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The Premier League is an endurance test for the contenders and the patience of supporters is being sorely tried as well. Chelsea's goalless draw at Goodison was creditable considering that their captain John Terry had been sent off with nearly an hour remaining, but six points from the last five games is not evocative of a side driving towards the title.
Comfort lies in the knowledge that others are looking heavy-legged as well. Liverpool have not won a league fixture at home since 8 November and Arsenal's results have hauled them down to fifth place in the table.
Manchester United seem formidable, but that may mostly be because they have not been in action domestically.
The longer they stayed in Yokohama for the Club World Cup the more intensely their presence registered here. Now it is almost as if United's two games in hand are actually wins that have not yet been counted because of a clerical error.
It took Sir Alex Ferguson to remind us that eight goals away from home in the Premier League so far has been "nowhere near good enough".
The contest for the title will be all the more interesting if fallibility continues to seep into the rivalry. No manager can be fully at peace. Luiz Felipe Scolari must have regretted the necessity of authorising a statement last week that denied claims of a squad rebellion over his tactics and methods. It can be agreed that there was no shortage of application at Goodison.
There was, indeed, a flashback to the confrontational petulance seen against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in March. The side did not turn into a mob, but Phil Dowd still felt moved to show three yellow cards, all of them for dissent.
Chelsea, under Jose Mourinho, employed paranoia as a bonding mechanism. It does not seem in Scolari's nature to instil a persecution complex, so perhaps he really was incredulous that the official had dismissed Terry for a shin-high lunge at Leon Osman. Given modern practices, the punishment should have been no real shock.
Scolari must be feeling the pressure. As it happens he is currently a point better off after 18 matches than his predecessor was and Avram Grant took the struggle for the title to the last day. It may be an underlying trend that is against Scolari. Chelsea no longer spend as they did.
The only players to have been bought by him in Monday's line-up were Jose Bosingwa and Deco. Both are very well-known to Scolari from his time as Portugal manager. Bosingwa, too, brings drive on the right that is now crucial to Chelsea. Deco, despite his obvious accomplishment, has begun to look as fatigued as might have been feared in a midfielder entering the frenetic Premier League for the first time at the age of 31.
Beside him at Goodison were Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard, who have also left their 20s behind them. None of these players are superannuated but, jointly, they did not look dynamic.
Lampard had opened this campaign with a range and adventurousness that spoke of regeneration under Scolari. The impact has declined subsequently and a player with 20 goals to his name for Chelsea last season has eight at the moment. This is more than a personal issue when reliable scorers are difficulty to identify.
Nicolas Anelka has been outstanding, but the dependence on him is dangerous. Didier Drogba should be a marvellous alternative to the Frenchman, if not a striking partner for him, but when he was brought on at Everton he did not display much inclination to use his power and ability to engage with the defence and so relieve the strain on his undermanned team.
There was, at least, a stubborness to Chelsea. They can be glad, too, that Alex will be available while Terry serves a three-game ban. Dowd, after reviewing video evidence, decided against punishing the Brazilian retrospectively for a second-half incident in which the defender's studs came down on the thigh of Tim Cahill. On a night when their perfect away record in the league ended, though, it still looked as if Chelsea will lack the means to regain the title.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/24/chelsea-premier-league-kevin-mccarra
첫댓글 박지성도 플레이스타일 바꿨으면.... 노쇠하면 체력이 남아 돌지 걱정..
아직 27입니다.. 전성기죠
아직은 괜찮다 치더라도 지금처럼 저렇게 뛰면 나이들어서 몸상합니다. 네드베드같은 선수처럼 박지성선수도 실력과 체력을 함께 겸비해야 향후 맨체스터에 남을수 있는 지름길이죠. 그러니 지금부터라도 플레이 스타일을 조금씩이라도 바꿔가야한다는 윗님의 말에 공감합니다.
이미 실력과 체력을 겸비하고 있다고 봄
결정력+베컴크로스 + 박지성= 사기캐
자기관리죠 나중에 되면 지성선수도 많은 활동량보단 노련함 같은걸로 승부할수도있죠....
스콜라리 스타일의 문제..
데코 체력이 좀..
백업 멤버가 넘 부실해.... 첼시가 예전의 첼시가 아니야...
데코체력도 큰 문제이긴하지만 첼시전체에게는 문제가아니죠
에시앙..............
백업이 너무 부족해.. 특히 중원,,,,,,,,,,,,, 데쿠 발락 램파드 하나같이 좋은 선수들이지만,, 백업은 누가,,,, 에시앙이 와야하는데ㅠ
스콜라리가 진짜 이런식으로 할 줄은 ㅡ_ㅡ
꼭첼시가 프리미어스탈로 플레이할 필요가 있는지..그게 더 궁금하군요..
그래서 사려고 했잖아 호빙요 아르샤빈 -_-
게리스피드인줄 알았다ㅣ능 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ