The Great Chelsea FC Thread

MOURINHO TURNS DOWN LYON'S OFFER

'Mourinho rebuffed Lyon, and heads to Barca'

Jose Mourinho turned down an offer to coach Lyon after leaving Chelsea, according to Bernard Lacombe, the advisor to the French club's president.

Speaking in France Football magazine, former Lyon player Lacombe said club president Jean-Michel Aulas approached Mourinho after the Portuguese coach left Stamford Bridge last September, and after Alain Perrin had already taken charge of the French champions.

'I know that the president approached him (Mourinho),' said Lacombe.

'But the talks didn't go very far. Mourinho was in need of some rest.'

Reports in the French magazine also suggest Mourinho rejected the move as a deal has already been done to take him to Barcelona next season.

In a three-page report under the headline `No to Lyon, Yes to Barca' the magazine claimed Mourinho has held meetings with officials at the Catalan club, during which he received `dossiers' containing lists of players the club hopes to sign.
 
West Ham 0-4 Chelsea: Abject Hammers crushed

Ten-man Chelsea bounced back from their Carling Cup final defeat with a 4-0 destruction of woeful West Ham at Upton Park.

Even a first-half red card for midfielder Frank Lampard failed to take the shine off a classy Chelsea performance which keeps them in touch with the leaders at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

The Blues smashed three goals in five first-half minutes, before Lampard was given his marching orders for pushing Luis Boa Morte in the face in the 34th minute.

The England midfielder had given Chelsea the lead from the penalty spot in the 16th minute and Joe Cole made it two three minutes later.

Michael Ballack added a third in the 21st minute to effectively kill off the game as a contest and defender Ashley Cole completed the rout in the second half.

Chelsea signalled their intent as early as the second minute when they had a Nicolas Anelka goal ruled out for offside.

West Ham found themselves under siege immediately, but former Chelsea striker Carlton Cole alleviated some of the pressure with a 25-yard effort which fizzed over the crossbar.

Chelsea's early pressure earned them a penalty in the 15th minute when Salomon Kalou was brought down by Anton Ferdinand.

Former West Ham midfielder Lampard converted the resulting spot-kick to put Avram Grant's side into the lead.

Four minutes later another West Ham old boy made it 2-0 to the visitors when Anelka got away from the home defence and supplied Joe Cole on the edge of the penalty.

Cole, who missed out on a place in Chelsea's starting line-up for the Carling Cup final, drilled a low angled shot into the far corner to put the Blues in total command.

Chelsea looked dangerous with every attack and Ballack made it three in the 22nd minute. Anelka and Lampard combined on the left flank, before the England midfielder crossed for Ballack to hit the ball into the corner on the half volley.

West Ham were stunned and it was the perfect response from a Chelsea side heavily criticised for alleged unrest in the dressing room since their Carling Cup defeat.

Chelsea almost made it four in the 27th minute when Anelka's flicked header was collected under the bar by West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green.

West Ham were clearly shell-shocked by Chelsea's three-goal salvo, but Boa Morte and Carlton Cole got little joy against John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.

However, Mark Noble brought a fine flying save out of Petr Cech in the 31st minute when he let fly with a 20-yard rising drive.

But the game erupted into controversy in the 34th minute when Lampard was sent off by referee Peter Walton.

The Chelsea midfielder tangled with Boa Morte on the ground and appeared to push the West Ham player in the face as he attempted to get up.

Walton's decision appeared harsh to say the least and it sparked a confrontation which culminated in a booking for Ballack.

Lampard's straight red will now rule him out of their FA Cup clash with Barnsley and the league games against Sunderland and Tottenham.

Grant resisted the temptation to make changes at half-time to compensate for the loss of Lampard, but West Ham replaced Boa Morte with Dean Ashton.

Chelsea's resolve to defend their three-goal advantage was clearly evident from the restart, with Paulo Ferreira having to go off for attention to a blow in the face.

Lampard's dismissal had probably saved West Ham from defeat by a much bigger margin as Chelsea began the second half in a much more defensive frame of mind. The Blues were content to sit back and soak up what pressure the home side could muster.

Ashton's introduction gave the Hammers more height in attack, but Terry and Carvalho continued to comfortably deal with any threat.

In the 58th minute Chelsea's determination was underlined when Terry raced back to clear a lob from Carlton Cole off the goal-line.

The Chelsea captain hooked the ball out from underneath the crossbar when a goal looked certain.

West Ham continued to press for a way back into the game, but Chelsea are masters at last-ditch defending and they doggedly kept the home side at bay.

Ten-man Chelsea made it four in the 63rd minute when Joe Cole's shot was superbly saved by Green, only for Ashley Cole to pass the ball into the net from an acute angle.

West Ham's response was to replace Carlton Cole with Bobby Zamora and Julien Faubert with Nobby Solano.

Joe Cole was substituted in the 68th minute to a rousing send-off from Chelsea fans and Michael Essien replaced him.

West Ham had no answer to Chelsea's dominance and Essien was unlucky to add a fifth with 10 minutes remaining when his long-range effort flew just too high.

In the end West Ham ran out of ideas and Chelsea, even with a man down, ran out comfortable winners.
 
Chelsea launch Lampard red card appeal

Chelsea will learn tomorrow if their gamble to appeal against Frank Lampard's red card against West Ham has paid off.

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The England midfielder was dismissed for only the second time in his career when he responded to a challenge by West Ham's Luis Boa Morte in the Blues' 4-0 Premier League win at Upton Park.

Lampard appeared to shove Boa Morte in the chest but it is understood referee Peter Walton told Chelsea players he acted on advice from assistant referee Guy Beale, who believed he saw Lampard strike Boa Morte in the face.

The Football Association's four-man Regulatory Commission will view video footage of the evidence to ascertain whether an obvious error occurred.

If that is the case then Lampard has a good chance of having the red card rescinded, although the whole incident will be reviewed.

That might mean the commission could still find Lampard guilty of 'violent conduct' when he and Boa Morte grappled on the turf and Lampard appeared to aim a kick at the West Ham striker.

The decision to appeal was a delicate one for Chelsea.

The red card carries an automatic three-match ban which would see Lampard miss Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at Barnsley next weekend and Premier League games against relegation strugglers Derby and Sunderland.

By appealing, however, the club risk the ban being extended to the match against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on March 19, a fixture in which Chelsea will be hoping to avenge their Carling Cup final defeat.

A recent appeal by Middlesbrough following the sending off of Jeremie Aliadiere was rejected and saw the French striker receive an extra one-game ban after the FA claimed the appeal was 'frivolous'.

That is unlikely to be the case on this occasion as Lampard has received a measure of support for what was described by pundits as a 'harsh decision'.

A Lampard reprieve would be the ideal boost as Chelsea prepare for their Champions League second leg tie against Olympiacos at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday and the trip to Barnsley.

The 4-0 destruction of West Ham restored confidence following the Carling Cup defeat and with Chelsea seven points behind Arsenal in the Premier League with a game in hand, Joe Cole is relishing the final push for silverware with the club still fighting on three fronts.

Cole told Chelsea's website: 'We have got everyone fit now. This is the right time to go forward. We have two big cup games coming up. Every game is a big game because we have to win them.

'We have been in this situation before which could help us. We know what we have got to do and it will go down to the last few games, I am certain of that.'

Meanwhile, Chelsea's attempt at world domination continues.

The club are to give trials to four Chinese youngsters after agreeing a partnership with a talent show in the People's Republic.

The Super Soccer Star programme will be broadcast in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong next month and the lucky quartet who are judged to have the most promise will visit Chelsea's academy at Cobham in Surrey and their Stamford Bridge ground.

The contest is open to players aged between 14 and 16 and is another bid to boost the Blues' profile in the Far East.

They are already the official football development partner of the Asian Football Confederation's Vision China project, which aims to set up 10 city leagues across the country.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said: 'We are delighted to be involved in such an innovative project that helps us deliver on our continuing commitment to promote grassroots football amongst youngsters in China.

'The show complements our involvement in Vision China with the AFC as well as showcasing Chelsea to a large audience and we look forward to hosting the finalists of Super Soccer Star in England.'
 
Lampard three-match ban overturned by FA

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has escaped a three-match ban after the Football Association overturned his red card against West Ham at the weekend.

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The 29-year-old was dismissed in the first half at Upton Park for a clash with Luis Boa Morte, although referee Peter Walton told an FA regulatory commission he and his assistant made a mistake.

The commission had to decide whether a 'serious and obvious' error had been made when Lampard was sent off for no more than a push in Boa Morte's chest.

They also had to take into consideration referees being instructed that, while endangering an opponent warrants a red card, contact on or above the neck is deemed violent conduct under UEFA guidelines.

Lampard's reprieve allows him to play against Barnsley in the FA Cup and the Barclays Premier League matches against Derby and Sunderland.

Chelsea boss Avram Grant was upset earlier in the season when Ashley Cole's appeal failed, and Lampard's case came a week after Middlesbrough's Jeremie Aliadiere saw his ban extended by a match for his appeal being 'frivolous'.

Lampard's red card mattered little on the day, with Chelsea winning 4-0. The FA's decision also provides positive news ahead of the Champions League last-16 clash against Olympiacos, with the tie poised at 0-0 going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

'They will be a danger,' said Lampard in the London Evening Standard. 'They play a strong and compact game and are dangerous on the counter-attack.'

Lampard. meanwhile, is relishing Chelsea's role in the domestic title race and feels the club will be motivated by proving critics wrong after their Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham.

'Everyone has been waiting for Chelsea to take a fall,' he said. 'It comes with the territory of being so successful over the last three or four years.

'So for us to lose a cup final a lot of people have taken a great deal of glory in it and that's a fact. But we won back-to-back championships and were still criticised for being boring, so we want to forget what anyone else says.

'What's very important is that we unite as a club on the inside - players, staff and fans as well. We must remember what we have achieved and what we can achieve. Together we have a great chance of doing it this season.

'I have seen a lot of people leaving us out of the running and I like that in a way. If we win our game in hand we are four points behind Arsenal and three behind Manchester United.

'We have to play them both at home, while they also have to play Liverpool. It comes down to us. If we go on a fantastic run and win the majority of our games we can win the league, that's a fact.'
 
hahahahaha.
we'll see. he could be sold away when he's old enough. since spanish teams loves old players.
 
Chelsea v Olympiacos: Preview

Chelsea boss Avram Grant can recall Didier Drogba for the Champions League last-16 clash against Olympiacos after resting the striker at the weekend.

Grant's full squad trained together at Stamford Bridge on the eve of the clash.

Michael Essien was also on the bench at West Ham on Saturday and could return.

Grant has highlighted the Champions League as a priority for Chelsea and he could not find the word to describe what failure against Olympiacos would mean.

The Greek champions need a scoring draw at Stamford Bridge to derail Grant's European dreams, less than a fortnight after he was criticised for the way he handled the Carling Cup final.

'If we will not qualify.. I don't know the word, I think you know it better than me,' he said.

Chelsea have no away goal from the first-leg stalemate but are overwhelming favourites to make it to the last eight, although reaching the final is part of the club's aims as they look to grow.

They have reached the semis three times in four years but it is breaking through to the barrier of the final that has so far been missing in the Roman Abramovich era.

'The players are experienced in this kind of stage,' Grant said.

'But we said from the beginning that our target was to succeed in the Champions League.

'It is the priority of this club but also it is the priority of me. I am living in this club.

'We haven't got to the final and as a good team that wants to be bigger we need to be in the final of the Champions League. It is not easy because there are many good clubs but this is our priority.'

Grant came out fighting last week after what he perceived as unfair criticism following the Wembley defeat to Spurs, and he feels he can thrive under the pressure that comes with guiding Chelsea towards success.

'Life in football today is a lot of pressure,' he added.

'I think it is good because when you are in a big club it pushes you always to achieve the best things.

'I think it is good pressure. I like it personally.'

Meanwhile, influential Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has insisted that his side's tie with Olympiakos is far from over.

Following Chelsea's 0-0 draw in Greece, the west London club are hot favourites to overcome Olympiakos, but Lampard has urged the Blues to be wary.

'I think they will be a danger to us at Chelsea. The game is difficult and it is not over yet, he said.

'We didn't score away so if we concede now we'll put ourselves under pressure. They are strong on the counter, so maybe they'll try to nick a goal.'

He added: 'The 0-0 was a decent result but it was a great opportunity to go and get an away goal. We didn't threaten as much as we could have done.

'It would have helped up to have scored an away goal but we didn't get that, so we have to make sure that we are very concentrated at home.'
 
Chelsea 3-0 Olympiacos: Blues hardly break sweat

Chelsea cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a comprehensive victory over Olympiacos at Stamford Bridge.

On the eve of this second leg, Avram Grant was lost for words to describe what failure in this tie would mean - and the Greeks' performance may have summed up why.

While Arsenal had to produce an epic performance to defeat AC Milan, Chelsea's passage was much easier, particularly after taking the lead early on.

The goalscorers illustrated the selection problems Grant faces. The first two strikes came from Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard, who effectively kept Michael Essien on the bench.

Salomon Kalou grabbed the third, the Ivory Coast international preferred as a wide forward to Nicolas Anelka.

Accommodating high-profile players, though, is a pressure Grant insists he is relishing, and there was little else to trouble him in terms of the opposition.

The only negative aspect of the evening was the news of goalkeeper Petr Cech picking up an injury and missing the game. Initial reports were of an ankle complaint, and Grant revealed it would need a scan.

Carlo Cudicini, Cech's replacement, could not have chosen a better game to step in for Grant's first-choice stopper. He barely touched the ball in the first 45 minutes.

The hosts had already offered an early warning when Kalou slipped Ashley Cole through and the full-back drove in the a low cross that had to be cleared by Julio Cesar.

It mattered little, though, as Ballack grabbed the fifth-minute opener from the throw. Lampard took a touch on the flank to steady himself for a cross then found Ballack at the near post, who planted his header beyond Antonios Nikopolidis.

It was with the German midfielder's fifth goal of the season, his first in the Champions League campaign after getting brought back into the European squad for the knockout stages.

Didier Drogba could have doubled the lead after midfielder Cole skipped down the left and found the Ivory Coast striker, but the finish was too high.

Claude Makelele, encouraged by the crowd to add to his two Chelsea goals, also shot from long distance but Nikopolidis saved easily.

"We're up against a team who are no mugs,'' wrote skipper John Terry in his programme notes, although he and Ricardo Carvalho did their best to make them look just that.

Darko Kovacevic looked as toothless as he was during his unsuccessful spell at Sheffield Wednesday in the mid-1990s before he went on prove himself in Spain.

He was not helped by a lack of support. Their one moment of promise in the first half, when Vassilis Torosidis crossed from the right, came to nothing as his ball eluded Predrag Djordjevic.

Chelsea's second came in the 25th minute, with the role of provider and goalscorer reversed from the opener.

Makelele won a header on the edge of the area after a corner was not cleared, Terry then nodded towards Ballack beyond the Olympiacos defence. Ballack's finish was parried by Nikopolidis and Lampard tapped in the rebound.

Going in search of a third, Terry ran powerfully out of defence and crossed, with Ballack appearing to be impeded when he met the pass on the edge of the area.

The hosts started the second half as they had the first, with Lampard getting a shot blocked two minutes after the restart.

From the corner, taken by Lampard, Kalou stabbed in from close range after Drogba and Carvalho failed to get contact on their efforts.

Now in total cruise control, Grant's men should have added another when Kalou played Lampard through but the England midfielder screwed his shot wide.

Leonardo and Fernando Belluschi were brought on to give a different edge to the Olympiacos attack, with the latter forcing a save from Cudicini with a free-kick. It was their first shot of the game, after an hour, and the stand-in stopper did not have to move to keep the ball out.

Drogba was sent through at the other end and had the ball in the net, but the assistant referee had flagged for offside.

Belluschi also struck the bar and Cudicini was required to make a double save from a free-kick, but it would have not mattered.
 
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Schalke fear 'key man' Drogba

The prophets of doom have been quick to condemn Chelsea after a month that would have brought even the most resolute of clubs to its knees, yet they have found an unlikely ally in the form of Schalke 04 striker, Kevin Kuranyi.

As if the shock departure of Jose Mourinho wasn't bad enough, the appointment of Avram Grant as his replacement was almost as big as blow to many who doubted the credentials of the Israeli, who could not be a more contrasting figure to the enigmatic character he replaced.

Throw in the fact that the Chelsea future of midfield talisman Frank Lampard is in doubt, along with the revelation that striker Didier Drogba is desperate to join a 'big club' and you have a recipe that would give many more than a touch of food poisoning.

However, Kuranyi is convinced the Chelsea spirit engineered by Mourinho remains in place and given the fact that they have continued to win games both at home and in the Champions League amid this apparent turmoil, his words are not without foundation.

Ahead of Schalke's visit to Stamford Bridge in what will be a crucial Champions League Group B fixture, Kuranyi believes the west Londoners are as dangerous as ever. 'Some may see this is a good time to be playing Chelsea because they are no longer dominant in the English league and Mourinho has gone, but you can't say that yet,' begins the Germany marksman.

'You read reports that there is some unrest in the Chelsea dressing room, but their greatest strength over the last few years has been an intense competitiveness. I cannot believe this spirit will go just because the manager is no longer there.

'Any group of players who are written off become doubly motivated to prove their critics wrong and I'm sure this is what will happen with Chelsea. The spirit Mourinho instilled in this team will still be in place and this is why they are still a major contender to win the Champions League.'

Kuranyi's believes the Chelsea's master plan of mixing high profile foreign talent with the traditions of the English game will continue to serve them well, even in the absence of their iconic manager.

'For me, Chelsea are the ultimate world team, with outstanding players from all over the planet, but their mentality is British in the sense that they obviously love a physical battle and keep pressing on for the full 90 minutes,' he continues. 'We have to match them blow-for-blow both physically and mentally.

'If you fail to stand up to them at any point in the game you will be punished. At their best they are a winning machine, one which gradually wears you down before going for the kill. This is going to be a massive test for us, but we are not exactly lightweights ourselves. Chelsea in first place and us second is my prediction for this group.

'They are wounded animals and after coming just short in previous Champions League campaigns, they must be focused on going all the way. Maybe the European title is be their priority for this season.'

An away day victory on Matchday Two of the Champions League against Valencia was proof that Chelsea are far from being a spent force in this season's competition, yet Kuranyi believes his side of underdogs are well equipped to challenge the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night and back on home soil two weeks from now.

'I think we have what it takes to hold Chelsea,' he states. 'We're compact, well-organised and strong on the counter-attack. Also, this team can handle the big occasion. We went into the lion's den away to Bayern Munich a few weeks ago and were resilient and opportunistic enough to come away with a 1-1 draw.

'The superstars aren't guaranteed to win every time. Sometimes pride and effort is effective. We've a lot of young, hungry players who really want to claim a big scalp and they don't come any bigger than Chelsea.

'The reality for us is that we need to pick up some points in these next two games against Chelsea. We put ourselves on the back foot straight away by losing at home to Valencia in our first Champions League game this season and now comes the moment to make our impact.

'To qualify, you're looking for close to a 100 per cent record on your own turf, plus five or so points from your travels, so you could say we were in the red from the off. Still, at least we've gone part of the way to making up for it by winning in Rosenborg, which was the only result that would do for us.

“ 'Obviously, Chelsea are naturally big favourites to beat us. They are a team with more world-class talent than anyone has a right to have.' ” - Kevin Kuranyi, Schalke striker

'Obviously, Chelsea are naturally big favourites to beat us. They are a team with more world-class talent than anyone has a right to have, but it wouldn't be correct to say we will go into this game with nothing to lose.

'Valencia and us are competing for second-place in this group and by gifting Valencia three points in Gelsenkirchen, we've heaped a lot of pressure on ourselves. We have to make up the lost ground and that means achieving a result in Chelsea, though it goes without saying it will be tough.

'Still, German football is on a high at the moment and we have a duty to make sure it stays that way. Whether it is the national team or club sides, we're full of confidence and go onto the pitch fearing no one. We're not tentative any more.'

The aforementioned Drogba left few in any doubt that he was determined to get away from Chelsea at the end of this season in what amounted to an extraordinary interview with a French publication last week. At many clubs, such a stinging outburst would have signalled the instant end of his employment as a first team player, yet Chelsea are far too reliant on their Ivory Coast striker to contemplate such a measure.

By scoring in the Premier League against Middlesbrough at the weekend, Drogba provided compelling evidence that he is willing to perform at his best for the club even if this is to be his final season in a blue shirt and Kuranyi admits he is the man Schalke will fear when they come to London.

'I'm a big fan of Drogba,' he adds. 'He has all the pace, power and touch in the world and is definitely Chelsea's key man. He holds the ball up intelligently, scores great goals and generally causes havoc with his size and grit. Put him in any side and you'd have a big improvement. We clearly have to make sure he is not a factor.'

While Chelsea keep winning football matches, the wind trying to blow their pack of cards over will be kept at bay, but you get the feeling they are one unexpected gust away from yet another crisis in this extraordinary Stamford Bridge season.

Kevin Kuranyi and his Schalke 04 colleagues are more than capable of delivering that whirlwind this week.
 

FA CUP

Barnsley VS Chelsea

Barnsley boss Simon Davey has virtually a full squad to choose from for the FA Cup quarter-final home clash against Chelsea.

Striker Jon Macken and defender Lewin Nyatanga are both ineligible but the Tykes have no other concerns as they seek to build on their win at Liverpool in the previous round.

Goalkeeper Luke Steele is aiming to place himself in the shop window tomorrow with what he hopes will be another match-winning performance.

Steele became an instant hero by agreeing to a last-minute loan deal from West Brom on the eve of the club's fifth-round tie at Liverpool last month.

The life-long Manchester United fan then realised a boyhood dream by playing his part in a remarkable 2-1 victory at Anfield to help set Barnsley up for their quarter-final clash with Chelsea.

The route to fame, though, has been a rocky one for Steele, who started off on Peterborough's books before securing a memorable move to Old Trafford.

But despite spending four-and-a-half years at United, Steele never came close to making a first-team appearance, with the 23-year-old even spending a season on loan at Coventry.

Bryan Robson then signed Steele for the Baggies in August 2006, and since the appointment of Tony Mowbray as manager, the young number one has barely been given a chance.

Steele appreciates that for his future well-being he needs to quit The Hawthorns, with tomorrow's glamour tie an opportunity to prove his worth to prospective clubs.

"You have to be realistic,'' said Steele.

"Tony Mowbray hasn't been playing me, and with Dean Kiely doing so well, I can see I will have to move on.

"You have to take these opportunities, so I do see my move here to Barnsley and tomorrow's game as a shop window in a way.

"It's also to prove to myself I can play at this level because I lost confidence from being on the bench all the time at West Brom.

"You need a run of games to restore your confidence before you can think about moving on.

"But if anything comes of it, then brilliant. It's obviously what I'm hoping for because I'm only 23, and hopefully I've a lot of years ahead of me.

"I want to carry on playing, at least in the Championship, and then obviously progress to the top like any other player.''

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has been ruled out of the Oakwell clash and his ankle injury is expected to sideline him for at least a further week.

Andriy Shevchenko played for the reserves this week but is not ready for first-team action yet.

Boss Avram Grant must decide whether to keep Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard in midfield after the pair impressed in the previous two games.

John Terry, meanwhile, is happy with Arsenal and Manchester United being in the limelight at this stage of the season and feels Chelsea can take advantage of their new underdog status.

United have been in hot pursuit of Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League, while Arsene Wenger's men have taken the plaudits in the Champions League this week following their epic win against AC Milan.

Chelsea are only seven points off the pace and have to play their title rivals at Stamford Bridge, where they have not lost for two years in league action.

They also eased into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with victory over Olympiacos this week ahead of their trip to Oakwell.

However, there has been little talk of a treble since the Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham at Wembley.

"We like it that way,'' said skipper Terry.

"A few people are slowly mentioning us but we are out of the way at the minute and hopefully we can stay that way as long as possible until the end and then can put some pressure on.

"If we can keep winning and putting pressure on that's all we can do.''

Terry wanted a response after the Spurs defeat and Chelsea have produced convincing victories over West Ham and Olympiacos.

"The will to win and succeed is clearly enough,'' he added.

"When things are written questioning the players, the club or anyone else it does get your back up. I won't lie and say that it doesn't.

"The only way we can change that is to put in performances like against West Ham and Olympiacos and put pressure on teams and show what type of footballing side we really are.

"It is easy to say a week or so after the final that you can look at it and take it as a learning curve. In the first few days you don't accept that.

"Looking at the Tottenham game it was a big learning curve and hopefully that will do us well until the end of the season. We have a lot of big games coming up and we need to be better than the other teams around us.''
 
: 0 - 0 (Agg)
Barnsley 1-0 Chelsea: Seismic shock at Oakwell

Scoring Summary Barnsley Chelsea Kayode Odejayi (66)



Match Stats Barnsley Chelsea Shots (on Goal) 7(3) 23(15) Fouls 9 11 Corner Kicks 3 10 Offsides 1 4 Time of Possession 49% 51% Yellow Cards 1 1 Red Cards 0 0 Saves 3 6
Match Information Stadium: Oakwell Stadium, England
Attendance: 22,410
Match Time: 17:30 UK
Referee(s):
S Bennett (Referee)



Teams Barnsley Chelsea 31 Luke Steele23 Carlo Cudicini16 Stephen Foster35 Juliano Belletti5 Robert Kozluk18 Wayne Bridge2 Bobby Hassell26 John Terry23 Marciano Van Homoet6 Ricardo Carvalho25 Martin Devaney24 Shaun Wright-Phillips20 Jamal Campbell-Ryce10 Joe Cole10 Brian Howard5 Michael Essien9 Kayode Odejayi15 Florent Malouda13 Istvan Ferenczi13 Michael Ballack18 Dennis Souza39 Nicolas AnelkaSubstitutes19 Jacob ButterfieldHenrique Hilario 4029 Diego LeonTal Ben-Haim 227 Sam TogwellJohn Mikel Obi 1211 Daniel NardielloClaudio Pizarro 1424 Michael CoulsonSalomon Kalou 21SubstitutionsSam Togwell for Martin Devaney (73)
Salomon Kalou for Florent Malouda (62)
Michael Coulson for Kayode Odejayi (80)
Claudio Pizarro for Juliano Belletti (74)
Yellow CardsRobert Kozluk (54)
Ricardo Carvalho (90)
· Club Squads: Barnsley | Chelsea

Updated: March 8, 2008, 2:41 PM ET
Kayode Odejayi is hardly a name that rolls off the tongue, but it will long be remembered in FA Cup history as Barnsley produced another massive shock to send holders Chelsea crashing out 1-0.
As if beating Liverpool at Anfield in the fifth round three weeks ago was not enough, the Coca-Cola Championship side managed to go one better, with Odejayi the man of the hour.
barns-275.jpg

GettyImages
Barnsley celebrate their success.




The Nigerian striker, a £200,000 buy from Cheltenham in May, had not found the net for 28 appearances, but he undoubtedly scored the most important goal of his career to send Barnsley into the semi-finals at Wembley.
Make no mistake, this was no fluke because although manager Avram Grant made six changes to his team from the one that romped over Olympiacos in the Champions League in midweek, there was still a star-studded line-up on view.
Barnsley boss Simon Davey had described that win as "men against boys,'' and departed Stamford Bridge feeling quite "unnerved'' at how the Blues had dismantled the Greeks.
Needless to say, though, he was expecting far more from his Tykes, and that is what he duly received as Yorkshire grit took on the might of the millionaires from the Kings Road.
There was no Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Paulo Ferreira or Ashley Cole, who were all rested.
Even without Lampard, there was a distinctly English slant towards the Chelsea side as captain John Terry was joined by Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Despite their star status, they more than anybody would appreciate this was an old-fashioned cup tie of favourites against underdogs, with a sell-out, fervent Oakwell crowd providing the backdrop.
As if to prove no fear would be shown, Barnsley took the game to their opponents, carving out the opening chance inside three minutes.
The livewire Jamal Campbell-Ryce's through ball found Brian Howard inside the area, the Tykes captain who had scored the late winner at Anfield.
Although Howard's stabbed shot was blocked by Michael Essien, it at least underlined Barnsley's intent that they would not be as easy a pushover as Olympiacos.
Half-chances followed for Chelsea, interspersed by a number of counter-attacks from the home side, who used Campbell-Ryce's pace along with the height and power of strikers Istvan Ferenczi and Odejayi.
Michael Ballack ballooned the visitors' first opportunity over the crossbar, followed by an edge-of-the-area chip from Joe Cole that also cleared the woodwork.
In the 15th minute Cole drilled another effort goalwards, and despite a slight deflection that carried the shot inches wide, there was no corner.
Underlining Barnsley's commitment, Rob Kozluk threw his body in front of a Cole drive that followed three minutes later, and that was it in terms of first-half chances for Chelsea.
Instead, it was the Tykes who should have headed into the break with the lead, initially in the 21st minute when Carlo Cudicini was caught napping on the edge of the six-yard box.
The Italian goalkeeper made a hash of attempting to trap a backpass, allowing Odejayi to thunder in, but his nudge was wide.
Then, eight minutes from the interval, Ferenczi should have found the target after latching onto Bobby Hassell's free-kick from deep.
But after flicking the ball up with his right foot, he fired wide from 12 yards, with the Hungarian then sinking to his knees and with his head in his hands as he appreciated he should have done better.
Within a minute Barnsley were on the attack again as Howard played in Odejayi, and although forced wide, he still fired in a powerful shot that forced Cudicini into his first save via his legs.
Perhaps inevitably Chelsea then dominated the opening 20 minutes of the second period as Barnsley were penned back inside their own half, resorting on occasion to desperate, but effective defending.
From their sporadic opportunities, Cole had a further shot blocked by Dennis Souza, while on-loan goalkeeper Luke Steele made an easy save from a low Nicolas Anelka drive.
Cole and Terry then combined to set up the Frenchman in the 57th minute, but again the determined home side thrust bodies in the way when it mattered most.
After weathering the storm, Barnsley then conjured a goal to lift the proverbial roof off Oakwell, one which is likely to result in further inquests from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich following those held in the wake of the Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham.
Ferenczi initially fed Martin Devaney on the right, and after a run from Marciano van Homoet pulled away Bridge, the right winger delivered a piercing cross to the heart of the area.
At 6ft 2ins, Odejayi managed to rise in front of the outstretched hands of Cudicini and nod home only his second goal for the club this season into an empty net.
Chelsea poured forward for the remainder of the game, but despite the pressure, not once was Steele was forced into a save as a wall of 10 red shirts protected him. When the final whistle sounded, and despite warnings over the tannoy not to do so, a pitch invasion ensued - one you could not begrudge the delirious Barnsley faithful.

Saturday, March 8

Man Utd0Portsmouth1Final
Barnsley1Chelsea0Final
 
a real big shock. damn. i was laughin at man u. and i got retribution.
well , i have to say , they deserved the win. they were playing well. ah.
its an away game and the field was so botak . no excuses tho.
carling cup swept away along with the FA cup .
guess no titles or cups this season for chelsea. all the best for liverpool then.
but i wanna see an underdog grab that cup.
 
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