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26 01 2008 Wigan 1 Chelsea 2
Due to work I missed an outstanding performance against Everton away. Chelsea were solid and really a class apart
from an Everton side that is supposed to be closing in on the top three sides. It was sad to hear that after the game
there were a few skirmishes between fans. One would have thought that Everton fans would not stoop to the same level
as their counterparts in red, but it appears this defeat really hurt.
The couple of thousand hardened souls who made the trip made me very proud - for large proportions of the game it
sounded like Chelsea were at home rather than away. A superb victory, and with the final against Tottenham rather than
Arsenal we could have the "evil" Avram deservedly winning his first trophy as Chelsea manager! Many may have to
swallow their words about him, including me! If he manages to win the league then I really will have to tattoo, "I know
nothing about football" onto my forehead. He really has had a depleted squad to work with, but the team he has brought
in to coach the players really has worked wonders in quite adverse circumstances.
________________________________________________________________________
A long train journey to the JJB with no alcohol combined with an amazingly tedious first half meant some Chelsea fans
were literally asleep by half time. Joe Cole should have scored in the opening minutes, and it seemed that the remainder
of the game would be one-sided, but it was just a red (or blue) herring.
Thankfully the second half was much better (as if there was a comparison) and the excellent Anelka scored from a
Belletti pass, before setting up SWP for a well deserved second. Wigan are not a bad side at all, and I would be
surprised if they went down. Which is more than can me said for their fans, who cannot seem to see the irony of singing,
"where were you mean you were shit" even though they cannot fill half their own end with tickets priced at £15. Neither
do they find it odd to sing, "Same old Chelsea, always cheating!" when their own player gets booked for playacting.
They should be embarrassed, especially as TV proved Anelka was well onside for his goal. But what do you expect from
a bunch of fans that need a drummer to spark some atmosphere from the home fans!
It is strange that Sibierski did not start from the beginning, as he scored arguably the goal of the day - Wigan nearly
equalised in the dying minutes, which would have been very harsh on a generally solid performance but one that was
not particularly pleasing on the eye.
Many thanks to Chelsea for supplying transport for £10 - a great gesture, especially when TV channels decide to put a
kick off for a 400 mile round trip not early afternoon - but at 5.15pm. Ok, so on the way up we were literally overtaken by
a horse and cart as the police slowed down the train's journey into Wigan, but at least the toilets worked and the buffet
car had some Ribena! One major complaint was being told that the train would leave exactly at 7.35pm - 25 minutes
after the match ended! The walk alone from the JJB to the train station take nearly half an hour (for someone as young,
sprightly and athletic as myself!) and it meant that a large minority of fans had to leave the game very early as they were
either OAPs or with young children. And guess what - the train did not leave at 7.35, or 7.45 as advertised - but at 8pm!
A bit disgraceful as far as I am concerned - give a man a clipboard and a fluorescent bib and he thinks he is God! You
have enough stress in life without having to worry whether or not you will have to spend a night in Wigan or not.
Reading at home this week - a great little grudge match. Again, with injuries and absentees things could be a lot worse.
Our formation is working, but we are not exactly playing the sexiest football ever seen. A lower league away side in the
next round please - Bristol Rovers or Cardiff would suit nicely....
from an Everton side that is supposed to be closing in on the top three sides. It was sad to hear that after the game
there were a few skirmishes between fans. One would have thought that Everton fans would not stoop to the same level
as their counterparts in red, but it appears this defeat really hurt.
The couple of thousand hardened souls who made the trip made me very proud - for large proportions of the game it
sounded like Chelsea were at home rather than away. A superb victory, and with the final against Tottenham rather than
Arsenal we could have the "evil" Avram deservedly winning his first trophy as Chelsea manager! Many may have to
swallow their words about him, including me! If he manages to win the league then I really will have to tattoo, "I know
nothing about football" onto my forehead. He really has had a depleted squad to work with, but the team he has brought
in to coach the players really has worked wonders in quite adverse circumstances.
________________________________________________________________________
A long train journey to the JJB with no alcohol combined with an amazingly tedious first half meant some Chelsea fans
were literally asleep by half time. Joe Cole should have scored in the opening minutes, and it seemed that the remainder
of the game would be one-sided, but it was just a red (or blue) herring.
Thankfully the second half was much better (as if there was a comparison) and the excellent Anelka scored from a
Belletti pass, before setting up SWP for a well deserved second. Wigan are not a bad side at all, and I would be
surprised if they went down. Which is more than can me said for their fans, who cannot seem to see the irony of singing,
"where were you mean you were shit" even though they cannot fill half their own end with tickets priced at £15. Neither
do they find it odd to sing, "Same old Chelsea, always cheating!" when their own player gets booked for playacting.
They should be embarrassed, especially as TV proved Anelka was well onside for his goal. But what do you expect from
a bunch of fans that need a drummer to spark some atmosphere from the home fans!
It is strange that Sibierski did not start from the beginning, as he scored arguably the goal of the day - Wigan nearly
equalised in the dying minutes, which would have been very harsh on a generally solid performance but one that was
not particularly pleasing on the eye.
Many thanks to Chelsea for supplying transport for £10 - a great gesture, especially when TV channels decide to put a
kick off for a 400 mile round trip not early afternoon - but at 5.15pm. Ok, so on the way up we were literally overtaken by
a horse and cart as the police slowed down the train's journey into Wigan, but at least the toilets worked and the buffet
car had some Ribena! One major complaint was being told that the train would leave exactly at 7.35pm - 25 minutes
after the match ended! The walk alone from the JJB to the train station take nearly half an hour (for someone as young,
sprightly and athletic as myself!) and it meant that a large minority of fans had to leave the game very early as they were
either OAPs or with young children. And guess what - the train did not leave at 7.35, or 7.45 as advertised - but at 8pm!
A bit disgraceful as far as I am concerned - give a man a clipboard and a fluorescent bib and he thinks he is God! You
have enough stress in life without having to worry whether or not you will have to spend a night in Wigan or not.
Reading at home this week - a great little grudge match. Again, with injuries and absentees things could be a lot worse.
Our formation is working, but we are not exactly playing the sexiest football ever seen. A lower league away side in the
next round please - Bristol Rovers or Cardiff would suit nicely....
