Ignore the hype, and relish the game
Posted by Zeno in Chelsea | 20 February 2006
This week sees the first leg of the most eagerly-awaiting cup tie of the season. Milan, Juve and Madrid fans may disagree, but we all know that the world is waiting for Chelsea – Barcelona. After the drama of last year, which saw (in roughly chronological order) a sending off, a late substitute-inspired comeback at the Camp Nou, a 20-minute 3-goal blitz at the Bridge, one of the most technically remarkable goals ever seen, and a late winner by captain and icon JT, millions and millions are licking their lips in anticipation of another 180 minutes (at least) of quality football. And if there’s a little seasoning on top, that will probably go down pretty well too.
So why is it that, in the days and weeks building up to this game, key figures in this confrontation choose to deflect attention away from an upcoming fest of footie, and concentrate instead on a series of niggly unpleasantnesses? We can, perhaps, let the pitch issue slide, although Silvinho’s suggestion that it will favour Chelsea is as laughable as it is ignorant. But then Rijkaard chooses to reignite the refereeing kerfuffle that was such an ugly feature last time round. As José has pointed out, you cannot but have respect for Rijkaard’s achievements as a player. If his managerial career continues to be exemplified by his constant complaints and attempts to get a little early advantage, particularly when his club has blessed him with such a cornucopia of talent, he may swiftly find himself receiving the sort of unpleasant attention that José revels in. And, after seeing him “lose it” last year, it doesn’t seem as though he’s ready to deal with that sort of pressure.
"All the talk about the pitch has been a smokescreen. I don't want to start a new controversy. I've read all these discussions about the pitch, for me there is no controversy. We're also aware how Chelsea will approach the game. I'm calm about the way Chelsea will play. On the pitch there will be a referee to look after things like that."
Actually… wait a sec. Hardly the words of a man close to the edge. So what is really going on here? Are we to believe that these two men, talented young managers both, have nothing better to do than respond to each other’s latest jibe? Not at all.
Not one of us, if he or she has any sense, reads a newspaper and takes the reporting at face value. And what we appear to be witnessing here is the creation of news by the newspapers… of tabloid hacks rushing out copy coloured with their own take on things, only for this to be presented to the manager as the unedited opinion of his opposite number. Gleefully, low-quality papers churn out speculation and pettiness in a desperate attempt to build interest and drama into this tie. As if they need to.
The fact is that these two sides, each representing a specific footballing philosophy, will inevitably produce something to amaze over the course of a game. Do I have to spell it out? Of course not. I will anyway… on the one hand, the individuality and spark of arguably the finest forwards in the world: Ronaldinho and Eto’o, with Giuly, Deco and Messi alongside them. On the other, the team with Europe’s most fearsome defence, and a midfield described by many as the most effective in the game. And although the media make much of the differing styles, these two sides have more in common than many would give them credit for. Chelsea resorted to frequent long balls against Colchester yesterday, trusting to Drogba’s power to bulldoze the League One side. And how much more comfortable they looked the moment they abandoned that style and reverted to their usual slick passing, with Lampard pulling the strings, Cole and Wright-Phillips running with the ball, and Crespo displaying his usual adroit movement. I don’t expect the Argentine to start on Wednesday, especially given the problems that his Ivory Coast counterpart caused at the Camp Nou before his dismissal last year, but his craft and craftiness in the box could be a vital asset if the game is edging Barca’s way.
