COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Chelsea (A)

By Ken Buckley   ::  16/10/2011 Chelsea away and we usually get a point so it was with some optimism we assembled. The team was txted and it said unchanged... contained Neville?s name and no Saha, so something was wrong. As the teams were announced it was indeed unchanged with Neville on the bench and Saha up front. Chelsea fans were revolting over something to do with a ground move, not that many but enough to bring back a few memories of our own.

We started the game with a spring in the step and our tempo seemed higher than theirs and we were causing them some bother. Osman was busy and had a couple of shots from distance and we were making decent progress down both flanks.

Fellaini looked up for it but was booked after a quarter of an hour and he nor us could complain. The player he scythed down was Ramires who had just got put through by Drogba; but for a timely intervention by Distin, we may have been in arrears. Fellaini then got played in nicely in the box; but for a heavy touch, he may well of netted.

We were going along well and I was thinking maybe we really are a bogey team to Chelsea when I was rudely awakened from such thoughts on the half-hour mark as, once again, we shot ourselves in the foot. Cole had got forward into the left hand corner of the box and Coleman had dutifully tracked him. Mata put in a delightful ball and from my seat Coleman seemed to momentarily hesitate where Cole didn?t and the Chelsea man got a cross in that was met by the inrushing unmarked Sturridge who nodded home.

After such a decent opening 30 minutes, that was a bit of a kick in the teeth to see players just switch off. It?s getting to be a trend, methinks... However, we kept our heads up and gave as good as we got and it was not the first time we have gone a goal down here and recovered.

Osman was flitting about and being quite creative and Fellaini, Cahill, Saha and Coleman were enjoying his promptings. One minute of injury time went up and I am thinking, "Not a bad half and we are still well in it." Into that minute of injury time and Coleman decides to trip Cole instead of chasing him and gives away a free kick...

You could just sense it. Lampard floats it toward the back post, Terry rises, Howard is in no-man's land and flaps furiously at Terry?s weakfish header and from my seat it looked for all the world he had thrown it into his own net but Terry claimed it and slid on the turf. We kicked off, the whistle sounded, and that pit of the stomach ache appeared. A good half interrupted by two shots in the foot from players suffering insomnia was hard to take. I thought we were supposed to be solid at the back?

Second half and words must have been exchanged as we started with venom; within a minute, Osman had a curler that beat the keeper but shaved the outside of the post, just two inches to the left and who knows.

The game now was end to end but it was Chelsea who looked the more likely with some good joined-up stuff orchestrated by the classy Mata. Osman was still a threat though and he had one just over. Fellaini was fading as the half went on and I hope it was after his international exertions rather than wondering if he should spurn a contract extension and move on...

On the hour mark, the manager made his first sub by replacing Coleman, who had done little of note, with Drenthe, who started very brightly, showing quick feet and decent pace... but, just a couple of minutes after his introduction, we found ourselves three down. That man Mata exchanged passes with a Chelsea player and put a ball across the box but not one Everton player attacked it and the onrushing Ramires tapped home unchallenged in any meaningful way.

This was the final straw for some in attendance and choice remarks were uttered but, within minutes, the travelling faithful were in full voice getting behind the team. They got some reaction, Drenthe was scurrying and looking determined to get a starting role and after his pace allowed him to take the ball away from Sturridge, the Chelsea man got seven 9.5s and booked for diving.

Chelsea though in truth were now in cruise control and our manager withdrew the limping Cahill and sent on Neville... not exactly throwing caution to the wind. With ten to go he made another like-for-like substitution, withdrawing Saha and sending on Vellios. This was an inspired substitution as within seconds Drenthe had got down the left and a superb ball found the Greek who guided the ball past Cech and into the far corner but unfortunately it was merely a consolation.

MotM ? Hard to find one but I will give Osman the shout as he had shots and was always busy if rather weak at times.

Overall a disappointing show, highlighted by our inability to defend properly when that has been one of our strengths until this season. Also, the form of Jagielka and Coleman is disappointing and baffling as they had been lauded last season, maybe a rest might help focus them. The month of October looked tough on paper and it is proving to be on grass. Still, over 30 games to go yet, so how the season will pan out is unknown but many have voiced an opinion that we may do well to finish tenth even. The club is in a poor place at the moment in financial terms so, for the very short term, we need to hope our 15 or so decent players stay fit; beyond that, the ball and future is in the hands of the clubs custodians ?may they find resolvement.

We seem to have coaches for all parts of the team, goalies, defensive, attacking and media, maybe we need one more.... A STAY AWAKE COACH!!!

UP THE BLUES

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