For some reason I'm more relaxed than usual about the semi. That may change of course but I think a lot of that is down to my expectations this season. After our capitulations in other cup competitions I'm more realistic going into this one. In previous seasons I felt really confident that we could beat Liverpool and so was devastated when we didn't.This season I'm much less confident in our ability to beat Liverpool and it will be less surprising to me if we once again go out in the semi. But as a Chelsea supporter over the last 4 decades the one thing I know is that Chelsea tend to pull these results out of the bag when you least expect it. So for that reason alone I've got a feeling that this will be our time. I have a feeling we may well need a rub of the green to do it but I doubt any of us would care how we do it.
Can we win the whole thing? That is another matter. I won't even think about that for now.
I feel the same way, me hopes under Grant are not that high, because I simply don't really rate him as a great manager. That said, I think that the fact he actually does not seem that clued up could ironically trip up Benitez - used to going tactical head to tactical head with Mourinho - he now faces Grant.
And since I never know from one minute to the next what the hell he's thinking what hope as Benitez bloody got?
That, and the critical fact that the second leg is at home, we have never had that before and I think it will really count for us. This is just the first leg - nothing should be decided tomorrow - I'll be much more nervous obviously in a week's time.
I really don't care how we win it either, by a fluke goal, lucky penalty - whatever - as long as we finally defeat this hoodoo and inflict some further misery on the scouse brigade and also remove that cushion of comfort Benitez always manages to secure for himself come this time of year by doing well in this competition. He fails and there is yet again nothing to show for his endless rotations in the league.
This team can still dig it out when they need to, despite the fact that we have hardly been playing stellar football.
A close game tomorrow a 1-0 or 1-1 or 0-0.
