Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Pure Joy

The past couple of weeks have been pretty lousy for Chelskians, and with the losses to Fulham, Middlesborough, the desperate draw at Birmingham, the loss to Barca and the less than convincing wins against Tottenham, Man City, and WBA it's easy to see why. In the media blitz over the conduct of players, the glee over the hiccups, alleged player unrest, and the "impending" dismissal of the special one, there's been little to cheer about in the land of Chelski. In fact some of us, yours truly excepted, have began to doubt that we would live up to half the promise with which we'd started the season.
But even in those dark days, there were those who resisted the tide of anti-hype and in whom common sense prevailed. They were a refuge from the storm of poison columns and commentary. I also commend Simon Greenberg, the Chelski Director of Communications, who stuck it to Russel Fuller of the BBC for viciously insinuating that our Chelsea players are a nuisance and have put the team and the game in disrepute, and all the while hiding beyond the cloak of the reasonable football fan. I've tried, to no avail, to find a record of the interview. So You have to take my word that the interview was a wicked pleasure to listen to. Fuller spoke of Chelsea's "deserved" infamy, then handed Greenberg the opportunity to lay it all on the players. For a minute there i thought he'd take it and run but took the BS and tossed right back atFuller. "Chelsea players," he said, "have been unfairly singled out and vilified for what goes unnoticed when other teams are concerned." Fuller rephrased and elaborated the question but Greenberg didn't badge from his position. Eventually, peeved, he gave up! There's nothing quite as thrilling as witnessing a hypocrite's mask drop! For the record, i actually really like Russell Fuller. It's just he's unconscious hypocrisy that ticks me off!
But i digress. In short, a commanding performance of the calibre we so ruthlessly employed before christmas has long been over due; a performance to lift our sagging spirits and enrapture us. And that is exactly what we got on Sunday; a goal down, and a man less, Chelsea delivered a performance so exhirating, rousing, and polished that its afterglow persists three days later! I won't describe the details of it because you can get those anywhere.

Manchester United gave a good account of themselves too, winning 2-0 against Arsenal. And while some Chelsea fans were disappointed by that result, i can't say i share their view. I have maintained for ages that the gunners, this season, a rubbish; rubbish with the favour of UEFA; how do you suppose they got the easiest draw in the first round of the champions league, a fallen giant in the second, a team that was gifted passage to the next round in the quarters, and the weakest of the last four teams in the semis. So am quite happy that the gunners were exposed for the weak team that they really are. Secondly, Arsene Wenger had the nerve to jest that he would help us win the trophy if he got a request from Roman. Hello Wenger, why don't you help ing your own team! But, it appears the Wenger sans a bribe from chelsea would rather help Man utd win the title. Why else would he rest Henry?
And Alex Ferguson, it seems, is counting on help from all of his friends. But it doesn't really matter, unless he asks as a special favour, all his opponents for the remainder of the premiership to, eh, lose!

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