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Chelsea 1 Charlton 0 Saturday, May 07, 2005

Even Roy of the Rovers comic book writers used to think twice before coming up with storylines quite as far-fetched this one. Claude Makelele has scored his first ever Chelsea goal to give Chelsea the win we all wanted on the day the Barclays Premiership trophy was handed over. But it wasn’t as simple as that. With a tame game fizzling out into scoreless draw and everyone deciding we’d have to make the most of the post-match celebrations for a day to remember, Frank Lampard went on one final surge towards the box. Ninety-minutes were on the clock with only one more additional minute due to be played. El-Karkouri went to tackle, the new Footballer of the Year went down and referee Riley pointed to the spot. It has to be admitted that there was minimal contact and the challenge was just outside the area but the storyline was not about to be spoilt. Perennial non-scorer Makelele was an obvious choice to take the penalty. There would never be a better moment for him to break his Chelsea duck. But it was a big risk! His inability to find the net, even with training ground penalties is legendary. With the Matthew Harding Stand practically sucking the ball into the net, Maka all too predictably missed, Andersen in the Charlton goal beating the ball out. With the lightning reactions that are the trademark of his game, Makelele was onto the ball and slammed in the rebound. The trophy presentation could begin with a win under our belts, the home season ending as it had begun - with a single goal victory. Before the 2005 Chelsea team lifted the trophy, 13 members of Chelsea’s first title winners from 1955 were brought out. John Terry and Frank Lampard handed over the trophy to them that was never publicly presented 50 years ago. It was a wonderful addition to the occasion. Then it was onto the main event. “Are you watching Arsenal!” and “Chelsea are back!” were sung with gusto by all four stands as staff and players were brought out of the tunnel one-by-one. Many Charlton fans sportingly stayed behind and clapped (although one or two of them were wearing a suspicious amount of blue!). 1955 legends Roy Bentley and Stan Willemse carried out the modern version of the trophy, lifted by John Terry to the accompaniment of explosions and streamers. On a showery day, the sun beamed down. There were tears, there was much singing and quite simply no-one wanted to go home. An impromptu football match broke out between the players’ kids in front of the Shed, Joe Cole roundly booed when he joined in. An hour after the final whistle had gone, the team reluctantly trooped off down the tunnel, Lampard, Terry, Gudjohnsen and the trophy the last to leave. By this stage it had almost been forgotten that a football match had earlier taken place. It was a sedate opening to the game. A Lampard corner created the first Chelsea danger five minutes after kick-off. Carvalho headed towards the target and it took Johansson’s intervention to prevent anyone following up. Hughes on the break for Charlton forced the ball past Cudicini but Terry, as ever, was in the right place to hack clear as the visitors responded. Carlo had been given his first Premiership start of the season with Cech rested. Joe Cole, in the mood to entertain, left Luke Young chasing shadows with a series of step-overs only to guide his shot wide. But it was an afternoon just as much about the celebrating fans as the players on the pitch. “Now you’re gonna believe us, we’ve only won the League!” chorused Stamford Bridge. Later came ‘Stand up for the Champions!’. One banner read ‘What blip? Chelsea FC Champions 2005’. ‘José Mourinho for Prime Minister’ said another. Midway through the half Gallas beat his opposing full-back, floated a ball over from the left and with the Charlton defence seemingly already halfway back to The Valley, Lampard all alone headed an easy chance over. William wasn’t impressed! Charlton were in no mood to allow a Chelsea exhibition game, packing the midfield and defending deeply. When they did break out, Fortune volleyed harmlessly over after an opening fell Charlton’s way. Chelsea had failed to clear a free-kick. Cole, whose shooting skills have improved 100 per cent over the season, tried his luck ten minutes before the break with a superb curling effort from outside the area. He had picked out the top corner perfectly until Andersen finger-tipped it onto the bar. A brilliant save. Cole was involved in the next chance, working space for an excellent low Gérémi cross which Gudjohnsen, under pressure, scooped wide with a first time shot. Gérémi after his recent stint at right-back was today given the freedom to play on the right of the front three. He had a good game. There was a second Charlton miss by Fortune as half-time approached, this one only an inch or two wide. Thank heavens Charlton’s best chances were falling to their centre-half. Two minutes before the break, Tiago played Cole through. Andersen again denied him, this time diving at his feet to take the sting out of the shot and Gudjohnsen, amongst a whole gang of Charlton defenders couldn’t turn the ball in. Eight minutes after the restart, it was John Terry’s turn to hit the woodwork. He ran into the area and met Johnson’s cross at a tight angle with a header that skimmed the bar. It was unlucky for the captain who had not found the net since his Barcelona winner. Just before the hour Chelsea had a huge shout for a penalty turned down, Konchesky barging Tiago to the ground as the Chelsea man waited for a dropping ball. Replays showed the Charlton left-back clearly take a glance at the player he felled before the collision. Not that anyone had forgotten but Cudicini was given the chance to demonstrate his reflexes before the game was out, diving full length to keep out Holland’s angled drive. The crowd sung their appreciation. The 67th minute saw a double Chelsea switch. Jarosik came on for Johnson with Gérémi dropping to right-back and Forssell followed for Tiago. Again a player’s name rang round the Bridge. Jarosik moved into an advanced position with Forssell, Cole and Gudjohnsen also pushing forward. José Mourinho was making a valiant attempt to give the fans the goal they craved. Two more chances fell the way of the omnipresent Cole as the game approached its latter stages, neither of them taken. With eight minutes to go Chelsea made a third substitution and it was debutant. Twenty-one year-old Lenny Pidgeley went into the goal at the Shed End he last guarded when on loan at Watford. He was forced into one scrambled block but the game by that stage had 0-0 written all-over it, apart from as it proved, in Claude Makelele’s version of the script. Champions!

Reaction: Mourinho on semi-final frustration

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

José Mourinho was characteristically defiant after defeat at Anfield, lamenting a debatable decision to award the goal and injury problems that finally caught up with his team.

“The best team lost and didn’t deserve to lose,” the Chelsea manager insisted not long after the final whistle. “They scored, if you can say that they scored. You can say the linesman scored which gave them the position of being 1-0 up and after that they just defend, they kick balls up and they did it well.

They did it with a lot of courage, commitment and enthusiasm.” Mourinho clearly believed his team should have been given the benefit of the doubt when William Gallas hooked the ball clear from under the crossbar in the fourth minute. “Everybody was speaking about the power of Anfield Road.

I felt it but I felt it didn’t interfere with my players. Maybe it interfered with other people. “I think you should ask the linesman why he gave the goal,” he suggested to the assembled reporters. “The ball must be 100 per cent in and he must be sure 100 per cent that the ball was in.

My players who were involved in the situation say it wasn’t a goal. On the television I didn’t see it to be fair but people say that nobody can confirm that it was a goal. “But again I accept that. I make mistakes, players make mistakes, he made mistakes and that is life.”

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez also claimed to have not yet seen the goal incident on television but pointed to what he thought was a penalty and red card challenge by Petr Cech in the build-up. Mourinho’s frustration that a key decision had failed to go his team’s way appeared to be equalled by his frustration that injuries at the climax of the season had tied his hands when it came to tactically wringing the most out of his players.

“We didn’t play at our maximum. We played the Champions League semi-final without Duff and without Robben. Without wingers and speed it is more difficult. “It was difficult to play better than we did with the players we had. We had no different qualities on the bench to put in the game. Mikael Forssell is not fit. He is training but not ready to play. “Robben tried to give us something different in the last ten minutes. Please do not analyse his performance from what you saw. Analyse his performance from the point of view of a boy who risked his future to try to help his team because the boy was not in the position to play.”

“I wish from my heart that Liverpool win the Final because then it is a Premiership side that wins. He [Benitez] is in the Final so he deserves all the credit. He did a good job for his team.

“My players are heroes,” Mourinho insisted. “They did what no players at this club have done for 50 years and they deserve next Saturday a good game at Stamford Bridge. “Now we have two days off and Friday we have a nice meal with everybody and our families. Tomorrow I will be at Stamford Bridge to start to prepare for next season.”