Had enough of reading about Chelsea v Southend, disappointed with the News of the World headline; Prawns 1 Shrimps 1. Thought not, here's another couple of reports on one of the best Southend results ever.
(Article edited from the Ireland on Sunday, Sunday January 4, 2009.)
Southend manager Steve Tilson has a strange take on the supposed magic of the FA Cup.
After seeing his lowly side perform resolutely at Stamford Bridge before centre-back Peter Clarke sent 6,000 travelling fans into delirium by heading a last-minute equaliser on his 27th birthday, Tilson shrugged and said: "To be honest, next week's League One game against Crewe is more important to us than this match."
If that showed a firm grip on reality, Luiz Felipe Scolari seemed less lucid when he suggested his superiors would not be particularly alarmed by another stuttering home display by Chelsea. "When I signed my contract, the club asked me to work hard and put my mind on Chelsea," said the Brazilian. "That's what I'm doing. It's not all about winning and losing."
Scolari had dismissed rumours of squad discontent before this game by declaring that all of his players love him, but the chances of his union with Chelsea being consummated by a trophy do not look good after this impotent display.
"I need to teach to my players more concentration when they arrive in front of goal," said a disappointed Scolari. "This is my job every day.
"Maybe it is confidence when they arrive in front of goal, maybe pressure. They need to score more goals and get more confidence. Only this. If they are not together, they would not create 15 chances. We played very well and created 15 chances but only one goal.
"Southend played hard and very spirited for a draw. They got a draw but only had one shot on goal. Carlo Cudicini didn't make one save. Not scoring is our mistake. All the players feel the same as me."
But Scolari reiterated that he will not buy a new striker and pledged to work harder on the training ground instead. "We need to follow the same ideas -- train, train, train. I don't need another striker. I have a good squad, good players. We are still in the cup. Other teams that lost today are out, we are not out. We were better than Southend but didn't score a second goal."
Chelsea began powerfully and seemed determined to impose their class on a side that had needed a replay to squeeze past non-League Telford in the first round. But they were thwarted by Southend's diligent defending and their own wretched shooting.
Frank Lampard sliced a free-kick into the crowd early on, Joe Cole pulled a shot past the post when he seemed certain to score and Osei Sankofa denied Didier Drogba with a last-ditch tackle.
A moment of ingenuity illuminated the game in the 20th minute when Drogba backheeled the ball to Lampard, who then played a sharp through-ball to Ashley Cole. The left-back sidestepped a defender and fired at goal, but Steve Mildenhall plunged to his right to push the ball away.
The Southend 'keeper was soon in action again, pouncing at Drogba's feet as the Ivorian attempted to lift the ball over him. Mildenhall's block was brave, but he was lucky the rebound dribbled wide after ricocheting off Joe Cole.
A set-piece finally broke the deadlock, as uncharacteristically slack marking by Southend meant Salomom Kalou did not have to jump to head in Lampard's corner. Far from triggering an avalanche of goals, however, it sparked a Chelsea slump. The first half petered out and whatever Scolari said to his charges at half time had no discernible effect as Southend sensed a way back into a match.
The visitors forged a neat opening in the 49th minute, only for Alan McCormack to put fractionally too much power on his through-ball to Lee Barnard.
Such was the lethargy of the Premier League stars that the giddy away fans took to sarcastically chanting 'Come on Chelsea'. Short of ideas in a midfield diligently condensed by Southend, the best Scolari's men could muster was a few long balls and set-pieces aimed at Drogba.
As Chelsea became increasingly sluggish and jittery, Tilson began to believe in an upset. On 75 minutes, he made three substitutions and went as gung-ho as any League One side can expect to go at Stamford Bridge. Six minutes from time, Clarke hinted at the sensational finale that was to come when he out-jumped Carlo Cudicini to head Johnny Herd's punt on to the top of the crossbar.
He improved on that in the 90th minute when Ricardo Carvalho failed to deal with a long throw-in by Herd and Clarke barged in to nod the ball into the net from close range.
"Peter does get in good positions and that is his second goal this season," said Tilson. "But on another day we could have lost by four or five goals. If they had scored early on then we would have had to open up and possibly got beaten by a hatful."
Chelsea substitute Franco Di Santo almost awakened the underdogs from their dream, but Mildenhall showed sublime agility to dive to his right and turn away his downward header with one hand.
"Everything went to plan," said Tilson. "We got men behind the ball early on because we knew, if we opened up here, we'd get trounced. Then we rode our luck and the 'keeper kept us in it. Whatever happens now, we've had a good Cup run and the club has made some nice money."
(Article edited from The Sunday Telegraph, Sunday January 4, 2009.)
Chelsea's inner turmoil was exposed by lowly Southend as Peter Clarke celebrated his 27th birthday with a last minute equaliser for the League One minnows.
The former Everton defender pounced on Ricardo Carvalho's mistake to send the 6,000 travelling fans from the Essex coast into raptures, and cast more doubts on Luiz Felipe Scolari's stewardship as manager at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea may indeed be in second place in the Premier League and also in the last 16 of the Champions League, but their vulnerability at home, where they have mustered only four league victories, is an increasing cause for alarm, especially when they fail to dispose of opponents 55 places below them in football's pyramid.
Chelsea should easily have dispatched Steve Tilson's side by half time, but had only Salamon Kalou's header to show for the avalanche of opportunities they created.
It was not the result to inspire confidence after a week filled with rumours of disharmony in the Blues camp following the concession of a late equaliser in the West London derby with Fulham.
Scolari declined to accept yesterday's outcome represented a major setback. "The result wasn't good, but the performance was," he said. "We had maybe 15 chances to score, but we didn't. We were the bosses on the pitch, but in the last movement, we didn't do it. It's incredible. Carlo (Cudicini) didn't have to make any saves. Our only mistake was not to get a second goal."
Scolari denied that buying another striker in the January window would provide a magic solution. "I need to follow the same idea in training," he added. "It's training, training, training and maybe after one week, one month or one year, we get better."
Before kick-off the match had forgone conclusion written all over it. Chelsea had not lost to opposition two tiers below them for nearly 20 years, and Southend had never beaten a top flight team in the Cup in 21 attempts. (Well, F.A. Cup, a certain Manchester United might remember a game played in the Carling version.)
The question was whether class would tell, or complacency set in, whichever set of stars Scolari picked from his galaxy of talent.
The answer on first half evidence seemed to be that this venerable competition was being treated with the upmost respect despite the absence of high profile performers like John Terry, Michael Ballack, Jose Bosingwa and Petr Cech.
Didier Drogba started up front, but Scolari declined to grant his wish to be played alongside Nicolas Anelka who was left on the bench. They quickly clicked into gear, however, making a smooth opening which Southend, for all their lung bursting toil, struggled to counteract.
A string of chances were created, with Frank Lampard, whose father ended his playing career at Roots Hall, at the hub of the action, while Jon Obi Mikel supplied the midfield defensive cover. Drogba almost profited from a Lampard pass, only for Steve Mildenhall to block with an outstretched leg, Joe Cole fired wide from an acute angle and then Lampard himself forced Mildenhall to palm away his drive.
In all, the number of goal attempts reached double figures before the breakthrough came in the simplest manner possible. A corner was forced on the left, Lampard swung it over, and the unmarked Kalous headed in at the far post. He scarcely needed to jump. After all their diligence, one moment of negligence had let the visitors down.
Their spirit was undaunted, though, and they launched a heartening revival as the interval approached. Jen-Francois Christophe's low cross was sliced into the air by Carvalho, before Branislav Ivanovic hastily cleared the ball behind. Southend continued to scrap defiantly as their hosts failed to find the second goal that would have secured the tie.
Johnny Herd cleared Juliano Beletti's powerful header off the line, and then, with time running out for the underdogs, Herd hoisted an up-and-under into the box, where Clarke's looping header hit the top of the bar.
It was a warning Chelsea did not heed. The match was creeping into injury time when Carvalho could manage only to flick on Herd's long throw from the right touchline, and Clarke dashed in to send an emphatic header into the far corner of the net.
There was still time for Mildenhall to make a flying save from Franco Di Santo.
Chelsea: Cudicini, Ferreira, Carvalho, Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, Belletti, Lampard, Mikel, Joe Cole (Di Santo 84), Kalou (Sinclair 87), Drogba
Subs: Hilario, Mineiro, Anelka, Mancienne, Sawyer
Booked: Mikel, Carvalho.
Goal: Kalou 31
Southend: Mildenhall, Sankofa, Clarke, Barrett, Herd, Grant, Christophe (Moussa 74), McCormack, Stanislas, Barnard (Freedman 75), Revell (Laurent 75)
Subs: Joyce, Francis, Betsy, O'Keefe
Booked: McCormack, Grant
Goals: Clarke 90