If you look at my last post it has been a hell of time since when I last posted something. I won't say it was down to lethargy and laziness but rather a self-imposed exile or was it!!
Since my last post a lot has happened with me and Chelsea in particular. To start with I have graduated from college and now I am working in Business Intelligence group of Oracle at Bangalore. Apart from that nothing of note has really happened with me apart from putting some extra kilos at the wrong places.
Now the things that have happened with Chelsea over the last few months - oh from where I should start. We came second in the league, got knocked out in the semifinals of the Champions League by the Scousers last season. It was a little rosy however towards the end when we won the FA Cup by defeating United - United who .. yeah the same League Champions. Summer was usually quiet with no big names in particular arriving at Chelsea. However a couple of good players were signed - some free and some not so free. The likes of Steve Sidwell, Claudio Pizarro, Florent Malouda, Alex and Juliano Belletti moved to the Bridge while the likes of Glen Johnson, Arjen Robben and Geremi moved away. The season started with a hard fought home game against Birmingham which we won 3-2 at the end. Mourinho employing the 4-4-2 with wingers formation on which he had talked a lot in the summer. Then came the Reading game in spite of going a goal down we came back to win the match 2-1. A trip to Anfield followed where we managed to scrape a draw with a little help of referee however I am afraid that was the last time referee helped us 'coz after that we were mostly on the wrong side of his decisions. Although we won the next home game against Pompey but it all started to go terribly wrong after that. Defeat at Villa park, a draw at home with Blackburn with a perfectly legal goal disallowed and then to top it a draw at home against the group minnows Rosenborg in Champions League. What happened after that? Mourinho got the sack and we were shell shocked. It seemed so sudden I didn't know how to react. I came to office early in the morning and like my usual schedule checked the BBC and Chelsea FC and there was the dreaded news. I couldn't believe it, I felt heavy in my head. I spent the whole day on Chelsea forums discussing what lies ahead. It took about two three days for me to get over that. In the meantime Avram Grant was appointed the new first team head coach and he was to lead the team at Old Trafford. Lost the game, Mikel sent off wrongly and it seemed that everything would go wrong from here onwards. However things soon started looking good with a win at Hull,a draw against Fulham at home and then the big one Chelsea 2- Valencia 1. Who said that it is one of the toughest place to go and pick a result from. I disagree. The Black September was finally over and a new October ushered in a new belief. Bolton, Boro, Schalke, City(6-0), Wigan, Leicester all were put to sword. The last two games have been draws away to Schalke and at home to Everton but things are looking good once again. The only blot is that we have a couple of key players at the back injured the likes of Cech, Carvalho, Terry and Ferreira.
Well that was in short of what happened in the last couple of months. I hope this time I won't go absconding like last time and would keep posting on this blog.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
When you can't be the master of your own destiny
This is what has been this season with Chelsea. In the last two it was us all the way, winning the league was in our own hands but not this time. It is sickening to pray everyweek for ManU to lose points against teams like Spurs, Liverpool our perennial rivals. But thats how life is - you pay for your mistakes. Over that Christmas period had John Terry not been injured no way we could have drawn those three games against Fulham, Reading and Villa and lost six points which we should have taken with ease.
Our destiny in the league is no longer in our own hands. All we can do is jut go on and keep winning every match and hope that somewhere along the way in the next nine matches ManU would slip up more than once. But I take heart in the fact that inspite of the numerous injury problems we have faced this season we are still in with a say in all the three competitions, the Carling Cup already resting in the Chelsea trophy cabinet. It take some character and strength to get this far. And for the very fact I am proud of the team I support - Chelsea F.C.
Our destiny in the league is no longer in our own hands. All we can do is jut go on and keep winning every match and hope that somewhere along the way in the next nine matches ManU would slip up more than once. But I take heart in the fact that inspite of the numerous injury problems we have faced this season we are still in with a say in all the three competitions, the Carling Cup already resting in the Chelsea trophy cabinet. It take some character and strength to get this far. And for the very fact I am proud of the team I support - Chelsea F.C.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Journey or Destination?
Well, I haven't met a single person so far on the face of this planet who agrees with me that journey is more important than destination. People around me seem to be so obsessed with victory that they won't take anything other than a victory for a result. Everything they do ...the worth of it they decide on the basis of just victory or defeat. I wonder .. I may be wrong but why is it like that. I mean why should defeat overshadow the efforts we have put in achieving something. Why is that the journey counts to nothing in face of defeat ??
There is a saying that 'End should justify the mean' ... even if those means are wrong. I don't agree with that and, I'm not sure about the others but I can't bask in the success if the road to it has been such. I would find it rather tough to look into the mirror in that case. But the world has changed or rather it has been always such otherwise why would such a saying would have become a common parlance. At times I find myself so alone in the midst of all these wolves ... I might be exaggerating and there must be many non-wolves out there but most of the people out here seem to be like that.
Journey to me is more important than the destination. Defeat and despair are bound to come in this life because not everything we do or try may turn up right. But just because the things are not turning right that doesn't mean that they won't eventually. And why should in the face of defeat I believe that the whole journey was a farce or it counted to nothing. Every journey is an experience in itself ... good or bad. Victory or defeat may be just momentous but the journey is not such. Why should we overlook something which is so permanent for something that is temporary. Why ... that is the question ?
If we can take pleasure in our success then we should be man enough to take defeat on the chin and go on and that could only happen if we don't become too obsessed with the destination rather enjoying every moment of the journey. You would win someday and on days you would end up losing but the effort that you have put in that cause should not be taken as something going to waste. Sometimes it takes time but the time is worth it.
Snow Patrol's Warmer Climate is what springs to my mind and especially the closing lines which seem so real and relevant :
'I'm so glad that this has taken me so long,
'coz its the journey that made me so strong. '
There is a saying that 'End should justify the mean' ... even if those means are wrong. I don't agree with that and, I'm not sure about the others but I can't bask in the success if the road to it has been such. I would find it rather tough to look into the mirror in that case. But the world has changed or rather it has been always such otherwise why would such a saying would have become a common parlance. At times I find myself so alone in the midst of all these wolves ... I might be exaggerating and there must be many non-wolves out there but most of the people out here seem to be like that.
Journey to me is more important than the destination. Defeat and despair are bound to come in this life because not everything we do or try may turn up right. But just because the things are not turning right that doesn't mean that they won't eventually. And why should in the face of defeat I believe that the whole journey was a farce or it counted to nothing. Every journey is an experience in itself ... good or bad. Victory or defeat may be just momentous but the journey is not such. Why should we overlook something which is so permanent for something that is temporary. Why ... that is the question ?
If we can take pleasure in our success then we should be man enough to take defeat on the chin and go on and that could only happen if we don't become too obsessed with the destination rather enjoying every moment of the journey. You would win someday and on days you would end up losing but the effort that you have put in that cause should not be taken as something going to waste. Sometimes it takes time but the time is worth it.
Snow Patrol's Warmer Climate is what springs to my mind and especially the closing lines which seem so real and relevant :
'I'm so glad that this has taken me so long,
'coz its the journey that made me so strong. '
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Defeat at Anfield
Liverpool and that too at Anfield were never easy although we came good last three times around ... but that was last time. This time it wasn't .... 2-0 was how it ended. I was really looking upto this match as Cech was going to return after a lengthy injury, and seeing the best goalkeeper in the world marshalling our goalposts again was indeed a pleasant side. But Carvalho missing out due to fever really made a serious dent on our chances in the match even before the ball was kicked. It was never going to be easy for Ferreira and Essien, both makeshift centrebacks to hold against the likes of Crouch and Kuyt, one strong in the air and the other very powerful. And it all showed in the manner in which the first goal was conceded. Ferreira caught on the wrong side and Kuyt netting in an easy volley. Cech made a couple of good saves to keep Liverpool at bay but again on 18th minute Essien's poor clearance landed the ball on Pennant's feet and unchallenged he didn't made any mistake to put the ball in the back of Chelsea net.
The outcome was looking all the much clearer with Robben limping away after 20 mins and substituted by Wright-Phillips. The list is getting longer and longer with Terry, Boulahrouz, Carvalho, Bridge, Joe Cole and now Robben getting injured. Mikel had come on in place of Makelele who was suspended for this match and he was really the pick of the players in the opening period. Fighting for the ball, clearing , intercepting - he really put in a good show today.
Chelsea enjoyed possession and control in many periods of the game but it never looked like a goal was going to come. Wright-Phillips did have a good game and he made a number of good runs in and around the Liverpool defence but it was never meant to be. Drogba was working tirelessly but even he didn't came close to scoring. Ballack, Kalou and Ashley Cole had a poor game ... Ashley was never seen on the left side of the pitch in the second half. Shevchenko was introduced late in the second half to shift to more attacking formation but it was never too good.
Final score remained 2-0 at Anfield which was indeed a miserable outing for Chelsea.
Being a Chelsea supporter it's hard to say but Liverpool deserved to win today- they defended well and when chances came along they took it with both hands. I can't fault much the performance of the team because it looked right from the start that defence is going to be the real issue -if it clicks we might get something out of the game. But two goals in the opening 20 mins really put a lot of pressure and from there on it was never going to easy.
With ManU meeting Arsenal tomorrow and a victory would further widen the gap at the top and realistically it would mean probably the end of our League hopes. But I am counting on Arsenal and am quite optimistic that they would certainly stop that thing from happening. I hope come tomorrow we would still have everything to play for in the league.
The outcome was looking all the much clearer with Robben limping away after 20 mins and substituted by Wright-Phillips. The list is getting longer and longer with Terry, Boulahrouz, Carvalho, Bridge, Joe Cole and now Robben getting injured. Mikel had come on in place of Makelele who was suspended for this match and he was really the pick of the players in the opening period. Fighting for the ball, clearing , intercepting - he really put in a good show today.
Chelsea enjoyed possession and control in many periods of the game but it never looked like a goal was going to come. Wright-Phillips did have a good game and he made a number of good runs in and around the Liverpool defence but it was never meant to be. Drogba was working tirelessly but even he didn't came close to scoring. Ballack, Kalou and Ashley Cole had a poor game ... Ashley was never seen on the left side of the pitch in the second half. Shevchenko was introduced late in the second half to shift to more attacking formation but it was never too good.
Final score remained 2-0 at Anfield which was indeed a miserable outing for Chelsea.
Being a Chelsea supporter it's hard to say but Liverpool deserved to win today- they defended well and when chances came along they took it with both hands. I can't fault much the performance of the team because it looked right from the start that defence is going to be the real issue -if it clicks we might get something out of the game. But two goals in the opening 20 mins really put a lot of pressure and from there on it was never going to easy.
With ManU meeting Arsenal tomorrow and a victory would further widen the gap at the top and realistically it would mean probably the end of our League hopes. But I am counting on Arsenal and am quite optimistic that they would certainly stop that thing from happening. I hope come tomorrow we would still have everything to play for in the league.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Hopefully it's not the last
Time 2:40 A.M ... Day Thursday .... Date 4th January ... Year 2006(oops!! 2007 , still not getting over it) ....
It's been almost a year when I last posted something on my earlier blog (or rather the only time) , somehow lost track of it ... and now yet again trying to make a fresh start in blogosphere.
This place is strange ... the world I am talking about. People keep losing track of things then somehow keep coming back to them ... Intrigues me.
Words are really hard to come by ... and especially at this time of the night it ain't easy with sleep making a hell of effort to knock me over ........................................................... huhhhhh
Some other time then ............ zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It's been almost a year when I last posted something on my earlier blog (or rather the only time) , somehow lost track of it ... and now yet again trying to make a fresh start in blogosphere.
This place is strange ... the world I am talking about. People keep losing track of things then somehow keep coming back to them ... Intrigues me.
Words are really hard to come by ... and especially at this time of the night it ain't easy with sleep making a hell of effort to knock me over ........................................................... huhhhhh
Some other time then ............ zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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