Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
Chelsea may have made hard work of it, but two well-taken second half goals gave them a vital victory over Newcastle here at St James Park, and set up a nail-biting finale to the season. Level on points, but separated by a yawning gulf of goals, Avram Grant will have to pray that Manchester United get bogged down in the ploughed field at the JJB Stadium, while they do the necessary against a resurgent, but limited Bolton Wanderers side.
Grant may come across as dour in interviews, but his team selection certanly had some hearts fluttering. Out went Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou and, with Nicolas Anelka marginalised on the right wing, the Blues lacked the urgency and energy of their last two performances. Indeed, they were so poor in the first half that they seemed under the misguided belief that a single point would suffice. After a half-time break which Grant presumably spent repeatedly rapping Didier Drogba across the knuckles with a ruler while reading out the league tables, his team were more direct, more focused, and far more dangerous. John Terry sounded alarm bells by crashing a header off the bar from a Florent Malouda corner and then Didier Drogba chipped in a dubiously-awarded free-kick for Michael Ballack to nod home.
Ordinarily, this would be the signal for a Newcastle capitulation, but much has changed in the last three months. There is belief here again and faith in these players' ability to pass the ball on the floor. Last week at Upton Park, Keegan's side came back from two goals down to draw with West Ham. Rather than crushing their spirit, Ballack's goal simply spurred the Magpies into action. Newcastle have improved immeasurably since their terrifying slump in form in the early days of the Keegan revolution. Where once they seemed scared to receive the ball to feet, now they can't get enough of it. The fans are in no doubt whatsoever as to where the credit should go and they sang Keegan's name at great volume, even after Malouda's goal ensured that the game would ebb away to inevitable defeat.
You'd be hard pushed to find a neutral who will be cheering Chelsea on in Moscow and, with some of their antics here, it's hardly surprising. Didier Drogba played the dying swan routine, John Terry argued everything and the whole team refused to accept that you have to be ten yards away from a free-kick before it's taken, a fact that seems to have escaped Steve Bennett's attention as well. Undoubtably, they get results, but they don't win any friends in doing so.
None of that will concern the Chelsea fans, especially the thousands of hardy souls who made the long trip north to witness this vital win. After a season that has seen the end of Jose Mourinho, a prolonged injury crisis that would make even Alan Curbishley faint and the widespread mockery of their manager, Chelsea are so close to a third title in four years that they can practically taste the champagne. Now it all comes down to the final Sunday. Who would have thought that would be the case just one month ago?
(Only an early deadline has prevented me from focusing on an extraordinary Kevin Keegan press conference. The tabloids will make entertaining reading tomorrow!)
Grant may come across as dour in interviews, but his team selection certanly had some hearts fluttering. Out went Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou and, with Nicolas Anelka marginalised on the right wing, the Blues lacked the urgency and energy of their last two performances. Indeed, they were so poor in the first half that they seemed under the misguided belief that a single point would suffice. After a half-time break which Grant presumably spent repeatedly rapping Didier Drogba across the knuckles with a ruler while reading out the league tables, his team were more direct, more focused, and far more dangerous. John Terry sounded alarm bells by crashing a header off the bar from a Florent Malouda corner and then Didier Drogba chipped in a dubiously-awarded free-kick for Michael Ballack to nod home.
Ordinarily, this would be the signal for a Newcastle capitulation, but much has changed in the last three months. There is belief here again and faith in these players' ability to pass the ball on the floor. Last week at Upton Park, Keegan's side came back from two goals down to draw with West Ham. Rather than crushing their spirit, Ballack's goal simply spurred the Magpies into action. Newcastle have improved immeasurably since their terrifying slump in form in the early days of the Keegan revolution. Where once they seemed scared to receive the ball to feet, now they can't get enough of it. The fans are in no doubt whatsoever as to where the credit should go and they sang Keegan's name at great volume, even after Malouda's goal ensured that the game would ebb away to inevitable defeat.
You'd be hard pushed to find a neutral who will be cheering Chelsea on in Moscow and, with some of their antics here, it's hardly surprising. Didier Drogba played the dying swan routine, John Terry argued everything and the whole team refused to accept that you have to be ten yards away from a free-kick before it's taken, a fact that seems to have escaped Steve Bennett's attention as well. Undoubtably, they get results, but they don't win any friends in doing so.
None of that will concern the Chelsea fans, especially the thousands of hardy souls who made the long trip north to witness this vital win. After a season that has seen the end of Jose Mourinho, a prolonged injury crisis that would make even Alan Curbishley faint and the widespread mockery of their manager, Chelsea are so close to a third title in four years that they can practically taste the champagne. Now it all comes down to the final Sunday. Who would have thought that would be the case just one month ago?
(Only an early deadline has prevented me from focusing on an extraordinary Kevin Keegan press conference. The tabloids will make entertaining reading tomorrow!)
