PAT NEVIN: EYE ON THE BALL

Posted on: Tue 21 Jan 2014

Columnist and Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has spent much time analysing the win over Man United in the last few days, and from the back to the front of the team he is quietly impressed…

I have to say I was a little apprehensive before the game against Manchester United at the weekend. We were such hot favourites to win, United and their manager are under such media pressure, the underdogs tag was underlined by no Rooney or Van Persie and I was going to be on Match of the Day 2 that night. It could have all gone so wrong! Fortunately it didn't go all wrong and the game was another fairly relaxed, bordering on routine, three points at home.

Once again I thought the tactics were excellent and Davie Moyes could find no real answers to the blue block set up against his side. I do not blame Moyes of course, he needs time to produce his own side with his own players and that will take a season at the very least, but that is his problem not ours, even if I do have a degree of sympathy. In the bigger picture, that result effectively knocked one more possible contender out of the title race leaving Man City, Arsenal and at a stretch Liverpool chasing the dream.

Once more it was the Chelsea attacking midfield triumvirate that caught the eye with their incredible high tempo, selfless work rate allied to their dangerous attacking play. Oscar might not have been at his very best creatively, but the top pros know that this can sometimes happen and 100% effort is plenty to be going on with on these occasions. Eden Hazard similarly didn't shine that often in the final third, but the selfless defending was first class and Willian's energy seems to pump up by another 10% each time we see him.

I showed this on the BBC's flagship football programme, when I was able to get a word in, but the biggest negative reaction I got was not for suggesting that penalties are hard to come by for visiting teams at Anfield - it isn't impossible to get a penalty in front of the Kop - but that the defender does have to take you out with an AK47 for it to happen.

This comes from painful personal experience. For Chelsea once I was one on one with their keeper in the box and Stevie Nichol rugby tackled me, the referee waved play on. On another occasion when I was there with Everton the late (and lovely) Gary Ablett halved me and the referee was apparently checking his back pocket just at that precise moment, looking for a sweet he had left there the day before and he missed that one too.

I don't blame Liverpool FC or their fans, in fact I applaud them for providing the intimidating atmosphere, but it can be a touch galling. Anyway enough of my personal hell, penalties didn't come into it against Man United, there was no need as Samuel Eto'o wrote himself into the Chelsea history books by scoring a hat-trick against the champions. Looking at the majority of goals scored by Samuel this season he really is the consummate opportunist striker. From the pickpocketing goal against Cardiff to the screamer from six inches on Sunday, he really does boost up his numbers with some beautifully sneaky little strikes.

Chelsea v Man United

It was a shame that he didn't get quite as many headlines as he deserved because United losing again seems to be a bigger story than Chelsea winning, but the current run just gets more and more quietly impressive.

As a former pro it has been ingrained, indeed indoctrinated in me that you take every game as it comes, but it is almost impossible not to peer a little into the distance and consider the trip up to the Etihad on 3 February. It has the makings of a classic tactical encounter as well as a great pointer as to where the Premier League trophy may end up come May. It is certainly one game where defence and organisation will be crucial to Chelsea as City are without a doubt the most potent attacking force in the country. Of course the eye must be on the ball with Stoke in the FA Cup and West Ham to visit the Bridge before that, but it would be intriguing if both clubs kept wining before they met up.

As ever it would be unfair to ignore the defence (pictured top) this week, even though they will have been absolutely gutted that Manchester United scored a late consolation goal through Hernandez. With City in the offing they can be proud of and confident in the recent record of only two goals lost in 10 and a half hours play. It is mean bordering on miserly and also, once again, not unlike certain aspects of a certain man's previous reign. If this was not enough, Nemanja Matic re-joined and was already in the thick of it at the end of the United game.

His defensive capabilities have apparently grown exponentially in his time in Portugal, so here is possibly another rather sizeable obstruction to the likes of Man City. Chelsea managed to snuff out both Arsenal and Manchester United on their home turf with three disciplined deep midfielders in front of a back four. Matic is another specialist who can play that role, so clearly being hard to beat in certain games is a priority, one that has arguably already been dealt with by Jose.

Last week I asked which player had played most combined games for Chelsea and Manchester United. Lots of different answers came in, Mickey Thomas got a few votes but he was not the right answer. It came down to three really, Alex Stepney the goalkeeper, Ray 'Butch' Wilkins and of course Mark Hughes who arrives at the Bridge this weekend with his Stoke side. Ray had 392, Alex had 540 only one of which was for Chelsea, but Mark Hughes had a mighty 590 combined appearances. Lots got it right but the winner drawn at random this week was Bob Bown from Petts Wood in Orpington.

This week to have a chance of winning a prize signed by one of the players, could you tell me the Chelsea player (including former Chelsea players) who most recently won a World Cup winners' medal? Answers as ever to me at [email protected]

Good luck and let's hope we keep this good run going.

I read this earlier. Pat always does a really good article. I love the bit about getting penalties at the Kop.

I entered the competition but one thing is bugging me, it said which 'player' has a World Cup winners medal, but didn't Torres AND Mata win the 2010 World Cup?

I read this earlier. Pat always does a really good article. I love the bit about getting penalties at the Kop.

I entered the competition but one thing is bugging me, it said which 'player' has a World Cup winners medal, but didn't Torres AND Mata win the 2010 World Cup?

Sharpy - think outside the box!

PAT NEVIN: TELLING SIGNS

Posted on: Tue 04 Feb 2014

There was so much to admire about our second win of the season over Manchester City, and Chelsea legend Pat Nevin gets down to admiring it in this week's column…

The excitement of the win against Man City hasn't subsided yet and probably will not for a few days. It is hard to recall a better all-round performance from the team since Jose's return to Stamford Bridge. The biggest problem is trying to find out where to start when considering the individual performances from every member of the team. It is rare to see 11 players not only playing well but actually all putting in 9/10 performances. Allied to this was the control of the group against one of the most talented club sides around in world football at the moment.

It was worth underlining this was no smash and grab affair, soaking up pressure then nicking one on the break. Chelsea looked the more dangerous team for most of the game away from home against the title favourites, even if City had more of the possession according to the post-match stats.

If you hit the woodwork three times, get into goal-scoring positions a good few times apart from that and restrict the free-scoring forward line to little more than scraps, you can comfortably say you deserved to win the match.

The defence was once again superb with Gary Cahill catching the eye with numerous blocks, a dominant display in the air against Dzeko and Negredo, and of course his consummate reading of the game to snuff out chances. When they did get past the defence they found Petr Cech in form, the save from Silva's free kick was awesome, but it was second only to his diving effort to his left late in the second half, adjusting his arms as the ball swerved viciously at the last moment.

Azpilicueta yet again proved impossible to get past. Even the jet-propelled pace of Navas never quite got the better of his countryman. There were moments when you thought Jesus was going to save City but Dave always managed to get a foot in to divert the cross to safety. No one ever seems to get past him. David Luiz was as controlled as I have ever seen him and Matic could only be described as imperious throughout.

My biggest fear from the City side was not the strikers but Yaya Toure coming from deep, but Jose Mourinho ensured that the group as a whole stifled his influence. Every time he got on the ball, Matic was in his face and Willian was buzzing round him like an angry wasp. We often marvel at the work rate and energy of Ramires and once again he was superhuman in his efforts but I suspect that on this occasion Willian did even more power running than his countryman.

If really pushed I would be tempted to give man of the match to Willian but I understand totally that would have been harsh on Matic, Cahill and of course Eden Hazard. It is all very well ghosting past and tormenting Premier League defenders, but on this occasion Hazard was making some of the best players in the business look frankly agricultural. There were even moments of showboating, maybe pushing it a bit at only 1-0, but we will forgive that.

The scary thing is that I think Eden Hazard can't improve hugely from how he is playing just now. I have said it before but it bears repeating, there is nothing that the likes of Ribery has that Eden doesn't possess, except for the innate knowledge that he is that talented. Last night he seemed to understand that this can be and should be his destiny, to be one of the very best players in world football.

In the midst of all this we have to remember that the game plan had to be devised and City's weak spots discovered and of course this is down to the coach. Before the game on Chelsea TV I started the show thinking that 0-0 was the most likely score line but two things made me change my mind before a ball was kicked. First was the teams, with no Aguero or Fernandinho there were clearly weaknesses to be tested. Chelsea seemed physically stronger and fitter as an 11 and then there was the killer statistic. Mourinho v Pellegrini beforehand read seven wins, one loss and one draw to Jose. Even if Jose had a stronger side in these meetings it can leave a psychological legacy and our man knows how to utilise this.

Maybe the most telling signal was when you looked along both benches and considered which was the strongest. With Nasri also unavailable, Man City looked pretty lightweight when you consider we had Oscar, Lampard and Ashley Cole sitting it out. For all of the season so far I have considered City to have the strongest squad in the league, they should have considering their spending, but they appear to have a number of players they just could not do without. If Kompany is injured they are in trouble, there is no single defender at Chelsea you could say that about. If Yaya Toure is out or just snuffed out they are hugely weakened and when Aguero is missing it seems to blunt them at the highest level.

Recently someone said to me that if Oscar is injured now that Mata has gone, Chelsea will have a problem. Erm, no. Willian can clearly fit in there, as could Hazard and even the young lad Lampard is pretty dangerous in that area I am sure you will agree.

Maybe it is too early to get carried away, but I always try to look at it from an opposition point of view. If you were an Arsenal fan or now a City fan would you be thinking anything other than Chelsea are going to be there or thereabouts come May, and in some people's minds we might even be considered slight favourites. I will not say that, I will enjoy the fact that we are the dark horses, the problem is that after Monday night everyone can see us clearly enough coming up on the rails.

So to last week's quiz question regarding the first player to have played for both Chelsea and for Vitesse Arnhem. There were quite a few candidates for you to choose from and quite a few of our players are obviously still there. Many suggested Patrick van Aanholt, Tomas Kalas, Gael Kakuta, Sam Hutchinson or Lucas Piazon. The correct answer as to who was the first player to have worn a first team shirt in a competitive match for both sides was of course Nemanja Matic.

There can only be one winner so the prize this week chosen randomly as ever was Debbie Molloy.

Next week to have a chance of being the lucky winner of a prize signed by one of the players, could you tell me who was the last Scotsman to score a first team goal against Chelsea? Answers as ever to me at [email protected]

Sharpy - think outside the box!

I'd forgotten I'd said this to Sharpy - and I was right, the correct answer was a ladies player for Chelsea!

That question is an easy one.

PAT NEVIN: ANGLES OF ATTACK

Posted on: Tue 11 Feb 2014

On the day of the next league game and on the back of another win at the weekend, columnist and Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has the pleasure of writing about a team in form…

Another game, another three points, another clean sheet against Newcastle at the weekend. We might as well accept it now that our little secret is out, Chelsea are quite good at the moment and if the form continues even the boss will not be able to straight bat the questions about being genuine title contenders.

I have chatted before about the fact that we have one advantage over and above the others at the top end of the Premier League, that there is no single player that we can't afford to lose for a period of time, but the same cannot be said about the likes of Man City and Arsenal. Without Toure or Aguero or Kompany, Man City suddenly look a lesser unit but we in contrast seem have strong back-up for everyone.

Some suggested that Oscar was that indispensable man for us, but he missed out v City and it all worked out. Eden Hazard however is in such stunning form that surely even we would miss his goals and creation. Well yes we would to an extent, but we have extremely high-quality players ready and willing to fill in if and when that happens. Schurrle, Salah and Willian of course could all clearly do an extremely good job on the left-hand side. I just hope that Eden keeps going at this rate for the rest of the season and into the World Cup.

I often used to wonder what it must be like to write a column every week for say Real Madrid or Barcelona's website. The problem would be trying not to write about Messi and Ronaldo every single time you sit down at the computer. Yes there are other great players at those clubs but if one of those two superstars scores or creates goals every single week, they are impossible to ignore in your musings and somehow you would have to find a new angle, get another set of superlatives or create some newer, catchier analogies.

It wouldn't be easy, so in short, I am trying not to talk about Eden Hazard every week, but it is tough at the moment. Before the Newcastle game I sat down and faithfully promised myself that I would major on someone or something else this week and what does he do? He scores a hat trick, turns on the style and basically says, 'try ignoring that!' Promising not to write about him was the second mistake I made; the first was making a monumental typing error in last week's column. I wrote, 'the scary thing is that Eden can't get better.' Of course I meant 'can get better' as he immediately proved in the Newcastle game. It was a mistake Eden, I wasn't meaning to get you angry, actually if that did get him angry and that was his reaction, maybe I could do it every week!

So as our thoroughbred winger jumps over every obstacle, we have now galloped up the league table and are leading by a nose. With the finishing line growing ever nearer (well everyone seems to be making horsey references at the moment) it has almost been missed that the defence is still playing brilliantly. So just to big them up a bit, two goals lost in 11 first team games, that is 990 minutes - 16 and ½ hours of top-flight football, phenomenal stuff.

West Brom will of course be another test and even though the Baggies are struggling in the league, that in itself is a reason to be wary. They will be, or at least should be, battling tooth and nail for their Premier League lives. Nothing clarifies players' thought processes more than actually dropping into the bottom three and that is just what happened to Pepe Mel's team at the weekend.

You only have to consider the points dropped by ourselves against the workmanlike West Ham United and the stoical Stoke City to know there is no way any team in this league can be taken for granted. Even the struggles against struggling Sunderland were a warning sign and of course Fulham battled to deny Davie Moyes' men at the weekend against all the odds and match statistics.

If there is one thing that does worry me slightly, it is players getting burnt out through over use, especially as the odd international game comes up and the Champions League demands recommence. It is worth accepting right now that there will be some occasions when Jose will feel he needs to rest some very big names. These breaks do not seem to have affected Frank Lampard in a negative way and even Oscar has looked hugely refreshed when he has had the odd game off here and there recently.

Lampard Chelsea

It may not be against West Brom, but even a judicial rest for Eden may be worthwhile at some point, even if that means keeping him on the bench just in case of course. This is related to the point I made before, there is and should be no player that is indispensable. Could you imagine Arsenal thinking that about the likes of Giroud? There is no way they are going to be able to leave him out of the team, unless of course he is injured or his form dives. Rest for rest's sake is not an option.

So concentration tonight, everyone giving it everything (when was the last time that didn't happen with a Jose team?) and there is every chance the great run can continue. There will be slips between now and the end of the season but this is the time historically when not only the best team comes to the fore, but the group with the strongest mentality. For years Sir Alex Ferguson's Man United were phenomenal in this respect. Even if they were a few points behind there was a belief in the group that they could go on a run from the start of the year to the end of the season that no one could live with.

Jose Mourinho knows this mentality has to be developed in the squad. Fortunately for him there are a few trusted lieutenants still here who can show the newer recruits the ropes in this respect. The manager may be talking about the relative inexperience of some of the boys and so it may well be that the most important players on and off the pitch from here on in are the likes of Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Ashley Cole and particularly JT. Some of the young boys really think they can win the Premier League whereas as these older guys know they can. There is a difference.

Last week's question asked who was the last Scotsman to score against Chelsea? As usual a tricky little one and there were lots of guesses ranging from Darren Fletcher all the way to some bloke called Nevin. It was in actual fact far more recent, but who was it? Well a large number thought it was Phil Bardsley the Sunderland player who is of course a Scottish international and who notched against us at the Stadium of Light back in December. He also managed to score for us as well. But is he actually 'Scottish', having been born and brought up in Salford? He played for Scotland due to his father being born in Glasgow. On this occasion I am going to allow it, but I will also allow Steven Naismith as well, who scored for Everton against us back in September, and he is definitely 100% Scots through and through.

So two answers but only one winner and this week, randomly chosen from the sack full of correct answers it is Matthew Turner from the Channel Islands. Well done.

This time to stand a chance of being the lucky winner of a prize signed by one of the players, with the Man City v Chelsea cup tie coming up, could you tell me the highest aggregate score in a game between these two sides in a competitive first team match? So if it was 2-1, the answer would be 3, you get the idea. Answers as ever to me at [email protected]

Good luck to you and of course to the boys tonight and at the weekend.

PAT NEVIN: THREE-POINT PERSPECTIVE

Posted on: Tue 04 Mar 2014

With many of the squad now away, Chelsea legend Pat Nevin considers international call-ups in his latest column, as well as how the team beat Fulham and how that was viewed...

I would like to start with a little rant, something annoyed me just a little bit the other day. Listening to an independent radio station in the UK on Saturday (let's call it Radio Bloke), the description of Chelsea had me coming close to punching the speakers.

Describing the team's first-half performance, the reporter snidely called it pathetic and useless, the words delivered with gusto, disdain and what seemed like a certain level of enjoyment mixed with spite. He did then deign to accept that the Blues were better in the second half, but the supercilious attitude was beyond infuriating.

Now Chelsea didn't play that well in the first half. In fact Jose decided he didn't want to talk to the lads at half-time; I think that was to elicit the correct response which worked. So not the best performance, but the rather recent dismissive attitude from a number of reporters, almost none of whom have ever got close to kicking a ball at a reasonable level, is winding me up. Now I do not want forelock-tugging reverence towards professional football folk, that is just as ridiculous, but I find myself wondering how many of those fearless facetious faces would be quite so brave in front of the individuals they so abuse?

I am a pretty mild-mannered soul generally, but I think it is time to get a little perspective. You might not play well, but the other team are actually trying quite hard to make sure you do not. This type of reporting is just an unwarranted smugness, an unearned condescension and it is catching in many areas of the media.

^ He's almost certainly talking about that prick Adrian Durham here!

That feels better, and I didn't even name any names. As for the game, it was always going to be tough actually. Fulham have a very tight ground, one of the pitches with the least space in the league so Chelsea were always going to find it hard in the early stages. Fulham were and are fighting for their Premier League lives, and they would give no ground while their energy levels were high. It is however very hard to keep that going for a full 90 minutes against a team with quality players, who are fit themselves and have a fair bit of imagination.

Andre Schurrle will be the first to admit he benefitted from the work done by Eden Hazard in particular, who threw off the shackles he has been wearing the last few games. As I say, there are opponents out there trying to stop you, in fact that is what they are professionally trained to do. The German was the principal beneficiary of the Belgian's brilliance, but he still had to finish the moves off and he does look very good and extremely calm when he is one on one with a goalkeeper.

Plenty of others have a much lower strike rate in those positions and he doesn't seem to lack self-belief at all when the pressure is on. A hat-trick is a special moment in any player's career, especially those of us who didn't get many!

Schurrle has also scored a hat trick for Germany in a 5-3 World Cup-qualifying win against Sweden and this goes some way to explaining why Jose played him up front on his own earlier this season away from home against Manchester United. It certainly is another option open to Chelsea when the situation demands it, and when he gets more used to the technical side of holding the ball up.

I felt sorry for Fernando Torres when he was left out of the Spanish squad to meet Italy this week. After scoring the vital goal away at Galatasaray in the Champions League he must have thought his bad fortune might be on the wane, but no. Each time he seems to get on a little scoring run, there is injury, sometimes suspension, or another setback, like Vicente del Bosque's latest decision. That is not to say I am angry with the Spanish coach - Alvaro Negredo and Diego Costa are after all in very good form, but it is painful to be dropped so close to a World Cup.

I managed to be in the national squad just before three World Cup finals with Scotland (yes we did used to qualify), but was jettisoned before each of the 1986, 1990 and 1994 competitions, only to be reinstated right afterwards, every time!

It was a touch galling I have to tell you, but then we weren't in with a great chance of winning the trophy. Spain are, so I hope it can turn around for Fernando and it would be remiss not to flag up the fact that Juan Mata is in precisely the same situation, with Cazorla, Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Navas, among others, all ahead of him in the pecking order for his role now.

I suppose what that does do is underline just how impressive Azpilicueta has been to push himself into the group. Of course he plays in a different position, but Spain are strong there too, so well done Dave and I hope you get to Brazil.

Azpilicueta Spain

So as Dave and much of the rest of the squad toodle off on international duties, hopefully it will not leave them exhausted or injured for the run in. With Arsenal in danger of falling at the final hurdle, Liverpool steaming up on the rails and Man City cruising along effortlessly just behind us, this is no time to incur handicaps….actually enough already with the horse analogies! Have a good week and I hope your national team is successful.

Last week I asked 'What was Chelsea's biggest win in a competitive match against a Turkish side?' The answer was of course a 5-0 mauling of our current European Champions League opponents Galatasaray back in 1999. Most seemed to know that without even googling so there were loads of correct answers. As ever there can only be one winner and randomly chosen this week it is Mr Bobur Malikov from Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Next week to have a chance of being the winner of a prize signed by one of the players, could you tell me who was the player to score a hat-trick in a Champions League game for Chelsea? Answers as ever to [email protected]

Just one bit of housekeeping, always send your name and where you are from with the competition answers, it always helps me!

Edited March 4, 201412 yr by Zola

PAT NEVIN: PRESSURE POINTS

Posted on: Tue 11 Mar 2014

With Chelsea continuing to accumulate league points while other teams were engaged elsewhere, former Chelsea star and columnist Pat Nevin thinks about the thinking involved...

The demolition of Spurs at the weekend was one of the most satisfying of the season with its ruthless efficiency clearly making the blood run cold in the other title challengers.

The effect of the increased pressure on Manchester City in particular was there for all to see as they capitulated to lowly Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup. With the Champions League future hanging by a thread on the blue side of Manchester and the knowledge that those three league games in hand had better be won, Manuel Pellegrini knows that his team better have an incredibly strong mentality and an unshakable self-belief.

It has been nothing short of a relentless drive in the Premier League in particular from the Blues, with the harsh statistics very telling. The meanness of the defence has now been noticed by everyone in the game and that just adds to the pressure on opposing attackers. The stat of the moment for me however is the fact that Chelsea have picked up 36 of the last 42 points available. That is a monumental charge at this point of the season. There have been no losses in those 14 games and of course this has included away ties at Arsenal and Man City as well as the visit from Liverpool, the new serious challengers on the block.

That sort of post-Christmas form is reminiscent of the Manchester United of old, when Sir Alex Ferguson's teams swept all before them. Now there was a man who knew how to pile pressure on the opposition. Because of that pressure I will be surprised if any of the top teams manage to win all of their games between now and the end of the season; it rarely if ever turns out that simple. What will lift the spirits further at the Bridge and at Cobham is a quick look at the goal scorers at the weekend. Both Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o were on the scoresheet, hot on the heels of Fernando notching a vital one over in Istanbul. Chelsea not having a centre-forward who was scoring is what the other challengers seemed to be hanging on to for a while. If that 'weakness' disappears then the fears will just grow exponentially around the Etihad, the Emirates and Anfield.

It seems odd to talk about the effect our play is having on others who we are not actually playing directly against at the moment, but any effect you can have is useful. Why do you think the great managers wind up the other challenging managers when the pressure is on? People can make strange decisions when under pressure, the most common one is to try too hard, to attack too much and by so changing their normal game plan they can end up blowing it.

The classic was of course Sir Alex many years ago goading Kevin Keegan when he was challenging at Newcastle. We remember that one only because it was so obvious, it was all caught on camera and it was patently successful.

Other effects can be more subtle, but they are happening all the same. With the possibility that the title could be decided by a point here or there, that may just mean a single player more anxious than usual, getting nervous at a critical moment and panicking. How you do that is by piling on the pressure in every way possible. At the moment I would suggest there is a fair amount of pressure piling out of Stamford Bridge, but very little apparently affecting our lads, I wonder why that is? I think we all have a fair idea.

I spend a great deal of time studying the psychology of sportsmen and of sports teams, in fact I actually published a book with some thoughts on the subject many years ago. The reason I did was because I had witnessed the effects of psychological 'warfare' on some players first hand and knew they could be massive.

One player who seems incapable of being dragged down is Samuel Eto'o. Following all the headlines the other week, his reaction over by the corner flag after scoring was fantastic. It showed a level of trust between the player and the manager after 'age gate' that isn't commonly witnessed these days. I am not sure some others after media difficulties would have had the same light-hearted, smiling reaction, totally free from spite. Moments like these are like windows into the spirit of a player and of a dressing room.

Eto'o

There have been many times over the past few years when the media have questioned that spirit and togetherness in the Chelsea dressing room, whether there was foundation to do so or not. Right now with the exceptional team work so apparent, the desperation from everyone to give their all whenever asked, added to the group celebrations when a goal is scored and little moments like Samuel's joke, all go to show that there is an argument that we aren't just top of the league on points but in spirit as well.

Just one more thought about the goalscoring celebrations of the team. It doesn't seem false or planned that everyone milks the moment to the maximum but even if it was, that in itself can be fantastic psychology. I used to play under Craig Brown as Scotland manager and he encouraged us to go to the extent of over celebrating, in close proximity of the opposition for as long as possible. The thinking was that they were down anyway at losing a goal but to then celebrate with loud and elongated rejoicing just added to their depression. It seemed to work.

I must admit right here that football can be a heartless business; to figuratively kick a man when he is down is built into the collective DNA, but that is the way it has to be. So next time we score an important goal make sure you enjoy the team's joy, but don't be afraid yourselves as fans to keep that celebrating going as long as you like, it is unlikely to do anything but good.

Last week I asked a very easy question, who was the player to score a hat-trick for Chelsea in a Champions League game? Well as almost all of you in a massive set of entries said the last and only player to score three in an ECL game for us was Didier Drogba against Levski Sofia in 1999. There can only be one winner and the lucky randomly chosen email this week was Marc Post from Birmensdorf in Switzerland.

This week to have a chance of being the lucky winner, could you tell me what was the score in Chelsea's biggest ever win in a Premier League game? Answers as ever to me at [email protected]

Good luck and let's hope we keep tightening the screw at Villa Park on Saturday evening, I am certainly using all the psychology I can!

Edited March 12, 201412 yr by Zola

PAT NEVIN: THE BUSINESS END

Posted on: Mon 14 Apr 2014

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin isn't the only one counting points gained and games left in the wake of the weekend matches, and in his latest column he takes the study of the campaign's climax further still…

Work didn't allow me to go to the game at Swansea on Sunday as I was up at Anfield checking out our main challengers in the title race. To be fair it was a great game and the atmosphere was extremely good. There had been plenty of hype but for once it appeared to be worth it considering the show the two teams put on.

Afterwards I was trying to do the maths (probably arithmetic to be more precise) to see just how things stood in the league table. As everyone in red around me repeated the phrase 'We have it in our own hands now', I immediately thought, 'Yes I think 'WE' do. If we beat Liverpool they can't catch US.'

I didn't want to puncture their bubble, and also we like creeping under the radar, so I kept that quiet until I went off air. But then it dawned on me seconds later, it isn't of course in our own hands. If we win all our games including Liverpool, and City win all theirs, they beat us by a point. I was crestfallen that this was the case but secretly very relieved, I wouldn't have wanted to pronounce the wrong info re. Chelsea to the nation on 5 Live. I suspect I might have got the odd questionable remark on Twitter, don't you?

Anyway we did rather quietly keep the pressure up by taking care of Swansea right after the Liverpool v City game. Having had a chance to watch it and analyse it now, we certainly deserved the points, had plenty of gilt-edged chances and the best of the play but Swansea were always dangerous even with 10 men.

There has been much talk about the sending off of Swansea defender Chico Flores which obviously had a huge impact on the game. First of all his initial yellow card: well compare and contrast that yellow for his foul on Willian to the second yellow Willian got against Aston Villa a few weeks back. Similar except that Flores's attempted tackle actually did catch the player, so in the modern game yes, it was a caution and much worse than Willian's at Villa Park.

As for the second card for the tackle on Schurrle, it was a clearly a foul and as such the referee was within his rights to reach for the red, but was it that cynical or just a bit of useless defending by a player getting himself in the wrong position? A foul yes, but another card? I thought it was harsh, but as we all know we have suffered that fate ourselves.

This however is the way of the modern game, it probably is the right decision the way the rules are interpreted, but I immediately thought back to the man I was sitting chatting to for half an hour before the Liverpool game in the press room at Anfield. Former England international Stuart Pearce would not have lasted 10 minutes in any game against me when we faced up if the rules had been this strict back then. He would have been allowed six of those type of tackles on me before the referee would even have considered having a quiet chat to him, never mind booking him, and for any youngsters reading this, no I am not exaggerating even slightly!

Oddly on Saturday I was at a Scottish Cup game where Rangers played Dundee United and clearly the referee had been transported - Tardis-like - from more than quarter of a century ago into the middle of Ibrox. It was proper 'Old School' and it was great to watch. A superb cup tie with great passion and if it had been a modern Champions League game with their card-happy officials it would have finished as a five-a-side match. But there you go, it is just the way of things I guess and of course some players don't help officials by diving and rolling about. Naming no names here, there was one very obvious candidate for the Tom Daley award for diving at Anfield.

So for all the clamour beforehand to call that game a league decider, in actual fact Liverpool winning did quite the reverse, it served only to muddy the waters, just as I described at the start of this article. Manchester City are still in it, particularly if we can beat Liverpool. Liverpool can win it if they win all their games and we simply have to continue to win and hope. There are a couple of things worth noting, when we visit Anfield in a couple of weeks it will be an incredible occasion, the noise will be at least as extraordinary as any this season and the hype will be back up there too.

As I say that and get ready to sign off I realise I haven't mentioned PSG and all that. The atmosphere and passion at the Bridge last week was also extraordinary, just as we all hoped and predicted it would be. Atletico Madrid await in the Champions League semi-final and it already looks as if it could well be a week to compare with any in the club's history. Atletico themselves are having an unbelievable season, but they will be concentrating on La Liga too. They will not want to slip up just when they have clear water between themselves and the Barcelona-Real Madrid axis, so our heavy schedule isn't to be considered in isolation.

Of course it is going to be tough but with Diego Simeone's men twice and Brendan's bunch in between, it is always worth remembering which English club is, in the widest sense, actually in the best position right now.

Still fighting for the Premier League title and also in at the business end of the Champions League, there isn't even a question to be asked in my opinion. What's more, we have our 'new' secret weapon. Demba Ba has come in and had an incredible impact with his two crucial goals in two games. Who's to say that come the end of the season he isn't the striker grabbing all the headlines.

Last week I asked who had scored most Champions League goals in a single season for Chelsea, and how many (including during qualifiers) they scored? It was a very tricky question that tripped up a few of you.

I have had it checked with the statman at the club, and it wasn't Didier Drogba or Nic Anelka with his seven in 2010/11. It wasn't Fernando's haul in the 2012/13 season either when he got nine in the Champions League and Europa League. I asked only for Champions League goals. It actually was Tore Andre Flo with eight goals in the 1999/2000 campaign. Only one winner is allowed and this week it is Mohamed Zulkif Jelani from Gujarat, India.

That was very tricky I know, so this should be a little easier. Before Demba Ba, who was the last Chelsea player to score in a league win for Chelsea in Swansea against Swansea City? Answers as ever to me at [email protected]

Always thought he is howdy doody type of analyst.trying not to be controversial especially with us.a bit like being savaged by a dead sheep,if you were to get into an argument about football with him.a nice guy however.

PAT NEVIN: SUPER SAVOUR

Posted on: Tue 29 Apr 2014

Big game follows big game follows big game, which means no shortage of football for former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin to get his teeth into in this week's column, beginning with those high-profile happenings on Merseyside…

I have been scratching my head ever since the final whistle went at Anfield, though not because I was confused as to why we won. In fact anybody who has bothered to watch Chelsea with an open mind this season will know why and how we ensured we wouldn't lose this massive game. It was yet another perfect, defensive, quick-breaking, organisational masterclass, just like the away games at Arsenal, Manchester City and even Manchester United early on. The most recent case in point before the weekend was of course over in Madrid against Atletico. So in reality there should be no confusion.

Maybe there could be a little puzzlement about how Jose could pitch up at the all-conquering Anfield with as many as eight first team starters injured or rested, and yet still waltz away with a 2-0 win and the three points in the bag. That still wasn't what confused me, What really perplexed me was why I felt so ridiculously happy after that particular game, above just about any other this season.

Maybe it was partially because the media were openly preparing for a Liverpool coronation. In the lead up it did rather tip over from hope into expectation on our TV screens and in a few newspapers. Jose obviously was cast as the villain of the piece, all he needed to do was twirl a waxed moustache and generate a diabolical laugh to fulfil the caricature. On the Friday I was on a radio show trying to explain Chelsea's position of feeling a bit hard done by at the moment. First there was genuine amazement that anyone had the gall to disagree with the storyline portrayed over the past few weeks. That of course was followed by the expected hate-filled tirades on Twitter. You can sometimes find such a nice bunch on there, willing to listen reasonably to you and discuss your points with charm and humour.

And actually the word hate in there is interesting, because there does seem to be a lot of hatred out there in some areas of the football fraternity, though of course it is almost certainly just the vocal minority. Actually I do not hate any team. In fact I do not even mildly dislike any particular club to be honest. As a Hibs fan I am OK with Hearts, as a Chelsea man I can't say I hate Arsenal or Spurs to be honest, and as an ex-Everton player I can honestly say I don't particularly have any negative feelings against Liverpool. In saying that there is a dilemma, why did I get such inordinate pleasure from Sunday's win at Anfield if I have no particular dislike of that club?

Well partly the press build-up I grant you, and the ex-players do seem to dominate the media agenda which does grate a bit, but really it was partly beating a very good side, partly giving us an outside chance of getting back in the title race though that is a very, very long shot still. In actual fact it is probably the history. Theirs, which was fantastic a few decades back, ours and the recent shared history of games between us, particularly in Europe. It was a great win and one to be savoured but it also built on the belief that however good Atletico Madrid are, and however well they are doing in La Liga, we can take on anyone and find a way to win as long as we get a fair crack from the officials.

So this is again the most important match of the season and it is going to be a hugely tense affair. One of the big advantages Chelsea have is of course Jose's knowledge of the opposition having hung out in the same city as them for a few years. So there are no surprises looming, they are a good team, but Jose knows their personnel and their style and that always helps.

We also have the home advantage but then again an away goal would be incredible for the visitors, especially if they score first. On the other hand, Chelsea have been here before whereas this is pretty new territory for the current generation of Atletico players.

There is of course the counter argument about who will be most affected by injuries and suspensions. I would argue John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech and Mikel (all with massive Champions League experience) trumps Gabi and Arda Turan, if the latter doesn't make it.I could go on, but let's be honest it is anyone's game, it is too close to call and it may come down to which coach makes the right decisions at the right time, which I reckon is good news for us.

Before signing off and travelling down to the Bridge to cover the game for Chelsea TV, I couldn't finish without congratulating Tomas Kalas for his performance against Liverpool at Anfield. Every single player in the team was splendid in his own way; Azpilicueta was quite simply 10/10 while Ash was fabulous too. Tomas was however incredible considering he was drafted into this high-profile, highly stressed, tense affair which needed superb concentration to stop one of the best attacks in Europe, and he took it in his stride. A wonderful and memorable 90 minutes for a man with a huge future as a Chelsea player. We don't have to worry too much about him stepping in again.

Kalas Chelsea

And so to the quiz. Last week I asked what the score was last time Chelsea played in Madrid before the 0-0 draw. There were a few guesses but most of you managed to get there quite quickly in that it was a memorable game against Atletico when we drew 2-2 on 3 November 2009. Didier scored our two and Sergio Aguero had a brace for the home side on that occasion.

Chelsea cruised through the group stage on that occasion having beaten Atletico 4-0 a few weeks earlier at the Bridge and more of the same would do nicely on Wednesday. There can only be one winner each week and the randomly drawn lucky guy this week is Harry Cooper from Middlesex. The prize will be on its way soon.

This week to have a chance of winning a prize signed by one of the players, could you tell me which current first team squad member was born furthest away from Stamford Bridge? Answers as ever to me at [email protected]

Good luck with that and it hardly needs saying, the game against Atletico needs every fan at the game to make as much noise as possible to spur the team on. There is no doubt that will help make it a very special night.

Edited April 29, 201412 yr by Zola

Pat Nevin: From Brazil to Burnley

Back from South America and back on the official Chelsea website ahead of the new season, columnist and former Chelsea star Pat Nevin is raring to go…

It is great to be back after a gruelling summer of hard work. All that trailing around Brazil covering exciting matches in that wonderful country at arguably the finest ever World Cup really wore me down. Actually it didn’t. It was a fabulous experience unless you happened to be Brazilian or English, though both weren’t as bad as they were painted after the fact.

There were so many incredible moments, being at the game when Luis Suarez decided he was a little peckish again was weird. Trying to explain to the radio audience why he had done it yet again was, well impossible. I still haven’t a clue what he was thinking about, if anything!

Being at the Maracana when Spain’s tika-taka football finally died against Chile was actually quite moving. The end of an era when that beautiful side finally succumbed to the ravages of time and the continuous process of evolution in football was still for me a sad day for the game. I was also in Salvador for my favourite match of the entire tournament when the USA took on Belgium. I have to say I fell in love with the spirit of the entire US outfit, from the fans to players to the manager. They all behaved perfectly throughout, showing a real knowledge of the game to mirror their extraordinary passion. The team gave everything in every moment they were in Brazil and it really made me believe that it will now happen and probably very soon, the USA will be serious challengers for the World Cup.

But for all the swanning around Copacabana and jetting off around the country, two images remain and they involved some of our lads. First I have to congratulate Andre Schurrle not only for his fine performances but also for winning the World Cup. Okay, I accept he had a little help from a pretty decent team around him, but he did have a fine tournament and he will have grown hugely from the experience. Chelsea will doubtless benefit from his exponentially improved confidence levels. The best team clearly won.

The other moment(s) was of course the 7-1 defeat of Brazil by Andre and his mates in the semi-final. I had been at Germany’s quarter final against France and suspected they would go on to win the trophy after that but I didn’t, and I don’t think anyone did, see that mauling coming. It is one of those few games in your lifetime when you will almost certainly remember where you were when it happened. It is all water under the bridge now, but it is important for every Brazilian player who was on the field that he overcomes what could only be described as a traumatic experience.

I have looked closely at the play and the body language of our Brazilians on their short pre-season stints so far and I suspect they will each be strong enough to come through it and in time maybe even be improved by it. Going through that sort of catastrophe can make you doubly determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The strong characters can cope, even David Luiz seems to have managed to be big enough to take the criticism on the chin and not duck any of the flak, and he of course got more than most.

Maybe this is a good time to give my best wishes to some of the others who have left over the summer. Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba both had short but eventful careers at the Bridge and I have nothing but positive feelings about two players who undeniably gave their all every time they pulled on a blue shirt. Then of course there are the Chelsea legends that are Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard. The fact that both will probably be considered the best players ever to play in their positions for this club underlines just how much they have done. With Frank there is of course the fact he will be playing for our rivals Manchester City for a short while, but as a pro footballer I fully understand the need to play at the highest level you can, for as long as you can. Whether he wears light blue or a darker shade or even the white of England I will always applaud him for being the epitome of what a modern footballer should be.

Others have left and more have come in, including a young hopeful going by the name Didier Drogba. I suspect he might be given a warm welcome in his first game back at the Bridge. What is abundantly clear however is that over the summer Jose has put together a very well-balanced-looking squad. In fact I would argue it is the most balanced squad we have had for many years. Will it be good enough to win the league? Well that remains to be seen, but certainly we should be in there with a chance right to the death. It will need a good season from our other new centre-forward Diego Costa and boy has he looked the business in pre-season. The goal against Fenerbahce in particular is worth watching over and over again, but was it better than Cesc Fabregas’ effort against Ferencvaros? I’ll let you decide.

FABREGAS GOAL V FERENCVAROS

What is clear is that we now have at least two top players and usually more for every position. We also have adaptability within the group, the ability to play a number of different systems being underlined by the different positions Cesc Fabregas has played in the friendlies so far.

In short I am excited and am looking forward to it all beginning on Monday. There is one friendly to go tonight against Real Sociedad which should be quite informative as to who will actually be starting the season in the first 11, but after that the phoney war ends…watch out Burnley!

The quiz is back as well and this week I would like to know which Chelsea player scored the most goals in the World Cup in Brazil? Answers as ever to me at [email protected] The lucky winner chosen at random from the correct entries will receive a DVD review of last season, signed by one of the players.

Edited August 12, 201411 yr by Zola

 Pat Nevin brilliant player and a Joy Division fan top man. He said about a year ago (might be longer) that he gets paid the same for writing his online article for the club as he got for his first ever pay packet playing for us. So 1983 i'm guessing about £250. I was 17 and taking home about £45.

"Screamer from 6 inches".

 

Nevin is pure class, true blue.

Pat Nevin: On balance…

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin is clearly enjoying the early days of the new season. In his latest column he explains why...

Another week, another win, and the Blues have now made a very comfortable start to the Premier League campaign.

It has been noticeable in both games against Leicester City and Burnley that the really impressive play has not lasted for the entire 90 minutes. Against Burnley it was for most of the first half that Chelsea were unstoppable, then against Leicester it was the second half when the afterburners were employed. There are a few ways of interpreting this phenomenon and most are positive.

First there appears to be an ability within the group to change gears when needed. It is impossible to play brilliantly in all competitions at full throttle for an entire season. To stretch the motoring analogy to the limit, you would eventually run out of gas. Another thought is that this side isn’t quite at its full potential yet. This is almost certainly right and once again not a bad state of affairs. The biggest fear would be if the team started sluggishly and like many, if not most others, they couldn’t lift themselves out of their torpor. That would be a concern, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. We will find out as the season progresses, but right now I am enjoying that level of control and game management.

Something else I have been enjoying, and indeed droning on about on Chelsea TV and any other media outlet I am working for, is that there really does seem to be a great balance to the squad.

It jumped into my mind once more on Sunday at the Stadium of Light where I was covering Manchester United’s visit to Sunderland. Prior to any signings, United look like one of the most unbalanced top-class squads I have seen for a few years. There are many players who want to play in precisely the same position and frighteningly for them, too few quality footballers where they are most needed right now, at the back and in the midfield engine room.

Everyone wants to play in the hole behind the striker where the ‘number 10’ usually goes. Mata, Rooney, Van Persie on occasions, Kagawa, Januzaj and even Fellaini all fancy that role. This is not to abuse United, it just goes to underline that it isn’t that easy after all to get a balanced unit in place, even when you have spent hundreds of millions of pounds. It is all about wheeling and dealing and being creative with what you have got and making tough decisions with your head not your heart.

On the subject of creativity, the player I was most impressed with in the second half at the weekend was our jinky winger on the right-hand side. He made Diego Costa’s goal with a lovely piece of dribbling wing play and a drag back I would have been proud of. He was a goal-scoring threat time after time and actually began to look like a seasoned centre-forward as the game progressed. I am of course talking about Branislav Ivanovic, he was outstanding and it was bordering on criminal that he didn’t score the goal he so richly deserved. Oh yes, and his defending wasn’t too bad either.

Branislav Ivanovic

It really does look as if the lads are taking it in turns to give sparkling displays, which is once again a good thing because it is so dangerous to have to rely on the same one or two players week in, week out. Schurrle was superb last week as were quite a few others, it was Ivanovic this week who caught my eye. I wonder who it will be next week against Everton at Goodison?

Before that game there is the excitement of the Champions League group stage draw. Will it be a new exotic location or some of the usual suspects we have met before in the competition? Either way, for once I do not have any trepidation this time round. Of course we usually get through, sometimes with the odd scrape, but this is one season when I am really hopeful we can once again have a real go at this competition and push on to the latter stages.

As such, with no disrespect to the two promoted sides we have already played, the season will really come alive from here on in. We have had a less than perfect record of late against my other former club Everton, especially at Goodison Park, so this will be a real test, but I suspect we are relishing it more than the Merseysiders. Two points from six even this early, means that Robbie Martinez will have to go for a win, something he usually does anyway, but this will probably play into our hands, creating gaps for our attacking midfielders to capitalise on while breaking.

This game will give a good indication as to whether or not Everton have improved from their very good season last time round. If we can see them off however it may well be a good indication that they are not likely to be serious title challengers. Even if they are not challenging they will certainly take points off some of the big boys, just as they did against Arsenal at the weekend, so these would be three great points to garner. Their neighbours flattered to deceive against Man City last night, with a good 40 minutes followed by a monumental reality check. Mario might make a difference; I suspect he will have to.

Soon enough the transfer window will close and a better picture of the relative strength of the top teams’ squads will become crystal clear. Right now however, early as it is, I wouldn’t bet against a two-horse race between City and Chelsea, with maybe only Arsenal as possible dark horses having any chance going the distance.

Last week in the quiz I asked which player was born in Lagarto? All but two of nearly 1000 entrants got it right; I will not embarrass those who did get it wrong by naming them, especially as they probably had the good grace to guess instead of just punching it into Google. The winner chosen at random who knew it was Diego Costa is Peter Lamprell from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. Well done and the prize will be sent out soon.

This week Google will be of no use whatsoever. I want to know what you think the score will be in the game against Everton and who will be the first scorer for Chelsea. Answers in to me at [email protected] to arrive before kick-off obviously. The lucky winner will receive a DVD review of last season, signed by one of the players. In fact I think I might even enter this one myself for a change!

And the final note must go to the passing of one of our greatest, most illustrious and most dearly loved fans, our life president Richard Attenborough. To say he is irreplaceable is obvious. I am just proud that he chose us to be his club and happy that we may have managed to make Lord Attenborough happy now and again with our efforts.

I like pats articles

I too like Pats articles.

Pat Nevin - Weird and Wonderful

Pat Nevin was left drooling and at times bewildered when watching his two former clubs serve-up a nine-goal thriller this weekend. There can only be one subject for this week’s column…

I have been involved in some classic, mad games of football over the years. There was a 4-3 victory for Chelsea against Everton and a 4-4 draw away at Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup when we had been 3-0 down at half-time.

Another 4-4 draw I played in was a classic between Everton and Liverpool in the FA Cup at Goodison. It achieved near legendary status on Merseyside for the excitement as well as the after effects; Kenny Dalglish resigned as Liverpool manager in the morning.

Maybe a less well-known game south of the border was one that I was involved in later in my career when at Motherwell. A 6-5 home defeat to Aberdeen in 90 minutes was extraordinary enough, but the fact that the goalkeepers on either side were Scottish legends just added to the incredulity of the watching fans. My memory is that Andy Goram and Jim Leighton both actually played well on the night, but it didn’t stop the jokes about Scottish goalkeepers being rehashed again.

I mention this last game in particular because there was a period, a pretty long one at that, when it felt as though every single time someone attacked, the ball was likely to somehow find its way into the back of the net. Tactics were gone, systems disintegrated and everybody on the pitch suddenly thought, ‘I’m going try anything here, it is the kind of night when it might just come off.’

And so those memories came flooding back while watching the mayhem at Goodison at the weekend. At the start I was engrossed in a professional capacity, I was analysing it for an Irish TV station in Dublin. By the end I was laughing out loud at how ludicrous it got as the second half wore on. I mean, I didn’t think any team could score three goals past Chelsea’s strongest defence, with Courtois in between the sticks, but all three goals were unstoppable for the Belgian. On top of that he pulled off a world-class save from Mirallas at a vital moment in the second half and Everton had a goal ruled out, rightly, for offside because of a sharp-sighted assistant referee.

That was mad enough but Ramires, while not having his greatest passing day, gets involved with arguably the best move of the game and scores a cracker. Didier Drogba seemed to find himself in central midfield near the end when he came on but they all paled behind my moment of the match, the outrageous back-heel step-over flick by Mikel to set up our sixth goal of the game for Diego Costa. With not a hint of exaggeration or embarrassment I hold that if Neymar had played that ball, you would never have heard the end of it from the international football press. It was magnificent piece of skill and vision, eclipsing the goal that it set up, even if Diego Costa’s dummy and drag back was brilliant as well.

Play

MIKEL'S SKILL AND DIEGO COSTA'S SECOND GOAL V EVERTON (A) PREM 14/15

I do think this game was right up there with the wildest games in the history of the Premier League era. Remember Man United trouncing Arsenal 8-2 back in 2011. That was wild but too one-sided. How about our 6-0 demolition of Arsenal last season at the Bridge, unforgettable. At this moment I am aware that this is beginning to sound like a personal attack on the Gooners, but it isn’t, so for balance what about Liverpool’s 5-0 destruction of Spurs at White Hart Lane that lead to Andre Villas-Boas getting the heave-ho?

The thing is you can rarely if ever see these weird games coming, even if after the fact you can sometimes rationalise why they happened. For Arsenal they were missing players and the tactics were wrong. For Spurs the defensive high line was an open secret somebody was always going to take advantage of. When Brazil lost 7-1 to Germany at the World Cup, there was much chin stroking afterwards saying that it was an accident waiting to happen, but I can’t really recall anyone suggesting a hammering of such magnitude in the build-up. With Everton on Saturday evening, it may be the case that centre-backs Jagielka and Distan are finally, after great careers and a fabulous partnership, beginning to show their ages. Certainly a few friends of mine who are Toffees feel this is the case and were mumbling just that in the previous games, they aren’t mumbling it anymore!

All this is being smart after the event, in short just underlines the unpredictability of the game. Managers and coaches love certainty and predictability, but the game just refuses to give them it, which is lucky for us watching because we love the opposite, we crave the excitement. With our wealth of talents at CheIsea, I suspect a few more amazing scorelines will pop up this season.

I mentioned last week that I thought Branislav Ivanovic plays like a frustrated attacker and he was at it again at Goodison Park. In amongst the tsunami of goals, his might be overlooked, but just look at the way he takes the ball and slots it. Any centre-forward in the world would have been proud of that one.

Everton v Chelsea

It crossed my mind that in extremis it might not be the worst thing in the world to throw him up front, odd though that may sound. Maybe that will not be needed with the arrival of Loic Remy. We welcome him of course and wish Fernando Torres good luck over in Italy.

Maybe the only player with a slight momentary flicker of a grimace on his face at the weekend would have been Loic; brought in to score goals and his side hits six away from home against a top side. Nonetheless the positives outweigh the negatives even for him; he will be thinking, ‘I fancy getting on the end of some of those chances we created.’

The other grimaces came from those who entered the quiz last weekend, no surprises that absolutely no one went for a 6-3 Chelsea win with Diego Costa to score the first. So the prize has to go for the closest guess and a number went for 4-1 or 3-2 with Diego opening the account. Of the five who got that close, the winner is Farai Machodo, from Harare in Zimbabwe

Well done that man and this week we can relax for a while at the top of the league as the lads head off for internationals. The quiz is however another tricky one to keep you on your toes, how many goals will Chelsea players (not including any on-loan) score in full internationals before next Tuesday? Answers to me at [email protected] with the lucky winner chosen at random to receive a DVD review of last season signed by one of the players.

Got to agree with Pat, the Everton game was sheer chaos and drama. I can't believe that one of the choices for game of the season has already popped up so early in the season.

Got to agree with Pat, the Everton game was sheer chaos and drama. I can't believe that one of the choices for game of the season has already popped up so early in the season.

It was totally unexpected especially after both games last season were 1-0. I really think we'll look back one day and think how much if a classic this really was.

Absolutely!

Was watching it with my brother, surreal game and its one you'll never forget for the spectacle. I've already forgotten some of the goal scorers and sequences, but the event will live long in the memory.

I'm just glad a certain someone never scored for Everton. That just adds to it. Eto'os header was really good though. Although Bran-o-vic didn't shower himself in glory I guess.

Absolutely!

Was watching it with my brother, surreal game and its one you'll never forget for the spectacle. I've already forgotten some of the goal scorers and sequences, but the event will live long in the memory.

I was at a wedding in Liverpool I was sick lol

PAT NEVIN: CONFIDENCE TRICK

With international football the focus for the past week, former Chelsea and Scotland star Pat Nevin draws some parallels with club success in his latest column…

I travelled over to Germany this week, specifically Dortmund, to watch Scotland take on the world champions - Andre Schurrle and all. There was a certain amount of trepidation on my part I have to admit, but it turned out to be an exciting, tight and skilful match from both sides.

After what had been a dark period for my national side, the past year has witnessed a revival I just couldn’t see coming though the despair. Even the 2-1 defeat felt good because it feels Scotland can stand toe-to-toe with the big boys again and slug it out without being embarrassed.

How has this happened? It is roughly the same group of players but the system is better now and yes, there have been a couple of additions. This is nothing but garnish, the real difference has been made by the coach. Gordon Strachan has instilled belief in the side.

From the outside it looks like the simplest thing in the world to do, but that is simply not the truth. If a manager is consistently negative in his tactical approach, the players realise that even their own manager doesn’t believe in them. This immediately leads to a dip in confidence by the individuals and more importantly by the group as a whole.

The Scotland manager has told his players to go out and play, get the ball on the ground and express themselves when the opportunities arise. He also has them well-structured defensively, that adds to confidence because you aren’t likely to ship four goals in the first half. If your manager tells you he believes in you enough to have a real go at the world champions in their back yard, suddenly you grow, you are fearless. Playing through fear restricts, playing without liberates, especially for creative types.

For some Englishmen watching it must have been hard to swallow, because there was an overt passion from the Scottish players that had been noticeable by its absence from their southern neighbours until the Switzerland game. Once again why is this? You can’t tell me that Gary Cahill and the like don’t have a real passion and a pride playing for their country, so why doesn’t it always show from all the players?

Partly there is a fear and apprehension that descends, particularly on some evenings at Wembley. The reasons for this are unimportant; be it fear of a harsh press, weariness from an arduous schedule or as some people believe, not enough feeling for country compared to club. Whatever the cause it matters little, it is finding an answer that is vital. Roy Hodgson is a good manager, he almost always picks teams that are generally applauded before the games start, even if there is the inevitable forensic inquest afterwards when it goes wrong, and in Basel he did raise those players to greater heights.

If there was an easy answer then trust me, it would have been found out and sorted out a long time ago. Part of it must be that only certain managers can lift certain groups of players on a regular basis to be greater than the sum of their parts.

So, I can hear you wondering, what on earth has all this international chat got to do with Chelsea Football Club? It is rather obvious isn’t it really, managers and coaches with not only tactical knowledge but with that extra ability to get the best out of their players are much rarer than you would think.

I was a professional player for 19 years and served under many managers both domestically and internationally. I reckon there were two, maybe three that had that ability to get the very best out of a team, build their belief and were able to instil a special passion more often than not. This is not a great percentage, but I suspect the numbers are not much different now, those special managers are certainly the special ones and you have to treasure them.

More often than not the team with the best players wins, but ‘best players’ doesn’t just mean most skilful, it also means most driven and best organised. If ever you were in doubt about the value of a truly great manager, just look at Scotland now and Scotland a few years ago. Then they timidly surrendered to nations outside the world’s top 50, now they beat Croatia and get within the width of a post of giving the world champions Germany a bloody nose on their own home soil. If a charismatic coach can make that sort of difference on the international stage, just think how many points he is worth over the course of an entire league campaign.

The Premier League campaign gets under way again at the weekend and it is one game I am really looking forward to. Apart from the fact it is a top of the table clash, it is also against a Swansea side that is always keen to play football and rarely try to stifle games looking to sneak a 0-0 draw.

Good players such as Shelvey and Bony are not just making up the numbers at the weekend, they will believe they can get something out of this one. Having had more than their fair share of superb coaches over the past few years, it will be a big test of Garry Monk’s credentials to carry on the fine work started by the likes of Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers.

Last week’s quiz asked how many Chelsea players would score for their national sides at the weekend. This is always a popular a game and often there are complaints about the validity of the goals scored by players loaned out, Under-21s etc. As ever however it is only first team squad players on full international duty. First to notch was Andre Schurrle against Argentina, followed by new boy Loic Remy for France against Spain, and that was it!

So two goals scored before my deadline and there were quite a few who guessed correctly. There can only be one winner, so randomly drawn from the correct answers this week it is Robert Boyce of Galway.

This week, to have a chance of winning a DVD review of last season signed by Eden Hazard, could you tell me which current Chelsea player was once managed domestically by Gerard Houllier? Answers as ever to me at [email protected] and good luck with that.

Edited September 9, 201411 yr by Zola