Jblogger

Lukaku - First Impressions

2011-08-11T21:07:00.004+05:30

As the ill-fated second year of Carlo Ancelotti's reign at Chelsea came to a stuttering halt, everybody in and around West London or even those watching thousands of miles away could point out exactly just what had gone wrong with the previous campaign's champions.

The mass exodus of experienced old heads and the failure to replace them adequately, a spate of injuries to key men at key times during the season, a team devoid of creativity, pace and tenacity and a manager who looked and talked like he had run out of ideas to revitalize his charges. The fallout was no more swift than expected. Ancelotti was sent packing and after much dilly-dallying, in walked Andres Villas-Boas. The young Portuguese was expected to make all the right moves that would set off, in his own words - 'an evolution, not a revolution'. To many observers it signaled the end of a London stay for some of the highly paid leading lights of previous years - Drogba, Anelka, Ferreira, Malouda, even Essien; and a shift from Chelsea's renowned physically combative, industrious and efficient style of play to a more technical, pace and width dependent continental system.

Yet, nearly 2 months after the youngest manager in the Premiership walked in through the Stamford Bridge revolving doors, several of those predictions, assertions even, have come to naught. The leading lights still shine bright in a Chelsea Blue sky and the much sought-after wide players are nowhere to be seen, for the time being at least. Instead, the new manager has set about adding quality young players from the continent to his squad full of international football heavyweights. Thibaut Courtois and Oriol Romeu are now Chelsea players, but the name that is getting all the attention is that of a young Belgian who has made giant strides (literally) in his short career to date.

Indeed, his career might well be the only 'short' thing about him. Standing at an impressive 6'4'' and weighing well over what any ordinary boy his age would, Romelu Lukaku has finally achieved his dream of signing for his favourite club, bringing an end to the hotly contested pursuit of one of the world's leading teenage footballers. Lukaku ( who idolises Didier Drogba) himself has never hidden his love for the club,a video of him on a schooltrip to Stamford Bridge in 2010 (which has become an instant hit among Chelsea fans on the internet) shows this amply. His father himself had the following to say about his son's reaction to confirmation of the move - Lukaku's dad -

"For him, it's an absolute dream come true. He will play alongside his idol, Didier Drogba. When he heard the news, he went crazy. He jumped for joy. He has directly put on the jersey of Chelsea and he started dancing in the living room. At that moment, I remembered that my son was still only 18. This naivety is amazing. I think it will help him succeed. He will play in one of the biggest clubs in the world but it will never be undermined by pressure"

It is this enthusiasm and love for the club that has endeared him to Chelsea fans even before he makes his first bow in the shirt that he's dreamt of playing for. Suddenly supporters are excited by the arrival of a supremely promising footballer who seemingly shares the same passion for the club as them. Certainly, it would not be an exaggeration to claim that in some quarters he has already established himself as being above any accusations of an unwelcome attitude, accusations that football fans are rather prone to making once the going gets tough out on the pitch. To say that in Lukaku they see themselves - people who would run themselves into the ground for nothing more than the joy and honour of playing for their team, wouldn't be far off the mark either.

But putting aside the romance of what is indeed a remarkable story, questions have been raised about whether young Lukaku is actually needed in this team that suffers from so much other than the lack of a quality frontline. A valid question too. It is no secret that Chelsea's problems lie on the creative and pace side of things. A midfield that undoubtedly focuses more on feisty combativeness and physical strength isn't really well stocked in terms of fantasy and invention. Not since the days of Robben and Duff have Chelsea featured quick, exciting, barnstorming wide men in it's ranks. Instead, the width is provided by the fullbacks, with strikers turned makeshift 'wingers' linking up in central areas with the lone forward and midfield adventurist Frank Lampard.

Factor in the fact that most of the forward line (Malouda, Anelka, Drogba) and relatively attacking midfielders Lampard and Benayoun are on the wrong side of 30, and it all begins to look a little pear-shaped. With the presence of Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge upfront, a central striker in most fans' eyes cements itself as a low priority area. But is that really the case?

Villas-Boas' (AvB from here on) Porto side captured the collective imagination of the footballing world last year with it's delightful attacking intent and the fluid, pinpoint, fast-paced and wide nature of it's play. His 4-3-3 featured two quick, skilful wide men supporting a lone striker (usually Radamel Falcao).

If AvB decides to continue with a similar structure at SW6, he'd find himself short of reliable options in wide areas. Recognizing this problem, Sturridge has been shunted out to the right wing, a departure from his hugely fruitful loan spell at Bolton during the second half of last year, when he relished being played upfront, banging in 8 goals in the process. Anelka and the inconsistent Salomon Kalou are also options out wide on the right, with Malouda almost certain to nail down a place on the left wing. That leaves Torres and Drogba competing for the lone striker's role. This being 2011-12, the dreaded African Cup of Nations will make it a point to roll around post Christmas, taking in it's wake the effervescent Drogba and the bit-part Kalou. Injuries, of course, are as always, a threat, and as the evidence of last season suggests, a large squad is a desirable squad. In view of this, a third central striking option doesn't seem too bad an idea. At any rate, in a season that typically stretches towards 60 games, Lukaku can hope for enough chances to make an impact.

One must not forget that (the financial side of ) football is no different from any other business in that making a sensible investment at the appropriate time is often the key to unlocking said investment's true potential. It can make or break the immediate future of the business, especially if your rival understands this and grabs the opportunity before you do. The Lukaku deal isn't altogether different. At 18 years old, the boy can only develop further. His potential is there for all to see. It is sensible for the club to get him while he's available, at a price that isn't unreasonable for his level of talent and latent potential. The fact that Chelsea are the club of his heart is a potent trump card, especially when it is considered that a certain Mourinho-led Real Madrid were confirmed admirers.

All in all, full marks to the decision makers for getting him here. Granted he might not play an awful lot of games straight away, but working and training with players he has admired for a long time, especially Drogba, can only benefit him and develop his game. The pull of honing his skills under the guidance of arguably Europe's most talented young manager is special in it's own way. As stated before, some match time is inevitable, and the hunger and desire that epitomises Lukaku will shine through, if given adequate, appropriate opportunities.

In the worst case scenario that this move should prove to be a failure some years down the line, Lukaku's age and profile ensures Chelsea a sizeable resale value. All in all, a win-win situation for Chelsea Football Club.

Lukaku factfile :

Full name - Romelu Roger Lukaku
Age - 18 years
Preferred foot - Left
Position - Striker
Transfer fee - €13 million, rising to €20 million based on clauses (rumoured)
Squad number - TBC

Further reading - Meet Romelu Lukaku: The Chelsea-bound Belgian starlet who idolises Didier Drogba - Goal.com -

(First published on Blue Tinted (http://www.bluetinted.com/Site/General/))

Feeling of Loss pt. 10

2011-08-06T18:53:00.001+05:30

The old woman made her way down the gentle slope of the winding alley. It was high afternoon but the boys at home were adamant that they wanted fresh peaches as a part of Christmas Eve supper. The merciless sun and the gravel encrusted path had combined to reduce her progress to something akin to a trickle. Nevertheless, she ambled along contentedly, pleased in the knowledge that a well deserved rest awaited just around the corner.

But she hadn't accounted for him.

His eyes had been following her ever since she came into view at the top of the hillock, her hands clutching a basket that held several fruity treats - pleasures he had long given up on. Peaches and pears, apples and plums. Radiant reds, greens and captivating honey coloured little dollops of sugary sweetness and wholesome goodness. He had been in town for over two weeks now. The days seemed to take forever to end. Violent hunger pressed hard against his temples and gorged continuously on the insides of his stomach. But he didn't flinch. His eyes burned a flaming red as they stared intently at his would-be victim, now just a short distance away.

Before the woman could take the final turn, it leapt at her from the shadows. The frail cretin was surprisingly fleet-footed for his size and build. She registered enough to let out a tiny scream before the robust piece of rock in his hand connected with the side of her head. She was dead long before her body thudded against the hot, gravelly road.

The urchin picked up the basket and calmly disappeared into the shadows yet again. Yuri never look back.

Feeling of Loss pt.9

2011-07-30T17:07:00.001+05:30

The old Chevy screeched to a grinding halt a hundred yards away from what was till 2 hours ago the town's Police HQ. Out stepped the man who'd lost so much he could lose no more. Amidst the cacophony of howling women and blaring sirens, he looked every inch the beaten-down, world-weary 54 year old orphan that he was.

When the young female officer from the Fire Department saw from the corner of her eye just who was trudging along resignedly towards her, a tiny gasp escaped her otherwise stoic and somber demeanour. Clearly, she wasn't expecting CI Mark Collinsworth to have dodged 35 kilograms of explosive-filled metal. But Mark had a way of finding his way out of trouble, either through design or chance.

'Report, please.'

'No survivors, I'm sorry to say. Everything (and everyone, she wanted to say, but didn't) has been reduced to rubble and charcoal. Industry grade explosive packed into projectiles - the like of which are manufactured around Kremlin. The material itself wouldn't be difficult to find in the industrial area shanties down by the foothills. Prima facie it is unclear if local gangs are involved, but I understand the entire town knows who is actually behind this.'

'Thank you. Ensure that any mortal remains are handed over to the next-of-kin with the utmost sensitivity. I'd require a thorough appreciation of the incident on my desk in three days time.'

Without another word, Mark turned his back on what used to house decades of duty, friendship and loyalty. The eyes glowed with fierce and proud determination. A few moments spent among the ashen remains of his second home had transformed him into the ruthless, cold blooded vandal he always wanted to be. Mark had some calls to make.

It was time to call in the cavalry.

Feeling of Loss pt 8

2011-05-24T20:21:00.000+05:30

It was cold and he was hungry, a situation he'd found himself in often of late. Yet another trip to the menacing looking police people produced the by now familiar answer - Mama and Papa were away, but they'd be back soon. The latter part added almost as an afterthought.

'Yeah, right.'

They stopped in their tracks, not knowing a way past the kid's stony demeanour.

That was the moment that young Yuri realised his life wasn't going to pa out quite like how Mama said it would in those fairytales that meant nothing to him now.

They'd gone, disappeared. And they weren't coming back. They'd betrayed him. His 6 year old eyes bore no semblance of pain or hurt, however. They merely stared into space, like a yogi awoken from deep penance. None of the decorated policemen in the room could dare look into them.

Yuri didn't care much for awkward silences. He walked out, never to be seen in town again. His destination - a speck in the clear, moonless night sky above.

Chelsea's board = a disgrace

2011-05-23T22:09:00.002+05:30

Seriously, wtf? How can you dishonour a manager like Carlo who despite and inspite of all that's gone on around him all year long, and who's been let down massively by everyone connected with the club, in this crude a manner? Forget football for a moment, this is basic human apathy at play here. In situations like these, the manager is always the fall guy. The scapegoat. Because fact is, it is just too simple to make him one. I've said all season long that it's incredibly convenient to sack one guy than sack many, regardless of how big a hand they've played in the situation gone wrong.

A year ago, he was the toast of the club and English football in some ways. The most successful season in 105 years of the club's existence. And 12 months on, you're telling me that he's crap because he came second? For perfectly legitimate reasons, they decided to let 5 high earners go, but thought it better to not sign replacements for the departed. Instead, a bunch of 17-19 year olds were expected to slot in straight away and help us keep winning stuff. We aren't Barcelona, ffs. I didn't hear any alarm bells ringing when we were conquering opposition by tennis scores in August and September. Then for some inexplicable reason, the board decides things are going too well for their liking, so let's spice it up a tad and show his right hand and club legend Ray the door. Still, he didn't complain, got on with the job that he was paid handsomely to do. A couple of months of tedious, disjointed performances combined with unsatisfactory results followed, which admittedly are not the standards Chelsea aspires to. And the blame has to be shared by the manager and the players. We lose and win as a team, and the team includes the coaching staff. Hence it's so baffling to find people crediting players for all successes and mob-lynching the gaffer for all failures.

Now the part that concerns me the most. We don't have a divine right to win trophies every year. You have to fucking earn them. The sooner Roman gets this into his head, the better. By sacking a manager for coming second, the message we've just sent out to the rest of the football world is that we're of the belief that we have a right to win the league every year. That we should somehow be entitled to a shiny cup regardless of how we perform and indeed, regardless of how other teams perform. And if that doesn't happen, Roman will throw his toys out of the pram. Ambition is very normal and even healthy, but what this event shows is not ambition, it is mere ill-informed and a covering-up operation. Papering over the cracks is the right term, I believe.

For years player power in Chelsea's dressing room is a well known secret. This sacking has only ensured that this will continue no matter what happens, no matter who is the manager. Because as soon as results don't go our way, the wise men on the board will sack the manager and not bother looking into the real underperformers - the players. This means the players can be safe in the knowledge that their insipid displays will affect the manager's future, and not their own. It is often said that this squad is Mourinho's and that a lot of the players from that era continue to be regulars even today. Hence, the obvious question - seeing that we've won the league just once in the 4 years since Mourinho left, with much of the squad still the same, who are the real underpeformers? The plyers who played for 4 years and won 1 league, or the manager who was here for half that period and got us that league?

It should be noted that I'm in no way implying that Carlo is faultless and had no role to play in the remarkable decline this year. I've admitted his shortcomings in multiple threads earlier. In a way I expected this decision but didn't realise it would still hit me so hard when it actually happened.

All said and done, thank you and good bye Carlo, you're a Chelsea legend forever and nobody can take that away from you. I wish you'd been treated better and I hope you find success wherever life takes you next. I will love and respect you always.

King Carlo - more than special.

Feeling of Loss pt 7

2011-05-18T17:54:00.002+05:30

In a battle, the element of surprise holds much importance. Mark derived tremendous satisfaction from the metaphor that involved deer and headlights. Self-eulogies fascinated him. When in a quiet, tranquil plane somewhere deep in his usually busy mind, he'd often dream about the words his friends would say of him once he ceased to be. When you've got nothing to look forward to in life, you look forward to life beyond the status-quo presented in the humdrum of the pitiable, ignorant existence all around you. 'There'll be a time,' he was fond of telling himself 'when I will be referred to as being imperious in manner and impervious in character.' These were two words he liked. Two words he was convinced, that would come to be known as him, somewhere down the line. Sooner, not later.

WHACK! The sickening blow across Joey's face rung out like a clap of thunder. All the mess stood gobsmacked. No shrieks of terrified fellow students, no gasps from the faint of heart. Just an astonished silence. To Mark it seemed nothing short of the applause afforded to a lion-slaying gladiator on the hallowed turf of the Roman Colosseum. His audience were too struck by his brilliance for their admiration to manifest itself in it's usual physical forms. No, his art was a thing meant to be savored by no ordinary mortal. The bystanders were mere common-folk staring rudely at a matter beyond their comprehension, like it was meant to be. He kept looking at the limp body of his fallen enemy. The coldness of those eyes could freeze the spark that ignites a revolution. And yet, it's fury could kickstart a revolution of it's own.

They dragged him away. Two uniforms. The likes of which he'd command in the none-too-distant future. But for the moment, he shall rot in their cage. His freedom - an entity under survival threat. Did he mind? No. Mark liked seeing on the outside what he felt on the inside.

Feeling of Loss pt 6

2011-03-05T15:49:00.002+05:30

As it turned out, Mark had underestimated the Russians. He had been expecting Yuri to retaliate - send his hounds out to seek revenge for their fallen brethen. Instead, all he got was silence. Deafening silence. Not a soul roamed the streets after word of the shootings got out. They knew things were about to go haywire. Townsfolk could see in the eye of their mind streets overrun with blood. A fight to the finish. A death duel with neither side willing to spare an inch, nobody wanting to bat an eyelid. But they were in for a surprise.

Weeks went by. Nothing happened, but a lot changed. The much anticipated vendetta didn't materialise. 'Yuri is finished' they said. They'd disappeared as qucikly as they'd arrived. The outsiders were nowhere to be seen. People rejoiced. Not at the prospect of freedom from crime. But at the prospect of freedom from crime by the Russians. Anarchy in Mount Vitriol was par for the course. What they couldn't tolerate, was anarchy propagated by foreigners. Lull.

Storm. Mark had called in sick. It was the first such occassion in the past 2 decades. Sick he was, but not from any physical ailment. He was sick from memories. And thoughts. Memories of that day 50 years ago. And thoughts of what might have been. What could have been. What should have been. He'd passed out into dizzy emptiness while still lost in this maze of cranial activity. And hence he missed it. 2 rockets. The MVPD headquarters. 27 officers wiped out. Most of them - close friends and associates, people he had known for as long as he could care to remember.

Mark had underestimated the Russians. And he hadn't been the first. History books bear witness to the German empire which fell apart on Russian soil during the second war. Blitzkreig didn't work. Scorched Earth did. They operated under one simple condition - lure the enemy towards you. A fight isn't yours until you fight it on your own turf. But Yuri was different.

They were back. As suddenly as they had disappeared.

Feeling of Loss pt 5

2011-02-28T17:53:00.002+05:30

Foster care didn’t add up to much. Not that Mark had expected it to. And thus, it lived up to his expectations. 8 days after the incident, he found himself being driven ‘home’ by Martha and Stewart – the Crossbys, his new ‘parents’. They were a childless couple who’d enlisted themselves with the local adoption agency years ago, once they’d found out biology wouldn’t allow them a child.

But somewhere along the intervening times, something had changed. A previously happy couple discovered their erstwhile promises of undying love were all but a false alarm. The strain of Stewart’s unemployment coupled with his wife’s drink problem threw a spanner in the works. By the time they welcomed a new member into their family, things were on the brink of turning nasty. The adoption itself proved to be the proverbial straw. Stu was growing increasingly weary of life itself and the idea of spending the rest of his wretched one with an unknown child wasn’t one that warmed the cockles of his heart. ‘Solitude is peace,’ he often told himself.

Within a week itself, 4 year old Mark turned up for his first day at elementary school. Covered in bruises. The teachers were understandably worried. But the boy wouldn’t cry. Or complain. Intrusive questions were met with a cold stare and poorly made up excuses about falling off stairs or ladders. Sympathetic pats and kind, reassuring words drew a blank expression. As the years passed by, little Mark began to change. The once stoic and painfully quiet yet obedient little man grew increasingly bashful and apathetic. By the time he was 15, Martha had passed away. Her and Stu had separated half a decade ago and the courts decided that consequent to the mother’s drinking issue, Stewart would retain sole custody. The abuse only grew graver from then on. But not once did he retaliate. The boy didn’t cry. Or complain.

Until one day. He had taken enough. He had tolerated enough. Someone had to pay. And it happened to be the classmate who poked fun at Stu’s ’65 Chevy. A baseball bat across the face later, he was being taken away to MV Juvenile Prison. But Mark wasn’t apologetic. He’d smelled blood. And he liked it. No more Mr Nice Guy.

Feeling of Loss pt 4

2011-02-22T17:44:00.003+05:30

They staggered in, one after the other. Five of them. Hands bound with barbed wire and faces bearing scars of what the MVPD liked to call 'sweet chin music'. Some could barely manage a limp.

"Yuri's hounds, sir" - informed an escorting constable, not that Mark was unaware.

This was the moment he'd been waiting for. The Ruskie rampage had been going unchecked because of the strain put on the Police Dept by the fire rescue and salvage operations. Now that reinforcements had arrived from across the state, Mark and his men could focus on battles closer home. For weeks all he could do was twiddle his thumbs while another orphan lorded the town. It was his turn now.

"Sir?''

The constable had a quizzical look on his face. Mark realised he had drifted off into his thoughts, leaving the other eight men in the room bemused.

"It's getting late in the day, this scum should be in lockup. We'll deal with the paperwork tomorrow. Prep transport."

A convoy of two cruisers and the van holding the outlaws snaked it's way to the county jail on the other side of town. Mark ordered the van to stop by the side of the road at a particularly isolated, bushy stretch. Courts and papers were too much hassle. CI Collinsworth didn't like hassles. There was to be no tomorrow for the crooks. Their only consolation - justice was swift. Justice - delivered by cold metal bullets, but swift. In some parts, this would have been an unheard-of luxury. The only thing left to do now was to return the lifeless bodies to their one time master.

It was time for the orphans to meet for the very first time.

Why 'Tarak Mehta ka ...' is for the intellectually dead

2011-01-20T08:04:00.000+05:30

There is little doubt that just a couple of years or so after it’s inception, TMKUC has established itself as a prominent, popular sitcom. It might even be the most watched television programme out there with the exception of certain reality shows. This however throws up a few worrying questions about our country’s television audiences and their propensity to settle for mediocrity as long as such mediocrity tickles the funny bone.

It is said that nothing shows a man’s character more than what he chooses to laugh at. Admittedly, TMKUC has it’s share of funny moments, but then it’s equally easy to laugh when some unsuspecting neighbor is paid homage to by a bunch of pigeons. The social and cultural stereotypes being propagated by the show are staggering – as if we as a society didn’t have enough reminders already as to why exactly it’s so important that efforts are made to assimilate the different peoples that live in this great country. As regular watchers will know, the show is about a fictional colony called ‘Gokuldham Housing Society’ set in Mumbai. The set of buildings is occupied by families from different parts of the country – and therein lies the lack of thought and perhaps inadvertent but rather disappointing choice of character backgrounds. The principal characters belong to different ethnic and communal backgrounds, but their lifestyles and professions are so predictable and stereotypical, you’d be inclined to believe me if I were to say that they were written up some auntyji in 1920s India.

So of course, you’ve got the businessman from Gujarat and his rustic but good-at-heart wife. Both have noticeable problems with English vocabulary and pronunciation – like all good ‘Gujjus’ are supposed to. In fact the wife’s weird tone of voice and their combined struggles with the English language are oft-used vehicles of humour within the show. Then there is the Punjabi household whose breadwinner is a strapping, robust guy – a mechanic by profession. Once again, playing up to the widely held notion that Sikhs have more brawn than brains and generally being less ‘intelligent’ than others, the character in question is often showed as behaving like a bumbling fool in the most mundane of situations. The reverse is also depicted, in that there’s a highly ‘intelligent’ but meek scientist from South India, who as a matter of fact, happens to be dark as charcoal. You don’t need me to tell you that being intelligent and dark-skinned are no prerequisites to hailing from the south. Another character is obscenely obese and is depicted as craving for large quantities of food at all times. Of course, it doesn’t matter that weight control has more to do with what and when you eat, rather than how much you eat. Then again, I guess it’s easier to play up to set stereotypes and derive cheap humour from it rather than giving some thought and respect to the idea that such characteristics exist across the board – and a mishmash of them can be found in an individual from any community.

Not all is bad with the show however. It remains the only programme out there that has tried to take up and address several social issues that nobody else bothers about. The harmony and friendliness between different characters is also admirable, especially considering the personal insults and obscenities that abound on the great Indian television scene dominated by the likes of Dolly Bindra, KRK and Rakhi Sawant.

That being said, any show that relies on humour from social stereotypes and physical characteristics like height, weight and skin colour doesn’t deserve my time or attention. It’s a shame most others cannot bother to think along the same lines.

Tactically naive, technically inept

2011-01-11T09:52:00.002+05:30

Match Report - India vs Australia, AFC Asian Cup 2011

For some strange reason, my cable operator decided to telecast the game from the second half only. Hence analysis of the same will have to suffice.

India took the field with a 4-4-2, Sunil Chhetri and Mohammed Rafi upfront. Houghton had clearly instructed his forwards to stay upfield with no tracking back duties. Ambitious, but probably ill-advised. The midfield worked hard at closing down space in the middle of the field – the wingers trucked in, probably a tad too much; thus leaving enormous space down the sides – which was exploited time and time again by the opposition. The rightback Sukumar Singh in particular had a tough half, his cause not particularly aided by right midfielder Stephen Dias being practically a spectator to wave after wave of Australian attacks down their left. However, credit must go to the defence who were well organized and efficient at closing down space on the edge of the box, and surprisingly good in the air – the height and strength advantage of the Australians counted for little as time after time, crosses into the box were cleared expertly by the impressive centre-back pairing. The Indians held a good backline on most occasions, the offside trap worked well – the high line saw Australians flagged offside 10 times during the match. Special mention goes to Subrata Paul who was agile, energetic and seems to possess great instincts. A lesser goalkeeper than him would have seen India concede more.

As you would expect in such a David vs Goliath encounter, the much higher ranked team dominated possession and chances. The lone second half goal came from a set piece. A freekick just outside the box was nodded home by Tim Cahill – adding to his already long list of headed goals. Zonal marking on set pieces is never a good idea, an India paid the price for this naïve tactic. Defenders were caught ball watching instead of keeping their eye on a marker and Cahill reaped the benefits with a free header.

On the few occasions that India had the ball though, their technical (in)ability let them down. Players were happy just to hoof it upfield in hope for Chhetri to latch on to it. Not much thought was given to trying to pass the ball. Stephen Dias in particular struck me as being rather poor. ON a couple of occasions he was given time and space to run with the ball, yet he chose to cross from deep positions. The crosses themselves were quite shoddy and cleared without any problems whatsoever. The tireless Chhetri was almost rewarded for his efforts late on when another such long ball caught out the Australian defence and he found himself one on one with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, but the retreating centre back did just enough to put Chhetri off from taking the shot – the ball just wouldn’t sit up for him to have a strike – and it eventually landed in the keeper’s arms.

On paper it was a crowd pleasing, adventurous formation that waited for any counter attacking opportunity to try and nick a goal. Yet Houghton would have been better served in asking one of his forwards to plug into midfield when out of possession. A sturdy defence, hard working midfield and the nimble Paul tried their best, but were on the day unable to keep out the professional if unsystematic Australian team. Some credit must go to India though – beaten well, but not embarrassed.

Feeling of Loss pt 3

2011-01-08T00:26:00.003+05:30

The weeks following the forest fires saw criminal activities increase manifold. With most of the police force busy assisting the state in helping salvage life and property in the valley below, the recently established Russian mafiosi were having in a field day in the towns uphill.

It's not as if Mount Vitriol was new to gang activity. Arson, kidnappings, rape, hate crimes were bedfellows in these parts since decades past. Hence the name. The difference between then and now illustrated simply by a popular line in the police department - They're bastards alright, but they're OUR bastards.

The Russian arrivals changed all that. Under protection from a notorious warlord with plenty of important contacts, the new party-poopers ran riot. Within two weeks, the resident gangs were history - severed heads of erstwhile gang leaders just another trophy on the walls of Yuri's many mansions. Born in Ukraine and orphaned as a child, young Yuri now had empires across most of Europe and Africa - Mount Vitriol, part of his latest.

On another slow moving day in an almost empty department, Mark was sat on his chair looking out the fibreglass window - his gaze fixed somewhere just beyond the horizon, yet not really focussed on something in particular. A sentry's approaching footsteps broke the silence. "They've caught some Russkies, sir. The lot were trying to break into a house eight blocks south. Your orders are awaited."

"Round them up, bring them in" said Mark, collecting his coat. An unmistakable smile was beginning to form on his sleep deprived face. The smell of blood.

Disclaimer : The use of the pejorative term 'Russkie' in this piece is for effect only. I do not in any way, shape or form, condone or support ethnic bias against any race, nationality or a people.

Feeling of Loss pt 2

2011-01-02T02:19:00.003+05:30

She reached out for him from the murky depths of vastness - her hand outstretched above, her eyes almost popping out in fear. She was trying to shout something at him but not much sound makes sense to you when you're faced with death swallowing your beloved. She wallowed in vain, knowing full well she had no chance against the pull of the wet earth beneath. Mark kneeled over the precipice, tears blurring his vision. Hot tears, much different from the icy cold lake water below that had already consumed his father and was now in the midst of taking away the one who birthed him, gave him life. In an instant she was gone - he couldn't hear the desperate splashing of her limbs, couldn't see the bubbles escaping her mouth as she tried to say for one last time 'I love you, son.'

'Mother!' he yelled, loud enough to awaken his wife and children, if he had either. Not that dream again. The visions had haunted him ever since the thing happened, 42 years ago, when he was a mere 4. Every night of every day from then on had been spent cursing his fate, fate had conspired to spare him, instead snatching away those who mattered. He didn't want to live. But he had to, for those who couldn't.

They see me, they watch me. They know me, they love me. I can't watch them, can't see them. Don't remember them, but I sure as hell love them. I want them, but I know they don't want me with them. Not yet.

Headed for disaster?

2010-12-29T13:04:00.000+05:30

Not a knee jerk reaction to the Arsenal loss, though it has driven home some harsh realities.

The fall from grace has been very swift - we've gone from the most successful domestic season in our history to sitting outside the CL qualification spots, a league defence in disarray and a very likely chance that things aren't going to improve a whole lot in the immediate future.

I read someone say somewhere that Chelsea as a club are in a mess, and I fully agree.

For me the rot starts at the top. Roman has done the unimaginable for this club. He truly is 'The Special One' if there is such a thing. His love for the club is evident and needs no documentation. We probably wouldn't even be discussing something called 'Chelsea Football Club' right now had he not bailed us out of bankruptcy at the end of the 02-03 season. But he needs to do this club a favour - and get rid of those mugs on the board. Not naming names, but it's these 'advisors' that are ruining this club that everyone of us loves.

Is Carlo to blame? Some think so, I'm not so sure. As is public knowledge, he's 'managing' this ship in a straight-jacket. With no control over transfers, we can hardly blame him for the supposed duds that are Ramires and Zhirkov, or for the decisions to let go of the players we did last summer, or for not going after the likes of Ozil et al during the summer. He's given a list of names to work with and asked to get on with his job. What he does have control over however is the tactical and technical direction of the team. And it's plain to see that something is very wrong there. The team looks unable to cope with any opposition, everyone's gotten used to Chelsea's same old 4-3-3 that lacks pace, flair, balance. This is unacceptable. Carlo needs to change something, there's no use in flogging a dead horse.

Finally, the players themselves, the ones who're supposed to get us the results. I'm most disappointed with them. I can understand some of the blame can be attached to tactical mistakes by the boss, but surely the ones who're supposed to actually play out there on the pitch (and who get paid millions a month to do so) should be able to win us points. There's no passion, no determination, no anger at the state we're in (bar a couple). It's all okay to say the right things, but when 8 or 9 go missing in a game, you're truly fucked.

There's no logic in blaming Wilkins' exit for any of this. As popular as he was, and as important as he was, professional football clubs aren't affected this much by the loss of one man, however ridiculous the decision to get rid of him. We didn't do this bad when Jose left in a huff 3 years go. So is Wilkins' loss > Jose's? Dont' kid yourself.

Even though I can't see too many positives atm, I'm hoping the only way from here is upwards.

Like Drogba once said, 'Something is broken at Chelsea'.

Feeling of Loss pt 1

2010-12-19T17:54:00.002+05:30

There was darkness all around him. Darkness, that would only be mildly interrupted by the lights of the occasional car that would pass by. Chief Inspector Mark Collinsworth kept his eyes on the road. Though where his mind was, even he didn't know. In a way the journey on this lost highway wasn't too different from the one he had undertaken long ago- been thrust into, he would sometimes think - the journey of his life. He was used to the darkness that enveloped everything around him. Darkness that wouldn't go away. Once in a while a ray of light would pierce through this dark cloak, only to struggle against its interwoven fabric that seemed intent on never letting go of him. Eventually that ray of light too would give up and go away, someplace else, where it had a chance. And all that would be left was silence. Gloom. Life. Or so they called it. He didn't know.

Yet, Mark liked the darkness that was keeping him company on this lost highway. He liked to see on the outside what he felt on the inside. It made him feel one with his surroundings. It gave him a sense of belonging. It comforted him in a weird sort of way. It let him blend in, yet escape at the same time. Lost in thought, yet tranquil, Mark wondered when would the road next take a turn.

Making his way along that winding road up the hill, his eyes caught a glimpse of the mayhem just beginning to unfold in the valley down below. Summer was in full earnest and that night was one of the hottest he'd experienced in all of the years he'd spent living atop the monolith they called Mount Vitriol. Forest fires were a regular occurrence this time of the year. The ravine glowed in some pockets, like fireflies milling about in the dark. The smell of cinder filled the air.

Yeah, Mark liked seeing on the outside what he felt on the inside.

Sigh...

2010-06-29T15:23:00.002+05:30

It's not turning out to be a great day. As if finding sleep only in the wee hours of the morning, waking up after midday, and discovering that the house is devoid of anything remotely edible isn't bad enough, feeling ignored and unwanted just takes it to a whole new level. I've had my fair share of bad days but this Terrible Tuesday is just too fucked up, to put it honestly.

Since I have nothing much to do, I thought (insert a damn speech bubble here) 'Gee, why not pen down my frustrations on the blog. What's that little piece of scum for, anyway?' Not in the best of moods is moi, as you see. But hey, this is my blog, my own virtual personal diary as these blog sites keep promoting it to be. Hence I hereby take this opportunity to share my frustrations with the (very) tiny sample of human population that visits this blog. I'm not sure why you're here - perhaps you're too bored at work, or maybe you were looking for some other 'Jblogger' but a lazy Google engineer made you end up here. But since you're here, take the liberty to roam around, have a look at the 5 humble posts, and spare a few laughs at the unfortunate a.k.a me.

Have you had those days when you felt the world was against you getting what you wanted, against you allowed to have your right to happiness? Yeah? Let me join the club. I woke up with what I suppose my drinking friends refer to as a hangover. What's so uniquely bad about that, you might ask. Well, I'm a teetotaler. For the uninitiated, that's a long word that says I don't drink/smoke. Now you spot the strangeness. Continuing with the sob-story, I made my way to the kitchen, hoping to find something to chew on. Setback no. 2. Mom forgot to pack lunch. Or more like she woke-up-too-late-and-had-to-rush-to-work-thus-leaving-me-a-poor-hungry-sleepy-nutcase. Sleepiness + hunger = anger. It's a very basic, logical, well-established equation that I just came up with. And the best way to calm down? Trudge on over to the virtual circus a.k.a the Internet. Sure you're life's a bitch but there's plenty of suckers out there on the 'net whose patheticness and idioticism(I'm fond of making up words and equations, as you see) makes you laugh away your worries. At this point, I don't know why, but i decided to head over to one of the chess sites. Embarrassing a little-brained fool in some dark corner of the world would give me just the kick I need, I thought. Sure enough, I found an open game where the hosts profile read 'Age:10 Country :Czechoslovakia Sex:Male'. (Speech bubble number 2 here, please) "Perfect!" 3 minutes later, the little turd had a knight, a rook and his white queen breathing down my by-now perspiring king's royal neck. Sure enough, checkmate. And the world around me crashed. Okay, too much melodrama. But in my defence, in that state of mind, I think even Dora the Explorer's monkey friend would have beaten me. Sure he would have clapped his hands and shouted "We did it! We did it!" afterwards, just to rub it in.

So there I was, humiliation complete. I know this little blabber post would have amused you a lot. It's fun to laugh at others' misfortune. Makes you forget your own sad life, even if just for a fleeting while. Bwahaha!

Back to the Future - A short story

2010-06-27T07:59:00.002+05:30

There was nothing unusual about that summer day of May the 13th, 2010. He had become used to the troubles the decision to move into a new apartment halfway across town had brought in his life. Finding an empty seat in a corner of the compartment, he sat down, plugged his earphones in, and started work on that day's The New York Chronicle Crossword.

Feeling someone's gaze on him, he looked up just in time to see her as yet half-formed smile. There she was, seated opposite him - dark brown eyes, long blonde hair, rose buds for lips. He had never quite seen anyone like her. All of a sudden, she rose, came up to him and sat adjacent, smiling an other-worldly beautiful smile all this while. He was as taken aback as everyone else when she gently rested her head on his shoulder, took the blue marker from his shocked hand and started helping out with the crossword.

"Betty" she said, even before he could ask her name. The subway was milling with the late morning crowds, and he didn't realize she had left until long afterwards.

The same thing happened the next day, the day after, and the one after that. They met on the train, did the crossword, he talked, she listened. She seemed a very quiet girl indeed. Apart from her one word answer on the first day, she hadn't spoken anything else, not even asking him his name. But he didn't notice. He asked for her number, and she gave one. But when he called that evening, no one answered. When he asked her about it, she smiled a smile that made him forget why he was mad at her.

That evening, she came to his new place. They had decided to paint the apartment together. She had brought along a sackful of old dusty newspapers to ensure the paint didn't get on things it wasn't supposed to. She plastered the windows with the papers and they got to work. They worked hard all evening and late into the night, stopping only for the Chinese takeout from the neighbourhood vendor. Once they were too exhausted to go on any further, she unveiled the gift she had hidden from him all evening - a beautiful but delicate wind-chime. He smiled, put it up near a window and dozed off, tired, not knowing when she left.

He woke up the next morning and smiled contently when he saw what a wonderful job they'd done with the paint. The wind-chime tinkled as a gentle breeze blew across the room. It reminded him of her and he came across to have a closer look. That's when his eyes fell on something written on one of the newspapers plastered on an adjacent window. It was a New York Chronicle front-page carrying news of a deadly motor car accident. the victim - a 21 year old woman named Betty Williams, her smiling photograph next to one of the mangled remains of the car. The date on the newspaper - May the 13th, 1995.

It was her. A tear escaped his eyes as he realized he would never see her again. But from that day on, the wind-chime tinkled whenever his beloved Betty paid him a visit.

South Africa 2010 : The Story So Far

2010-06-26T01:08:00.002+05:30

The Group Stage of the World Cup has ended and we have some surprising and some not so surprising results in front of us. Here’s a lowdown of each group, followed by a look at the star performers and under-performers till now at SA2010 :

Group A

Oh boy. A blogger’s delight. The drama surrounding France’s capitulation certainly made up for the lack of goals during the first week of the competition. Les Bleus suffered from terrible blues, losing 2 of their 3 matches. South Africa battled hard but lacked that X-factor which often separates the average sides from he good ones. The two most deserving sides in Uruguay and Mexico went through.

Group B

Argentina had a horrible WC qualification campaign but showed no signs of poor form once the real deal started. Nigeria underperformed and South Korea were the better side when compared to the other remaining team – Greece. No real surprises.

Group C

In what was probably the easiest group on paper, both England and USA made heavy weather of progression. The Three Lions looked more like a bunch of scared kittens while USA rode their luck, but both came through eventually. Apropos to Slovenia though, who were in it till the dying moments, quite literally.

Group D

By far the most unpredictable group. A young German side met stiff competition from Ghana and Serbia. Australia were expected to be more of a threat, but their ageing side were not up to it. Again, the two strongest sides in Germany and Ghana made it.

Group E

A real shocker. Defending champs Italy looked woeful. No creativity, no impetus, no organization, and most surprising of all, a leaky defence. They clearly missed Pirlo. Unfancied New Zealand remained unbeaten throughout, drawing all their 3 matches, but winning hearts. Paraguay looked the best in the group and made it to the next round along with a talented Slovakian outfit.

Group F

Holland had a straightforward if not comfortable run. Cameroon failed to turn up. Denmark were expected to progress, but Japan stole their thunder with a spirited showing. Easily the best Asian side on view.

Group G

The ‘Group of Death’ didn’t turn out to be all that deadly after all. Brazil finished on top, as expected. Portugal didn’t concede a goal but aside from the North Korea game, looked nothing special. Ivory Coast were a big disappointment and they would be hurt to miss out to a Portugal side considered their equal. North Korea tried their best but their inexperience on the big stage showed eventually.

Group H (updated till before the last two games)

Before the tourney started, I had expected Chile to be the team to watch out for, and they proved me right. Excellent wins over Honduras and Switzerland ensures progression irrespective of the result against Spain, who were stunned by Swiss early on. Still expect Spain to go through, but mark my words, they won’t win the World Cup.

Now, for the hits and misses so far J

The Dudes

Diego Forlan : The Uruguayan striker has been simply sensational, being the best forward on view thus far, and that too by a distance. Pace, power, movement, accuracy, vision – you name it, he has it. France, South Africa and Mexico will vouch for it.

Mesut Ozil : The 20 year old playmaker has been a relevation. Tremendous off the ball movement, fantastic vision and a mean shot makes this German one to watch out for.

Lionel Messi : This was supposed to be Messi’s WC. And so far, he looks like he’s ready to make it his own. He hasn’t scored yet, but his performances have been to say the least, imperious.

The Duds

Wayne Rooney: Roobish. Absolute roobish. Looks like a long season with Manchester United has jaded Wayne Rooney. Gone is the fight, the hunger, the dynamism, the passion. He almost looks disinterested in the proceedings around him.

Franck Ribery: The ‘Jewel of French football’ looked an uncut diamond all along as France stuttered and stumbled on their way to humiliation. Hard to believe this is the man who had the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd, Real Madrid and Barcelona lining up for him 2 months back.

Giorgio Chiellini: Just the fact that an Italian defender is listed here tells you about the tournament he has had. Slow, inattentive and seemingly lost describe his WC outings. No wonder Juventus suffered so much this season.

And now, for the team of the tournament so far, in a 4-2-3-1 formation:

-----------------------------------------------Forlan (Uru)------------------------------------------------------

Messi ( Arg)--------------------------------Ozil (Ger)----------------------------------------Sanchez (Chi)

--------------------------------Mereiles (Por)--------------Marquez (Mex)--------------------------------

Salcido (Mex)-----------------Terry (Eng)---------------Lugano (Uru)-------------------Maicon (Bra)

------------------------------------------------Paston ( Nzl)-----------------------------------------------------

History made, Looking to the future

2010-05-21T18:22:00.002+05:30

After the dizzying heights of a glorious season, in fact the most glorious till date in the club's history, it's time to move on and look ahead towards the next season and identify the players we need to ensure that we can build upon our success and try and aim for even bigger things going forward.

Manchester United will be smarting from losing their grip on the title they've held for 3 years and rest assured, our main rivals will do everything in their power to better us this time round. I see two big name signings heading in the direction of Manchester in this window. The Goners will also be looking to strengthen, not that anything they do is a threat to us anyway. The likes of Manchester City and Tottenham will surely push on for bigger things and want to have a say in the transfer market and make a statement of intent. Hence, I don't agree with Carlo Ancelotti's belief that we can tide through and more importantly, maintain our winning momentum next season with the current squad. It's a little easy to say such things when you're high on the celebratory champagne and everything around you seems more pleasant than they have ever been, but I think even Carlo knows deep down that the squad needs reinforcements. In fact, I would think that he already knows what he needs and has conveyed the same to Roman. So here is my take on what we need to do this summer to keep us on top for next year, and hopefully, years to come.

Out : Hilario, Belletti, Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole

1. It's time to promote a solid goalkeeper to deputise for Petr Cech when the situation presents itself. For anyone who watched our games this season, Ross Turnbull seems to be a very good backup keeper and is much better than Hilario. The arrival of the Croatian youngster Matej Delac from Inter Z (this move had been agreed upon last season itself) will contribute to Hilario's ouster.

2. I firmly believe Ricardo Carvalho's time at Chelsea is well and truly up. He's been a wonderful servant to the club but has sadly never been at is best since the last two seasons. Alex's emergence as a quality centre-back partner for JT means the injury prone Carvalho will not get too much play time next season, and hence it will be best for both parties if he is moved on. It's the same situation for Paulo Ferreira. Wonderful player over the years, but sadly, it's time to make way for the younger crop of players.

3. Michael Ballack has never quite lived up to his name in a Chelsea shirt. He's not the same player he was at Bayern Munich. Has lost his attacking flair and although he's done well for us the last couple of months in the midfield enforcer role in Essien's absence, his inconsistency is quite frustrating. His big game experience is the biggest strength he brings to us. The man has played in Champions league finals, title winning sides and important World Cup games. But he wants a 2 year contract which is difficult to give when you're 34 years old.

4. Joe Cole - I, like every Chelsea fan, would hate to see him go. He's been here 7 years now and has been such an integral part of our side over the years that it's almost impossible to think about a Chelsea team without our loved No.10 in it. But given that we love him so much, it needs to be reciprocated at some level. I mean as good as he is, Joe Cole is not worth the 100,000 pounds a week that he wants. Unless he shows some loyalty, out he goes.

5. Belletti and Deco have both spoken about wanting to leave and going back to Brazil to see out their careers, and really, this is a no-brainer. If a player wants to leave, he should be allowed to. Period.

Players we need :

1. A playmaker : Although our best success this season has come when we've played the 4-3-3, I still believe there is scope for playing the 4-1-2-1-2 diamond, especially against teams which don't play with or have very good wingers. Unless a team players wingers high up the pitch against us, we can use the diamond to good effect as it allows our fullbacks to attack a lot more. Then, the midfield playing close to each other can dominate games. But for a diamond midfield to succeed, what is needed most is a high-quality playmaker. Carlo employed this system successfully at Milan, but it couldn't succeed here because there the system made use of Kaka as the diamond tip, but Lampard couldn't play the same role at Chelsea. Also, with Joey and Deco possibly leaving, we badly needed a creative midfield player. Possible signings : Kaka, Sergio Aguero, David Silva.

2. A right winger : The most glaring need. With the 4-3-3, Anelka is often played out wide and although he is a forward who likes to run into the channels, he doesn't quite flourish there. Kalou as everyone knows, is terribly inconsistent, and in my opinion, he plays better as a striker than as a winger. That leaves us with just Miroslav Stock and Gael Kakuta. Not the most reliable players for that position, in this stage of their development. Possible signings : Bastian Schweinsteiger, James Milner, Adam Johnson, Franck Ribery.

3. A centre back : As stated earlier, Ricardo Carvalho could go, and with Belletti and Ferreira also on their way out, that leaves space for a young centre half. Ivanovic will likely be asked to rotate with Jose Bosingwa in the right back slot and sometimes played in the centre. Possible signings : David Luiz, Simon Kjaer

4. A midfield general : Ballack and Deco going could leave a big hole in the centre midfield position with just Lampard and Essien established players in that area. A tenacious midfielder, with a good passing range, vision and a strong tackle can be a useful addition to the first team squad. Possible signings : Daniele de Rossi, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Jack Rodwell, Marouane Fellaini.

5. Finally, what we DON'T NEED is an out-and-out striker. Drogba and Anelka have done a great job this season. Don't forget, Drogba started playing professionally only once he was in his twenties, much later than most footballers these days. Thus although he is 32, he still has atleast 3 more years of top level football in him. That throws the whole age argument out of the window. Plus, in a 4-3-3 just one striker is played. With the signing of a new winger, Anelka would not be starting too many games and he will be fresh for rotation with Drogba. Kalou and Sturridge will get more play time. In addition, Franco di Santo will return from loan, as will Scott Sinclair. Fabio Borini is there too. The signing of a striker is very glamourous news, and that's why the media keeps linking us with the kinds of Torres, Pato and David Villa, but truth is, we don't need a top striker, unless Anelka leaves.

My verdict on the players linked with Chelsea:

1. Kaka : Hasn't enjoyed a good season with Real Madrid and those fools might be willing to sell him for a significantly lower amount than what they paid for him. BUY, if the price is right. We need a proven, big-name midfielder.

2.Sergio Aguero : A useful contender to play 'in the hole' behind the strikers. Quite young, has the big league experience, and is a starter for Argentina. Will help to lower the squad's average age. BUY, again if the price is right.

3.Pato and Torres : Not needed, as explained above. REJECT

4.Yossi Benayoun : Considered a replacement for Joe Cole. In my opinion, Joe Cole is a better player than Benayoun, and if he can't get into the team consistently, what hope is there for Banyoun? REJECT.

Also, Carlo has already spoken about promoting 5 reserve and youth players in the first team squad for next season. Excellent move, in my opinion. Most probably, they'll be Jeffery Bruma, Sam Hutchinson, Nemanja Matic, Gael Kakuta and Fabio Borini.

In my opinion, with these signings, our already formidable squad will become even more fearsome. These players have gone down in Chelsea and English football history and we'll remember this team even 50 years down the road. But there comes along a time in every club's life where difficult but necessary decisions have to be made in order to push the club on to even bigger and better things, and that time has come for us now. It's likely to be the end of an era, but hopefully, the dawn of an even more glorious one. Here's hoping for many more trophy-laden years at our beloved Stamford Bridge....(K)eep (T)he (B)lue (F)lag (F)lying (H)igh !

Big Match Preview : Manchester United vs Chelsea, Old Trafford, 5.15 pm IST, 03 April 2010

2010-03-31T15:37:00.003+05:30

It's here. The date has been lying marked in my calendar for about 2 months now. As EPL fans around the globe gear up for what promises to be a nail-biting finish to the season, the mother of all battles beckons. The early kick-off on Saturday is shaping up to be a potentially title-deciding encounter. Man Utd and Chelsea go head-to-head in a bid to grab 3 points and with it, a huge confidence and momentum boost going into the final few weeks of another enthralling campaign. Of course, Arsenal are still thereabouts, but you would question if Arsene Wenger's kindergarteners have the stomach to step up when it matters, the character of champions their other two great rivals undoubtedly possess. So this post is going to be solely about the red-and-blue battle. More on the North London tossers later ;)

This game reminds me of the one 2 seasons ago. In a similarly close season, table-toppers United traveled to Stamford Bridge to take on a Chelsea side that was a place below them. In a must win game for the Blues, Michael Ballack (surprise surprise) grabbed both the goals to blow the title race wide open. The battle then went on the final day of the season with both teams locked on the same number of points and separated just by goal difference. So at least, history is on Chelsea's side :)

United go into this one undoubtedly suffering from the physical and mental stress that their trip to Munich yesterday brought. Not only did they get beaten by a much better Bayern side, the talismanic Wayne Rooney was lost to injury as he limped out on crutches in the dying minutes of the game. There are doubts about his availability for the return leg in Manchester a week from now, but from what I've read off the internet so far, he is unlikely to feature in Saturday's match. Needless to say, a huge advantage to the Londoners. Rooney is having one of those seasons others would give a limb for. While it's never great to see footballers get injured, considering the kind of misfortune Chelsea have had with injuries all season (read Bosingwa, Ashley Cole, Essien, Deco, Joe Cole, Ivanovic, Carvalho), I for one, wouldn't be shedding one tear if Rooney's name isn't called out when the teams walk out of the tunnel come Saturday. Tough luck, Shrek!

I suppose what would be keeping Ferguson awake on the intervening nights between now and Saturday is the whether Dimitar Berbatov can step up on the big occasion. Well they bought him for 30 million pounds, so you would think he would, but as Berba's probably found out by now, he's maybe forgotten his scoring boots back at Tottenham. Rooney has prospered in leading the line with 5 in the middle of the park behind him, but we've yet to see that from the Bulgarian hitman. With Owen gone for the rest of the season too, I suppose Ferguson wouldn't have to bother much about his formation, simply because he has no other fit first-team striker. 4-5-1 then. The guy who has to worry about what shape his team will play is Ancelotti. Now I have a feeling that for Chelsea to win this one, Carlo MUST get his tactics right. Does he play with the same team that thrashed Villa last weekend or does he alter it to fit Drogba and Anelka in somehow.

There's no doubt Anelka doesn't like playing in the wide positions, like he's been asked to do all season whenever he's played with Drogba. Which is strange since even when he's played as the lone striker, he tends to run the channels! I would like Ancelotti to be a little brave and sit Anelka on the bench. Sticking Drogba upfront as the centre of an attacking trio in a 4-3-3 would be perfect as Drogba is lethal with his head and you can expect the likes of Malouda and Joe Cole plus the fullbacks to whip in the crosses from the flanks. Another possible change would be Ballack for Deco. Deco isn't going to start too many games between now and the end of the season and i would be hugely surprised if Carlo starts him against United at Old Trafford. I can understand Carlo's thought process if he picks Ballack for this one, and I think he will. It's a big game and Ballack gives you a bit of bite and tenacity in the midfield which will come in handy when the waters turn choppy. Deco's clearly past it, and this despite his sublime performance against Villa last week.

One thing Carlo shoudn't do is play the diamond. It simply doesn't work here. Lampard can't function at the tip of the diamond, he simply doesn't have enough space to make those late runs into the box that make him so dangerous. Malouda doesn't benefit from the lack of width and Drogba and Anelka can't really link up excellently together up front. I think a 4-3-3 is the best option with a midfield of Mikel, Lampard, Ballack; Malouda and Joe Cole on the wings and Drog as the striker. It is the formation that will give United the most problems.

We shoudn't forget that inspite of all it's importance, this isn't a must win game for United. They would be quite happy with a draw, as would be Arsenal. It's a must-win for Chelsea and they must play the game like it is one. The tempo that we played at last week is what we should be aiming for this time as well. Chelsea have to be positive from the word go, there cannot be any other way.

BATTLE TO WATCH OUT FOR

It has to be Valencia vs Zhirkov. Most of United's good play this season has come for their Ecuadorian right winger and his delievery will be crucial this time as well. how Zhirkov and Malouda cope with him will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this match. Zhirkov is great going forwards, but we are yet to see a great defender in him. Will he manage to curb his attacking instincts and tackle the threat Valencia poses? Time will tell.

Hello World !

2010-03-29T19:30:00.003+05:30

Right. So this is the part where I welcome you, the reader, to my very own cozy little space on the internet. A warm welcome then!

Now, I must confess, I'm not too conversant with the whole blogging rage. I did try my hand at it a couple of years ago, but what happened to it is the phenomena we're all too conversant with ... it's like the digital equivalent of wearing out your new pair of denims!

So drawing upon my admirable reserves of patience ( :P ) , I've decided to give my blog another try. Here's hoping I can give you a perspective on the goings on around me through my very own bespectacled eyes!

Wish me luck!