Chelsea FC: 9 Things You Need to Know About the 1-0 Win over Blackburn Rovers

Hallelujah! Chelsea have managed to keep a clean sheet. 

Forget about the fact that Chelsea were fighting like beavers against a relegation-threatened side with a lame-duck manager—a victory is a victory. 

Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas will not be getting further loving from cricketer Kevin Pietersen because the Portuguese manager made a daft and unusual decision. 

Read on to find out, as this article will outline the nine things you need to know from this scrappy 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. 

1 -   Branislav Ivanovic > Jose Bosingwa 

It was an excellent decision from André Villas-Boas to drop his compatriot and play Branislav Ivanović at right back.

You know the Serbian has become a better right back than centre back when his defensive header ricochets off Petr Čech's cross-bar.  

I'm not sure what this means for José Bosingwa, but I'd be much more secure with Ivanović at right back than an often-missing in-action Bosingwa. 

At the end of the day, the back in right back means you have to be back to defend.

2 - > Alex or David Luiz?

l

David Luiz was in the squad, but for whatever reason wasn't on the bench, let alone taking to the field. 

This allowed Alex to come in and, let me tell you, he was as shaky as Luiz. 

When Yakubu missed that guilt-edged opportunity, where was Alex?  

What about the instance when Yakubu played in Rubén Rochina—why was the Spaniard allowed to shoot? 

In the 62nd minute, Alex looks at John Terry and then goes half-heartedly into an aerial challenge, loses the contest to Yakubu, who would have scored if not for Petr Cech.

Then early in stoppage time, Alex again fails to win an aerial challenge. 

If you're going to replace Luiz, at least replace him with someone who will look assured. Chelsea are Losing Luiz's ability to make plays from deep.   

3 ->Not Starting Fernando Torres

Anuj/Getty Images

What do you guys think of another horrible, horrible miss from Fernando Torres? 

Either way, Torres had a good game against Genk, so why does he get dropped? What's the incentive for players to play well, knowing they're going to be dropped? It makes no sense whatsoever. 

Also, how does Florent Malouda feel? He had a decent half, linked up well, was looking sharp and made a great pass to Juan Mata early in the game. 

Why does he get subbed off? 

Shouldn't Daniel Sturridge be the one to make way? 

4 - > Daniel Sturridge Conundrum

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

André Villas-Boas only needs to look over at Emirates Stadium to see the negative impact in switching a natural forward into a winger. 

Look how much Theo Walcott's development has stagnated because he is being played out on the wings. 

5 - > Frank Lampard's Impact

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

How could there be any doubt about Frank Lampard?

Prior to the Manchester Unitedgame, Lampard was statistically Chelsea's best player and had created the most chances, so the amount of animosity the midfielder received was ridiculous. 

The best thing Villas-Boas did was to drop Lampard, which has re-ignited his scoring touch. 

Lampard is already on seven goals this season.

It's not just the goals but his incisive passing and him controlling play that is holding this fragile Chelsea side together. 

6 - > Petr Cech Five Saves

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Coming into the game, Petr Cech had the worst saves to shots percentage in the Premier League.

Well, he did his best to rectify that statistic by making five important saves, especially against Yakubu after Alex's mistake. 

Cech also played through pain and Villas-Boas should appreciate this display. 

7 ->  Link-Up Play Between Daniel Sturridge and Fernando Torres

You know how many passes the two exchanged in 45 minutes? 

Three—all initiated by Fernando Torres.

There is something wrong when two of your forwards in a 4-3-3 pass the ball to each other three times in 45 minutes. 

Last week, we saw  Daniel Sturridge somehow fail to successfully pass the ball to Torres in a position where the Spaniard would have scored (fingers crossed that he would have buried that chance). 

Today, on the break, all Torres needs to do is slip the ball to Sturridge and the Englishman would be through on goal.

Mind you, that play did lead to Ashley Cole finding Torres right in front of goal, only for the Spaniard to fluff his lines. 

8 - > Referee Mike Dean's Leniency

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Fernando Torres was sent off by referee Mike Dean, and Raul Meireles would have received the same fate if not for Dean's leniency. 

Already on a yellow card, Meireles hacked down Martin Olsson—who was going nowhere—and should have received another yellow. 

If he wasn't on a yellow, he would have been booked. 

Eleven minutes earlier, Morten Gamst Pedersen was booked for committing a similar offence on Daniel Sturridge. 

9 - >  Where's the Love for Romelu Lukaku?

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Why did André Villas-Boas have Salomon Kalou warming the benches when he was already starting Florent Malouda? 

With Didier Drogba suspended, Romelu Lukaku can't even make the bench? Give me a break. 

Roger Henrotay, Lukaku's agent, has reiterated his client's stance:

His future is clear. He will not move in January, he will definitely stay in London. The rumours about Malaga and Stoke City? No, I repeat, Romelu will stay at Chelsea where he is very happy and he will not change jerseys.

Something has got to give. 

Villas-Boas is not only ruining Lukaku, but it's an absolute waste of £18 million. 

Read More

A Brief History of Liverpool FC

It’s the middle of the week and as other clubs turn their attentions to Champions League qualifying, Liverpool gets to rest up for its weekend encounter with Swansea City. There is no European football this season as the team rebounds from a rough period.Things haven't always been this way of course, from humble beginnings Liverpool became the most successful English club ever, and one of the most successful clubs in the world.  Let’s take a moment then for a brief overview of the club’s 120-year history.

1. Liverpool Football Club Is Formed: June 3rd 1892

Liverpool Football Club, 1892 

On this historic day Liverpool Football Club and Athletic Grounds Ltd was formally recognized by the British Board of Trade.  Four years earlier Everton FC was formed as one of the foundation clubs of the fledgling Football League, and the club played its games on a stretch of green between Anfield Road and Walton Breck Road. The ground was owned by John Houlding who was a Tory Member of Parliament, and who would become club President, and future Mayor of Liverpool.  A dispute between Houlding and the rest of the Club executives over the rent to be paid resulted in Everton vacating the grounds. Between 1884 and 1889 the rent increased from £100 to £250 per year, yet here was Houlding proposing another rent increase in 1890, plus the bold suggestion that the club should buy Anfield (and an adjacent property from him).  The Board demurred, and the two factors parted ways.The reality, however, was that Houlding had made an interest-free loan to Everton FC and saw this opportunity as a great way to be rewarded for his initial risk in the club, as well as for the club to own its own grounds, with room for expansion.Whether he was being mercenary or a visionary depends on whether one’s perspective ran Red or Toffee blue, but no matter, Liverpool FC rose from the ashes of the dispute, and the rest as they say, is history.

---

2. Reds Crowned Champions for the First Time: 29th April, 1901

1901 League Champions Liverpool FC

Back row: Ottey, John Glover, Andy McGuigan, Foster, John “Sailor” Hunter, Thomas John Hunter, Raby Howell.

Middle row: Soulsby, Charlie Wilson, Sam Raybould, Tom Robertson, Bill Perkins, William Goldie, Maurice Parry, J. Chapman (Trainer)

Front row: John Walker, Richard Morris, Alex Raisbeck, Jack Cox, Billy Dunlop.

 First Division

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GA	Pts
1	Liverpool	34	19	7	8	59	35	1.686	45
2	Sunderland	34	15	13	6	57	26	2.192	43
3	Notts County	34	18	4	12	54	46	1.174	40
4	Nottingham Forest	34	16	7	11	53	36	1.472	39
5	Bury	34	16	7	11	53	37	1.432	39
6	Newcastle United	34	14	10	10	42	37	1.135	38
7	Everton	34	16	5	13	55	42	1.310	37
8	The Wednesday	34	13	10	11	52	42	1.238	36
9	Blackburn Rovers	34	12	9	13	39	47	0.830	33
10	Bolton Wanderers	34	13	7	14	39	55	0.709	33
11	Manchester City	34	13	6	15	48	58	0.828	32
12	Derby County	34	12	7	15	55	42	1.310	31
13	Wolverhampton Wanderers	34	9	13	12	39	55	0.709	31
14	Sheffield United	34	12	7	15	35	52	0.673	31
15	Aston Villa	34	10	10	14	45	51	0.882	30
16	Stoke	34	11	5	18	46	57	0.807	27
17	Preston North End	34	9	7	18	49	75	0.653	25
18	West Bromwich Albion	34	7	8	19	35	62	0.565	22

3. Bill Shankly Hired as Manager: 1st December, 1959

 

On this day Liverpool Football Club announced that Huddersfield Town boss Bill Shankly was hired to replace Phil Taylor, and a legendary association was born.Liverpool had first offered the job to Shankly, but he passed on the opportunity since the manager was not given freedom to choose the side at the time.  Nine years later the club would make Shankly the first manager to name his own lineup in hiring him on his own terms.

---

4. Reds Win First FA Cup Title: 1st May, 1965

1965 FA Cup Final: Liverpool v. Leeds

Third time was the charm for Liverpool, who having lost their previous two FA Cup finals in 1914 and 1950, faced a surging  at Wembley.  Three seasons before Leeds had narrowly avoided relegation from the Second Division, now they competed for best club in the land.The scoreless game went into extra time where Liverpool took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Roger Hunt in the 93rd minute, only to see Billy Bremer equalize for Leeds seven minutes later.  The victory was sealed for Liverpool on a diving header by Ian St. John in the 113rd minute.

---

5. First UEFA Cup Title: 23rd May, 1973

1973 UEFA Cup Final: Liverpool v. Borussia Dortmund

On this day Liverpool won its first UEFA cup title by defeating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on aggregate.  Two weeks earlier Liverpool won 3-0 at Anfield, on the strength of a Kevin Keegan brace and a Larry Lloyd 61st minute strike.On the return leg the Reds held off a determined Dortmund side, which got a brace of its own from former West German great Jupp Heynckes (one of which was a curling beauty), but which could not overcome the three-goal deficit to prevent the Reds from winning their first of five UEFA Cups.

---

6. Kenny Dalglish Arrives at Liverpool: 10th August, 1977

As a teenager, Kenny Dalglish was deemed neither good enough for his boyhood team, Glasgow Rangers, nor for Liverpool itself, where he went on trial.  However, by the fall of 1977 he was a bona fide star, and it cost Liverpool a then record £440,000 fee to pry him off of Celtic’s payroll.Arriving on the heels of the departure of the legendary, Kevin Keegan, Dalglish quickly silenced any doubts in the minds of supporters by scoring early in his debut with the team.  He would go on to set the team single-season scoring mark that year (since topped by Ian Rush), as well as to score  the lone goal in the 1978 UEFA Cup Championship (at 4:10) against FC Bruges. All told he would suit up for Liverpool for 13 seasons, representing the club 515 times and scoring 172 goals in the process. Voted the greatest Red ever, and one of our finest managers, the King has returned to once more lead the club to the promise land.

---

7. The 1983-1984 Treble Season

Liverpool Football Club enjoyed arguably its greatest period ever during the mid-1980s, culminating with a unique treble of winning the League,  League Cup and European Cup titles in the same season.For many fans this was the last of the golden years, as tragedy soon followed on the heels of spectacular success, and it would be 20 years before Liverpool would again be crowned Champions of Europe.

---

8. Heysel and Hillsborough: 1985-1989

This period is without doubt for many supporters, the least favorite aspect of our history, but it represents an indelible part of the unique history of LFC, and a testament to the club and to its supporters.We salute the 39 fans who lost their lives on that May day in 1985 in Heysel, and the 96 who perished at Hillsborough in 1989.  Enough has been written of the tragedies of late, but we can never forget those who lost their lives both in Heysel and at Hillsborough. We keep their memories alive so that they may never be forgotten, but also so that history would not be repeated in future.  To this day the clarion call for justice continues, and our voices will be heard until there is justice for those who died.

---

9. Fifth UEFA Champions League Title vs. AC Milan: 25th May, 2005

Liverpool met AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final of 2005, played in Istanbul Turkey.  In what is beyond doubt the greatest game in club history, Liverpool overcame a 3-0 halftime deficit to tie the game and take it into extra time and then penalty kicks where the club prevailed.

---

10. Kenny Dalglish Returns to Liverpool: 8th January, 2010

Kenny Dalglish was named caretaker manager on this day, after Roy Hodgson was relieved of his duties and thanked for his service.  Dalglish had been advising at the club’s Academy, assisting with the development of the club’s young talent before being named manager.Today with new ownership in place, Liverpool has spent over £100 million on fresh talent so as to provide Dalglish with the talent he needs to secure the clubs return to its winning ways.  The Anfield renaissance remains very much a work in progress, but spirits are buoyed both in the stands and on the pitch.There is much work to be done, and the club hopes to continue to build on the rich foundation established by men such as John Houlding, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish.

Read More