Great win on Sunday with two evenly matched teams, given Chelsea's lesser number of friendlies played and our decision to leave out four first teamers.
Mourinho, in typical fashion moaning that we were ahead of schedule in terms of fitness, conveniently overlooking (as have most of the press) the fact that we left out Gerrard, Alonso, Bellamy and Hyypia and STILL had enough in the tank to outplay and outsmart them.
A great confidence booster ahead of the new season??
Maybe. I look at the Liverpool sites and you'd think we'd won the league though, rather than what is ultimately an unimportant friendly with the least important trophy of the Premiership season.
It's nice to win of course, and it's good to serve a reminder to those who've arrogantly dismissed any of Chelsea's rivals in this years Premiership race. It's funny how after one game, everyone is convinced that Chelsea are stuttering somewhat while we have become an overnight force.
There's a fair few things that need to be considered ahead of the Premiership season, and certainly no assumptions should be made. Yet.
We still need a striker. I think Bellamy has and will do exceptionally well. Whether he flicks the selfdestructive switch a couple of times remains to be seen, but aslong as he continues in his current vein on the pitch, we have a real player on our hands. He'll get a few goals, but his importance will be in creating just as much as finding the back of the net. We're still in the same situation though. We have one natural finisher at the club. An aging, paceless, injury prone Robbie Fowler. Crouch and Bellamy look as though they will continue to be good foils, but for who? Unless we get a Kuyt or a Klose in, then I feel their unselfishness will eventually turn to frustration for the fans.
This one player will be the difference between competing over the course of the season, or eventually becoming an also ran. Arsenal have Henry, Chelsea have Shevchenko, class will usually tell over time.
The rest of the squad seems FINALLY complete, no gaping holes and an abundance of options across the rest of the pitch, particularly in defence and midfield. Great stuff, it's been by and large and excellent summer.
As for Chelsea, people seem to have overlooked the fact that Crespo, Gudjohnsen and Duff have left. Kalou and Sheva need to be bedded in, while the loss of backup option Carlton Cole, means that Mourinho's assertions that he'll adopt a more classic 442 approach this season are a bit flawed.
In essence they have two out and out strikers now in Drogba and Shevchenko, while Cole, Robben and Kalou provide the rest of the attacking threat.. hmmm, for all their quality, take away one of Shevchenko or Drogba for any length of time, and I think we might see them struggle. It's a big 'if' though.
Also, add the fact that three attacking players have gone, and a reshaping of the attack is due, this could spell an indifferent start for Chelsea. That's before we touch on their lack of match fitness..
A decision to only play three friendlies and hardly a sniff of action for the World Cup lads might see them make a start that undone Liverpool's aspirations last season. Longterm though towards the end of the season it might see them fresher than their rivals. It's a gamble of titanic proportions by Mourinho though, we all saw how much it effected us not being able to prepare for the season. It hit us at the key moments of the campaign, the start and the period after Christmas when fitness (or a lack of) often catches up with the least prepared teams..
So all is not cut and dry either way, there's reason enough to believe Chelsea might be hampered by a bit more misfortune this time round, though with the squad they have it's theirs to lose. While its safe to say, Liverpool havent looked this good in a longtime, though it's important we keep our feet on the ground. A potential banana-skin starter at Sheff United, with that horrible cnut Warnock, and THAT away leg qualifier to get out the way, could see our world turned upside down in the space of a week.
It's early days and lets remember that eh? It's essential we stay focused and don't go into the season thinking we have the upperhand.
We're all on the same points.
Mourinho, in typical fashion moaning that we were ahead of schedule in terms of fitness, conveniently overlooking (as have most of the press) the fact that we left out Gerrard, Alonso, Bellamy and Hyypia and STILL had enough in the tank to outplay and outsmart them.
A great confidence booster ahead of the new season??
Maybe. I look at the Liverpool sites and you'd think we'd won the league though, rather than what is ultimately an unimportant friendly with the least important trophy of the Premiership season.
It's nice to win of course, and it's good to serve a reminder to those who've arrogantly dismissed any of Chelsea's rivals in this years Premiership race. It's funny how after one game, everyone is convinced that Chelsea are stuttering somewhat while we have become an overnight force.
There's a fair few things that need to be considered ahead of the Premiership season, and certainly no assumptions should be made. Yet.
We still need a striker. I think Bellamy has and will do exceptionally well. Whether he flicks the selfdestructive switch a couple of times remains to be seen, but aslong as he continues in his current vein on the pitch, we have a real player on our hands. He'll get a few goals, but his importance will be in creating just as much as finding the back of the net. We're still in the same situation though. We have one natural finisher at the club. An aging, paceless, injury prone Robbie Fowler. Crouch and Bellamy look as though they will continue to be good foils, but for who? Unless we get a Kuyt or a Klose in, then I feel their unselfishness will eventually turn to frustration for the fans.
This one player will be the difference between competing over the course of the season, or eventually becoming an also ran. Arsenal have Henry, Chelsea have Shevchenko, class will usually tell over time.
The rest of the squad seems FINALLY complete, no gaping holes and an abundance of options across the rest of the pitch, particularly in defence and midfield. Great stuff, it's been by and large and excellent summer.
As for Chelsea, people seem to have overlooked the fact that Crespo, Gudjohnsen and Duff have left. Kalou and Sheva need to be bedded in, while the loss of backup option Carlton Cole, means that Mourinho's assertions that he'll adopt a more classic 442 approach this season are a bit flawed.
In essence they have two out and out strikers now in Drogba and Shevchenko, while Cole, Robben and Kalou provide the rest of the attacking threat.. hmmm, for all their quality, take away one of Shevchenko or Drogba for any length of time, and I think we might see them struggle. It's a big 'if' though.
Also, add the fact that three attacking players have gone, and a reshaping of the attack is due, this could spell an indifferent start for Chelsea. That's before we touch on their lack of match fitness..
A decision to only play three friendlies and hardly a sniff of action for the World Cup lads might see them make a start that undone Liverpool's aspirations last season. Longterm though towards the end of the season it might see them fresher than their rivals. It's a gamble of titanic proportions by Mourinho though, we all saw how much it effected us not being able to prepare for the season. It hit us at the key moments of the campaign, the start and the period after Christmas when fitness (or a lack of) often catches up with the least prepared teams..
So all is not cut and dry either way, there's reason enough to believe Chelsea might be hampered by a bit more misfortune this time round, though with the squad they have it's theirs to lose. While its safe to say, Liverpool havent looked this good in a longtime, though it's important we keep our feet on the ground. A potential banana-skin starter at Sheff United, with that horrible cnut Warnock, and THAT away leg qualifier to get out the way, could see our world turned upside down in the space of a week.
It's early days and lets remember that eh? It's essential we stay focused and don't go into the season thinking we have the upperhand.
We're all on the same points.
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