VIEW FROM THE BLUE

The Dreaded Glass Ceiling

By Lyndon Lloyd :  31/05/2009 :  Comments (27) :

2009 FA Cup Final: Chelsea 2 - 1 Everton

When Chelsea shattered Evertonian dreams of an appearance in the League Cup Final last year, it was a painful illustration of the barrier between them, the dominant top-four teams, and us; the stark reaffirmation of the glass ceiling through which it seems Blues fans are now destined to gaze in envy and no small measure of distaste at the vast resources of the clubs dubbed the "Sky Four."

It was the same glass ceiling they couldn't break through in 2005 when, having actually finished in the Premier League's top four, they were denied the holy grail of entry to the Champions League's group phase by a superior Villarreal, and if any emphasis of the gulf between the big four in England and Everton were needed, the 11 point and nine point gaps between fourth and fifth in the last two seasons surely provided it.

No one has needed reminding that Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal operate on a different level to the rest of the top flight and the gap in resources is widening, not closing. Slowly but surely, however, David Moyes's Everton have been showing signs that they are getting closer to being able to challenge the hegemony of those clubs, if not on a level financial playing field then in terms of results. It was not by mere charity, therefore, that many commentators prior to today's FA Cup Final believed that the Blues had a real chance of beating Chelsea and land Moyes his first piece of silverware.

And how Moyes wanted it. He and his players wanted it so badly it was palpable and the sense of pent up longing, hope and expectation among Everton supporters was so strong that it erupted with volcanic force when Phil Jagielka tucked away the decisive penalty in the shoot-out against United in the semi-final last month.

How devastating it was then to see the Sky Four dominance continue, for Chelsea with all their money and recent success to lift another trophy, but most heart-breaking of all, for Everton to fail to give Guus Hiddink's side the kind of defiant and spirited display for which they've become synonymous under Moyes. In the final reckoning, the Blues seemed to melt away in the Wembley heat; rather than seize the moment afforded by Louis Saha's stunning opener, the fastest goal ever scored in an FA Cup final, they ceded the initiative to their opponents and succumbed in a manner that merely seemed to reinforce how far apart the two clubs are.

Part of it was to do with that undeniable disparity in quality — after all, few could argue that Hiddink's team is superior on paper in every position.

Part of it was the lack of depth in Moyes's squad which meant that not only was his team noticeably missing the craft of Mikel Arteta, the added threat of Yakubu up front and the defensive rock formed by Jagielka and Joleon Lescott, but the players he did field looked spent from a long, hard season.

Part of it was the combination of that fatigue and the heat — Everton's game relies on working hard for the ball, Chelsea make the ball do the work, so that come the second half a few players in blue looked as though they had little left to give.

And part of it seemed to come down to attitude, a relapse into the kind of inferiority complex that has dogged Moyes's sides against the top four in recent years, one that prompted them to sit back to try and defend their surprise early advantage and only manage two shots on target in 90 minutes. It was a worrying echo of the performance against United in the semi, a match which, in the cold light of the close season, we can now consider we were fortunate to win.

Where Chelsea's big-name and big-game players looked at home on the Wembley stage, Everton again looked a little over-awed, hesitant or unable to play the kind of football that has lit up their charge into fifth place in the latter half of the campaign. The quick passing and the movement with which they so easily dismantled Fulham last weekend was almost non-existent, replaced by a frustrating reliance on long balls, many of which were so aimless as to be embarrassing. Even the Blues' tried-and-trusted threat from set-pieces failed to materialise; one corner and a smattering of wasted free kicks meant that one of Chelsea's few Achilles heels went unexploited.

Quite a contrast to the electrifying opening. Both encounters in the League had ended goalless but the Final was just 25 seconds old when the first goal between these two clubs this season arrived. Steven Pienaar collected Leighton Baines' pass down the left flank and his cross was headed up into the air by Obi Mikel. Marouane Fellaini, the one change from the team that started at Craven Cottage on Sunday, rose to head the ball down to Saha who swivelled beautifully as he smashed a half-volley past Petr Cech from 16 yards.

The vast swathes of Everton blue in one half of the stadium erupted in incredulous joy as Saha wheeled away in celebration and was mobbed by his teammates. It was a first-class strike, a moment of quality that became the quickest goal ever in an FA Cup Final, breaking a record that had stood for almost 115 years.

Once the euphoria had subsided, however, the nervous question started to nag at Evertonian hearts. Had we scored too early? Initially, the answer appeared to be no. Chelsea looked a little rattled, particuarly in defence and Everton had their tails up for a few minutes following the goal.

It didn't take the Londoners long, though, to settle into their familiar groove, and Tony Hibbert's afternoon took an early turn for the worse when he accidentally clipped Florent Malouda's heel as he raced down the Chelsea left. Referee Howard Webb took the harsh option and booked the defender even though there was clearly no intent.

The Blues started looking a little vulnerable in general in defence when the opposition probed in and around the box or ran at them. Malouda became a frequent outlet for Hiddink's side after it became clear that Everton's right flank, the combination of Leon Osman and Hibbert, was a particularly weak link and one move ended wth Michael Essien slicing over when he might have done better.

On the next occasion, the Blues weren't so lucky. A chipped ball to the left flank found Malouda in a yawning void left by Hibbert, who had tucked inside, and Osman, who was too far forward, and the Frenchman was given all the room he need to pick out the run of Didier Drogba in the area. The Ivorian was left untracked as he attacked the cross and powered a header into the corner of Tim Howard's net.

Everton's precious advantage had been squandered all to easily and parity was restored. Moyes's side were clearly unsettled by the equaliser and quickly ceded the initiative to their opponents for the remainder of the half. It was all disturbingly reminiscent of the first 90 minutes against United, where the Blues just didn't seem able to put anything resembling a coherent attack together.

At the other end, Frank Lampard fired a dipping shot just over the bar after 25 minutes and Ashley Cole took advantage of an almost pedestrian Hibbert to get around the back and hammer a sliced effort wide from a tight angle.

Quite what had got into Hibbert was anyone's guess; whether it was the 100-plus degree heat, an injury or just plain stage fright, he was having an absolute nightmare of a game as the first half came to a close and it was no surprise when Lars Jacobsen replaced him after the interval.

The second half began with nothing like the drama of the first as the two sides battled against the heat and each other. 15 minutes passed before the first meaningful effort on goal, Nicolas Anelka racing between Joseph Yobo and Jacobsen to latch onto a through ball which he lobbed just over Howard' crossbar with the outside of his boot.

Two minutes later, Tim Cahill benefited from a fortunate bounce off his arm to get away from Alex and unloaded from 30 yards but his shot was saved by Cech. Unfortunately, he appeared to strain a thigh in the process and though he remained on the pitch until full time, he didn't look the same player.

Though they had been largely poor for the hour or so following Saha'a goal, the Blues did noticeably step up a gear midway through the second period and their first real — and, to be honest, only — chance after the break fell to the Frenchman when Pienaar whipped in a cross and Saha powered a header a foot or so over the bar. It was a decent chance and one he might have done better with had Cahill not crossed his field of vision at the last minute.

Five minutes later, Chelsea took the lead. Lampard drove towards the Everton box before turning Phil Neville and although he slipped he recovered quickly and fired left footed towards Howard's goal. The goalkeeper, partially unsighted by Lescott who hadn't taken advantage of Lampard losing his footing to close down the ball, dived to his right but though he got both gloves on the ball, he couldn't prevent it from flying inside his right-hand post.

Moyes responded by first throwing James Vaughan on for Saha and then Dan Gosling for the ineffective Osman but neither youngster would really get the chance to ruffle Chelsea's feathers. The grandsand finish and charge of the Light Brigade by Everton never materialised — in short, they looked a spent force, heavy legged and devoid of inspiration.

That allowed Chelsea to close out the game in the manner you'd expect from a team of seasoned campaigners who have been the last four of the Champions League for the past three seasons. Indeed, the scoreline would have been more emphatic had Malouda's stunning 30-plus yard goal not been overlooked by the officials with 12 minutes left. The ball cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and, TV replays would show, bounced over the line but with the linesman and referee Webb nowhere near a position to make a defnitive decision, play was waved on.

Ultimately, it was all just desperately depressing — Everton's first real shot at silverware under Moyes evaporated in the heat and Chelsea were left to celebrate the lifting of the FA Cup for the fifth time. The Blues, meanwhile, set an unwanted record by becoming the first club to lose eight Finals, and they once again had to play the role of plucky losers.

What was perhaps most sad was that Moyes's boys are better than they showed the nation today, though this match shouldn't be viewed in isolation but in the context of a gruelling season. Without doubt, the fifth-place finish in the Premier League is a far fairer reflection of the quality and ability of this team.

They simply didn't do themselves justice with a poor performance but it may just have been one big match too far for a team stretched to the limit by injury and just plain lack of numbers. There was an element of showing Chelsea and the occasion too much respect as well, and that is something that will hopefully diminish as the squad more occasions like this.

Certainly, Fellaini, Cahill, Hibbert and Pienaar looked drained in the second half and particularly where the South African was concerned, there was very little of the link-up play down the left with Baines that has been so successful for Everton in recent weeks. That left the side largely impotent, reliant on long balls that caused Chelsea few problems. The Blues routinely punch above their weight, but today while they came out swinging and landed a killer early blow, they spent too long with their gloves up and on the defensive and their was a horrible air of inevitability about how things would pan out.

And so the close season begins as does the planning in earnest for next season. Once again, it looks as though the unstoppable force of Moyes's ambition will meet the immovable object of Bill Kenwright's lack of financial resources. The manager has again spoken of the necessity of adding key players to the squad over the summer, while his Chairman has warned that the kitty will be sparse as lenders are likely to draw the curtains and lock the doors when the Club comes looking to borrow more.

What is certain is that if Moyes can keep the players he currently has, can add a couple of real quality names and gets more luck with injury than he had this past season, then the Blues have an excellent chance of being back at Wembley again this time next year. The future is bright despite the disappointment of today, but that glass ceiling is likely to remain in place without significant outside investment.

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