached a second time and when Cole missed a gilt edged chance with the last kick off the game we knew it was all over. The sight of several players lying on the turf as the ball whistled past the frame of the goal signified exactly how we all felt.
When will the pain go away?
Cudicini 7, Geremi 5 (Cole 6), Terry 7, Gallas 8, Del Horno 6 (Robben 6), Makelele 6, Lampard, 6 Essien 6, Ferreira 7, Crespo 5 (Duff 6), Drogba 6,
Manager Rating
Mourinho ? Should be pondering over his ultra-defensive starting eleven that many feel lost us the game in the first forty-five minutes. Should have realised that it was width that destroyed Liverpool at Anfield and the plains of Old Trafford were ripe for such a repeat performance.
Opponent Rating
Benitez ? I?d like to utter a few expletives but there might be children reading. Instead I?d like to be a gentleman and wish his side luck in Cardiff but I won?t? Sour grapes ? too right!