I'm not one of those people who think that you should have supported Chelsea last night because they are a British club, tribal loyalties run too deep for that, but praise where it's due and that was possibly the most obdurate performance by a cup winning side since Steaua Bucharest sucked the oxygen out of the 1986 European Cup Final when they beat Barcelona on penalties without having had a single shot during the 120 minutes that preceded it.
There was an inevitability about it wasn't there, echoes of 1999 as Bayern Munich took off their goalscorer, changed their shape and allowed Chelsea to equalise near the end of normal time, unlike Manchester United in Barcelona however neither Chelsea or Bayern had an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in their side.
Mario Gomez may have scored forty one goals before last night but he played like a man who had been introduced to the game of football on the way out of the players tunnel, it's difficult to think of a player who has had and missed so many chances in a Champions League match since, oh I don't know, Lionel Messi in the semi-finals? Chelsea did create a few chances and the one that took the match into extra time came at a point when it seemed nearly all was lost.
They've not been pretty wins to see them crowned European Champions but that's not the point really, they are the new Arsenal: ugly to watch, ugly to look at and winners.
Bugger!
Oh and is Jose Bosingwa the worst player in the history of football to win a major honour?
Meanwhile in a country far, far away - it's spot the Germans
in this photograph comeptition.
7 comments:
I enjoyed this one, Paul. Mainly because of your honesty concerning "tribal loyalties".
One of my Magpie friends said, on Facebook, that he was "over the moon for Chelsea". I reckon it's just a matter of time before he is denouncing them as "cockney wankers" as many Newcastle fans are prone to do.
I wanted Bayern and Juventus to win so I'm a tad disappointed.
I'm happy Spuds got dumped...hehehe.
Shy, the Liverpool hatred thing is just a football rivalry (hate Spuds, respect Manure and hate whingy whining Liverfluke.
How's the health and the employment Paul? WE all seem to be drifting away from blogging.
Hi Span,
Both are fine at present thanks. How are things with you?
I was in Germany for ten days before the Bank Holiday and have been catching up with my photographs since then - although I have caught up with your posts but not commented yet. I've also been putting the notes I made on holiday into blog format but I don't think they will be of interest to anybody else.
Fine thanks just really, really busy.
Sometimes what you think may not be of interest is actually very interesting!
Paul, many of your posts are interesting and insightful.
Thanks for your comments Paul...keep on keeping on. I hope health and work are OK.
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