I'm looking forward to seeing it later, from my seat he looked miles off - practically on the goal-line.

I was hoping Bolton would win, so I was a bit miffed that they scored so I might be biased - but everyone around me was celebrating and I just said "he was offside, he must have been offside". I was halfway up the Centenary stand just to the Kop end of the pitch so had a decent view.

Very patchy game all in all, Liverpool seemed to have serious confidence issues, seeing what wasn't happening off the ball today was as telling as things going wrong on the ball - they weren't a patch on the Liverpool team I saw in the flesh in April in the Europa League semi. Despite the last minute euphoria there were plenty of grumbles from supporters on the way out, and I can't say I blame them.

You have three tough Premier League games coming up next, which could determine how you finish the season; Tottenham at home, Liverpool away, and revitalized West Ham at home. I can't see Everton going down myself, Wolves, Fulham and Wigan I fear are in the most danger.

However, our win today was a great result, and from what I watched of the game we started strongly and carried on throughout. We looked a threat going forward and had a bundle of chances created on goal. Torres looked to be playing with a smile on his face, I thought Aurelio had a good game and was solid, shows you why he should be playing at left back instead of Konchesky. Gerrard was awesome, spreading the play, creating chances and then collecting two assists. Torres' goal was a brilliant well worked goal and a superb finish, Johnson played it to Gerrard with Gerrard picking out his collegue with a pint point ball for Torres to volley home about 7 yards out. Having said that, Cole's go was offside by about half a yard, a yard, I'd say, however some suspicion is that the final ball game of Johan Elmander and not Maxi, either way the goal stands and its a great win considering the performance we gave just three days ago. However, we need to kick on here and back it up with a win away at Blackburn on Wednesday.

It's not as if that run to the final was some kind of amazing magical journey where everyone got beaten 5-0 by the all-conquering Liverpool. Other than beating Leverkusen and Juve, I don't recall any of the games being particularly magnificent. Or maybe remembering games is an indication of thickness? Guess you can be the judge.

As far as I can see, Benitez's successes have depended a lot on his work with Paco Ayesteran. Like Clough without Taylor, it's not quite the same.

All spot on. Mixing the personal and professional.

Saying that, Mancini keeps sending Platt out to speak to the Beeb and Kidd on Sky. It's a bit odd, especially when you see Crazy Tony on almost every day talking about Stoke.

Pako Ayesteran was nothing but a fitness coach.

As for our run, we were good all the way up to the final, we were less 'lucky' than the all-conquering Inter were last year, but they won't be remembered as 'jammy' winners. Dismissing somebody winning the biggest club trophy in the world as 'jammy' is an indication of thickness, particularly as he nearly repeated the feat a couple of years later.

Benitez's successes have depended a lot on having a strong board behind him that will support his every decision. His type of coaching relies heavily on fresh faces, it relies heavily on players being determined and it relies heavily on depth of squad. The moment a player becomes 'weaker' or 'slacker', Rafa wants rid, but how many boards will support a manager who wants to get rid of 5+ players every summer?

In other news, come to us, Mr. Rangnick.

The problem we have in midfield is that we are basically a poor man's Arsenal - All pretty passing from side to side, but absolutely zero penetration, bar Baines's crosses from the left, which, if the opposition do their homework correctly, can be successfully foiled.

We lack pace, a killer pass and, most importantly, a leader in the middle of the park.

I agree that its doubtful we will be relegated, I was pointing out that I don't think there are definitely 3 sides worse than us....Similarly though, I struggle to see a great number of teams who are a lot better than us either.

Ultimately, the league is very tight from top to bottom and it worries me massively, that our lack of firepower and midfield penetration could leave us in great peril.

Superb. That is how I see it too. Very attractive moves at times but as penetrating as an inflatable sword.

Awful display by Utd today but three very big points.

Put it this way, if City sacked Mancini tomorrow, I would not want Benitez. Hitzfeld, Hiddink, Del Bosque and van Gaal would be easily ahead of him on my shopping list. And Mancini is another one who has won a load of scudetti but seems to be unable to properly deal with players and indeed the fans.

Now that would be a good appointment. He was unlucky at Schalke, considering the horrendous money troubles he had to contend with.

I hadn't heard anything about this, but the article in Frankfurter Allgemeine suggests that trouble has been brewing for a while and that this was the final straw. So doesn't look like he's been tapped up by anyone and walked. Which is what you like to see in a manager!

So as of tonight there are vacancies at:
Burnley
Preston NE
Crystal Palace
Bristol Rovers
Barnet

Incredible for so many jobs to become vacant in such a narrow window. Not sure who would want the Preston job unless some transfer money was on offer, and Palace looks like a bad bet right now.

I'd agree with that, we're never going to go down. There are a lot worse than us this season and we'll be fine but our league position may well be a poor one this year.



I've got to disagree here mate. Have you seen much of Everton this season? I ask because if you have I'd be evenmore surprised by your comment because out midfield has been woeful this season, I know what you are saying about us dominating games but we have the ball but we're not doing anything with it, we're not creating chances for the front man or taking pot shots when we get a sight on goal. Barring Arteta's goal against Liverpool he's been awful, horrible to watch and today was probably his worst, he hardly found a blue shirt. We're badly lacking now, Stoke made us look second best at times and barring patches of play we never looked likely to score.







Brilliant post mate, well said and this for sums up our season and our poor run of results. We used to be able to scrap it out against Stoke, West Brom and Wigan etc but that's lacking. Today we were woeful in the first half and came out in the second even worse, that's not a Moyes team at all. The thing for me is people say we have to play 451 for Cahill because he can't play in a four man midfield but we haven't got a striker who can play the lone front role well enough, Saha and Yak are not them type of players and Beckford isn't quite there (although I'm with you he needs more game time). The reaction Moyes got on his way off was interesting today, first time I've ever heard fans give him stick like that.

We've a big two weeks ahead now with Spurs on Wednesday, Shorpe Saturday and Liverpool the week after.





At the time of posting that was, of course

He's doing fine as far as I can see, on both counts.

Lose a couple of games and the crowd drops to 35400.

*cringe*

don't think there will be a shortage of candidates for any of the posts - there are literally dozens of wannabee managers (assuming they have the mandatory badges etc) plus the usual list of available candidates - it's a Merry Go Round,always has been and always will be

Think the referee has got both penalty decisions right. Villa may claim it was harsh against them, but Collins was wrong side of Malouda, was getting nowhere near the ball and jumped all over Malouda with his arms flailing.

Essien. What a mug.

Thought the first 15 minutes of the game the ref should have put a Villa shirt on. Villa defender shields the ball and tries to use his body weight to force the Chelsea player away. The Chelsea player takes a step back, Villa defender falls over because he was expecting a collision which never came. The ref gives a free kick to Villa.

Numerous challenges like that and virtually every one he gave to Villa. I'd have preferred Houllier to have been ref than that mug.

We should have enough to win this game even after Essien's stupidity.

Think your penalty was extremely harsh on Villa, as the ball comes over the top he chases the ball and Malouda just stops so Collins is bound to go in the back of him, he barely touches his shoulder and he throws himself over. As for the Villa one, no question, had to be. Terrible tackle by Essien.







Deary me, have a word. You've been given a generous penalty and from then on your players only had to fall over and it was a foul. It was a joke of a booking for Reo-Coker, he barely touches Drogba, plays advantage and he decides to just stop so Mason pulls it back and books Reo-Coker, yet minutes later Ferreira just trips Ashley Young and Mason doesn't book him. Both sides committed 9 fouls in first hald yet Mason dishes out 6 Villa yellows to Chelsea's one.

What a game. Really glad I stayed in and watched it now, brilliant finish this!

Collins is wrong side of Malouda. He leaps up, making no contact with the ball and never getting near the ball. He lands virtually on top of Malouda and impedes Malouda. It's a pen. You don't deserve to be rewarded for dreadful defending, which is what Collins did. If Collins had done what he should have done he'd have not tried to head the ball and outmuscled Malouda shoulder to shoulder.



I totally agree that Reo Coker was unlucky to be booked for that. I didn't think he did anything wrong.



I think it was Essien who got lucky not to be booked? Right wing, just next to the box.

As I said, the challenges in the first 15 minutes were the ones I was massively peed off about. Petrov then rightfully deserved to be booked. Then Villa had Collins and Freidel booked for giving the ref a right mouthful.

Have that Terry you rat faced twa''t.

He is the wrong side of Malouda but Malouda could've easily been penalised for obstruction, as Collins goes chases the ball when it's first floated over Malouda just stops and that could've been perceived as a foul. Collins is over the back of Malouda but again, imo that's because Malouda arches his back in anticipation of Collins and finally a tap on the shoulder then after a step Malouda goes down. It was a bit of a mess all round and I agree it was really bad defending from Collins in the first place but it's a 50 50 that Mason could've called either way.



You could be right and probably are, actually. Yes it was the on the right hand side of the box and it was a trip on either Agbonlahor or Young. Clear trip and just after Mason had booked Reo Coker for nothing it was strange he kept the card in his pocket.



I think it just proves how poor a referee Mason is tbh, he gave them fouls virtually everytime a Villa player fell then following the penalty gave Chelsea countless free kicks and decided it was time to start dishing cards out for any foul going.

What did you make of the Drogba/Terry discussion going on after the match, if you saw it? Drogba clearly unhappy with how it was defended but Terry seemed to dismiss Drogba. I think he had every right to question it, after getting back infront and going into injury time it was criminal defending, how the whole backline just left Clark is unbelievable.

From BBC;

1546: Interesting to read into a couple of the celebrations for Chelsea's goals just now. Nobody seemed to want to congratulate Didier Drogba for his equaliser, while the whole team went nuts when John Terry bagged what was perceived to be the winner, running over to embrace Carlo Ancelotti. So, whether or not Drogba is Mr Popular, the squad are behind their manager, I think?