- Oct 19, 2004
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I have to come down on the side of L10 on this. I don't think the mistakes should be used as a stick to beat Gallas with as some are doing but,
1) the header should've been cleared by Walker and he should've been screaming at Bill and everyone else that is was his ball BUT Gallas despite trying to do the right thing got under the ball and looped it back in between the posts. It's a misjudgement on his part, most times he would've got away with it, but it's a fact that the ball should've been helped on it's way and out of the box diagonally towards the touchline.
2) the 2nd goal - the cross should go back the way it's come. He's trying to do the right thing again by clearing the ball up pitch but it's risky and he scuffed it - he took the chance and made a mess of the clearance. Again the ball's pushed out between the posts which makes the finish more likely. If it goes back the way it's come the danger is minimal even if he scuffs it. I can see what he's trying to do, keeping the ball in play and launching it up towards Defoe but it's a mistake.
3) Can't blame him at all for the 3rd - Caulker in part hands Torres over and Hazards pass to Torres falls on a plate for Mata who should've been picked up by Livermore/Walker. If Caulker's tighter to Torres then maybe Gallas can step across but his position was about right considering Caulker's.
None of this should detract from our squad deficiencies as has already been discussed to death on here. I think Chelsea are overrated, weak defensively both as a back 4 and as a team and they lack the guts, strength and character of previous teams they've had in recent years. They also miss Drogba massively - for all their possession 1st half they created very little once they reached the edge of the box and Bale and Dembele would've seen the balance tipped our way without doubt. Lloris and Adebayor need to play and we need some brains and guile to play off him in January. I think we're stronger defensively as a team than last season but considerably weaker creatively and although we won't lose loads we'll draw more than last season.
Oh and Chelsea won't win the league - I'll give £50 to the site if they do.
But that was pretty much what I said Steve. I'm not arguing that they ended up poor clearances, the words I used were earnest mistakes I think. It wasn't his intention in either case to put the ball where he did, he just tried to clear the ball as best he could. Deal with the phase of danger in front of him.
I don't agree that he should have glanced it (first one) I've watched it back tonight and the ball comes from a high trajectory and he has to jump to get it, very hard to direct a backwards glance with enough power, and there were two Chelsea players waiting behind him if he gets it wrong.
It would be one thing to say they were honest mistakes, another to make more of it than that and as you say use it as a stick to beat him with, as this is not the norm with him in particular. Some of the vitriol levelled at him post match and earlier in the season is just blatant scapegoating. The three or four pages it took to prove the third was fuck all to do with him is a good example.
And once again Gallas gets slaughtered and pages of debate when Walker, who was far worse and finally killed the game with two consecutively piss poor pieces of defending (first giving the ball away and then tripping on it whilst trying another dodgy "see out" - which he's been caught at before) not to mention his failure to shout Gallas on the first and cover Mata for the third gets off relatively lightly by comparison.
The way Chelsea are playing now does come with in inherent vulnerability, I think I said so in my ratings, and I don't think RDM is a great coach/manager but this without doubt the most creatively attacking Chelsea team I've seen.