For six glorious minutes this looked like that 1 in 100 time that a team like Chelsea regrets playing in second gear against a smaller team.
We did well, for sure, but lets not kid ourselves. Chelsea were not exactly going for it when it was 0-0. They simply assumed their superior class would tell in the end and, if it were not for our post in the first half probably would've won even more comfortably. Doyley and DeMerit deserve the plaudits for keeping Drogba and Anelka fairly quiet and frustrated, to the point that Loach actually didn't have loads to do for the opening 45 minutes.
Given that we were never going to get too many chances I'm surprised we didn't start with Priskin. He eventually came on for the last quarter of the match and did duly take his one chance courtesy of a poor decision by the linesman. But, blimey, we've had some shocking decisions go the wrong way from the lino on the Rous side so we were owed and having not been given off side Tamas scored even though his shot hit Cech.
Those six happy punch drunk minutes past by in a bit of a blur. But I was very disappointed we didn't get a "Wilkins, what's the score" chant going. I did try but I am in the Upper Rous so you'll understand why starting chants isn't really likely to happen.
Chelsea then gave us a reminder of that bitter Premiership taste we've experienced many times before. They simply lurched into fifth gear and we were hit by two quick Anelka goals.
The depressing thing was that, as always under BR, we then seemed to give up. I know we were playing Chelsea but we stopped the hassling and harrying that we'd done so well up to then and allowed them to play the keepball game that our manager knows so well.
This giving up is something I think we really need to address when we go back to the business of Championship survival. We haven't managed to equalise when going behind since Brendan has been in charge. We've got the odd goal back when its too late but haven't yet got ourselves back into a game from a losing position. His comments after the Sheffield United game that at 2-0 we'd lost the game would suggest why. I thought it was an unbelieveable thing to admit and isn't something I can ever imagine Aidy or GT saying. But I think it explains a lot and is one of the reasons I don't think I'll ever be truly happy with him in charge. Give me a never say die manager any day of the week.
As it was we did nearly get a equaliser thanks to JJOT who always plays with that kind of anything's possible attitude. His ball through the centre of Chelsea's defence set up McAnuff but he hit his shot at Cech and didn't get the same bit of luck Priskin had. It was no surprise that Chelsea cruelly went straight down the other end and Anelka completed his hat-trick.
Brendan still worries me. I don't get the impression reading his programme notes that he wishes he'd been sitting in the blue half of the dug out tonight. But comments such as "we're not even a top division side at the moment" are either those of a extremely self confident, or extremely self delusional man. I do hope its the former and, if so, promise I will be the first to eat my words from these blog entries.
