Sunday 23 March 2008

A Bridge Too Far*


No complaints really - a very even first half, followed by a goal for us from an unlikely source (a Bacary Sagna glancing header from a corner? WTF?) and then a masterclass in persistent finishing from Drogba (ably assisted, much to my annoyance, by AFC old boy Anelka). Large hint of offside for the first of theirs? Yes, but they had more than enough other chances to clinch it and Almunia had to make some smart stops. We suffered from the yips up front again; Adebayor was anonymous (he should never have had his hair cut) and whilst van Persie showed some glimpses of his brilliance, his 5 months out showed and he tired late on. Hleb created a bit and Theo came on too late to make a difference but we were disjointed and yet again couldn't hold onto a lead. Chelsea could yet win the title; but it's Man United's to lose, really.

And if we don't get anything this season? Well, it wasn't really today that was pivotal; the four draws coming into this derailed us (and how). Was Eduardo's sickening injury too much for a young team to cope with? We may never know. I know it's not over but it just got a whole lot more difficult - and now it's essentially out of our hands...

* what price this being a tabloid headline tomorrow?

1 comment:

  1. You'll never win anything with kids. Or something.

    It was an entertaining game, a bit like last year's Carling Cup Final - you had the better of the first half, we just let the Drogs out in the second :) And for once, Benny Stolwicz gets his tactics right.

    A good afternoon of football, I thought. The Manure/Vermin game was excellent, although I was disappointed not to see Benitez throttle Mascherano in a Homer/Bart stylee. What was he thinking? You run 20 yards to complain about somthing you had nothing to do with, when you're already on a yellow and you've been giving the ref verbal all game? Learning impaired.

    Yep, its Manure's title to lose. Who knows, they could slip up. More like it, when they slip up, we slip up - rather like the end of last season. And we don't have Jose's tactical nous to see us through this time. Oh well, its only a game.

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