As we scrap our way to yet another victory, this time away to Everton, the calls for Chelsea as genuine title contenders increase. And I also think that we are going to be genuine title contenders this season.
But, at this moment in time, I consider us to be very lucky to be occupying second place in the Premiership. A look back at our results this season confirms this.
In eight league wins so far, we have only won two of these games by more than one goal. It is widely thought that the mark of a great side is winning when you don't always deserve to. And I totally agree. But to be a great side you must also be able to kill a game.
Manchester United have been doing it for the best part of a decade. Look at their game yesterday against Portsmouth. Leading 1-0 at half time, United eventually won the game 3-0- killing the game off with about twenty minutes to go. In fact, I can recall several other occasions this season when they have done exactly the same.
Unfortunately, Chelsea don't yet have that killer instinct. But it is a credit to the fighting spirit of this team (sorry, group of individuals- as Claudio says, "we're not yet a team") that we are still in second place. Ironically, that is a place ahead of 'the experts' Man Yoo!
We are having to fight our way to every victory. We probably don't deserve to have won half of the games that we have won. Against Leicester, despite our dominance, they had chances late on to salvage something. Against Blackburn, our slack defending could have cost us the point that we eventually got.
And we had Juan Pablo Angel to thank for our victory against Villa. His hat trick of misses meant that we could take the three points home. It also took a last minute header from Hernan Crespo for us to win at Boro- despite their second half dominance...
Then to Man City, where Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's lucky goal and some great goalkeeping from Carlo Cudicini won us the points. The same could be said for the Everton game yesterday, just replacing a JFH goal for a Mutu goal. A goal, might I add, that looked like it came about with a little bit of assistance from Mutu's left arm!
So you see, it's important that we don't get too carried away by our league position. Until we get that killer instinct, we're going to be scrapping for every win.
But when our time comes, the rest of the Premiership better be ready. Because it's going to be a massacre...
But, at this moment in time, I consider us to be very lucky to be occupying second place in the Premiership. A look back at our results this season confirms this.
In eight league wins so far, we have only won two of these games by more than one goal. It is widely thought that the mark of a great side is winning when you don't always deserve to. And I totally agree. But to be a great side you must also be able to kill a game.
Manchester United have been doing it for the best part of a decade. Look at their game yesterday against Portsmouth. Leading 1-0 at half time, United eventually won the game 3-0- killing the game off with about twenty minutes to go. In fact, I can recall several other occasions this season when they have done exactly the same.
Unfortunately, Chelsea don't yet have that killer instinct. But it is a credit to the fighting spirit of this team (sorry, group of individuals- as Claudio says, "we're not yet a team") that we are still in second place. Ironically, that is a place ahead of 'the experts' Man Yoo!
We are having to fight our way to every victory. We probably don't deserve to have won half of the games that we have won. Against Leicester, despite our dominance, they had chances late on to salvage something. Against Blackburn, our slack defending could have cost us the point that we eventually got.
And we had Juan Pablo Angel to thank for our victory against Villa. His hat trick of misses meant that we could take the three points home. It also took a last minute header from Hernan Crespo for us to win at Boro- despite their second half dominance...
Then to Man City, where Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's lucky goal and some great goalkeeping from Carlo Cudicini won us the points. The same could be said for the Everton game yesterday, just replacing a JFH goal for a Mutu goal. A goal, might I add, that looked like it came about with a little bit of assistance from Mutu's left arm!
So you see, it's important that we don't get too carried away by our league position. Until we get that killer instinct, we're going to be scrapping for every win.
But when our time comes, the rest of the Premiership better be ready. Because it's going to be a massacre...